Teddy and Family

Chapter 16

A/N: Multiple POV's in this chapter and there's Teddy and Hope! Extreme Laughter warning! Have a happy week!

Cin ; )

All mistakes are mine ^^

Disclaimer: EL James and sometimes SMeyer (I love to play with her characters but with my AU spin on them from my other story. Sorry folks I don't do Cannon ever. Like, Love it, Hate it…you have been warned ^^) own it all I'm just having fun with the characters, but the OC ones and story ideas are all mine.

I jolt awake when I get a one two toddler punch and kick. Teddy grumbles and wriggles in his sleep and bam a tiny fist to the jaw. Followed by Hope's kick to my balls. Christ! Jesus! Note to self when watching over the kids wear a sports cup to protect the family jewels. Clearly, neither one of them like it that I'm taking up precious space.

Teddy's cool to the touch and isn't coughing, sneezing, or sniffling nearly as much as he was, so that's good news. He and Hope are still dead to the world so I gently coax Hope over a little bit and settle Teddy in next to her. Not an easy task, but I manage it, even with my injuries. I carefully maneuver myself out of his bed and gimp my way towards my chair. It's six AM. Teddy and Hope are snoring away as I quietly leave to go check on the babies.

Ana's up and feeding the girls and for once Alex is still sound asleep. "Teddy kicked you out, huh?" She giggles softly.

"Oh, you have no idea." I grin, shaking my head as I set a burping cloth on my shoulder and wheel myself over to take Ari, as she's done with her morning breakfast, and is ready for Daddy to burp her. "Adam and Angel are gonna get one heck of a wake up call."

"She didn't." Ana gaped at me.

"She did and is currently snoozing contently next to our son. I was sleeping until Teddy socked me in the jaw and then Hope kicked me in the jewels." I yawn, as I gently pat my little angel's back.

"It's not like it's the first time, so who's Angel and Adam cuddling with..." Ana grins.

"Max." I grin wickedly. "He went to check on Hope and never came back to Teddy's room. Nope. Hope's the only little one that came crawling through the pet door."

"That does sound vaguely familiar." Ana chuckles, as she burps Rory.

"We're in for it…" I groan.

Ari finally gives me a burp and then settles back to sleep against my shoulder, so I go and get her settled back in her crib. "Sweet dreams, little princess." I croon softly and then go and check on Alex. Nope, still in dreamland.

"Alex will be stirring in a little bit. Chris, be a sweetie and go fix him a bottle for me, please." Ana's trying to rock a wide-awake Rory back to sleep again. She's fascinated by my chair.

"Sure, baby." I whisper softly, heading for the open doorway.

Rory starts fussing, so I turn around and head back over to Ana.

"She loves that chair doesn't she?" Ana shakes her head when Rory settles down.

I head to one of the changing tables in the nursery and grab a baby sling. "We'll take her with us downstairs."

Ana gets her settled against me in her sling. She pockets a baby monitor in her robe and we as quietly as possible leave the nursey.

No one wakes Alex unless he's ready to wake up or you'll be deaf for a few hours that's if he settles down. Though, it could have been because he was miserable and we were clueless about it and now that he's on formula all's right with his world. Oh, wouldn't that be a wonderful thought, as he's a little demon when you wake him up.

"He's so much better, Chris. I think switching to formula is exactly what he needed." Ana's clueing in to my thoughts, but that's how we always are.

"Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing…" I nod, as we wait the few seconds for the Elevator and then I roll inside. "His little inner clock will be chiming in a few that much is a given. Hopefully, he'll be a happy baby and not an ornery little guy."

"He's been fine and his diapers have been good too. He took his bottle from Grace and slept right through Ella changing him. How's the Teddybear?" Ana yawns, as we head towards the kitchen.

"A thousand percent better and will be running around the house and begging to go outside to play with the others today." Rory's starting to fall asleep until I stop and then those big blue eyes open and gaze up at me, so I'm doing laps around the island and going in and out of the kitchen. When I can drive again I just know that I'll be taking early morning drives in the R8 to replace the chair when it's no longer needed.

"His fever broke?" She asks, as she prepares Alex's breakfast.

"It was a low grade one and yes that and the sniffles, sneezes, and coughs are going away as well…" I answer, as I head to the Great Room. Maybe, the lights on the tree will work to settle her back to dreamland, because the chair's going to run out of juice at this rate. I didn't get a chance to charge it, because I was focused on Teddy.

