It was a typical day in the Watson household as far as a general weekday went. The boys had gone to school, Phil had made a short few hour trip to the office for the one non-remote task he had and Kristin had been able to spend the day with Tommy and work on her art. She'd just returned from a few days away from home for her own job and was eager to get in as much family time as she could.

Everything had gone smoothly and aside from a few huffed complaints from Wilbur about his homework all of the Watson's appeared to have had a generally decent day.

Currently the family as a whole was all situated in the living room, the largest space in the house and it only was just large enough to fit them all. It was cozy at least. Techno and Wilbur were seated on the floor at the coffee table, a cushion placed under them for comfort as they worked on their homework. Normally it was a kitchen table task, but since both Phil and Kristin were in the living room with Tommy as well their mother had decided that the rule could be forgotten for the day. So long as the tv remained off until homework was done.

As for the elder Watson's and Tommy, the three spaced out with Kristin sat on the floor in front of the sofa and Phil was pushed back as far as he could be against Tommy's playpen. Tommy sat on the floor just a few inches ahead of Phil, having plopped to play with his toes the moment Phil had let him go.

With the house being as small as it was Tommy didn't really get a lot of 'floor time' to practice getting around on his own. Especially with the two older boys zipping about and not paying proper attention. A few hand squishes from his brothers now had Tommy flinching at the sound of running feet if he wasn't being held. Sure, there was the bouncy walker, but it was large and often left the poor boy stuck in a doorway more often than not. Wilbur even once wedging Tommy between the sofa and lounge chair after getting angry at the child for running over his feet with the thing.

Even if Phil thought it was understandable that didn't mean he approved of it.

So here, on a decently good day and in decently good moods the family got to watch as Tommy was coaxed into making his first real step.

"Come on now Tommy. We know you can do it." Kristin tried to encourage as she stretched out her arms to him, Phil lifting Tommy up by his hands.

Tommy's feet dangled in the air a moment as he pulled them up, letting them drop down only from gravity's insistence. Very clumsily he put some of his weight on his feet, his body swaying and jerking as his father steadily lowered him more and more to the floor. With his father still holding most of his weight up Tommy smiled giddily at his mother as he took a wild step in her direction.

"That's good, mate. Just like that." Phil nodded as he inched forward just a tad to keep hold of his son's hands.

As his mother was just starting to cheer him on again, Phil slacked up so that Tommy was mostly on his own, the tiny diapered booty plopped back to the ground in a heartbeat. With a shrill giggle Tommy immediately rolled onto his knees and scurried towards his mother. Phil let out a playful groan as he lowered his head in defeat.

No one expected this 'walking' session to end with Tommy actually taking steps on his own, but the small blond seemed to be making a particular point of taking no steps at all.

Phil recalled Wilbur being a stubborn one as well, opting to remain stationary until eyes were off him. The second either he or Kristin had looked away Wilbur had been off and chugging in any direction that seemed to scream 'danger'. Techno had been far easier than both his siblings and Phil was now thinking he had either taken that for granted or that Techno had set his parents up for failure, believing they knew what they were doing.

In any case, Tommy was more than happy to crawl into his mother's lap, looking up at her expectantly as his growing curls started to lap at his face. He awaited the praise of his mother who was all to eager to coo back, squishing his cheeks and pulling him into a hug. She poured out words of love and congratulations as much as she would have if he'd actually walked the distance, snuggling her face into his hair.

It wasn't about progress in skill, it was about spending time with Tommy and she wanted him to know just how much love she had for him. That they all did.

"He's never going to walk if you keep letting him crawl." Wilbur complained dully as he watched, ignoring his worksheet before him.

"Oh? Is that right?" His mother asked with obvious amusement as both parents looked over at him.

"Yea." Wilbur nodded with confidence, "You keep telling him 'good job' when he didn't even try. He wont ever try if you do that."

"And when did you become an expert at teaching how to walk?" Phil questioned with a rather amused look of his own as he raised a brow at his eldest.

