Three: Bonding
Plot: With his wife and oldest daughter and elder grandchildren out for a few hours, Edward tries his best to bond with his two year old grandson and his twelve year old twin daughters while his son in law is working.
"Ricky, come on little buddy. You gotta let go," Bobby Lee stressed, seeing his little boy, a rather and normally noisy toddler cling to his leg. "Daddy's gotta be with some big boys today."
"I big boy!" Ricky pouted, not letting go. "I go!"
"Ricky... It's for grown up big boys," Madeline explained with a smile. "And grown up big boys do well grown up things."
"Don't go!" Ricky cried.
"I think this will help," Sabrina smiled. She picked up a certain black and gray plush toy that Ricky loved. "Ricky, who wants to play with Zoomer?"
Ricky's grip on Bobby Lee's pant leg loosened when he saw one of his favorite toys. "Zoomer!" he cheered.
"What's that, Zoomer? You want to play with Ricky too?" Sabrina asked, taking a leaf out of Elena's book and making it look like the plush Jaquin was talking to her.
"Play with Zoomer!" Ricky giggled, crawling over to his aunt.
"Okay. I'll get the doll I made, and we can take her for a ride," Sabrina smiled. Even though she thought she was too old for dolls, she had made one last year from a craft kit she had gotten for Wassalia. Madeline had liked it too, so Sabrina made one for her.
"Everything's better with kitties," Bobby Lee smirked before shaking Edward's hands. "I know he's your grandchild but with Helen and the girls gone-"
"Don't worry. I know of his napping schedule and that you and Helen are trying your best at potty training him," Edward interrupted with assurance. "He'll do fine. We'll bond and everything."
"I really appreciate everything you're doing," Bobby Lee grinned. "I know you'll all get along really well. I'll try to be back in a few hours, but it all depends on where I'm needed for patrols, and what I need to do."
"And maybe we'll get James to sing something with Sabrina for Ricky," Edward agreed. "Just like Elena, Ricky loves songs about kitties."
"Or maybe you could play her or Gabby's tape for him," Bobby Lee added. "Roland and Miranda told me that James is sick, so they confined him to his room."
Ricky looked sad that his friend was sick. He liked it when James sang. "No kitty songs?" he asked.
"No little buddy," Bobby Lee sighed, stroking his hair before brightening up. "But your big sister has kitty songs."
"Elena kitty songs?" Ricky asked with a smile.
"Yes!" Edward laughed, picking him up. "Let's let Daddy leave and your aunties and I will get it for you."
"Okay," Ricky agreed. "Daddy, be good!"
"Okay, Ricky!" Bobby Lee grinned as he left.
Edward came back in a few moments with a cassette tape. He knew that Elena and Gabby both had tapes full of cat-themed songs that James had made for them when they were younger (Elena's was the original while Gabby's was a copy that Cedric had made. Then when it was discovered that Ricky also loved cats, Cedric copied Elena's tape for him). "Well, Ricky, shall we sing your kitty songs?"
"Yeah!" Ricky cheered, climbing up on his lap as he started the tape.
"Good boy!" Edward laughed, stroking his hair. "You're not the only one that loves animals."
"Mommy and aunties do too?" Ricky asked with a smile.
"Yes we do," Sabrina grinned, glancing at her nephew with a smile.
Sabrina loved taking Ricky out to the stables to see the barn cats, Snow White, and James' dog. She always held him up to pet the horses, and she told him that when he was older, she'd take him on a ride with her on one of them. Of course, she remembered seeing what happened with Gabby when she rode a flying horse, and she didn't want history to repeat itself.
Edward nodded in agreement beside her. He even offered to ride along with Ricky if he wanted to be on a flying horse, but Nell and Bobby Lee had been firm. Supervised or not, Ricky would not ride a flying horse until he was older. But for now, the family was happy to let Ricky pet the horses.
