Topic: From Little to Bigger

Lyneth Granger

Date: 2014-03-31 13:59 EST
Everyone in the Granger family knew there was something a little bit strange about Lyneth, and most of them knew what that strange was. Most of the time, however, it could be forgotten, swept aside in the sheer enjoyment of the impish little girl's sweet good temper and outrageous sense of humor. Today, unfortunately, her parents weren't so lucky. She'd been angling for a serious conversation with them for about a week, and after finally receiving their assent, had gathered both Des and Piper onto the couch in their living room with her. Knip, the ever present Kneazle who never left her side, was settled on the back of the couch, and Loki, the Malamute, sensing something was up, had gone to play in the garden, rather than be a witness. She couldn't force him to stay, after all.

Little feet sticking out in mid-air from the edge of the couch, she looked up at her parents, beautiful turquoise eyes serious and hoping for agreement to her proposal. "Are you happy?"

As far as Des as concerned, Lyneth was his daughter in all the important ways, even if they didn't share the same gene pool. Life with Piper and Lyneth was usually full of fun and mischief - at least when they weren't worrying about danger from the Fae world - so it was unusual for Lyneth to call a meeting with her parents to have a serious discussion that didn't involve choklit or tickling winkys. Des had prepared himself for another discussion about the Fae. He'd spent months training with Rufus for the eventual confrontation that they all knew was coming at some point in time. Had something happened to scare the little Fae girl again, or did this discussion have nothing to do with the problem of her birth father" The question she asked took him completely off guard. "Are we happy?" he echoed, glancing to Piper with an arched brow.

Just as thrown as Des, Piper's eyes held his for a moment before returning to their daughter. "We're very happy, Lynnie," she assured the tiny girl. "We have you, and Loki, and Knip, and each other. Why wouldn't we be?" She eyed Lyneth for a moment, her eyes narrowing with fond suspicion. "What are you planning?"

The tiny half-Fae didn't answer, shaking her head with a faint smile on her lips as she looked to Des. She wanted the answer from his lips, too.

No question was completely strange coming from Lyneth. Despite her appearance and her preference for silliness, there was an older, wiser soul that dwelt at the core of her being, and Desmond knew that if something was important enough for Lyneth to have called this little meeting and ask this question, there was a damned good reason for it. He just didn't know what that reason was. Des' brow arched a little higher at Piper's question. She knew her daughter far better than Des, but it seemed Lyneth wasn't going to give them any clues to what she was thinking until Desmond answered her initial question. He turned a serious glance to each one in turn, wondering why that question even needed answering. "Yes, of course, we're happy, Lyneth. Why wouldn't we be happy?"

The tiny girl they loved so well looked down at her little feet, tapping together just a little way from the edge of the couch cushions, and a small, thoughtful frown touched her sweet little face. Though they spent more time in the company of the little girl, Des was right - there was an older being inside, a being who enjoyed being a child and being loved, the Fae part of the special little girl who was learning all about how to be human from the mother and father she adored. But some things just weren't right for her anymore. She looked up, her gaze flickering between her parents, and offered up one sentence almost guaranteed to clarify and confuse all at once. "I want to grow up a bit more."

Desmond was about to turn the question back around on the little girl when she seemed to read his mind and answer it before he could ask. He wasn't overly surprised by her statement, though he wasn't quite sure how Lyneth defined "a bit more". She was just a tiny thing, and he'd grown to adore her just the way she was. Though he knew she couldn't stay that way forever and had to grow up sometime, he wasn't sure he was ready her to grow up too quickly or too soon. In the end, it was her decision to make. She had charmed him from the very first meeting, as she had nearly everyone she met, and he had no reason to believe he wouldn't love her just as much if she decided she no longer wanted to play at being a toddler. "How much more?" he asked, the question that was more than likely on Piper's mind, as well.

"Not very much," Lyneth assured them, curling one tiny hand into Piper's. After all, her mother had seen her grow up the first time - Piper had some idea of what to expect, though she hadn't that time. "I do like being little, but I'm too little to do the things I want to and to play with the people I want to. I get tired and I can't run as far or as fast, and those silly teachers keep trying to make me read alphabet books, and those are incredibly boring, you know."

Piper blinked. It had been a long time since she'd heard Lyneth speak like this. It wasn't so much the use of words and grammar that should have been beyond the child's capability, so much as the fact that Lynnie sounded a lot like her mother. It was unnerving hearing something very similar to your own voice and speech pattern coming out of a very cute toddler. She squeezed Lynnie's hand gently, glancing at Des. "I think we're looking at Maggie's age here," she murmured softly.

Desmond had to stifle a chuckle at Lyneth's complaints, clearing his throat so he wouldn't laugh out loud. It wasn't that he found the situation funny so much as the way Lyneth described it. Well, of course she'd find alphabet books boring. She was too far advanced for those, even if she did look like a toddler. "Okay," he started, putting his serious fatherly face back on. "How old is Maggie" Six or seven?" he asked, unsure himself.

"I don't know," Lyneth answered honestly. "She's bigger, and she does more interesting things, and learns more interesting stuff. I want to be bigger like her, but not as big as Doran."

Piper, unlike Des, wasn't bothering to hide her smile. "Lynnie, growing up like this means we'll have to go shopping to get you some clothes before you do it," she began, but Lyneth was already ahead of her.

"No, because Gramma got me those clothes that are too big now, and I looked in the labels, and it said six to seven in them," she objected. "And that's the size I want to be."

