The inclusion of Danielle Barnes into their daily routine had done wonders for Jon and Vicki's stress levels. What had begun as just a couple of hours in the afternoon had expanded to a shift that lasted from midday to 6pm, Monday to Saturday, with optional Sundays when Jon was needed at the theater, and they were all benefiting from it. Emily and Ben got the full benefit of their parents' attention whenever they demanded it, with the twins under the watchful eye of whoever was free to do it, and thus far, Jon had not come home to any meltdowns. Given the free rein of creativity in this Granger house, however, he had come home to a few interesting scenarios.

Today's came in the form of absolute silence in the house itself, broken only by the sound of Cosmo barking in the garden. Humphrey was sitting out on the patio under a sunshade, ostensibly reading, but mostly keeping an eye on what was going on in front of him. And what was going on in front of the Old Man' A blanket fort stretched out across a large area of the lawn, complete with a couple of towers and a slide that disgorged Emily in a peal of giggles out through the flap of blankets to roll onto the grass as inside the fort the familiar sound of Dani growling like a particularly effeminate badger made itself known.

"Fee fi fo fee, where's that dratted Emily?"

In Jon's opinion, hiring Dani was one of the best decisions he and Vicki had made in a long time. Though they had both been leery at first about hiring a nanny, Dani had turned out to be a god-send and was quickly becoming part of the family. Jon chuckled to see what his little family was up to as he made his way across the lawn to join them. It was a gorgeous day outside - too gorgeous to be cooped up inside the theater all day - and so, he'd called it quits early. The theater and everything that needed to get done before the Rep hit the stage again in July could wait until tomorrow. Jon set his briefcase on the lawn and laid a finger to his lips to warn Humphrey not to give him away, as he slowly crept closer to the makeshift fort.

The Old Man grinned at his great-nephew, glancing over to the fort as Emily let out a bright giggle and plunged back inside. From the other side of the fort came the sound of Vicki grunting in resigned pain, and Ben came barrelling out through another flap to the tune of Dani's feigned frustration.

"Fee fi fo fen, I just lost my grip on Ben!"

Vicki's snort of laughter was easily distinguishable in the peal of laughter from the two toddlers, the murmur of her voice suggesting that not only was she in the fort, but Chris and Maddie were tucked up in there, too. Whoever had this idea deserved a prize.

As Jon approached the fort, he let out a low growl, sounding more like a man pretending to be a bear than an actual bear. It was likely Vicki and Dani would recognize the sound of his voice, but the children might not. Unfortunately for him, it was Cosmo who gave him away, barking for his master's attention and wagging his tail a mile a minute.

The giggling squeal that erupted from the fort in answer to his growl was bright and excited, and a moment later, both Emily and Ben came rushing out to tackle Jon. "Daddy! Daddy's home!"

"He is?" The top of the fort sprouted a blonde head as Dani blinked in the sunshine. She caught Jon's eye, grinning in embarrassment. "Oh ....hiya, Mr. Granger."

Jon laughed as he was attacked by two small children and a dog who thought they were all part of his pack. "Hello, Dani!" he greeted the girl with a wave and a friendly smile, just before he let his children tackle him to the ground.

Ben and Emily had him on the ground within seconds, clambering all over their father to giggle out their hellos and jabber about their fun day. Covering nursery took barely ten seconds, because clearly home had been a lot more fun today. "....and we made a blanket fort, and a nest for Mummy and Maddie and Chris, and Dani was a monster and a giant, and we had ice pops, and I dropped mine, and Ben shared with me!"

Jon lay on his back in the grass, with both Ben and Emily straddling his chest as Emily chattered on about their day. Once the little girl had started talking, there'd be no stopping her, and Jon often remarked upon how alike she was to her mother when she was small. "Oh, a monster and a giant!" Jon echoed with a chuckle. "And you weren't scared at all?"

She shook her head resolutely. "No, 'cos Ben was paintin' and put a big red hand on her bum!"

Behind her, Ben let out a wicked little snicker, wriggling his hands at his father's face. Vicki had done her best, but the little boy was covered in paint still. "An' Maddie an' Chris frewed up," he added cheerfully. "Onna doggie!"

"They threw up on the dog?" Jon echoed, hopefully interpreting Ben's words correctly. He furrowed his brows, wondering what all that meant exactly. From what he'd seen so far, no one seemed to be sick or upset.

