A/N: Thank you to everybody who has read or reviewed/commented on this story. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. I've been working on my other Ugly Betty story and a lot of my Star Trek stuff. Also, I've been suffering a case of writer's depression, which means I write and then I completely rewrite every chapter. I was able to write this chapter, when I decided to switch perspectives entirely and write the chapter from the POV of a three-year-old. The last time I wrote a story from the perspective of a small child said child was half-Vulcan, and therefore I had a little bit more leeway with what the kid understood. So let's just assume Ariel Meade (Betty and Daniel's daughter) is very, very intelligent for her age. However, there will be some intentional typos in this chapter, because three-year-olds do not have perfect pronunciation.

Also, I realize that biologically Ariel is Justin's cousin, but psychologically, it's probably going to be more of a niece and uncle relationship. As somebody who is closer in age to their niece then their sister I can tell you that the relationships are a little unusual, sometimes. I see my sister as an aunt and her daughter as my sister.

Part two: A Pseudo-Niece's Work is Never Done.

September 2013

Ariel Meade is a perfectly normal 3 ½-year-old. She lives in a big apartment in Manhattan with her brother Eric (who always eats her crayons) and her pet goldfish, Sebastian. She also lives there with her mom Betty and daddy Daniel. Her mommy works at a parenting magazine and interviews celebrities that like to tell other people how to raise their children. She is in California right now with Eric, doing interviews and visiting grandpa and Nana Elena.

Her daddy works at a fashion magazine with her uncle Justin and her BFF's daddy Marc. According to her aunt Alexis, her daddy doesn't always like it. Ariel knows that this is true because last week she heard him telling mom that he would have let Mrs. Slater-Owens be in charge, if she hadn't move to Australia. Then, he could spend his days playing Barbies with her and Eric. Aunt Alexis is his boss sort of, even though daddy is the one who really owns the company. Aunt Alexis says that it's only that way because Daddy wants to spend more time playing with her and Eric. Aunt Alexis says that her grandpa Bradford was really bad at making time for her and Daddy Daniel. Her daddy doesn't want to make the same mistakes.

However, it's currently Fashion Week, which means Ariel only gets to play with Zach and sometimes, Uncle Justin because all the grown-ups are too busy. Zach is Ariel's best friend and they do everything together. Ariel was supposed to go to some special preschool for "art prodigies" but she refused to go because Zach could not go with her.

Unlike her, Zach had three dads and one mom: Aunt Amanda, Daddy Marc, Daddy Cliff and Daddy Tyler. They live in two big apartments that are across the hall from each other and Zach gets to have a room at each. He also has a dog named Holsten II, but he mostly lives at his mom's house because Zach's daddy Cliff is allergic.

Zach's Daddy Tyler is also Ariel's uncle because according to her dad, sometimes, grown-ups do bad things, especially when alcohol is involved. So, that sort of makes Zach her cousin. Although, her Aunt Amanda said not to worry about it because it wouldn't be incestuous, but Ariel had no idea what she meant. When she tried to ask her dad what auntie Amanda meant by that, he just got really pale before saying a lot of things to Aunt Amanda that Ariel is not allowed to repeat.

Aunt Amanda is cool but a little strange. She likes to eat things like peanut butter covered jalapenos, but that's probably because she's pregnant with Zach's little sister or brother. However, Aunt Amanda does let Ariel color some of the sketches she drawls and was the first one to notice that Ariel loves to draw and paint. She's a fashion designer or according to Zack's Daddy Marc, she's trying to be a fashion designer. He says she's not a real designer until she has her first fashion show. That's supposed to happen in two days during Fashion Week.

From what Ariel remembers from last February's Fashion Week, this was the time of the year where everyone went crazy, and there were lots of people playing dress-up. She likes kid's Fashion Week better than grown-ups Fashion Week because during kids Fashion Week she gets to dress like a Princess. But grown-ups Fashion Week comes first. Because her dad, Zack's dad, who works with her dad, and Aunt Amanda have "moved into the MOAT offices" she and Zach are staying with her Uncle Justin.

Uncle Justin is really her cousin, but Justin said it was okay to call him that because he was closer in age to her mom then his actual sister, Christina.

After a dinner of broccoli, carrots, and grilled chicken strips, she and Zach were laying on the futon together for their bedtime story. Ariel wanted him to read the Little Mermaid to her again, but Justin wouldn't do it. He wouldn't read any fairytale stories to her. Ariel vaguely remembers that he used to, but he doesn't anymore and she doesn't really know why.