Lyneth Granger

Date: 2014-03-31 14:00 EST
Des thought this was more a matter to be decided between mother and daughter, though he appreciated Lyneth including him in the discussion. Though her Fae father might not agree, as far as the three of them were concerned, he was her father now, in every sense of the word. "It seems you've done a lot of thinking about this," he remarked, secretly wishing - like every parent - that she could stay little forever. Unlike most children who grew up over a period of time, Lyneth was asking to skip ahead a few years, and once done, he wasn't sure there was any going back.

Unfortunately, most children didn't have the insight Lyneth had. Des' answer, or lack of it, made her frown, quiet disappointment filling her little face as she looked down at her hand, wrapped securely in her mother's. "I won't do it if you don't want me to," she said in a tiny voice.

Piper heard the sadness at having somehow upset her father, drawing the tiny girl into her lap as she looked up at Des. "Sweetheart, it isn't about what we want," she said gently, trying to reassure Lyneth that her decisions were hers, and that it wouldn't change the way they felt about her. "It's about what you want. Everyone grows up, and it doesn't change the way their family feels about them. We might be a little bit sad that we don't get to play with this version of you, but the bigger version has just as much for us to love. Because they're both you."

Des was unaware that he'd given off any sign of upset, though Lyneth could apparently read him very well. He agreed wholeheartedly with what Piper was telling her, but he knew their daughter needed to hear it from him. "Lynnie," Des started, reaching for her free hand, one parent on each side of her. "It doesn't matter if you're three or thirty. We're always going to love you, no matter how old or young, big or little. We just want to make sure you're sure, that's all. Your mother is right. It doesn't matter what we want. We want you to be happy, and we know you can't stay little forever."

Little fingers gripped his as Lyneth looked up at him. "I wanted to do it for the wedding," she confessed quietly. "But Miranda made that lovely dress and I wouldn't have fitted in it if I'd grown up then. And then the holiday was so much fun, and I wanted everyone to be happy and comfortable before I made a change. I don't want to upset anyone."

"This isn't about upsetting anyone. It's about making you happy." Des glanced to Piper, as if for backup, already knowing she'd agree with him. He looked back to Lyneth and gave her tiny hand a gentle squeeze. "We're going to love you no matter what. If you want to grow up a little - if you're sure that's what you want - then, we are behind you one hundred percent. It's not going to change how we feel about you, but it might change how other people treat you." He wasn't telling her that to discourage her, but to prepare her. Aging several years in a day wasn't something that would go unnoticed.

A faint hint of uncertainty touched the little half-Fae's face as she absorbed this. "Won't I be pretty anymore?" she asked, with no small measure of concern.

Piper laughed softly, looping her arm around behind the tiny girl to pull Des closer, both of them enveloping Lyneth in their affection for a moment. "Sweetheart, you will always be beautiful," she promised her daughter. "But people treat you differently as you get older, and for some people, you getting a few years older overnight might be a little bit too much for them to understand or to be able to cope with. I'm pretty sure Maggie won't treat you any differently, but some of your other friends might. Daddy just doesn't want you to be upset when that happens."

That was exactly what Des was trying to tell her. He wanted her to understand that the decision she was about to make wasn't one to be made on a whim or take lightly, though he knew she couldn't remain a toddler forever. "The people who love you and care about you will understand, but we may have to explain to your teachers and other people who don't know you very well."

Of course, this was Rhy'Din, where strange things were the norm, but there would probably still be some explaining to do. Six years old, Des thought. What did six year olds do' Did they still need or even want their fathers to give them baths and tuck them in at night' Would it change their relationship or would things still be the same" She wouldn't be so much of a baby anymore, but at six, he thought he'd still be able to pick her up when she wanted picking up and hug her when she needed hugging. Six wasn't that old, after all. He didn't want to think about Lyneth any older than that, at least, for now. He'd witnessed both the adult version and the fey version, and while he knew they were both still Lyneth, he wasn't sure he was ready for such a drastic change so soon. And yet, this was Lyneth's decision to make. She wasn't a normal human child, after all, and he'd known that right from the start.

"Opinions only matter when they come from the people who love you and care about you," Lyneth parroted with a cheeky little smile, but it was clear from the way she had spoken that this was no whim. She had thought long and hard, and had even chosen to ask for their opinion on the matter before going through with it. She hugged into Des tightly for a moment. "I won't never stop lovin' you, Daddy," she promised, detaching herself to repeat the embrace and the promise to Piper, who kissed her hair gently.

He'd heard a different quote about opinions once upon a time, but it wasn't really appropriate to share with a small child. Des smiled, wondering how much longer he'd have to keep correcting her grammar. He knew it was something she affected because it was cute and that she was perfectly capable of expressing herself in a completely adult manner, but he was more than willing to go along with the ruse. "Won't ever," he said, leaning close to mirror Piper's kiss. "We won't ever stop loving you either, sweetheart, no matter how big or little you are."

"Can I be a giant, then?" Lyneth asked, pushing her luck with a big grin to match the enormous leap from six years old to giant in her ambitions. From the couch behind Des' head came a quiet mrrrreowl, evidence that even Knip knew she was asking for the moon there.

Piper laughed, moving to get onto her feet. "You two can argue that one," she told Des with a smile that nearly matched their daughter's. "I'll go and hunt out those clothes Gramma got for you, Lynnie."

