A Little Problem - Chapter 4.
Disclaimer: Mutant X and its characters don't belong to me - but it would be cool if they did.
*
Feeding a baby was, as Jesse soon discovered, the messiest activity known to man. Emma had stocked up on baby foods but puréed carrots and mashed peas both failed to tempt baby Shalimar's appetite and provided her with lethal missiles. Within minutes there was more food on herself and her clothes, on Jesse's face and in his hair - not to mention all over the kitchen - than there was in her mouth.
Jesse sighed in defeat. "Shal, if you tell anyone that I did this, I will wring your neck. Understand?" he took a deep breath, filling a spoon with food and steeling himself for what he had to do. "Here comes the aeroplane!"
Shalimar obediently opened her mouth as Jesse moved the spoon through the air, making appropriate sound effects.
Seizing the opportunity, Jesse put the spoon in her mouth, holding his breath as she took the food. "Good girl!"
Seconds later, the mouthful was spat out into his eyes. Shalimar clapped her hands, gurgling in delight as Jesse wiped his face.
Jesse said a silent prayer of thanksgiving that he had thought to turn off the camcorder. This had to be the most humiliating experience of his life.
* * *
A very dishevelled Jesse, who ran up to the pond with a messy infant in his arms, interrupted Emma's peaceful meditation.
"Emma, please, you have to help me!"
"What is it, Jesse?"
"I need you to clean her up. Please, Emma."
Emma laughed. "I thought you said you could handle the first watch."
"I didn't count on lunchtime. I don't know how Adam was able to manage it. She really does not like baby food! Besides," he continued persuasively. "I think Shalimar - grown up Shalimar - would prefer if you were the one to give her her bath."
Knowing that this was probably true, Emma nodded her agreement, taking baby Shalimar, who was caked in the remains of her lunch, from him. "I'll give her a bath and get her back to you."
Jesse nodded, studying Shalimar. "You know, she's probably just bored. Things have been pretty quiet around here. No GSA troubles or anything. Maybe I should take her to the park or something."
"The park?"
"Yeah, I think she'd like it." Baby Shalimar beamed at him. "See?"
"And of course, there is no chance that you are in any way motivated by your desire to use Shal to help you meet women." Emma said innocently.
"Of course not!" Seeing Emma's sceptical look, Jesse raised his hands in defeat. "Okay, okay, I want to pick up girls. But I really think that she'll enjoy herself."
Emma smiled. "Okay, I'll have her ready in about half an hour. Be careful."
"You know I will."
* * *
Two hours later.
"Half an hour, huh?" Jesse could barely suppress his laughter as a very damp and bedraggled Emma returned, carrying a spotless Shalimar dressed in a pale blue frilly sundress. "Which one of you took the bath, Em?"
"Very funny!" Emma threw him a dirty look. "It turns out that Shalimar does not take kindly to water!"
"Cut her some slack, Emma. She is part feline after all." Jesse tried to defend Shalimar who, now that she was bathed and tidy, looked like the picture of innocence.
Emma deposited the deceptively angelic looking infant in Jesse's arms. She's all yours! I don't know how something so small and so sweet can create as much havoc as she does! The bathroom looks like it was flooded and she knocked the whole bottle of bubble bath into the tub while I was running the water so the whole place looks like a cloud and, for the sake of your own health and safety - " She showed him her arm, which now bore a long scratch. "Never, ever get shampoo in her eyes!"
"I don't get it." Jesse's brow furrowed in bewilderment. "She was so good for Adam! He took care of her for days and I don't think he had any of these problems. She didn't cause him any trouble! Do you think that Shal secretly hates us?"
Catching sight of the hurt expression on his face, baby Shalimar snuggled into Jesse's arms, planting a wet kiss on his cheek.
"No cwy, Des-see."
Emma's expression softened. "I don't think that she hates you, Jesse."
Jesse grinned, bouncing Shalimar in his arms. "What do you say, rugrat?" he asked her mock-seriously. "Do you want to go to the park?"
"Ess." Shalimar answered just as solemnly.
Jesse regarded her with pride. "Our Shal is amazing, isn't she, Emma? She talks a lot more than I would expect her to at her age, she's got a pretty full vocabulary for a one year old and I would swear to it that she understands more of what we're saying than we think she does."
"Adam said htat Shalimar was very advanced for her age when she was a baby." Emma concurred. "Unfortunately for us she also seems to have been adept at getting into mischief." She added sternly.
Baby Shalimar pouted, plumping her lower lip.
Emma couldn't resist her. "Oh, I can't stay mad at you!" She kissed the top of Shalimar's head. "You be good for Jesse."
"Ess."
Emma laughed. "Have you told Adam where you two are going?"
Jesse avoided meeting her eyes. "Er, no. I'll tell him when we get back. Come on, Shal, let's get out of here."
Emma smiled to herself as they left. With any luck, they would be back before Adam checked in on Shalimar and realized that they had gone.
"Adam will freak out if he finds out about this!" She whispered to herself. "But I guess what he doesn't know can't hurt him."
* * *
The afternoon sun was shining brightly when Jesse pulled up outside the city park in the Audi. Opening the back door, he lifted Shalimar out of her car seat and sat down on the nearest park bench to apply some sun block.
