This is it! This is the end! I know it took me a while to finish, but it's been a hectic few months and I haven't been feeling the best. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it! There'll be some more notes at the end.

Bickslow stared at his phone as he stood outside Violet's school, waiting for her to make her way to the front so he could take her home. He wasn't usually the one to pick Violet up from school, although some days he did drop her off in the morning. Most of the time, he wasn't able to get to Violet's school in time because he was usually at work until five. That day though, with Lucy stuck at work for the next few hours, Bickslow had left work a couple of hours early just to make it to Violet's school in time for two thirty.

It worked out great for Bickslow, too, just because it gave him a chance to talk to Violet about something that he definitely couldn't bring up while Lucy was around. Oh no.

Children slowly began filing out of the school from the open gates and the office doors. Bickslow put his phone back in his pocket and just waited for Violet to make her way out. Regardless of who picked her up, she always knew to go to one of the shady trees at the front of the school, and that was where Bickslow was waiting for her. Once she saw Bickslow there, she began running towards him with a great big grin on her face and wrapped her arms around his middle once she was close enough.

"Hi, Daddy."

Some days he was Bickso, and some days he was Dad. Bickslow had found he didn't really mind much. He patted her head as she let go of him, grabbing her hand next to walk her back to the carpark. "Heya, monkey."

"Mummy working?" Violet asked.

"Yep. She'll be home a little late tonight so it's just you and me for a few hours. How's that sound?"

"Boring."

Bickslow feigned being offended. "Ouch. My feelings are hurt now. I don't think I like you anymore. And here I was thinking of going to get you ice-cream…"

"No, no, ice-cream!" Violet was giggled and squealing as she ran circles around Bickslow as he fished the car keys from his pocket. "You're the best, Bickso. I like you better than Mummy, promise!"

"Uh-huh. Sure you do." He checked to make sure she had her seatbelt on once she was in the car before walking back around to get in the driver's seat. "But don't worry. I'll still get you your ice-cream."

The drive to the park by Lucy's favourite café was once again spent with Violet telling Bickslow all about her day at school. Since changing classes at the start of the year, Violet had slowly but surely been coming out of her little shell. She'd had her first playdate just a month earlier, and Lucy had been so relieved about it that she'd actually cried (and Bickslow had almost cried too, but he'd spent most of his time trying to get Lucy to stop crying). For the last two weeks though, all either one of them had been hearing about was Violet's new best friend Rose (and hearing that the girl's name was Rose, Bickslow had laughed to himself for a good ten minutes because of course Violet's first proper friend was also named after another flower), a new student who had only moved to Magnolia with her parents a few weeks earlier. For the most part, Bickslow didn't understand what Violet said on the drive over to the park. She talked so fast that it all just sounded like gibberish, but he still listened as best he could because he loved seeing her so excited about having a best friend.

At the café, he got Violet her mini tub of ice-cream and he got his own coffee to tide him over until it was a reasonable time to go to bed, and then they were off to the park across the street to watch the ducklings in the small pond. Violet didn't particularly care for the ducks, but Bickslow thought they were cute, so when Violet had finished her ice-cream, he let her go play on the swings while he sat and stared at the fluffy yellow ducklings some more.

At some point though, once Violet had somehow managed to swing herself so high on the swing set that she almost fell off the swing, Bickslow figured it was about time he actually went and got on with what he'd brought Violet there for. For some reason, seeking the approval he knew he already had from the six-year-old was just a little terrifying. He knew he had no reason to be nervous, but he most definitely was and he was regretting the extra shot he'd ordered in his coffee.

Throwing the empty foam cup into a nearby trashcan, Bickslow ventured over to the swings to catch the chain on Violet's swing and slow her down. "Alright, don't swing too high, now," he said.

Violet giggled and tried kicking her legs out to get the momentum back. "But it's fun!"

"I know, but I don't want you falling off and getting hurt."

"Higher!"

Bickslow sighed as he kept gently pushing her each time she swung back. "What did I just say?"

"Please, Daddy! Just a little higher!"

Sometimes Bickslow wasn't quite sure if Violet was aware how weak he was to her calling him that. He still didn't mind that she called him Bickso sometimes, but whenever she did call him Daddy, well… She definitely got whatever she wanted. She had him wrapped around her finger, and honestly, Bickslow wouldn't be surprised if she was well aware of it. She was too smart for her own good. Lucy had a habit of reminding him about that and laughing at him. "Fine, just a little bit," he said with another sigh, and Violet squealed with joy as she got to swing high up in the air.

Bickslow decided to just let her be for a few more minutes. He figured Violet would get bored of the swings eventually so it would just be a matter of time. Unfortunately for Bickslow, even after five minutes where he honestly stopped paying much attention and checked his phone a couple of times while he kept pushing Violet on the swing with his other hand, she didn't tire of it. So eventually, when Violet continued to squeal and be the happy child he loved her to be, Bickslow decided to be horrible and put and end to it, because he knew for a fact that she wasn't going to listen to him while she was playing on the swings.

He'd make it up to her later, probably. He'd mostly likely just convince Lucy to pick something up for dinner on her way home.

"Alright, that's enough now, Vi," Bickslow said, pocketing his phone once again so he could grab hold of the chains as she swung back towards him. "Time to hop off the swings."

"…But…"

"Nope, come on. You and me need to have a little talk anyway."

Violet jumped off the swing hesitantly and looked up to Bickslow, her bottom lip sticking out. "Am I in trouble?" she asked quietly.

"What? No, no, of course not, sweetheart." That just made him feel worse. I am so not parent material. He picked her up off the playground and gave her a bright smile. "I just wanted to ask what you thought of something, and I know you were having way too much fun on that swing to listen to me. I promise you're not in trouble."

"Okay."

He set her down gently on one of the park benches and sat down next to her with yet another sigh. "So," he began, crossing his leg over his knee and looking down to Violet. Of course, she was just looking back up with that childlike curiosity on her face. It was strange how a six-year-old could make him nervous. "Uh… So, me and your mum… You know that we're, uh… We—"

"You love each other!" Violet giggled.

