Kind of just randomness. I was watching TV, trying to come up with an idea for a fic and somehow thought of puppies. Figured I'd try it. Turned it into something more than I'd originally thought…

Started it 3/19/08.

The thoughts are mine, as is Carly, but Fillmore and Ingrid belong to Disney. Even if I'm twisting them just slightly and they're older, etc…

I couldn't quite figure out if Carly would be in kindergarten or first grade at age six with her birth month, so I just went with first grade.

May 13, 2009: I don't even remember where I was going with this. Wow. I haven't written a Fillmore fic (or any other type, for that matter) in like a year. The only reason I came back to this was 'cause I was bored and puppyloveimani reviewed one of my stories and asked about more Carly fiction. Well, here you are, if I can ever find the inspiration to finish this…

As Fillmore got himself out of bed, he realized that Ingrid wasn't in their room. Seconds later, he remembered that it was Carly's birthday and Ingrid had mentioned letting her bring cupcakes to her first grade class.

After showering and getting dressed, Fillmore headed downstairs and found Ingrid in the kitchen, her attention focused on the cupcakes in the oven. Grinning, he leaned against the kitchen counter and declared, "Morning, Supermom."

Ingrid spun around to face him, looking startled, and Fillmore chuckled. "Relax, it's just me."

"You scared me," Ingrid breathed, sighing in relief.

Fillmore chuckled, coming around the counter to pull her into a kiss. When he pulled away, he frowned at her playfully. "You've been eating cupcake batter…"

"I have not," Ingrid replied, though her face was pink even before she spoke.

"Oh, of course you haven't. That must have been my imagination," Fillmore grinned, once more pulling Ingrid toward him.

"No," he decided with a smile, "that's batter, all right."

"Hey, if you're not gonna help, go get Carly," Ingrid replied, pushing him toward the stairs.

"I'm going, I'm going…" Fillmore laughed, heading upstairs. Before he reached Carly's room, however, the six-year-old bounded out the door and into his arms, exclaiming, "Daddy, Daddy, guess what!"

Grinning as he swung her up into his arms, Fillmore asked, "What?"

With a smile that reached her eyes and enthusiasm that rivaled any other child's, Carly informed him, "I'm six today!"

"Six?" Fillmore repeated. "I thought you were turning five."

"No, silly!" Carly giggled, giving him a slightly-disapproving look.

"All right, you're six," Fillmore smiled, setting her down. "How about you go downstairs and see what Mommy's doing?"

Carly's eyes widened and she scrambled for the stairway, only turning around to see if Fillmore was behind her. When he smiled and caught up with her, Carly continued down the stairs, squealing in glee when she reached the kitchen.

As Fillmore watched, his step-daughter ran and hugged Ingrid with all her might, then gazed up at her mother, exclaiming, "Thank you, Mommy!"

Ingrid laughed, planting a kiss on Carly's forehead and replying, "You're welcome. And happy birthday. Maybe Daddy will make you scrambled eggs for breakfast…"

Ingrid glanced at him, and Carly looked at him almost pleadingly.

"Can you, Daddy?"

Fillmore laughed, then stepped over to the fridge and pulled out a few eggs. "I guess I can, since it's your birthday…"

Carly bounced up and down, racing to her chair and perching so that she could watch both of her parents,

As Ingrid finished frosting the cupcakes and began placing them in a container, Carly asked, "Aren't you gonna save some for us, Mommy?"

"Sure, but I have to make sure there are enough for your friends first," Ingrid reassured her with a smile.

Satisfied, Carly nodded and clapped as she noticed Fillmore cracking an egg.

"Daddy, how do you crack eggs with one hand?"

Fillmore smiled. "It takes lots of practice, that's for sure."

"Can I try?"

Poised to hop down from her chair, Carly stared expectantly at him, and Fillmore glanced at Ingrid.

"Maybe when you're a little older. I think your hands are kind of little right now…" Ingrid supplied, a response that Carly accepted with a smile. "Okay. Maybe when I'm seven!"

"Maybe," Fillmore chuckled, shutting off the stovetop and setting the pan of eggs down on the table.

Carly ate her eggs quickly and quietly, watching Ingrid intently.

"Mommy?" she asked, hopping down from her chair to stand next to Ingrid.

"Whaty?" Ingrid asked as she pulled a container of sprinkles from the cupboard.

"Hilary's allergict to sprinkles. Can you leave sprinkles off some of the cupcakes?"

"Sure," Ingrid smiled. "Do you want to help me frost them first?"

Carly's eyes widened at the opportunity and she bobbed her head, eager to help. She pulled a chair over to the sink and clambered onto it, washing her hands thoroughly before turning back to her mother.

"Chocolate frosting?" she asked curiously.

"How about chocolate and vanilla? Somebody might not like one kind," Ingrid reminded her.

"Oh yeah."

With that, the two set to work frosting Carly's birthday cupcakes, which Ingrid delivered to the ecstatic first graders at lunchtime.

After school, Fillmore was already home when Ingrid and Carly got there. Elated, Carly ran to him and hugged him longer than usual, squealing, "Daddy's home early!"

Fillmore chuckled, set Carly down, and replied, "I brought you a special birthday present."

Carly's eyes lit up as her father led her to the back yard, where a tiny house captured her attention.

"A play house?" she asked, and Fillmore shook his head.

Her face falling, Carly demanded, "Then what's my birthday present?"

Fillmore walked to the tiny house, kneeled down to pull something out of it, and walked back to Carly and Ingrid holding a squirming yellow bundle in arms.

The bundle barked, and Carly squealed in delight.

"A puppy! Mommy, Daddy bought me a puppy!"

Ingrid smiled at the six-year-old's glee and asked, "What are you going to name the puppy?"

"It's a girl," Fillmore interjected, and Carly declared, "Cupcake!"

May 20, 2009: There. The end. I wasn't sure how to end this, but I decided I needed to somehow. I started it over a year ago. Yeesh… But it's done now. :)

1208 words, in case you're wondering.