Rory's entranced by the twinkling lights and just as I hoped off to dreamland she goes at least for a few hours anyway.

Leo pads down the stairs and is off to his pup door to go out and do his business. Adam's wake up call is any time now. Max will be needing his morning pee break really soon if Leo's already headed outside.

Sure enough down the steps goes Max followed by a disgruntled Adam. "Morning, sunshine. Missing someone?" I snark, arching a brow.

"Shut it." Adam stalks off to the kitchen and the Keurig to get his morning hit of coffee. "Max needs a breath mint! Or those doggie-breath bones…"

"Awe, did someone get a French kiss and it wasn't Angel?" Ana giggles, not the least bit sympathetic as she shakes Alex's bottle to mix up the formula.

"He was under the covers with us and Angel's still sleeping. The mutt poked me in the ass to wake me up and when that didn't work he pounced. My little princess closed the door after she snuck out, so Max couldn't get out of the room." My, my, Adam's a grouchy pants this morning.

"She's snuggled with Teddy like I said she would be…" I come back into the kitchen. "Lower the tone…you wake her you'll be doing graveyard security at GEH for a fortnight." I growl.

"So what days are good for you two odds or evens?" Adam settles for a double shot espresso pod, as not to wake up Rory by grinding up fresh beans.

"Oh, cripes, he's right, Chris…" Ana bites her lip.

"Already on it."

"Now this I gotta hear." Adam takes a hit from his coffee.

"We turn half of the third floor guest wing into an apartment for the three of you…" I state my brilliant plan.

Ana's staring openmouthed at me like I've lost my mind.

Adam's giving it some thought though.

"What? It's win-win. No FBI or Police force get called. No false alarms going off. No trips to the ER. It's a brilliant solution."

"It's crazy. We'll have them be able to see each other on skype and that will have to do. You had nightmares, went through a horrific life changing ordeal. Teddy and Hope have never experienced anything like that…" Ana's not on board, but give me time I'll change her view on this.

"Says, the little imp who stopped at nothing to be with her Chris…" Adam snorts, taking another shot of coffee.

"This can't be the same…" Ana's in denial. Adam and I far from it.

"It's not that big of an undertaking the third floor has everything, but a kitchen up there. It's already like a flat. All we need to do is cordon off one side for Adam, Angel, and Hope. The living room up there can be the divider between the guest side and their apartment. All we need is to put up doors. No major renovation needed." I explain what I want to do.

"Chris, if and when we have to take that step we will deal with it…"

"Hope was determined to get to Teddy and didn't stop until she made it to him. You were right next-door. Adam is four houses down from us that's a big difference and she could be hurt trying to get to him…" I counter.

"A monitor in their rooms so they can see and hear each other. We have tech now that we didn't then and we will try that first before moving on to drastic measures. Each of them wears a tracker especially devised by Logan. He can tweak it so that it alerts us if either one of them try to go to the other. Like a special tracker activated during the night time hours." Ana counters me with a plan of her own.

Basically we're putting something similar to an ankle monitor on the kids. It's sad that in this day and age you have to go to that extreme to insure the safety of your children.

"Anna we might have to compromise and let them have at least weekends or that is never gonna work. None of us are gonna get any sleep unless the two of them are happy little campers. Hope would get on her tricycle and pedal to the gates and then because she's such a tiny little imp could easily squeeze through the gate and head straight to Teddy. You've gotta see the footage when Jason wakes up…" I don't think her plan is foolproof, so I change tactics a bit.

Jason walks in with bags, upon bags, of IHOP! Please, don't let this be Gail's early morning craving! "She wanted a little of everything and is contently enjoying her snack. This is to feed the masses, it's gonna be a long one. Ros wants you to know that even though she's Team Edward that doesn't mean that she's not still Team Chris. She's shot down any attempt that those monsters are trying to implicate you in this massive takedown being felt around the world. Dante has released footage of the two of you burning the midnight oil with time stamps clearly showing that you were at GEH. Barney and Andrea deserve Bora Bora for going above and beyond creating that mask facade for Ryan and creating the voice over as well. For all purposes you were at GEH and all they look like are desperate fools. The man they have video footage of claiming to be you doesn't look like you or even sound like you. The Feds took credit saying their man was good at playing whatever character is needed for special operations as this one. That you were more than willing to let them use your name to take down the bad guys. Hell, now they think it was never even you. Ryan's starting a new video collection for you Adam. The score is Hope 1 and sorry you've got nada. She played you both like a fine tuned fiddle. The second you started sawing logs, she switched with Max, and then was home free to go cuddle with her Teddybear. Teddy's room is even better. Chris knew it was pointless after she dragged the stool from the bathroom over to the bed to get up with Teddy. Do the two of you need ice for your balls? They both have excellent aim when they want you to let go don't they?" He grins.

