A/N: My apologies (once again!) that this chapter has taken so long! I finally just cut it short at a half-decent place for it, rather than keep you waiting while I figure out how to finish what will now be the end of the next chapter!
The fic still has at least two, maybe three more chapters after this one, and one of these days when I say that it won't then be followed by four or five more, ha ha!
And as we said in the old days, "Please read & review!" Let me know what you think of it; I've just realized that I've never actually inserted an OC into a relationship before. The realization is slightly alarming, ha ha.
Enjoy! ~Kryss
"Watch out," Chise cautioned, settling into the sofa and reaching for her teacup; "She's a bit bitey."
"Ow! Yes. Thanks for the warning." Angelica said dryly as she adjusted her hold to be a bit less hazardous. "All babies do tend to be a bit chewy, but most of them wait until they're teething to do any real damage. But I suppose there's no need for her to teethe, is there?" she added, tilting Thistle slightly to examine her jaws. Thistle gurgled happily, and playfully snapped at her fingers again. "Ooh, you naughty girl!" Angelica laughed, yanking her hand back out of reach. "You have to be nice, now. Nice!" She raised a cautioning finger, and Thistle opened her mouth, her eyes curving into her father's smile. "Nicely..." Angelica warned, before curling her finger about a canine. Thistle closed her mouth about it, reasonably gently, and Angelica tugged, laughing. "Oh no! Oh no, she's got me!"
"Don't encourage her!" Chise pleaded. "She thinks it's funny enough as it is!"
"Well, it's how you teach puppies to not bite too hard, isn't it?" the older mage returned, booping the bony snout with the thumb of her imprisoned hand. "If they bite too hard, you stop playing, and they don't want that, do we? Boop!"
"I suppose..." Chise sighed. "Honestly, I don't know if I should treat her as a puppy or a baby!"
"Not much difference at this age," Angelica pointed out. "Go with whatever works. —Aha! Now I've got you!" She grabbed the end of Thistle's nose under her thumb. "Now what're you going to do, eh?" She tugged at the tiny head as Thistle giggled and kicked and finally spat her finger out. "Ew, now I'm all spitty. You made me all spitty!" she laughed, tickling the fluffy belly. "Now what am I going to do with all this spit? Maybe I'll have to wipe it off here!"
Thistle was absolutely beside herself at the belly tickles. "Oh dear," murmured Chise, "We're never going to get her to sleep now..."
"There's my big girl," Elias said, taking his dripping daughter from Chise and wrapping a thick towel around her. "Time for bed! —I've got her bottle all ready," he added to Chise as he dried Thistle off. "Why don't you have a bit of a soak before you come up?"
"That would be lovely, thank you," Chise sighed, sinking back into the tub.
"Just come out before the water cools off," he continued, wrapping Thistle up in a fresh, dry towel as she sleepily rubbed at her eyes and protested the jostling. "And stay under the water up to your shoulders—"
"I know, I know," Chise murmured, closing her eyes. "I won't let myself catch a chill, I promise."
"Come up soon, then," Elias said softly, bending over to give her a fond nuzzle, one hand cradling his daughter's head against his shoulder, and gently closed the door behind him.
Silky had already thoughtfully turned back the blankets, knowing he'd be bringing her up, and had left Thistle's towels laid out neatly in her crib, and set out his pillows, propped up and ready for him, against the headboard. Kicking off his shoes, he settled against them, cradling his daughter in one arm as he reached for the bottle waiting on the bedside table with the other. She was already falling asleep, but he had quickly learned that if she didn't have a last feeding before bed, she'd wake up too soon, hungry and cranky.
He rubbed the bottle's nipple against her front teeth a bit, and allowed a few drops to trickle through the gaps. Sure enough, once she tasted the warm milk, she willingly opened up and latched on, one hand grasping his finger.
Elias loved these quiet moments with her at the end of the day. He had quickly come to enjoy caring for Chise, but caring for his tiny helpless daughter was so entirely different. He cradled her to his chest, treasuring the warmth of her soft little body, the way she so trustingly and quietly snuggled into him, her other hand tucked around his side under his arm, gently petting him as she drank.