And Ricky didn't mind petting the horses. He just didn't know what to say to his grandpa, trying his best to be good and not show signs of having to use the potty.
Being two he didn't always say that he wanted things right away unless it was his sisters, cookies, and kitties.
Edward, however, knew the look on his face all too well. "Why don't we take a potty break before we see the horses, Ricky?" he suggested.
Ricky smiled, and when he was ready, they went out to the stables, with Madeline and Sabrina right behind them.
Even though they were older and had become somewhat calmer, Madeline and Sabrina were still not allowed to be near Snow White unless Elena said otherwise. They had been faithful about that, and they let Ricky and Edward play with the cats in the stable while they talked to the horses.
"So Ricky who's your favorite?" Edward asked playfully, like he used to do with his girls around his age.
"Kitty!" Ricky squealed, gently petting Snow White.
"No no buddy. Who's your favorite person?" Edward asked, gently stroking his hair.
"Mommy! Daddy!" Ricky giggled, clapping his hands excitedly.
"Aw... What about Grandpa?" Edward pouted again playfully as he remembered Nell hugging him long ago when he had pouted his lip at her liking his wife more than him.
"Love Grandpa!" Ricky giggled as Snow White and her cat mommy Golden Flower rubbed against him.
"That's what I thought you said," Edward grinned, tossing Ricky up like he used to with Nell, Madeline, and Sabrina.
Ricky squealed as he flew up in the air and Edward caught him. If there was one thing he liked as much as cuddling with someone, it was when someone tossed him up in the air.
"Your mommy liked that too," Edward smiled, putting him down.
"Why Elena and Gabby no look like Daddy?" Ricky asked, leaving Edward stunned and a bit shocked.
"What do you mean?" Edward asked, gently petting Snow White.
"Why hair brown?" Ricky asked again as the kitties surrounded him.
Edward looked uneasy at the question. He knew it would be brought up one day, but he didn't think it would be so soon. He also saw that Madeline and Sabrina shook their heads, silently begging him not to answer. "Well, Ricky, I don't think I'm the right person to ask," he said slowly, wanting to spare his daughters' feelings of what had happened to them and Nell. "Why don't you ask Mommy or Daddy when you see them again?"
"Okay," Ricky nodded and went to play with something else, to Edward and the girls' relief. Being two years old, Ricky's attention was easily taken by something else.
"You know we'll have to tell him sometime," Sabrina murmured.
"Just not now," Madeline added.
"I know," Edward murmured, putting an arm around the girls and hugging them. "We'll all tell him when the time's right."
"Or get Elena and Gabby red hair dye," Sabrina suggested with a smile.
"Maybe," Edward smirked at the suggestion. "But then for using hair dye on them without permission, your mother and sister would have my head on a platter!"
"We'll tell Nell and Mommy it was our idea!" Madeline assured him.
"How about we leave everyone's hair alone and talk to them about this later?" Edward suggested.
"Okay," Madeline sighed before smiling at Ricky who was laying next to Golden Flower. "Daddy look!"
"Won't you look at that!" Edward chuckled, picking up his grandson. "What were you trying to get from the kitty Richard?"
"Milk!" Ricky pouted, looking up at his aunts who were trying not to laugh.
"Your sippy cup is inside silly Ricky!" Sabrina chuckled, softly stroking his hair. "Why didn't you say something?"
"I not want milk then," Ricky admitted.
"Oh, the stories I could tell you about Madeline and Sabrina doing something like that when they were your age," Edward grinned, "but I won't, since I don't want to embarrass them."
"Thank you," Madeline muttered.
Sabrina nodded in agreement, then suggested, "Why don't we take Ricky back and get him some milk, then we can read to him or play another kitty song."
"I think milk would cheer him up," Edward said with a smile.
"Why?" Madeline asked in confusion. "Is he sleepy?"
"It's getting close to his nap time," Edward explained, looking at his pocket watch. "We'll give him some milk, then put him down. Then maybe by the time he wakes up, the girls will be back."
