Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN BONANZA! OR ANY CHARACTERS FROM THE SERIES
"Shh." I soothed to a screaming Felicity, a small frown on my face as I walked around the room with her in my arms and a bottle in hand. It had to be about 12 in the afternoon and I had been trying to put her down for a nap, but the child wouldn't stop screaming. I was at almost a lost, sure I dealt with Daniel and Grayson when they got this way as children but they normally stopped crying, felicity wouldn't stop. Alice could always get the children to calm down in a matter of moments, how was beyond me. "Hush now baby girl." I whispered soothingly trying to get her to take the bottle.
After a few more minutes of crying, and me cooing at her to calm down, there was a knock on my door, sighing while glancing at it, I turned my eyes to Felicity and kept walking around rocking her slightly. "Come in!" I called while I continued my slight pacing.
A moment later the door came open and Little Joe poked his head into the room, he had a tired look, and his hat and jacket showed dust signs though his face looked to have been whipped off. "Did you pinch her?" He asked with a joking grin as he came on into the room striding over to me and Felicity. "Is Pa just being mean to you? Hu is he Punkin?" Joe cooed to the baby in my arms who stopped crying and settled for looking at her uncle with big tear filled eyes. I just stared silently, more amazed then I would let Joe know.
"You want to come see me? We'll get that milk all drunk up, and then go down for a nice little sleep." He cooed still reaching over and taking Felicity from me. I started to protest but changed m mind when she didn't scream. He then took the bottle, but instead of giving it to her he took it and dripped a few drops on his arm frowning. "No wonder you're screaming, it's ice cold!" He said in an over exaggerated whine, before heading to the door.
"Joe where are you going," I called following after him when my mind processed what my little brother was doing.
"Warming Punkin's bottle so she can get some food, and sleep." Was his answer, not at all bothered. And it made me pause to wonder briefly how Joe even knew it needed warm, I mean of course the milk had to be warm… and It might have been warm twenty minutes before I gave it too her. But beside the point, how would Joe know?
"How do you know…" I started before Joe cut me off with a laugh.
"I've been watching Beth help take care of her the past few days." He grinned back at me as he descended the stairs and disappeared into the kitchen.
"Then why wasn't she crying when you took her? And Punkin..." I ask frowning at Joe, when he came out of the kitchen with Felicity, and a bottle of warm milk resting soundly in her mouth.
"Gee I don't really know that big Brother, and yeah Punkin… I've been calling her that for a while, she does look like a punkin after all." He grinned sheepishly. I just shook my head as he walked over to me handing me Felicity. Who I took being sure to hold the bottle carefully. "She loves you, it's rather obvious." He said watching us. I didn't respond just looked down at my baby girl, who was staring back at me with big brown green eyes.
After a moment I heard a noticed and glanced up to find Joe gone, I smiled slightly in silent thanks to my brother.
Looking down at Felicity once more I smiled softly as her eyes started to droop. "Nope, you have to burp first." I said lightly placing the bottle down and holding her to my shoulder patting her back lightly until she burped. I chuckled as I brought her back down holding her carefully. I chuckled again when she yawned, and her eyes fell closed. "I love you my Darlin' Angel," I whispered to her, taking her over to the cradle Beth had put in the living area. Placing her down and pulling the small blanket over her. I watched her for a few moments, while she slept peacefully, before shaking my head and walking out onto the porch.
Hop Sing was in the kitchen and would make sure she was okay, I needed to go help out around the Ponderosa though, I still needed to pull my weight around here as well. And it wouldn't be good for my sons to see me sitting around doing nothing, they have to learn responsibility, and they want learn it by watching their pa do nothing.