He had always rather assumed that babies were more or less indistinguishable featureless blobs, even after he had finally, thanks to Chise, realized that adults were individuals, separate people, and not simply 'humanity'. But having his own, he could see that, even as young as she was, she really was a person herself, too. She had a personality, and thoughts he could see flitting about behind her eyes as she looked up at him. He couldn't wait for her to be able to express them, to find out what they were.
The glow of her eyes, nearly the same shade as her mother's, finally dimmed as she drifted off to sleep. Elias looked to the waiting crib, but decided to cuddle her a little while longer. Just until Chise came up. He was comfortable, and her hand was still loosely wrapped around his finger as she gently snored against him. How could he possibly put her down just yet?
His own pupils were dim when Chise came in to see them dozing together. Smiling, she softly kissed his cheek. "I'm here," she whispered as he stirred. "Why don't you give her to me while you get into your pyjamas?"
He nodded briefly, and carefully handed her over before getting up. Chise gave Thistle a gentle kiss goodnight as well, before settling her onto the towels in her crib, and tucking her in. Her fat little tail rather blocked any attempts at diapering her; but thankfully, simply laying her on a pad of towels was working well enough.
She gave her cheek a last, lingering caress, before turning and joining her husband in their bed.
It was perhaps a month after that, a night Thistle woke up and would not go back to sleep.
She was growing fast, faster, Chise thought, than a strictly-human baby would, and she was already beginning to not need fresh towels in her crib after her two am feeding. She usually just wanted her milk, and then bed again.
But not tonight.
Chise walked her up and down the bedroom, patting her back and trying to soothe the complaining little whines, for several minutes before she realized that there was a pattern to them. She'd start walking one way, and she'd settle, a bit, but still be alert. Then she'd run out of space and turn around, and Thistle would get distressed again, and start whining and wiggling.
She tested it. One way; she'd settle, a bit. Turn; distress. Continue to the wardrobe; wiggles and whines. About face; still upset. A few steps forward, and Thistle stopped wiggling so much, but gave a slight bounce.
What?
She continued, stopped again when she ran out of room again. Didn't turn around again.
She was facing the closed bedroom door.
She frowned at it for a moment, sleepily trying to put two and two together, and looked down at her daughter. Thistle met her gaze imploringly, and gave a single, slight whine.
"Out? You want to go out?"
Chise eased the door open, as quietly as she could, and slipped out into the hallway. Moonlight flooded in from the window at the end, thankfully, and she could see well enough, even if everything was pale and washed out.
"What now?"
Thistle wiggled and twisted, almost out of her arms before Chise managed to manoeuvre her into a more-or-less sitting position, upright in her arms. She stopped wiggling; but whined again, looking around.
Ruth nosed through the door of the bedroom after her and softly asked, "What's up?"
"I don't know," Chise whispered back. "She wants something."
Thistle was looking around the hall and complaining. Uncertain as to where she was meant to go next, Chise took a few steps down the hallway, and was rewarded with directions when Thistle looked towards the stairs and gave a slight bounce. Come on, Mummy; let's go!
"All right." Chise carefully made her way down the stairs, the bottom darker in the night, and followed her daughter's directions to the door. "What? Out? You want to go outside?" Chise asked in disbelief. "Azami, it's the middle of the night!"
Out!
"Ruth?" Chise asked helplessly. The Grim's glowing eyes met hers.
"If she wants out then let's take her out and see what she's after. We won't take her far, and we'll both be right here."
"All right…" Chise still felt uncertain, but she couldn't feel any threat, or coercion. Just Thistle, and her insistence that they go outside. In the middle of the night. Sighing, she unbolted the door and went out.
The moonlight was brighter here, filling the garden with light. She took a few steps forward, the dewy grass cold and wet beneath her bare feet, and shivered in the slight breeze. "All right, then; what now?"
Thistle gave a small huff, endearingly like her father's, and her put me down! wriggle. Chise complied, settling her onto her outstretched feet, and waited, curious to see what she'd do next.
Thistle wobbled for a moment, still new to standing, even on all fours, before taking a careful, but deliberate step forwards, and another.
"Ruth! She's walking!"
"She is. Sort of." The Grim nosed at her slightly, eliciting a small growl, but she otherwise ignored him, making her way to the nearest bush. She paused in its shadow, wobbled, and crouched.
