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darker_london2009-04-12 01:32 am
virtuosic-flair.livejournal.com) wrote in darker_london2009-04-12 01:32 am
Happy Easter (Julian, Aislinn, Camellia, Alexa, Joe, Damon)
Taking Aislinn to meet Alexa had not been something that Julian had taken lightly. He had thought about it over and over again, but Alexa was doing so well. In fact, she was due to get out of hospital and into a house with her sister in the next week. So if he wanted to introduce them while having the safety of the hospital around him, now was the best time...
Julian had to admit, however, stepping into the hospital again was not the most wonderful thing he had ever done. Even though he had Damon right beside him and Joe had driven them both. Sure here was where he had dealt with his addiction, but it had not been an easy road and now that he wasn't here to help Alexa, he was focusing on it in ways he wished he wasn't. "Sometimes this place..."
"We're leaving in an hour." Damon reminded Julian soothingly. And Julian turned to him and he planted a kiss on Damon's cheek. Damon was reminding Julian that they could leave in an hour. He wasn't locked up here. Damon was wonderful.
"Thank you. Hey, girly! Wanna sit?!" Julian said and he placed Aislinn on the floor in front of him. She could stand now, if gripping on to something. So Julian held her little hands in his and he leaned forward so she could wobble there between his knees and watch the goings on of the waiting room. "Who's that, hmmm? Is that Grandpa?" Julian pointed their hands in Joe's direction. "Is grandpa really, really tall?"
"TA!" Aislinn yelled with enthusiasm, and Julian giggled.
"She called you ta. That has to be a euphemism for something." Julian winked at his father.
Joe took a seat on the floor right in front of Aislinn and he held his hands out for her. "It's a euphemism for being really wondrous." Joe winked right back. "Can you come to Grandpa, Aislinn? Come to Grandpa?!"
Julian helped her take wobbly and unsure steps in Joe's direction by holding her up until she reached Joe's hands and then he sat back against the chair, snuggling up to Damon's side. "She's going to be running marathons soon. It's terrifying!"
"I think you have a few months left before she's running marathons." Joe laughed, and he planted a kiss on her tiny head. She rewarded him with a wide grin which melted the hearts of all three of the men sitting there, though not a one of them admitted it.
"Julian?" Camellia appeared around the corner and she gave Julian a bright wave. "Hi!" She crossed over to them and she knelt down to kiss her niece's head as well. "Hello, Aislinn! I'm so glad you came today, Julian."
Julian shrugged. "I just want Aislinn to have the chance to know both her parents is all." But he smiled at Lia anyway because he really liked her. She was wonderful. "Thanks for being here too."
Damon gave Julian's hand a squeeze. "We'll be here."
Julian nodded. He knew Damon or Joe weren't going anywhere. "I'll be back." He kissed Damon's cheek and then he scooped his daughter up into his arms. "We're going to see mummy, Aislinn. Can you say hi mummy? Hmmm?" In response, Aislinn waved randomly at a passerby who laughed good-naturedly.
Camellia let them into Alexa's room, which was no longer kept locked, and she smiled at her sister. "Julian's here, Alexa. And he brought someone special."
Alexa looked up from her desk and she pulled her glasses on quickly. "Oh my goodness..." She jumped up from the desk and she crossed the room so she could take in the sight of the daughter she hadn't seen since the day she was born. The day she was certain the little baby would die. And, unbeknownst to her, the day Aislinn had died. Three times. But for the grace of being born an angel...
"Hi, Alexa." Julian smiled at her and he kissed Aislinn's hair. "This is Aislinn."
"Oh! She's beautiful..." Alexa suddenly had tears in her eyes and she sniffed and quickly brought her hands to her face to wipe the tears away. "She's so perfect!"
"I know, right?" Julian said, feeling encouraged now. Alexa hadn't looked at Aislinn and wondered what all the fuss was about. She thought his daughter...their daughter was perfect. Which Julian had totally known since forever. "She can stand up when she's holding on to something and she can crawl around! The doctor said she might be slower in some things because she was...er...you know..."
"Born early?" Alexa supplied, and she gave Julian a slightly guilty look. But he was just glad she had said it instead of him.
"Yeah. But she's not. She's brilliant. She makes sounds and faces. She's so funny. And she's just...the best baby. She and my baby sister are pretty much the same age and they are so cute together. They play and babble back and forth like they have their own little language." Julian sat down on the floor then and he let Aislinn stand up again so she could show up. "Stand for mummy! Can you say mummy, Aislinn?"
Aislinn shook her head shyly and instead of standing, she stepped forward and she leaned against Julian's chest. "Heh...sometimes she's shy."
"Me too." Alexa sat down on the floor to and a moment later, so did Camellia. "It's alright, Aislinn." Alexa reached out to touch the baby girl's arm. "I'm not going to leave you again."
Julian bit his lip and then he looked over at Alexa. "You want to hold her? Just be careful because if you don't hold her up when she's standing, she falls over and sometimes she gets all upset."
