Evergreen - Easter

"Come on Sweetie we gottsa hide ‘em ova hea." Lane, said pulling her mother over to her favorite bush in the backyard. It was the best one to hide in when you played hide-and-ghosty.

But today it was gonna be good nots just for hiding kids but for hiding all her shiny, glitt’ry, Easta eggs too.

Elizabeth sighed as she allowed an overanxious two year old who called her Sweetie to tug her over to the bush.. Lane had recently started calling her by any term of endearment Daddy used.

"Honey, remember what I told you?" Elizabeth asked gently, lifting her little golden locked child into the air. "You can’t help hide the eggs because then you’re going to know where they are. That won’t be fair to the rest of the kids."

Lane’s bottom lip pushed it’s way past the top and she put her hands on her baby hips even as she sat inside the circle of her mother’s arms. Her pink frilly dress, fluffed over Elizabeth’s arms. Revealing pink ruffled underpants.

"Otha kids?"

Elizabeth rearranged her daughter’s skirt. "Yep, the other kids, baby. Other kids from the neighborhood…kids we met at the park…remember?"

Lane scratched the back of her head. Blonde curls threading through her fingers. "Yeah I ‘member. Why dey gotsta come?"

Elizabeth sighed and met her husband’s eyes as he opened the sliding glass door and stepped out onto the patio. Lucky read the look on Elizabeth’s face and shook his head as he went about setting out cups. The ‘Easta Potty’ had been Lane’s idea, but of course now she was rethinking things. Other kids getting attention? Heck no. That was NOT for Lane.

"Well maybe Daddy can explain that to you," Elizabeth said, setting her daughter down in the grass. "Mama needs to make sure your sister hasn’t eaten all the chocolate bunnies."

Lane made a face and Lucky whispered as Elizabeth passed him on her way into the house. "Explaining why a party means ‘other kids?’"

Elizabeth nodded. "Yep."

"Gotcha."

Lucky rubbed his hands together and faced his daughter. Lifting her up and placing her on the table in front of him. He liked to be level with his kid’s eyes when he had to explain something. If you didn’t do it that way, they were liable to start thinking about what their favorite toy and the next time they could play with it. It was crazy the kinds of things that were top of the priority list for 3 year olds.

"Princess, remember you wanted to invite those other kids? The kids you met at the park? You said it’d be fun."

Lane sighed and slumped a little on the table. "But Daddy…that was befo there was gonna be eggs with spawkles," She wrapped her skinny little arms around her father’s neck and batted her eyelashes. She tilted her head to an expert degree. "Daddy I wants all da eggs with da spawkles…I really like dem."

Lucky reached out to tweak her nose. "Yeah I know you wants ‘all da spawkles’…but that little pout of yours isn’t gonna work today Princess. We already invited all those kids over and they need eggs to find too," he finished, standing up. "It wouldn’t be fair if you and your sister and your brother found all of them."

Lane tried again. Maybe Daddy wasn’t understanding her. "No Daddy jus’ me."

He glanced over his shoulder as he began to set out plates. "Nope. Sorry my little Egg Hogger."

Lane’s bottom lip pushed itself out as far as it could go and she mumbled a pathetic sounding. "Ok…I don’t haf to have da spawkles."

Lucky scratched the back of his head and tried not to look at his daughter as she jumped off the table and skulked towards her brother. Maybe it wouldn’t be THAT big of a deal if he hid a few and gave her a little hint as to where they were before the little rugrats arrived. Just a few hints of ‘hot’ and ‘cold’. Nothing big.

Lucky looked up as Lane slid next to Lorenzo at the next table. Her brother took time out of his busy basket stuffing task, just long enough to lecture. "Er’ybody gets to looks for the same eggs Laney, it’s no fair if you gets um only."

Lane promptly stuck her tongue out.

Lucky lifted his eyebrows. "Lane."

She sighed and grabbed a handful of fake grass to put inside the baskets. Grumbling under her breath. "You not da boss a me Enzo."

