Disclaimer: The characters of Walker do not belong to me.

A/N: Hey guys! I've been away for a while, I know, but hopefully I'm over this long writing slump I've been in.

In this story, Liam's just come back to the ranch after finding Stella in last week's episode. Still bothered by the fact that Stella didn't come to him for help, Liam reminds Lulu that he'll always be there for her. As a reminder, Lulu says the name 'Mama' in this story. That's her nickname for Abeline, mentioned in another story as a result of her being unable to say 'Mawline' as a baby.

The adrenaline of the previous few hours was winding down. Liam was trying to make sense of his tangled emotions as he drove back to the ranch. He tried to ignore the blaring question going through his head of where his brother was and what could have possibly been so important that he had never come to help them find Stella, before his buzzing cell phone broke his concentration. Liam parked his car and checked the number.

Lacey Adams

Why was Lulu's friend's mother calling him? The answer hit him hard and he groaned. Lulu was back from a weekend long sleepover with her best friend from school, and nobody was at the ranch to collect her.

"Hi, Lacey. I'm so sorry. Are you guys at the ranch right now?"

"We are, and there's nobody here. Is everything okay?", the kind and concerned woman asked.

"Um, can Lulu hear me? I don't want her to worry."

"I've got her and JJ playing in the yard. I'm sitting in the car."

Liam gave her a quick rundown on the situation, without going into so much detail that one of Liam's only other parent friends would think their family was crazy. It's not far from the truth, he thought.

"Oh, wow. I can take her home with us again tonight if you need. I'll just tell her that your car broke down or something."

Liam considered the offer but declined. "No thanks. I'm less than five minutes away. I'm just sorry I didn't think to call you first."

"With that kind of a day, I'm surprised you're thinking straight at all. I've got the girls. Take your time."

Liam thanked her and took a deep breath. Where Cordell was would have to wait. Lulu was home. He smiled. At least something was going right today. Liam started the car and was grateful when the traffic wasn't bad and allowed him to get home quickly.

"Daddy!"

Lulu was practically in his arms before Liam even saw her. "Hey, Lulu bear."

"I missed you."

"I missed you too. So much." Liam put her down, trying to ignore the slightly painful prick in his heart when he realized he couldn't hold Lulu as easily as he used to. "Did you have fun?"

"You bet we did!"

Liam laughed. "That's great. I want to hear all about it, but give me just a minute to talk to Mrs. Jackson, okay?"

"Okay!"

Lulu easily went back to playing with her friend as Liam walked up to the porch, where Lacey was now sitting on the top step. Liam smiled and walked over to her, taking a seat next to her.

"Thank you so much."

"No problem at all."

"Everything went okay?"

"Lulu is an absolute angel. She could teach JJ a thing or two about manners." Lacey complimented.

Liam laughed. "Good. Look, why don't you guys stay for dinner? It's the least I can do after making you babysit unexpectedly."

"I appreciate it, but I actually have to take JJ to her dad's. Call me if you want to bring Lulu over again."

"Sure. Maybe next time JJ could stay here for a couple days."

"Your mom and dad wouldn't mind?" Lacey asked. "This place is absolutely gorgeous, but I don't want to be an imposition."

"They won't mind a bit. My mom's always saying Lulu needs more friends her own age."

"Sure." Lacey checked her watch and stood up. "We need to get going. JJ, come on, baby. Say bye to Lulu."

The two girls said their goodbyes and Lulu watched them drive off with Liam. When the car was out of sight, Liam turned his full attention back to Lulu.

"Okay, kiddo. What do you want for dinner?"

"Daddy, will you help me make Mama's favorite?" Lulu asked.

"Lasagna? That's a lot of work, are you sure?"

"Yeah." Lulu said. "I know how to do it, but Mama doesn't let me use the stove unless there's another grown-up there."

"That sounds like a great idea. But I want to tell you something." Liam knelt down to Lulu's eye level, the stressful day finding Stella still fresh on his mind. "You know I'd do anything for you, right?"

"I know, Daddy."

"And anytime you need help with anything, no matter what it is, you can always come to me."

"Yeah, I know, Daddy."

"Okay. Just making sure." Liam said. He quickly kissed Lulu's cheek and led her inside. "Let's go make that dinner."