This is more or less what it says on the tin-a collection of one-shots that are related to the In This Garden universe (and to some extent Out With Lanterns) and center around Aisa, Lysander and Juniper's experiences in bringing up Tristan. Despite the title, they aren't going to be in any sort of chronological order, and on top of that, since this is just going to be a side project, the update schedule will be extremely irregular. I don't even know when the next one will be, but it could be a month, it could be next week, it could be next year. But yeah, I do have a few ideas, so I'll probably keep adding to this as and when I feel like it, until I run out of ideas. Prompt suggestions are also welcome, though not guaranteed that I'd be able to use them.

But anyway, enjoy this collection!

Aisa finished wiping Tristan's face, and laughed as he squirmed.

"Alright, alright then, you can get out. You do know that you're going for a nap now, don't you?" she asked.

Tristan simply looked at him with those big eyes of his as if to ask her what on earth are you talking about? She just laughed again and blew a raspberry at him to make him giggle in return before lifting him out of the high chair and setting him down on the ground, his feet touching the ground, before letting go and seeing what happened.

As he'd been doing for the last few days, Tristan first grabbed onto the nearest thing to hold-this time, the leg of his high-chair, before surveying what was in front of him, looking for all the world like a tiny explorer scrutinising the road ahead. Then, he let go of the leg, managing to stay upright though still wobbly.

"Go on, Tristan," she encouraged, moving around and then kneeling down so she was in front of him, a few steps away.

Jun had been clearing away some of the plates, but he paused and piled them back on the table before coming to join her, also encouraging.

"Yeah, come on, buddy."

Tristan beamed gummily, and then hesitantly put one little foot forward-and promptly fell on his bottom. His lip wobbled for a moment, but though he didn't cry this time, neither did he smile or try and get up again, or babble. Instead, he pouted and lifted his arms up. Aisa quickly got up and scooped him up.

"It's okay, little one, let's get you down for your nap now, okay?"

…

As Juniper was typing in the office, the icon that indicated that a video call was coming in flashed at the bottom of the screen. He glanced over at Tristan, who was quite happily playing with the bricks and his teddies. Hoping that the little boy wouldn't take it into his head to attempt towers and then send them crashing down (one of his new favourite activities), he answered the call.

And instantly felt relieved when Lysander's face filled the screen. It looked like he was in his hotel room.

"Yo, Lys." He greeted.

"Hi there, Jun," he asked. "Everything alright back there?"

"Yup, yup-"

Jun was interrupted as Tristan suddenly looked up, having heard Lysander's voice. He instantly let out a big squeal, and then started babbling as he crawled towards the baby gating that they'd put around the desk for whenever any of them were working there but also needed to be able to keep an eye on Tristan.

"Oh, looks like someone wants to chat." Juniper said wryly. "I'll save the summary for afterwards."

"Yep, I can see that. Hey there, Tristan."

Tristan smiled and babbled more, waving at the screen, his head tilting back to try and see it properly. Jun watched, mildly baffled and wondered if he should perhaps climb over and lift him up, when quite suddenly Tristan grabbed the side of the toy box and pulled himself up.

"Is he still trying to walk?" Lysander asked as he watched curiously.

"Yep, he is. He's not quite getting past the standing alone point though."

"Well, he's still in the right age range to just be figuring it out, so there's not much of a worry, right, little guy?"

Lysander directed this at Tristan, who was still standing and watching. Tristan took this as the signal to attempt a step, but just as he had before, he almost immediately fell over. This time though, he burst into tears.

"Oh, hey, hey, hey, it's okay."

Jun quickly got up and climbed over, grabbed Tristan, then returned to his chair, sitting down and plonking Tristan on his lap, bouncing his knee slightly as on the screen, Lysander also tried to reassure. Thankfully, the crying was short lived, and soon Tristan was just sniffling slightly, but more or less content. All the same, Juniper let him stay on his lap while he and Lysander talked business.

"So then," Lysander said once they'd finished. "That all means I should be back today. This evening."

"Hey, hear that Tris old buddy?" Juniper asked. "Lys'll be back tonight!"

Tristan nodded very intently, and babbled, reaching out to try and touch the screen. Lysander laughed warmly and reached his hand out too, giving an imaginary high-five.

"He's probably asking if it will be in time for dinner." Jun joked.

"Yeah, probably. I hope. Anyway, see you then."

"Yeah, bye, mate."

When Lysander hung up, and the screen returned to the accounts he'd been looking at before, Juniper sighed and picked Tristan up, putting him back down with his toys.

…

Lysander yawned slightly as he made his way up the hill. It was tiring sometimes, being around so many other people, when home was this little place, at a remove from everything else, with the only people he'd ever need in his life. Still, things had to be done, and he'd done them, and that was fine. Now, he was going back to his family and that was what mattered. He was looking forward to dinner and storytime and bedtime, and then kicking back with Aisa and Jun, maybe watching an old movie or just chatting before they themselves went to sleep.

"I'm back!" he called out as he got to the front door and opened it.

"Yo," Jun called, coming down the stairs. "Good journey?"

"Yeah, yeah," Lysander said as he bent down to take off his shoes. "Uneventful."

"Well, uneventful's always good, isn't it? Welcome back."

Aisa appeared, an apron around her waist, Tristan in her arms wearing a cute little dinosaur onesie. The moment the little boy spotted him, he started to babble and wave. Aisa let him down and watched as he began to crawl.

"Hey there, little guy," Lysander said, sitting down so that he remained at the right height. "Miss me?"

Tristan kept crawling, apparently intently focused, then used the shoe rack to hoist himself up. Lysander smiled as Tristan looked at him, tiny brow furrowing slightly.

"That's it, Tris."

Tristan let go of the shoe rack, and then took a step forward-and stayed on his feet. Again, he moved his other foot, and then the other, and then tottered the final few steps, throwing himself straight at Lysander.

"Did he just….did he just walk?"

As Lysander grabbed Tristan in a tight hug and tickled him, showering him in praise, Lysander looked up and stifled a laugh at Juniper's expression, which was utterly gobsmacked. Jaw to the floor, bugged out eyes, the works.

"Sure looks like it, huh, Tris? Clever boy, clever, clever boy!"

"Hey, perhaps he was waiting for you to come back," Aisa said suddenly. "So that you'd be here to see him walk."

"Huh."

Considering this, Lysander looked down at Tristan, who looked very pleased with himself as he fiddled with the buttons on Lysander's shirt. Lysander tickled him, making him giggle and gaze up at him.

"Did you do that, buddy? Wait?"

Tristan simply giggled, and then wriggled, so Lysander set him on the ground again and got up.

"Can you walk back to me, Tristan?" Aisa asked, kneeling down and beckoning.

Tristan looked at her for a few moments, then with extremely wobbly steps, and Lysander and Juniper giving encouragements behind him, he did indeed walk over to her. Delighted, they all spent a few minutes trying to get Tristan to walk from one of them to another, and equally delighted at the attention, he complied until eventually, he seemed to decide that he had enough and simply sat down in the hallway expectantly.

"Oh, looks like he's had enough!" Juniper laughed.

"Yep," Aisa agreed. "Besides, I've got to finish dinner. Lys, go get yourself cleaned up, okay?"

"Sure thing."

Aisa picked up Tristan and headed back into the kitchen, Juniper following. Lysander smiled and shook his head amusedly before heading upstairs.

Ah, it's good to be home.