Lorenzo narrowed his eyes. He coulda told Daddy she was gwumbling she woulda gots in big twouble, but he wasn’t no tatt’ler. Good thing Mama and Larabet’ came outside just then, or he woulda hadda say somethinta Daddy ‘bout Laney bein’ a big DOO DOO HEAD!

"Lorenzo are you filling up those baskets for Mama?"

"Yes Mama I fillin’ dem all ups with the preten’ gwass."

"Me too Mama."

Lorenzo pushed himself up to his knees in his chair and shouted. "Mama she was’n helpin’ till right now! I did all dem baskets!"

Elizabeth ran her fingers through her hair and let go of Larabeth’s hand. "If you two can’t get along today then neither one of you is going to get to be in the Easter Egg Hunt. That’s it."

Her threat did the trick for the time being. Both Lorenzo and Lane went back to work with their eyes wide. Lucky snickered quietly as Elizabeth moved past him. "At-ti-tude."

She giggled and he knocked a kiss against her cheek.

Lucky grinned down at Larabeth when she placed goodie bags on the table. She had trace amounts of brown in the corners of her squishy little mouth. "Tested out some of the chocolate huh? Was it good?"

Her eyes bugged out of her head. She’d obviously had more than ‘just a little.’ "Yeah I was just tes’in it. It’s vewy good."

Lucky leaned down and smooched the top of her head loudly. "Glad to hear it…but save some ok?"

She nodded quickly and finished up with the goodie bags so she could help her brother and sister. Maybe she could keep dem from fighting. If they fighted some more, Mama wouln’t let dem play in da hunt and dat wouln’t be no fun without dem.

Lucky smiled at his wife, and nudged her from underneath the patio and out into the grass. "Hey…you’ve scrapped that whole…you know – the costume idea right? We gave up on that enitrely?"

Elizabeth sighed. "Honey…you said you WOULD."

Lucky’s head fell back and he groaned. "Aw Sweetie…don’t make me do this. I only said I would because…well you promised to reward me – but…well your easy and –

Elizabeth socked him in the shoulder. "Yeah, well if you don’t put on that costume don’t plan on me being easy anymore Mister…You a fan of celibacy?"

Lucky scratched the back of his head. "Not particularly no…What color is this thing? It’s at least white right? It’s not some off the wall pastel?"

"White," Elizabeth said. "At the very least blue…The guy said he’d be here with the suit by 1:00," she said glancing down at her watch. "It’s 12:15 now…so…"

Lucky sighed again. "Ok…ok.. Man, I better get Best Father of the Year award for this."