Des echoed Piper's laughter, partly at Lyneth's question and partly at Knip's reaction to that question. "One thing at a time," he replied, hoping that would satisfy her for the moment. He nodded to Piper as she took her leave of them for the moment, leaving the two of them alone, as she so often did when she sensed the pair needed a father-daughter moment. Though Piper was her mother, Desmond and Lyneth shared a bond that went beyond that of blood and that defied explanation.

Lyneth Granger

Date: 2014-03-31 14:01 EST
Beaming at having made her parents laugh, Lyneth waited until Piper was out of the room before turning that older, wiser gaze onto her father. "Why does it worry you that I want to be bigger than I am now?"

He smiled a bit wistfully, wondering not for the first time how she could read him so well. Once again, she proved to him that she was wise beyond her years. He shrugged, as if he was unsure how to answer that. "It doesn't worry me exactly."

"But you don't really want me to do it," she said quietly, climbing into his lap to cuddle close as they talked. What she knew that he didn't right now, was that she was never going to consider herself too old to hug and be loved, far too enchanted by human expressions of emotion to give it up, no matter what anyone else thought. Her parents were her world.

That was exactly part of the problem - her crawling into his lap to snuggle close, for example. It was the quiet moments between father and daughter, not to mention the silly moments. He hadn't been there for her birth, and now she wanted to skip several years ahead. He'd already missed part of her childhood, and he didn't want to miss anymore. No matter how many children Piper and Desmond might have in the future, Lyneth would always hold a special place in his heart that no one could replace. She was his special girl. But how to put all this into words that she'd not only understand but not feel hurt by' Maybe he should just borrow Piper's words. She seemed to have said it best. "It's not that I don't want you to do it. I'll love you no matter how old you are. I'm just going to miss you being little, that's all, but I'll love you just as much. I can't not love you, Lyneth. You're....special. Change isn't always easy. It takes time to get used to change."

She cuddled in tight for a long moment, letting herself absorb this before she tried to answer, knowing he valued the truth when she gave it to him more than a kind lie. "I need to be bigger, Daddy," she said very quietly, for his ears only, despite her promise that she wouldn't keep secrets from Piper any longer. "It's not just that I'm bored with being this small, because there are lots of fun things about it, too. But I'm not strong enough. I need to be bigger to be able to do some of the things I need to do, and I need time to get used to it. I won't take shortcuts all the time, I promise. But this one is important."

Though he'd said nothing in front of Piper, Des had already assumed that might be part of Lyneth's reasoning, which he thought was a little sad in a way. He didn't want her to get cheated out of her childhood because of a possible - no, inevitable - threat from the fey. "Lynnie, your mother and I just want you to be happy. It's our job to protect you and take care of you, not the other way around. Your job is to be happy and....and enjoy your childhood however long it lasts." And it seemed that for Lyneth, it lasted even less than it did for a human child. "We know you have to grow up sometime. We just don't want you to rush into it for the wrong reasons."

"How is it the wrong reason, to want to keep you and Mummy safe?" she asked quietly. A part of her understood that he was sad that she seemed so ready to cast off this part of her life, but also knew he couldn't really understand just why it needed to happen. "I will be happy, knowing I can protect you. I know you don't think it's fair, how quickly I'm growing up, but I have thought about it. I've been full grown once before, and I wasn't ready to be. But I am ready to grow up this little bit more. I don't want to resent being little, not when it's been so wonderful."

"I would never hold you back from doing anything you want to do, Lyneth. Not when it means that much to you. But don't rush growing up for me or your mother. If you're going to do this, do it because you want to, not because you think you have to. Do you understand?" he asked, looping an arm around her to hold her steady against his lap.

"I do understand," she nodded, one small hand rising to touch his cheek in a manner reminiscent of her mother. "And it isn't just because of the need. I am too small to play with the people I want, and to do the things I want. And I do hate those stupid Apple, Ball, Cat books. It's a lot of little things that make me want to be bigger, so I can enjoy being me again. It was fun while I was still learning to be small me, but now I feel stifled. It took me two years to catch up to the age I chose to stop at - it might take me longer this time." Lyneth smiled sweetly up at him. "I promise, I will always talk to you first before I do it. If I do it again."

"You are talking about learning, Lyneth. We both know you are wiser than your years. We both know you could grow up tomorrow, but you don't because you enjoy being a child, and we enjoy you being a child. I understand why you want to grow up a little. I just don't want you to rush it. That's all. I want you to be happy and enjoy your childhood as long as you can. In a lot of ways, I grew up too fast, and I just don't want that for you, but you have to do what makes you happy. That's all your mom and I want. We just want you to be happy."

"I am happy with you and Mummy," she said fiercely, holding on tight. "And I'm never going away, and I'm never going to stop being happy with you and Mummy. You're my family. I don't think any Fae like me has ever had a family, and that makes you extra special, and I won't give it up. Not never."

He hugged her tight, as if he never wanted to let go, which in a way, he didn't. He didn't bother to correct her double negative. Grammar wasn't important right now. "We're never going to stop loving you, not when you're six or sixteen or sixty." Though it was pretty likely that by the time she got to sixty, they'd be long since dead and gone. He stroked her hair with his fingers, realizing it was moments like these that he was going to miss someday, no matter how many other children they might have. "Will you promise me something?" he asked quietly, unsure if he should even ask what was on his mind.

The little face lifted, looking up into his with the trust and love she had learned and nurtured since they had met, something that had only been confirmed when he had married her mother and adopted her officially. "So long as it's a good something."