Bickslow couldn't help but grimace. "Yeah, that," he mumbled. "But, um… You know that your mum and I have been, uh… together, for a little while now. And, well, you know that I really love her, of course - and I really love you too, and, you know, I see you as my own kid anyway. And, well, I know you see me as family as well since you call me Dad and all now, and I guess we are all kind of a little family now, since you and Mum moved in I suppose, and… And I guess you like living with me, too."

Violet nodded. "I get to see the doggies every day."

"Yeah, you get to see the doggies… But anyway, since we are kind of a family, and your mum and me…" He trailed off and imagined hitting his head against the brick wall. It would probably be less painful. Thankfully the only person there to witness him making a fool of himself in his nervousness was Violet, and thankfully, she was too young to even know he was being an idiot about the whole thing. Hopefully. "I guess I just wanted to see what you thought of—"

"Do you want to marry my Mummy, Bickso?"

Bickslow blinked and stared at the girl for a few moments. Couldn't she have come up with that thirty seconds earlier and saved him the embarrassment of trying to get there himself? Honestly, he wasn't even that surprised she'd said it at all. Bickslow was kind of glad for it. "I, uh… Yeah, I do."

Violet sat up to throw her arms around him. "We'll be proper family then!" Violet said. "And you and Mummy will be like all the other mummies and daddies at school!"

"I… I guess so…" Bickslow mumbled."But, hey, Violet…You know even if your mum and me do get married, that I still won't really be your dad. You've already gone one of those, and that's not going to change."

"Daddy's not here much but…" Violet said quietly.

The last thing Bickslow had ever wanted to do was replace Erik, and as much as Lucy (and Erik) knew that, Bickslow hadn't ever considered if Violet knew that as well. As smart as she was, perhaps that was just one thing she hadn't figured out on her own."I know he's not, but… You know, just because he's always busy and doesn't get to see you all the time, it doesn't mean he doesn't love you," he said.

"But you love me too and you're more like the other daddies."

"Yeah, but I'm still not really your dad. I'm… I'm more like your step-dad. I still look after you, but your real dad still comes first. Make sense?"

"Not really," Violet mumbled.

Bickslow sighed and looked back to the playground. "I guess it is kind of confusing." He knew he'd have to talk to Lucy about it now though, and he wasn't sure how that would go. "Anyway, you gotta keep this between me and you for now, alright? No telling her that I want to propose. It's a secret."

"What does propose mean?"

She knew what blackmail meant, but she didn't know what propose meant. Oh, how he loved that child. "It means asking your mum to marry me."

Her face lit up and she nodded quickly again. "Okay. No telling Mummy."

"Excellent."

"Are you gonna get a pretty ring?"

"Uh, well… Eventually, yeah," Bickslow said. Really, it wasn't exactly high up on his list of priorities.

Violet sat back down on the bench and kicked her legs out in front of her. "Mummy doesn't like fancy jule… jeweley?"

"Jewellery?" Bickslow said, focusing on breaking it up for Violet to hear the syllables.

"Yeah. She said it stupid."

That explains why she never wears anything. It also explained why she'd specifically asked him not to buy her anything that cost more than a hundred dollars. Honestly, Bickslow hadn't thought about it much, but he'd suspected an engagement ring would be a little different. "Well… You can still buy pretty things that aren't fancy. I'm sure I'll find something."

"Can I help? Please?" Violet asked excitedly.

"Uh, well… Sure, I guess."

"Let's go now!"

Bickslow didn't get a chance to protest before Violet jumped off the bench and grabbed his hand from his lap to try and pull him up. Of course, she failed, but Bickslow got up anyway just to see where she was dragging him. "Wait, Vi, I didn't mean—"

"We go now," she said again, and at some point before she managed to drag him all the way back to the car, Bickslow decided to just go with it.

Two hours later, Bickslow found himself walking out of a jewellery store with a much lower bank balance, a far too happy girl beside him, and a ring that did, in fact, have pink sapphires on it. How Violet had talked him into liking it, he wasn't sure. He just hoped Lucy liked it enough to say yes.

There was a knock on the door not long after dinner and the dogs all started howling before anyone had even gotten up to answer it. Bickslow was down the hall getting Violet ready for bed, so Lucy was drying her hands on the dishtowel quickly before turning to go answer the door.

"Alright, alright… You don't scare anyone, you fluff balls," she mumbled, trying her best to get around all three of the dogs that sat right in front of the door and continued to bark and howl at it. They were literally all bark and no bite. Pip and Inky were easy enough to push out of the way, although Pip was making it hard to actually open the door, but she had to pick Benji up to open it. The over-friendly beagle had a habit of walking through her legs to get outside when there were people out there. So hauling Benji up, Lucy slowly opened the door while doing her best to keep the bigger dogs out of the way, although they still got their noses through a gap. "Erik!"

The noses in the door shoved it open the rest of the way, and Lucy just gave up. As much as the dogs liked Erik, he didn't like them. He'd already learnt he had to pat them all at least once to get them to leave him alone, though. "Yes, yes, hello… I hate you but I have to put up with you… Okay, go away now," he said with a false sweetness. Then, finally, he got to step forward to almost hug Lucy, only stopping when he realised she was holding one of the annoying creatures. Instead, he smiled - something he only ever did for two people anyway. "I would hug you and shit, but… Gross."

Lucy rolled her eyes as she called the dogs back in and welcomed Erik inside, and finally hugged him once she'd set Benji back down. "I didn't know you were coming into town." Occasionally, his visits were unannounced, but as far as Lucy could tell, ever since she'd moved in with Bickslow, he'd always given her at least a few days notice. "How long are you here for?"

Erik shrugged. "Just dropping in for the night. Got a plane at six tomorrow morning."

"Oh. Were you already nearby?"

"Uh, sure." Really, he'd been in Sin, but as far as Lucy was concerned, that was nearby. He wasn't actually there to talk to her anyway.

"Well, Bix was just getting Vi ready for bed. Want me to go get her before she's out?" Lucy asked as she went to go sit in the lounge room, the dogs and Erik trailing behind her. She got the impression Erik was in a bit of a hurry because he kept looking around, but she didn't know what to make of it. Still, if Erik was only there for the night, Lucy knew he'd be wanting to see Violet, and Violet would be wanting to see him too.

