The Storm household was decidedly crowded these days, but Liv wouldn't have had it any other way. She loved being surrounded by her family - with Johnny, and Fliss, and Alexei, and Maria ....and Bella, of course. Thankfully, Jon had been more than accommodating of her growing family, and the prospect of his ridiculously efficient P.A. being mum to a newborn come the beginning of winter. To go from no children to four was a huge step, but one Liv was insisting she was confident to handle. As it happened, word had gotten around the Granger family that the Storm house was bursting at the seams already, and a certain little princess had proposed a swap - the Storms could have Willow Manor, which was easily better able to accommodate the rapidly expanding family, and she and her husband would take Cedar Lodge. Which, of course, meant that Liv and Johnny were packing to move again ....only this time, they had one teen and two children to help or hinder as they liked.

It was Johnny and Liv's third move in almost as many years, but with a quickly growing family, it was a good thing, and Johnny couldn't be more grateful for the generosity of the Grangers, once again. It wasn't that they couldn't afford a house of their own, but Maple Grove had come to feel like home, and neither Liv nor Johnny seemed in any hurry to leave. The two former orphans couldn't have been any happier about their expanding family, despite all the craziness it involved.

Packing was being done one room at a time, one day at a time, and today was the day Liv and Johnny's room got packed up for the move over the weekend. It was quite something to see, all five family members - dog included - working around each other to try and pack everything up. Surprisingly, little Maria had vehemently defended her right to fold and pack Liv's clothes, and between the other three, Liv had been instructed to stay with the little girl and help her. It was the only way to keep her from trying to lift anything heavy; that little bump at her waist was precious to everyone. That left Johnny with Alexei, although who the responsible adult in that pairing was could have been up for debate, and Fliss working her way through the contents of various drawers. Which was how she found something Johnny would probably prefer she hadn't.

"What," the teenager declared, lifting a mock-up of a 2016 calendar out of his nightstand, "is this?"

"Wouldn't it be easier just to hire a wizard to wave a magic wand and poof all our stuff to the new house?" Johnny mused aloud as he went about taping up yet another box of stuff. "There has to be a spell for that. Maybe like ....Movieosa or something?" he said, waving a hand in the air as if he had a wand in his hand and accidentally producing a flame, which he quickly put out, hopefully before anyone noticed or anything caught fire. "What's what?" he asked distractedly, before looking toward the sound of Fliss' voice. From the look of surprise on his face, he was obviously not expecting her to find that there and had probably completely forgotten about it. "That ..." he started, making a swipe for the calendar, "....is none of your business!" Well, at least, she hadn't come across any sexual paraphernalia ....yet.

"Wingardium Movieosa?" Liv asked, grinning as Maria and Alexei erupted into spluttering giggles over their respective jobs and carefully not drawing attention to the sparkle of flame that lit up the room briefly. Their attention was drawn quickly, however, to the sight of Fliss dancing away from Johnny with the calendar held far out and away from him as she read the front.

"Rhy'Din Fireman's Calendar 2016 - they're hot!"

"It does not say they're hot!" Johnny pointed out, as he made another grab for the plastic-wrapped calendar with his face - and bare chest - featured on the front. "Give me that!" he demanded, while in hot pursuit. "Give me that back, young lady, or I will ground you for life!"

"You can't ground her for life without my agreement," Liv pointed out mildly, taking a perch on the bed with Maria in her lap to watch her husband and eldest dancing around the bedroom, her hands moving automatically to sign everything she said. Though there was nothing wrong with Maria's hearing, they had agreed to all learn to sign with her, so she didn't feel out of place in their home. As it was, the five-year-old was giggling into her favorite sweater of Liv's as she watched her father and sister playing. They were pretty evenly matched - Fliss certainly had the edge on cheekiness, if not energy.

"No, it's says they're so steamy, you can make tea with their hoses," the teen declared merrily, yelping as Johnny made another swipe, holding him off with one hand as Alexei cheered them both on indiscriminately.