"I don't know why you're so darned happy about it. You'll be chasing them too, T." Adam downs coffee number three.

"That's what you kids are for. I'm just the tactical commander of the operation. Now, get your butt in gear and go to work." Jason orders his number two. Logan's taken the number one spot.

"Dad, do you think you bought enough?" Logan and Ryan walk in with arms loaded with even more bags of IHOP nirvana. "We've still got two more trips to the car to go. Then again after yesterday feeding our new family members is like feeding a ravenous pack of wolves. I'll head out and get more. I've already put an order in to cater lunch. Mile High is doing dinner. Grace ordered Mom to put her feet up today."

"We're use to feeding an Army." Bella and Alice join us looking fresh and ready for the day. "We have weekly deliveries just to keep the bottomless pits happily fed. Pikes Market and I are like this." She crosses two fingers. "I've brokered deals with all of the best for years and can put a word in if you want me too? Ma and Pa Pearl are handling lunch, caterers not needed. We set them up for life and they feed us well. I craved their chowder when I was carrying the triplets and twins."

"Gail's our house manager and does pretty much the exact same thing, but we usually just send the guys out for chowder. It was you who set them up for life and nearly all of the best venders in Pikes Market? That was you?" Ana gapes at Bella and Alice.

"Nope, that was all Bella and Jake. We were all dealing with a poacher situation back home and the pack of teens from La Push pretty much were adopted into the family after Bella married Edward, so a different means of filling the pantry, freezers, and fridge was desperately needed. She's your girl. They adore her and Ness for choosing them over their corporate competitors. Mom and I use them for all of our events. Giving back. Paying it forward. Are key family values. You'll find that the boys are gonna do their best to make up for Teddy getting the sniffles." Alice chimes in as her and Bella are setting the isle and breakfast bar up buffet style.

"Chris isn't any better when it comes to things with more power. They didn't mean any harm, not really. The boys were tucked in the bouncy house which they reinforced to the ground. The only glitch in their plan was that they didn't put the protective panels over the screens and the Sound is a cruel mistress when it comes to changes in weather…" Whimpers are coming from the nursery. Master Alex is awake, but he's not howling so that's always good.

"The boys tend to forget that they're still children and are supposed to ask first before tinkering with someone else's stuff. Trying to make up for Drone Gate by creating a Frozen castle in the meadow for the kids made them forget, but Emmett's putting them to work and Edward took away their tech. For them that's like taking away their air supply. Jaz came up with a leather wrist cuff embedded with a jammer for when they step out of line, so even if they try to borrow someone's tech they're still under a dead zone. It's much better than groundation and gets the point across." Bella gives us the heads up on what they decided as a proper punishment and I've gotta say I'll be hitting up Jasper for that in the future. Hell, I'll ask for some for when we need to keep our resident teenage hackers in line.

Alex is getting a little more vocal and Rory's starting to whimper in her sleep as well. "You sure you've got this?" Ana arches a brow, torn between racing off to tend to Alex and being the proper hostess.

"We're good here. Go tend to your little ones." Alice smiles.

"We'll be back in a bit." The two of us head to the nursery.

"Take your time. We're seasoned pros…" They call after us.

Teddy

Waking up I feel lots better than I did and my sniffles are nearly all gone. Hope's curled up beside me. I hope she's not in trouble with her Mommy for sneaking in my room. I get why she wasn't pose to be here with me, cos she just got better and doesn't need my sniffles.

Daddy left the baby radio here in my room and I can hear Alex making baby noises, but so far he's not screaming where my ears hurt. I really hope Mommy and Daddy are there soon or I'll have to race in there before he goes postal. Again an adult saying that makes zero sense. What does being really angry have to do with mail?

Hope rolls over and buries her face under the pillow, not that I blame her because she knows that Alex will be screaming anytime now.