Elizabeth draped her arms around his neck and kissed him long and hard. Some snickers came from beneath the patio. "That AND I promise to be very very easy."

~~~~~~~

"Hea’s a spawkly one Laney," Larabeth said, lifting a pink sparkly egg out of the pink flower bed that she and Daddy had planted for Lane’s birthday. "I found one fo you."

Elizabeth smiled and mouthed the word ‘aw’ up at Lucky as Lane took the egg from her sister’s hand and gave her a kiss.

"Oh come on Sweetie…she’s completely losing sight of the point here. You’re not supposed to give your opponent the egg…I think I should go remind her that –

Elizabeth caught him by the sleeve of his white t-shirt. "You do and you’re one dead rabbit."

Thankfully the costume she so badly wanted him to wear, hadn’t arrived yet…and Lucky had been thanking his lucky stars for the last few minutes. The longer it took to get here, the less time he’d have to wear it. After some cake and icecream, the kids at the party were already starting to wilt.

Their parents would be coming to get them soon, and it’d be time to say a bunny bye-bye to the idea of that stupid costume.

Larabeth found yet another sparkly egg and once again handed it to her sister.

"Sweetie look at her! I gotta tell her that –

"Listen," Elizabeth said, calming him down. Realizing that the idea of not trying to win a game was probably a foreign concept to a Spencer. "Maybe you don’t give your opponent your egg, but I think it’s perfectly acceptable to give your SISTER the egg, if you so choose. Not that I would have ever given MY sister the egg…but our children are different – superior – as your so fond of reminding me and anyone else who will listen."

Lucky rolled his eyes as his own words came back to haunt him. But he turned them around to his own benefit. "Exactly. Superior – so they should know how to win games," he reasoned.

"Larabeth is a genius. She could win the game if she wanted to," Elizabeth said matter of factly. "It simply doesn’t MATTER to her, because it’s just a GAME. Get over it Spencer, not everyone has to beat the pants off of someone else to feel they’ve found their rightful place in the order of the world."

Across the yard, Lorenzo jumped up and down and foisted a yellow egg in the air. Shouting at the top of his lungs that he was the King of all Egg Hunting. A special Easter jig followed. It was a combination of leg kicks interspersed with bunny hops.

Lucky lifted an eyebrow. "Some of us obviously do."

Elizabeth folded her arms. "You males are all alike."

"Yeah," Lucky said wrapping one arm around his wife’s waist. He lowered his voice to a barely there sexy octave. "I always have enjoyed beating your pants off to find my rightful place in the order of the world."

"I must say I enjoy that too," Elizabeth giggled. "You’re insane."

Lucky chuckled from somewhere deep in his throat as some kids hopped around from egg to egg. Making some sound that was supposed to be a rabbit. Was someone going to tell them that rabbits didn’t really make sounds?

Obviously not Lorenzo. He was leading the group. Making sure he was in front of course so he could be the first to find the eggs.

Elizabeth felt Lucky’s hand ease along the small of her back as he whispered. "Whatdya say after this we screw like bunnies?"

She laughed. "Only if –

What she’d been about to say was cut off by Luke calling from the patio. Apparently someone was at the door and Lucky sighed aloud.

"Only if you go get in that bunny costume and make these kids day."

Lucky groaned. "Why do I put up with you?"

"Because I can’t cook and I turn all your socks pink!" She yelled as he turned to go inside the house.

"Yeah…must be something else!" He called back.

Elizabeth smiled as she turned back to watch the Easter Egg Hunt that was winding down. She knew exactly why he put up with her. There were three reasons and they all started with the letter ‘L.’

And then of course…there was love.

~~~~~~~

Lucky sent a glare Elizabeth’s way and then his brother’s. Hoping a man could carry off ‘menacing’ in a bunny suit. He didn’t FEEL menacing with pink fur on, but he had to hope the stare he’d perfected back before he’d had a driver’s license was still capable of doing the trick.

At the very least blue…that’s what she’d said. He was wearing freaking PINK!

Nikolas made no attempt to hide his chuckle as Lucky came walking around the side of the house and into the back yard. "Nice threads man."

‘Damnit Elizabeth!’ Lucky mentally cursed. A PINK BUNNY suit?! Soft, pale, baby PINK complete with cotton tale for God’s sake. Apparently the store had simply been ‘all out’ of white suits and blue suits. Apparently other fathers in Port Charles were walking around with at least ONE shred of dignity still in tact.

Dignity? What was that when you had three, three –year-olds? There was no such thing! You spent 90% of your day making an ass out of yourself.

"That’s a nice shade for you Cowboy. Compliments your eyes. Why don’t you –

"Why don’t you put a sock in it," Lucky sneered as he moved past his father. Later he’d make sure and win back his dignity by telling Luke that he found amusement in the same things as the littlest Cassidine. That would shut him up for a little while.

Lucky got closer to where the Easter Egg hunt had culminated. It was his job to count up the eggs and dole out special prizes that Elizabeth had made up, out to the kids. She’d introduce him as their ‘Special Guest.’

He stopped mid stride when Elizabeth silently motioned to him. She placed both arms in front of her chest and curled her hands, as she bent at the knee. What the heck was she doing? She was trying to tell him to do something…

‘Oh HELL NO,’ Lucky thought, finally realizing what she was indicating. He bit his tongue to keep from saying the words out loud. There was no way on God’s green Earth that he was going to HOP over to those kids. He’d never considered himself an overly macho kind of guy, but come on! There WERE a major set of Easter Eggs under this costume afterall!

