First of all, just some author comments: I find it difficult to write Kirsten, but I'll make her have a nice chat with Seth in this chapter, it was going to be Sandy, but never mind! I just always got the feeling that Sandy & Seth were more like best friends when Seth was little and Kirsten's more of the actual parent... Since she's kind of quiet and reserved, I find her more difficult to write, but with Seth and Sandy, I can run off at tangents and be silly! Great fun! Having done lots of babysitting and having been 'adopted' as big sister by lots of kids, I think I write children quite well, the way to express stuff they say that is so way out there for adults but makes perfect sense to them, the problems they have remembering some words and their tendancy to be totally honest in their opinions comes easily to me. And for Seth, I thought of the most talkative kid I've ever babysat for and increased it, added the bits and pieces The OC has revealed and... voila!

To whoever commented on Sandy calling Seth "my darling", I think it works,it wouldn't be in the fanfic if I didn't think it did, and it's also what the Nana calls Sandy sometimes, so it made sense to me that parents would use the same terms of endearment with their kids as the ones their parents used with them, if that makes sense. I don't like using kid or kiddo, buddy doesn't do it for me either, and sweetie & sweetheart are more Kirsten's words, so it's got to be my darling really! If I get more comments about it from different people, I'll change it, but will need suggestions as to what to change it to!

Captain Oats had stayed on the table throughout dinner, with Seth intermittently whispering to him in between bites of steak, fries, salad and strawberries, much to the amusement of his parents. He'd shared with his parents that he was the only one who could talk to Captain Oats, as he knew how to speak Horsish and they didn't, but he'd translate for them if they wanted to ask the horse something.

"Come on Seth, it's bath time!" Kirsten announced cheerfully.

"Do I have to, Mommy?" he complained, looking like he'd just been given an ice cream that had been snatched away before he'd been able to have a bite and then had to watch someone else eat it.

"Yes, you do, Setheleh, because Mommy says so" Sandy replied, anticipating Seth's "But why?" that was his normal form of protest.

"Seth, go with Mommy, you've got til the count of three," Sandy warned.

"One," he began in a no nosense tone.

Seth scrambled from his seat, grabbing his toy horse from the table before running to his mother's side.

" Captain Oats wouldn't make such a fuss about having a bath, would he, Seth?" she questioned.

Seth pondered this fact for a second, then whispered something in the horse's ear and then turned the toy's nose to his ear. He looked like he was listening carefully and finally nodded.

"Captain Oats hates baths too, Mommy, but he'll stay with me and help me with mine, OK?" he declared.

"Sure, sweetie, that's fine. You can help put the bubbles in, if you want." she replied, reaching out to hold Seth's hand as they went upstairs together.

Once Seth had been soaped and rinsed all over, his hair had been washed and he'd played for a bit, under Kirsten's watchful motherly eye, he got out. His mother wrapped him up in a big Superman towel and carried him to his room to dry him off. She tickled him as she did so, then got him into his pyjamas, chased him round the room so she could 'capture' him and then blow dry his hair. He liked pretending he was in a tornado when she was using the hairdryer, so she picked him up and spun him round when she'd finished, pressing a kiss to his cheek and calling him her lovable tornado.

Seth brushed his teeth and attempted to brush Captain Oats' too, but Kirsten distracted him with the idea of a story before he covered the sink in toothpaste.

She carried him back into his room, taking in his smell and warmth that she would love to bottle and sell as indiluted essence of Small Child, a positively intoxicating scent for any mother, she ascertained.

Seth chose two stories and they cuddled up together on Seth's bed, with Seth clutching his horse across his chest. Seth commented that she had pretty hair, like the picture of the heroine in the story and asked if she was a princess-well, they lived in a palace, and the picture of the prince in the story looked a bit like Daddy, but with smaller eyebrows, so it would make sense if she was a princess and Daddy was a prince. She also had pretty clothes, which was further proof in his eyes.

She smiled at her little boy and the craziness of kids' logic and put the book down.

