A/N: Made it again guys!
And it's all thanks to your inspiring and incredibly motivating reviews!
BTW, aren't you guys excited that next Saturday will be Kendall's b-day?
I am! My boys, they're all so sweet and handsome!
Well, to the awesome people that reviewed last chapter...
SHOUTS OUT!
-LoveSparkle: Indeed they did...things are about to toughen up for our poor boys, thanks for reviewing and enjoy the chapter!
-4ever with Kames: Hahaha, I know the feeling. Well, I'm glad you finally caught up, lol. I'll keep your suggestion in mind...it might not be the day BEFORE per say...but it could be right after, who knows? I'll be thinking about it, definitely. For now, I hope you enjoy this cute little chapter and thanks for reviewing!
-November 2 1990: I'll keep trying...but as I said, my Jendall bits have to be a bit subtle, as you can probably imagine, not many Kames fans are into Jendall so...it's kind of hard to incorpórate both...I'm trying my hardest, lol. But no worries, you'll see some of Kendall's protective side for Jo in this chapter and there might be some more Jendall scenes coming along, however, I think that as far as Jendall kisses go...well...I think we're through with them, I mean, at least in the movie because I'd mentioned there would only be 2 make out scenes in the whole movie so...we'll see, we'll see, I'll keep working on it. As it is, hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks for reviewing!
-OuToFmYmInDbAcKiN5MiNuTeS: Okay, seriously that was CRUEL the way you left me hanging in "Aftermath" lol. But you DID get my review right? RIGHT? Oh well, can't wait for your next update! Anyways, regarding your review...I'm glad you liked the plot twist, many people did too, lol and I was so afraid of actually carrying it out, it seemed terribly random as I was writing, but oh, my muse wants what it gets, lol. Yes, you're right, it IS a teens' show which means it won't be TERRIBLY graphic ...but it'll get maybe as graphic as Spencer and Toby's scene in Pretty Little Liars got...dunno whether you're familiar with the show but oh well...basically, intense,yeah, though not too graphic...but I'm getting carried away in here, what matters is that I loved it that you liked it AND hope you'll like this one as well...thanks for reviewing!
-kames all the way: Hahaha, I know what you mean. Well, we'll see how Kendall manages to keep his jealousy in check...or not. We've seen how James gets when HE's jealous...it's only fair to see Kendall squirm , lol. Hope you like this chapter and thanks for reviewing!
-Anime-tv-manga-books: Hope this was fast enough for you...hope you enjoy and thanks for the review!
-imwithmyhomies: Hmm...well, I don't want James to cheat AGAIN, that'd just make him seem like a total asshole...however, who says they can't still argue and have great makeup, ahem, 'interactions' without necessarily cheating? I could definitely take that suggestion into account...besides, I've been thinking that maybe it's KENDALL who doesn't need to be such a saint all the time...but then again, I'm just speculating, nothing's certain about THAT as of yet, thank you so much for reviewing and hope you enjoy the chapter!
-SuperNeos2: Oh you'll LOVE this chapter, I can totally promise you that! And you're totally right with BOTH of your assumptions so...aww I'm losing my magical touch of drama and surprise with you, lol. Oh well, I'll have to try harder next time, haha. Hey, where's my Heavy Blood update? Me wanna read some more! Lol. Thanks for reviewing and enjoy the chapter!
-ChocoChocoBloo: I'll definitely read it over if I manage to get some time this weekend, if not, I have Friday off this week, promise you I'll read it by latest at the end of the week! As it is, well, you know me, I can't promise NOTHING will happen regarding Jendall...but I can probably lay off them for a while...focus on Natasha and James...lol. I'm EVIL...no but seriously, be expecting some serious drama soon, I can't reveal much yet...this chapter's fluffy though, so no worries. I'm glad you're almost off school, lol. Thanks for reviewing and enjoy the chapter!
-CastielCampbell: Lol. That's coming up soon enough no worries, and you're right, it'll be pretty intense, but this chapter here is fluffy, I thought you guys deserved a break after last chapter's major bomb,but still, I hope you'll like the chapter and thanks for reviewing!
You guys rock!
Cheers,
Franshes
Ch.27: Big Time Babysitters
"-And don't let her stay up too late!" Frankie was telling the guys as he and Jo prepared to leave for their date "And make sure she brushes her teeth before going to bed, don't let her watch any horror films or she'll have nightmares and don't give her any sweets or she won't be able to sleep all night long…"
"Alright, Frankie, c'mon, I think they get it…" Jo said, tugging his arm "She'll be fine, don't worry, these guys are good babysitters…"
Kendall smiled at them both a bit forcefully, not being able to ignore, entirely, Jo's arm intertwined with Frankie's but doing his best to ignore it.
