Despite the sadness of last night's episode, I figured it might be almost time for Rubes to take her first steps. So wa-la, this came into play. Read and review,

xoxox

Dave Rafter smiled, as his daughter Ruby clung to the sofa.

"Come on, Rubes", he cooed. The little girl had been coasting for a few days now, pulling herself up using the furniture, but hadn't got the hang of taking little steps yet. The whole family had been patient with her- her older sister Rachel, especially. After twenty five years of having just her brothers, Ruby was still somewhat of a novelty to her. Dave chuckled to himself, as Ruby smiled toothily at him. The cheeky little grin on her face reminded him so much of her brothers and sister, when they were that age.

1986

"Come on, baby!" Dave encouraged, as Rachel pulled herself up, using the ratty old lounge as a guide. "Come to Daddy, princess!"

"Come on, Rachel!" Dave's wife, Julie, echoed, with the camera in hand. "Come on, darling, you can do it!"

Rachel just smiled at her parents, her blonde curls framing her sweet little face perfectly. "Da!"

"Add 'ddy' to that, beautiful", Dave smiled. "Can you say 'Daddy'?"

"Da!"

"'Da' it is!" Julie chuckled. "Come on, sweetheart!"

Rachel tentatively put her small foot forward, clinging to the lounge for dear life. When she was steady, she released her grip, taking another tiny little step.

Dave's mouth dropped open. "Well done, baby!"

As Rachel toddled unsteadily towards her parents, Dave stuck out his arms to catch her. The little girl fell into her father's arms, giggling. She patted his bristly cheek, screwing up her nose.

"Da!"

"Good job, baby!" Julie whooped, kissing her little girl on the top of her head.

"Ma!"

"Yeah, Mummy!" Dave couldn't hold in his excitement, as he held his daughter. Rachel was growing up way too fast for his liking.

1988

"Daddy!" Rachel Rafter called. "Mummy!"

Dave and Julie came running, to find their son clinging to the kitchen chair.

"Benny, what are you doing?" Julie asked inquisitively, kneeling down about a metre in front of him.

"Ma!" he giggled, reaching a small foot forward.

"Oh my God, Dave, get the camera!" Julie shrieked.

Dave scooted off to get the camera, as Rachel screeched in excitement.

"Go Ben!"

"Come on, darling!" Julie added, her arms outstretched.

As Dave snapped like crazy with the camera, Benjamin Rafter took his first few steps, towards his mother and older sister. Rachel screamed and hugged her little brother, knocking him off balance and making him fall to the ground. Ben screwed up his face, and both Julie and Dave both braced themselves for the screams that would surely follow.

But Ben shocked them all- he just giggled along with his sister.

1990

"Mum-meeeeeeeeeeeee!" Rachel Rafter's ear-splitting shriek echoed through the house, followed by a similar scream from her younger brother.

"Daddy!" Ben Rafter wailed.

Julie and Dave Rafter, the parents of the over energetic children, came running.

"What happened?" Julie asked, automatically checking over both the five year old and the three year old, looking for any form of injury.

"Is everything okay?" Dave panicked.

Rachel, a grin on her face, pointed to the youngest Rafter child, Nathan. "Look at Nathan, Mummy! Look!"

The little boy, the baby of the family, was toddling unsteadily towards the wall. Julie let out a shriek of delight and Dave smiled so hard he thought his face was going to crack.

"My big boy!" Julie cooed, scooping him up. "Hello, darling!"

Dave Rafter never thought he'd be able to experience another one of his children learning to walk- but he was proven wrong when little Ruby Louise was born- twenty two years after Nathan, the former youngest child, was born. Granted, she had been a surprise, but she was the best surprise the Rafter family could ask for.

"Come on, sweetheart", Dave cooed. "Take a step to Daddy?"

Ruby just grinned, baring the few teeth that she had. Putting one foot forward, she tentatively took her first proper step towards her father, falling into his arms. The look on her face was one of confusion- she didn't know whether to smile, laugh or cry. Instead, she rested her head on her proud father's shoulder.

Dave was in shock- Ruby was stubborn, just like Ben had been (and still was). Instead, he just hugged the little girl close, treasuring the moments he spent with his youngest daughter.

Because, as he had learned from his other three children, the moments weren't going to last forever.