A/N: I WILL HAVE TWO MORE CHAPTERS TO UPLOAD TOMORROW, JUST HAVE TO RE-READ THEM AND EDIT THEM AS MUCH AS I CAN.
I DO NOT OWN ANYONE OR ANYTHING IN THIS STORY BESIDES THE OC'S.
Neal's Point of View-
I sat there thinking about Leslie and I when Olivia ran up to me out of breath from running so much.
"Where'd June go?" Olivia asked.
"Back home...you done playing?"
"Yeah...may we come back later?" Olivia asked.
"If we have time..." I said as I stood up grabbing her hand as we headed to her apartment trying to remember everything, I kept Olivia closer to me as we got to that side of town because I didn't need her getting mixed in with those people. We walked up the steps, I pulled out the keys looking at them not sure which one was which.
"It's this one." Olivia said pointing to the one, I smiled and grabbed that key.
"Thanks..." I said using that key to open the door pulling it open for Olivia letting her walk in before me, we walked up the 4 sets of stairs and went to her room where Olivia pointed out the key again using it to open the door. We immediately went in and I locked all the locks double checking their security before I turned around.
"I need my backpack..." Olivia said grabbing her backpack from the floor between the bathroom and kitchen.
"A new outfit..." I said as Olivia carried her backpack to the bed setting it on the bed before she knelt down pulling out drawers below grabbing a her new school outfit to wear putting it in her backpack. I opened the bathroom door grabbing the bathing supplies along with the toothbrushes and other supplies that she would need. I walked out setting it on the bed as she would put it into her backpack. I walked over to the kitchen area looking in the fridge and the cupboards seeing how bare they are.
"Is that it?" Olivia asked.
"Do you want to grab your mom a new outfit?" I asked.
"Alright..." Olivia said opening a different drawer grabbing more clothes.
"Do you always have this much food in your kitchen?" I asked opening another cupboard.
"Yep...we rarily ever eat at home..." Olivia said as I nodded as she pulled the backpack onto her back.
"Is that too heavy?"
"No I got it..." Olivia said as she smiled, I went to the door unlocking all the locks and closed the door behind us locking it. We walked back downstairs and out of the building heading to the grocery store. I grabbed a cart putting her back pack in it and Olivia climbed onto the front of the cart as I pushed it. I bought stuff for dinner tonight, snacks for Olivia in case she gets hungry and a box of Jiffy blueberry muffins that we could also cook tonight for breakfast. I also grabbed food that Leslie could take home with her for her and Olivia to eat, it should last them at least a week or two, probably more considering they are rarily home due to her work schedule. I bought a muffin pan along with the foil things, we went down the cleaning aisle where we grabbed a stool for Olivia to use then we headed to the gift cards.
"Have you bought Valentines Day cards for your class yet?" I asked grabbing one to look at.
"No..."
"Don't you do that every year?"
"Yeah...last year I made them..."
"Why don't we buy you a pack and we can make them tonight?" I asked as Olivia excitedly ran down the aisle grabbing a box of Hannah Montana Valentines Day cards. "Hannah Montana, good choice." I said smiling as I didn't know what one to grab.
"Do you have a Valentine?" Olivia asked.
"Not yet...I have someone in mind...do you?"
"No, boys are icky..." Olivia said which I chuckled.
"Good..." I said as we went up to a lane waiting in line until we went through purchasing everything that was in our cart before separating the bags to carry the block to my loft. When we went into my loft, we set all the bags on the ground in the kitchen area where I was able to separate the food to what was going to stay here and what will go with Leslie, but of course I put the things that needed to be refrigerated or frozen in the fridge and freezer so they won't go bad. Olivia helped me before she grabbed the stool taking it with her to the bathroom as I begun to grab the things we needed for the muffins taking them out to the table waiting for her to come out.
"You want to help make these muffins?" I asked.
"Yes…you know I love cooking." Olivia said as she climbed onto the one chair as I went and washed my hands before going back to the table seeing Olivia trying to open the foil muffin holders. "I can't open them." Olivia said handing them to me as I cut them with a pair scissors handing them back to her as she slid one into each slot on the pan as I was opening the Jiffy box.
"We need a bowl, huh?" I asked as Olivia nodded, I went and got a big bowl bringing it back letting Olivia read out the instructions on the side of the box before we did each step.
"How many muffins are we making?" Olivia asked as she stood beside me watching me pour the mixture into each foil cup.
"12, you know how many that is?" I asked.
"12?" Olivia asked as I chuckled, she got me on that one.
"12 equals a dozen." I said.
"Oh…how much would be 2 dozen?" Olivia asked.
"What is 12 plus 12?" I asked as I watched her out of the corner of my eye counting with her fingers.
"20?" She asked.
"Close…"
"Higher?" She asked.
"Yep…20 plus 4 is?" I asked as I poured the last one.
"24?" Olivia asked.
"Yep, two dozen is 24." I said as I set the bowl down, "We forgot to pre-heat the oven…" I said totally forgetting.