Frankie gave them a hopeful smile before he and Jo left, leaving the guys alone in their hotel room with Mia.
"Not really…" Logan said, regarding Jo's last comment "Babysitting those kids in our apartment that one time we were looking for jobs turned into a pretty messy deal in the end…"he told Kendall who nodded.
"Not to mention mine and Carlos' failed attempt to babysit Katie that one time for Mama Knight…or Kendall's failure at babysitting Baby-Lace…" James commented.
"Guys, relax," Kendall said "She's three years old…how much trouble could she be?"
Silence.
Their eyes widened and they turned around slowly, facing the small child who was on the couch, watching them curiously while she held on to her teddy bear.
"So…" Carlos said awkwardly "Um…what do you want to do Mia?"
"'M hungry," she whined "Can we eat something?"
"Right…food…" James said awkwardly and looked helplessly at the others who only shrugged back at him "So, um, what do you want to eat?"
Mia's eyes sparkled with mischief and she broke into a wide grin.
"Pizza!" she said jumping up and clapping.
"Oh-okay then, alright, let me just phone the pizza guys and-" Carlos began and Logan and James began following him but Kendall stopped them.
"Hold on," he said before kneeling beside the smiling little girl and looking at her "Mia…did your uncle tell you, you can't have any junk food for dinner?"
Mia only giggled and didn't look at Kendall in the eye.
Kendall sighed.
"We can't give her pizza," he said "Besides; it's not healthy for a three year old to have that for dinner!"
"Well…what else do you suggest, genius?" Logan hissed at him.
"I could try making chicken nuggets…" James offered "You know the kind Mama Knight always gives us, with the dinosaur shapes?"
"Can you cook that and not burn down the kitchen?" Kendall asked, eyebrows raised.
"I can try," James said.
"Alright then, meanwhile, what do we do with the little rugrat?" Logan asked, as Mia began to hop around the room, falling down occasionally but always getting up and continuing her little game.(A/N: So...I'm aware not ALL of you may be familiar with the term "The Rugrats" were some pretty mischievous cartoon babies that could talk amongst each other and got into an awful lot of really funny messes for the parents to clean up, that said, let's continue!)
"Logan, don't call her that!" Carlos said indignantly.
"Well, we need to do something or she's going to break something-" Logan said and even as he said it Mia knocked over a flower vase, which landed with a hard crash on the carpeted floor, breaking into a million pieces.
"Mia!" Carlos exclaimed, rushing towards her "Mia, honey, are you okay?"
He picked her up and carefully stepped over the living room into the bedroom area, avoiding the broken glass on the floor.
Logan face-palmed.
"We're doomed," he said with a sigh.
Kendall sighed and fetched a nearby broom, beginning to sweep the floor so no one would injure themselves on bits of broken glass. He then placed the shards on the waste basket.
"Mia, don't do that!" Carlos scolded "You could've hurt yourself!"
"Sowwy," Mia said sheepishly, not looking at any of the guys "Wanna play with me?"
Carlos' gaze softened.
"Sure," he said "Did you bring any toys?"
"Yes, they're in my bag!" Mia said before rushing off to retrieve it, in the process spilling the rest of the bag's contents on the floor.
Kendall and Logan sighed as Carlos and Mia headed towards the bedroom once again and began playing with her dolls on the ground while they had to bend down and pick up her PJ's, toothbrush, blankets and everything else from the ground by the entrance.
"She sure is energetic!" Kendall commented while he and Logan folded her clothes up neatly again.
"Yeah, no kidding," Logan said "Think we'll make it through the night?"
"I hope so…" Kendall said with a sigh.
"Why did we even agree to this?" Logan asked Kendall.
"Because Carlos and James apparently have mommy instincts that need to be satisfied somehow?" Kendall offered weakly.
"Not good enough," Logan mouthed at him. Kendall nodded in agreement.
After Mia grew tired of playing she and the other three guys settled for watching T.V while James finished dinner.
"What do you want to watch, Mia?" Carlos asked her.
"The Ziggle-Zaggles!" she exclaimed enthusiastically.
The guys groaned good-naturedly but settled for watching the program with her.
"I still find it pretty hard to believe that Wayne-Wayne ended up in that band…" Logan commented as they saw him dance stupidly with the others.
"Yeah, it's a good thing Griffin fell for your bad-boy act, Kendall," Carlos commented.
"What can I say?" Kendall said, smirking at Wayne-Wayne on-screen "I'm MUCH better than that dude…"
"You are," Logan agreed.
"Alright guys, dinner's ready…" James called from the kitchen.
"Wow, that was fast, I'm impressed," Logan told Kendall before the two made their way to the dining table.
"Can you help me set the table, babe, please?" James asked, his hands full with the frying pan and plates.
