Disclaimer: I do not own Jonny Quest or related characters.
"Come on Jessie, you can do it," Race murmured.
Looking up from her book, Estella glanced over to where Race sat on the floor, on his knees. He had picked up Jessie and set her on her feet about arm's length away form him and now the one-year-old was just standing there on her own. Estella shook her head and went back to her book. Since Jessie had started cruising, Race had been trying to get her to walk on her own. So far, Jessie either sat down again, chose to crawl, or just stood there looking up at him. She wasn't going to walk yet, no matter what Race tried. With his luck, Jessie would take her first steps on her own when he was away on a mission. Making it yet another milestone he would miss because of his job.
Hearing Race sigh, Estella glanced over to see Jessie sitting down again. Ha, she had been right. Though, she honestly hoped when Jessie did walk on her own, Race would be able to see it. But she had learned not to get her hopes up, and soon Race would learn the same - if he hadn't already.
Race was exhausted when he finally got home. He'd been gone for a week on a mission on the other side of the continent. As he unlocked the door he wondered what he'd missed this time. He always seemed to miss something when he was on a mission. He stepped inside and shut the door behind him, smiling when he heard Jessie's cries of "Dada! Dada!"
He was surprised to see her leave the support of the coffee table and start walking towards him with slow, slightly wobbly steps. She was walking. She was walking and he'd missed her first steps. "Look at you, Jessie, you're walking!" He grinned as he knelt down.
"What?" He heard Estella's somewhat surprised murmur. She appeared at the archway leading into the kitchen. "She's walking! Race, she's walking!" Estella laughed.
"You mean...?" Race looked up at her as he caught Jessie, picking her up to hug her.
"She took her first steps!" Estella exclaimed excitedly.
Part of him was suspicious, was she just saying that so he wouldn't feel bad about missing Jessie's first steps? No. No, the excitement glinting in her emerald eyes was far too real. He really had just witnessed Jessie's first steps, he'd gotten home just in time to see it. Looking down at Jessie he said, "You planned that didn't you?"
The one-year-old giggled in response.
A/N: This is probably terrible, but it's been a stressful week with the end of school and exams and all that so I needed to write something short and cute. I'll probably re-write this at some point.