"Okay, then ..." Johnny said, letting Liv win that argument. "Give it back or I won't teach you to fly," he countered, coming to a halt with hands on his hips, trying to look threatening or at the very least, serious. He stuck his tongue out at Fliss, before extending an arm, fingers beckoning for her to return the plastic-wrapped surprise to him. Johnny gasped at Fliss' remark. "I should wash your mouth out with soap for that!" He moved over to Alexei and clamped his hands over the boy's ears. "Not in front of your brother!" He looked over at Maria, who they all knew could hear every word, even if she didn't speak in return. "Or sister!"

"Aww, c'mon, you know you're gonna teach me to fly whatever I do," Fliss snickered, bursting into louder laughter as Alexei wriggled in their father's grip to stick his tongue out at Johnny cheekily. Maria put her hand up, her only way to let them know she wanted to speak.

"Yes, sweetheart?" Liv asked her, drawing everyone's attention to the silent sweetling in their midst.

Little hands formed the words she couldn't speak. "What is a hot hose?"

Johnny stuck his tongue out again at Alexei this time, close enough to cross his eyes at the little boy in hopes of making him giggle. He turned his head to Maria to see what it was she wanted to say, before shouting triumphantly and pointing a finger at Fliss. "A-ha! See" Now give me that thing! It was supposed to be a surprise!" he told her, making another grab for the calendar, though the cat was already out of the bag, so to speak. Now that she'd found it, he was most likely going to have to explain.

"I can show you," Alexei declared to his little sister, seizing her hand to pull the little girl down off Liv's lap and toward the door, with Bella bouncing around them all the way. He was so obviously heading for the garden, Liv didn't even think twice before smiling to encourage them on their way, raising her eyes to the two firestarters in the room.

"I'm surprised," she pointed out teasingly. "Are you surprised, Fliss?"

The teen was perusing the back cover of the calendar, one hand still held out in case Johnny made another attempt. "Hmm ....oh ....ewww!" Quite suddenly she thrust the calendar into her father's hands, laughing. "Please tell me you had a jock strap or something on under that helmet!"

"I don't know, and I didn't ask," Liv chuckled. "I'm waiting for her to tell us she's been invited, and then we'll find out, I'm sure." She blushed as he complimented her, looking down as his warm palm covered the little swell of her womb, where their unexpected miracle was making themselves known. "He, she, or they are doing surprisingly well," she chuckled. "They haven't tried to knock me out for at least a week, so I think we have survived the first trimester."

"They"!" he exclaimed, though being a twin herself, it was definitely a possibility that Liv could be having twins. Their little family was quickly growing by leaps and bounds. "You hear me inside there?" he asked, ducking his head close to her tummy, where his hand still remained. "You be good to your Mama and don't give her any trouble!" he warned whoever was residing inside Liv's womb. It was still so hard for him to believe it, to believe any of this was really happening. Who could have predicted Johnny Storm would get married and become a father, not only of one child but at least four" He'd even become a respectable member of society, with a steady job and everything, though that calendar might tarnish that image just a little.

Sue was ridiculously proud of him; even Reed had managed to summon up a few words in praise of his formerly troublesome brother-in-law. Lucy and Steve never had a bad word to say about him. But it was Liv who reaped the benefits of watching Johnny grow up a little. He would always be an eternal child deep inside, but it was wonderful to see him with his son and daughters, a protective father who only wanted the best for them. She laughed as he warned their unborn child to behave themselves. "I think we have at least four months of me being absolutely fine," she assured him. "And then I get fat and moody." She winked teasingly, leaning in to kiss his cheek.

"I don't care how fat and moody you get, Livvie. I'll love you just the same," he told her, which was reassuring in a strange sort of way. He smiled as she touched a kiss to his cheek and tapped the silly calendar in his lap. "So, what should we do with this" Hide it, burn it, or hang it with pride?"

"Wrap it with Fliss' presents for Christmas," Liv decided with a wicked little chuckle, biting her lips in an attempt to appear innocent as she turned her eyes to her husband sweetly. "Don't you think she'd like it?"