"It's okay Neal…" Olivia said as I went and set the oven to pre-heat going back to the table beginning the clean up with Olivia's help, then as I was washing the bowl when the oven went off and I slid the pan in as Olivia was watching Hannah Montana. I went to the backpack that Olivia was carrying beginning to pull the things out of it besides her work things setting the things in the areas they needed to be, I went back out grabbing the box of Valentine's going to put them in her bag when Olivia yelled "No! I want to make them!" Olivia said.
"Okay, do you know all your classmates names?" I asked.
"Yes…" Olivia said as I found a pencil for her to use, I went and sat beside her on the couch as she sat between the couch and my small coffee table addressing the Valentine's Day cards when I noticed she was glancing at me and giggling.
"What are you giggling at?" I asked.
"Nothing." She said smiling when the beeper went off, I got up going to the stove pulling out the muffins setting them on the stove top turning the oven off.
"They smell good…" I said smelling the blueberries mainly, Olivia ran over smelling them as well.
"They do smell good, may we have one?"
"Not now, you got to have dinner yet…" I said.
"You sound like mommy." Olivia said trying to stomp her feet back to the coffee table which is such a little kids thing to do. I went back to the couch letting the muffins cool as I read at my book waiting until Olivia said she was hungry to cook dinner, I checked my cell phone and saw I had a missed call and a voicemail, I call my voicemail to hear the following:
"Hey Neal, it's Leslie, I was calling to see how Olivia was doing…I may be late getting home today because tonight we are doing a special event and who knows how long they are keeping me….sorry…its okay if you want to bring Olivia here if you don't want to watch her anymore. Thanks." Leslie said as she hung up.
"Who was it?" Olivia asked sitting up from addressing her Valentine's Day cards.
"Your mom, she may be working later than usual tonight…Olivia, has your mom taught you any code words or hiding spots?" I asked.
"What do you mean?" Olivia asked.
"Apparently not….when I was your age, my mom and I had a code word, it can be any word and when she said it, I would go to my spot wherever it may be in the house."
"Why would I need one?" Olivia asked.
"In case something bad happens, like if someone breaks into your apartment." I said.
"Oh…no, mommy and I don't have one…" Olivia said.
"We are going to now…what is your favorite word?" I asked.
"Hm…I like moo…" Olivia said.
"Moo?" I asked and she nodded, "Okay…come with me…I got a perfect spot for you…" I said as I stood up and she followed me to my closet, I moved some of my suit jackets out of the way showing this low ceiling shelter type thing, I don't know how to describe it but it was oddly shaped and it caved in and around. "You see that little part that is out of site?"
"Yeah…" Olivia said as I pointed to it.
"That is your hiding spot when you're here, when I or your mom say moo, come here when you can, if it's not safe hide where you can where your at….but if you can, come here…" I said.
"Okay…" Olivia nodded.
"Can you remember this?" I asked.
"Yep….I like secrets like this…" Olivia said.
"Good…"
"Where will I hide at my house?" Olivia asked.
"Your mom will find a spot, she needs to know this spot as well…." I said.
"Okay…you sure I will be safe there?"
"Yep, no one knows about it." I said as I smiled.
"May we have dinner?" Olivia asked.
"Sure…what do you want for dinner?" I asked.
"What do you have?" Olivia asked.
"You like Mac and Cheese?"
"I LOVE Mac and Cheese, mom cooks them with hot dogs…" Olivia said.
"Good thing I bought hot dogs too…" I said as she smiled, I got up going to the kitchen moving the muffins in a bowl and set them on top of the dining room table for keeping right now as I focused on making dinner.
"I made all the Valentines, but I have extras." Olivia said.
"Keep the extras, you can use them next year or if you forget someone." I said as Olivia nodded before she went to her bag putting them in her bag. Olivia went back to the television watching Disney even though Hannah wasn't on, she is the easiest kid I have ever watched but I haven't watched many kids though. When I finished making the dinner, I pulled two plates down putting Macaroni and Cheese on each plate. "Do you want your hot dog on a bun?" I asked.
"No, I don't like buns…" Olivia said as she came over joining me, then ran to get the stool and came back to help me make rest of her plate.
"Milk okay?" I asked as she walked down the stool with her plate in her hands.
"May I have chocolate milk?" Olivia asked, before I answered I checked to make sure I have chocolate syrup, which I didn't have and searched to see if I had cocoa mix which I didn't have.
"I don't have any thing to make chocolate milk with, sorry…" I said.
"It's fine." Olivia said as I poured her a glass of regular milk along with a glass for myself since I haven't drunk milk in what felt like years, I didn't like drinking wine when she was still up. We ate dinner, she talked about how she loves Valentines because she likes hearts and what the teacher has planned for Valentines.
"You need to go take a bath." I said as I stood up picking up my plate to take to the sink.
"Do I have to?" Olivia asked.
"Yes, your mom will be mad at me if you don't." I said.
"Fine…" Olivia said as she went and grabbed the clothes I had pulled out of her bag and set on the bed taking them into the bathroom. I set my plate into the sink and went into the bathroom plugging the tub and started the water.
"You want a bubble bath?" I asked knowing that June may have some and wouldn't mind.
"You have bubble bath stuff?" Olivia asked.
"Yeah…" I said.
