Hey, guys! Here's the new chapter! Enjoy!
I don't own Cause of Death. I created Olivia, though.
One spring afternoon, Mal and Natara decided to take Olivia on her first picnic. The little girl had nearly done backflips when she saw the cookies in their picnic basket, and the playground had merely added to that excitement.
"C'mon, you gotta keep going," Mal urged. He was trying to teach Olivia how to fly her kite, but she would just take a few steps and stop.
The infant started walking again, dragging the kite string behind her. She bent down to examine the grass, neglecting the kite. Once she was done, she picked up the kite string again and kept toddling on.
"Go a little faster, and it will fly," Mal instructed. Olivia sat down. He glanced at Natara. "I don't think my dad had this hard of a time teaching me."
"She'll learn. She's only fifteen months old." Natara reached into the picnic basket for the jug of lemonade, and the toddler immediately diverted her attention to the citrus beverage. Natara poured some into a bottle and handed it to Olivia, who slurped it thirstily.
Once she had finished her drink, Olivia returned to the kite. After several tries, the kite was in the air. "Keep going, you're doing it!" Mal praised. Delighted, The baby walked faster until she stumbled and fell.
She stood up quickly and grinned. "Gah..." she cooed.
"Well, you did it for a few steps. That's good enough." Mal picked up the kite, and Olivia went to investigate a flower bush.
"Dada!"
Mal looked at his daughter. "Hey, hey, put that down," he commanded gently. Olivia stared blankly and gave the snake in her arms a pet on the head. "Natara! She's got a copperhead!"
Natara knelt in front of Olivia. "You need to listen. Put the snake down or it may bite you," she said calmly. Olivia shrugged and allowed Natara to take it from her and set it in front of a bush. The snake slithered away quickly.
"And of course she obeys Mommy." Mal glared at Natara, and she shrugged innocently.
"She knows that you're the soft one." Natara scooped Olivia up. "Isn't that right, sweetie?" Olivia nodded. "See, Mal?"
"Yeah, yeah, the two of you think being mean to me is fun," he scoffed.
"Because it is!" Natara teased, kissing him on the cheek. "Ready to eat, Olivia?" She set Olivia down and opened the picnic basket. Olivia dove forward and grabbed a chicken leg as if it were going to vanish. Natara shook her head. "I don't think I've ever seen a bigger appetite in a baby."
Olivia gripped her chicken leg tightly in one hand, and a chocolate chip cookie in the other. Her mouth was so full that she resembled a chipmunk with packed cheeks. Suddenly she jumped in the air and screamed at the top of her lungs. "No!" She pointed at a tiny spider crawling across her napkin.
Mal stared incredulously. "Really?"
Natara edged away as well. "Mal, can you kill it?" He turned his gaze to her and rolled his eyes. "Mal!"
"So neither of you are scared of a poisonous snake, but a tiny spider makes you crap your pants?"
Natara glared at him. "Mal," she growled. "Kill. It. Now." Olivia hid behind Natara as Mal picked the spider up and teasingly dangled it near Natara. "Mal! Get it away from me!"
"It's just a little spider. It won't kill you."
"I don't care!" she argued. Olivia grew bored listening to the banter and reached into the picnic basket, climbing into it with a mischievous giggle. She nibbled her cookie, spilling crumbs down the front of her ladybug printed shirt.
With a smirk, Mal set the spider down. "You don't need to kill it, though. I mean, what's it gonna do? Besides make you freak out..."
"I did not freak out. It simply startled me," Natara defended.
"But that snake Olivia caught was fine? That's kind of strange. Then again, so are the two of you."
Natara smacked him on the arm. "I am not strange! She gets that little mischievous streak from you!"
"I don't think I'm that bad."
"Just keep thinking that." Natara turned around to check on Olivia, who was nowhere to be seen. "Mal..." Panic started to fill her voice. "Did Olivia run off?"
"She couldn't have. She was just right there."
"I'll go check the playground. You look over here."
Inside the basket, Olivia grinned and opened the small baggie she had found. Without looking at what she was about to eat, she popped the food into her mouth. Immediately she wrinkled her nose and spit it out, letting out a surprised yell as the green bean fell from her mouth. Mal lifted the lid of the basket to see Olivia looking up at him with a pout.
"I guess that should have been my first look." He lifted her out of the basket, and she continued to scowl at the bean she had discarded.
Natara sighed in relief as she joined them. "There you are."
"She found the green beans you were gonna trick her into eating."
"Shh," she whispered. "She needs to eat something healthy once in a while. She can't live on cookies and fried chicken." Olivia overheard and made a disgusted face.
"Damn," she spat. Natara's mouth dropped and Mal bit his lip, attempting to stifle a laugh.
"Olivia! We don't say that!" she scolded gently.
"Dada," Olivia accused, wagging her finger at Mal. Natara gave Mal a cross look, and he shrugged innocently. Olivia glanced at Natara. "You."
"Now who's talking?" Mal smirked in triumph. He set Olivia down, and she went to pick a flower. But something else caught her eye, and she returned with it.
"Olivia, put the snake down again!"
Aw. The things kids say! LOL. Review, and maybe I'll update sooner this time!
