It was the middle of the night, when a little girl awoke terribly frightened. She'd been thrashing about in her bed, trapped in a nightmare she couldn't seem to get out of.

"Sammy?" Ashlynn called out softly, nervously hunting for her beloved stuffed bear. She found him hiding under the covers halfway down her bed.

Ashlynn whimpered and sniffled as she clutched Sammy tight, burying her face into him.

"Daddy..." She whined softly - too soft for anyone to hear, as it was just barely above a whisper.

She gulped, noticing scary shadows upon her wall - being projected from the nightlight plugged in her one wall. She snuggled down under the covers in tears, wanting Daddy but too scared to cry out for him.

"Sammy...what we do?" She asked her Bear. "I-I scared...Wan' Daddy..."

She didn't care which Daddy she got either - either one of them would do quite fine at the moment - though she usually snuggled Daddy Kevin.

There was a creepy noise then, that caused her to jump and hide under the covers. Just because she was eight didn't mean she was too old for nightmares - heck, even adults get nightmares.

"What's that, Sammy?" She whispered, listening to her Bear. "Runs an' finds Daddy?"

Sammy nodded - though Ashlynn didn't realize she'd made him do it herself.

"Kay," she squeaked, as a louder noise was heard - causing her to bolt.

Ashlynn bolted for her door after the last noise, Sammy tucked firmly under her arm - she hadn't realized the noise was thunder.

"Hey, Kev? Maybe we should check on the girls," A.J. suggested softly, as he was snuggled into his husband. "I mean, if I'm a bit spooked, what's to say they aren't?"

"I think that's a good idea," Kevin agreed, about to get up when he saw a figure come flying into the room just as a huge clap of thunder was heard.

Ashlynn didn't say a word, as she quickly clambered up onto the bed and dove for Daddy Kevin.

A.J. chuckled softly, though he'd jumped at the last one. "I'm gonna go get Krissy."

"Alright," Kevin nodded, hugging Ashlynn close. "You might as well bring her back here."

A.J. nodded and quickly left the room to retrieve their youngest.

Kevin looked down, noticing Ashlynn's tear-streaked face and felt his heart break.

"Shh...there's nothing to be scared of, Honey. It's just thunder."

Ashlynn buried her face into him. "Bad dream..." She whimpered softly.

"Oh," Kevin acknowledged. "Care to tell me what about? It might help if you talk about it."

"Sent backs Home," Ashlynn hiccuped.

"Home?" Kevin repeated, comfused a moment. "What's so...Oh! The Foster Home?"

Ashlynn nodded. "I's naughty, an' hads to goes back..."

Kevin hugged her tighter then. "No. No. Shh...you're not going back, Baby. No matter how naughty you are, you're still going to be my Baby."

Ashlynn started to cry again, but not so much because of the storm outside.

Kevin rocked her some. "Shh...we love you very much, Ashlynn. You're not ever going back to the Foster Home. You're ours and we're going to keep you for all of your life."

"Buts-Buts I's bad..." Ashlynn argued.

"You're not bad, Ashlynn," Kevin assured her. "You're naughty sometimes, but that doesn't mean you're not a good girl. You're a very good girl - you and Krissy both - you just do naughty things sometimes, that's all."

"I stays?"

"Of course, Ashlynn!" Kevin exclaimed, shocked that she thought she had to ask that. "Baby, Daddy A.J. and I will always be here for you, okay? I promise. Anytime you're scared or need to snuggle, just find one of us and we'll snuggle you until you're all snuggled out."

Ashlynn giggled a little bit at that. "Likes snuggles."

"Me too, Goober," Kevin replied, kissing her head. "Shh..."

"My Daddy..." Ashlynn whispered, burying her face into him.

"Yes, your Daddy," Kevin soothed, hugging her tight. "Forever and ever and ever."

A.J. entered the room them, a wide-eyed Krissy in his arms. "I was right," he stated, climbing back into bed.

"Scared?" Kevin asked.

"Yep," A.J. nodded. "Too scared to get out of bed and come to us. I had to practically pry her out of her bed - she was that scared."

Kevin smiled at the little blond-haired girl in his husband's arms. "You're safe now, Krissy."

Ashlynn leaned over, and gave her little sister a quick hug, which was returned briefly.

Krissy whimpered softly after they broke apart, burying her face into Daddy A.J. - her blankie tightly grasped in her little fist.

A.J. got comfortable under the covers, and smiled at Ashlynn.

"That was very nice of you," he praised. "You feeling better now?"

Ashlynn shrugged a bit, after smiling a little at the praise. She wasn't sure if she was okay now or not - she believed Daddy Kevin, but was still a teeny bit worried.

"She'd a nightmare," Kevin explained. "That we sent her back to the Home."

A.J.'s eyes widen. "What? No way! Not happening! Anybody tries to take her, I'll kick their butts!"

"Aje, violence isn't the answer," Kevin reminded him.

"It is if they're trying to take one of our babies away!" A.J. exclaimed.

Kevin chuckled. "I think you're more worked up over her nightmare than she is now."

A.J. grinned at Ashlynn. "Don't worry, Honey. I won't let them take you away - not ever!"

Ashlynn giggled softly, leaning over to give him a kiss. She felt better now - especially if Daddy A.J. was willing to kick butt in order to keep her.

A.J. gave her a kiss in return. "Now, is everybody settled?"

The girls went to nod, but the power went out then with a loud clap of thunder. Both girls screamed and buried their faces into their Daddies.

"Uh...Kev?" A.J. spoke softly.

"Ashlynn, stay with Daddy A.J. for a minute, okay? Daddy's going to get a flashlight," Kevin told her, gently easing her out of his lap.

Ashlynn whimpered, now in tears again, and immediately clung to Daddy A.J.

A.J. clung tightly to both girls, rocking them and singing softly as he kissed their heads every so often.

Kevin returned a few minutes later - after having had bumped and banged around for a bit - a flashlight in each hand.

"Found two," he informed his husband, whom was snuggling the girls. He crawled back into bed, after making sure a flashlight was on each nightstand.

Ashlynn crawled back into Daddy Kevin's lap to snuggle - more used to him, than Daddy A.J.

"So...who wants to hear about Uncle Nicky getting shoved outside in his underwear?" A.J. trailed off, smirking some - though you couldn't see that in the dark.

Krissy giggled. "Uncle Nick was outsides in his underwear? But that's naughty."

"Not if it's not your fault," A.J. chuckled.

"Alex," Kevin groaned, though he too was smiling in the dark.

"What? It's a good story!" A.J. insisted. "Funny too!"

Kevin laughed, as he heard A.J. snicker. "Alright, alright. Tell them the story."

They all snuggled close together under the covers, as A.J. began.

"See, it was like this...Nicky was bein' a brat..." A.J. went on, telling them the story or Nick being mobbed in his underwear years ago.