((Contains a brief reference to adult activity.))
There was always something happening on Maple Grove. Whether it was a confirmed widower moving into a cottage with a woman who had tried to rob him and her daughter, or a teenager with wings who had been sent to Rhy'Din to keep him safe suddenly turning out to be related to the Old Man, there really was never a dull moment for those who lived at the big house. And that wasn't even taking into account the family who lived there, with their two hyperactive children, their hyperactive dog, and the Old Man himself.
With the summer in full swing finally, Vicki had taken to working outside when she could, which gave her a chance to work while supervising the children, however loosely you'd like to define supervision. Or work, for that matter. "Ben ....no eating the mud pies," she called absently from where she was sketching a set design for the Shanachie while lying on the grass in the garden attached to the manor. She didn't even seem to have looked up, but the toddler - now over a year old, and thoroughly enjoying his attempts at walking - lowered his muddy fist from his mouth with a giggle. "That's my boy."
Jon was pacing not far from where the small family was gathered, practicing his lines for Shakespeare, while clad in a pair of royal blue swim shorts, ready for a dip in the pool. Though his lines were from A Midsummer Night's Dream, he didn't look much like Oberon as he strut across the grass in nothing but his shorts. "Welcome, good Robin. See'st thou this sweet sight?" he started, gesturing with a hand before clucking his tongue in disgust, unhappy with his own delivery. "No, that's not right ..."
Of course, with Jon pacing and going over his lines, Emily had been wrapped in a swimming costume, inserted into an inflatable ring, as well as water wings, and was happily paddling around the shallowest of the shallow end while Cosmo dozed in the sunshine. It was a pretty standard day for these Grangers - easy going, calm, but always just on the very edge of disaster.
"Are you talking to the dog, or to me, love?" Vicki asked Jon in amusement, twisting to look up at him with a grin.
"Nae, fair wife. Cans't thou not see I am memorizing my lines for this bloody play?" he asked her, doing his best to stay in character. He sighed and tossed the script on a table. "Methinks the sun has addled my brain," he continued. "What think thou, daughter?" he said, crouching down near the pool. "Shall I join thee for a swim?"
At two years and a few months, Emily was fast becoming a talker, though her conversation still left a fair amount to be desired. "Daddy splash!" was the succinct answer to Jon's query, accompanied by a splash so vigorous that she tipped over completely. The ring was a nice idea, but not when all you could see was bottom and legs sticking up out of the water.
"Shit!" Vicki lurched up from where she was lying, but Jon was closest.
Jon chuckled at his daughter's remark, but when she tipped over, his heart was suddenly in his throat and he wasted no time in diving in after her, disappearing under the water to right her before she had the chance to take a single gulp of water. He'd witnessed a drowning once before and had been helpless to do anything about it, despite having tried, and he wasn't about to let the same thing happen again, especially not to his own child. He went in with a splash, disappearing for a moment before coming back up with a sputtering Emily in his arms.
It was a relief to see Emily righted once again. Vicki wouldn't deny that her own heart had skipped a few essentials at that sight - they'd lost one Emily in the family to the sea, they weren't going to lose another one to overly enthusiastic swimming. "Everything okay?" she asked, still in that awkward half-crouch she'd risen into from the grass.
In Jon's arms, Emily spluttered and coughed, and abruptly banged her hands onto the water. "Again!"
Thankfully Jon was a very good swimmer and was hardly out of breath, though his heart was pounding. "Other than the fact that I almost had a heart attack, I think so, yes." He slid Emily back into the floating ring, but this time decided to stay nearby so he could keep a close eye on her. "You, young lady!" he said, waggling a finger at her. "You are going to be the death of me!"
Vicki couldn't help laughing as Emily blew a raspberry at her father, unsurprised when a pair of little hands clutched wildly at her own leg. It was an automatic thing now, to reach down and catch Ben before he pitched headfirst onto the ground. "I think Emily and Daddy are getting a bit excited," she intimated to the little boy, who was watching his sister enviously. He wasn't allowed properly into the pool yet, not unless he was on someone's lap while they sat on the steps. Vicki glanced between him and the rest of their family, and sighed softly. "Fine. We're coming in!"
Blowing raspberries at Jon accomplished nothing except to see him blowing them back before leaning in to rub his nose against his daughter's. As much as he loved the stage, he was happiest and most relaxed when he was here at home spending quiet time with his little family. Before Vicki could properly wade into the pool, there was a huge splash as Cosmo jumped in, barking encouragement up at Vicki and Ben. "I think it's Cosmo who's excited!" Jon pointed out.
