disclaimer appiles! i own nothing but my characters yayad yada yada NOW ENJOY!

Her screams where loud enough to peel paint from the walls. John looked at the clock. 5:30 it read he'd have to be up in few anyway. He put the pillow over his face. "are you pinching that child Chyler? peeling the flesh from her bones or what?"

"John Felix Anthony!"

He tossed the pillow down getting up. he went to the bathroom splashing water on his face. "Is she hungry?" he hollered over her screams "No tried that she's clean dry, maybe she's gassy." he passed his wife standing at the foot of their bed near the bassinet. "I'll go make coffee and give it a try be right back." he moved on auto pilot to the kitchen. He went through the motions of making coffee and hurried back to his wife and baby. "ok hand her over and go get coffee." he took the four day old baby from Chyler. "Hey miss Tatum its OK...daddy's got ya..." she screamed louder "OK we're mad huh? Just plain ol pissed I see." then he thought of something...

Chyler thought maybe it was because she was farther from their bedroom that Tatum's cries got quieter then it was silent. She hurried back coffee in hand. Thinking the only way she had quit crying was if she had stopped breathing.

She stood and watched john dance slowly with her. As they turned from the window she saw Tatum was in nothing but her diaper. She slept soundly on his bare shoulder as he sang to her softly a song she couldn't quite make out. "why is my baby nearly naked she was dressed when I left the room." "she's hot natured like her daddy !" he whispered back to her "What are you singing?" "I cross my heart. You left the CD in my car that damn song has been stuck in my head for three days figured I might as well put it to use." Chyler walked over standing next to him. "I'm not sure if its the dancing singing or partial nudity that worked but I'm glad something did." John said. "me and you both ." Chyler kissed his shoulder then kissed Tatum's head. "we're never going to make it." he told her. She laughed yes we will baby this is just a phase and it gonna fly by it won't be like this for long. So just hang on a little longer Johnny...we'll laugh about this later you know." "Uh huh sure we will I'm so sleep deprived I forgot what laughter is."

4 years later

John felt someone crawl up him as he slept. He was shaken awake. "Daddy! Daddy!" Tatum chanted He grumbled "what Tatum?" "will you take me to pee school?" his eyes popped open. He thought he was late "yes I'll take you." he glanced at the clock it read four thirty. "Its not time yet Tater." he looked up she sat on his stomach in her Dora the explorer night gown and her back pack on her back "its my first day I excited can't be late..I'm a big girl now." "yes you are and I know your excited but the sun not even up yet." he took her back pack off " lets go back to sleep I promise we won't be late. " "cuddle buddies?"
"Yes I'll be your cuddle buddy scoot down." she scooted down and laid on his chest like she had since she was a baby. He knew she was getting to big to lay on top of him she had kneed him in the crotch last week to prove that. He just couldn't tell her to lay beside him yet she was still his baby and he wanted it to last just a bit longer.

Tatum squalled and John knew what it meant Chyler was losing her patience with Tatum's hair.

"here let me." he told Chyler taking over the braiding of Tatum's hair. "Ready Tater?" "Ready to rumble." Chyler laughed. "don't let that Cena blood in you get the better of you little lady no rumbles at school got me?" "Gotcha mama!"

"I"m not sure we're going to like doing this?" John whispered to Chyler. "shh we don't want to freak her out." she whispered back. She got out of the car and unstrapped Tatum let her down. She raced to the entrance then stopped cold. And turned around "Mama tell baby holden I bring him for shows and tells tomorrow." "OK..." "don't worry honey they won't let her bring her actual brother for shows and tells." john smirked.

Minutes later..

She stood frozen cemented to John's leg . "too many people daddy ... please let me go home." she whimpered wiping her snotty nose on his pants leg. "Baby we're gonna come back we promise." Chyler rubbed her back as she squatted down to her level "mama no one will like me." "yes they will everyone likes you." john said helpfully. Tatum looked skeptical.

"come on Tatum we're gonna have fun!" the teacher Mrs Collins said. Pulling her grip off John's leg as both parents looked emotionally traumatized. The teacher handed a crying Tatum off to her aide, "daddy please don't weave please mama!" Tatum bellowed sobbing. "This will only last a week or two then she won't even know you've gone. ten minutes from now she'll be having a blast!" the young blond teacher smiled knowingly. John and choler looked unconvinced.

As they walked back to their car... Chyler wiped her eyes as she tried to gather her emotions. John put his arm around Chyler's shoulders. "I want my mom." Chyler sniffed. John laughed leaning down to kiss her temple. "You are doing the first day of kindergarten by yourself..." he swallowed "because that was hard." he finished his voice thick.

1 year later...

"Daddy I don't feel good." Tatum rubbed her eyes. "where do you feel bad at?" "My tummy.' she whimpered. "well lets go to bed I'll rub your belly OK." "OK."

John watched through one open eye as she said her prayers and he knelt beside her by the bed. "God bless mommy and daddy and holden even though he likes to pull my hair... god bless my friends all my aunts and uncles. God bless grandma and grandpa and Nana and Pop Pop God bless Tyra and my turtle...event thoughs Holden thought he he could swim in the potty and tried to flush him so turtle is heaven now." john bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. "daddy did I miss any body?" "Nope."

"OK night night night god amen! "amen." john repeated

he put her in bed kissing her forehead and tousling her curls. He laid with her till her eyes drifted closed then drifted off himself.

A few minutes later... Chyler woke him "you looked really sweet I didn't want to wake you but you looked uncomfortable. He watched her for a few more minutes. "its going to fast you know..." he whispered to Chyler as she pulled him from the room. "if we hang on to tight it'll just go faster." "I had a nightmare you know?" he said closing Tatum's door. "Yeah what about?" "when she's a teenager she hates me and she marries Orton's son." Chyler laughed. "Randy doesn't have son!" "yet." john replied.