He smiled down at her, trying hard not to let his emotions get the best of him. No matter of blood could make him love her more. She had won his heart nearly from the very first meeting, charming him and melting a heart that he'd feared had turned cold. "Promise me you won't grow up so fast that I can't hold you in my lap or kiss you good-night." It seemed a small thing, but it was the quiet moments he loved most, and whether it was selfish or not, he wasn't sure he was ready to give them up yet.

Lyneth Granger

Date: 2014-03-31 14:01 EST
She smiled, and it was a strange mixture of the child's grin and the wise smile that looked up at him. "I promise," Lyneth assured him, without needing to think about it. "I promise that even when I'm sixty I'll still sit on your lap and want you to kiss me goodnight. You're my Daddy. No one else can ever be for me what you are."

He chuckled a little at her answer, which was not quite what he'd had in mind. "It might be a little weird for you to be sitting on my lap when you're sixty. How about we worry about six first?" His smile softened, deeply touched by her words. "And you're my daughter," he countered, tweaking her nose playfully. "No one else can ever be for me what you are either."

"Just so long as you leave his winky alone," another voice added with a warm laugh as Piper rejoined them, an armful of clothes from the bag her mother had sent them for Lyneth a couple of months before. Adoring as Hannah Davidson was, she had miscalculated on the sizes somewhat, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise now. Lyneth squealed happily and slid off Des' lap, moving to seize the armful of clothing and hug it before inspecting what had been brought for her. Piper moved to sit down next to him again, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "All sorted now?" she asked softly, watching as Lynnie began to struggle out of her dress and tights.

Des chuckled a little as he heard Piper rejoin them to bring his winky into the discussion. Lyneth didn't seem to notice, however, as the pile of new clothing drew her attention, just as might any female's, young or old. He wondered what would happen when Miranda got wind of Lyneth's sudden "growth spurt". They'd more than likely be inundated with even more outfits, and Des wondered if Lyneth was going to need a bigger closet. "Mostly," he replied when Lyneth slid off his lap and Piper joined him on the couch. His heart still felt a little sore, knowing he was going to miss the little imp that Lyneth was now, though he was sure he'd love her just as much no matter how old she was.

Behind him, Knip stretched and walked from the back of the couch over Des' shoulders and onto Piper's, pausing to survey the room before jumping down onto the floor to investigate Lynnie's haphazard attempt at dressing herself in clothes far too big. Piper chuckled, leaning into Des' side. "Last chance to help the toddler get dressed," she murmured, offering up that opportunity to him, feeling that he needed it more than she did.

"Those clothes aren't even going to fit," he murmured back to Piper as they both watched Lyneth struggle out of her dress and tights. He wondered how long Lyneth was going to wait before she went ahead with her plan. Were they going to wake up one morning to find a different child waiting for them or would they get a little prior warning" "You know when Miranda gets wind of this, she's going to go shopping." Another thought occurred to him then as he wondered if they should tell Humphrey, or rather, how they were going to tell Humphrey.

"That sounds like a day off for us," Piper pointed out with a faint smile. She'd seen Lyneth choose to go from a newborn baby to one year, and then from one year to three physically, before the little girl was one year old. Des was in for a bit of a surprise. "Besides, Miranda doesn't get to spoil children very often. It'll be good practice for when she's a grandma." There was a squeak and a thump from the middle of the floor - Lyneth had fallen over trying to pull on the jeans that were too big for her.

"Lynnie," Des chuckled, his attention drawn back to the tiny girl who was struggling with clothing that was twice her size. "Those are too big for you." He pushed off the couch and got down on the floor to help her, though it might have almost made more sense for her to just sprout like a beanstalk right then and there. "Let me help you."

Pulling up the pants until her little feet stuck out, the tiny girl stood up with his help, letting him tug the jeans up to her waist. "I got to have something so's I know when to stop growin'," she pointed out to her father with an impish grin, letting the pants drop once again as she bent to reach for the top. Thank goodness Piper had included underwear, that was all that needed saying.

"Oh, I see," he replied as he helped her with the pants that weren't going to stay up anyway. He chuckled again as the pants dropped back around her ankles when she reached for the top. "I have an idea," he said, and moved to his feet to make his way into the kitchen where he rummaged around in a drawer for a pencil.

Hands full of shirt and her pants round her ankles, Lyneth blinked as she watched him stand up, bemused by the sight of the adult who was supposed to be helping moving away from her. "What's your idea?" she asked, disappearing into the shirt to flail around in search of the arm holes from the inside.

"You'll see," he said as he rummaged for a pencil. It didn't take too long before he returned, the pencil tucked neatly into the back pocket of his jeans. "Come here, you," he said, sweeping her up in his arms, flailing arms and all and carried her over to the doorway between the living room and kitchen.

Piper laughed at the squawking, flailing bundle of cloth that was her daughter being hoisted over to the doorway. She didn't have any idea what Des was about to do, but she had a feeling it was going to be one of those genius flights of fancy he had every now and then. Muffled by the shirt that was still wrapped around her head, Lynnie was protesting at being swept about and not knowing what was going on, albeit not very clearly.

Des laughed again, amused by Lyneth's flailing and muffled protest, though he assumed she trusted him by now, even if she couldn't see where he was taking her. He set her on the floor at last, in front of the doorway and tugged the shirt down over her head with a playful, "Boo!"