Both little heads, red and blonde, nodded vigorously in answer to his question. Cosmo was looking cleaner than usual, evidence that he'd had a bath recently.

"Hey, tattle-tales," Dani called to the children, "gonna help me tidy all this up now Dad's back?"

"It's okay!" Jon called back, lounging lazily on the grass with both kids happily straddling him, even when Ben started bouncing on his stomach, making his voice come out in spurts of words. "Don't - let - me - spoil - your - fun!"

With Ben turning Daddy into a bouncy castle, Emily scrambled off Jon and scurried back into the fort. A moment later, Dani's head disappeared as she let out a yelp of her own, proof positive that she'd been pounced by the four-year-old.

Vicki's lazy laughter announced that she was certainly enjoying the spectacle. "Why don't we let Daddy into the fort?" she suggested cheerfully. "Or is it super secret and special only for us?"

Once Emily had deserted her father, Jon slid Ben closer to take her spot on his chest, where he wouldn't risk making their father sick with his constant bouncing motion. Not to be outdone by a toddler, Cosmo took the opportunity to give his master's face an affectionate bath, which sent Jon into further fits of laughter. "All right, all right! I know you both love me!" he exclaimed, enduring the affection for as long as he could before shoving Cosmo away and sitting up with Ben in his lap.

The little boy cuddled into his chest, enjoying the opportunity to snuggle with his father for a little while without anyone else complaining about it. Inside the blanket fort, Emily suddenly let rip with a loud cackle of laughter, and the top of the fort erupted. The little girl flew into the air, arms flailing, and disappeared back through the blankets to land securely in Dani's arms with another cackle of laughter.

"That is generally where we have dinner," Humphrey chuckled, waving him on. "Get your myriad little ones settled in to eat, I'll be along shortly." Humphrey was having difficulty moving about these days, but he didn't like to admit to it. It took him longer to walk to the dining room than he was happy with.

Jon frowned in concern, knowing it was getting difficult for Humphrey to move around and not wanting to leave him alone for too long. "Vicki, can you take the twins" I'll be along shortly," he promised, refusing to let Humphrey fend for himself.

"Of course." A few months' practice had made both of them experts in carrying two infants at once, but Vicki was eagerly awaiting the day the twins learned to toddle. She took Maddie onto her other arm, winking at Humphrey with a grin as she headed inside to help Dani get the small people settled at the table.

Humphrey raised a brow at Jon. "I'm not wholly decrepit, you know," he informed his nephew in an arch tone.

"But you're not twenty anymore either," Jon pointed out, offering an arm so that Humphrey could get to his feet without too much difficulty and without falling over. He really didn't mind helping - it was one of the reasons they'd moved into the main house, to begin with.

"Ah, if only," the Old Man chuckled, grateful for the help even if he didn't want to admit it. It took a bit of work, but they did get him up onto his feet in one piece, one arm leaning on Jon's while he rested on his cane. "I miss the days when I could walk easily without help," he admitted in a rueful tone. "I'm seriously considering having a stair-lift fitted, you know, that's how old I've got."

"This is Rhy'Din, you know," Jon reminded him for what was probably the umpteenth time. "There are ....other ways of dealing with aging," he suggested mildly, knowing what Humphrey's response to that would likely be.

Humph snorted, rolling his eyes. "I'm not about to go experimenting on myself with newfangled gadgets or untried spells," he informed Jon rather cheerfully. "I'm a grumpy old man, and I intend to remain a grumpy old man until I die."

Jon frowned at his uncle's reply. He'd already known what response he'd receive, but he couldn't help suggesting it anyway, just in case he ever changed his mind. "You're not that grumpy, Uncle," he pointed out further. At least, not since Jon and Vicki had come to live with him and provided him with the one thing he'd lacked - companionship.

"Oh, I am," Humph chuckled easily. "I have a reputation to maintain, you know." He caught Jon's frown, his expression gentling. "Jon, we both know I'm not going to live forever," he told his nephew fondly. "I don't want to live forever. But I'm not going anywhere just yet."

"I know," Jon replied with a serious look on his face. They'd had this conversation more times than he could count. It wasn't so much that Humphrey was getting older, as it was that Jon felt like he hadn't had enough time with him, given the fact that they'd only become close the last few years. "You know, sometimes I think that bullet was a blessing in disguise," he remarked. He wasn't sure what his life would be like right now if he hadn't gone through that - it was sort of like a cleansing by fire. Everything that had happened before was burned away, leaving him with a fresh slate.

