Well, once again Dylan was right. Everyone got used to everything, even the fact that Tyr would take one of the twins without being asked and carry them around for hours, telling them stories about everything. He still claimed that he was only using them for practice, but everyone knew better. He was glad they were here, but wasn't going to admit that. The novelty of having a brother and sister wore off for Cassie and she had settled into the new routine fairly well. She still had her moments with it, but over all, she was doing okay and the fact that she had gotten her own birthday party 6 weeks after Ben and Lynne had gotten here hadn't been too bad either. The present Cassie really wanted was to stop a planet and play in the ocean again. It had taken 6 months to find a good one, but they had and every one had gotten shore leave.p
"You know, I don't think we're doing too bad with this." Dylan comment as he watched Cassie run around with Harper on while they were on shore leave. He quickly leaned forward and pulled Ben back onto the blanket. He remembered being thrilled when he had learned to roll over and now he wished he'd stop. Lynne, on the other hand, could care less about rolling over. She was quite happy to lay on her back and watch the world.p
"I think you're right." she said as she played with Aislynne. She smiled and finally rolled over. The two laughed at her. "See, I told you she'd do it when she was good and ready."p
"She's a little too much like you." he replied, as he finally picked Ben up.p
"I like her that way. At least I don't have to claim the impulsive one." she said. She started to laugh when Dylan gave her a look.p
"Right. You, fly by the seat of my pants, have nothing to do with impulsiveness."p
"Yup! Nothing at all." she said as Cassie ran over and flopped into her lap. "Her, on the other hand . . ."p
"Can they come swimming with me?" she asked as she played with Ben. Harper came over, huffing and puffing and sat down on the blanket too.p
"She wear you out old man?" Beka asked with a smile.p
"Nah, this is all an illusion." he said, still trying to catch his breath.p
"When they're bigger." Dylan answered.p
"How much bigger?"p
"About a year, maybe more." he said as he looked at her.p
"Hurry up and grow!" she said, a little too loud.p
"Hey." Dylan and Beka both said at the same time. Cassie got up and marched off to the play ground with a pout on her face.p
"Still has her moments huh?" Harper asked.p
"She just forgets sometimes. She's so excited about them and it just runs away with her. She's still dealing with the fact that she has to share us . . ."p
"You, you mean." Dylan cut in.p
"Us, with two other people." she said with a look. "She has her moments where she does just need twenty minutes or so with one of us. She hasn't quite figured out how to say how she feels about things. Stomping away and pouting for a while works for her. She has a moment, then comes back and she's fine."p
"I'll be right back." he said as he handed Ben to Harper and went to have a talk with Cass about why you couldn't throw sand.
"This," Beka said as she looked over, "is not an 'I need a little time' moment. This is an 'I need a time out' moment."
"I thought you gave up on that." Harper said as he made faces at Ben.p
"Mostly. There are still times when there's nothing else to do." she watched as Dylan carried a not too happy little girl over to a bench and started to lecture her. "And then there are times when a lecture is in order." Harper watched Cass and Dylan for a moment. She had an outburst and tried to push him and he just held her on the bench for a little longer.p
"I take it lectures aren't popular?"p
"I was about to lose it and I was about 5 seconds away from actually hitting her and I think she realized that. She ran into her room and stayed as quiet as a mouse until Dylan got home. I felt like a monster, but after getting a quick child psych lesson from Rommie, I learned a few things."p
"Like?"p
"She's testing boundaries, seeing how far she can go before we snap, before she starts getting treated liked she did before we got her."p
"Wow." Harper said, truely impressed that Beka was putting up with this. "If I had been told you'd be this calm about everything a year ago, I would have laughed to death."p
"Gee, thanks." she said.p
"Anytime." They looked over at Cassie and Dylan. They were now both sitting on the bench, she was still pouting, but the lecture was over.p
"Our sweet little Squirt is now a problem child." Harper sighed and looked down at Ben, he was drifting off again.p
"She'll grow out of it. I hope." Beka said as she glanced over at Dylan and Cass again.p
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~p
"You know, I don't think we're doing too bad with this." Dylan comment as he watched Cassie run around with Harper on while they were on shore leave. He quickly leaned forward and pulled Ben back onto the blanket. He remembered being thrilled when he had learned to roll over and now he wished he'd stop. Lynne, on the other hand, could care less about rolling over. She was quite happy to lay on her back and watch the world.p
"I think you're right." she said as she played with Aislynne. She smiled and finally rolled over. The two laughed at her. "See, I told you she'd do it when she was good and ready."p
"She's a little too much like you." he replied, as he finally picked Ben up.p
"I like her that way. At least I don't have to claim the impulsive one." she said. She started to laugh when Dylan gave her a look.p
"Right. You, fly by the seat of my pants, have nothing to do with impulsiveness."p
"Yup! Nothing at all." she said as Cassie ran over and flopped into her lap. "Her, on the other hand . . ."p
"Can they come swimming with me?" she asked as she played with Ben. Harper came over, huffing and puffing and sat down on the blanket too.p
"She wear you out old man?" Beka asked with a smile.p
"Nah, this is all an illusion." he said, still trying to catch his breath.p
"When they're bigger." Dylan answered.p
"How much bigger?"p
"About a year, maybe more." he said as he looked at her.p
"Hurry up and grow!" she said, a little too loud.p
"Hey." Dylan and Beka both said at the same time. Cassie got up and marched off to the play ground with a pout on her face.p
"Still has her moments huh?" Harper asked.p
"She just forgets sometimes. She's so excited about them and it just runs away with her. She's still dealing with the fact that she has to share us . . ."p
"You, you mean." Dylan cut in.p
"Us, with two other people." she said with a look. "She has her moments where she does just need twenty minutes or so with one of us. She hasn't quite figured out how to say how she feels about things. Stomping away and pouting for a while works for her. She has a moment, then comes back and she's fine."p
"I'll be right back." he said as he handed Ben to Harper and went to have a talk with Cass about why you couldn't throw sand.
"This," Beka said as she looked over, "is not an 'I need a little time' moment. This is an 'I need a time out' moment."
"I thought you gave up on that." Harper said as he made faces at Ben.p
"Mostly. There are still times when there's nothing else to do." she watched as Dylan carried a not too happy little girl over to a bench and started to lecture her. "And then there are times when a lecture is in order." Harper watched Cass and Dylan for a moment. She had an outburst and tried to push him and he just held her on the bench for a little longer.p
"I take it lectures aren't popular?"p
"I was about to lose it and I was about 5 seconds away from actually hitting her and I think she realized that. She ran into her room and stayed as quiet as a mouse until Dylan got home. I felt like a monster, but after getting a quick child psych lesson from Rommie, I learned a few things."p
"Like?"p
"She's testing boundaries, seeing how far she can go before we snap, before she starts getting treated liked she did before we got her."p
"Wow." Harper said, truely impressed that Beka was putting up with this. "If I had been told you'd be this calm about everything a year ago, I would have laughed to death."p
"Gee, thanks." she said.p
"Anytime." They looked over at Cassie and Dylan. They were now both sitting on the bench, she was still pouting, but the lecture was over.p
"Our sweet little Squirt is now a problem child." Harper sighed and looked down at Ben, he was drifting off again.p
"She'll grow out of it. I hope." Beka said as she glanced over at Dylan and Cass again.p
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~p