He was rewarded for his playfulness with another squeak and a loud laugh as she lunged forward to hug him, despite the fact that her arms hadn't yet found the correct holes for the sleeves. "You're a silly Daddy," she informed him with a grin, looking to Piper for confirmation of this.

"Oh yes, he is a very silly Daddy," her mother agreed with a chuckle. "And we love him for it."

"Better a silly Daddy than a serious Daddy," Des remarked with a grin as he hugged her back. Silly Daddy was much more fun; Serious Daddy usually meant something was wrong. "Think you can hold still for a minute, pumpkin?" he asked, as he pulled away and drew the pencil from his jeans pocket.

Lyneth Granger

Date: 2014-03-31 14:02 EST
"I fort the pencil was for makin' my pants fit," Lyneth protested, dropping her chin to look down the inside of the big shirt as she felt around for the arm holes. She looked up at Des, her expression fierce with concentration. "Whatcha doin'?"

He chuckled again at her misunderstanding. "No, it's not for making your pants fit. Nothing is going to make those pants fit except for you growing into them." Which wasn't a bad idea really. If she was wearing the clothes she was supposed to grow into when she was ready, she'd know exactly when to stop, but that wasn't what he had in mind. "We should have done this a long time ago," he said as he lifted the pencil over her head. "Stand up straight and stay still!" he warned.

"Why, what?re you doin'?" she asked, standing up straight ....and then tipping her head back to look at the pencil hovering over her head. "Mummy, Daddy's goin' to write on me with a pencil and it won't come off, 'cos pencils don't have ink!"

"Hush and hold your head straight," he told her, pulling her chin down while he marked a line on the wall right at the crown of her head to record her height. He doubted it would matter much to Piper that there was a mark on the wall, and if it did, he could always transfer the mark to something else later. It always amused him to no end when Lyneth tried to tattle on him to Piper, knowing Piper almost always took his side.

"You, little miss, are telling tales for telling tales' sake," Piper called from the couch, where she had somehow ended up with Knip on her lap, sat like a particularly contented fat cat while she scratched his belly. "Now do as you're told and hold still. Daddy's making a memory."

Lynnie's eyes and mouth grew round as she heard that, and suddenly she was so still you could have balanced an egg on her head without it falling. "Like this, Daddy?"

"Just like that," he replied, marking off the line that would record how tall she was at this very moment in time for as long as the wall remained there or until they painted over it. Once that was done, he stuck the pencil back in his pocket and picked her up to move her away from the mark so she could see his handiwork. "That's how tall you are."

"Ooh ..." One hand finally made it through a sleeve, though not to the end, the arm attached curling around Des' neck as she looked at the pencil mark left behind. "Am I really that big" I fort I was littler."

"Thought," Piper corrected mildly from where she was sitting. "You thought you were smaller, Lynnie, as well you know." The grin on the little face next to Des' proved that she did know perfectly well how to say it properly.

He knew perfectly well that she knew how to say the word, just as she did most words that were purposely mangled by her just for fun. It had turned into something of a game for them to correct Lyneth's constant mispronunciations, but it was a game Des found both adorable and amusing. "Yes, you are really that big," he replied. "Now the hard part is figuring how how big you want to be next."

"Big enough to fit in these," she answered that promptly, waving the one arm that was actually in a sleeve wildly. "'Cos they is proper clothes for a girl the size I want to be, and Mummy won't has to buy lots and lots of new stuffs for me."

On the couch, Piper chuckled. "No, Mummy just has to convince your school on Monday that this is completely normal," she muttered to herself.

"It's Rhy'Din," Desmond reminded his wife. "They must have seen stranger things than this." Though he wasn't too sure himself, he thought that had to be true. He was sure a Fae child wasn't all that common, but there were stranger things in Rhy'Din than that. Rufus and Lei were proof of that. He'd heard the stories about his own brother's adventures with vampires, not from Jon, but from Rufus.

"We're just lucky she goes to Harker's Academy," Piper mused, chuckling as Lyneth thrust an arm through a likely seeming hole ....and ended up with both arms plunged down the same sleeve. "Um ....I think Lynnie could do with some help there, Daddy."

Des turned back to Lyneth, reminded that she was still swimming in clothing that was several sizes too big. He chuckled at her predicament, unable to resist teasing her a little. "Oh, I don't know. I think she's found a new hobby. What do you think?"

Stuck, Lyneth had no recourse but to stick her tongue out at her father as she struggled. "This isn't funny, Daddy," she informed him as sternly as she could manage which, given just how sweet her tiny face was, wasn't that stern to begin with.

"No, but you know what is funny?" he asked, with a mischievous smirk, not waiting for her answer before grabbing her around the waist and pulling her close only to torment her with a frenzy of tickling.

"Noooo!" Even as the little terror squealed with laughter, she tried hard to defend herself, though with both arms imprisoned in that top, she didn't have much of a hope. "Knip! Help!"

Piper let out a startled yelp as the Kneazle went from rolling idleness on her lap to a full leap in seconds, latching onto Des' back to stick his tongue into the man's ear in defense of his little mistress.

The last thing Des had expected was a Kneazle latching itself onto his back and retaliating with an ear licking. Desmond let go of Lyneth and let out a startled yelp of his own as he reached around to the cat-like creature perching on his back.

