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Description
Arthur leaned back in his desk chair and sighed. Alfred had gone to another meeting in D.C. and Matthew and the Frog had taken Aden for a visit. They'd offered to take Alexa too, but Arthur shook his head. The twins could be a handful by themselves, adding Vivienne- who seemed to agitate Alexa's already stubborn and bratty nature- and the newest additions to Matthew's family, the triplets; it was a recipe for disaster.

He heard a shuffling sound, and then there was a soft, but insistent tug on his trouser leg, and he looked down.

"You're supposed to be taking your nap," he told his daughter. Alexa pouted slightly and clutched her floppy, bunny stuffy closer to her chest. Her green eyes were a little watery.

"…were you lonely?" he asked softly. The little girl nodded and reached to be picked up.

"It's okay…" Arthur said, settling her in his lap. "Mommy's lonely too…"

The little girl snuggled closer to him, hungry for his body heat. Arthur chuckled. She could be astonishingly like her father, this one. He took his sweater from the back of the chair and wrapped her in it.

"Better?"

Again Alexa nodded. She was surprisingly quiet, this afternoon. It was strange, but not an entirely unwelcome change from her usual shouting, demanding and wheedling.

"Good."

He began absent-mindedly running her back, while he signed paperwork with the other. It was not unlike having an overly large cat in his lap, Arthur thought. Alfred used to do this, back when he was a colony- just come into Arthur's study, climb in his lap, and either fall asleep or sit quietly, occasionally talking to himself.

Within just a few minutes, Alexa was sound asleep, and Arthur was a little shocked at how easy it had been. Usually the two-year-old fought sleep tooth-and-nail, unless she was sick. When Arthur put his hand to his daughter's forehead, however, he found no sign of fever. Still, it couldn't hurt to watch her carefully for the next couple of days.

The next couple of hours passed peaceably, interrupted only a couple of times when Arthur had to remove Alexa's thumb from her mouth (he would not have his child suck their thumb! That was just…crass. ), and Arthur found himself more relaxed than he had been in over two years- no, longer than that!

The tranquility was interrupted when the phone rang. Alexa stirred in his lap muzzily, but he simply petted her hair and she went back to her nap.

"Jones residence, Arthur Kirkland speaking," he answered professionally.

"Hey…"

"Alfred!"

They chatted for some time, and Arthur had to remind his husband more than once that their daughter was sleeping on his lap, so stop talking like that, you git.

Just as Arthur was about to say his goodbyes, Alexa stirred again and sat up a little.

"Would you like to talk to Daddy?" Arthur asked, offering the toddler the phone. She nodded and took it from him.

"…Daddy?" she asked, her voice heavy with sleep, "Hi…miss you…want you…to come back…"

Arthur's chest tightened painfully. How many of Alfred's had read the same way when the boy was but a colony?

"Love you," Alexa concluded, "Bye-bye…"

Arthur took the phone back, stiffly said his goodbyes (with an added, "I'll call again later" hurriedly whispered) and hung up.

"Are you hungry, ducky?"

"Uh-huh…" Alexa mumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Arthur chuckled and scooped her up.

"What would you like to eat, my darling?"

"…sammich."

"You would like a sandwich?" Arthur enunciated as he brought them into the kitchen.

"Uh-huh."

He set her down in her booster seat (which had to be boosted by a couple of telephone books itself. The twins were so tiny, especially Alexa…) and gently pulled her fine blonde hair away from her face, to avoid getting any food in it.

"What kind of sandwich would you like?"

"Tuna fish sammich!" Alexa declared happily. Arthur sighed.

"Sandwich, Alexa. Say 'Sandwich'."

"Sammich."

Arthur rubbed his temples. He didn't know why people insisted Alexa was like him. She was exactly as stubborn and rebellious as her father.

"…what would you like on your sandwich?"

"Mmm…tomato! Tomato, tomato, tomato~!"

He felt a twinge of rage surge up within his chest, but quickly suppressed it. Tomatoes originated in the Americas; there was no reason to think Spain had anything to do with this. No, none at all…

"Alright, tuna fish and tomato it is."

