Chapter Fourteen

Steve woke up at 5:30 am Sunday morning, as per his usual schedule. Thankful that "puke week" was behind them, he got out of bed and padded out into the hallway to peek in on Joan. She was still sound asleep in her crib. Thankful that she was such a sound sleeper, he hustled into the shower to get ready for the day. He was desperately hoping for a quiet, stay at home kind of day.

After his 2.5 minute shower, Steve wrapped a towel around his waist and hurried back to Joan's room. Relieved to see she was still asleep, he went back to his room and threw on a tee shirt and jogging shorts. He was hopeful that after Joan woke up, he could take a quick run with her in her stroller.

They had fallen into the weekend habit that on either Saturday or Sunday, whichever seemed like it would be the quieter day, they would take a quick run to Meili's Diner, which was about 2 miles from the house. Steve and Joan would have breakfast and then they would jog back to the house and get their day underway. Today looked like the perfect day, as there was absolutely nothing planned with anyone and 5-0 was thankfully quiet.

Steve went downstairs and made a cup of coffee, with his grass fed butter. He was just starting on his second cup, when the baby monitor announced that Joan was starting to wake up, so he zipped back upstairs.

Joanie was sitting up in her crib, blond hair mussed and wild around her head, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She broke into a huge grin when she saw Steve.

"Unca S'eve! Uppy! Uppy!" she called to him excitedly.

"Good morning Princess Joan! I hope you had a good sleep! Let's get your dipe changed and get some clothes on you for our morning outing."

He whisked Joan to the changing table and got her in a new diaper pretty quickly. He tickled her tummy and smiled at her baby laughter.

"Okay, sweetie. Let's get you in a running outfit okay?"

Steve selected the outfit Kono had given him recently. The little pink tee shirt said "Proud U.S. Navy Niece" in blue and there were little jogging pants that matched the blue lettering with a pink stripe up the side. Throw in the little pink Nike's and ruffly white socks and she was all set.

He got Joanie and her dolly strapped into the stroller. He had learned early on that dolly better travel with them everywhere or there would be hell to pay. A tired Joan and no dolly was not an experience Steve cared to repeat anytime soon.

"Ready to run, princess?" He asked in what was becoming a ritual for them.

"Weady Unca S'eve! We wunnin'! We goin to Meiwe's! I has pancakes!"

Steve grinned at the little girl and then moved to the handle at the back of the stroller. He reminded himself once again that he better ask Danny or maybe Rachel about Joanie's speech. He knew she wasn't two yet, but she wasn't pronouncing her R's and sometimes L's right. Should he be worried? Correct her? Get a speech therapist? He just wasn't sure what he should do, if anything.

He started jogging down the street. Mrs. Wong next door was already out picking up her paper.

"Morning Steve! Morning Joan!" she called, waving at them. Steve waved back and noted he could see Joan's hand waving too. He figured Mrs. Wong would probably stop by later with those oatmeal cookies Joanie loved. Steve was kind of fond of them too.

It was funny that before Joan, the Wong's, neighbors of his father for decades and now in their early 70's, would wave but rarely spoke to Steve. After Joan's arrival, he usually spoke to them at least once a week. After he mentioned how much Joan liked an oatmeal cookie Mrs. Wong had given her, she dropped off a batch every couple of weeks. She had also been able to step in and watch Joan a couple of times when Steve had to run out quickly for something.

Steve loved when he had a chance to get this run in. His regular fitness routine had been one of the first casualties of the changes wrought by Joan's arrival in his life. Kono's gift of the jogging stroller allowed him to still maintain a small portion of what he used to do.

They had arrived at Meili's and he waved to her when he saw her looking out the door. She smiled and waved back and he saw her head for the back of the diner to get the high chairs for Joan. He got Joan unbuckled, parked the stroller next to the stairs, and put dolly under one arm as he hoisted Joan in his arms to carry her inside.

"Good Morning Commander! Good Morning Miss Joan! You look so pretty today."

"Goo Monin Miss Meiwi!" Joan chirped back. "I has pancakes!"

"I already had cook start them honey. I know what you like. The usual for you Commander?"

"Yes, please Meili". Steve had given up the effort of trying to get her to call him by name. Her late husband had been military and she liked to address people by their rank, even if they had been out of the service for years.