Of course, as much as Erik loved seeing his daughter, he didn't really want to wake her or make her stay up any later than she should be, and he figured it'd probably just upset her more knowing that he was only going to be there for a few minutes before going away again. "No. She's probably better off not knowing I was here tonight. Let her sleep," he said. He'd have to make it up to her at some point in the future, though. If everything went to plan, he'd be able to spend a few weeks with her over the holidays at the end of the year. "Don't tell her I came."

It was the first time Erik had ever asked Lucy to do that, so she wasn't really sure what to think. "Oh. Um… Sure, I suppose…" She didn't like the idea of lying to Violet (although, was omission really lying?), but she didn't want to hurt Erik by telling Violet he'd been there. "Is everything alright?" she asked softly. Something just didn't feel right, and if he was saying his own daughter was better off not knowing he was there, then something had to be wrong.

"What? 'Course it is. Why wouldn't it be?"

"Well, it's not like you've ever dropped in for just one night before, and you don't even want to see—"

"Oh, you're already here," Bickslow interrupted as he came back out of the hall. Lucy scowled at him and Bickslow refrained from turning back around. "Did I interrupt something?" he asked cautiously. He didn't think Lucy had ever looked at him like that while Erik was around. Usually it was a look she reserved for when he let Violet have too much junk food or stay up too late.

"Yes. We were—"

"Nope," Erik said, quickly standing up and walking back to the door. "You ready?"

Bickslow shrugged as he glanced back to Lucy for a second. "Uh, yeah, sure. Let me just get my keys."

Lucy was quick to get up from the lounge and follow Bickslow to the back of the house. Clearly she was missing something, and Lucy just wanted to know what was going on. "Do you care to explain?" she asked, crossing her arms as she leant against the doorframe to their bedroom.

"Explain what?"

"You and Erik. What's going on?"

Bickslow finished tying up the laces on his shoes and grabbed his keys and wallet from the dresser. "Just getting a drink with him, that's all." Really, it wasn't a big deal, and he had no idea why Lucy was being weird about it. "What, am I not allowed to talk to him now?"

"Of course you can," Lucy scoffed.

"So what's the problem?"

"I… I'm just confused," she said. "Because Erik doesn't just show up for one day at a time, and he said he doesn't even want Vi to know he's here! He's never done that before."

Bickslow shrugged. "Well, seems kind of pointless getting her up just so he can hug her and say bye again two seconds later," Bickslow pointed out. He was kind of on Erik's side with that.

"She's his daughter!"

"Do you want me to go and wake her up then?" If it was one thing Bickslow loved about the kid, it was how fast she got to sleep. He wished he could fall asleep in five minutes.

"No, I guess not…" Lucy mumbled. "But I'm still confused. I thought you were still scared of him or something. And why is he even here?"

Bickslow rolled his eyes at her. "I was never scared of him." Or maybe he was. Just a tiny bit. But it was fine now. They were like super best friends - although there was a pretty good chance that Erik didn't think that. "And he's here because we've secretly been having a modern day affair and sending dick pics to each other for the last year and a half and now we're running away together. Look after the dogs, will you?" he said, grabbing Lucy's arms to gently turn her so he could get back into the hall.

"That explains why he keeps sending me messages at three in the morning asking me why you keep sending him creepy pictures of children and dolls…"

"Ouch. Really?" Bickslow pouted. Although he probably deserved that one. "But seriously, he's here because I wanted to talk to him about something. That's all," he said softly, kissing the top of her head. "Now I've gotta go, so I'll see you later."

What Bickslow had to talk to Erik about, Lucy had no idea. She supposed it had to be important to have Erik flying out to Magnolia for just one night, but that just made her worry. Whatever the case was, Lucy knew she wasn't going to be getting any answers from either of them, at least not right then. She'd just have to be patient and wait for one of them to tell her what was going on.

"So are you going to bother telling me why you wanted me come all the way out here?" Erik asked as he sat down at the far end of the bar. "Or are we just going to sit here and drink in silence? Because I'm cool with that." Really though, he was curious as all hell to know what was important enough that Bickslow had needed to talk to him in person and why he hadn't just been able to say it in a text, or god forbid in a phone call. Although admittedly, Erik had grown rather fond of Bickslow's weekly Violet updates, even if they were kind of repetitive.

Bickslow glanced back to Erik as the bartender came and took their order quickly. He thought he'd been nervous when talking to Violet about proposing to Lucy, but Erik was just on a whole other level.

The funniest part was though, that Bickslow was still going to propose anyway. With Valentine's Day having passed already, which had been a week and a half before their first date two years earlier, Bickslow was planning on asking Lucy some time around her birthday in June. Still, he was only telling Erik out of courtesy because he was still Lucy's best friend, and honestly, Bickslow was certain there were still a few things that only Erik knew about her. That, and Erik was still Violet's father, and since Bickslow would be becoming an actual step-parent to Violet, he really had just thought it was necessary they at least talk about him wanting to marry Lucy.

So why he was still nervous about it, Bickslow just had no idea. At least with Erik he didn't have to try and explain himself a little better. They were both adults (for the most part). All Bickslow needed to do was come out with it and that would it be. So he decided to do just that, only after he'd drunk a considerably amount of the beer the bartender had just placed in front of him. "I'm gonna ask Lucy to marry me."

"Okay, and?"

"I just… I just thought I'd let you know," Bickslow mumbled.

Erik shook his head. "I can't believe you made me fly all the way out here just to tell me you were gonna fuckin' propose." Really, he'd thought it had been important. But Bickslow proposing? Erik had totally been expecting that to happen at some point anyway. He hadn't thought it was something Bickslow needed to share with him, though.

"W-Well, I'm sorry. I just thought… I just thought since Vi is involved, that you should know," Bickslow maintained. In his defence, he had told Erik not to bother coming once the man had started complaining about how he didn't have the time to visit just to fucking talk. While Bickslow had said it was important, he would've survived if he hadn't been able to tell Erik what his plan was. Still, Bickslow hadn't actually known Erik would even be coming into town to talk to him until Erik had messaged him just after noon and said he'd be later that night. "Although, since you did come all the way out here, there was something else I wanted to talk to you about…"

"And that is?"

Bickslow had to take another drink, finishing the rest of his beer in what was probably a record for him since his college days. Even Erik was just a little surprised by it. "You know that I never want to get between you and Violet. I mean, even if Lucy does marry me, I'm not going to try and stop either of you from seeing each other," Bickslow said, finger tracing along the edge of his glass. He didn't think Lucy would allow him to do that anyway, and he was fairly certain Erik didn't want that to happen either, so Bickslow knew they were all on the same page as far as that went. "But… You know Vi's been calling me dad for a while now, too…"

Erik rolled his eyes. "Bix, for the love of god, just get out with it." Although now that Bickslow was talking about his daughter, he really was just a little worried. He wasn't sure why.

Bickslow nodded. "Right, well, I asked her a couple weeks ago what she thought of me and Lucy getting married, and, uh… I just… I got the impression that she thinks everything will change then, when we get married - if we get married."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. She just… She said that we'd be a proper family then and Lucy and I would be like all the other parents at her school, and… And she said that I was more like the other dads at the school anyway, because… Because—"

"Because you're there and I'm not," Erik mumbled.

Bickslow grimaced. "Yeah."

Erik had never thought he'd see the day where he'd actually be replaced. He'd always known that someone else would raise her and that had always been fine with him, because at the end of the day he'd still be Dad to her and that's what he'd cared about. Part of him had been scared of reaching that day, but then he'd seen how Bickslow was with Violet and Erik had just stopped worrying about it. He'd known he had nothing to be scared of as long as Bickslow was the one Lucy chose to be with, because Bickslow didn't want to be the one to replace him.

Violet was too much like Lucy already, Erik knew that. She had her brains and her smarts and sometimes it was a bad thing. But perhaps Erik had put a little too much faith into his daughter. Perhaps he'd overestimated how much she'd be able to understand and how much she'd figure out on her own.

She was only six. She was just a child. And Erik knew just how much she missed him when he was gone, but she was just a girl and he only ever saw her two, maybe three times a year. What else was she to do, other than assume that the man she'd seen with her mother almost every day for the last almost two years was to be her new father? Because Bickslow was there for her. He was the one who saw her every morning and read her bedtime stories every evening.

It didn't matter that Erik had never been cut out for being a parent. It didn't matter that Lucy had known that seven years earlier and told him that she wasn't going to rely on him, but she'd never stop him from seeing his own daughter. Because Violet was six, and in the eyes of a six year old, there just wasn't any room for him anymore.

Because he wasn't there for her, but Bickslow was.

Erik had just always assumed things would keep working out, though. That Lucy would marry Bickslow and they'd get on with their own life together, and Violet would still remember he was her dad and she wouldn't care that they just weren't a normal little family.

Maybe he'd been wrong for assuming that.

"Does Lucy know what she said?" Erik asked after a while, staring at the back of the bar with the rows of bottles on the shelves.

"No." Bickslow knew he should've told her, but he just hadn't known how to do it.

Erik sighed, setting his glass down gently on the napkin. "Well, if I'm gonna be replaced, might as well be by you." He could deal with it if it was going to be Bickslow, only because he trusted him. That, and Violet already adored him.

"Erik, no one is replacing you. Especially not me. I don't want that," Bickslow insisted.

"It's not about what you want. It's about doing what's best for Vi."

"What the hell do you mean now?"

"I mean, I'll sign whatever you need me to once you and Lucy and married." Erik shrugged. He found it almost funny how just six months earlier he'd been hesitant to say that it was fine his daughter called Bickslow dad as well. Now here he was, seemingly quite comfortable forfeiting his rights just so he could try and make sure she was happy. "You can legally adopt her and then you will be a proper little family."

Bickslow rolled his eyes as he rubbed his temple. "God, will you just shut the fuck up with that? I'm not adopting her," he snapped. It hadn't even crossed his mind until Erik had just brought it up, but Bickslow still knew he wasn't the least bit interested in doing so. "Now who's being the frustrating son of a bitch, huh?" Erik didn't find it amusing, but really, Bickslow wasn't trying to be. "You know Lucy better than I do. I know that. And if you think for even a second that she will let you just walk away from your daughter like that, then you are actually a fucking moron."

So Erik might've forgotten about Lucy for a moment. Before Violet had been born, and when she'd still been a baby, he hadn't wanted her to know that he was her father. He'd wanted Lucy to tell her that he was long gone, and he'd wanted to just be one of Lucy's old friends who occasionally visited. But Lucy had insisted otherwise, and Erik had honestly ended up being glad for it.

But things weren't the same anymore. "She'll come to her senses eventually," Erik mumbled. "Once you tell her what Vi said, and once you're married. She'll realise it's for the best. Less confusing that way."

"And what about Vi? Do you really think she'll just forget who are you?"

"Yes. I remember fuck all from when I was her age."

"You're nearly thirty. You haven't been a kid for two fucking decades. Violet is a kid. She's not going to forget you overnight. And you know what will happen when you leave?"

"She'll forget me."

"She'll wonder why the fuck her dad stopped loving her and why he stopped visiting," Bickslow said.

"…I guess," Erik admitted. He hadn't considered that, either. Maybe there just wasn't a way for him to leave without hurting either of them, and Erik wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing yet.

"Normal is overrated anyway," Bickslow added quietly, picking up his glass and taking a slow sip. "I don't think Vi cares that she doesn't really have a normal family. I think she just misses you."

Erik sighed as he twisted the corner of the napkin under his drink. "I know she does." He was still inclined to think that everything would be better off if he just got out of their lives to let Violet have a chance of growing up in a normal family, but he knew better than to argue for it any longer. At least not right then. Still, a part of him was also inclined to think that Bickslow was right. Maybe normal really was overrated. "Anyway," he sighed again, getting the bartender's attention with a raise of his hand quickly. "When are you gonna have your own kid?"

Bickslow choked and spluttered on his drink, and he did his best to ignore the odd look the barkeep gave him. "What was that?" he asked weakly.

Erik couldn't help but chuckle to himself. "Come on, you ain't thought about it?"