He poured Alexa a sippy cup of whole milk, which she drank contently- another shock. Usually she would have demanded at least two or three types of juice before resigning herself to the fact that Arthur was going to make her drink milk.

"Are you feeling alright, ducky?" Arthur asked, as he cut the crusts off of his daughter's sandwich and divided it into quarters.

"Uh-huh. I miss Daddy an' Aden…"

"I know, ducky, so do I…now eat up."

After lunch was finished, Arthur took Alexa out to the backyard to get some fresh air and burn off some energy.

"I can put on my coat myself, Mommy!" the little girl said with a pout, as Arthur buttoned the red woolen coat.

"I know, but Mommy just loves his little ducky so much he forgets that she's a big girl now."

"Hmph."

Ah, so that's where people saw it; Alexa's scowl, the cross of her arms, the way her green eyes sparked angrily. Yes, his baby girl was just like him when she was riled. Arthur held in a chuckle and kissed his daughter's forehead.

"You'll always be Mommy's baby girl, no matter what. Even when you're grown up and strong, like Daddy."

"…always?"

"Always," Arthur promised, opening the door to the backyard. Alexa graced him with a bright smile, before dashing off after the handful of tiny fairies fluttering over the garden.

That night, Alexa would not be put down to go to bed. Every time Arthur tried, she'd whimper pitifully, tugging at his heartstrings. He didn't mind as much as he normally might have, though. His bed without Alfred was…too large…too cold. The solution to this, he determined after trying not to fall asleep in the rocking chair in the children's nursery, was to have Alexa sleep in the bed with him.

Once tucked in, the little girl seemed all too happy to share a bed with her 'Mommy'.

"Like this," she said sleepily, resting soundly on Arthur's torso, with her ear over his heart, "Like…havin' you…"

She gripped a handful of his nightshirt tightly in one chubby fist. Arthur gently rubbed her back.

"I rather like it as well," he murmured, watching as Alexa's eyes drooped closed. He hummed a few bars of an old lullaby and she was fast asleep. He kissed the top of her head, held her securely and slowly drifted off.

Description
Arthur leaned back in his desk chair and sighed. Alfred had gone to another meeting in D.C. and Matthew and the Frog had taken Aden for a visit. They'd offered to take Alexa too, but Arthur shook his head. The twins could be a handful by themselves, adding Vivienne- who seemed to agitate Alexa's already stubborn and bratty nature- and the newest additions to Matthew's family, the triplets; it was a recipe for disaster.

He heard a shuffling sound, and then there was a soft, but insistent tug on his trouser leg, and he looked down.

"You're supposed to be taking your nap," he told his daughter. Alexa pouted slightly and clutched her floppy, bunny stuffy closer to her chest. Her green eyes were a little watery.

"…were you lonely?" he asked softly. The little girl nodded and reached to be picked up.

"It's okay…" Arthur said, settling her in his lap. "Mommy's lonely too…"

The little girl snuggled closer to him, hungry for his body heat. Arthur chuckled. She could be astonishingly like her father, this one. He took his sweater from the back of the chair and wrapped her in it.

"Better?"

Again Alexa nodded. She was surprisingly quiet, this afternoon. It was strange, but not an entirely unwelcome change from her usual shouting, demanding and wheedling.

"Good."

He began absent-mindedly running her back, while he signed paperwork with the other. It was not unlike having an overly large cat in his lap, Arthur thought. Alfred used to do this, back when he was a colony- just come into Arthur's study, climb in his lap, and either fall asleep or sit quietly, occasionally talking to himself.

Within just a few minutes, Alexa was sound asleep, and Arthur was a little shocked at how easy it had been. Usually the two-year-old fought sleep tooth-and-nail, unless she was sick. When Arthur put his hand to his daughter's forehead, however, he found no sign of fever. Still, it couldn't hurt to watch her carefully for the next couple of days.

The next couple of hours passed peaceably, interrupted only a couple of times when Arthur had to remove Alexa's thumb from her mouth (he would not have his child suck their thumb! That was just…crass. ), and Arthur found himself more relaxed than he had been in over two years- no, longer than that!