"Perhaps it was." Humphrey smiled, pausing to catch his breath a moment. They could hear the chaos that was the children being strapped into various high chairs and boosters ahead of them, the sound making him chuckle. "It was a blessing for me," he said quietly. "Without your little family, I would likely have gone years ago."

"A blessing for us, too, Uncle," Jon replied, pausing to let the man catch his breath and lingering a moment. "I'm not sure what would have become of me if it wasn't for you and Vicki," he pointed out, not for the first time. "I can never thank you enough."

"You and I both know it was more Vicki bringing you out of yourself than me," Humphrey chuckled, shaking his head. He let out a breath, nodding that they could continue now. "And that ridiculous dog of yours." A dog who spent a lot of time with Humphrey, if he was allowed to.

"And we both know that ridiculous dog adores you," Jon pointed out with a grin of his own, as they continued on their way, the younger man slowly leading his elder back toward the main house where dinner awaited.

"Adores my breakfast sausages, you mean," the Old Man grumped, but it was his own fault. The cook had started putting an extra sausage on his plate, just for Cosmo, and the sojourn with Humphrey's breakfast meant that Jon and Vicki had a little more time to play with when it came to getting the kids up for the day.

"You spoil him even more than I do, if that's possible," Jon said with another chuckle as he carefully led the Old Man inside. He was glad Cosmo and Humphrey had bonded; it was good for them both.

"I'm a grandfather, I'm allowed," was Humphrey's only defense, his aged face brightening as they entered the dining room to the tune of four little people throwing up their hands to cheer at his arrival. The twins had caught on very quickly to that little ritual. With Dani ensconced between the high chairs, ready to feed the troublesome twosome, they were pretty much ready to go.

Jon didn't bother to point out that Cosmo wasn't one of Humphrey's grandchildren, as there wouldn't have been much point. He smirked at the cheer from the children, knowing it was mostly for Humphrey, or maybe at the fact that there wasn't going to be any eating going on until the two men joined them at the table.

Vicki laughed at the cheerful greeting, already on her feet to serve from the deep dishes set on the table. "How can you feel unloved, Humph, when everyone cheers when you enter a room?" she teased the Old Man, snickering at the way he stuck his tongue out at her. "How rude!"

Beside her, Ben giggled, sticking his tongue out at Emily, who'd gone cross-eyed trying to look at hers.

At Humphrey's age, Jon thought the man deserved to be cheered just for still being alive. He helped his uncle to a chair and made sure he was settled in before claiming a seat for himself. The nightly ritual of dinner was a lively if sometimes messy one at the main house, and it was yet another reason for them to be grateful for Dani's help.

Jon chuckled again at his family's antics, which Vicki had not surprisingly instigated. "What do we want to do after dinner?" he asked, as he helped Vicki fill plates and pass them around. There was the usual ritual of baths and bedtime, but he meant before and after that.

"You don't have to make the decision right now," Vicki assured her warmly, handing Ben a fork loaded with a mouthful of his own dinner. "Just think about it, and let us know either way when you're sure."

"O-okay," Dani nodded. "Thank you."

Jon didn't want to press his luck, but he thought two hours was a long time to commute just for a job. He hoped they were generous with what they were paying her, but he also knew she probably didn't want to spend her life being a nanny. "So, what are your plans for the future?" he asked, curiously as he finished off his fries.

Dani paused, pulling another silly face at Maddie as the baby girl slapped her hands on the highchair tray before using the distraction to shovel another spoonful of goop into Chris' mouth. "I, uh, I actually wanna be a teacher," she admitted in answer to Jon's question. "Little kids, you know" Reading, writing, how to make friends, that kind of thing."

"Well, you're getting pretty good practice here with us," Jon pointed out, though being a nanny was a very different thing than being a teacher. He was in no hurry for her to leave them, but he was curious about her future plans. The sooner she decided to start school, the sooner they'd lose their nanny. "Have you looked into any schools yet?"

She shook her head. "I've been at school with no breaks for six years," she told him with a chuckle. "I'm not in a huge hurry to go back to school again."

Humphrey snorted with laughter, though it was a safe bet he was laughing at the antics of Emily and Ben rather than at the conversation.

"That's understandable," Jon said. "We're in no hurry to lose you!" he added with a smile, truthfully enough. "Well, I'm going to get changed into something I don't mind getting soaked in," he said, as he set his napkin aside and rose to his feet. He hadn't yet changed out of the khakis and button-down he'd worn to work, and didn't much relish getting them drenched during bath time. Of course, there was always a raincoat, but that was a bit extreme.