"I am not reading you another princess story. Even though you are three years old, I think you should know that happily ever after is full of— happily ever after is not a real thing, and love at first sight is ridiculous. I would be a bad uncle if I kept reading you stuff like this. I'm sure you have a Dora the Explorer book here somewhere." Justin told her as he started rummaging through her overnight bag for another book.

"Mommy and Daddy are still together, and they love each other. That means happily ever after is real." Ariel argued with her uncle.

"Every rule has an exception and Betty and Daniel are always the exception. Of course, it took your Mommy and Daddy forever to figure out that they were in love with each other, and even then they were- they didn't go about things in the best way and let's leave it at that."

Ariel finds it weird that nobody will tell her how her Mommy and Daddy got together. Every time, she asked about it everybody changes the subject. It's almost as bad as when she asked her parents about how Aunt Amanda became pregnant with Zach's little brother or sister. At least then her Aunt Amanda told her the truth about that.

"My Mommy Amanda loves Daddy Tyler and Daddy Marc loves Daddy Cliff." Zach said from beside her. Uncle Justin just stared at him for a moment.

"There are so many ways I can respond to that, but I cannot say most of it to three-year-olds. So, yes, your parents were the lucky ones, even if it took everyone a little while to figure things out. But at the same time, your Aunt Savannah left your Uncle Matt for the bodyguard."

"We are not allowed to talk about that, especially because Daddy Tyler had to go to Rio to make sure uncle Matt doesn't drown in liquor." Zach said as he wrapped his arms around his teddy bear. Uncle Justin shook his head.

"Pretending that bad things don't happen does not do you any good, especially with parents who tell you everything else, even when they shouldn't. It gives you unrealistic expectations." Justin told the two.

"What does "unrealistic expectations" mean?" Ariel asked her uncle, confused. Sometimes, he uses words that she does not understand.

"It means thinking that something good can happen to you when it never will," he explained.

"But Mommy says anything is possible." Ariel told her uncle, a little worried because she is sure her mommy would not lie to her.

"In a way, she's right. Anything is possible, but that doesn't mean that it will always happen. Not everybody is going to meet Prince Charming or in the case of the story you want to read, Prince Eric. Some of us are just destined to be brokenhearted." Justin looked sad.

"You're sad because you don't have a Prince?" Ariel asked, slightly confused.

"You are going to drive your teacher crazy in preschool." Justin mumbled under breath. "I don't want a Prince. Some people don't want princes at all, and some actually want princesses." He told her with a sigh.

"But you don't like princesses." Ariel said it as if it was obvious.

"Sometimes, I like princesses. Although usually, I like princes or I used to. I'm not sure that you remember him, but I used to have a Prince named Austin. He left me for a princess. After that, I really don't feel like spending time with princes or princesses. It's better this way." He explained with a smile that even Ariel knew was not real.

"But you're sad." Zach said from beside her.

Zach was always good at noticing stuff like that. Last week when Clara from daycare spilled paint on her drawing, Zach gave her his cookies and then poured paint on Clara. Even though they're no longer allowed in daycare because of that, she still happy that he did it.

"I'm not sad. Some people don't get fairytales. I've accepted that." Justin told the two.

"Everybody should get a happily ever after." She told her uncle, and Zach nodded his head in agreement with her.

"Ariel, sometimes there is no happily ever after. That's why I don't want to read to you the Little Mermaid or Cinderella or anything else featuring a Disney Princess. Your mom and I are going to have to have a very long talk about appropriate role models and gender stereotyping." Justin told her as he held up a copy of Sleeping Beauty as he wrinkled his nose.

"But if I find you a prince, you will read The Little Mermaid to me again?" That's when Uncle Justin put his head in his hands.

"If you find me my very own Prince Charming, I will read you whatever you want." He said with a sigh. That's when Ariel decided that she was going to do just that.

The next day, Ariel and Zach started working on their mission to find Uncle Justin his very own Prince Charming. She and Zach put a list together with the help of Aunt Amanda and Mr. Cliff because Zach tells his Daddy Cliff everything and Aunt Amanda was just there. They decided that the guy had to dress well and be nice to everybody. He also had to like both her and Zach because Uncle Justin could not be with someone who did not like them. The person should also like the same things that Uncle Justin likes, like that Horse Story show that she is not allowed to watch and acting. Aunt Amanda also suggested that he should like bow pops too, and Uncle Cliff just gave her a strange look before he started laughing.

