Nixie
Disclaimer: Ah, I don't own them…unfortunately…
A/N: Ahh! So sorry for the long delay! I kinda went WHACK- (thump) with this story…hit the wall and fell on the floor…stupid writer's block…then I had ideas of what I wanted to write but I went WHACK- (thump) again trying to think of a good transition.
Bear with me people.
Here's the plan thus far (just so you know what to expect): I'm going to write another 4 fluffy chapters followed by approximately 5 chapters dealing with a very angsty situation with another couple chapters after that to wrap it all up. So we're looking at another, eh, 9 to 11 chapters for this fic. R&R as always. Constructive criticism appreciated.
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Chapter Thirteen: Glad All Over (Dave Clark Five)
The day was warm and arid as the three men and one little girl finished breakfast in their kitchen, the windows open letting in the gentle dry breeze of the early summer day. It had been a week since Don had returned home with his newfound daughter and the three men were still making adjustments.
Don had to re-accustom himself to living with his father and brother, as well as take a crash course on how to raise a child, as told by a very wise man. It didn't matter how many times he told his father that he would figure it out; Alan was always ready with a nugget of advice. Don would never admit it, but he was glad that his father didn't leave him to figure it out on his own.
Alan had virtually very little to get used to. He'd been waiting for grandchildren for some time and now that one was finally present, albeit a little bit late, Alan was thoroughly enjoying the experience. If anything, he had to adjust to having both sons at home as well as a granddaughter and make larger meals.
Charlie perhaps, had the most adjusting to do. He learned very quickly that he could no longer leave his papers and books just lying around the house or else curious little hands would get into them and ruin his system of "organization." He also learned to keep his papers away from the child when she held some sort of beverage. The first time she spilled her kool-aid all over his latest mathematical project was when the two of them had been alone in the house, and the mathematician had been stunned and upset.
Charlie also learned that Nixie was very sensitive.
He tried not to yell at her, he really did. Yet his tone was more than just a little annoyed and his frustration was evident.
Needless to say, Charlie spent an hour trying to calm the child down as she had almost immediately dissolved into tears when the professor's voice had betrayed his annoyance.
At any rate, the trio of men made their adjustments and now, a week later, they were all getting rather comfortable with having a child around the household.
They were clearing the dishes from the table when Charlie abruptly snapped his fingers as some thought occurred to him.
"Dad," he spoke getting his father's attention. "The other day I found a box out in the solarium—I think it's some of your old city planning stuff—I wasn't sure if it was important or not since you're consulting now…." Alan frowned trying to remember.
"I'm not sure," The older man tapped his fingers on the counter unable to remember, "Let's go out take a look, shall we?" Charlie nodded as Alan turned towards Don and Nixie, "I trust the two of you can handle doing the dishes on your own?" His serious expression was undermined by the bemused twinkle in his eyes.
"Oh sure dad," Don spoke with mock-sarcasm, "Leave us with the hard labor…" His father and Charlie chuckled, "yeah dad, we'll do them." The agent continued, smiling.
The two men left the room with amused expressions as Nixie began to drag a chair over to the sink, eager to help.
"You know," Don commented to his daughter, "In ten years you aren't going to want to help me do this any more…" The girl giggled.
"Sure I will daddy."
"That's what they all say."
"Who's 'they'?"
"Every other six year old in the world."
"Nuh-uh"
"Yes-huh"
"Nuh-uh"
"Daddy, you're silly."
"How did you find me out?"
"I just knew."
"You're so smart."
"I know."
They continued to banter, Nixie washing the dishes under her father's watchful eye and he dried and put them away as Nixie's manual dexterity was not yet worthy for handling the breakables for extended periods of time. They were nearly done when a smart comment from Nixie caused Don to flick some water from the faucet at her.
"Hey!" She put her hands on her hips and scowled as her father laughed. She placed her hands under the faucet and flung a handful of water at her father, giggling as it hit him in the chest and he pretended to be wounded, staggering dramatically clutching his hand to where the water hit as if he'd received some fatal wound. Such a dreadful wound called for immediate retaliation…
The 'water fight' was fully underway by the time Charlie re-entered the kitchen, the few remaining dishes lying forgotten on the counter. Alan was still in the solarium rummaging through the box his son had found.
"So who's winning?" The math professor asked, laughing at his damp brother and niece.
"I am." Don grinned as Nixie spoke simultaneously, "He is."
"Care to join?" Charlie dodged the water his older brother flicked at him and shook his head.
"No I think I'll pass and hang out here by the radio—you know how water and electronics don't mix." The younger man turned on the electronic device in question and began to fiddle with the dial.
"Chicken." Don taunted as Nixie giggled again as she got scored another hit on her father with the water.
"At least I'm a dry chicken." Charlie grinned over his shoulder at the two of them.
"You're still a chicken—isn't he a chicken sweetheart?"
"A big chicken." The small girl nodded enthusiastically and grinned ear to ear as Charlie pretended to look hurt. She knew he wasn't really, and his 'wounded' face was funny.
The mathematician chuckled, and then bobbed his head animatedly when he came across a song he liked. He didn't notice the two behind him had fallen suspiciously silent until it was too late.
Don dumped half a cup of water over his younger brother's head, carefully making sure none got on the radio that the professor had been using as a makeshift shield.
"Oh that isn't fair!" Charlie spluttered, water running down his face as his older brother and niece fairly cackled with mischievous laughter. "You're so dead." The professor moved with surprising agility and put his brother in a headlock and attempted to get his brother's head under the still running faucet. Nixie moved her chair out of the way and then stood next to it jumping up and down, snickering uncontrollably.
The two brothers mock wrestled for the child's amusement, both enjoying the sound of her laughter and having entirely too much fun themselves. Silently they managed to communicate a plot between themselves and suddenly, at the same time, they disentangled from each other and grabbed Nixie and carried her over, squirming and giggling to the faucet. They got her face within an inch of the water before her squeals of amusement became unbearably loud and they set her down, all three of them laughing.
They sat for a moment before Don leapt up and scooped up his daughter, twirling her around the kitchen to the beat of a lively tune that the radio now played. Charlie cheered them on as he turned up the radio until it practically blasted. The professor began to sing along to the simply lyrics as his brother danced around with Nixie who seemed to have developed an incurable and permanent case of the giggles.
The three of them failed to notice Alan who had come back inside through the front door. He'd seen them and all their mischief through the window and decided that he wanted to try and dig out the old camcorder and catch them unawares.
Sure enough it lay dusty in the corner in a box in Alan's room. He snuck back out to the kitchen pressing the record button, trying to suppress his laughter as he witnessed his sons taking turns dancing around with the small child who was having the time of her life.
Don held Nixie in his arms, the child was facing out from her father and her uncle had a hold of her arms and was moving them in an exaggerated parody of dancing. The delightful chaos in the kitchen was perhaps the truest fun the men had had in a long while.
"Hey!" Don called out, putting Nixie down as he noticed Alan peering around the corner with the camcorder, "That," he continued as Charlie and Nixie turned, looking at Alan and grinning as Don pointed at his father, "is not cool!"
The professor and the child dissolved into helpless laughter as the FBI agent dove after his father, vainly attempting to snatch the camcorder from Alan's hands as the older man ducked out of the kitchen with surprising speed, laughing all the while.
No one seemed to care that the dishes weren't done, or that there was water all over the kitchen floor.
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A/N: ok that was tricky to end. I spent forever trying to think of a good closing line. That was the best I could come up with. Anyway let me know what you think.