"YES!" Olivia exclaimed happily as I got up from edge of the tub going out of my loft and down to June's bathroom grabbing the bubble bath bringing it back pouring two caps of bubble bath into the tub letting the bubbles rise. When it got to a good amount of water, I stopped it walking out of the bathroom leaving the door open so she can do her thing. I went out to the table taking her plate to the sink where I begun washing dishes putting them back to where they belong as I could hear Olivia singing Hannah Montana songs and splashing the bubbles, I chuckled to myself rolling my eyes. "Neal!" I heard Olivia yell from the bathroom. I walked to the bathroom popping my head in to check in on her.
"Everything okay?" I asked.
"I can't open the shampoo..." Olivia said as she held out the shampoo bottle, I walked in grabbing it from her opening it and squirted some into her hand before I flipped the lid shut setting it on the sink as she was scrubbing the shampoo in.
"Do you need help with the body wash?" I asked.
"Yes..." Olivia said as I reached over her to grab the body wash flipping the lid open for her as I walked back out leaving the door open in case. I went to the other clothes that Olivia had packed for herself and Leslie taking the clothes with me into the closet hanging up what needed to be hung before Olivia yelled "Neal!" I hung up the hanger that held Olivia's school uniform going to the bathroom where she was standing up in the bathtub, "I'm done..." She said.
"Alright, let me pull the plug for you..." I said as I went to lean over the tub to pull the plug.
"NO!" Olivia said in a terrified way.
"What's wrong?" I asked concerned.
"The drain monster will get me if you unplug it...I don't want the drain monster to get me..."
"Okay..." I said as I tried not to laugh, kids think there is monsters everywhere, I remember I thought there was a monster in the sink when I was a kid everytime my mom used the garbage disposal. I pulled the white towel off the towel rack opening it, I extended it from one hand to the other before I wrapped it around Olivia pulling her out of the tub where I let her hold the towel around herself. "Is it okay if I unplug it now?" I asked, she nodded as she grabbed tightly onto my arm with her one tiny arm as I leant over unplugging the drain setting the plug on the edge of the sink. I knelt down holding the wet little girl in my embrace as she was digging her nails in my arm and her face into my shoulder.
"Is it done?" Olivia asked.
"Yep, it's all done..." I said when all the water was all down the drain.
"Phew...that was close..." Olivia said wiping at her brow, I chuckled because it was cute.
"You need help getting dressed?" I asked.
"No, I got it...I'm a big girl..." Olivia said as I stood up walking out letting her get dressed by herself as I went to the television turning it on to the Disney channel for her to watch when she gets done. Olivia walked out in her pink barbie nightgown carrying her dirty clothes and the towel. "Where do I put these?" Olivia asked.
"I'll take them." I said as she handed them to me, I took them to the closet where I put the towel in my hamper and carried her clothes back out putting it in a plastic grocery bag to make it easier on Leslie to carry back home tomorrow. "Does your mom let you have a snack before bed?" I asked.
"No...she said that it's not good for me..." Olivia said.
"Alright..." I said as I checked my phone again seeing that it's 7 PM, "What's your bed time?" I asked curiously.
"8 PM..." She said.
"You have any homework?"
"No..." Olivia said.
"Alright, you got an hour...what do you want to do?" I asked as I went and sat down beside her.
"May we read a book?" Olivia asked.
"Absolutely, which one were we on?" I asked going to the stack that I had moved to the book shelf.
"The Dracula one." She said as I dug through the pile finding it and brought it to the couch where she sat on my lap reading from where we had left off. She finished reading the book about 7:45, "May I call my mom?" Olivia asked.
"Yeah..." I said as I pulled out my cell phone calling back the number she called me on listening to it ring when a girl picked up on the other end that I knew wasn't Leslie. "Is Leslie there?" I asked.
"Yeah, one minute...LESLIE!" I heard her yell and I heard the phone being handed over.
"Hello?" Leslie asked.
"Hey, it's Neal...your daughter wanted to talk to you..." I said as I handed Olivia the phone.
"Hi mommy...I took a bath...we went grocery shopping, Neal bought me Valentines Day cards, the Hannah Montana kind...yes mommy...we made muffins for breakfast tomorrow...I will...love you too mommy!" Olivia said as she handed me the phone, I put it up to my ear hearing nothing knowing she must of hung up already so I ended the call. "Mom said I had to brush my teeth and brush my hair before I go to bed." Olivia said.
"Alright..." I said as I went to the kitchen grabbing the stool taking it to the bathroom watching her stand on the stool brushing her teeth and helped her with her hair when she needed it before she climbed off the stool taking it to my bed where she had to use it to climb in.
"Neal, will you read me a book?" Olivia asked as she laid on her back under the covers staring up at me with her brown eyes.
"Absolutely." I said as I went and grabbed one of the Magic School Bus books taking it to the bed where I sat on the edge reading it to her knowing she was listening intently, she fell asleep when I got 3/4th of the way through the book. "Night Olivia." I whispered leaning over kissing the side of her head before I turned the lights off before I took Leslie's resume, the jobs and my book out on the patio to keep myself busy until Leslie got home.