"W-Well, not really, no…" At least not recently. When he'd first found out Lucy even had a daughter, he certainly hadn't been ready for kids, not his own and not anyone else's. But that had changed, and he'd ended up really loving looking after Violet. Still though, between his dogs that were basically his children, and then Violet, Bickslow really hadn't thought about having his own actual child at some point. "I don't even know if Lucy wants more kids," Bickslow mumbled.

"Well, she does, trust me."

"She does?"

Erik nodded. "Six of them. Well, she said at least five."

"S-Six? Six kids?"

"Oh yeah. Said she always wanted a big family. So, you know, you might want to get a move on with that."

Bickslow paled and stared back at the bottles on the shelf behind the bar, failing to notice the amused smirk on Erik's face. He'd thought that if he ever had his own kids, whether it was with Lucy or someone else, that it would be one or two at most, not fucking six of them.

Perhaps he needed to talk to Lucy about it, because as much as he loved the woman, he didn't want to have a mini army of children with her.

"Can I, uh… ask you something?" Bickslow asked nervously, watching as Lucy switched off the light in the bathroom and crossed the room to climb into the bed.

"Of course you can. You don't need to ask me if you can ask me a question." She really just preferred when he said whatever was on his mind without thinking. It was always amusing hearing him complain about whatever transcript he was working on in bed in the middle of the night, especially when the novel contained unnecessary sex scenes. Those always made him shake his head and wonder if the characters were actually fucking or playing a game of Twister.

Bickslow nodded. "Right, yeah, well… Uh… I don't really know how to say it…" he mumbled. It was probably super easy, but the words weren't coming to him. It was precisely why he edited stories and didn't write them. Words were not his forte.

"Just spit it out, come on," Lucy said.

Bickslow nodded again. "Fine. Do you, um… Do you want more kids?"

Lucy looked to him an eyebrow raised, sitting up on her elbow. She certainly hadn't expected that conversation, or at least she hadn't expected it for a few more years. "Alright, where is this coming from?"

"Well, uh… Me and Erik started talking about it earlier…" he began, thankful that his embarrassment was mostly hidden in the dim room. "He asked when you and I were going to have a kid, and, well… I haven't really thought about it so I kinda just said I don't know, and we've never talked about whether we'd have a baby together or whatever anyway…"

"Right…"

"And, um… And then Erik said that I should probably like, you know, hurry up and do it since you apparently always wanted lots of kids. Or at least that was what he said…" He missed Lucy rolling her eyes in the dark, but he heard her sigh as he continued, "And, I mean, I love you and all, and I love Vi and all, and… And I don't really mind the idea of having a kid if… If that's what you want. But I really don't want six of them. Like, that's just too many kids."

And all that time she'd been worrying about Erik and Bickslow not getting along. Honestly, she should've seen something like that coming. Erik could be trouble when he wanted to be. "And you believed him? Seriously?" she asked.

"Well, yeah… I mean, he's your best friend, isn't he? Why wouldn't I believe him?"

"Because Erik likes to mess with people sometimes." Lucy shook her head as she finally laid down, fluffing the pillow under her head and pulling the cover up. Six damn kids. She really wasn't surprised Erik had decided to tell Bickslow that little lie. She supposed they really were getting along if they were going out drinking together and talking about whether or not she wanted more kids (although honestly, it was still weird they had talked about that if she thought about it), and really, that was a good thing.

Still, if that was the way it was, then Lucy could only hope that that Erik wouldn't be making a habit of trying to scare Bickslow. She'd probably need to have a little chat with him and tell him to behave if that was the case. Then again, it was Erik, so she'd probably have more luck just telling Bickslow to take everything Erik said with a grain of salt.

"So… So you don't want six kids?" Bickslow asked.

"No! God no."

Bickslow couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank god." That was the best news he'd heard all day. He really had thought that Erik was being serious, but in hindsight, Bickslow realised that had just been stupid on his part. Lucy probably would've made it obvious by then if she really did want lots of children.

"Although… Since you did ask if I wanted more kids…" Lucy proceeded carefully, twisting the corner of the pillow case between her fingers. "I wouldn't mind having another baby at some point… Or maybe two…" Of course, she'd still be fine with just Violet if things didn't work out with Bickslow, or if it Bickslow didn't want kids, or for any other reason. If anything, Lucy had always seen settling down with someone as wishful thinking anyway, because there weren't many people who'd be able to accept that her daughter would always come first. Still, if Bickslow did by some chance want to have his own child with her, and if they could somehow afford to have a baby (because they certainly couldn't right then), then Lucy probably wouldn't say no to having another kid.

"Two kids?" Bickslow repeated. He could deal with that. "I mean, I still don't really know if I want my own kids." Between the dogs and Violet, he already had his hands full, and they really were more than enough for him already. "But, you know, maybe in a few years or something, sure."

"Well, of course. I mean, even if we wanted it to be, now is definitely not the right time to have a baby anyway," Lucy said. "Babies are expensive. So many hospital appointments, furniture, toys…" She'd barely been able to afford everything when she'd been pregnant with Violet. Granted, she'd been paying for everything by herself back then, but still, considering they'd decided to save and buy their own house together at some point, they definitely couldn't afford to be having a baby right then.

Besides, she didn't really want to be getting pregnant again right away either.

"Yeah, I know."

"Now… How about you tell me how you and Erik got into the topic of babies?" she asked. Because seriously, she was curious.

Bickslow couldn't help but grimace. Damn it. He'd really been hoping that Lucy wouldn't ask that. It was bad enough he'd had to ask her if she wanted more kids or not, because for the most part, he just hadn't thought it was necessary to ask. Even without having thought about it much, he'd decided that it was fine if she wanted another kid (with him, by some miracle), and that it'd be fine if she didn't want another kid. It just wasn't really that important to him.

Still, there was no way he could admit to Lucy that the reason he'd been talking to Erik about them having a kid, was because he'd brought up proposing. That, and how Erik had had a brief lapse of judgement when it came to remaining in Violet's life. "Oh, well, um… I don't know…" he mumbled, once again thankful for the lack of light in the room. He was already pretty sure Lucy would be able to tell he was lying, and if she saw him, then she'd just be laughing and telling him to just come out with the truth already. "We were just, uh… You know, having guy talk. Like guys do. Because we're guys."