The tranquility was interrupted when the phone rang. Alexa stirred in his lap muzzily, but he simply petted her hair and she went back to her nap.

"Jones residence, Arthur Kirkland speaking," he answered professionally.

"Hey…"

"Alfred!"

They chatted for some time, and Arthur had to remind his husband more than once that their daughter was sleeping on his lap, so stop talking like that, you git.

Just as Arthur was about to say his goodbyes, Alexa stirred again and sat up a little.

"Would you like to talk to Daddy?" Arthur asked, offering the toddler the phone. She nodded and took it from him.

"…Daddy?" she asked, her voice heavy with sleep, "Hi…miss you…want you…to come back…"

Arthur's chest tightened painfully. How many of Alfred's had read the same way when the boy was but a colony?

"Love you," Alexa concluded, "Bye-bye…"

Arthur took the phone back, stiffly said his goodbyes (with an added, "I'll call again later" hurriedly whispered) and hung up.

"Are you hungry, ducky?"

"Uh-huh…" Alexa mumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Arthur chuckled and scooped her up.

"What would you like to eat, my darling?"

"…sammich."

"You would like a sandwich?" Arthur enunciated as he brought them into the kitchen.

"Uh-huh."

He set her down in her booster seat (which had to be boosted by a couple of telephone books itself. The twins were so tiny, especially Alexa…) and gently pulled her fine blonde hair away from her face, to avoid getting any food in it.

"What kind of sandwich would you like?"

"Tuna fish sammich!" Alexa declared happily. Arthur sighed.

"Sandwich, Alexa. Say 'Sandwich'."

"Sammich."

Arthur rubbed his temples. He didn't know why people insisted Alexa was like him. She was exactly as stubborn and rebellious as her father.

"…what would you like on your sandwich?"

"Mmm…tomato! Tomato, tomato, tomato~!"

He felt a twinge of rage surge up within his chest, but quickly suppressed it. Tomatoes originated in the Americas; there was no reason to think Spain had anything to do with this. No, none at all…

"Alright, tuna fish and tomato it is."

He poured Alexa a sippy cup of whole milk, which she drank contently- another shock. Usually she would have demanded at least two or three types of juice before resigning herself to the fact that Arthur was going to make her drink milk.

"Are you feeling alright, ducky?" Arthur asked, as he cut the crusts off of his daughter's sandwich and divided it into quarters.

"Uh-huh. I miss Daddy an' Aden…"

"I know, ducky, so do I…now eat up."

After lunch was finished, Arthur took Alexa out to the backyard to get some fresh air and burn off some energy.

"I can put on my coat myself, Mommy!" the little girl said with a pout, as Arthur buttoned the red woolen coat.

"I know, but Mommy just loves his little ducky so much he forgets that she's a big girl now."

"Hmph."

Ah, so that's where people saw it; Alexa's scowl, the cross of her arms, the way her green eyes sparked angrily. Yes, his baby girl was just like him when she was riled. Arthur held in a chuckle and kissed his daughter's forehead.

"You'll always be Mommy's baby girl, no matter what. Even when you're grown up and strong, like Daddy."

"…always?"

"Always," Arthur promised, opening the door to the backyard. Alexa graced him with a bright smile, before dashing off after the handful of tiny fairies fluttering over the garden.

That night, Alexa would not be put down to go to bed. Every time Arthur tried, she'd whimper pitifully, tugging at his heartstrings. He didn't mind as much as he normally might have, though. His bed without Alfred was…too large…too cold. The solution to this, he determined after trying not to fall asleep in the rocking chair in the children's nursery, was to have Alexa sleep in the bed with him.

Once tucked in, the little girl seemed all too happy to share a bed with her 'Mommy'.

"Like this," she said sleepily, resting soundly on Arthur's torso, with her ear over his heart, "Like…havin' you…"

She gripped a handful of his nightshirt tightly in one chubby fist. Arthur gently rubbed her back.

"I rather like it as well," he murmured, watching as Alexa's eyes drooped closed. He hummed a few bars of an old lullaby and she was fast asleep. He kissed the top of her head, held her securely and slowly drifted off.