A\N 1: I'm so sorry for the long delays with updating both of my stories. I've been more stressed out with real life issues and the pandemic recently. I am however comittefd to finishing bot of my stories. I was able to finish this chapter today and began the next one for my other story "39 weeeks" In this chapter Hope is 18 months old and Jessica is 7 months old and crawling (although we don't see it in this chapter). As Hope is still learning how to talk and say new things you may not understand what she's trying to say, hopefully though her lines make sense in context with what the other characters say.

A\N 2: I have so many people to thank for the creation of this chapter. I asked a question on Twitter and got so many responses from POstables. Thank you to everyone who had ideas for me, I'm so sorry I wasn't able to use them all. Hope may have to visit the DLO again in the future when she's a bit older and help Jessican have some fun.

Spoilers: None

Warinings: None

Hope's DLO adventure

January

A snowstorm had caused all childcare centres and schools in Denver to close for the day. The weather reports indicated the storm was supposed to be worse in the early morning and ease up by late morning or early afternoon. Shane and Oliver both needed to be at work for different reasons, after discussing it with each other and then with Joe it was decided the girls would spend a few hours in the DLO before Joe pickled them up for the rest of the day.

"Any Eda, Una Nomin!" Hope ran ahead of father as they entered the DLO. "Look!" She proudly showed them her new Medic-Alert bracelet which had a Baby Shark charm on it.

"Oh wow," Rita looked at the bracelet and smiled, "You're a lucky little girl, you have Baby Shark protecting you in case you get sick again."

Hope looked around the office and then back at Rita and Norman "Air Anna?" She asked her godparents curiously.

"Anna is spending the weekend at her Grandfather's house," Rita told the toddler, "I'm sorry if you wanted to play with her. Why don't we-"

"Cup!" Hope toddled over to her father's desk and took one of the Dark of Night awards off the table, "Daddy cups," She saw said as she looked at all of the cups, "Daddy wader?" She turned the cup in her hand upside down, but nothing came out, "No wader."

"Hope!" Oliver retrieved the award from his daughter and put it back where it belonged. "These are not toys. You have toys in your bag. Let's find some for you to play with," He took Hope's hand.

"No," Hope shook her head and smiled as she climbed onto a chair and then into a nearby mail bin, "Fun!" She giggled as she began throwing the letters up in the air, "Fun Daddy!" she smiled as the letters landed on her and Baby Shark.

"Hope, those are-"

"Is there a big girl in here who likes Baby Shark?" Shane's friend from Washington D.C Becky walked into the DLO with Shane who was pushing Jessica in a stroller.

"Hope?" Shane saw her daughter in the mail bin and started laughing, "How'd you end up in there? You're not going to be shipped?" She lifted her daughter out of the bin.

"I'll go and take this to shipping before Hope climbs into it again." Rita took the bin and began pushing it away.

"Thanks Rita," Shan called after her friend. "Hope come say hi to Mommy's friend Auntie Becky," Shane carried Hope over to where Becky was standing beside the stroller.

"No," Hope shook her head, "Who you?" She pointed at Becky and frowned.

"Oh!" Becky clapped her hands and started laughing, "Oh you're just like your mother, a little firecracker. We're going to get along great. I'm so glad I beat the snowstorm and was able to come for a visit. How about we take Jessica and go on a little tour. I need to talk to some people; you can be my assistant."

"No! I boss!" Hope declared.

"Oh, you're your mother alright," Becky laughed again until she saw the slight change in Shane's face. She sent her friend a sympathetic look. She sometimes forgot Hope wasn't her and Oliver's biological daughter. And even though it had been almost two years since Shane's sister Alex died Becky knew Shane still missed her every day. Looking back at Hope she said, "Tell you what, we can both be the boss. Now can you help me with Jessica. I think she's a little scared of me. She's a baby and she's upset because she doesn't know me."

Shane placed Hope on the ground and then took Jessica out of her stroller sear and knelt down so Hope could see her, "Mommy and Daddy really need to get some work done so if you can help Jessica not be scared it would help."

Hope pressed a finger to her lips and then grinned, she looked around and saw what she was looking for in her sister's stroller seat. She tugged Purple Blanket down and held up, "Any Bane bankie come." Hope told her sister, "Fun!" She held up the blanket to hide her face and pulled it away making Jessica laugh.

"Oh yes, I've heard of these magical blankets you girls have," Becky spoke, "They make you invisible during Peek-a-Boo. I can play if you want. Since I don't have an invisible blanket, we'll have to find something else. Jessica, can Mommy go to some work while we look for something I can use for Peek-A-Boo?" She took Jessica into her arms smiling as the baby didn't fuss like she had before.