"Guy talk, huh?"

"Yeah. Guy talk. Like, talking about… Uh… Sex… and stuff…"

"You and Erik were talking about sex?"

"…Yes." Bickslow refrained from burying his face in his pillow. What the fuck am I saying? He was sure Lucy was going to burst out laughing any second.

And, admittedly, Lucy was trying so hard not to laugh. It was probably the most ridiculous thing she'd heard all week, and Violet had been saying some pretty amusing things lately. Even if Erik and Bickslow were kind of friends, Erik having guy talk with Bickslow was quite literally the last thing he would do, especially if it involved talking about sex, because he hated anything to do with it. As far as Lucy even knew, Erik had really only slept with one person ever, and that was her. But Bickslow didn't know Erik just wasn't into people in any capacity, because it just wasn't something he talked about. As far as he was concerned, it was no one's business, and Lucy just hadn't really cared much.

Erik just didn't do guy talk. Ever.

Even then, even if Erik hadn't been ace, Bickslow talking to Erik about anything to do with sex or whatever it was guys actually talked about, was just completely unreasonable. Her boyfriend was basically a child, and while he had the foul mouth of an adult, he had an awful habit of bursting into a fit of giggles whenever other people started talking about sex or anatomy. It was also part of why Lucy found him so entertaining when he was editing a story, because if he wasn't questioning the placement of hands and legs, then he was giggling like a schoolgirl whenever he had to read a middle aged person's attempt at steamy sex while strictly using penis and vagina to describe genitals - and Lucy had to agree that it really wasn't all that nice to read, at least based on the few that Bickslow had actually let her read and laugh about with him.

But, really, it was fairly obvious to Lucy that Bickslow was lying to her. She wished he'd just tell her what it was he and Erik had needed to talk about, but she supposed there was a reason for his secrecy. It had to be important for Erik to be in on it, and neither of them were ones for keeping things from her, at least as far as she knew.

For the time being though, Lucy decided to just give Bickslow the benefit of the doubt. She trusted him, and she liked to think that Bickslow would eventually tell her what he and Erik had been up to. "Alright. You don't want to tell me. That's fine," she said with a sigh, leaning forward to quickly press a kiss to his lips. "Just come up with a better excuse next time, alright?"

It was on a Friday a month later when Lucy sent Bickslow a message at work telling him that she'd be home a little late that night and that he'd have to pick Violet up from school. He'd been waiting for the perfect opportunity to propose, and with Lucy working late, his perfect opportunity had finally been handed to him on a silver platter. Granted, it was a little before her birthday which was what he'd originally been considering, but it was still fine.

It was honestly a miracle that Violet hadn't already blurted it out, but then again, she was six, so Bickslow had a feeling she'd just forgotten about it. That was fine, though.

When the final bell rang at the school, Bickslow was waiting under the tree and staring at his phone screen, endlessly searching for something to cook for dinner that night. He was reading over one recipe when Violet finally came out and ran across the courtyard and just about scared the crap out of him when she collided with him and hugged his middle. "Oh, Jesus, Vi," Bickslow chuckled, putting his phone back in his pocket as he looked down to see Violet grinning up at him. "Scared me, you cheeky monkey."

"Sorry," she giggled. "Where's Mummy?"

"She's working late again."

"Pizza for dinner?"

"No, not tonight. You and me are gonna make something yummy for when she gets home, because tonight is a special night."

"Oooh, why?" Violet asked excitedly as she climbed into the car, Bickslow reaching around to make sure she was buckled in.

"Well, do you remember how we went and bought that pretty ring for her a little while ago? And why I bought it?"

Even with the seatbelt on, Violet was just about jumping out of her seat. "Ooh, ooh, are you gonna propose to Mummy?"

"That's the plan," Bickslow said. His plan also involved Lucy saying yes, but he actually had to ask her first. "But first, we have to go buy all the stuff to make dinner. So how about we go do that, huh?"

Bickslow had just put the apple pie for dessert in the oven when he heard the doorbell. Violet had just gone outside to play with the dogs for a few minutes after helping him with the pie, so with a glance back to her in the yard through the kitchen window, Bickslow wiped his hands quickly on a tea towel and then headed for the front door. It was already a little past five so he'd been planning on getting dinner started soon. But they rarely got visitors during the week, if it all (which was totally fine with Bickslow, because the less people he had to deal with, the better), so he really had no idea who could be at the door right then.

Opening up the door after the doorbell rang again, Bickslow almost didn't know what to say when he saw who was on the other side. "Erik?"

"That would be my name," the man muttered, picking his single bag of luggage back up from the step when Bickslow stepped aside and let him through. "Hello to you, too."

"I… I wasn't expecting you," Bickslow said, closing the door again. It really wasn't like he had a problem with Erik being there (well, not really, at least). It was just super unexpected, because Erik wasn't one for making unexpected visits, at least not as far as Bickslow knew anyway. "Did Lucy know? I mean, were you… Was one of us supposed to pick you up from the airport or something?"

"Nope. But I got a couple weeks off so I thought I'd come by for a little while." Erik shrugged. He hadn't really been expecting the time off either, considering he'd originally had business in Enca's capital, but plans had changed and his schedule had opened up a little, so he'd hopped on the plane to Magnolia and decided to surprise them all by stopping by. "Unless… This is a bad time or something…" he added, taking Bickslow's silence and wide eyes as a bad sign.

"Oh! No, no, of course not," Bickslow quickly said.

"You sure? 'Cause if it's a problem, I can go."

"It's fine, really." Considering it had been Bickslow's idea that they empty out the third bedroom to turn it into a guest room for Erik, he really didn't mind that Erik was there. It was more convenient for everyone that Erik stayed with them when he was town anyway, because he didn't have to pay for a hotel and he got to spend more time with Violet and Lucy that way too. "It's just…" Bickslow rubbed the back of his neck as he watched Erik for a moment. "I was planning on proposing tonight, so…"

"Oh, shit." As little as Erik cared about the whole thing because he thought it was a good thing, he certainly hadn't wanted to gatecrash and get in the way of Bickslow's plans. He was planning on staying in town for at least a week anyway, so there was really no harm in getting out of the way for the night. "I'll go stay at a hotel—"

Bickslow quickly stepped in front of Erik when he made to get past and get back to the door. "Erik, it's fine. I mean it. You don't have to go." It was probably for the best that Erik stayed anyway. Being part of Lucy's and Violet's lives meant putting up with Erik, too, and that was fine with Bickslow. "The more the merrier, y'know?" he offered awkwardly. "Besides, Lucy and Vi will be glad you're here."

