Mari & Ilna: What can I say? I'm enjoying this adventure every bit as much as I was on day one. Maybe more. Special thanks to Ilna for the story suggestion.

REAL Worlders-thanks for all the enthusiastic support. You guys are the best.

Did You Hear That? (1/1)

Elizabeth and Catherine stood in the doorway of the beach house and watched Joseph make his way quickly down the sidewalk carrying a large stainless-steel pot. When he was almost to the porch a gust of wind pushed his hood back from his face and drenched his hair with rain. "It's a good thing you ended up having to move Carrie's party until next week," he said as he toed his shoes off on the mat. "It would have been very crowded if you had to try to entertain all those people inside."

Steve, who was just coming down the stairs with Angie after a diaper change handed the baby to Catherine and took the pot from Joseph. "I'll put this on the stove for you."

"Bah aah ooo!" Angie bounced excitedly and tracked Steve's every movement until he disappeared into the kitchen.

Joseph took a step out onto the porch and shook his jacket off before hanging it on the peg inside the door. "Thanks." He made a silly face at Angie who giggled in response.

"I was super disappointed when Carrie called me on Wednesday and said we were gonna have to move the party," Grace sighed as she spread Angie's tummy time mat out on the floor, "but it was probably for the best considering all this rain."

Catherine smiled affectionately at the teenager who had worked so hard to ensure every detail of Carrie's party was perfect only to be thwarted when Admiral McNulty added a last minute, hastily arranged stop at Pearl to his itinerary. In response the brass ordered all team and unit heads to remain on duty for the entire weekend. "For better or worse, that's military life. No plans are ever written in stone."

Grace nodded towards her father who was seated on the couch next to Grandma Ang. "Kind of like being a detective's daughter. You always have to be prepared for something to come up last minute."

"Exactly," Elizabeth replied. "We roll with the punches. Luckily, we had a practice batch of cornbread already baked and your Uncle Joseph volunteered to make his famous chili, so we can still have a fun night and we'll have Carrie's party to look forward to next week."

The rain hadn't let up at all by the time the dinner dishes were cleared and everyone adjourned to the living room.

Danny was having great fun recounting the story of how he and Chin had gone to a local restaurant earlier in the day in search of a suspect who was said to have worked there in the past. The owner of the establishment seemed more interested in fixing Chin up with her granddaughter than in giving them any information. "He finally had to go wait in the car, so I could question the woman alone without her being distracted," Danny chuckled.

Grace giggled at the story and Angie, who was sitting across from her in Joseph's lap, followed suit.

"That was a funny story, wasn't it?" Grace asked in a sing song voice. She nodded her head and once again Angie attempted to do the same.

"She's getting very good at mimicking." Elizabeth smiled as she pulled out her phone to take a video.

"She certainly is," Grandma Ang agreed.

As if to prove the point, Grace covered her eyes with her hands and Angie followed suit.

"Peek-a-boo!"

"Eeeeee ooooo!" Angie squealed delightedly.

They repeated the motion two more times before Angie became distracted by her sock and began attempting to pull it off.

"This is one of our favorites," Joseph said happily as he turned his granddaughter around and stood her on his knees, so they were facing each other. He stuck his tongue out and several seconds later Angie did the same. "That's my girl!" she said joyfully then kissed her on the cheek then returned her to her previous position.

"Should we show everybody what we've been working on?" Catherine beamed as she wiggled her fingers to get her daughter's attention. Once she had it she asked, "Where's Daddy?"

Angie smiled a toothy grin at her mother then her eyes moved immediately to Steve who smiled and waved at her.

"Good girl!" her parents said in unison.

"Where's Mommy?" Steve asked, and Angie immediately giggled and reached towards Catherine.

"There she is!" Joseph kissed the top of her head. "You're a very smart girl."

"She's either right at or slightly ahead on all her milestones," Steve reported proudly. "Plus, she's definitely the best one in her baby swim class. And at baby storytime she pays attention and follows along with most of the movements. Some of the other kids don't do that yet."

"Of course they don't because my goddaughter is the smartest baby on the island," Danny said definitively. "And the second smartest baby ever, second only to Grace."

The adults in the room smiled while Grace blushed and said "Danno!"

"Aaan ooo!" Angie clapped her hands excitedly.

The room fell silent.

All eyes turned towards Angie.

"Danno!" Grace repeated in an upbeat tone.

"Aan ooo!" Angie repeated.

"Did you hear that?" Danny let out a celebratory whoop. "She said Danno! Her first word is Danno!"

"That's not a real word," Steve insisted immediately. "She's just copying Grace."

Danny jumped from his seat and addressed Angie. "Say Danno, sweetie. Say Danno."

"Daaah oooo!" Angie flailed her arms excitedly, clearly thrilled to be making one of her favorite adults so happy.

Danny turned to Elizabeth hopefully. "Did you get that on tape?" When she nodded yes, he pumped his fist triumphantly. "Get out her baby book. We have to mark this down. Her first word is Danno!"

"I told you she's just mimicking sounds," Steve repeated.

"You daddy doesn't know what he's talking about." Danny beamed at Angie. "You were born on my birthday and now my name was your first word. You and I share a cosmic connection."

Catherine smiled, and Steve rolled his eyes.

"There's one way to settle this." Danny retook his seat and looked at Catherine. "Ask her where Danno is."

"Ok." Catherine turned towards her daughter.

"You're not really helping," Steve told his wife good naturedly.

"Angie." The baby turned immediately towards the sound of her mother's voice. "Where's Danno?"

Her eyes went immediately to Danny and she reached her arms out towards him.

"Say Danno," Grace prompted her cousin.

"Daaah ooooooooooo!" Angie gurgled.

"Say mama," Steve coaxed.

"Daaah ooooo!" Angie slapped her hands happily on the coffee table in front of her, reveling in the laughter of the people around her.

"He is gonna be insufferable about this," Steve grumbled.

"If by that you mean I'm gonna tell everybody I know and everybody I run into for the next few weeks … " Danny stood and held out his arms to Angie who reached for him immediately. He lifted her into the air and kissed her cheek. "Then you are absolutely right."

"Aaaa baaah eeee!" Angie shrieked as she grabbed his collar.

"That's ok." Danny grinned. "You can say whatever you want now. We all heard you say Danno. Your grandma even got it on tape."

"Bah bah aaaaah!"

"See," Steve insisted. "She wasn't really saying Danno."

Angie looked at her father and smiled brightly. "Daaaa oooo!"

Steve dropped his chin to his chest.

"You kind of asked for that one," Catherine chuckled.

THE END

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