He cackled with glee at her suggestion. She could be just as mischievous as him when she put her mind to it. It was one of the things he loved about her. No matter how silly he was, she only seemed to love him all the more for it. "I think I should hang it in her locker at school," he suggested with an impish grin, though that might be going too far.

"Do that, and I won't stop her from putting spiders in your suit next time," his wife warned him laughingly, glancing up as she heard footsteps on the stairs.

Alexei burst in, looking horrified. "Maria fell, and she hurt herself, and she's crying," he told his parents worriedly. "I didn't mean her to fall, we were playing chase, and-and ..." He trailed off, his own eyes touched with tears.

Johnny gasped in shock at his wife's suggestion. "You wouldn't!" he said, though he wouldn't have put it past Fliss anyway, just to see him wriggle. He followed Liv's gaze to the door, knowing it couldn't be Fliss - from the sound of the footsteps on the stairs, it had to be either Alexei or Maria. Johnny moved to his feet, sweeping the little boy up in his arms. "It's all right, Alex," he told the boy reassuringly. "Accidents happen, don't they, Liv" Let's go see if Maria's all right." He offered a hand to Liv, while balancing Alexei against a hip.

Alexei wrapped his arms trustingly around Johnny's neck, trying to be manly and not cry because he'd inadvertently hurt his little sister. Taking Johnny's hand, Liv rose to her feet, rubbing her palm against their son's back. "It's all right, sweetheart," she promised him, kissing his hair gently. "Daddy's right, accidents happen all the time to everyone. Come downstairs with us." She smiled at Johnny, not too worried about Maria. Fliss was generally on the ball when it came to little accidents, and it couldn't be horrific, or there would be yelling for an adult to come.

Johnny was worried about them both, but like he'd said, accidents happened. As well as the two children were fitting in, there were nights when one or the other still woke with nightmares, and it took time for him and Liv to calm them down. Usually, it was Maria, but Johnny knew things hadn't been easy for Alexei either, and he knew the boy wouldn't willingly hurt her for anything in the world. Johnny didn't need add anything to that, as Liv had said what needed to be said to reassure the boy. Instead, he only touched a kiss to Alexei's cheek, unafraid to show him some affection, knowing all he needed was a little reassurance and the knowledge that he was loved, unconditionally and enduringly.

Certain that Alex was in good hands with his father, Liv slipped by to head down the stairs, following the sound of Fliss' voice to where the two girls could be found. They were sitting outside by the pool, and it was obvious at first glance what had happened - Maria's lip was bleeding, but she had grazes on her knees and the heel of her hands, too. One faceplant, straight onto the flagstones. Fliss looked up in relief as the adults made an appearance, not objecting when Maria toddled over to Liv to be hugged and soothed. The teen looked almost as guilty as Alex did.

Johnny followed Liv down the stairs and out back to where the children had been playing. From the looks of things, the little girl had a few bumps and bruises, but nothing too horrible. They were just the normal kinds of injuries kids got from running around and playing together, and he had a feeling Alexei probably felt worse than Maria. Johnny set Alexei down beside him on the picnic table and paused a moment to survey his small family. His family. His wife, his children, whether by blood or not. This was right where he was needed and where he wanted to be - where he belonged. And he owed it all to Liv. He would never be able to thank her enough for making his dream come true. "Well, this only calls for one thing ..." he started, a soft smile spreading across his face.

It didn't take long to wipe the blood and tears away, though Maria understandably stayed tucked close on Liv's lap throughout the process, cuddling in to release the last of her sniffles even as she inspected the cream that had been rubbed onto her hands. Fliss hovered worriedly, deeply fond of her little brother and sister, no matter how the family tie had come about, and deeply relieved when the upset died away. Johnny's smile brought a smile to at least three faces. Alex looked up at him hopefully, glancing at Liv as though she was going to say no, and Fliss snickered.

"Spider cakes," she said, deliberately obtusely, even as Liv gently settled Maria onto Johnny's lap, inviting Alex inside to help with the sweet treat that cured all ills.