She asked Seth if he'd like to hear a real story, the one of Mommy and Daddy's meeting. Seth nodded enthusiastically, so she explained what college was like, in terms a five year old could grasp, then explained she'd met Sandy at a Halloween party that her room-mate had taken her to, that she'd met him there and that they'd fallen in love.

She asked him what he thought the ending to the story might be and he piped up immediately.

"They got married and lived happily ever after with their one little boy for ever and ever and ever" Seth exclaimed, practically jumping out of bed in his excitement.

"That's right, sweetheart, we did get married and had a wonderful little boy... A wonderful little boy who has to go to sleep now though." She replied, pulling the covers back so he could be tucked in. He put his arms out for a cuddle before he snuggled down, which she gave to him. She tucked him in gently, taking in his gaze as he peered up at her adoringly.

She kissed his cheek and offered her face up for Seth to kiss, which he did. He commented on the softness of her skin and that she smelt nice, and then thrust his plastic horse in her face, claiming that he needed a goodnight kiss too. She complied, smoothed Seth's hair and tucked him in tighter.

"Goodnight, sweetie, sleep tight and sweet dreams, I'll see you in the morning. Daddy will be up in a minute to give you your goodnight kiss too, OK." she declared, turning on the nightlight and going to turn off the main light.

She did so and was heading for the door when Seth called out to her, his tone urgent.

"What's the matter, sweetheart?" she replied, rushing to Seth's bed in concern.

"Is Marissa's Daddy still in love with you, Mommy? I think he is." Seth stated firmly.

Kirsten sat on the floor next to her little boy's bed, took his hand and looked him in the eye.

Kirsten's mind raced into overdrive. She knew it had been stupid to tell him that she and Jimmy had been boyfriend & girlfriend "a long long time ago, before I met Daddy", but Seth's pestering and thirst for detail had worn her down over dinner. Sometimes persistence was not a virtue, and certainly not in 5 year old boys, she decided.

"I don't think he does anymore, sweetie, as he's married to Marissa's mommy now, and they have Marissa and Kaitlyn together, they're a happy family, just like you and me and Daddy." she finally replied, hoping that her answer would satisfy Seth.

" Now it really is bedtime, " she declared, kissing Seth's forehead as she stood up.

Seth nodded sleepily and snuggled down further into his bed.

Kirsten crept out of the room, convinced Seth had mumbled "I love you" to her in that moment before sleep. She smiled happily at that, left the door open a crack and then made her way downstairs.

She bumped into Sandy who was coming up to say goodnight to Seth. They paused on their respective steps, Kirsten said she'd told Seth about how they met. Sandy smiled at her mischieviously.

"Remind me again of our first kiss" he said cheekily, earning him a playful swat from his wife who then gave him a passionate kiss.

Sandy eventually pulled away, gesturing at the top of the stairs.

"He's fast asleep, honey, he was even before I left the room, it's a miracle!" she announced.

They shared a look of tenderness and compassion and they both crept the rest of the way to their destinations: Kirsten to the lounge and Sandy to his little boy's room.

He pushed the door open a little wider and leaned on the frame, watching his son sleep peacefully. He snuffled in his sleep, unable to even do that quietly.

Sandy made his way to Seth's bed and knelt by it, listening to his breathing and seeing the relaxed expression on his face.

He smoothed the mad curly hair that his son had inherited from him, kissed him on the temple and whispered goodnight to him, then adding that he loved him.

It was almost as if Seth had heard him, as his hand reached out and touched Sandy's cheek before it dropped to the bed.

Sandy left the room as quietly as he'd come in, knowing that if Seth woke up, they'd never hear the end of it: he'd ask for more juice, another story, a cuddle and then would finally get into his parents' bed in the early hours of the morning, so he seriously hoped that wouldn't happen.

He stood at the door again, so grateful for his beautiful wife and gorgeous child. He simply didn't understand how any parent could possibly abandon their children and wife the way his dad had done. He'd known from the age of seven, which was when his dad had left, that he'd never be like that when he was a daddy and a husband. He stayed a moment longer in his reverie before heading down to the lounge to spend some quality time with Kirsten, which would hopefully lead to their bedroom later.