I sigh as I close the door to the babies' room. I turn to say goodnight to Barbara, and I'm actually quite surprised to see that she's still standing next to me.

"Goodnight," I whisper, resisting the urge to rest a hand on her arm as I shuffle my feet a bit.

"Oh, for Christ's sake," she mutters, rolling her eyes in irritation. "This is ridiculous, Peter. We're grown adults, but we're acting like a pair of kindergarteners with a crush."

I blush as I look away from her, and roll my shoulders a bit. "Sorry..."

"Peter, you've got to man up," Barbara announces, frowning at me. "Seriously, why are you being so timid? If ya' like me, jus' say so already. We can go get some coffee when Ah'm off from work."

I smile up at Barbara. "Uh, yeah. Sure." She rolls her eyes as she punches me on the shoulder. I hiss an exclamation of pain, careful not to be too loud so I don't wake up the kids.

"Seriously, you're actin' like a girl from a bad romance novel," Barbara hisses. "Now, cup your hand on your crotch and find yer' balls." I chuckle lightly, and she gives me a quick peck on the cheek. I blush a bit as she smirks at me. "Well, I'd better get t' sleep. I've gotta get to work in the morning, which means I'll have to get back to my flat and get prepped up."

I nod, and mumble a quick "goodnight" before she walks down the stairs, acting as if nothing's amiss.

She's remarkable, isn't she? Has a kiss with a guy, and then acts like nothing happened. She is much more emotionally stable than I am...

I sigh as I retreat into my bedroom, and flick on the baby monitor. I curl up under the covers, and close my eyes, tiredness quickly taking over as I relax...

I open my eyes with a small smile as I hear sniffling coming through the baby monitor. Fluttershy probably needs a diaper change: she just sniffles when she soils herself. She doesn't wail or cry.

I get up, and quickly enter the babies' bedroom, searching for...

Fluttershy isn't the one sniffling.

I realize that with a bit of shock, and then a bit of sympathetic, parental love as I reach down into the crib to gently touch the crying unicorn.

"Hey, sweetheart," I whisper as she starts from the contact. "It's just me. It's just Daddy."

She looks up at me, and after her eyes adjust to the darkness, she immediately wraps her forelegs around my hand, hugging it tight as if it might get away if she lets go.

"What's the matter?" I ask gently as I pick her up and cradle her in my arms.

"I...I had a b-bad dream," she stammers, tears getting in the way of her speech.

"Oh," I whisper, rocking the pony gently. "D'you want to sleep with me for the rest of the night, sweetheart?"

She nods, squeezing her eyes shut as she rubs away a few tears with a hoof. I smile to myself as I carry her into my bedroom.

As I settle down into the bed, holding my daughter close and snug, I ask her what her dream was about.

"I...I was alone," she whispers, her voice small and distant. "I was alone...and I cried and cried, but...nobody came...I was all alone...forever..."

I frown in sympathy as I kiss the crown of her head. "Sweetheart, you'll never be alone. I'll always be here with you."

"But...I called for you, Daddy, and you didn't come," Trixie mutters, tears bubbling over as she squeezes my arm a bit tighter. "And I...I knew I'd never see you again..."

I kiss her again. "Trixie, I'll always be here for you," I whisper to her. "I love you. You're my baby, and I'll always be there to look out for you. I promise that if you have that dream again, all you've got to do is say "I love you Daddy," and I'll show up."

Trixie looks up at me, and smiles a bit. "I love you, Daddy," she whispers, hugging my neck as she cuddles into me. I smile to myself as I stroke her mane.

"I love you, too, Trix," I whisper.

A few moments of silence pass, and I assume that she's fallen asleep. However, I'm proven wrong when she starts to cry again.

"I'm sorry I'm so mean to you," she whimpers. "I'm sorry that I ignore you sometimes..."

I smile as I hug her a bit closer. "It's okay, sweetheart," I whisper, my heart melting as I kiss her on the forehead. "You'll always be my daughter, and I'll always love you, no matter what you do." Trixie hugs me tighter, and I kiss her again.

We pass a few moments like that, hugging each other close as a bond deeper than any other passes between us. After a few moments, she falls asleep, and I adjust my position so she can be completely comfortable.

"Goodnight, Trixie," I whisper to the unconscious pony. "I love you."

I'm woken up by small mumblings. My eyes flutter open, and I look down at the pony in my arms.

"I love you, Daddy," she whispers, her eyes flickering about under her lids. She's talking in her sleep. I smile as I lean toward her ears and begin to whisper back.

"I'm here," I whisper to her. "Daddy's here. I love you, baby."

She calms down, and stops mumbling as she smiles to herself, and cuddles into me. I smile to myself, and close my eyes as I rest my head back on the pillow.

This time, I'm woken up by a gentle nudge. I open my eyes, and see that there's someone looking down at me. I immediately recognize the person as Barbara, and I rub my eye with a grumpy grumble.

"I have to go to work," she whispers to me. "I just wanted to tell you before I left."

I sigh. "What time is it?" I mutter, still not wanting to open my eyes all the way.

"It's five thirty. I've got to get ready at my place first, which is why I'm leaving so early."

I nod, and put my nose back in Trixie's mane. "K...bye," I mutter, sleepily. She blows a bit of air out of her nose in amusement, and makes me blush my kissing me on the cheek.

"I'll be back to check in on you later," she whispers. "God knows you'll need my help."

"Mrsmrlr..." I mutter. She chuckles lightly before bustling out of the room.

Are we dating? I mean, I know we kissed last night, but when the fuck did I get pulled into a God-damned relationship? Guess I should've seen this coming, huh...

I fidget a bit so that I can fully support Trixie's curled up form. I sigh to myself in content, and wince a bit as I hear an engine turn over. Barbara's car drives away a moment later, and I wait for the crying to start...

However, none comes through the baby monitor. I smile to myself at the pleasant surprise. Maybe I'll have time to rest this morn-

BANG

Nope.

I sit bolt upright in bed, and Trixie jumps into wakefulness.

"Daddy, what was that!?" She cries in panic.

"I don't know," I respond, my senses acute as I try to understand what the hell is going on... "Come on, let's go find out."

I pick her up, and we hurry down the stairs.