Hello my lovelies.

I'm so sorry for the long wait for this next chapter in the series of Daryl and Nevara one shots. While I do adore this series I've been rather busy with my summer job at the moment that I just haven't had a chance to upload anything, don't worry though, it is all handwritten up I just have to type it. I also got my AS Results this week and while they weren't exactly what I'd been hoping for I did pass, so now the pressure is gone expect more updates! So without further a do, this is Chapter 7 of Li Mancante. X


Daryl rolled out of the king sized bed he shared with his beautiful wife, he'd managed to convince her to upgrade from their double bed just weeks before, and it had been the best decision the pair had made. He'd lay awake for a few minutes before he'd heard quiet clattering downstairs and had decided to investigate. While slightly unusual, it wasn't a rare thing for the left side of the bed to be empty at only eight in the morning on a Saturday. Brushing off the red sheets made of a soft material Daryl scooped up a pair pyjama bottoms that he pulled over his black boxers.

Making his way down the stairs and through the living room, Daryl followed the noise of laughter until he found his wife moving swiftly around the large kitchen. As she continued to cook, she made silly faces at their young daughter who was sat in a sunny yellow highchair pulled up to the wooden table. A plate of blueberry pancakes sat in front of her as she giggled and tried to scoop them up with a small plastic spoon he name had been painted on to. Next to the plate was a small child's cup filled with orange juice and a small bowl of fresh fruit.

Growing up in Italy as a child, Nevara was adamant that they should all have a good and healthy relationship with food, starting with a healthy filling breakfast. She would get up early in the morning just so that she could freshly squeeze two jugs of orange juice for the day, and then she'd make up a bowl of fruit salad for each of them. Nevara would use different fruits each day, she didn't want them to get bored of the same thing over and over again. While she mostly did it for their health, it was also something that her own mother had done for her siblings and herself when she was growing up. She had taken to helping her as a teenager, and as such the process had stuck.

Today, it was a mix of quartered strawberries that the family had handpicked at a neighbours farm the day before, along with slices of green and red apple, plucked from the trees in their own garden, and watermelon cubes. Although she had added a healthy alternative to the pancake batter, Nevara still allowed Savanna to have a small amount of maple syrup drizzled over the stack of Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes.

As Daryl walked towards his wife he bent down to place a kiss on his daughter's head full of wild curls, tangled from her sleep. She grinned up at him with a chin coated in syrup and a piece of pancake hanging from her mouth as she blew him kisses. He chuckled softly as she giggled at the pancakes squished between her little fingers, and continued on to give his wife her morning kiss.

Pulling the jug from the fridge he poured them both a glass of the fresh homemade orange juice, and placed them on top of the coasters on the table. At the same time Nevara finished plating up their breakfast and carried the two plates filled with pancake stacks over to the table. While his were a bright shade of purple due to the blueberries mixed into the batter like Savanna's, his wife's were slightly lumpy in places as she'd chosen to mix banana chunks into her own pancake batter.

Nevara knew that her husband and daughter adored blueberry pancakes. Savana would clap her hands in glee whenever she saw the purple stack on her breakfast plate, and Daryl would grin and wolf them down in seconds. So although she herself was allergic to blueberries, she would still make them every Saturday for the pair just to see their faces light up in joy.

Once they'd both sat down at the table Nevara to a ladle and scooped two healthy portions of fresh fruit from a large frosted glass bowl and into two smaller ones. After generously drenching his own breakfast in maple syrup Daryl passed the bottle to Nevara who gently drizzled it over her own stack before pouring a handful of chopped walnuts over the top. Daryl looked around the table at his small family and smiled.

Nevara was eating her breakfast as she helped to cut up their daughter's pancakes while listening to her beautiful baby babbles with a smiled, nodding her head and talking to her as if she was actually speaking words and just sounds. Savana would throw her little arms up into the air with giggles when she managed to successfully place the spoon into her mouth, with or without the food still on it. Patting her tummy and then showing them both her empty mouth once she'd finished each mouthful, displaying a partial set of teeth, not quite finished growing. They would both cheer when she finished a mouthful, knowing that positive encouragement started from a young age.

He made sure that he never missed a breakfast or a dinner with his family, and he made sure he made more than enough money to support his family so that they could have the life he didn't get as a child. One filled with laughter and happiness, and starting with a full belly was the best place for him to start, because he hadn't always had that as child. Watching their daughter learn how to hold a spoon and cut up her own food after spending months feeding her with a bottle then a baby spoon filled with mushed up baby food was an experience he would never forget. Savana was his baby girl, and she was growing up so quickly, and as much as he hated it, he loved to watch her grow.

Even now, as she dribbled and opened her mouth to show him the half eaten pancakes she'd been chewing on for the past few minutes, he couldn't find it in himself to reprimand her. Instead, he lovingly wiped away at her chin with a cloth and let her give him a sticky kiss on the cheek. He loved their little family breakfasts.


Review Responses:

laternenfisch - I absolutely love that idea! If it wasn't for the fact that I somehow never got an email about this review I would have totally done this chapter about that, but don't worry I will definetly be using your idea at some point, it's brilliant. And to answer the question, it's mention in one of my future pieces, but I'll let you know now. Nevara can hunt, she's not the best but she wanted to learn about something that's clearly important to Daryl, plus it's a way of her saying that she loves him for who he is and he doesn't have to change for her. Thanks for the review and idea! X

Mel-2a - Thank you for the support! I always thought the same thing, everyone says it's because he's awkward around women and doesn't know how to act, but I think it's more along the lines of him not wanting to replace someone that may not even be gone. He's had chances and never really taken them, so I definitely agree that he would marry for life. Hope this lives up to expectations! X

Allison90 - Your continued support has been muchly appreciated my lovely! Your reviews may be short but they never fail to put a smile on my face. I hope this makes your week, and I'd like to thank you for your kind words about my writing style. I usually get a lot of flames for writing in detail and as most would say, not having enough dialogue, but I love to dig deeper into the minds of my characters, and sometimes thoughts are easier to show and write than words. So you have helped me feel more confident in my writing overall, thank you. X