And peed.
Chise's eyes widened in astonishment. "Azami! Good girl!" she said, with a disbelieving grin. Thistle finished up, gave herself a shake—nearly falling over in the process—and proudly turned back towards her mother. A few wobbly steps back and she sat down with a huff, and lifted her arms to be picked up.
Chise scooped her up into her arms, happily bouncing her. "You are such a clever little girl!" she said, exchanging proud nuzzles with her. "Did you figure that out all by yourself? I'm so proud of you!"
Thistle patted her face, eyes smiling, as they headed back into the house.
"She must be tired of waking up on wet towels," said Ruth, shaking off his wet paws as Chise closed and barred the door again.
"Such a clever girl! Wait until your Daddy hears about this!"
"Hears about what?" asked Elias, and Chise looked up to see him peering down the stairs at them. "What's happening? Is everything okay?"
"Everything's fine," Ruth reassured him, as Chise burst out, "Our daughter is the cleverest little girl in the world!"
Thistle proudly showed off her new skill again the next morning, her Uncle Ruth giving her a lick afterwards that nearly knocked her off her feet.
"Isn't she clever?" Chise said again to Elias, pride bursting from every pore. "She figured it out all by herself, and figured out how to tell me about it! I'm just not quite sure," she added, deflating slightly, "how to give her any pointers on it."
"I think that might be something that Ruth and I are better equipped to show her," said Elias, shifting into his quadruped form, and stepping forward to give Thistle a proud nuzzle himself.
"She does what?!" Angelica burst out, while Alice nearly choked on her tea. "Do you mean she just— no way!"
Chise nodded proudly as she gently bounced Thistle on her knee. It had almost killed her to wait until they came for their weekly visit to tell them, but she had somehow managed. "Do you want to see? Azami, do you want to show Auntie Angie and Auntie Alice what you can do?"
Thistle looked slightly doubtful, but obediently slid from her knee to all fours, and headed out of the sitting room.
"Good lord, she's mobile already?! Althea couldn't even sit on her own at this age!"
"Well, she is pretty unique. Even if her gestation period was pretty typical for a human, there's no reason to think that the rest of her development would be. She seems to understand language better than I'd have expected—but having said that, I don't really know what would be expected that way in the first place." She sighed.
"Look at the bright side," Alice said, getting up from the sofa and stretching. "It's probably better than her staying a baby in diapers longer than she should."
Thistle led them out the front door, once Alice opened it for her, but stopped halfway to her favourite shrub, turning and looking up at them. The three adults trailed to a halt.
"So? What now?" Alice asked out of the side of her mouth.
"I—I'm not sure; this is new…" Chise took a step towards Thistle, but she lowered her head and hunched her shoulders defiantly, giving a slight growl when Chise took another step. "What, Thistle? What is it?"
"Maybe she doesn't want an audience?" Angelica drawled. "I know I wouldn't."
"Is that it?" Chise asked her daughter uncertainly, as Alice followed Angelica's lead, turning her back.
"Hey, give a girl her privacy, yeah?"
Chise joined them, staring back at the house as Thistle rustled away behind them.
"So, how long has she been doing this?" Angelica asked.
"Oh, about three days now."
"And she just lets you know she wants out, and that's that?"
"Well, I do come out with her. And of course she can't wipe herself yet. But pretty much, yes."
"Aren't you going to potty-train her?" Alice sounded faintly shocked.
"Why? She's pretty much the perfect baby right now," Angelica chuckled.
"Well, that, and she can't really balance on the loo yet," Chise said defensively. "Her tail gets in the way."
"Doesn't it get in the way like this, too?"
"Not really, no; and Ruth and Elias are showing her how to manage it."
Alice's face took on a pained look. "Eugh, now you're making me wonder how Ainsworth does it." She grimaced. "Oh god don't tell me he lifts his leg. I really didn't need that image in my head." She shuddered. "That's gonna keep me awake for years now, isn't it? Dammit."
A/N: You can see some art of Thistle and the rest of the family on my fic Tumblr, at tumblr (dot com/) blog/krysslabryn-fanfic! Come say hi! :D