"I was going to say ice cream," Johnny pouted, as Liv exchanged Alexei for Maria, glaring over at Fliss, who seemed to be enjoying taunting him, ever since the calendar incident - which he had incidentally left on the bed when they were summoned outside by Alex. "I don't even know what a spider cake is and I don't think I want to know!" He balanced little Maria against his lap, one arm carefully holding her in place. "Do you?" he asked the little girl, rubbing his nose to hers. He would have signed it but his arms were otherwise occupied at the moment.

Maria seemed to give this a moment of thought, giggling a little as her father bumped his nose to her own, and drew her hands up, working her way through the signs as she answered. "Cakes that wriggle and jump and make webs?"

From her place on the floor, Fliss snorted with laughter, winking at her little sister approvingly. "I think we should make Dad eat one all by himself, don't you, Mar?" she asked the little girl, who looked up at Johnny thoughtfully for a moment.

Then her hands came up again, and she added, "Only if he can catch it first."

She laughed softly as his hands slid into place over her rear end, rising up onto her toes in response to press closer, the little bump that housed their as yet unborn fourth child hugged warm between them. "We'll just have to see, won't we, Mr. Storm?" she teased affectionately, kissing the tip of his nose.

"Whoa, Dad! Hands! Little eyes!" Fliss suddenly declared from behind her, clamping her hands over both Alex and Maria's eyes as the littler pair giggled and squirmed.

"Hey! This is one of the perks of being married," Johnny retorted with a laugh, though for Alex and Maria's sake, he did slide his hands higher. He wondered if the subtle hint in his statement would occur to Fliss at all, but as yet, she'd shown little interest in boys - much to Johnny's relief.

Subtle or not, Fliss rolled her eyes as she blushed, releasing her little brother and sister to let them pitter patter across the patio to the table and their parents. "Yeah, well, we're not married," the teen pointed out with a faint smirk, gesturing to herself and the little ones. "So there."

Laughing, Liv reached up and kissed Johnny exceptionally thoroughly, just to make the teenager squirm. She didn't always come down on Fliss' side, after all.

Johnny's brows rose, more than a little surprised at the very public display of affection from his wife with three children present, giving Fliss the thumbs' up signal from behind Liv's back. Just to be silly, he made sure to make a smacking sound against Liv's lips as they parted, smirking with mischief. Whatever had upset the little family seemed to have passed, at least for now. "I was just telling Fliss how I was thinking about building a treehouse in our new backyard," he told both Liv and Alexei, who had not been present for that part of the conversation. "What do you think?" That question was mostly aimed at Liv, knowing he was putting her on the spot, but also doubting she'd say no.

With Fliss making "eww" noises, Liv was laughing still when her lips parted from Johnny's, turning to help Maria and Alex up onto the picnic bench as the teen turned her attention to serving out the ice cream. "A treehouse?" she repeated, surprised but smiling. "I think that's a great idea, actually. Something we can all get involved with." Her hand gently stroked Alex's hair out of his eyes as she smiled down at the little ones, moving around to nudged Fliss over a little so she could sit down. "What do you think?" she added to the children. "Want to learn how to use a saw and a hammer from Daddy?"

"No!" Johnny exclaimed. "No saws. A hammer, maybe, but no saws." Saws were too dangerous, he thought. Maybe he'd let Fliss use one, but not the little ones. "I'm going to need a lot of help though," he added quickly, so that none of them would feel left out or useless. "Do you think we can do it?" he asked, sweeping Maria up into the air before settling her on the bench beside her adopted brother. The pair had been close right from the moment he'd helped rescue them, and it had only seemed right that they remain together. The other pair they'd rescued had been adopted by Steve and Lucy, and as such, they were as good as family.

Alex looked up from his bowl, where he had been quite seriously watching Liv squeezing chocolate sauce on his ice cream. "Can we really?" the little boy asked, torn between excitement at the prospect and wariness that perhaps they wouldn't be able to do all that much.