"Daddy hat!" Hope pointed to Oliver's hat on the coat rack. She tugged down all of the coats and then shook the rack smiling as the hat fell off, "Daddy hat!" She put the hat on her head and giggled as it fell over her eyes.

"Alright," Oliver picked Hope up and took his hat back, "Mommy, Daddy, Auntie Rita and Uncle Norman need to work now. You go with Jessica and help Auntie Becky." Oliver brought Hope over to the stroller afraid of what else she might get into.

"Daddy hat!" Hope cried as she reached out for the now forgotten hat, "Daddy hat hep."

"I will go and get the hat for you," Oliver told Hope as he put her into her stroller seat, "Now you be a good girl and no climbing out of the stroller," He looked at his daughter sternly, "You need to be a big girl to help Auntie Becky do her job."

"I two!" Hope held up two fingers.

"You little monkey," Shane laughed looking at her after she'd put Jessica back into her stroller seat. "You're not two yet, you have a long time before your birthday." She got Pink Blanket out of her diaper bag and handed it to her daughter.

"Alright, are we already now?" Becky asked as Oliver placed his hat on Hop's head causing the toddler to giggle.

"No," Hope took the hat off and frowned, "Baby ah gone."

"Oh no Baby Shark is just having a little rest," Shane didn't want Hope to get upset. She and Oliver were slowly trying to get Hope to go longer and longer without needing her favourite toy right by her side. "You go and help Auntie Becky and Baby Shark will be all ready to go to Grandpa's house."

"Baby Ah eepy," Hope repeated.

"Yes, Baby Shark is sleeping," Shane kissed her on the cheek and then kissed Jessica, "Be good girls for Auntie Becky."

As Becky pushed the stroller out of the DLO Oliver turned to Shane, "I am not sure I approve of Hope being so aggressive in her speech. She must learn she cannot always get what she wants."

"She'll learn," Shane replied, "She is learning but she's sixteen months old. In her brain she is the most important thing in the world."

"Right," Oliver nodded his head before turning back to Rita and Norman, "Apologizes for the unexpected delay. We should now be able to finish tracing our letter."

While Shane, Oliver Rita and Norman worked Hope and Jessica had fun meeting so many people who already knew who they were. Hope loved the shipping floor with all of the moving letters. After an hour Jessica got tired and cranky so Becky returned to the DLO.

"Pay!" Hope tried to climb out of her stroller seat, but Becky was quick to let her out and she went running off in the direction of the conveyor belt. She found the button and pushed it and smiled and clapped as she was able to move the button, "Fun," She climbed up and was trying to reach the top before Norman took her into his arms.

"Oh no, sweetheart, that's not safe. This isn't a toy, it's an important U.S. post office device. Why don't we find some toys to play with?" He suggested but Hope was already off and running to Shane who was sitting in her chair rocking Jessica as she spoke to Oliver.

"Mommy chair! Hope chair!" Hope climbed onto Shane's lap and then caused and almost asleep Jessica to burst out into tears and cry.

"Hope," Oliver picked her up, "You work up your sister. That was not nice," He took a deep breath in order to stay calm, "There is a lot of snow outside so Grandpa will not be able to come and pick up you and Jessica. You are going to have to be a big girl and stay here with Mommy and Daddy. I know we do not have a lot of toys for you to play with but perhaps for now you can colour a picture," He carried her to her backpack and set her down as he took out one of her colouring books and some toddler crayons, "Now remember crayon's stay on the paper."

"No!" Hope threw the crayon's and then started to cry. She then threw herself on the ground and started kicking her feet, this caused Jessica to cry which in turn caused Shane to take Jessica out of the DLO to rock her.

"Hope, Hope!" Rita sat down next to her goddaughter in an effort to calm her down before she got even more upset, "Do you want to watch a special movie on Mommy's IPad? You can go to the big girl couch and have some quiet time. I can put Pink Blanket over you. Jessica needs to have a nap, she's a little baby not a big girl. You only need one nap; Jessica still needs two naps."

"Baby Ah!" Hope screamed as she continued to cry, "Baby Ah!" She started sobbing. "Daddy!"

Oliver lifted Hope into his arms and hugged her as she cried. He began singing a children's Bible song to her. She loved music and it often helped her to calm down.

"Good don," Hope mumbled as she stopped sobbing, she rubbed her eyes, "No toys" She complained.