"Look Mama it’s da Easta Bunny!"

At the sound of Lane’s voice, Lucky hopped like his life depended on it. She pointed and jumped up and down as all the kids started to squeal in absolute hysteria. It was as if NSYNC had just come to town.

Well, to all the kids except for two anyway. Two of his in particular looked a bit skeptical about the new guy. Had they made him already? What had given him away?

The paws had no fingers - they couldn’t have seen him flip Nikolas off from inside the costume.

Or maybe…No…Lucky thought to himself. They couldn’t be scared, could they? Of course not. They’d been fine with Santa Clause at the mall last Christmas. A big huge bunny wasn’t scarier than Santa was it?

Although they did say that it was typical for children to be fearless, until they hit the age of two or three. And at least Santa was human. What the Hell did somebody want with a 5 foot 9 pink bunny?

Six foot if you counted the ears.

Lucky inhaled a deep, suffocated breath and moved forward into the anxious crowd of egg poachers. They grinned from ear to ear, holding out their baskets instantly for Mr. Easter Bunny to count. The sooner he could get this over with – the better.

"Ok you guys," Elizabeth said, giggling with Emily at her side. "You’ve gotta get into a line and Mr. Bunny will count your eggs. Let’s all be very patient with Mr. Bunny…he’s come a long way from…"

Elizabeth faltered. Well he wasn’t Santa…he hadn’t come from the North Pole. Where the heck was the Easter Bunny supposed to live?

"Pokipse," Emily blurted out.

Elizabeth went with it. "Yep. Mr. Bunny comes all the way from Pokipse."

Lucky sighed inside his costume. They were calling him Mr. Bunny…They didn’t even have the decency to call him a Rabbit? BUNNIES appeared on cereal boxes or in Playboy. He was NOT a Bunny.

Elizabeth was going to pay for this and pay for it big…and not in the fun he’d suggested earlier. Oh no, now that he’d felt the full impact of humiliation…Yes, yes…when Elizabeth Imogene Spencer least suspected it, she’d be toast.

The kids moved into line. All except for Lorenzo. Larabeth seemed to have given up on her skepticism since all the other kids looked so happy.

Lucky listened with one ear as he did his duty of counting eggs. He broke hearts left and right and the person with the most eggs wasn’t even in line. He was too busy pulling his mother aside to conference about something.

Lorenzo tugged on the knee-length skirt of his Mama’s spring dress. "Mama…I gottsta tell you somethin’ ‘bout him."

Elizabeth leaned down. It sounded serious. But then it always was with Lorenzo. "Yeah Baby?"

Lorenzo lowered his voice and placed his hands on his hips. The gesture reminded Emily of Lucky and she nearly cracked up. But not before catching the death glare from her Godson. Right, right…this was serious.

"Dat ain’t the Easta Bunny," he said finally.

Elizabeth bit her lip and tried not to look too panicked. She caught Emily’s eyes behind her son and Emily filled in. "What are you talking about Man? Of course that’s the Easter Bunny."

Lorenzo sighed and ruefully shook his head. Always sorry of course to be the bearer of bad news. "No I sorry Emi..but it’s NOT da Easta Bunny."

"Well who else could it be Sweetheart?" Elizabeth asked, holding her breath. He’d figured things out in 2 minutes!

"Well it’s office isn’t it?" Lorenzo asked, holding up his hands in exacerbation.

Emily looked confused and Elizabeth mouthed the word ‘obvious’ to her.

"No baby, it’s not obvious," Elizabeth shrugged. "I don’t know. I’ve never seen this guy – this bunny in my life."

"Oh I have…" Lorenzo said soberly. By now he’d caught the attention of his sister again. Larabeth drifted into the conversation, her pale blue eyes wide with question. "Whoozit?"

