Guy sat on the sofa next to Jesse; 12 month old Zosia was busy playing on her activity mat entertained by the crinkly sound which whenever she crawled around it made the noise and she would laugh and clap her hands.
"Does she always do that?" Jesse asked finding it entertaining what Zosia was doing and Guy looked over at his daughter, smiling lightly and finding it strange how something so simple as a crinkle sound could entertain her. Zosia stopped what she was doing when she noticed she was being looked at and hid her face with her tiny hands, Guy got off the sofa and walked over to her and bent down to her level.
"Ra," Guy pulled her hands away from her face and Zosia laughed then smiled, she never got scared when her dad did that, Zosia then got distracted by the play mat again and then started playing with the blocks. Then when Guy went to walk back over to the sofa, her eyes grew wide and she then began to cry.
"Dada," Zosia held her hands out and Guy turned around not sure what he had heard, "Dada," Zosia said again and Guy's face lit up.
"Say that again," Guy said and he lifted Zosia up which she looked up at her father and went quiet, "Come on say it again," Guy encouraged her by tickling her which Zosia giggled and then laughed out loud.
"Dada…." Zosia cried out of laughter and Guy then stopped and hugged her; Jesse couldn't understand why Guy was so happy. Zosia only said dada and Jesse had heard her say other things, only clearly Guy hadn't. Also it still wasn't anything big, "Dada, dada, dada, dada," Zosia repeated over and over fascinated by herself what she could say, "Baggy," Zosia pointed to their cat who was named after Bagheera from The Jungle Book, "Baggy," Zosia laughed and leant forward smiling, "Cat."
"Go over to Jesse," Guy put her on the floor and Zosia ran over to Jesse then put her small hands on his lap. Jesse reached down and lifted her up onto his lap, "She said dada."
"And also said 'Baggy' and 'Cat'," Jesse said and Guy shrugged before walking back over and took Zosia back.
"If you have kids you'll understand," Guy then walked into the kitchen with Zosia and Zosia pointed to the fridge, "Yes I suppose it's your bedtime," Guy said and Zosia yawned and rubbed her eyes, "You go in with Uncle Jesse," Guy said as he patted Zosia on the back, "Go on," Guy assured his daughter as she looked up at him, "Jesse I'm trusting you to watch her," Guy got Zosia's bottle off the drying rack and then got milk out of the fridge, "Which means keep the T.V. down!" Guy shouted and Jesse hadn't actually been looking and Zosia was behind the sofa, she crouched down next to Bagheera in his cat basket and Bagheera got up moved over to the end and Zosia crawled in next to him trying to imitate the way he was laid; it was lucky Zosia was so small as she laid next to him and Bagheera kneaded next to her but not on her. Zosia closed her eyes and fell asleep quickly next to the cat who was watching over her protectively, "Where's Zosia?" Guy asked as he saw no sign of his daughter, "I asked you to watch her!"
"She's…oh great," Jesse and Guy then began searching around the house and when they saw no sign of her Guy sighed heavily, "I'm sorry man…look she's small so-"
Jesse and Guy stopped talking when they heard Zosia babbling 'Baggy, Baggy, Baggy', "Sofa," Guy said knowingly he should've checked there first. When they reached the sofa they saw that Bagheera was purring and Zosia was now awake after being disturbed by the sounds of running. Guy approached and Bagheera got up stretched arching his back and digging his claws into the carpet before walking in front of Zosia, "Right you come on bedtime," Guy reached over but Bagheera hissed, "Urmm excuse me," Guy said to the cat who was protecting Zosia, Bagheera then rubbed around Zosia claming her as his, "I'm afriad pussycat…Zoshie is my daughter," Guy said to the cat and Jesse laughed finding this hilarious, "Jesse get the cat."
"It'll claw me to shreds!" Jesse argued but all the same did as he was told, Bagheera angrily meowed and bit Jesse which set Zosia off crying and Guy lifted her up as Bagheera strutted off into the kitchen.
"Hey it's OK," Guy tried to calm his crying infant daughter who was tired and scared, "Shh," Guy said and Zosia rested her head on his chest, "Come on," Guy kissed her head and Zosia coughed from crying, "I think bath and bed for you," Guy said and Jesse walking in holding kitchen roll to his bleeding arms, "I'm running Zosia a bath…sorry about the cat."
"Yeah well I think Baggy's spent too much time around Anya…he acted like a right tiger!" Jesse observed and Guy laughed, "Not funny….look at these!" Jesse removed the kitchen roll to reveal deep scratches bleeding still and Guy laughed, "Your cat is vicious."
"Yeah because he was protecting Zosia," Guy explained and Zosia cried again; Guy held her tight, "Right…I'll bath her and then we can watch the football."
"You got any plasters?" Jesse asked.
"First aid box…top kitchen cupboard," Guy directed and Jesse then went to clean and cover his wounds, "He broke his arm and leg in Australia once and he's getting all worried over a few cuts," Guy explained and Zosia yawned, "Come on then…bath time," Guy said.
….
Guy got Zosia bathed and was now putting her in her pyjamas, he buttoned up the final popper and then sat in the chair Anya used when singing her to sleep, only Guy was going to give her a bottle before joining Jesse downstairs.
Not long after giving her the bottle she was falling asleep, he then spent a while holding her, before she eventually fell asleep and he put her down in her cot and he put her lamb by her head and span round the mobile before leaving the room.
….
When Guy got downstairs Jesse had the football on and two plasters on his scratches and much to his surprise Bagheera sat with Jesse calmly, "When did he calm down?" Guy asked and Jesse shrugged, "Zoshie should sleep through…moggy off you get," Guy pushed the cat off the sofa before resuming his spot, "We have until eight tomorrow before Anya is home."
"Let the games begin," Jesse said and the two best friends watched the football whilst Zosia slept soundly upstairs.
A/N: OK this came to me dead of night last night haha :') and had to write it but anyway I will be updating Forever Young very soon already got part of Chapter 13 typed up but I've been on a go slow with it. Anyway I know this wont get many views as most viewers enjoy Janny stories etc but I hope some people like Zosia and others. Anyway reviews are welcome.