Because of what happened in daycare last week, she and Zach were at Amanda's workshop playing dress-up and Mr. Cliff was taking pictures and video for Daddy's magazine and website. Okay, they were getting ready for Fashion Week, but Ariel still thinks they're playing dress-up. Zach was currently wearing one of his mommy's latest creations. Zach liked playing dress-up, but Ariel preferred drawing. Most people ignored her as she sat on the side drawing pictures of everything, which was fine with her. However, there was one person who always made time to color with her, Mr. Randy.

He kind of look like the guy from the high school musical movies that Zach's dad Marc lets them watch all the time and that Zach's mom has a really big crush on. Mr. Cliff says that Randy is supposed to be the face of the MOAT Collection by Amanda Sommers (that's Aunt Amanda's designer name). They met a couple of weeks ago, when Auntie Amanda was deciding who would be in her fashion show.

She was drawing a picture of one of Auntie Amanda's pretty dresses and he told her that he liked her picture. Whenever he came to play dress-up with Aunt Amanda, he would color with her afterwards. So far, she knew that Mister Randy didn't really like playing dress-up, unless a play was involved, but he told her that playing dress-up with Aunt Amanda was better than "asking people if they want fries with that" and living with a stepdad who doesn't let him be himself. He likes musicals and plays just like Uncle Justin.

"What are you working on today?" He asked, sitting down next to her with a plate of Apple slices for her snack. Sometimes he would bring her cookies, but he wasn't allowed to eat those too much.

"Uncle Justin. I told you that he works with my best friend Zach's daddy and my daddy at MOAT." She said pointing to Zach who was currently being chased around the studio by Aunt Amanda and Mr. Cliff. All the other models were on break.

"I thought you told me that your friend was Mister St. Paul's son?" Mr. Randy asked a little confused.

"He is. Zach has three dads. Mr. Cliff is married to Mr. Marc, who is my Uncle Justin's boss." Ariel said, as she continued coloring.

"You don't find that weird at all? You're okay with that?" Ariel just shrugged, in response to his question. It wasn't weird to her. As long as she could remember Zach had three daddies that all loved him very much.

"Some people say mean things to Mr. Cliff and Mr. Marc that I'm not allowed to repeat, but I don't understand why. Aunt Alexis and Aunt Hilda both say that the person you love doesn't change who you are. My Aunt Alexis used to be my Uncle Alex, and my Uncle Justin likes princes more than princesses. This is normal for me." Mister Randy just laughed at her.

"I wish I had a family like yours when I was your age. I wish I had a family like yours when I was in high school. Maybe I would have acknowledged that I like princes earlier." Mister Randy told her with the type of smile her dad uses when he has to spend too much time with Uncle Tyler's biological dad.

"What does acknowledge mean?" Ariel asked slightly confused.

"That means that I wish I accepted it earlier." He explained.

"You like princes?" She asked innocently.

"Yes, but not that many people know that. My mom wants grandkids and star college athletes don't like princes. It's better if I don't tell that many people."

"Zach's Daddy Marc has a mom like that. That's why Zach has a Nana Willy, instead. But she buys him lots of nice toys, so it's okay." Ariel explains.

"It's good that he has a Nana Willy then," Randy said with a smile as he picked up a blue color pencil. (Aunt Amanda got her the good stuff to play with at her studio.)

"You should meet my uncle Justin. He likes princes too until Mr. Austin left him for a Princess." Ariel suggested because she's pretty sure Uncle Justin would probably like Mr. Randy. "Aunt Hilda said that Mr. Austin left Uncle Justin for a Princess because his stepdad is a home-phobic- word I'm not allowed to repeat."

"I don't think your uncle will be happy that you're trying to set him up with complete strangers," Mister Randy said with a laugh. "Or telling me exactly how bad his last relationship was."

"You're not a stranger. You color with me all the time." Ariel said, giving him a very strange look.

"Eat your Apple slices." He said, pushing the plate to her as he went back to coloring. A few minutes later Uncle Justin walked into the room to pick her up for the afternoon.

"Hey, baby girl, what are you doing?" He asked in between checking emails.

"Drawing and having apples with Mr. Randy. Mr. Cliff said that he is the new face of the MOAT collection. How can something have a new face?" She asked slightly confused. No one will really explain that to her.

"It's just an expression, Ariel." Mr. Randy said looking up from his drawing causing Uncle Justin to drop his phone and the bags that he was carrying.

"Randy?"

"I guess you're the Uncle Justin that works at a fashion magazine, who Ariel talks about all the time. It makes sense. Although, I had no idea you had a sister old enough to have a four-year-old. Actually, I had no idea you have a sister." Randy said trying to help Justin with his stuff, but he wouldn't let him.