"He’s da guy from da car’val," Lorenzo said bluntly. "Da Cott’n Can’y man…’member?"

"No Enzo I don’t think so," Larabeth said, turning around to size the bunny up. "That’s not da cott’n can’y man. He ain’t got no can’y."

Lorenzo sighed once again. Louder this time. "It’s Da Cotton Can’y man in da Bunny cos’ume! A course he ain’t got no can’y…da can’y would melted inside the cos’ume."

Elizabeth shook her head. "Baby, it’s not the Cotton –

"Yeah-huh!" Lorenzo shouted. "Das why he’s PINK!"

Unable to tolerate such a fake anymore, Lorenzo marched right up to the bunny dressed up like the Cotton Candy man. Elizabeth tried to grab him but he was too quick. He tugged on the bunny’s tail and the bunny whirled around. Nearly taking out a few children in the process.

"Hey you cott’n can’y man!!! Yous not da Easta bunny! You’s the cott’n can’y man! You gottsa get outta hea! You sen’a real Easta bunny o you gottsa go ta jail fo’ comin’ to my house! You can’t p’tend ta be da Easta bunny hea Jack!"

Lucky was a man dressed in a pink bunny suit who suddenly found himself afraid of getting kicked in the shin by a 3 year old with too much imagination.

He put on his best Bunny – Man voice and once again prayed his father and Nikolas weren’t watching. He stole a glance towards the patio…damn it all. Both of them were nearly doubling over now.

Instead of a cigar, his father pretended to smoke the carrot protruding from his mouth.

Lucky turned instantly back to the problem at hand. "Heeeeeelloooo little guy…and what might be yooooooour name be?" He wanted to die. Not only was he faking some weirdass voice but he sounded like Santa, not a bunny.

"My name’s Enzo and you’s NOT da Easta Bunny!"

All the children around Lucky gasped and stepped back like he’d gotten a rare case of Carrotitis. He held up his hands in defense.

So this was his reward for raising his child to speak his mind?

"Children, children please…don’t be alarmed…I aaaaaam the Easter Bunny…Coming to visit all the way from…the Pokan –

"Pokipse," Emily filled in again.

"Pokipse," Lucky repeated.

Lane swiveled around to level her brother with a gaze of steal blue like her bunny disguised father. "You be quiet Enzo, das IS da Easta Bunny. He counted all my eggs and tol’ me dat my eggs was vewy vewy pwetty! He is TOO da Easta Bunny…Huh, Lawabeth?"

Larabeth’s eyes widened once more. Lucky thought perhaps she was about to have an aneurysm. He bit his lip and took a step forward to try to explain. If he could get her to believe, then perhaps he could get Lorenzo off his back…the little tyrant.

"You’re right. I aaaaaam the Easta Bunny little girl. I come to bring eggs and…stuff."

"See!" Lane squealed, sticking out her tongue at her brother. She zipped her lips at the look from her mother. She turned around and dragged Larabeth to the front of the line. "Come on Lawabeth we gottsa talk to da Easta Bunny. Maybe he gots little chocolate babies fo you."

Lorenzo folded his arms across his chest. Lawabeth was gonna believe Lane too? He shook his head. Well they betta not come cwyin to him when they got fake cott’n can’y eggs insteada weal eggs to eat tomorra. O cott’n can’y bunnies ‘stead a chocolate ones!

Lucky took a deep breath. He was having to PROVE he was the Easter Bunny to a bunch of neo-people. A couple more minutes and he’d claim that the Easter Bunny had a prior engagement that he simply could not miss. He was nearing the end of his rope here. A rope that he planned on tying Elizabeth up with later.

Lane pushed Larabeth in front of her. "Yo’ tuwn Lawabeth. He’s da Easta Bunny ain’t he?"

Her eyes were big again and Lucky took a gentle step forward. Wondering once again if perhaps she was a little bit afraid or at the very least uncertain. She’d been absolutely fine with the bunny at the mall! Of course now with Lorenzo’s fraud story…Lucky sighed inside the musty mask.