"Adam will kill me if I let you get sunburnt." He told a wriggling Shalimar, who objected loudly to the application of the sun block. "There now." He wiped his hands on a tissue. "All done." He tucked Shalimar into the crook of his arm. "Come on, I think there's a playground around here somewhere."
Baby Shalimar burbled her approval.
* * *
"Whoa, jackpot!" Jesse murmured, looking around him.
The toddlers' playground was situated in the centre of a picnic area. Swings, seesaws, jungle gyms and even a little carousel were dotted around the woodchip floored play area. Several other babies and small children were already playing under the supervision of their mothers, watched by the small clusters of onlookers sitting at the picnic tables.
Shalimar clapped her hands and giggled, pointing insistently in the direction of the swings.
"Pway!" she commanded, almost wriggling out of his arms in her eagerness.
"Alright, alright!" Jesse laughed as he sat her in the swing and pushed her back and forth.
"She's so cute!"
Jesse looked up to see an attractive young woman with long dark hair smiling down at him.
"Is she yours?"
"Des-see!" Baby Shalimar complained when the swinging stopped.
"Sorry, Shal." Jesse went back to pushing the swing. He smiled up at the woman. "She's not my daughter, she's, uh, my friend's baby."
"And you're taking care of her for your friend? That's so nice of you! You must really like kids. Most guys wouldn't babysit if you paid them."
"Yeah." Jesse tried to look modest. "I do what I can."
"I'm Melissa." She held out her hand.
"Jesse." He shook her hand.
"And this is . . .?"
"This is Shalimar. Say 'hi' to Melissa, Shal."
"No!" Baby Shalimar glared at the woman.
"Come on, Shal, please, be nice, for me!" Jesse pleaded, lowering his voice so that Melissa, who was looking affronted, couldn't hear him.
"I don't think she likes me." Melissa turned to leave.
"No, no, she does. Don't you, Shal?"
"No!" Shalimar blew raspberries. "Yucky!"
"Shalimar, please, I am begging you, be nice!" Jesse whispered, trying to persuade her.
"Look, I'd better go." Melissa said angrily as she turned and walked away. Jesse could have sworn that he heard her say "Little brat." as she left.
Jesse sighed, returning his attention to pushing the swing containing a now beaming Shalimar. "It's alright, Shal, she probably wasn't my type anyway." He sighed, looking at the fast retreating form of Melissa. "Just wait. As soon as you're back to normal, I'm going to get you for this!"
TBC.
That'll be all from me until my next update. I hope you like it.
Disclaimer: Mutant X and its characters don't belong to me - but it would be cool if they did.
*
Feeding a baby was, as Jesse soon discovered, the messiest activity known to man. Emma had stocked up on baby foods but puréed carrots and mashed peas both failed to tempt baby Shalimar's appetite and provided her with lethal missiles. Within minutes there was more food on herself and her clothes, on Jesse's face and in his hair - not to mention all over the kitchen - than there was in her mouth.
Jesse sighed in defeat. "Shal, if you tell anyone that I did this, I will wring your neck. Understand?" he took a deep breath, filling a spoon with food and steeling himself for what he had to do. "Here comes the aeroplane!"
Shalimar obediently opened her mouth as Jesse moved the spoon through the air, making appropriate sound effects.
Seizing the opportunity, Jesse put the spoon in her mouth, holding his breath as she took the food. "Good girl!"
Seconds later, the mouthful was spat out into his eyes. Shalimar clapped her hands, gurgling in delight as Jesse wiped his face.
Jesse said a silent prayer of thanksgiving that he had thought to turn off the camcorder. This had to be the most humiliating experience of his life.
* * *
A very dishevelled Jesse, who ran up to the pond with a messy infant in his arms, interrupted Emma's peaceful meditation.
"Emma, please, you have to help me!"
"What is it, Jesse?"
"I need you to clean her up. Please, Emma."
Emma laughed. "I thought you said you could handle the first watch."
"I didn't count on lunchtime. I don't know how Adam was able to manage it. She really does not like baby food! Besides," he continued persuasively. "I think Shalimar - grown up Shalimar - would prefer if you were the one to give her her bath."
Knowing that this was probably true, Emma nodded her agreement, taking baby Shalimar, who was caked in the remains of her lunch, from him. "I'll give her a bath and get her back to you."
Jesse nodded, studying Shalimar. "You know, she's probably just bored. Things have been pretty quiet around here. No GSA troubles or anything. Maybe I should take her to the park or something."
"The park?"
"Yeah, I think she'd like it." Baby Shalimar beamed at him. "See?"
"And of course, there is no chance that you are in any way motivated by your desire to use Shal to help you meet women." Emma said innocently.
"Of course not!" Seeing Emma's sceptical look, Jesse raised his hands in defeat. "Okay, okay, I want to pick up girls. But I really think that she'll enjoy herself."
Emma smiled. "Okay, I'll have her ready in about half an hour. Be careful."
"You know I will."
* * *
Two hours later.
