Georgetown, Washington, DC, Wednesday afternoon

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No, Anakin had been told, it didn't matter that it was currently 26 degrees outside. Juliet was bouncing off the walls (literally, thanks to the Force) and if they ever wanted to see their security deposit again, it would be best if everyone went outside for a nice, family walk. They did that sort of thing all the time in Connecticut, and the kids were half hearty New Englander, after all.

But Rory had read about the polar vortex, too, which was why you could hardly see Christopher under all of the coats and blankets in his stroller, and Juliet was waddling more than she could walk.

They'd gotten to the end of their block--about two hundred feet--when Juliet announced, "I need to pee."

Anakin groaned.

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"No you don't," Rory said immediately, though her eyes (the only part of her face really visible under her hat and scarf) widened in dread. "We did that before we left, Juliet."

Besides, she had more pressing concerns.

"...did you lose one of your mittens?"

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"The red pair or the ones with butterflies?" Anakin asked, already looking around.

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"The red pair," Rory said, kneeling to examine Juliet's bare hand. "Where'd it go, Juliet?"

"It flew away!"

"...no, honey, it didn't." Rory was already wondering if it was in a tree or something and they just hadn't noticed.

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"Did you maybe help it to fly?" Anakin checked, keeping Christopher's stroller moving mostly as an excuse to keep his own hands from freezing off. One pair of gloves wasn't enough today.

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Rory was already pulling out a mitten with a butterfly on it to put on Juliet's bare hand.

"I dunnoooooo...." Juliet said, trying to twirl away from her mother's meddlesome frostbite-prevention. "I think Chris took it."

"Your brother didn't take your mitten, Juliet."

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"And ate it," Juliet added. "Or or ooooooor a zombie took it. Or a ninja."

"Do you see a lot of ninjas around?" Anakin asked dryly.

"No, but that's the point, Daddy."

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"Do you think a ninja could get past your father and me?" Rory asked.

"...well," Juliet hedged, "not Daddy, probably, but...."

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"And taking just one glove would be ridiculous," Anakin said, "and a red one at that. It would never go with the rest of his ninja outfit."

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"Plus it'd probably be too small for a ninja," Rory pointed out.

"Nuh uh, I'm big!" Juliet protested.

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Anakin hid a smirk behind his hand. "You are," he said, "but most ninjas are a little taller. Not the Noghri, of course."

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"A'course," Juliet agreed seriously. "Can we look at my tallness when we go home?"

"We just did," Rory sighed. "Like, two days ago, honey. You're not going to have grown that much more."

"I wanna check so I can tell when I'm gonna be a ninja."

Logic.

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"You don't want to be too tall as a ninja," Anakin said, though good luck being short with the combined genes of her parents. "We can put on your black outfit and beat things up at the gym in Fandom over the weekend, though."

Best father ever?

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"What kind of things?" Rory asked immediately, giving both of them the side-eye.

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"Soft, small things," Anakin assured her, "and maybe Clint."

After all of these years, he was still under the delusion he was funny.

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"I'm sure he'll love that," Rory said dryly.

"And Chris!"

"Juliet, your brother is not going ninja-training with you. No."

Christopher had perked up at his name, but was now happily smashing the little bag of Cheerios that Rory had stuck in the stroller with him just in case. Great.

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"You have to be at least five to be in training," Anakin said, "and ten to have a lightsaber. Family rules."

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"He's a soft, small thing," Juliet argued.

"No, Juliet."

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"And none of his stuffed animals, either," Anakin said, having a sudden image of a battered teddy bear in the gym with them.

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Juliet scuffed her feet in the snow. "Can we make a snowman?" she requested, way too innocently.

"...why?"

"...and take him to the gym with us?"

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Anakin burst out laughing. "It'll melt, sweetie."

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"Not if we shoot it with a freeze ray!" Juliet countered.

Rory glanced at Anakin, frowning. "What have you been watching with her?"

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"Cartoons," Anakin said, frowning. "The stuff on PBS. This might be Word Girl's fault."

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"Cap'n Huggy Face used one," Juliet said solemnly, eager to blame the TV for whatever she did wrong.

"Well, they're not real, sweetheart, so you can't have one."

Don't speak too soon, Rory.

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"You can't have one," Anakin agreed, nodding. "It's nowhere near your birthday."

ANAKIN.

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"When's Christmas?" Juliet asked immediately.

"Not for a long time," Rory said, shooting a glare at Anakin.

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Anakin grinned back at her. "What?"

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"You know what you did," Rory countered, as Juliet started happily shouting about how she was going to ask Grandma for a freeze ray for her birthday.

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"Ask Grandma Emily instead," Anakin urged.

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"No," Rory said, firmly enough to halt Juliet in her chanting. "...ask Grandpa Richard instead. He'll like that."

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"He might actually find one," Anakin said with a soft chuckle. "He likes a challenge."

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"But he'll also listen to me about making sure it's totally S-A-F-E," Rory added, raising her brows. "Grandma Emily would just decide you were being silly and try to put a new dress on you, sweetie."

"Yuck."

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"Pink, with bows on it," Anakin added.