Note From The Author—Here we go, here's the new sequel to Baby Steps. This will be a series of relatively short chapters chronicling the milestones in Sophia's life. I hope you'll all enjoy and here we go.

Disclaimer—I don't own the characters of CSI: NY

Don Flack didn't know if he should laugh, cry or punch something. A child's first words were supposed to be monumental. They were supposed to be defining and amazing and heart warming. So why the hell did he feel so aggravated?

To be fair, Sophia's first word had been a defining moment. By the very nature of the fact that they were her first words they were spectacular for both of her parents. However, the choice of word had her mother wearing a bemused smile and her father incredibly upset.

All of this was what brought Flack to stand outside of the trace lab with a scowl twisted on his handsome face and arms crossed aggressively over his chest. "Sophia said her first word this morning," he announced.

Without looking up from his work Danny smiled. "That's awesome man. She's really growing up so…" He cut off when he raised his head and saw the hard look on his best friend's face. "Oh hell, it wasn't something with four letters was it? I swear to God that was only one time."

Don shook his head. "No it wasn't anything like that." He stepped farther into the room. "It was Boom."

For a minute Danny wasn't sure how to react; then he burst into laughter. "Come on Don, it's not that bad. It could have been a whole lot worse."

"Dan, my little girl's first word was boom. Not mommy, not daddy; Boom!"

"Flack I wouldn't even worry about it. She's such a smart kid she'll probably have a huge vocabulary in no time. Daddy's probably next on the list."

He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "You're right. I'm sure she'll start saying more and more. I'm just being stupid."

And yet, two weeks later he was still cursing Danny. Every night as he and Stella played with their daughter they would repeat words for her in an effort to get her to say something else, anything else really. Each and every time they got the same result. After a few days Stella stopped pushing it so hard. She knew that it would happen when it happened, but Don couldn't seem to get past it.

One night he was changing her diaper while Stella put away toys and clothes and as usual he was working on new words. "Come on Sophie, say something else for Daddy. How about Daddy? Daddy? No? Try mama. Mama?"

Sophia only regarded him with big blue eyes. She giggled and clapped her hands and he prayed that something new was about to come out of her mouth. Stella looked on, shaking her head with a smile as he watched Sophia eagerly. Then their little girl opened her mouth and spoke.

"Boom."