"Um, Hope?" I lift her pillow up and look down at her. "Aren't ya gonna go sneak back in with your Mommy?"

"Max is there. It's fine. Daddy and Mommy have someone to cuddle…" She opens one eye to look at me, yawns, and stretches out like one of the kittens before grabbing the pillow and going back to sleep.

"Max is where?" I shake my head like daddy does when he can't believe that someone has said something and try again.

"Go sleep, Teddy…" Wow! She growled at me! Yikes!

"Where's Max, Hope…" I decide that I'm taking my pillow back and lift it off of her head, but she's got it and is not letting it go.

"Under da covers with Mommy and Daddy, so's I come in be with you…" She rolls on her side to glare at me from where I can just see her face under the pillow.

Oh, that's not good! The pups aren't allowed under the covers! "Your Daddy's gonna be really mad at you! We need to sneak you back in with your Mommy, so when he goes back to tell her what you did. You'll be where you pose ta be." It's the perfect plan, but Hope's glaring at me.

"You Daddy know I come in here already, so how me sneaking back with Mommy gonna work?" She grumbles, as she sits up rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"Daddy knows that you sneak in here?"

"Uh-huh…It not like they don't get why I do it…they did it too…when they be little likes us." Hope grumbles, as she scrambles down from my bed.

"My Mommy and Daddy sneaked in with each other…" I arch one brow like daddy does when he wants more info and it usually works for him.

Hope rolls her eyes at me, but keeps talking as she heads for the potty. "Oh, they's did lots and lots of things when they be little like us…police…Feds…hood watch had to go and search for you's Mommy. Cos she's like hamburgar from McD's, buts Daddy said she more like a catburger that he's thanks powers she be on good side." She finishes before closing the door.

I stare after her, as my mind tries to figure out what she's chattering at me about. Mommy was a thief when she was little like us? She took burgers and cats? Adam is happy that she's a good guy? And the police, men in suits, and whatever a hood watch is had to search for her? It makes no sense.

Hope

"She be good at climbing and picking locks, so she was good at escaping ta see you's Daddy." Teddy's really not getting it at all! I gotta think of an easy way to get him ta understand. Must be the medicine makin his brain slow.

"You mean cat burglar like in Pink Panther…Mommy?" Teddy's finally getting it!

"Uncle Lelliot and Logan show her how ta pick locks and climb when she be little like us…" I call back as I stand on my toes to reach the sink. Drat! I didn't think to move the stair thingy back and I can't wash my hands.

"They like to show lots of stuff that we're not pose to know, well, Lelliot and Ethan do…I bet she got into lots of trouble cos of them too…didn't know that Logan was like that…then Ollie did stuff in Arrow too…makes sense that they taught Mommy stuff that they shouldn't…bet they got's in big, big, trouble too." Teddy says between sneezes and a few coughs, but he sounds lots better.

I put the lid down on the potty climb up on it and finally am able to reach the sink to wash my hands. "They made whole school gets the itchy spots…" I hop off and go open the door.

"Itchy spots?" Teddy looks lost again, as he goes past me into the potty room and then closes the door.

"Yep, you's Daddy had 'em really bad, so you Mommy couldn't see him cos they's didn't want her ta get spots too…she not see him for days…they gots to sleep wif each other, cos he had bad dreams. She be his dreamcatch…so's she sneak out to go be wif him…" I'm getting better at talking like Teddy does, cos I'm just as smart as he is. It's safe here, so I don't have to not act like I can speak lots of words.

"Hope? Where's my stair thingy? Did you take it?" Teddy's trying to reach the sink.

"Climbs on the potty then you can wash…" I call back. Maybe, I told him too much.

"Not really pose to do that, but gotta wash my hands…" Teddy's grumbling to himself.

"I took it ta reach you bed." I growl back.

"Yeah, figured as much…" Teddy opens the door and yawns. "Let's sneak you back with your Mommy."

"It all true, Teddy. Daddy told Mommy while I wait for them to sleep." I fold my arms like Mommy does when she wants to be listened to.

"Daddy got burned when he was little, so the dream thing makes sense. Gramps says they were joined at the hip. Meaning I think together a lot…" Teddy's over by his bed listening to the little baby radio. "Good… Mommy and Daddy are with Alex and my sisters…" He goes over to his wall and gets his robe. "Here..."

