A/N: Damn...now I'm all sentimental because of the last fic I did between Munch and Abby...LSM, this is all your fault, you know that, right? Just kidding...this one is for you...and H:LOTS isn't mine.
"You're sure you're going to be all right alone with her?"
"Rose. I know how to take care of a baby, all right? Just go. You guys are gonna be late."
"Yeah, but if you're not going to be ok while I'm gone…"
"I'm perfectly capable of babysitting for a few hours. You'll miss the whole damn play if you don't leave now."
"She's starting to walk, Abby. Don't you dare let her fall down those basement stairs or I swear to God I'll kill you."
"If John doesn't get there first." I glanced at my watch, leaning against the kitchen doorframe, shaking my head. "You're going to be late," I said again. "Just go, will you?"
Rose glanced at Kai, who was playing with various wooden blocks on the floor behind me. "Make sure she gets to bed on time, huh?"
"If you tell me one more thing to do with that girl…" I said, trailing off, and Rose gave me a look before turning to leave.
"If anything happens while I'm gone, it's on you, Abby," she called over her shoulder.
"I know that!" I yelled back. The door leading into the garage slammed closed and then there was silence. I almost resented her telling me how to take care of a kid when I'd helped her raise all four of hers, but she always had been more responsible than me. I couldn't really blame her for it. Turning off the lights in the kitchen, I closed the door leading into the basement as I walked over and sat down where Kai was. She looked at me for a long while, saying nothing before going back to the blocks.
"That's great," I told her. "You can ignore me all you want, I'm not going anywhere. Rose would kill me if I did."
The only response I had to this was having a number of blocks pushed at me. I laughed and moved so that I way lying on my stomach facing her, and started to stack them.
A few minutes later, I heard the front door open. Thinking it was Rose, I got to my feet and moved to tell her off for coming back…but it wasn't her.
"She give you any trouble today?" John's voice drifted in from the entryway; before I could reply, he appeared in the living room…and then Kai saw him. I waited, saying nothing, watching to see what she would do. The coffee table was just in her reach. And as I expected, she reached for it and pulled herself up, before slowly letting go and starting towards us.
"When did….when did that happen?" When I turned to face John again, the startled look on his face silenced any sarcasm I was half ready to throw at him. I didn't answer, and he didn't notice. Instead, he got to his knees and held his arms out to her as she continued towards us, wobbling slightly on her feet. When she got to him, he picked her up and kissed her forehead as she hid her face in his shirt.
"When did that happen?" he asked again, not looking at me, but rather at her. I hesitated for a moment, not having the heart to tell him that she'd been walking since the night before. So I shrugged, figuring that in this case, for once, it was better to lie.
"First time all day," I said. "Why?" He glanced at me, moving to sit down with Kai still in his arms.
"I was afraid I'd miss it," he admitted quietly. "I'm glad I didn't."