"Can I really?" Alexa wasn't really a baby person. She didn't know what to do with one. But she was enthralled by this tiny person who had come from her. From one stupid night with some poor, drug addict kid. One night which had changed her life forever. And his too.
"Sure." Julian scooted closer to Alexa and then he handed Aislinn over carefully. "It's okay, Baby Girl. Daddy's here. See?" He kept his hand on her arm even when Alexa had taken hold of her, just to keep her calm.
Aislinn looked a little weary at first and Alexa looked at Julian for help. "She's heavier than I would have thought..." In her arms, Aislinn started to fuss.
"She's still small for her age, so it could be worse. Though carrying her around the house does get tiring. Talk to her. She'll relax if you talk to her." Julian was still reticent to let the little girl go, but he finally did, though he hovered right beside the both of them so he could snatch Aislinn back in an instant if Alexa tried anything stupid.
"Okay. Hi, Aislinn." Alexa took a deep breath and she picked up the little girl so Aislinn was looking her in the face. "Hi! I'm mummy. And you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. You are. And I...I love you and your little tiny nose..."
Julian chuckled and he could see that Aislinn was relaxing in Alexa's hands already. "Her nose is your nose." Julian pointed out. "So...you know..you're vain." And he winked.
Alexa laughed and Camellia joined in. "I suppose that's true." She said, and she kissed Aislinn's cheek. "I...I can't believe how...she's wonderful. Look at her, Lia."
"Oh, I'm looking." Camellia grinned. She loved seeing her sister all lit up like this. And reunited with her daughter...it was beautiful.
"Julian...do...do you think I could see her sometimes? When Lia and I have our place? We could get all kinds of baby things. There's a room for her. Lia made sure of that. I...I don't know how to take care of a baby, but I could learn."
Quickly, before she could babble herself to death, Julian jumped in. "I'll teach you. And of course she can spend time with you. You're her mother."
Alexa choked up then, and she pulled Aislinn close so she could hold the tiny girl against her chest. "I...I don't deserve-"
"Bollocks." Julian cut her off. "Neither of us were at our best when we...well you know. And look at us now. You left her with me when you couldn't be the person to take care of her. And now you can be in her life again, and I am hardly going to keep her from you when you're not guilty of anything I haven't done myself. That would be incredible hypocrisy. And hell, I think I make a pretty good dad..."
"You've done an amazing job with her, Julian..."
Julian blushed and he smiled. "Thanks. And if I can do it, you can too. Okay?"
Alexa nodded. "I got her a present. It's just a stuffed rabbit from the gift shop, but I...I wanted to get her something for Easter."
Julian smiled soothingly. "She'll love it."
"Julian...thank you."
"My pleasure. Wanna see her dance?!" Julian grinned lopsidedly and he started clapping his hands. "Put her on the floor, she loves this!" and the three of them spent the next hour playing with who they all believed to be the most beautiful little girl they had ever seen.
Julian had to admit, however, stepping into the hospital again was not the most wonderful thing he had ever done. Even though he had Damon right beside him and Joe had driven them both. Sure here was where he had dealt with his addiction, but it had not been an easy road and now that he wasn't here to help Alexa, he was focusing on it in ways he wished he wasn't. "Sometimes this place..."
"We're leaving in an hour." Damon reminded Julian soothingly. And Julian turned to him and he planted a kiss on Damon's cheek. Damon was reminding Julian that they could leave in an hour. He wasn't locked up here. Damon was wonderful.
"Thank you. Hey, girly! Wanna sit?!" Julian said and he placed Aislinn on the floor in front of him. She could stand now, if gripping on to something. So Julian held her little hands in his and he leaned forward so she could wobble there between his knees and watch the goings on of the waiting room. "Who's that, hmmm? Is that Grandpa?" Julian pointed their hands in Joe's direction. "Is grandpa really, really tall?"
"TA!" Aislinn yelled with enthusiasm, and Julian giggled.
"She called you ta. That has to be a euphemism for something." Julian winked at his father.
Joe took a seat on the floor right in front of Aislinn and he held his hands out for her. "It's a euphemism for being really wondrous." Joe winked right back. "Can you come to Grandpa, Aislinn? Come to Grandpa?!"
Julian helped her take wobbly and unsure steps in Joe's direction by holding her up until she reached Joe's hands and then he sat back against the chair, snuggling up to Damon's side. "She's going to be running marathons soon. It's terrifying!"
"I think you have a few months left before she's running marathons." Joe laughed, and he planted a kiss on her tiny head. She rewarded him with a wide grin which melted the hearts of all three of the men sitting there, though not a one of them admitted it.
"Julian?" Camellia appeared around the corner and she gave Julian a bright wave. "Hi!" She crossed over to them and she knelt down to kiss her niece's head as well. "Hello, Aislinn! I'm so glad you came today, Julian."
Julian shrugged. "I just want Aislinn to have the chance to know both her parents is all." But he smiled at Lia anyway because he really liked her. She was wonderful. "Thanks for being here too."
Damon gave Julian's hand a squeeze. "We'll be here."