She adjusted the white eyelet bonnet hat that she wore as he started to speak. "Hello Missy…you sure do look beautiful in your Easter Dress," Lucky said reaching for her basket. "Why don’t I count –

"AAAAAAAH!!!!" Larabeth screamed at the top of her lungs and jumped away from his big pink paw. She jumped to Elizabeth’s side. Wrapped her tiny little arms around her mother’s leg as she clung.

"Oh," Lucky took a step forward. "Wait –

Elizabeth bit her lip and lifted her daughter up in her arms. Soothing her small trembling body. "Oh Honey it’s ok…Sssh…"

A thousand different thoughts rolled through Lucky’s head at once. The first that he wanted to kill Elizabeth, the second was that he wanted to take off the mask and show little girl that he was just Daddy, and then the last…was that he couldn’t do that without forever altering her belief in the Easter Bunny.

He’d never thought those kinds of childhood myths important until he had children. The way their eyes lit up at the mere mention of Santa Clause was enough to make him believe. He couldn’t imagine bursting his child’s beautiful bubble so early.

He wanted nothing more than to calm his baby girl’s fears. He was stuck between a rock and a …bunny suit.

Lucky locked eyes with Elizabeth and she didn’t know what to do anymore than he did. There was suddenly a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey guys," Nikolas began from Lucky’s side. He looked down at pint size egg hunters. "Enzo buddy…," he said patting Lucky on the shoulder for reassurance. "This isn’t the Cotton Candy guy…I happen to – KNOW the Cotton Candy guy…like personally."

Enzo brought his too blonde eyebrows together in thought. "Weally?"

"Really."

Lane’s eyes lit up. Uncle Nik knew the Easter Bunny! Man he knew e’erybody. She was sho glad she was named after him so that way one day she could know a lots of people too.

"And this guy," Nikolas continued, meeting his Godson and nephew’s eyes. "He’s the real thing – he’s the Easter Bunny."

Enzo let his arms drop from where he had them folded against his chest. He din’t really think this guy was da real Easta Bunny, but if Uncle Nik knew da guy…and plus Lawabeth was cwying now…

He turned around to his Mom and reached up to pat his sister’s leg. "It’s ‘k Lawabeth. He’s da Easta Bunny. I sowwy I scaed you. He really is da Easta Bunny I pwomise."

Larabeth sniffled and nodded in her mother’s arms and Lorenzo hung his head. Lane shook hers.

"Are you ok Baby?" Elizabeth asked. Larabeth nodded and Elizabeth eased her down to her feet in the grass.

The little girl wiped her eyes and lifted her face to the bunny. She extended her hand to his paw. "It’s vewy nice ta meet you Mista Bunny."

Lucky eased down to his knees. Genuine relief in his voice instead of a bunny tone. "It’s VERY nice to meet you too. I’m so sorry to make you cry Precious."

Larabeth grinned suddenly and tried to wink the way Dadd…da Bunny taught her. "It’s ok……Missa Bunny."

~~~~~~~

Lucky pulled up the covers to his little girl’s chin and kissed her forehead. Thankful to be rid of the ridiculous costume that had made his precious cry.

"G’night Precious."

Larabeth giggled and he lifted an eyebrow. "Something funny, bunny?"

She giggled again and he reached down to give her a tickle. She kicked her feet and laughed some more.

"Careful there Miss Funny Bunny…I tucked you in all nice and you’re ruining my work here."

"I sowwy Daddy you just too funny."

"Oh yeah, what makes me funny?" He said, sitting down on the edge of the tiny little bed.

"G’night Pwecious," Larabeth repeated through a giggle.

Lucky folded his arms. "I don’t get it. Tell me the joke Missy."

"Das what Missa Bunny said!…He called me Pwecious," Larabeth explained with a twinkle in her eye. "Daddy I’m only Pwecious to you. You mussa been da Easta Bunny."

Lucky bit his lip. To perpetuate the myth or NOT to perpetuate the myth…that was the question.

"Oh no…See baby, you’re precious to a lot of people – even guys like the Easter Bunny know how precious you are."

Larabeth squished her lips together and her brow knit. "Oh…really?"

"Yep," Lucky said kissing her forehead. "Oh." He thought about how she grew up a little bit more everyday. How she’d just pronounced the ‘r’ in ‘really,’ and knew he’d just made the right decision about perpetuating myths.

Lucky turned off her lamp. "G’night Precious."

Larabeth snuggled down into her pillow. Wow, she’d thought for sure it was Daddy….Well, at least it wasn’t da Cott’n Can’y man.