"Goggles and a snorkel," Vicki suggested, turning her own attention to wiping Ben and Emily's sticky faces. Without Dani, dinner would take a lot longer, and would likely be one big fight. Right now, at least, having that extra pair of hands was a god-send.

"Very funny," Jon said, chuckling a little at Vicki's suggestion. Goggles maybe; a snorkel was a bit much. "Do you need any help?" he asked, though he was going to be busy enough in a few minutes with bubble-bath duty.

"We can handle this," she assured him fondly. "Go and get ready for the invasion of the muddy snitchers." She laughed at the squawk of indignation that came from Emily at this description of them, letting the toddling pair slither down to kiss and hug Humphrey before heading after Jon to clamber up the stairs themselves.

Half an hour later, Emily and Ben were immersed in bubbles and having fun while getting clean and soaking their father at the same time, up to his elbows in bubbles, his shirt soaked to the skin amidst his children's laughter.

Vicki saw Dani off with a warm hug and a smile, turning her own attention to changing diapers and putting the wriggling twins into their onesies for the night, a task that had been known to take a good hour on a bad day. It was a good day, however, and by the time the soggy pair had thoroughly drenched their father and were dry and clean, the couch was all set up for movies and snuggles.

Since Emily had claimed dibs on game night, it was up to Ben to pick the movie. Once the twins were settled for the night, Dani had left for home, and Humphrey had settled in to reading his paper before bed, the little foursome found themselves watching Cars for about the hundredth time. House rules stated that there could be no complaints from Emily about the movie, so that tomorrow night, there would be no complaints from Ben about the game.

House rules had been laid down very firmly, too, after three nights of monumental tantrums from both elder children. Vicki had ruthlessly planned out an entire week of decidedly boring after dinner activities just to get the point across, and since then, they'd had only minor shouting matches between the children about what they wanted to do with their time. She had to admit, though, Vicki loved movie nights. She got to cuddle with her two big babies and Jon for a good couple of hours, and after they went to bed, it was cuddle time for the twins as they had their last bottle of the day before they, too, went to bed. A few years ago, she never would have believed she could be so confident with four children under five, and yet here they were.

Before they'd gotten married, Jon had teased Vicki about having a half dozen children someday, but he was more than content with four - two girls and two boys, all of them happy and healthy. Who could ask for more than that' And once the kids were all down for the night, they had an hour or so to themselves before they passed out, too.

"So," Vicki announced as they flumped down onto the couch together in the wake of the last bedtime, "where were you planning on putting Dani" We're not cruel enough to make her sleep in the spare room between Ben and Emily."

"They don't call this the big house for nothing," Jon reminded her, drawing her close and wrapping both his arms around her. "I was thinking about one of the guest rooms, or we could put her up in one of the smaller cottages nearby. It's up to her, of course, but it seems silly to commute two hours everyday when she can just as easily stay here."

"Mmm, the closer she is, the more likely she is to end up working all day, and that just doesn't seem fair," Vicki mused, nestling happily into his arms. "She is a god-send, though. Look at us, we're both awake and coherent at 9pm. It's a miracle."

"A cottage, then," Jon suggested. He might have suggested the garage apartment if it wasn't already occupied by Lucas Foster. "We don't need her all day. Just when I'm working," he reminded her further. His schedule tended to vary, depending on what was going on at the theater at any given time. They hadn't decided yet if they were going to require a nanny permanently, but the extra pair of hands had made a huge difference in their state of sanity.

Vicki nodded, stifling a yawn. "And she's closer to town here, too," she added. "Around the same age as Fliss and Lucas, and ....oh, what?s his name" The new one who doesn't talk much?"

"Matt?" he queried, quickly realizing that wasn't who she was thinking of. Lucas' younger brother didn't have a shy bone in his body. "Oh, you mean Dom's cousin?" he guessed again. The young man had only arrived in Rhy'Din a few months ago, and Jon hadn't had much of a chance to get acquainted with him yet, but that would eventually change.

"Matt talks enough to drown a person in word vomit," Vicki pointed out in amusement, chuckling at her own joke. "Yeah, that one - Zeke or something like it. Living with Lucy at Ash Cottage for the time being. Speaking of cottages, maybe we should pick one and air it out for Dani, just in case."