Thanks for all the support for this. Y'all are the best.
Jenna, this chapter is for you and Synnie. :D And to lily moonlight, thanks for all you do. Words cannot express how much you're appreciated.
Enjoy!
VVVVV
"This is one awesome camera, Luce," Adam chuckled, still admiring the 'toy.'
Adam was certain that one of two things had happened. Whoever bought the camera had done their homework, or, the more likely scenario, at least in his opinion, was that the buyer asked for help from one of the store's attendants. Jealous that 'the guys' had chosen this particular camera without his help, he silently sulked and continued turned over the camera in his hands. He'd have been more than happy to pitch in if they'd asked him to. He'd have even volunteered to go pick it out. And he wouldn't have had to ask anyone which camera to buy. Though he had to admit that he'd have bought the camera he was currently holding…
Adam thought back to when he received his first camera at sixteen years old. He knew his parents had spent a small fortune, but he knew the camera was worth it and made sure it got lots of use. His memory skipped forward a few years to when he got his iPod, though he had to buy it for himself. He shelled out a chunk of money that day, but once again, it was worth it to be at the technological forefront…
"Uncle Adam…Uncle Adam!" Lucy exclaimed, rapidly tapping his knee.
"Whoa, sorry Luce," he said, returning to the present from his moment of distraction. "What's up?"
"Can you show me how to use my camera and my purple iPod?"
Adam grinned at the way she'd specified that the iPod was purple. It was as if being purple made it even more special.
"Sure, which one do you want to learn about first?"
Lucy made her 'thinking face' as she climbed onto the sofa next to Adam. "Purple iPod!" she said finally, handing the small device to Adam.
He put the camera down beside him and studied the iPod for a moment, simply admiring the technology. His first iPod was nearly four times bigger and had only a twentieth of the capacity of Lucy's. But even though he knew technological advancements were completed on a daily basis, he couldn't help but admire everything about the newest generation iPods.
"Okay," he began eventually, "first thing we gotta do is get some songs on here. Daddy and Mommy have songs stored on their computer?"
"Uh-huh," Lucy nodded. "Daddy," she called to Danny who was nearby with Mac, "can I get the computer so Uncle Adam can put songs on my purple iPod?"
"Yes, but be careful gettin' it, 'kay?"
"I will," she exclaimed as she bounced off the sofa and sprinted down the hallway to Danny and Lindsay's room to get the laptop.
"Carry it with both hands!" Danny called after her, knowing he'd never hear the end of it from Lindsay if the laptop happened to get broken.
"Yes, Daddy!"
Lucy returned a minute later, taking her time so as not to trip and damage the laptop…because then her parents would be really upset. She handed it to Adam and climbed back onto the sofa as he powered up the laptop.
"What songs do you want on here?" Adam asked.
"Um, Tim McGraw and Sugarland are my favorites. And Lady Antebellum. And Whitesnake."
"Lots of Country, huh?"
"Yeah," Danny interjected with a grin. "Lindsay got to her first."
Not bothering to answer Adam or Danny, Lucy continued with her list of favorites, rattling off names of people Adam assumed were the latest Disney Channel stars.
Adam connected the iPod and the computer. "I'll have you rocking out to all your favorites, don't worry!"
True to his word, Adam soon had the iPod loaded with songs Lucy liked. He handed her the earbuds and plugged the other end into the iPod. "Ready to learn how to use this?"
"Uh-huh," she nodded.
"This is how you turn it on," he said, showing her which button to use.
She grinned as the notes of the first song began to play on her new purple iPod. "What up?!" she squealed.
Danny--who, with Mac, had returned all the furniture, to its rightful place--looked over at Adam. "Did she just say what I think she said?"
Adam shrugged and bit back a grin. "Guess I'm quotable…"
Mac chuckled, observing the conversation. "I'm going to see if there's anything else Lindsay wants us to do," he informed them, heading for the kitchen.
"I got a quote for you," Danny shot back jokingly. "Hey, man, you good here?" he asked motioning toward Adam and Lucy. "Nature calls."
"Uh, didn't need to know that, but yeah, we're good," Adam told him.
"Great."
Adam chuckled softly as Danny left the room. "Hey," he said, tapping Lucy's leg. "You want to learn about your camera now?"
Lucy pulled out the earbuds and nodded. "How do I turn it off, Uncle Adam?"
He showed her which button to push, then he took it from her and put it and the laptop on the coffee table in front of them.
As Adam sat back, Lucy got up on her knees and leaned against him so she could better see the camera he'd picked up again.
"This one's real simple," he said, pressing the power button, "and it's got lots of awesome features." He switched one of the settings and continued. "Like with this one here, you can add borders to the picture." He chose a border and quickly snapped a photo of the chair opposite them, just so he could show her that the border became part of the picture. "Oh, and this one," he exclaimed as he changed settings once again, "changes the colors. It's really cool, watch," he finished as he turned the camera around and held it out so he could take a picture of them.
Lucy leaned even closer and gave her cheesiest smile. Adam grinned too and snapped the picture.
"I got blue hair!" Lucy squealed when Adam showed her the picture. "Why do I got blue hair?"
"That's just the camera setting," Adam laughed. "But I think blue hair is really cool."
"Me too. Do you think Daddy and Mommy'd let me get blue hair? For real?"
"Not a chance!" Danny called as he reentered the room. "Quit puttin' blue-hair ideas in her head, man," he insisted, the over-protective 'daddy' side of him showing. "She's only five."
"I'll be six soon, Daddy!" Lucy protested.
"Yes, I know, Luce, but right now you're still five, and you better take good care of that camera because that picture's as close as you're gettin' to blue hair."
"Aw, man!" Lucy pouted and flopped down on the sofa.
"It's okay, Luce," Adam encouraged. "At least you've got the picture, right? You can see what you'd look like with blue hair without upsetting Daddy and Mommy."
"Yeah…"
"Besides," Danny added, "Your mom would be really mad if she found out you got the idea of blue hair from Uncle Adam."
Adam chuckled nervously, imagining Lindsay's anger and immediately not wanting it directed at him again. "Yeah, how about we keep the blue-hair thing between us?"
"I can't even show Mommy and Aunt Stella and Uncle Mac it?"
"Yeah, you can show 'em the picture, just don't say that you asked if you could get blue hair, 'kay?"
"'Kay, Daddy!" she grinned and slid from the sofa, taking the camera from Adam and hurrying to the kitchen.
"Dude," Danny said as he watched Lucy sprint away, "I know you like blue hair and all…"
"Yeah," Adam agreed somberly, thinking about the one girl he'd never forget. "Blue hair is awesome."
"Not for my five-year-old daughter, 'kay, Buddy?" Danny said as he crossed the room and clapped Adam on the shoulder.
Adam cleared his throat nervously and shrugged in an effort to shake off the grasp Danny had on his shoulder. "No blue hair for Lucy. Got it."
VVVVV
Thanks for reading!
Yes, I'm terrible for not yet resolving the cliffy from chapter 6. Next chapter, I promise, though it might not be written/posted until January. That being said, would anyone be interested in reading a Lucy Christmas fic in January? Unfortunately, I've run out of time to get in everything I want to…