"Since I learned how to walk first." Wilbur supplied as he puffed out his chest and crossed his arms.

"You're older, Wil. Of course you were going to learn how first." Phil laughed.

"I still mastered it first." He stated as his expression set into a determined one.

"Didn't you trip on your way to the bus this morning? On the tuft of grass?" Phil asked as he tilted his head ever so much, the edges of his eyes crinkling in good humor.

Wilbur huffed at that as his face fell into a annoyed pout directed at his father.

"I told you we weren't going to talk about that." Wil stated in a scolding manner as he stared his father down.

Phil raised his hands in mock surrender as he let out a little sigh of his own for dramatic flair.

"Right, right. How could I forget?" Phil toned out as he eyed his wife with a crooked grin.

She wasn't hiding her own laughter but it was Phil that seemed to hold Wil's ire at the moment.

Wilbur stuck out his tongue at his father then, only making the man laugh outright. With a huff Wilbur turned back to his homework with a scowl on his face.

"I just don't understand why he doesn't want to walk." Wil muttered under his breath.

"It's not that he doesn't want to, Wil. Its just easier for him to crawl so he's sticking with it." Phil tried to explain, "For all we know his balance isn't even developed enough for it yet. That's why this is just practice."

"Your brother seems impatient for you to be running around, Tommy." Their mother chuckled down at the small blonde.

"Am not." Wilbur lied with a grumble, "But if he can walk normal then he wont need the stupid walker anymore."

"Even when he starts walking we'll still use it, Wil." Phil stated, though once more he understood and even half agreed with the mindset, "It'll be a good way to keep track of him on the loose."

"But-" Wilbur began to protest with a whine before a low rumbly noise was heard.

It was small but loud and seemed to come from Techno's direction, the middle child wiggling in place as his face grew red. He kept his eyes down at his paper clearly hoping that it wasn't as audible as it sounded.

"Sounds like snack time." Phil stated after a short pause.

Wilbur laughed and gave his younger brother a nudge to his shoulder while Techno let out an embarrassed whine and placed his head on the table.

"You should have said you were hungry, Techno." Their mother stated as she lifted Tommy up so she could shift to face the other boys better.

"i wasn't finished yet." Techno replied in a small voice, still keeping his eyes lowered.

"If you're hungry your hungry, Tech. We can have snacks a bit earlier when we need to." Phil informed, a bit of worry in his tone, "Besides, your brain will work better if its not distracted by thoughts of food."

Techno nodded, only looked up when Wilbur gave him a stronger nudge, this one not as teasing as the last one had felt. When Techno met eyes with his brother he could see a question in the other's eyes, or at least he thought he did.

"Did you not have your snack at school?" Wilbur asked with a tilt of his head.

Techno paused and stared a moment before nodding his head, and then shaking it as his brow knit.

"I dropped some of it." He admitted, which for some reason seemed to make Wil relax a bit.

"Well, you're in for a good treat today. You mother was trying her hand at a new recipe." Phil informed them from the kitchen doorway before disappearing through it.

Both boys looked over to their mother with questioning and excited eyes. Their mother, though, just smiled at them and shook her head that she wasn't going to spoil the surprise. The boys shared a look as they heard their father rummaging in the kitchen, both craning their necks to see what he was going to bring out. They weren't in a position to see anything over the sofa, but that fact didn't deter them from staring. Neither moved to get up, either waiting to be called to the table or for the snack to be brought to them.

They didn't have to wait long as their father's figure strode back into the room, a small plate in either hand and a grin on his face. He kept the plates high up to make seeing what was on them impossible to the two boys, who squirmed excitedly in their spots.

"What do you say to your mother, boys?" Phil asked with an amused look as he could see the growing impatience in the two.

Wilbur whipped his head around towards his mother, though his eyes remained on the plates above his and Techno's head. Techno managed a glance at her but maintained his focus above him. A duet of thanks mom/mum, came from the pair making said mother laugh aloud at them.

"You're welcome boys." She chuckled, nodding to Phil with a look that warned him not to press his teasing much further.