It's blue. Has a hood with Teddy ears. And is soft. "I fine. You be sick…" I give it back.

He goes into his clothes box and comes out with one like the blue one, but this one is grey. I think, but it's got blue too. "I'm lots better. Let's get you back with your Mommy before she gets worried…" He only sneezed once, so that's good.

"Daddy, say Grandpa J has it all on video…" I scramble into the robe. It's like being hugged by a Teddybear. He gots lots of Teddy stuff in his clothes box. I wonder if they think he needs to remember his name. "You really likes Teddies lots and lots of 'em…" I'm staring at his clothes and stuffed toys.

"Nah, they keep getting me Teddy stuff, but I like lots of other things too…" Teddy shrugs, rolling his eyes.

"Well, they want ya to really knows you name a lot…" I nod and drag out a my size purple Teddy with me.

"It's Aunt Mia's fault. She buys lots of stuff all the time. She thinks it makes me look adorbz…" He tosses the Teddy robe and takes out a Tigger one instead.

"Maybe, you's and you Daddy cans go gets you some other stuff that not Teddybear?" I really like this bear lots and I can have it when I can't gets to Teddy.

"Take all the bears that ya want. All I need is number one Teddy and the ones in Mommy and Daddy's offices. I gots so much plushy stuff that it's taken over my closet. Everyone who comes gives me a plushy or Teddy…sometimes both…Daddy and Mommy get them from work too…" Teddy's digging out all kinds of Teddies and they are flying everywhere!

"Um…they just trying be nice…so they give you plushies and Teddies…" I scramble around scooping up Teddies and plushies that I shove under his bed, so that he won't get in trouble.

Teddy turns around and narrows his eyes. "Where'd they go?"

"Messy room means you can't play. I puts them under bed, so you no gets sent ta naughty corner." I glare back at him.

"Fine." He grumbles and the two of us put the plushies back in the clothes box.

"You better and you Daddy better. We goes with the Daddies and gets you new stuff with no Teddies on it." I give him big hugs. "Aunt Mia gots me lots of dresses…" I wrinkle my nose.

"Aunt Mia's a girlie girl or that's what everyone says. Ava loves dresses and sparkles, so she gots the same for you." Teddy's rolling his eyes again.

"I likes ta wear more than just dresses. You no play in a dress. You gets tears and dirty. Then Mommy gets all frowny. Dresses no fun." Teddy helps me drag the bear with us to the door.

"Hope, how you get in my room?"

"Watch." I wiggle through the doggie door and see if there's anyone there, but its fine, so I go the rest of the way out of his room.

The bear follows next and then finally Teddy.

"Okay, but just so you know that its pose ta be for the pups and we're not pose to use them…" Teddy goes over to another door and listens. "They're still with the babies. Let's go." He goes back to me takes one arm of the Teddy and we're off to sneak me back with Mommy. It's not gonna work, but Teddy's set on it and he's sick, so we'll try it his way.

Adam

"Forget about breakfast. The main show is in the security office!" Luke races into Chris's office where I'm trying to eat while checking in with my Team at Grey House.

"What now?" I narrow my eyes, as I munch on some bacon.

"Hope and Teddy are awake and he's trashing his room!" Luke grins.

I nearly choke on my bacon and stalk after him. "It's six that kid doesn't even stir until eight and he's sick. Hope's a little terror if you try and wake her before ten…"

"Alex woke him and then he woke Hope. They've been plotting how to sneak Hope back into bed with Angel…Hope's not a fan of Teddy's wardrobe of Teddy bears…after that the bears started flying…she's stuffing them under the bed so that he won't be in the naughty corner for trashing his room…" Well, Mia is obsessed with buying him everything Teddy bear and Hope's basically calling the poor little guy a pansy.

"He's not even four and she's got him by the balls…" Jason, Luke, Logan, and Ryan are all trying not to choke on breakfast watching as my princess shows Teddy how she escaped. Christ, at this rate she'll be after my job by the time she hits her teens.

"Kid doesn't even stand a chance…" I shake my head and head out of the watchtower and straight for the back staircase to catch them in the act.

"Adam, Ross wants you at GEH like yesterday!" Jason calls after me, but I ignore him.

Not a chance in hell. I wanna see what they do when they get caught. "Gotta be a Dad first! I already checked in… " I call back and head up the stairs.

"I told you it not work! That be my Daddy!" I can hear Hope hissing at Teddy.