This, of course, left Lyneth free to waddle at speed toward the safety of the couch and Mummy, if only her pants hadn't still been around her ankles. She made it about four steps before going down like a stone, saved from cracking her head against the floor only by Piper launching herself off the couch and skidding painfully on her bare knees over the floor to catch her daughter's head before it bounced. While Knip simply jumped off Des' back and flicked his tail in the man's direction. Job done.

Lyneth Granger

Date: 2014-03-31 14:03 EST
"That cat needs to learn when I'm just playing!" Des exclaimed, sticking a finger in his ear as if to wipe whatever cat germs Knip had left behind. Of course, the cat wasn't a cat at all, but Desmond sometimes forgot that little fact. He gaped over at Piper as she slid into first base to catch her daughter from falling and cracking her head on the floor, skidding over to check on them both, thankful she'd been successful and feeling horrible for having started the ruckus to begin with. "Are you all right?" he asked them both, first checking Lyneth's head before turning his attention to Piper.

Lynnie was perfectly alright, now wriggling around on the floor with the Kneazle tugging at her top to try and help her extricate herself as she giggled. Piper, on the other hand ....bare knees and wooden floors did not mix well when kidding came into the mix. There was a friction burn on one knee, and the other was a little bloodied, but she shook her head, not wanting to make a fuss. "I should have known better than to slide," she told her husband fondly, carefully kneeling deliberately on her injured knees to keep the little girl from noticing.

"Let me see," Des demanded, glancing over at Lyneth to make sure she wasn't paying any attention. He didn't want her to feel guilty for what amounted to an accident. Besides, if anyone was to blame, it was him. "Sorry, Piper. I got carried away." He couldn't very well help Lyneth with the over-sized top at the same time he was administering to Piper's knees.

Piper laughed softly as Knip pinned Lyneth to the floor with a paw against the little girl's forehead, and began to tug at the sleeve she was imprisoned in. Looking back at Des, she sighed softly, raising her knees. "It's my own fault, love," she told him firmly. "I could have tucked my dress under my knees when I landed, but I didn't."

"No, you were too busy catching Lyneth," he whispered back, not wanting to make too big a deal out of it. No one had been badly hurt, but Piper was going to have sore knees for a few days. "All right. Come here, young lady," Des said as he turned to face Lyneth. It wasn't said in an angry voice, though he didn't want anyone else to get hurt. Des rarely if ever got angry, and almost never got angry with Piper or Lyneth. "Let's get you out of those silly over-sized clothes."

"No, I got to keep them on!" Lyneth objected. Despite the apparent hindrance of the Kneazle pinning her to the floor, she now had both arms in the appropriate sleeves. "I got to keep them on, or I'll growed too big for them, an' then Mummy will has to go shopping, an' Mummy hates shopping on the weekend."

"You can't keep them on all day. You'll trip again and hurt yourself," he pointed out logically. Though once she grew into them, there'd be no risk of her tripping, Des wasn't sure when exactly she was planning on doing that. He turned back to Piper to help her to her feet. Hopefully, her dress would hide the brush burns, at least for now.

"No, I won't," the tiny girl answered stubbornly as Knip finally let her up, clambering onto her feet and hoisting her pants up to her waist. "'Cos of them fittin' before I goes to bed." She nodded, watching as Piper stood up. Des was right - the hang of Piper's dress hid her abused knees from Lyneth's eyes as the little girl stumped along behind them toward the couch.

Desmond exchanged glances with Piper, presuming from what Lyneth was telling them that she was planning on "growing up a little" before the day was out. He wasn't sure how he felt about that, but he knew he couldn't let his own personal feelings interfere with what their - yes, their - daughter wanted. They had been over it and over it, and it seemed Lyneth was sure this was what she wanted, and though he knew he'd love her no matter what, he couldn't help feeling a small stab of regret at her decision. Still, he knew she couldn't stay little forever. "Well, we better find you some jammies in that pile then," he said, turning back to the little imp of a girl.

It was just as well he'd conceded the point, because Lyneth wasn't going to be held back. As she stood there, holding up her pants and grinning, something was happening. The stick straight hair was beginning to grow and thicken, curling over shoulders that grew just a little broader. She stood up straight, and kept standing up, rising from her adorable toddler height to something that fitted the pants and shirt she wore until she filled them out the way a girl of six might. Arms and legs lengthened easily, and for just a moment, there was a suspicion of glimmering wings on her back. Then she blinked those large, turquoise eyes, and the deed was done. Little Lyneth was still little, but older, grown more into her sweet looks. But no matter how much she had changed, some things remained the same - the eyes, the little button nose, the outrageous grin. And the hug as she threw herself into Des' arms, determined to prove that she didn't need to be tiny to give and receive hugs of any kind.

Des reached for Piper's hand as together they watched their tiny daughter change and grow taller right before their eyes. He'd seen an older form of Lyneth once before, but that had only been temporary - a hint of what she'd look like when she at last became a woman. This was different. The little girl who stood before them appeared a few years older, but was still a long way from becoming a woman. Des' eyes widened as he and Piper watched the transformation together. He thought he spied a brief flash of wings, but they were gone before he could be sure. And then, she was throwing herself into his arms, still small enough for him to scoop up and hold close. He kissed her cheek and wrapped one arm around Piper to draw both his girls close, eyes suspiciously wet. "I love you," he whispered, his voice husky with emotion. "Both of you," he added, offering each an affectionate kiss.