"Um…sure," Kendall said before sniffing, feeling a distinct aroma in the air "James? Did you make French fries?"
"Yes," James said, blushing lightly "My mom taught me how to do them a while ago and I thought…you know, they'd be a nice complement to the chicken nuggets. Besides, home-made French fries are a lot healthier than restaurant's."
"Impressive," Kendall said as he finished setting the table.
"I-um-also made chocolate milk shakes," James admitted "I thought she'd like them, and they say milk is good for children, so…"
"Wow, mommy instincts gone wild, huh?" Logan told James smirking as he and Kendall set everyone's plates of dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets and French fries in the table.
James scowled at Logan's comment but remained silent. He then served them all their milkshakes in glasses (and a tippy cup in Mia's case) even going as far as adding whipped cream and a bit of powdered cinnamon in them.
"I'll go get Carlos and Mia," Logan offered as Kendall and James sat down to eat.
"Ooh…things are looking tasty," Carlos complimented, emerging from the living room with Mia and Logan at his heels.
James smiled.
"Thanks," he said.
"But…where will Mia eat? We don't have a special chair for toddlers and she might fall down in one of the normal ones!" Carlos said "Besides, she's so small, I don't think she even reaches the table…"
"Just pile a bunch of cushions on one and have her sit on them," Logan said impatiently.
"No way, Logan, she might fall!" Carlos said "Here, she can sit on my knees and I'll feed her myself…"
"Whoa-Carlos is on Momma Bear mode, careful Logan," Kendall teased.
"Why don't you two shut up?" James said, smiling sarcastically at them both "The only thing this is proving is that Carlos and I'll make better fathers than you guys one day…"
"Or that Kendall and I aren't really thinking about, much less wanting, kids right now and you guys are?" Logan said with an eyebrow raised.
Carlos and James remained silent.
"Guys, we're only turning eighteen," Kendall said, placing a hand over James' and giving it a gentle squeeze.
James said nothing but didn't meet Kendall's eyes.
"I get it, Jamie, Carlos, I do," Kendall said "But having a kid is not just all fun and games and them being all cute. It's also a lot of responsibility and, let's be honest, none of us are prepared to assume that. We can barely take care of ourselves on our own; we can't have the responsibility of another little human being's life yet. Besides, we have a band which means we go on tours a lot, and having a kid would mean we'd either have to bring him with us, in which case our expenses would be much higher OR leave him at home which is also not the best for a kid while growing up. Listen, I know what it's like to grow up without a father…and I know it wasn't my dad's fault but it still hurt like hell and I don't want any kid of mine to go through that pain. When we're older…when we've figured some things out…THEN we'll think about adoption or artificial insemination or whatever…Okay James? I'm not saying I don't want kids…I'm saying I just don't want them right now. And I think Logan agrees with me, don't you?"
Logan nodded.
"Besides," Logan said "Having kids is a disaster because, most of time they make a mess-"
Right then Mia knocked her tippy cup over and its top (that hadn't been properly sealed) flew off, spilling all the contents over the table and on herself. She clapped her hands on her mouth.
"Oops," she said before giggling "Sowwy,"
Logan sighed.
"Like this one," he finished.
"I've got this," Kendall said, getting up and fetching napkins from the kitchen and wiping the table clean.
"Mia, look! Now you're all sticky and we have to change you!" Carlos exclaimed.
Silence followed his words as all the guys realized what he'd just said.
"Shit," Logan said softly, ignoring the other three who glared at him for swearing in front of Mia "Guys, how come we didn't think of this before? We-we need to get her into her PJ's but…she's a girl so…"
"Kendall, I don't suppose your mother or sister could help us…?" Carlos asked, hopeful.
"They're out shopping," Kendall mumbled "Oh c'mon guys, it's not the end of the world. I mean, she's a child for crying out loud! And we're only helping her change, it's not like we're pedophiles or anything…"
"Do you want to do it, then?" James asked his fiancé, eyebrows raised and arms crossed.
The other two looked at him expectantly as well.
Kendall sighed.
"Fine, whatever," he said "I'll do it. It shouldn't be too hard, I mean, I helped with Katie when she was a baby so…"
He waited until Mia finished her dinner before taking the sticky child in his arms and carrying her to the bedroom, the other three staying behind to clear the table.
"You should probably take a bath before going to sleep…" Kendall murmured "Warm baths are supposed to help kids sleep better…hey Mia, want to take a bath before going to bed?"
"Can Mr. Quack take a bath too?" she asked him holding up her rubber ducky for him to see.
"Um, sure," Kendall said.
She then nodded enthusiastically.
Kendall then got out her pink PJ's full of different colored hearts and her bunny slippers and a towel. He carried all the necessary items towards the bathroom and began filling up the tub with lukewarm water.