"But it's six and he's got ta be at GEH really early ta put out all the fires and stuff…" Teddy hisses back.

Kid does have a point, but that was before Angel and Hope.

"You go in the doggie door really fast and then crawl into bed with your Mommy…" I'm at the top of the 2nd landing, but I'm x-special forces sneaking is what I do, so they don't see me watching them.

"You gonna gets into trouble…" Hope frowns.

"It's a little late for that don't you think?" I walk into the hallway.

"Daddy…" Hope pours on the pout, eyes, and even waterworks. "Teddy needed me…"

God help that poor kid when they get older. He doesn't stand a chance. "The reason why you both were separated was because he has a cold and you can't be exposed to that, angel face."

"No one was being mean by keeping you both apart. We don't want you to have an asthmas attack that can be brought on by a cold. We just got you better, baby girl." Angel opens the door to our room and looks over at me. I shrug and give her my I told ya so look. She rolls her eyes.

"Theodore Raymond Grey, what are you doing out of bed?" Ana's coming this way.

"Yeah, like he wouldn't have tried to smuggle her back to Angel as soon as he woke up." Chris isn't the least bit surprised, but then he was watching them all night, so there is that.

"I'm better, Mommy." Teddy's pouring it on now too, only he can't pull it off because he ends with a few sneezes.

"Oh, he's well enough to send his teddies flying all over his room, so I'd say the little guy is on the mend." I smirk.

Teddy and Hope go from sad and sorry to guilty in a blink. "He remember his name real good now, so he no wants all the Teddy stuff…" Hope's the first to break of the two.

We try. We really try to keep a straight face, but after that explanation the whole house is more than likely either choking on food or rolling on the floor laughing. Because, believe you me the four us of are losing it.

"It's not funny!" Teddy growls, red faced.

Well, I don't blame him being three and having his best girl emasculate him over his closet, it smarts a lot.

"Aunt Mia needs ta stop with the bears and teddy clothes, cos there's lots more stuff like Vengers, Flash, Batman, Superman, Green Arrow, Turtles, Paw patrol, boy stuff…just no more bears." Hope folds her tiny arms and stomps her tiny foot glaring at us and that just triggers us all over again.

"Yeah…sure…alright…" Chris gasps for air takes another look at Hope then loses it again.

"It's just been…" Ana tries to catch her breath. "His thing since he was a newborn…Teddy bears for our Teddybear…He's never growled about it until now and he does have clothes with heroes and characters on them too…"

"Mia went shopping again…and must have reorganized his closet." Chris finally pulls himself together enough to talk. "We'll bring all of his boy stuff front and center and then see about donating what he doesn't want anymore."

"Hope wants play clothes not dresses and sparkles like Ava…" Teddy grumbles, not about to be the only one in the spotlight. Ana scoops him up.

"You no be able ta play outside in dress…" My princess pouts and I scoop her up and kiss her nose.

"You can do both, baby girl. Have tea parties and play with dolls sometimes and go outside and play others." Angel tries to get her to see both sides.

"Fine…just nots all times…" She sighs as if she's just had to give up candy or dessert.

"Even Teddy and Gabe attend Ava's tea parties…" Ana just through her kid under the bus.

"Mommy!" Teddy's face is so red that it could give a tomato a run for its money and he goes from his mother's arms to his Daddy in one leap.

"Ana, he's already been called on his man card once and you had to bring that up in front of Hope?" Chris shoots Ana a look and then turns to head for the elevator. "Let's go, Teddy. Jason's brought the entire IHOP menu for breakfast this morning. Then if you're feeling better, we'll see about expanding your wardrobe away from the animal kingdom and more towards some of your favorite heroes and characters.

"Not like he had choice ta play with Ava. She's really bossy." Hope snorts, rolling her eyes.

"You just ordered Teddy to change his wardrobe, baby girl. That's being bossy too." Angel admonishes her.

"He knows his name, so why make wear all those Teddy stuff? That all I was thinkin…I no try ta be bossy like Ava. Just that his close box got lots of Teddy stuff…" Hope's not happy at being compared to her younger cousin. "Sorry…if I hurt Teddy feelings. I no mean too." She buried her face against my shoulder

"Well, baby girl, he gave you that giant bear, so that's a good sign that he's not too hurt by what you said. He's just embarrassed. He'll get over it." I kiss the top of her head.