Hello! :D This is my second fanfiction, and it will probably be incredibly sucky as I am writing this out of pure boredom brought on by the half term. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Angela Marie Fallon grinned up at her parents and gurgled happily. One half of her face was covered in flour, like stage make up, and more flour was scattered about the floor around her. Her mother, Special Agent Natara Fallon just stared, her mouth agape in horror. Her father, Detective Mal Fallon, began to chuckle but quickly covered it with a cough when his wife turned a steely glare on him.

"Look, Mal! Look at this mess!," she spluttered, sweeping her arm outwards at the carnage, "who's going to clean this up? I swear, she's just like you, so mischievous!"

All the while her daughter continued to grin up at her, her blue eyes sparkling.

Mal sniggered again, not bothering to cover it this time, before stepping forward and scooping his daughter up into his arms. She squawked happily and rubbed her starfish hands on her father's face, giving him his own flour makeover.

"I just think your old mom needs to lighten up, hey Angie? Am I right?" Mal smirked.

"Mal! I think you're forgetting the total carnage she's made of the kitchen! Don't encourage her!"

"Aw, come on! She's 14 months old, she doesn't know what she's done is wrong."

But the sly smirk plastered across her chubby-cheeked face said otherwise.

Natara sighed, but then smiled at her daughter. She could never stay mad at Angela. She was the perfect mix of her and Mal. She had her dark skin and hair, but Mals' eyes and nose. She had been named after Mals' late mother. She was a mix of her and Mals' personalities too. She was clearly very intelligent, already toddling around and able to speak a handful of words, but, like Mal, was also mischievous and light-hearted.

Natara took Angela from Mal and bounced her up and down in her arms, making sure her face stayed well away from her tiny hands, which were still coated in flour.

"Mama!"

"Yeah, Mama needs to go clean you up, I think. Bath time!"

"No!" Angela shrieked, shaking her head.

"Yes!" Natara turned to her husband, "Mal, could you please clean this up?"

Mal huffed and rolled his eyes, but agreed.

"You be good for your Mama now, ok?" Mal said, ruffling his daughter's downy baby hair.

"I'll be lucky…" Natara said, and Angela giggled.

30 minutes later

With both the kitchen and Angela cleaned up, the Fallon family sat down in the living room to watch TV, well, try to, since Angela always seemed to keep them distracted.

"Angie! Don't chew that!" Natara said, standing up to take the Wii remote from her daughter, which she had wedged firmly in her mouth.

"Eugh. I'm not using that again…." Mal said, as his wife held up the controller and attempted to wipe it clean of baby drool.

"You never use it anyway! You tried it once and then got frustrated because I beat you in every game of table tennis!" Natara grinned.

"Pfft, yeah. I just let you win."

"Sure Mal, sure." Natara said, still grinning.

Angie, not bothered by the loss of the Wii remote, got to her feet and began to toddle across the living room, trying to find something else to destroy or chew on, or both.

"Look, she never stays still! It doesn't help that you encourage her!"

"I don't encourage her! I just think it's totally cute!"

Natara rolled her eyes but, in all honesty, she thought it was cute too.

Natara looked at her daughter, and then at her husband, and smiled. It was perfect. Finally, after years of struggle, heartbreak and sadness, she had the wonderful husband and the beautiful child she had always dreamt of. She had a job that she loved. Sure, it was dangerous, but she was making a difference, saving lives, and that made the danger worthwhile. She loved motherhood even more. She loved waking up every morning to see the life her and Mal had created smiling up at her, happy and loved and nurtured. Sometimes she looked at her little family and felt like her heart would burst from the sheer amount of love she held for her husband and her child. When she saw Mal looking at her and Angie, she knew that he felt the same.

Mal was looking at her now, but in a quizzical way, one eyebrow cocked.

"You okay? You look like you're about to burst into tears any minute."

Natara realised that she was, but they were happy tears.

"Yeah, I'm just so happy. I never thought I would end up having such a wonderful life."

"Mrs Fallon, I never thought you could be so soppy and sentimental!" Mal smirked, but he held out his arms to her.

Natara walked over and hugged her husband, then sat herself next to him on the couch. Soon after, Angela dropped the toy she was thumping on the floor and walked over to the couch. She held out her arms to her parents and gurgled happily.

Mal scooped up his daughter and sat her in-between him and his wife. She laughed and clapped her hand together, feeling safe and secure.

It was then that Natara noticed the bruises.

There were about five of them, small bluish circles in a perfect line down her arm.

"Mal!" Natara said, trying hard not to panic, "Mal, look!"

Mal turned his head and Natara lifted her daughter's arm so Mal could see the bruises.

"How did she get those?" Mal asked, concern creeping into his voice.

"I don't know! I mean, I know kids get bruises but not this many! And I swear they weren't there yesterday!"

"I know, I know. Let's try and stay calm."

Angie was now looking curiously at her parents, wondering what all the fuss was about.

Mal felt his concern growing. Bruises? From where? Certainly not from him or Natara. He knew that some diseases caused bruising, and…. no. She couldn't have that. No way. She was a perfectly healthy little girl. Well, she got colds and coughs a lot, but apart from that, nothing major. He couldn't bear to think of that.

He wrapped his arms around his wife and his daughter and hugged them tightly.

"It's fine. We'll be fine. I'm sure it's nothing major. Kids get bruises all the time. Let's just keep an eye on it."

Natara nodded glumly and buried her nose in her daughter's soft hair. She sincerely wished her husband was right. For all of them.

Especially for Angie.