He then added some bubbles, and added a small amount of light purple coloring to the water knowing Mia would love it.
Finally, he carried said child to the bathroom.
"I want to go pipi!" Mia told Kendall who sighed.
"You know how to use the bathroom on your own, right?" he asked but she shook her head.
Kendall had to suppress a groan.
"Alright, I'll help you then," he said, trying not to sound grossed out.
After taking care of that, he gently undressed Mia before submerging the child in the tub and then turning off the water.
Mia giggled and splashed at the water, getting Kendall wet in the process.
Struggling a bit, but managing in the end, Kendall managed to wash her face and body, keeping her hair neatly tied up in a ponytail so it wouldn't get wet.
Overall, though it was awkward for him, he had to admit he'd been right. It was no harder than washing Katie had been when he'd been younger and he even had to admit, rather reluctantly, that Mia WAS a cute child, the way she played with the water and her rubber duckling. He could see why James would want his own.
He sighed.
They were getting married and were now actually considering having kids in a near future...when had they grown up? Had they grown up at all or was it all a silly fantasy they kept trying to play? Were they reallly ready for this?
Kendall shook those thoughts out of his head, deciding he'd rather not jumble up his thoughts so near to bedtime and that he'd worry about this some other time.
Finally done with the bath, Kendall took the little girl out of the bathtub and wrapped her up tightly in a towel before draining the tub.
He then carried Mia to the bedroom and helped her put on her pajamas before taking her to the bathroom once again to brush her teeth and lastly untying her ponytail and brushing her hair gently.
He tucked her in the main bed, deciding that Logan would probably not appreciate it if he laid Mia down in his and Carlos' spare bed and changed out of his own wet clothes into his sleeping shorts and t-shirt.
"We're done guys," Kendall called out to the others who entered the room and were impressed at what they saw.
"Somebody has hidden mommy instincts," Carlos whispered before smiling at Kendall who rolled his eyes and smacked Carlos in the back of the head for his comment.
"Can you wead me a stowy pwease?" Mia asked them cutely.
"I've got this," James said, picking up a storybook from Mia's overnight bag and beginning to read to her, snuggling into the bed with her and wrapping an arm protectively around her.
The guys nodded and left James and Mia, deciding to watch some real T.V now that the child was safely out of the way.
They came back two hours later and Kendall had to smile at the scene before him.
James had fallen asleep with the lamp still on, his arm still draped around Mia protectively and Mia herself had snuggled into James' embrace, holding her teddy close to her.
Kendall felt his phone vibrate and he fished it out of his jeans' pocket before it could make a sound.
"Hello?" he whispered, not wanting to disturb either James or Mia.
"Kendall?" Jo said at the other end of the line "Hey, it's me...how's it going? I just wanted to let you know that Frankie and I are done already so…we can go pick up Mia if you want…has she given you any trouble?"
"No, not at all…" Kendall whispered back "And you guys don't have to worry about Mia tonight…go have fun, guys, we can watch her for you…we'll be fine…"
"Are you sure, man?" Frankie asked, momentarily grabbing Jo's phone from her.
"Absolutely," Kendall said softly, still smiling as he gazed adoringly at James and Mia "Don't worry, we'll have her back with you in the morning…"
"Thanks," Frankie said "Have a good night then, I guess,"
"Thanks, you too, and don't hurt Jo," Kendall said, adding the last bit in a slightly firmer tone.
Frankie laughed.
"Wouldn't dream of it," he said "Good bye, Knight,"
"'Nighty night guys," Kendall said before hanging up.
Carlos and Logan finally came into the room and gazed in shock at James and Mia before turning to Kendall who only offered them a smile and a shrug.
Still puzzled, the other two quietly got ready for bed and then snuggled into the spare bed, falling asleep rather quickly in each other's embrace.
Kendall remained awake to watch them all fall asleep and he smiled before gently making his way into bed so as to not wake James or Mia up.
He then draped an arm around James and Mia both and pulled them towards him, protectively.
He fell asleep feeling strangely complete and content, in a way he hadn't felt in a really long time, since his dad had died, tomorrow's uncomfortable scene temporarily forgotten …
A/N: Ta-da! Did you guys like the guys acting like responsible parents for once? Lol. Don't you guys just LOVE Mia? I know I do...so...I'm thinking to have 1 more chapter where I develop the guys' parenting skills and also have a bit more Mia...but would you guys be interested or is it just too plain and boring?
Dunno, you guys let me know!
I don't have school next Friday so definitely expect an update from me by next Friday! Yay!
Plz, plz, plz review, I cannot stress just how MAJORLY important reviews are to my muse...they're my muse's breathing air!
REVIEW TIME!
Cheers,
Franshes