Julian nodded. He knew Damon or Joe weren't going anywhere. "I'll be back." He kissed Damon's cheek and then he scooped his daughter up into his arms. "We're going to see mummy, Aislinn. Can you say hi mummy? Hmmm?" In response, Aislinn waved randomly at a passerby who laughed good-naturedly.
Camellia let them into Alexa's room, which was no longer kept locked, and she smiled at her sister. "Julian's here, Alexa. And he brought someone special."
Alexa looked up from her desk and she pulled her glasses on quickly. "Oh my goodness..." She jumped up from the desk and she crossed the room so she could take in the sight of the daughter she hadn't seen since the day she was born. The day she was certain the little baby would die. And, unbeknownst to her, the day Aislinn had died. Three times. But for the grace of being born an angel...
"Hi, Alexa." Julian smiled at her and he kissed Aislinn's hair. "This is Aislinn."
"Oh! She's beautiful..." Alexa suddenly had tears in her eyes and she sniffed and quickly brought her hands to her face to wipe the tears away. "She's so perfect!"
"I know, right?" Julian said, feeling encouraged now. Alexa hadn't looked at Aislinn and wondered what all the fuss was about. She thought his daughter...their daughter was perfect. Which Julian had totally known since forever. "She can stand up when she's holding on to something and she can crawl around! The doctor said she might be slower in some things because she was...er...you know..."
"Born early?" Alexa supplied, and she gave Julian a slightly guilty look. But he was just glad she had said it instead of him.
"Yeah. But she's not. She's brilliant. She makes sounds and faces. She's so funny. And she's just...the best baby. She and my baby sister are pretty much the same age and they are so cute together. They play and babble back and forth like they have their own little language." Julian sat down on the floor then and he let Aislinn stand up again so she could show up. "Stand for mummy! Can you say mummy, Aislinn?"
Aislinn shook her head shyly and instead of standing, she stepped forward and she leaned against Julian's chest. "Heh...sometimes she's shy."
"Me too." Alexa sat down on the floor to and a moment later, so did Camellia. "It's alright, Aislinn." Alexa reached out to touch the baby girl's arm. "I'm not going to leave you again."
Julian bit his lip and then he looked over at Alexa. "You want to hold her? Just be careful because if you don't hold her up when she's standing, she falls over and sometimes she gets all upset."
"Can I really?" Alexa wasn't really a baby person. She didn't know what to do with one. But she was enthralled by this tiny person who had come from her. From one stupid night with some poor, drug addict kid. One night which had changed her life forever. And his too.
"Sure." Julian scooted closer to Alexa and then he handed Aislinn over carefully. "It's okay, Baby Girl. Daddy's here. See?" He kept his hand on her arm even when Alexa had taken hold of her, just to keep her calm.
Aislinn looked a little weary at first and Alexa looked at Julian for help. "She's heavier than I would have thought..." In her arms, Aislinn started to fuss.
"She's still small for her age, so it could be worse. Though carrying her around the house does get tiring. Talk to her. She'll relax if you talk to her." Julian was still reticent to let the little girl go, but he finally did, though he hovered right beside the both of them so he could snatch Aislinn back in an instant if Alexa tried anything stupid.
"Okay. Hi, Aislinn." Alexa took a deep breath and she picked up the little girl so Aislinn was looking her in the face. "Hi! I'm mummy. And you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. You are. And I...I love you and your little tiny nose..."
Julian chuckled and he could see that Aislinn was relaxing in Alexa's hands already. "Her nose is your nose." Julian pointed out. "So...you know..you're vain." And he winked.
Alexa laughed and Camellia joined in. "I suppose that's true." She said, and she kissed Aislinn's cheek. "I...I can't believe how...she's wonderful. Look at her, Lia."
"Oh, I'm looking." Camellia grinned. She loved seeing her sister all lit up like this. And reunited with her daughter...it was beautiful.
"Julian...do...do you think I could see her sometimes? When Lia and I have our place? We could get all kinds of baby things. There's a room for her. Lia made sure of that. I...I don't know how to take care of a baby, but I could learn."
Quickly, before she could babble herself to death, Julian jumped in. "I'll teach you. And of course she can spend time with you. You're her mother."
Alexa choked up then, and she pulled Aislinn close so she could hold the tiny girl against her chest. "I...I don't deserve-"
"Bollocks." Julian cut her off. "Neither of us were at our best when we...well you know. And look at us now. You left her with me when you couldn't be the person to take care of her. And now you can be in her life again, and I am hardly going to keep her from you when you're not guilty of anything I haven't done myself. That would be incredible hypocrisy. And hell, I think I make a pretty good dad..."
"You've done an amazing job with her, Julian..."
Julian blushed and he smiled. "Thanks. And if I can do it, you can too. Okay?"
Alexa nodded. "I got her a present. It's just a stuffed rabbit from the gift shop, but I...I wanted to get her something for Easter."
Julian smiled soothingly. "She'll love it."
"Julian...thank you."
"My pleasure. Wanna see her dance?!" Julian grinned lopsidedly and he started clapping his hands. "Put her on the floor, she loves this!" and the three of them spent the next hour playing with who they all believed to be the most beautiful little girl they had ever seen.