"Of course, we can!" Johnny confirmed exuberantly, reaching over to ruffle the little boy's blond curls. "We're Storms! There's nothing we can't do it we put our minds to it!" he said, not just to Alex, but to all of them. They had overcome so much already. They had even overcome the very serious challenges posed by a small child who couldn't speak. Johnny truly believed there was very little they couldn't accomplish, so long as they did it together.

"And we can all do something to build a treehouse," Liv added, now shaking rainbow sprinkles over Maria's ice cream while Fliss determined which sauce the little girl wanted. "There are lots of jobs to do. And maybe we could get Uncle Steve and Aunt Lucy over here to help us out, what do you think?"

"It's been a long time since Steve and Lucy visited Rhy'Din," Johnny pointed out thoughtfully, dipping a finger into the ice cream and licking it off, impatient to get his own bowl. Just so long as they didn't invite her big-mouthed half-brother Tony Stark along, which was doubtful.

Maria put her hand up, drawing their attention to her even as Liv finally dished out ice cream for Johnny. "Will Martin and Lianne and Jamie come, too' And Peggy?" the little girl asked, her little fingers growing more adept with her words as she practiced.

Liv smiled, glancing at Johnny. "Well, I would hope so," she answered the little girl. "Daddy could go and steal them one at a time."

Johnny frowned at little at the mention of Peggy, exchanging a quick glance with Liv. Peggy wasn't getting any younger, and her health was failing. Not even Lucy's medical skills could prevent the inevitable, and all they could do was make whatever time she had left pleasant and joyful. The children helped with that, but Johnny wasn't sure her heart would be able to withstand a trip through the portal. "We'll see," he said, making no promises without talking to Steve and Lucy first. There wasn't any big hurry on building a treehouse, though children didn't stay little forever.

"We can make it our summer project," Liv suggested, finally tasting her own ice cream. Her eyes met Johnny's with a sad smile. They knew Peggy didn't have long now; she'd made it through the winter when no one had thought they would. It was too much to ask that she might make it through another one.

"Yeah, and when it's done," Fliss added with a startling amount of enthusiasm, "we can all sleep out in it on the first night and roast marshmallows and tell stories."

Liv chuckled, wrapping an arm around the teen to hug her fondly as Fliss leaned into her. "That sounds like a lot of fun."

"I'll roast the marshmallows!" Johnny said, lifting a hand to volunteer. He was the official marshmallow roaster person, after all, though he could easily share that job with Fliss now - no bonfire necessary. The thought of Peggy dampened Johnny's spirits a little, but he tried not to let it show. Johnny took a seat at the picnic table across from the children and dug into his ice cream, unashamedly moaning in delight at the taste of it. Ice cream was his most favorite food in the world.

Sitting on the opposite side of the table to Johnny and the two smaller children, Liv and Fliss had a perfect view of three very happy faces as the trio dug into their respective bowls of ice cream. Nothing was going to compare, however, to the sight of Alex picking up a dollop of chocolate sauce from his own bowl to add it to Johnny's, and Maria doing the same with a sticky handful of ice creamy sprinkles from hers.

Johnny laughed at the smallest Storms shared their treats with their father, and everything would have gone pretty well, too, if it hadn't been for Bella sneaking up behind Johnny and taking a lick from his bowl.

Liv's jaw dropped at the sight of their beautiful dog sneaking a tongueful of Johnny's favorite treat from his own bowl, not quite able to get the right words out to discipline the animal while trying not to laugh.

"Eww, Bella!" Alex laughed, giving the dog a gentle push away from the ice cream. "Now you're gonna poop bad!"

As if there was such a thing as pooping good where dogs were concerned. Johnny pouted, wondering if he should keep eating the ice cream now that it had Bella germs, but he loved ice cream too much to let it bother him much. "She kissed my ice cream!" he exclaimed, laughing as he dug in anyway. Germs or no germs, it was next to impossible to get Johnny sick, anyway. His temperature ran too high for any germs to survive long enough to make him sick.