Drawn into the embrace, Piper laughed softly, realizing that now Lyneth's arms were long enough to grab both parents around the neck and hug them together. She'd seen her little girl grow up like that before, in awe of the control it took, the wonder of the magic her baby held inside herself. Hugged close, she kissed Lynnie's soft, curling hair, raising her head to kiss Des as a small voice not so very much changed answered him in kind. "We love you too, Daddy. Awful much."

He smiled through a veil of tears, laughing a little at his own foolish worries and kissed them both again. "I'm the luckiest man in Rhy'Din to have two such beautiful girls in my life. Hell, I'm the luckiest man in the entire multiverse!" he added, laughing, though he knew his brother might have something to say about that.

There was a soft whine from near the couch - Loki had wandered in, and was looking quizzical as he studied the little family. Lynnie giggled, reaching out a hand to the dog, who sniffed her for a long moment before pressing his head into her lap, apparently reassured that this was his little mistress.

Piper laughed, leaning her head onto Des' shoulder. "I think we're the lucky ones," she told her husband. "We have you."

Lyneth Granger

Date: 2014-03-31 14:04 EST
"Yes, you do, and it's a life sentence!" he exclaimed with a grin as Loki joined them, looking a little confused. "This calls for a celebration. What do you both say to ice cream?" Here was the true test, since they all knew how much Lyneth loved ice cream, especially chocolate ice cream.

There was Lynnie's grin, wider now and somehow cheekier, but still definitely the grin of the toddler she had been only a few minutes ago. "Yes, please, Daddy," she beamed happily, and suddenly sat bolt upright, one hand over her mouth. "Oh! I didn't feed Knip!" As if on cue, the Kneazle offered his mrrrowl in agreement, lazily stretching to follow her as Lyneth jumped down off Des' lap and ran into the kitchen.

Piper giggled softly, hugging into Des' side for a long moment. "I love you," she murmured to him softly. "She's even more beautiful than I thought she'd be. She's going to break a lot of hearts as she grows up."

"So long as she doesn't break ours," Des remarked, tugging Piper close as Lyneth hurried off to feed her pet. There was never a dull moment when Lyneth was around. "She's going to be as lovely as her mother," Des said, turning his attention to Piper. Though Lyneth might have charmed him at that first meeting, it was Piper he'd fallen in love with.

"She won't break us." Piper had a lot of faith in their little girl, believing that Lyneth would never let them down, in any way. She smiled up at Des, stroking her thumb against his cheek. "She's not that much bigger, love. You can still do everything with her."

"I know she can't stay little forever. I'm just not ready for her to grow up yet." He wasn't sure how he'd feel once they had a child of their own, but he couldn't imagine himself ever loving another child more than he loved Lyneth. No matter how many children they had in the future, Lyneth would always be special - Lyneth was the daughter he'd chosen.

"Neither am I," Piper admitted quietly, listening with half an ear to the sound of Lyneth carefully measuring out Knip's food as Loki flopped down onto Des' feet comfortably. "But if that's what she wants, then I won't stand in her way. I don't think she'll grow up too soon, though. She likes being a child too much."

"I can only imagine what she'll be like as a teenager," Desmond mumbled, visions in his head of boys flocking to the house to try and court her. As a father, he was not looking forward to that. He had a feeling the showdown with the Fae would come long before that, but that was a topic of conversation he didn't want to bring up.

"Her father's daughter, that's what she'll be," Piper assured him with a gentle brush of her lips to his cheek. "As he is now, rather than as he was before we met him." Because he had shared his past with her a while ago, and she wasn't wishing that kind of life on their daughter.

Des knew she meant him, though his thoughts wandered to her birth father with a frown. No, they weren't going to let him take her away from them. They weren't going to let her become the Autumn Queen, unless that was what she wanted. "Her mother's daughter, I think," he disagreed. "You did the hard part, Piper. I came into the picture a little late."

"You're more important to her than you realize," Piper told him firmly. "And you have to start believing it, love. Lyneth adores you, because you choose to love her. You choose to be her father, and she knows how special that is. She doesn't think of anyone else as her father but you."

"I know," he replied, stroking his thumb against the back of her hand affectionately. "But you take far too little credit when it comes to Lyneth. She's your daughter, Pip. She's a great kid because she has you for a mother."

"I made a lot of mistakes before you came along," she pointed out quietly. "A lot of mistakes, and some of them put us both in a lot of danger. I'm not as good a mother as you think I am."

"Everyone makes mistakes, sweetheart," he assured her, touching her cheek with a soft caress of fingertips. "We learn from them. It's what makes us human." It wasn't just a cliche; it was true. He was proof of that.

Smiling, she held his gaze for a long moment, reassured and comforted by the way he refused to let her blame herself for the past. Leaning close, she kissed him tenderly, deeply grateful to whatever watched over her that they had sent this special man to her when she'd needed him most. "You and Lyneth are the most important part of my life," she murmured softly. "I am never going to stop being thankful for you."

He smiled, all the worry and hurt evaporating at her touch. "You and Lyneth are the best things that ever happened to me. If I hadn't met you, I don't know where I'd be now." In a dark place, no doubt; possibly not even alive. Desmond leaned close to brush a soft kiss against her lips. "It's you I should thank for saving me."

"Aye, an' me, an' all," a grumpy little voice interjected from the floor, where Lyneth's discarded clothes had been gathered into a neat pile. Oisin, the brownie, was sitting on top of them comfortably, watching the adults of the house with a grin on his ugly little face. "Pretty little peck, ain't she?" he added, nodding toward Piper, who blushed and laughed.