While Ben independently struggled with his sneakers, Vicki put a handy rock on top of her work and slipped out of her top and shorts - she always was prepared for the pool, even when she wasn't expecting to be using it. With Emily yelling "Cozzcozz!" at the top of her lungs, the redhead whipped little Ben's shirt off and lifted him up, stepping down until they could both sit safely in the water. "And why shouldn't he be excited?" Vicki asked Jon laughingly. "Both his puppies are in the water. Although the sooner we teach Emily to swim, the better."
"Maybe we should get her lessons," Jon suggested, having no idea how to teach a child as young as Emily to swim. Swimming was one of those skills the amnesia hadn't robbed him of, but he couldn't recall how or when he'd learned, except for what other people had told him. As far as he was concerned, it came as naturally as walking or breathing. He took up a ball and tossed it across the pool for Cosmo to fetch. With any luck, the play would eat up some of Cosmo's boundless energy.
"Maybe Cian would do it, if you asked him," Vicki suggested, one arm loosely around Ben as he splashed happily. Both children were giggling like small looney toons at the sight of Cosmo paddling across the pool for his ball. Somehow that dog could still wag his tail, even when swimming.
"Cian?" Jon echoed, wondering why she'd suggest him, other than the fact that he was mated to a mermaid. "Maybe we should invite them over. I'm sure Emily would love to meet a real live Little Mermaid, wouldn't you, EmilyWemily?" he asked, reaching beneath the water to tickle his daughter's bare toes. Of course, she had already met her Uncle Cian and Aunt Leilani, but she - nor anyone else in the family - had ever seen Cian's chosen mate sprout a tail just yet.
Over the sound of Emily's dirty little cackle, Vicki grinned. "Well, I figure since he can keep up with Leilani in the sea, he must be a pretty strong swimmer," she pointed out, bouncing Ben on her knee as he splashed water in his sister's direction. "Of course we should invite them over. Maybe we should have a barbecue or something."
"What do you think Leilani eats?" Jon asked, passing over her comment regarding Cian's swimming skills, since he wasn't really sure how to reply to that. Like everything that had happened before the shooting, he didn't really remember much about his relationship with Cian, except for what other people had told him. Cosmo paddled back over with the ball in his mouth and Jon tossed it again.
There was always something happening on Maple Grove. Whether it was a confirmed widower moving into a cottage with a woman who had tried to rob him and her daughter, or a teenager with wings who had been sent to Rhy'Din to keep him safe suddenly turning out to be related to the Old Man, there really was never a dull moment for those who lived at the big house. And that wasn't even taking into account the family who lived there, with their two hyperactive children, their hyperactive dog, and the Old Man himself.
With the summer in full swing finally, Vicki had taken to working outside when she could, which gave her a chance to work while supervising the children, however loosely you'd like to define supervision. Or work, for that matter. "Ben ....no eating the mud pies," she called absently from where she was sketching a set design for the Shanachie while lying on the grass in the garden attached to the manor. She didn't even seem to have looked up, but the toddler - now over a year old, and thoroughly enjoying his attempts at walking - lowered his muddy fist from his mouth with a giggle. "That's my boy."
Jon was pacing not far from where the small family was gathered, practicing his lines for Shakespeare, while clad in a pair of royal blue swim shorts, ready for a dip in the pool. Though his lines were from A Midsummer Night's Dream, he didn't look much like Oberon as he strut across the grass in nothing but his shorts. "Welcome, good Robin. See'st thou this sweet sight?" he started, gesturing with a hand before clucking his tongue in disgust, unhappy with his own delivery. "No, that's not right ..."
Of course, with Jon pacing and going over his lines, Emily had been wrapped in a swimming costume, inserted into an inflatable ring, as well as water wings, and was happily paddling around the shallowest of the shallow end while Cosmo dozed in the sunshine. It was a pretty standard day for these Grangers - easy going, calm, but always just on the very edge of disaster.
"Are you talking to the dog, or to me, love?" Vicki asked Jon in amusement, twisting to look up at him with a grin.
"Nae, fair wife. Cans't thou not see I am memorizing my lines for this bloody play?" he asked her, doing his best to stay in character. He sighed and tossed the script on a table. "Methinks the sun has addled my brain," he continued. "What think thou, daughter?" he said, crouching down near the pool. "Shall I join thee for a swim?"
At two years and a few months, Emily was fast becoming a talker, though her conversation still left a fair amount to be desired. "Daddy splash!" was the succinct answer to Jon's query, accompanied by a splash so vigorous that she tipped over completely. The ring was a nice idea, but not when all you could see was bottom and legs sticking up out of the water.