Steve got Joanie into the high chair, and dolly into the high chair next to her. Originally Steve had tried to leave dolly in the stroller but that didn't fly. Then he tried to bring dolly in and lay her on a chair and that was unacceptable as well. Joan insisted dolly be given her own high chair. Period. End of sentence. Joan was normally a very sweet, easy-going child, but when she got something into her head, she could be quite stubborn about getting her way.

Steve's egg white omelet and Joan's pancakes arrived and they dug in with gusto. As they ate, Steve chatted with Joan.

"So, Joan, what should we do with the rest of the day? We'll head back to the house when we're done here, but what do you want to do? I could work on the car."

Joan shoveled some pancake in her mouth, but didn't respond.

"I could work on the yard."

"Flowie!" He had learned Joan enjoyed gardening. At least the part where you pulled the flowers out of the ground.

"Maybe we'll put your little sea shell swimsuit on…"

"Fwimmin'! Yay Unca S'eve! We go fwimmin'!"

"And Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a winner!" Steve announced as he smiled indulgently at his niece. She just loved to be in the water. Steve would practically immerse her in baby SPF 100 before they went outside, and he always had a hat on her, because Joan, like Steve, could spend hours in the water. Danny had grumblingly resorted to putting an umbrella and umbrella stand down by the shoreline. He told Steve he didn't care how goofy it looked, if it saved Joan from sunstroke it was worth it.

They got back to the house and Steve got Joanie changed into her swimsuit and arm floaties and the two of them headed down to the beach. Steve was already teaching Joan some basic swim strokes and she was a fast learner and could propel herself through the water fairly well. Steve was right next to her at all times.

They built a sandcastle and Joan enjoyed dumping some of the buckets of sand all over Steve, giggling hysterically when he chased after her. When she started looking tired, he suggested they head inside for a nap. Joan usually took at least an hour to two hour nap in the afternoon.

While she was sleeping, he called Danny and Chin, just to check in and see if anything had come up. It seemed like it was at least going to stay a quiet Sunday, which Steve was grateful for. You had to take your breaks when you could. He also spent an hour in the garage working on the Marquis with the baby monitor next to him thankfully quiet.

He had just finished cleaning up, when Joan woke up. He got her changed once again, settled her in her high chair at the kitchen table with a coloring book and crayons, and then began figuring out what they would have for dinner. He settled on grilling chicken breasts for himself and Joan. She got little dishes of carrots and applesauce and he grilled a variety of veggies for himself. She chattered away with him and Dolly while they ate, and he caught most of what she was talking about.

Steve really felt that he adapted pretty well to being Joan's parent. There were still so many things he didn't know and worried about constantly, but at least he had Danny and Rachel to rely on for advice when he had questions.

However, Steve didn't totally depend on Danny for advice on the best things to do for Joan, he also did a lot of reading and research. One article that caught his attention discussed how important a routine was for a young child, particularly at bedtime. So Steve and Joan had their routine. A routine that surprised the once taciturn Navy man that he enjoyed as much as the little girl did, although he would be embarrassed if anyone ever witnessed it.

First he would give her a bubble bath and let her play with the plastic Navy boats he had gotten for tubby time. Then he let her pick out a pair of jammies, because another article said it was important to let a child make some decisions on their own.

After he got her changed for bed and had brushed out her hair, they would settle into the rocking chair in her room and read a book. Her favorite right now was "Good Night Moon." Then he would gather up a hopefully already sleeping, but always very drowsy little girl, and dance around the bedroom with her, singing her special good night song.

Hushabye, hushabye, oh my darling, don't you cry,

Guardian Angels up above, take care of the one I love

Lullaby and good night, in your dreams I hold you tight

Lullaby and good night, till the dawn's early light

Pillows lying on your bed, oh my darling rest your head

Sandman will be coming soon, singing you a slumber tune.

Hushabye, hushabye, oh my darling, don't you cry,

Guardian Angels up above, take care of that Joan I love.

When he finished, he would kiss her forehead and gently settle her in her crib for the night. He always finished with a quietly whispered "I love you Joan."

So they completed another lovely day together. Steve was hoping for many more just like this one.

A/N: This chapter wasn't part of my original story, but I added it thanks to a lovely review I received yesterday from a "Guest" who also asked for some Steve/Joanie fluff. I hope this fulfilled that request.

Song "Hushabye"

Made popular by The Mystics and The Beach Boys

Written By: Brill/Broadway songwriting team of Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman