Nixie
Disclaimer: I don't own them (cry).
A/N: Ok, another fluffy chapter 4 U! There are two more fluffy chapters after this one—my goal is that with all the fluff that by the time the angst comes around, you'll all be so sick of fluff that the angst will be ten times better :-) Oh and did I mention you guys rock? Well you do! Your reviews are all so wonderful! You keep reviewing and I'll keep writing—it seems like a good arrangement to me:-) Oh and does anyone know who does the song in Moulin Rouge called "Because we can"? I think it's Fatboy Slim but I am not entirely sure…can someone help me out here?
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Chapter Fourteen: Because We Can (Moulin Rouge Soundtrack)
The days seemed to crawl by and as much as Don loved his father, Alan was hovering over his oldest son and granddaughter too much. The FBI agent just spent another afternoon in the park with his daughter and was fully expecting when he walked into the kitchen to have his father play a surprise game of twenty questions. 'Did she scrap her knees again? How many times did she fall? You need to keep a better eye on her Donnie…'
Don sighed. He, of all people, knew the vital importance of keeping his eye on Nixie in a public place like the park. He worked enough kidnapping cases to know that. And there was that incident in New York…
But no one knew about that and his father insisted on 'reminding' him of the 'dangers of strangers' every single time Don went somewhere with Nixie. The agent might still be getting the hang of fatherhood, but he felt that he wasn't completely hopeless.
It was another sunny summer afternoon in L.A. and all Don wanted to do was turn around and walk right back out of the house. He began to sift through various ideas in his head as he entered into the kitchen. The zoo? No too hot outside—all the animals will be hiding in the shade…can't go back to the park again…
Don surveyed the situation as he was greeted by his father and brother—or rather greeted by his father. Charlie made a sound that might have been a greeting or he was just clearing some flem from his throat. The professor was up to his elbows on some new math project—he'd been working for almost a week straight now and was only stopped working when either his brother or his father made him eat and sleep. Don smiled as he remembered how Nixie had sat across from her uncle studying him with the same intensity that he studied his papers. She liked to look at people, but not while they were looking back—so when Charlie became oblivious to the world, it was the perfect opportunity for her to observe her uncle without being observed back.
He ruffled his daughter's hair, who was standing contentedly at his side. Abruptly, Alan broke into his son's thoughts.
"Donnie, would you mind running to the store for me. There are a few things I need…."
"Oh I see how it is—invite me back to live in the house so I can be your slave." Don joked and was rewarded with a low chuckle from his father.
"Nonsense, just hurry up and go to the store already or I'll be forced to whip you." Alan put on a serious face as his eldest laughed.
"Damn, well do you have a list then?" The FBI agent smirked as his father muttered and began to rifle through some papers on the counter. Nixie giggled as her grandfather swore under his breath as he vainly tried to find the list he was so sure that he wrote.
"It's here somewhere…." The older man muttered for the thousandth time.
"Hey, I need a couple things too if you don't mind…" Charlie had spoken abruptly and trailed off as the other Eppes men regarded him with a bemused expression, somewhat amazed that he had any awareness of what had been going on around him.
"What?" The mathematician inquired, entirely unsure of why they were looking at him so oddly.
"I have a better idea Charlie, why don't you go with your brother?"
"But…"
"No 'buts' young man—you've been cooped up inside this house for a week now, a little shopping won't kill you," Alan steamrolled over his son's protestations, "You don't mind do you Donnie?"
"Oh its no problem at all." Don grinned as his younger brother shot him an annoyed look.
"Fine…fine." Charlie threw up his hands in defeat. Sometimes, he knew there were certain things he just wasn't going to get out of.
"I'm going too!" A small voice piped.
"Of course you are sunshine!" Don smiled again as he regarded the eager child standing next to him. Even Charlie, as annoyed as he was, had to smile at the girl's enthusiasm.
"Ah-ha!" Alan held up the shopping list triumphantly, "I knew it was here somewhere—didn't I tell you it was here?"
"Yeah, yeah." The agent snatched the list from his father's hands and grinned over his shoulder at his father as he walked towards the front door, Nixie's small hand enfolded in his.
"We'll be back in a little while!" Don called as he, his daughter, and Charlie left the house.
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Don pulled out a grocery cart and tried to ignore the moping expression his brother had decided to adopt. Instead, the agent focused on a much cheerier person.
"Hey sweetheart, you want to ride in the basket?"
"Yes!" She nodded enthusiastically, hopping up and down in anticipation. Don swooped her up from the ground and placed her in the seat in the cart. Her little legs immediately began to swing back and forth as she turned her head in every possible direction, observing and taking in all of her surroundings.
"Hey Charlie why don't you grab a cart and go get what you need, and I'll meet you at checkout." Don suggested, as the professor huffed.
"I'll get done way before you do and I'll have to stand around and wait for you…" Charlie looked to be even more annoyed. The agent however, grinned. This could be fun…
"Is that so? There isn't much on dad's list—I'll have to stand around and wait for you." Charlie's eyebrows quirked as he picked up on his brother's challenge.
"Five bucks says I can get my stuff before you can get your stuff for dad."
"You're on." The FBI agent held out his hand, and as they shook hands they both grinned. As least Charlie isn't moping anymore…Don thought.
"Let me get my cart first, we both have to start at the same time." The math professor held a finger up signaling for Don to wait as he turned and jogged over to grab a cart. He quickly returned and they both lined up side by side.
"Who gets to say go?" Don asked.
"I do!" Nixie chimed in and both men chuckled.
"Ok tell us when."
"Ummm…ok…ready? GO!"
Both brothers took off at a run and went through the first aisle together, Nixie laughing manically as Don rammed into Charlie's cart into a shelf and ran off ahead, sticking his tongue out at his brother's incredulous expression as he fought to get his cart disentangled from the shelf.
They lost track of each other for awhile, Don hurriedly pick out the things on the list as Nixie read it to him and Charlie just a few aisles over was pulling items off the shelf from memory.
They both almost ran directly into each other as they came through the last aisle. Don nearly tipped the cart, squealing child and all as he fairly skid around the corner in front of Charlie who was trying his damnedest to pay his brother back for ramming him earlier. The two of them slid into the checkout line, not caring about the stares they were getting or about how the clerk looked about ready to call security. They were out of breath and laughing. They had just about caught their breath when a pronouncement from Nixie sent them into another fit of hysterics.
"Tie! Race again!"
When they finally calmed down, they were halfway up through the long line and Don tired to explain to the child why they couldn't race again without most likely being thrown out.
"Why can't we race again daddy? That was fun!"
"I know sweetheart, but I don't think the store owners like people racing through the aisles…."
"But why?"
"Because they're old and cranky." Charlie whispered conspiratorially to the six-year-old. The child giggled.
"Plus we're tired." Don interjected before she could protest anymore. He knew that if he let her keep going that both he and his brother would cave in to her request. Who could turn down a sweet face like hers?
They were up the conveyor belt and were taking the groceries out of the cart when Charlie nudged Don. The agent looked at his brother curiously as his younger brother jerked his head towards the girl. Don didn't understand at first, until he realized that Nixie seemed to be staring at a display of medium-sized floppy stuffed dogs. He nodded at his brother, favoring him with an expression that said 'good eye.'
"Hey sunshine, you want one of those?" The child jumped. She hadn't realized they were watching her. She shrugged, and looked down at her feet. In certain areas she was still uncomfortable and asking for things was one of those areas.
"Go ahead and grab one." Don encouraged. Her head came up and she peered at him for a moment, unsure, before reaching over and snatching one of the dark blue stuffed dogs as though if she didn't grab it quick enough, her father would change his mind. Charlie shared a sympathetic look with his brother, as they both realized that it would be along time before she was over certain habits she'd gained while in her mother's custody.
They paid for their groceries and walked out the door, laughing the whole way home because Don had managed to get Charlie to carry most of the bags to the car without him realizing it until they were at the SUV.
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A/N: Eh, I'm not so sure I like this chapter. It's definitely not my best one. I was really struggling with how to do the descriptions. Depending on the reviews, I might yank this chapter out since it's not overly important to the plot. The most important thing was the purchase of the stuffed dog but that can be easily written into another chapter. Anyway let me know what you think!