"Shit!" Vicki lurched up from where she was lying, but Jon was closest.
Jon chuckled at his daughter's remark, but when she tipped over, his heart was suddenly in his throat and he wasted no time in diving in after her, disappearing under the water to right her before she had the chance to take a single gulp of water. He'd witnessed a drowning once before and had been helpless to do anything about it, despite having tried, and he wasn't about to let the same thing happen again, especially not to his own child. He went in with a splash, disappearing for a moment before coming back up with a sputtering Emily in his arms.
It was a relief to see Emily righted once again. Vicki wouldn't deny that her own heart had skipped a few essentials at that sight - they'd lost one Emily in the family to the sea, they weren't going to lose another one to overly enthusiastic swimming. "Everything okay?" she asked, still in that awkward half-crouch she'd risen into from the grass.
In Jon's arms, Emily spluttered and coughed, and abruptly banged her hands onto the water. "Again!"
Thankfully Jon was a very good swimmer and was hardly out of breath, though his heart was pounding. "Other than the fact that I almost had a heart attack, I think so, yes." He slid Emily back into the floating ring, but this time decided to stay nearby so he could keep a close eye on her. "You, young lady!" he said, waggling a finger at her. "You are going to be the death of me!"
Vicki couldn't help laughing as Emily blew a raspberry at her father, unsurprised when a pair of little hands clutched wildly at her own leg. It was an automatic thing now, to reach down and catch Ben before he pitched headfirst onto the ground. "I think Emily and Daddy are getting a bit excited," she intimated to the little boy, who was watching his sister enviously. He wasn't allowed properly into the pool yet, not unless he was on someone's lap while they sat on the steps. Vicki glanced between him and the rest of their family, and sighed softly. "Fine. We're coming in!"
Blowing raspberries at Jon accomplished nothing except to see him blowing them back before leaning in to rub his nose against his daughter's. As much as he loved the stage, he was happiest and most relaxed when he was here at home spending quiet time with his little family. Before Vicki could properly wade into the pool, there was a huge splash as Cosmo jumped in, barking encouragement up at Vicki and Ben. "I think it's Cosmo who's excited!" Jon pointed out.
While Ben independently struggled with his sneakers, Vicki put a handy rock on top of her work and slipped out of her top and shorts - she always was prepared for the pool, even when she wasn't expecting to be using it. With Emily yelling "Cozzcozz!" at the top of her lungs, the redhead whipped little Ben's shirt off and lifted him up, stepping down until they could both sit safely in the water. "And why shouldn't he be excited?" Vicki asked Jon laughingly. "Both his puppies are in the water. Although the sooner we teach Emily to swim, the better."
"Maybe we should get her lessons," Jon suggested, having no idea how to teach a child as young as Emily to swim. Swimming was one of those skills the amnesia hadn't robbed him of, but he couldn't recall how or when he'd learned, except for what other people had told him. As far as he was concerned, it came as naturally as walking or breathing. He took up a ball and tossed it across the pool for Cosmo to fetch. With any luck, the play would eat up some of Cosmo's boundless energy.
"Maybe Cian would do it, if you asked him," Vicki suggested, one arm loosely around Ben as he splashed happily. Both children were giggling like small looney toons at the sight of Cosmo paddling across the pool for his ball. Somehow that dog could still wag his tail, even when swimming.
"Cian?" Jon echoed, wondering why she'd suggest him, other than the fact that he was mated to a mermaid. "Maybe we should invite them over. I'm sure Emily would love to meet a real live Little Mermaid, wouldn't you, EmilyWemily?" he asked, reaching beneath the water to tickle his daughter's bare toes. Of course, she had already met her Uncle Cian and Aunt Leilani, but she - nor anyone else in the family - had ever seen Cian's chosen mate sprout a tail just yet.
Over the sound of Emily's dirty little cackle, Vicki grinned. "Well, I figure since he can keep up with Leilani in the sea, he must be a pretty strong swimmer," she pointed out, bouncing Ben on her knee as he splashed water in his sister's direction. "Of course we should invite them over. Maybe we should have a barbecue or something."
"What do you think Leilani eats?" Jon asked, passing over her comment regarding Cian's swimming skills, since he wasn't really sure how to reply to that. Like everything that had happened before the shooting, he didn't really remember much about his relationship with Cian, except for what other people had told him. Cosmo paddled back over with the ball in his mouth and Jon tossed it again.