"Yes, I know you do not have a lot of toys here," Oliver told her, "But this is where Mommy and Daddy work. It is not meant as a spot to play. You need to be a good girl and try to play with the toys you have. Would you like a snack first, are you hungry?"

"Yed," Hope responded.

Oliver placed her on the floor and then went to the DLO fridge hoping that there would be something Hope would be able to eat.

"Alright," Shane walked back into the office with a sleeping Jessica and Becky who had gone out to see how bad the storm was. "Joe is going to borrow a friend's truck and he'll come to pick up the girls as soon as it's safe. In the meantime, Becky has offered to bring them to her little office upstairs, so they're contained. I'm also trying to figure out what all of us are going to do for lunch and naptime."

"Come on Hope, why don't we watch Baby Shark's new movie on the wall in my office. Have you ever seen a movie on a wall? Daddy can give me your snack and we can eat it upstairs." Becky came to pick Hope up but Hope started to cry.

"Baby ah," She looked around for her favourite toy.

"Mommy will get Baby Shark and bring her up for you," Shane promised as she gently placed Jessica in her stroller, "Right now you need to go with Auntie Becky so Jessica can sleep. When Jessica wakes up, I'll bring her and Baby Shark upstairs."

"No," Hope shook her head.

"Hope, this is not a choice, you are going to go with Auntie Becky now or you will not get Baby Shark later," Oliver told her sternly.

Hope started to cry again but let Becky pick her and her bag of toys up. Oliver then handed her the snack she had found for Hope as well as her epi-pen. Becky took Hope up to her makeshift office and set the toddler up with her snack and some toys. After some help from the IT department Becky was able to get the wall projector set up so Netflick appeared on the wall. Unfortunately, at that same time Shane brought Jessica upstairs and placed the baby beside her sister on some pillows.

"Jessica didn't want to sleep for long," Shane explained, she handed Hope Oliver's hat, "Baby Shark is playing hide-and-seek, we're very close to finding her though," Shane assured Hope, "Why don't you play peek-a-boo with Jessica. Mommy needs to talk to Auntie Becky; we'll be just outside the door. Shane led Becky to the hallway, she kept the door open a little and then whispered, "We can't find Hope's Baby Shark anywhere. Oliver thinks it may be in a bin Hope was playing in with mail ready to go to Europe. Rita's trying to locate the bin but…"

"The mail just went out," Becky finished her friend's thought as they both sighed, "I'm guessing the plan is to not let Hope know until the very last possible second."

Shane nodded her head, "Only with the added problem that Hope will not go with Joe without Baby Shark. She also will hoe nap without it, and her naptime is in less than two hours. So, we either find it fast or we're going to be dealing with two children who'll be angry, cranky and very tired. This is her second Baby Shark already. She lost her first un-washable one when it got all muddy, this one is washable but she's older now, she'll know the difference if she gets a replacement."

"We'll figure something out," Becky reassured her friend as they stepped back into the room where they saw Hope playing peek-a-boo with Jessica using Oliver's hat. She put the hat over her eyes and said, "Oh no," And then when Jessica giggled, she lifted the hat off her eyes.

"You're playing very nicely with Jessica Hope," Shane praised as she bent down and kissed Hope's cheek, "Mommy is very happy when you're a good big sister."

"Baby ah?" Hope looked up at her mother, "Want Baby ah," She struggled a bit to fully pronounce the word 'want' but Shane knew how frustrated and upset she was getting. She had been away from her favourite toy for too long,

"I'm going to go back downstairs now, I'm sure Daddy's found Baby Shark. You stay here and Baby Shark and some food will be up soon." Shane waved and left the room again. Soon she returned with Baby Shark and some food. The storm had gotten worse again, so Shane and Oliver had decided to keep the girls with them for the day but away from the DLO as it was already in enough of a mess in the search for Baby Shark. Baby Shark was finally tracked down after an USPS employee had discovered it in the bin as the letters and parcels were being processed to go to Europe. As per protocol it was put in the unattached item bin, Word got around through the Denver branch as many people were aware of Hope's lost toy. The toy was soon retrieved and brought back to the DLO.

After a very long day Oliver and Shane arrived back at their house with two very tired little girls. Hope and Jessica barely made it through dinner without falling asleep. So, despite it meaning the girls would be up earlier the following morning Shane and Oliver decided an early bedtime was in order.

Walking up to the second level of the house Shane carried Jessica into her bedroom where she'd feed her and get her ready for bed; Oliver took Hope into her bedroom to get her ready for bed and then read her a story and help her with her bedtime prayers.

TBC

A\N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.