As soon as Lucy pulled into the driveway beside Bickslow's car and switched the engine off, she opened up the door and kicked her shoes out onto the lawn and wondered if she should just stay there for a few moments to rest her eyes, or just go inside and be done with it. She'd been working late more and more often that year, and while she loved the extra money, she was exhausted. Her body just couldn't handle all the long hours anymore.

She needed a break, and the sooner the better.

Eventually, Lucy climbed out of the car, picked up her shoes again, and headed for the front door. All she wanted to do was have a shower, put her comfy pyjamas on, and cuddle up with Violet on the lounge until she fell asleep.

As soon as she unlocked the front door, Lucy was greeted with the smell of her favourite spices, reminding her exactly of her favourite restaurant just a few blocks away. "I'm home," she called out tiredly, patting each of the dogs when they all ran down the hall for her. "Something smells good…"

Violet came skipping down the hall as soon as Lucy had managed to get past the dogs, each of them only trailing behind her like the over friendly puppies they always were. "Bickso and me made dinner," Violet said, hugging her mother's middle. Truthfully, she hadn't helped that much, but she'd been the official taster so that counted. "Daddy help, too!"

"Hm, did he?" Lucy murmured. She was too tired to pay much attention to what Violet had said, and it didn't help that she didn't even make any sense some of the time.

"Uh-huh!"

"Hey, come on. I only set the table," Erik chimed in as Violet dragged Lucy into the kitchen where Bickslow was busy taking the pots off the stove. "You did most of the work."

Lucy almost didn't know what to say. She hadn't expected to see Erik for at least a few more months, and Lucy was fairly certain that the last time he'd dropped by completely unannounced was when she'd still been pregnant with Violet, not including the time he'd dropped by for the night just to go off with Bickslow and be mysterious. Then again, she was so tired from working so much that it was more than likely that Erik had told her he was coming by and she just hadn't remembered. Regardless, she was happy to see him, and him being there just made her day that little bit better.

"You… What are you doing here?!" She dropped her shoes and purse where she stood so she could run and hug Erik. "I can't believe you're here!"

"Had some time off so I thought I'd come surprise you," Erik chuckled. It was almost as if Lucy hadn't seen him for an entire year, when it had only been a month since he'd last visited. Granted, the last time he'd stopped by it had been more for Bickslow's benefit so he hadn't really had the time to see much of Lucy or Violet that time.

"Well, consider it a success then!" She squeezed her arms around him again before she finally stepped back to pick her bag up off the floor, and walk around the counter to see what Bickslow was up to. Erik only went back to the empty stool next to Violet at the breakfast bar where he picked up a pencil and began colouring in one of the clouds in Violet's colouring book, which only ended with Violet telling him off for making the clouds pink when they were clearly supposed to be green. "Sorry I was late," she said softly. "I know your new boss doesn't like it when you leave early. I'll try to be home on time next week."

"It's fine. Don't worry about it," Bickslow murmured. And it was true that his new boss wasn't exactly that fond of him lately considering he'd been having to leave early every couple of days to pick Violet up from school, but Bickslow didn't really care much about it. Erza hadn't minded him leaving early to pick Violet up, but then again, she'd also known Lucy and Violet for a lot longer than he had so Bickslow supposed that was part of it. Either way though, if Violet needed to be picked up from school, then she came first. And if he ended up getting fired over it, well he'd just have to find a better publishing house and that was fine. He turned quickly to kiss her cheek before he grabbed one of the other pots that had been on the stove behind him. "Anyway, come on, dinner's ready. Go sit at the table and I'll bring it in."

"Are you sure you don't want me to help you dish it up?"

"Mm-hmm. I've got it. You don't need to do anything other than relax." His plan revolved around giving Lucy the entire night off anyway, which meant he was going to do the dishes as well - not that that was anything new. "Vi, how about you go put your pencils away now, please. You can colour in some more before bed."

Violet quickly hopped down from the bench, gathering up her colouring book and putting the pencils back in the container. Erik followed her down the hallway, mumbling about helping her put them away. And accepting that she had nothing to do, Lucy merely went and sat down at the already prepared dining table. They rarely used that table as it was, only setting it up for when they had friends over or when the smaller table next to the kitchen was covered in clutter. For that table to be all set up with a fresh bunch of pink tulips and tea light candles in small jars on the centre of the table, Lucy knew that Bickslow was up to something. It was just a little too nice for it to be just an ordinary dinner - not that she minded, of course.

With her colouring materials away, Violet skipped all the way out to the dining room while Erik veered off to the kitchen again. "So… Are you still going to, uh… you know?" he asked, grabbed the pot from where Bickslow had set it on the bench so he could spoon the curry over the beds of rice in each bowl.

"What? Oh. Uh… Yeah, I guess so," Bickslow mumbled. He hadn't really thought much about it. Somehow he'd almost forgotten that he was doing all of that to propose. Erik showing up had kind of thrown him, and between going grocery shopping, walking the dogs, cleaning the house, helping Violet with her worksheet, and then getting dinner and dessert ready, Bickslow just hadn't had time to think about whether he'd actually still propose or not. Still, now that he was thinking about it, Bickslow wasn't sure if there was any reason not to propose. Everything had gone to plan so far.

Well, mostly.

"And are you sure you don't want me to clear out for the night? Because I really don't—"

"Erik, man, I swear to god." Bickslow set the bowl of rice down so he could turn and place his oven-mitt-covered hands on Erik's shoulders. "Shut up. You don't need to leave. I mean, I gave you a damn room, didn't I? You're always going to be welcome here."

Erik wasn't entirely convinced, but he wasn't going to argue. So, here merely set the pot with the curry out of the way just so he could grab the smaller saucepan from the stove that Bickslow had him made earlier just so he could spoon it onto his own bowl of rice and not have to worry about picking out the chunks of chicken. Erik hadn't even asked for it, but Bickslow had insisted and really, Erik had known better than to complain to the guy that had offered to cook his separately.

Lucy was listening to Violet tell her all about her day when Bickslow and Erik finally joined them, each carrying two bowls to set down on the table. "Dinner is served, my dear," Bickslow said, placing one bowl down in front of Lucy before taking the seat next to her.

She smiled down at the setting before looking back up to everyone around the table. "This is really great, honestly," she said softly. "You didn't need to do all of this, though." She wasn't oblivious to the fact that the house had been cleaned, and they were all dressed up and wearing nice (and clean, which said a lot for Violet) clothes. Lucy was almost inclined to think it was her birthday.

"I know, but I wanted to. We don't really go out and do nice things very often, and you've been working really hard lately so me and Vi thought you deserved a nice night in for a change." It wasn't like it was a complete lie. Sure, he had other intentions, but if it had come down to it, Bickslow knew that he hadn't needed to make her a nice dinner just so he could propose. He could've done it over pizza or when they were getting into bed for the night later. Still, Bickslow liked to think that doing it over a nice dinner gave it a, well… A nice touch. And he sure as hell hoped that it was nice enough that Lucy actually said yes. Clearing his throat, Bickslow scooted back on his chair slightly so he could reach into the pocket of his trousers and pull out the small round box he'd been carrying since he'd left work that day, then place it gently on the corner of the table in front of Lucy. "Besides, I, uh… I wanted to do this, too…" he mumbled.

Lucy's eyes flicked up as Bickslow pried the lid from the box, and as soon as he did she couldn't help bringing her hands up to her mouth to muffle the sounds she let out. She couldn't even tell if she was actually crying or just squealing, but she could feel her eyes just beginning to fill with tears.

Erik couldn't wipe the smirk off his face as he quietly sipped from his glass of water, and Violet beside him was so excited she was just about vibrating on the seat. It was a miracle she was actually silent.

Bickslow gracefully slid off his chair so he could kneel down in front of Lucy, taking one hand between his own. He honestly couldn't tell if Lucy was laughing or crying but he liked to think it was latter for some reason. "I thought that when I eventually proposed that it'd be all romantic and it'd just be the two of us, but I guess that was kind of stupid because, well… We're never really alone," he mumbled. "N-Not that I'm complaining or anything, because it's fine."

Erik tried not to roll his eye and Lucy almost laughed. She'd admit that she'd fantasised about that kind of thing happening - maybe not actually getting married or Bickslow proposing, but just being together in the long run - but she'd just never really thought it would actually happen. Sometimes Lucy still just didn't know how she deserved to have someone like him, because he was far too good to her, and he was far too good to Violet, too. Neither of them really deserved Bickslow, as far as Lucy was concerned, but that didn't really matter.

"Anyway…" Bickslow continued, shifting on his knee slightly. "I just, uh… I just want to tell you how thankful I am for you letting me into your lives, because you and Vi… You both mean the world to me and I really can't imagine my life without you anymore. And… And marrying you… I know it means accepting Vi and knowing that she comes first, and…" He tilted his head towards Erik after quickly glancing in his direction, trying his best not to roll his eyes as he mumbled, "And I guess it means putting up with him, too, but that's—"

"Yes!" Lucy choked out, bringing her hand away from her mouth as she laughed at herself, tears rolling down her cheek slowly.

Bickslow blinked. "Huh?"

"My answer is yes," she sniffled.

"Oh. But… But I haven't even asked you yet!"

"Then hurry up!"

Bickslow supposed that was his cue to actually ask her. He wasn't quite so nervous to do it considering Lucy had seemingly already given him his answer, but for some reason, he still felt strangely awkward. He supposed Erik and Violet giggling away quietly didn't help. It's fine. It's just a question. A perfectly harmless question you already know the answer to. Bickslow took a moment, shifting slightly again and looking down to where Lucy's free hand was idly rubbing circles on the back of his palm.

Finally, looking back up when he was sure he'd taken just a little too long to hype himself up, and not really being able to help the nervous grin that settled on his face, he quietly said, "Will you marry me?"

"Of course I will, stupid!" Lucy didn't waste a second before she sat forward, quickly kissing him before wrapping her arms around him and forcing Bickslow's head up so far that it was almost painful. "God, yes, of course I'll marry you," she sniffled, well aware of the fact that she was probably squeezing Bickslow just a little too tightly, but she figured he'd survive. She didn't even need to think about her answer, not even for a second. "I love you… I love you so much."

Bickslow still couldn't help but be a little stunned, even if he knew that Lucy would've agreed anyway. It just felt oddly surreal, like he was off in a dream somewhere, but he knew he wasn't. Still, he couldn't imagine his life going any other way and he'd claim for the rest of his days that Lucy (and Violet, by extension) was the best thing to ever happen to him.

"I call dibs on being your best man, by the way," Erik added with a mouthful of rice once Violet got up from her seat and ran around the table just to hang onto Bickslow's shoulder, awkwardly joining in.

Bickslow managed to pull away from the girls just enough to tell Erik that he could've at least said please.

Ah, and there we are. Reminder that this was a prequel to Dawn, chapter 17 of Fairies of Fiore (my drabble collection).

While this is the official ending, I will be coming back to it at some point to write a couple more drabbles! I think a few people wanted to see the class party that was mentioned in chapter 4. I also really wanted to explore the CoLu BrOTP some more, so one of the stories will be set before Lucy has Violet. I don't know when I'll get to these, but I will at some point... Eventually. I still need to finish off the Shattered one-shots and some other fics first.

I think a few people also wanted Erik to be gay as well, and... I considered it, but there's not anywhere near enough aro/ace fics, and I really like ace!Erik. He can still be gay if you want him to be. Doesn't really matter. But as far as I'm concerned, he's ace. It makes me feel better about myself too.

Anyway, again, I hope you've enjoyed this little series! Reviews are always appreciated. Hopefully it won't be too long before I get something else updated.