"Okay," Madeline nodded, Sabrina nodding at her side.
With his sippy cup in his hands, Ricky looked up at his grandfather.
He didn't know what Edward really did except maybe be his mommy's daddy as the little boy had put down the cup and hugged him.
"Love Grandpa!" Ricky giggled, reaching out for Edward's slowly turning gray hair.
"And Grandpa loves you," Edward smiled. "And while your tape is still out, would you like another kitty song?"
"Okay," Ricky smiled as Sabrina flew Zoomer over to him, and Madeline covered him and Edward with a blanket. "Kitties sing."
"You're right, Ricky! Kitties do sing!" Madeline smiled.
Ricky started to snuggle on Edward's chest as Edward laughed softly, stroking his hair.
"Sleep on little buddy," Edward encouraged, feeling his own eyes close. "The kitties will keep you company."
Ricky and Edward had just fallen asleep when Nell, Elena, and Gabby came in. Elena was about to shout out Ricky's name, when Sabrina stopped her. "Don't!" she whispered. "Ricky's asleep. So is Grandpa."
"Well, then, let's let sleeping Rickies and Grandpas lie," Nell chuckled as Edward looked up.
"Or let sleeping Rickies lie anyway," Edward smiled. "You know I wake up for everything, Helenita, and your mother becomes dead to the world when she hits the pillow."
"Why don't I put him to bed, Papa?" Nell murmured, putting her bags down and taking Ricky. "Thank you so much for taking care of him."
"It's no trouble, sweetheart," Edward smiled.
"Did you bond at least?" Bobby Lee asked with a grin.
"Says my son in law who's caked with mud," Edward smiled, feeling Ricky stroking his hand. "You young men spend your time playing instead of guarding?"
"I walked through a mud puddle as I was patrolling outside," Bobby Lee explained. "I didn't know it was so deep until I sank up to my knees. Luckily I was wearing high boots. Some of the guys tried to help me, but they got stuck too, and we struggled in the mud to get out."
"What? A bunch of big strong guys were mud wrestling and I missed it!" Nell teased him.
"Helenita, to quote your mother, little pitchers!" Edward pointed at Ricky, who was still asleep, but he couldn't help but laugh himself.
"Daddy was good today!" Madeline giggled, clapping her hands.
"Really?" Lydia smiled, kissing her husband's cheek. "He's covered in cat fur."
"So? Kitties good!" Elena shouted softly, clapping her hands.
"We went to the stables to visit Snow White and the kitties," Edward smiled. "And don't worry, sweetheart, I'll clean Ricky up when he's awake."
"I know," Nell smiled. "Next to me and Daddy, he loves it when you give him a bath."
"How was your trip?" Sabrina asked, glancing at the bags.
"Nell I have a question about hair dye," Madeline explained with an uneasy smile.
"What for?" Nell wondered, a bit surprise. "Because if it's for you then no."
"It's not for me," Madeline assured her, "Ricky was talking to Daddy in the stables earlier, and he wanted to know why his hair is brown."
Nell bit her lip. "We'll tell him everything about that, Madeline, just not now," she said after a few moments. "I knew he'd ask questions, but I didn't expect him to start asking them already."
"It'll be all right, Helen," Bobby Lee assured her, "When the time's right, we'll tell Ricky everything. And you don't have to worry. We'll all tell him about it. You won't have to do this alone."
"Not his hair Maddie. Elena and Gabby's hair," Sabrina reminded her sister with a smile. "He wondered why their hair was brown."
"Did I say his hair? I meant theirs!" Nell looked embarrassed. "I've been on my feet since we left, and we looked at several dresses for Elena and Gabby, and shoes for them, and I guess I can't think straight!"
"It happens to the best of us, sweetheart," Lydia smiled. "Why don't you go lie down, and the girls and I can bring the bags in."
"I'll help too, as soon as I get cleaned up," Bobby Lee offered.