darker_london | Family (Abby, Mara, Stuart)

Stuart had never thought of himself as a family man while he had been a monk. He hadn't grown up with his own family, as his parents had died in a car accident when he was about six years old. He had lived in a series of foster homes, always without incident. And then finally he had resided in a church run children's home, which had been a comfortable and warm place; the complete antithesis of the horror stories so often associated with institutions like it. Stuart had had an easy and happy childhood, despite having the odds stacked against him, but he had never assumed he would then pass that on to children of his own.

And then he had seen how happy Peter's family had made him. The Peter Stuart had known while they had both lived in the monastery, had been a happy and cheerful man until the accident that had killed their fellow brother, Thomas. Meeting Peter again, years later, surrounded by children had changed Stuart's mind on family. Happiness was subjective, and Stuart had wanted what Peter had. And now he had it himself.

Mara was perhaps one of the most amazing treasures on this Earth. She was sweet and thoughtful, and incredibly intelligent. And he loved that he would make her smile. Not that he was doing that at the moment...

"Daddy, you're doing it wrong!" Mara took the mixing bowl from him and she commenced stirring the batter in what she decided was the correct manner. "See, you have to make sure the sugar gets all through it!"

Stuart gave her a fond look and she busied himself cleaning up their mess instead. "This is why I have you, see? I never would have known I was stirring incorrectly."

Mara giggled and she worked her magic until she was sure the batter was thoroughly mixed. "See? I'm awesome."

Stuart laughed and he tossed the washcloth he was now finished with into the sink. "Ah, that I knew. What do we do now? Do I get to put my fingers in the raw cookies?"

"Only if you wash your hands." Mara gave him a dubious look and Stuart, shamefaced, went to do just that. When he returned, Mara already had the baking sheets covered with wax paper and she had spoons all ready. "Okay, you put a spoonful of the dough on the sheet and-"

"Can we make really big cookies?!" Stuart looked quite excited about that.

"No, Daddy! Be serious! You have to put one spoonful on the baking sheet and make sure they're far enough apart so that they don't melt together-"

"Like one big cookie?" Stuart offered, not willing to give up so easily.

"Daddy!" Mara was using her 'I am not amused by your childish antics' voice. "If you mess up my princess cookies, you are in so much trouble, mister!"

Stuart peered into the batter, amused that he was about to make white chocolate chip cookies where the 'white chocolate' was actually coloured pink and lilac. Princess cookies, indeed... Stuart stopped joking then. "I promise I won't mess up your princess cookies, and everyone in your class will love them." He leaned down and kissed her forehead before doing exactly as he was supposed to with the dough and the spoons and the evenly spaced little mounds of sugarey, girly-coloured goodness.

When the cookies were ready for the oven, Stuart took care of that, but he let Mara set the timer. And then he touched her back lightly and he held out one of the spoons he had just scraped the sides of the dough bowl with. "Do you want to lick the spoon, Mara?"

Mara looked up at him, wide-eyed. "What?!"

Stuart blinked, entirely confused. Wasn't this a kid thing? Licking uncooked batter-spoons? "You can lick the spoon if you want."

"But..." Mara gave him a wary look. "Is it gross?" The connection that cookies came out tasting good did not necessarily compute, since the stuff on the end of the spoon still looked like goo.

"Honey, why would I give you something gross?" Stuart knelt down and he held his non-spoon hand out to her. "Come here, Sweetheart." Mara obeyed, moving to his side so he could wrap his free arm around her. "Okay. Now, I'm going to give you this. Under protest, I might add, since I am a selfish man and I love cookie dough. But you need to taste it. Here. Eat it. I promise you'll think it's the best thing ever." Stuart handed her the spoon and then he held her while she took a tiny, slightly scared bite. He watched her eyes grow wide and then he laughed as she proceeded to shove the rest of the spoon in her mouth to eat the remaining dough. "I told you."

"It's better than cookies!" Mara's whole face shone as she swallowed and then jumped up to see if there was any more dough in the bowl.

Stuart watched her, still crouching on the floor of the kitchen, his expression slightly sad as Mara excitedly scraped the bowl with the spoon and ate her hard-won bounty. Abby entered a moment later, cocking one eyerbow at him. "Stu, why are you on the floor?"

"Hmmm? Oh..." Stuart rose and he walked over to his Abby, planting a kiss on her cheek. Taking care so that Mara wouldn't hear, he whispered, "We were making cookies and...Abby, Mara hadn't ever had cookie dough..."

Abby gave Stuart a sympathetic look. Stuart took the things that had been done to Mara in her childhood so personally, as any good adoptive parent would. But none of it surprised Abby anymore, considering the kinds of things she heard every day. She had more than enough sympathy and love for Mara, but every little thing Stuart learned seemed to shock him. Then he spent the next several days spoiling her rotten. And Abby loved it. "I'm not entirely surprised by that... She didn't have much at all before she came here."

"But...it's cookie dough! It's...my word, Abby..." Their poor Mara. It was as if her childhood lack of cookie dough somehow now stood for her childhood lack of anything else, including proper nutrition, safety, and love. And it broke Stuart's heart.

"I know, Stuart. I know. She's coming."

Mara grinned at Abby and then she leaned against Stuart's side, moving his arm so it was draped on her shoulder. "Daddy made princess cookies with me, Mum!" Mara beamed at him. "I had to show him how because he is SO silly and he wanted to make a big cookie and he totally doesn't know how to stir. But he's a real quick learner and then he gave me the dough! Oh my god, it was so good. Have you ever had it!? I can get you some!" She pointed to the bowl which she had mostly scooped clean, but she was offering anyway, and Stuart felt himself choke up despite the fact that nothing sad was happening here.

"Daddy?" Mara gave him a funny look. "Are you okay."

"I'm okay, Baby." He leaned down to kiss her again.

"He just wants you to enjoy your princess cookie dough without sharing." Abby winked at her daughter while laying a steadying hand on Stuart's back. "That's all. Come on, once you've licked the bowl clean, I'll help you do the dishes."

"Yay, bubbles!" Mara raised her arms in the air and her pure happiness did much to heal Stuart's heart. She was the sweetest girl. She deserved nothing in this world beyond happiness and kindness. And dammit, he was going to make sure that was exactly what she recieved.