Desmond chuckled at the sound of Oisin's voice interjecting itself into their conversation. "Yes, she is," he replied with a grin. He knew better than to thank the brownie, however; that had been a lesson hard learned once before. "I suppose we should switch out her closets," Desmond remarked, making no move to get up. It looked like a shopping trip was in their near future, and that was strictly women's work.

"Done and dusted, mate," the brownie interrupted before Piper could get a word in. "Old clothes all packed up and ready to be shipped off to that little'un up at the big manor place. She'll be big 'nough for 'em soonways."

Piper smiled, rolling her eyes. "I'll ask Vicki next time I see her," she promised the brownie, waiting to be sure he didn't have anything else to say before returning her gaze to Des. "I think we're being organized."

Lyneth Granger

Date: 2014-03-31 14:05 EST
"Already?" Desmond exclaimed, eyes wide in surprise. Though he knew the brownie wasted no time in cleaning up around the house, he was surprised he had managed to switch out Lyneth's clothes in such short order. He assumed it must have been accomplished with the aid of magic. "Leaves us more time to enjoy ice cream," Des replied to Piper's comment with a smile. And speaking of ice cream, he wondered what Lyneth was up to in the kitchen. "I can take the boxes over to the manor in the morning," he added, knowing baby Emily would make good use of them.

"Even better," Piper agreed with a small chuckle. "Come on," she added, pushing herself up onto her feet with just the barest of winces for the sharp pain in her left knee, "she has a better reach now. God alone knows what she's doing in the kitchen."

He noticed the wince and was once again torn between checking on Lyneth and tending to Piper's skinned knees, though thankfully the injury had not been too serious. "You okay?" he asked with obvious concern.

"I'm fine, love," she promised him. "It's just a scrape, and I'll clean it off when we're in the kitchen. Don't worry so much - there's nothing to worry about." Yet. Always unspoken, but always there, the ever-present yet that reminded both of them that they still had that conflict with Lyneth's Fae blood to come.

He sensed the unspoken yet in her voice, even if she hadn't said it, and frowned a little, but he wasn't going to let even that worry interfere with today's celebration. It was a birthday of sorts, and though he wasn't quite sure how he felt about, he was determined to be happy for Lyneth and Piper's sakes. "Well, then, I think I promised someone ice cream," he said, the frown turning upwards as he took her arm to lead her toward the kitchen.

"I believe you did," Piper agreed with a smile, curling her arm through his as he lead her toward the kitchen. In which Lyneth was inspecting the contents of the freezer herself, utterly at a loss as to which drawer the ice cream was in at all.

Des smirked as they caught the little girl in the act of trying to find the ice cream, taking advantage of her new found height, yet not quite tall enough to reach into the freezer just yet. "And what, pray tell, are you doing?" he asked, with a feigned stern tone to his voice, though he couldn't wipe the tell-tale smirk from his face.

"Savin' time," was her cheeky answer as she closed the freezer and turned around to face them, new curls bouncing about her shoulders. "Only because you and Mummy were snoodling on the couch, and I didn't want to interrupt."

"Uh huh," he replied with that same smirk on his face. He let go of Piper's hand as he strode over to the freezer and peered inside over Lyneth's head and reached for the carton of chocolate ice cream that was hiding in the back. "Maybe you two should go visit with Miranda tomorrow. I'm sure you wouldn't have to twist her arm too hard to get her to take you shopping."

"But Miranda won't know it's me," Lyneth objected, stepping back until she could lean backwards against Piper, who curled her arms about her newly aged little girl and kissed her curly hair.

"That's part of the fun, Lynnie," she pointed out with a smile almost as cheeky as her daughter's. "Won't it be funny to see her face when she realizes it is you?"

"Oh, I think Miranda will figure it out soon enough," Desmond remarked as he withdrew the ice cream and set it on the counter. "Are we having chocolate sauce or no chocolate sauce?" he asked his girls, knowing Lyneth had a weakness for sweets and a tendency to overdo it.

One finger caught between her teeth, Lyneth considered this for a moment. "Do I get a bigger bowl now I'm bigger?" she asked hopefully, glancing up at Piper, who just laughed. This one was Des' area.

"No, but I might give you an extra scoop," he replied with a grin. Same old Lyneth, always trying to push her luck just a little bit farther. "Wanna help me scoop?" he asked, offering that up almost as a consolidation. Besides, it allowed Piper a moment to clean up her knees without Lyneth noticing.

"Oooh, yes, please!" The little woman surged forward, delighted with this opportunity to be a little bit more grown up with her Daddy, and just as he'd suspected, it gave Piper the opportunity to wet some paper and wipe the drying blood off her knee while they were distracted.

Between the two of them, they managed to get three bowls of ice cream scooped, topped with some chocolate sauce and a dollop of whipped cream - not too much or too little - giggling through it all with Des finishing up with a bit of whipped cream on Lyneth's pert little nose. Which was promptly wiped off and eaten, just so she could give him a sticky hug. It seemed that no matter how big or small Lyneth Granger was, she would always have hugs galore for the people she loved, and the ones who topped that list were her Daddy and Mummy. Des needn't have worried at all. She was still his little girl, and always would be.

((So buh-bye toddler Lynnie, and hello small child Lynnie. Imagine what kind of mayhem she can cause now! Many thanks to Des' player for indulging me with a scene that's been brewing for almost a year!))