"Half an hour, huh?" Jesse could barely suppress his laughter as a very damp and bedraggled Emma returned, carrying a spotless Shalimar dressed in a pale blue frilly sundress. "Which one of you took the bath, Em?"
"Very funny!" Emma threw him a dirty look. "It turns out that Shalimar does not take kindly to water!"
"Cut her some slack, Emma. She is part feline after all." Jesse tried to defend Shalimar who, now that she was bathed and tidy, looked like the picture of innocence.
Emma deposited the deceptively angelic looking infant in Jesse's arms. She's all yours! I don't know how something so small and so sweet can create as much havoc as she does! The bathroom looks like it was flooded and she knocked the whole bottle of bubble bath into the tub while I was running the water so the whole place looks like a cloud and, for the sake of your own health and safety - " She showed him her arm, which now bore a long scratch. "Never, ever get shampoo in her eyes!"
"I don't get it." Jesse's brow furrowed in bewilderment. "She was so good for Adam! He took care of her for days and I don't think he had any of these problems. She didn't cause him any trouble! Do you think that Shal secretly hates us?"
Catching sight of the hurt expression on his face, baby Shalimar snuggled into Jesse's arms, planting a wet kiss on his cheek.
"No cwy, Des-see."
Emma's expression softened. "I don't think that she hates you, Jesse."
Jesse grinned, bouncing Shalimar in his arms. "What do you say, rugrat?" he asked her mock-seriously. "Do you want to go to the park?"
"Ess." Shalimar answered just as solemnly.
Jesse regarded her with pride. "Our Shal is amazing, isn't she, Emma? She talks a lot more than I would expect her to at her age, she's got a pretty full vocabulary for a one year old and I would swear to it that she understands more of what we're saying than we think she does."
"Adam said htat Shalimar was very advanced for her age when she was a baby." Emma concurred. "Unfortunately for us she also seems to have been adept at getting into mischief." She added sternly.
Baby Shalimar pouted, plumping her lower lip.
Emma couldn't resist her. "Oh, I can't stay mad at you!" She kissed the top of Shalimar's head. "You be good for Jesse."
"Ess."
Emma laughed. "Have you told Adam where you two are going?"
Jesse avoided meeting her eyes. "Er, no. I'll tell him when we get back. Come on, Shal, let's get out of here."
Emma smiled to herself as they left. With any luck, they would be back before Adam checked in on Shalimar and realized that they had gone.
"Adam will freak out if he finds out about this!" She whispered to herself. "But I guess what he doesn't know can't hurt him."
* * *
The afternoon sun was shining brightly when Jesse pulled up outside the city park in the Audi. Opening the back door, he lifted Shalimar out of her car seat and sat down on the nearest park bench to apply some sun block.
"Adam will kill me if I let you get sunburnt." He told a wriggling Shalimar, who objected loudly to the application of the sun block. "There now." He wiped his hands on a tissue. "All done." He tucked Shalimar into the crook of his arm. "Come on, I think there's a playground around here somewhere."
Baby Shalimar burbled her approval.
* * *
"Whoa, jackpot!" Jesse murmured, looking around him.
The toddlers' playground was situated in the centre of a picnic area. Swings, seesaws, jungle gyms and even a little carousel were dotted around the woodchip floored play area. Several other babies and small children were already playing under the supervision of their mothers, watched by the small clusters of onlookers sitting at the picnic tables.
Shalimar clapped her hands and giggled, pointing insistently in the direction of the swings.
"Pway!" she commanded, almost wriggling out of his arms in her eagerness.
"Alright, alright!" Jesse laughed as he sat her in the swing and pushed her back and forth.
"She's so cute!"
Jesse looked up to see an attractive young woman with long dark hair smiling down at him.
"Is she yours?"
"Des-see!" Baby Shalimar complained when the swinging stopped.
"Sorry, Shal." Jesse went back to pushing the swing. He smiled up at the woman. "She's not my daughter, she's, uh, my friend's baby."
"And you're taking care of her for your friend? That's so nice of you! You must really like kids. Most guys wouldn't babysit if you paid them."
"Yeah." Jesse tried to look modest. "I do what I can."
"I'm Melissa." She held out her hand.
"Jesse." He shook her hand.
"And this is . . .?"
"This is Shalimar. Say 'hi' to Melissa, Shal."
"No!" Baby Shalimar glared at the woman.
"Come on, Shal, please, be nice, for me!" Jesse pleaded, lowering his voice so that Melissa, who was looking affronted, couldn't hear him.
"I don't think she likes me." Melissa turned to leave.
"No, no, she does. Don't you, Shal?"
"No!" Shalimar blew raspberries. "Yucky!"
"Shalimar, please, I am begging you, be nice!" Jesse whispered, trying to persuade her.
"Look, I'd better go." Melissa said angrily as she turned and walked away. Jesse could have sworn that he heard her say "Little brat." as she left.
Jesse sighed, returning his attention to pushing the swing containing a now beaming Shalimar. "It's alright, Shal, she probably wasn't my type anyway." He sighed, looking at the fast retreating form of Melissa. "Just wait. As soon as you're back to normal, I'm going to get you for this!"
TBC.
That'll be all from me until my next update. I hope you like it.