With a matching chuckle in response Phil lowered the plates and placed them before his sons, careful to not put them on any worksheets.

"Scotched eggs?" Wilbur questioned as he stared at the food before him.

The snack was a bit misshapen, but it was clear what it was. Kristin liked trying her hand at cooking in a general sense, but as the boys grew she tried to give specifically a fair mix between foods she grew up with and those more common to the area.

Despite having grown up in the country Phil wasn't as helpful as she'd hoped in picking out what to make. However, whenever she came to him with a recipe she looked up he was always willing to be the guinea pig for her until she got it where she roughly wanted it to be. Judging by the look on her boys faces and look of pride on Phil's own, she had done well.

There was an excited squeal from Tommy that had the family briefly looking at him, his tiny fists raised in the air at his brothers. Kristin cooed at him and raised him up to blow a raspberry against his cheek, delighting the youngster. When she lowered him back towards the floor he kicked his legs out, making her hold his weight mostly while she carefully held him on his feet.

Techno tilted his head at the pair as he watched.

"Was I that slow when I learned to walk?" He asked, looking up towards his father.

"Hardly." Phil chuckled with a shake of his head.

"You learned pretty fast actually. Trying to keep up with your brother." Kristin added with a grin over to both her sons, "You kept trying to follow him everywhere around the house."

Wilbur smiled wide at this too as he sat a bit straighter.

"I should have run faster then." He states earning a huff from Techno as the younger boy frowned at him unamused.

The flat look didn't last long before he started laughing, Wilbur joining in.

"Ok, you boys need to wash up before you eat. Homework can be finished after." Their mother stated, lifting Tommy up for Phil to take him.

Wilbur let out a deep sigh as he'd just about grabbed at his food when she's said it. Techno was first on his feet and shuffling off quickly, Wilbur hurry after him only to 'not be beaten' back to the food after. Kristin walked with them to make sure they washed up right with soap and all while Phil was left to look after Tommy.

Phil rocked Tommy on his hip with a small swaying dance that had the child beaming and giggling happily. He let out an off tune half song about 'why, do you, not walk, for us?' as he danced them around Tommy enjoying the whole affair.

The intermission playtime was cut short by the scream of the microwave. Tommy's bottle now being ready. Leaning down Phil placed Tommy on the floor with his toys and hurried off to grab it, hoping it wouldn't be too warm. The last thing they needed was a fussing Tommy because he had to wait while his brothers were already eating.

It was hardly any time at all before there were thundering footsteps from the hallway. Not a run, but a touch faster than just a jog. Wilbur, as usual, tried to slide his way out of the hallway and into the living room. Once he arrived though he let out a shout of annoyance instead of victory as Techno entered just behind him. Confused, the smaller boy tried to peek around his elder brother who was tensely staring ahead of him.

At the coffee table stood a shaky Tommy. Using the table to hold himself up with one hand his other was reached across over Wilbur's plate, a fist tightly curled and squishing the life out of what was once a scotched egg. Bits of meat, crumb and egg matter oozed over the small hand as the blond child let out a cooed sound of delight.

Phil, having heard Wilbur's cry, had come to the doorway just in time to see the poor snacks' demise. He looked over to Wilbur who looked equal parts angry and crushed. It was as Tommy was lifting the gooey remnants that hung slick on his tiny fist to his mouth that Wilbur managed to get actual words out as he started to storm over to the coffee table.

"You-you-You little monster food thief!" Wilbur grumped at the small child, who looked over at him with a wide smile on his face, now smeared with egg yolk.

"You should have run faster." Techno laughed as he moved quickly to his own plate, thankfully untouched.

Wilbur had stopped in his tracks to stare at Techno, mouth open at the audacity of the other. It was at this point that Tommy reached his messy fist out towards his eldest brother, a bubble of words on his lips. With his wide smile still in place Tommy let go of the table and took a step towards his brother. Or he would have if he hadn't immediately flopped onto the carpet on his tummy with a soft 'oof' noise and a tiny little burp.