"We weren't exactly friends for that long. I wasn't good enough for you and your little friends in high school. There was a lot of stuff that you never learned about me because you didn't want to be my friend any longer." Her uncle Justin said upset.

"The only sister I have, that I am aware of, will not be three until November, and you were long gone before my mom remarried and she was born. Technically, Ariel is my cousin, but it's weird for her to call me that considering the fact that I am 16 years older than her. I am closer in age to my aunt then my sister." Justin explained.

"Yes, the joys of divorce and remarriage. Considering I have a stepsister who has a son that is two years older than me, as well as, a two-year-old brother I understand. I didn't want to say anything that would offend you."

"Well at least, you have learned not to say stupid things." Justin said as he started to put Ariel's toys in her bag.

"I know. I said a lot of dumb things to you in high school. I'm sorry. I did like you and maybe I still do, because according to Ariel, you have gotten more awesome in the last five years." For a second, Justin smiled, but then it fell away.

"I was just stupid, and I panicked because there was a lot of stuff going on in my head that I wasn't ready to accept about myself. It was easier to take things out on you. By the time I realized I was listening to the wrong people you were gone." Mister Randy said sadly.

"My cell phone number is still the same even if the phone is not. You could've called." Uncle Justin said slightly annoyed.

"I didn't think about that. There were two rumors going around school after you left. Half the school believed that you finally got into the New York school of the Performing Arts. The other half of the school thought you were tired of being bullied and your mom decided to send you to Catholic school. Regardless of which version was true I didn't think that you would want to talk to me again. I was a complete as— synonym for donkey— to you."

"Yes, you were. You were an absolute donkey-hole to me." Her Uncle Justin said with a smile.

"Ya, I really was. I did try to make it up to you by taking care of the idiot and former friend of mine who got you elected as homecoming queen."

"Please tell me you have a video file of that?" Her uncle asked, in a happy voice.

"Of course, I will send you the video file." Mr. Randy smiled back.

"Nice to know that enough people missed me to start ridiculous rumors about me. I didn't leave because of the idiots at our old school because they weren't worth it. Also, I never did get into the "fame" school. I transferred to Crescent Academy."

"You mean the private school with the best drama program in Manhattan, if not the entire state. How could you get a scholarship there and not get accepted to the fame school?" Randy asked in complete shock.

"My aunt's husband and Ariel's dad is Daniel Meade, and he adores me and therefore he pays for my school. I'm currently at the ultra-posh University of Manhattan part-time because of him. Also, the father of his old business partner Wilhelmina Slater- Owens was on the board, and she wanted me to be her assistant. It was easier for me to work here part-time if I was in private school and she wanted me to go to the best."

"You used to work for Wilhelmina Slater, and you survived? Most of the older models that I work with have panic attacks and stories about her. Did she really try to do a photo shoot outside during a blizzard?"

"I worked for Wilhelmina Slater-Owens. She was much mellower after the wedding and the birth of her grandson, Zach. The blizzard thing was just a rumor, mostly." Justin said with a shrug as he was starting to become more comfortable talking to Mr. Randy.

"My coloring break will be over soon, but maybe I can take you and Ariel for hot chocolate later and we can catch up. I think I owe you chocolate for being an absolute pri— word I can't same front of the three-year-old – to you in high school. We can catch up." He suggested.

"Can Zach come too?" Ariel asked because she goes nowhere without Zach.

"Of course,"

"We can't right now. It's fashion week or almost fashion week. The MODE Collection launches in two days along with the MODE Fashion Bible app that I created. I don't have time for chocolate or much of anything else until probably October." Justin said a little annoyed, before adding, "Besides, you owe me tickets to a hot Broadway show, not just hot chocolate."

"I'll take that as a rain check, but just until I can get the right tickets." Mr. Randy said just as Aunt Amanda dragged Justin a way to help her with playing dress-up. She couldn't find the right shoes for one of her outfits. Ariel finished her apples as Mr. Randy asked her all sorts of questions about her uncle Justin, like what play he wanted to see (the glass one with the guy who plays Mr. Spock). She's pretty sure that Mr. Randy likes Uncle Justin because he Staring at him the entire time. That's when Ariel got the idea that Mr. Randy would make a wonderful Prince for Uncle Justin. Now she was just going to need some help from Zach and his daddy, one of them, anyway

To Be Continued

A/N: The play that Ariel is referring to is The Glass Menagerie, which is currently on Broadway. That's pretty much the entire reason why this chapter takes place during September 2013, instead of a year later.