September 28th, 2007

Randi laid out the red velvet on the kitchen floor. She sat there for a moment as she envisioned the dress for Sailor it would wind up being. With her eyes closed she started to cut. Dave stood in the doorway watching her.

"How do you do that?" He asked her. Randi opened one eye.

"Do what?" She asked.

"Close your eyes and cut material perfectly measured and straight." Dave said. Randi chuckled softly and finished her cutting.

"I have a gift. That's why I sell millions every year." She said.

"A gift…A gift you need to put to use again." Dave said, "Sailor doesn't need a new dress, but you need to come up with new designs." Randi shrugged.

"I have an idea for one and someone wants me to make them a Daytime Emmy gown so I got it." Randi said.

"A soap star?" Dave asked. Randi nodded.

"Eva La Rue is very interested in my work. She mentioned me making her kids some Christmas clothes too, but she's going to get back to me on that one." She said. Dave shook his head and walked to the fridge. "What are you shaking your head for?"

"No reason." Dave chuckled.

"DADDY!!!!!!!!!!!!" Sailor screamed from the backyard.

"Oh Poop!" Ireland bolted. Dave and Randi jogged out back and saw blood pouring from Sailor's nose.

"Sammi!" Dave jogged over to her and gathered the sobbing toddler into his arms. He brought her over to the porch.

"Lyric, what happened?" Randi asked her.

"Nothing." Lyric whispered. "But…Ireland…"

"IRELAND GRACE MALUCCI!" Randi yelled as she stalked down the stairs. Dave carefully pressed a towel to Sailor's nose.

"D-D-Daddy!" Sailor sobbed.

"It's okay. Daddy's a doctor. I will take care of you." Dave said.

"I didn't do anything!!" Ireland cried as Randi dragged her up the stairs. "Sailor got in the way!!!"

"She's a baby, Ireland! You need to be careful!! Go up to your room right now." Randi hissed.

"But-"

"Not butts, young lady. Upstairs now!" Randi snapped. Ireland's lips trembled as she ran inside. She sighed and looked at Dave.

"I-Is she going to die?" Lyric's body was trembling.

"She's not going to die. It doesn't look like she broke it." Dave said, "It's just a really bad bloody nose." He pitched her nose.

"Thank God." Randi breathed a sigh of relief. She picked Lyric up.

"How are you Okay, Sammi?" Dave asked softly. She whimpered.

"Owie, Daddy." She said.

"I know, Sweetheart." He said, "Can you girls get me a baggie of ice to help reduce any swelling she might have? She's probably gonna have a black eye." Randi nodded and went inside with Lyric. "You need to be more careful next time, Sammi."

"L-Land m-mean." Sailor trembled. Dave smiled softly.

"She's really sorry. She'll apologize later." He said as Randi come back out.

"Here you go." She said handing Dave the ice. He made sure the bleeding had slowed and he placed it on the bridge of her nose.

"We'll see if this helps with the owie, okay?" He asked her.

"Kay." Sailor mumbled. Randi knelt down with a soft smile.

"Do you want to take a nap in Mommy and daddy's bed with me?" Randi asked her. Sailor nodded, "Okay, Come on Sailor."

Dave sighed softly and went into the kitchen to wash his hands. Ireland seemed to be testing them a lot more lately. Maybe it was because she skipped a grade and was in a whole new older crowd, but Dave would have to have a talk with her before it got terribly out of hand.

October 12th, 2007

Ireland, Lyric, and Sailor stood in line in the office as Randi looked at her desk. The final touches to their costumes for Halloween were being done today. Sailor was going to be a sunflower, Lyric was going to be a hobo, and Ireland was going to be a princess…again.

"I all pitty." Sailor smiled as Randi fixed one of the petals on her head.

"No you're not." Ireland said. Randi shot her a look; "I mean yes you are."

"Can I go read, Momma?" Lyric asked her softly. Randi nodded.

"Go and take your costume off if you go get food or anything." Randi said. Lyric nodded and jumped off the chair. She walked into the living room and pulled out one of Dave's medical books from beneath the couch. She snuggled into the cushions. She looked at the pictures. Lyric smiled softly as she tried to read.

"Sssssome…d…do…doctors…Some Doctors…God. Some doctors f…f…ee….el….Some doctors feel…Oh Man!!!!" She sighed slightly when several pictures fell out onto the couch. Lyric picked them up and looked at them. They were all of Dave when he was eighteen and in the service. She frowned slightly.

"What have you go there, Rickie?" Dave walked in; "You want me to read to you? Where are we at? Appendectomies?"

"Daddy, this you?" Lyric held up the pictures. Dave chuckled and sat on the couch. He gathered Lyric onto his lap as he nodded.

"Yeah that's me." He said looking at the pictures, "I haven't seen these in years."

"You were a solider?" She asked. Dave laughed softly.

"I was a Marine." He said, "I flew airplanes and helicopters."

"You flew planes?? Can you still?" Lyric asked, "I wanna go on a plane ride."

"I haven't flown in years, Pumpkin." He said softly, "I'll need to practice some before I take you flying. I need to update my pilot's license. It's illegal to fly without one." Lyric sighed softly.

"Did you shoot things?" She asked him. Dave nodded.

"Only a couple of times, Pumpkin. I was more of a medic." He said, "I help treat all the hurt soldiers and stuff." Lyric nodded.

"I'm gonna treat dogs." She said, "Do they have dogs in the army?"

"I don't think so, Lyric." Dave chuckled at her; "You could be a vet on base. They probably need them there." Lyric smiled.

"I want to fly copters too." She said. "I'm gonna be a Reen."

"I want you to be a veterinarian, Lyric. Being a Marine is a very dangerous job and people get hurt." Dave said. Lyric shrugged.

"I handle." She said looking at the book, "Can you read now?"

"Are you sure you want me to?" He asked her, "Want me to tell you what all the pictures mean? They are very nasty."

"Yes yes!! I know they're gross but I don't care." Lyric clapped her hands. He chuckled and opened the book. Dave stared to point out all of the photos to her. A normal four-year-old girl would be totally grossed out by these pictures, but Lyric loved them. Maybe she would wind up a doctor like Dave, Maybe she would be a doctor on base, but as long as she was happy, Dave was happy.

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