~~~~~~~

Elizabeth put her book down on her lap and watched in silence as Lucky came out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a white towel around his waist and a few water droplets on his chest.

He sauntered over to their chest of drawers without saying a word. Looking up for a moment as he ran his fingers through his hair in the mirror. The wet strands slipped through his fingers like dark ribbons of silk.

Elizabeth licked her lips and wondered if her fine specimen of a husband was going to talk to her tonight. She’d made him dress like a giant bunny when he hadn’t really wanted to…and the result in Lucky’s eyes had to have been disastrous. If there was one thing that Lucky couldn’t take, it was making one of his kids cry.

Their eyes met in the mirror for one moment before he turned his attention back to his top drawer and grabbed a pair of boxer briefs out of it. His black Calvins. The one’s that drove her crazy.

Perhaps he wasn’t mad at her afterall?

Lucky stretched his arms above his head for a moment and Elizabeth watched the mural of muscles in his back twitch under smooth skin. He scratched the back of his head and reached for the towel at his waist.

Elizabeth cleared her throat. "Uh – um…H-how’s Larabeth?"

Lucky nodded curtly and glanced over his shoulder for just a moment. "Fine. Asleep."

Elizabeth bit her lip. Nope, he was mad. When Lucky didn’t speak – didn’t even bother to yell – things were bad.

She scooted up in bed, her back against the headboard as she opened her mouth to speak again, but when the towel came off, she shut it abruptly. Watching in silent admiration as he stuck one foot and then the other into his underwear.

God he was gorgeous.

"Th – that’s good."

"Yep." Lucky said, walking over to the bathroom to toss his towel in the hamper. He turned back inside the bedroom and started for the bed.

Elizabeth held her breath as he slid between the sheets. Once again she tried for speech. Wanting to draw him away from single syllable words.

"Lucky, the kids LOVED you today. I know you’re upset with me for making you dress up like a bunny, and you think that it’s my fault about Larabeth and –

"Not your fault," he said with a smile. "And I’m not upset…the kids did love it," he said with a nod. "And Larabeth figured out who I was anyway."

"She did?"

"Yeah…I guess I slipped up and called her Precious. But, no need to worry…I just told her that she was precious to everybody, even the Easter Bunny."

Elizabeth smiled. Of all the things he could do for her – for their children. He knew keeping little things like Santa and the Easter Bunny alive for them were important to her.

Things had to be alright then. He seemed genuinely ok with things. "Thank you."

"You’re welcome."

He was speaking in multi-syllabic phrases. Now maybe he was ready to screw like bunnies.

She eased up beside him and draped her arms around his neck. Kissing the corner of his mouth and running her fingers through that wet hair of his. "I’m so glad you’re not upset with me…and I’m so glad you’re my husband…I love you."

Lucky smiled softly and kissed her slow and deep. Elizabeth instantly felt her temperature skyrocket. "I love you too…and I’m not upset with you."

Elizabeth smiled even wider and started to slide into his lap only to stop when Lucky reached to turn off the lights.

"Sorry Sweetie…Mr. Bunny’s got a headache. G’ night."

Elizabeth groaned loudly and turned over on her side. "Night Thumper," she said rudely.

Lucky laughed.