Another

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 Setting
 Arc / track

Charlie leans, whispers in Jackson's ear, "Tee-minus-twenty to conscious beans, Captain Jones."

He grumbles, pulls the pillow over his head.

"Beans, Jackson." Pokes his ribs. "The beans need you awake."

Jackson groans, drags his head from under the pillow.

"I'm continually surprised you're not a morning person after years of this."

Jackson mumbles.

Charlie kisses his cheek. "See you downstairs."

He grunts.

""Dad! Da-ad! Daddy! Dada!""

Jackson forces an eye around at the clock.

He fell back asleep.

""Daaaddddy!""

Dang it.

"Coming!" he calls, fumbling his legs off the bed—

Under his hand ...?

Clothes.

Right.

Charlie laid out their clothes.

Jackson finds his feet, stumbles to the—that's a wall. Makes it out the door, down the hall, to the nursery.

"Daddy!" cheers Book, hopping up and down in the crib.

Jackson scrubs his face. "'ey, kiddo."

"Daddy, food time!"

"Baby first, sweetheart."

Book pouts hugely. "But—"

Jackson stops that with a Look.

Book scowls into the crib railing.

"Just a sec, Book." Jackson lowers the wall of Baby's crib, smiles down at Baby. "Morning, sweetie."

Baby beams up at him from around a foot.

"You ready for breakfast?"

A low vibration in Baby's chest.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'." One hand behind Baby's head—

Baby protests and squirms.

"Okay, okay." Jackson lets Baby be. "I'll come back in a bit."

Baby coos, resumes gumming a foot.

Jackson smooches the tiny forehead, much to Baby's delight, and attends Book.

Book brightens immediately. "Beckfas time!" Throws out tiny arms.

"Breakfast time!" Jackson cheers weakly, lowering the gate—

Book makes grabby hands—or /**hand**; Wom-Wom's clutched tightly in a pudgy fist—scrambles into Jackson's arms and octopuses around his neck and shoulders.

Jackson chuckles, gets a hand under Book and boosts (and hopefully decreasing the need for tiny feet digging into his ribs). "Hey, I don't think I feel a wet spot!"

"Nope!" says Book. "Beckfas time!"

"Okay, okay." Jackson sets Book down—

Book—

Jackson lunges—"Book!"

—shoots down the hall.

"Incoming!" calls Jackson.

""Roger!"" calls Charlie—

An erratic string of tumbling sounds.

Silence.

"Book?" calls Jackson.

""Ow.""

""Would a pancake help?""

""Food!""

Pattering feet.

Jackson leans back in the nursery. "That was exciting."

"Gawah!" replies Baby.

"Does that mean you're ready to get up, sweetheart?"

Baby waves pudgy fists.

One hand behind Baby's head, one under the tiny body. "Up we go!"

Baby giggles.

"First[,] a new diaper." Jackson sets Baby down on the change table. "Then new clothes." Off with the onesie. "And we'll be all set for noms." Diaper from Baby and into laundry.

Baby grabs a foot and gums anew.

"That certainly helps," says Jackson, taking a hold of Baby's ankles. "I need to make sure your bum's all clean."

Baby squawks at the lack of foot.

"Whoop!"

Baby onto upper back, baby wipe over bum.

Baby giggles.

"Down you go!"

Baby eagerly takes back a foot.

"Now for baby powder." Jackson dusts around. "But not Powdered Baby, that wouldn't be good."

Baby beams around toes.

"Next is a clean diaper, fresh from the closet." Sniffs dramatically. "Ahh. Nothing like laundry detergent."

Baby is quite interested in a big toe.

Jackson folds up the diaper lickety split, pats the sides. "How's that?"

"Gah!"

"I'll take that to mean 'good'." Smooches Baby's nose.

Baby blows a bubble and laughs.

"And now for your breakfast attire—" Shakes it out with a flourish. "A cotton-blend full length [cameo green] unitard with stylized [/Striker Eureka] appliqué."

Baby squeals and claps.

Jackson unsnaps the snaps. "Your mum and I do these up when they're in the drawer 'cause they're neater that way. Would be faster to leave them open, but." Lays Baby inside, separates an arm from a foot. "I need to get you dressed now."

Baby makes cranky sounds.

"See? Your right arm goes here."

Hand returns immediately to ankle.

Jackson pokes the other little arm through the little sleeve. "Your left arm goes there."

Baby drools quite impressively.

"I put your left leg in the left leg hole ...." Coaxes away the other foot.

Baby squalls.

"C'mon, sweetie, it's just for a second. Right leg in right leg hole. Tada!"

"Mmp." Baby returns to gumming.

"You're very welcome."

"Mmmp."

"Well, time to do up the snaps. Count them with me, k? One snap, two snaps, three snaps, four snaps, five snaps, and six!" Kisses Baby's forehead. "Six snaps!"

Baby blows a raspberry.

"Yea, six snaps! Time for noms?"

Baby squeaks.

"Time for noms." Cradles Baby close and saunters to the stairs. "Your mum, Book, and I are having pancakes. You'll have super food. Book may have some too, not sure what the interest is like there." Stops on the landing, peers down. "Time for stairs?"

Baby stares at him.

"Yay? Nay?"

Baby's tongue lolls out.

"Stairs it is! Twenty-two stairs, shall we count?"

Baby squeals.

"One stair, two stairs—hmm. Pretty overcast." Frowns harder. "I was counting stairs, wasn't I?"

Baby trills.

"Oh well!" Hops down the last few. "We're here!"

Baby flails the arm not holding the foot in place.

"And here's your mum again!"

Charlie turns from the stove with a huge smile.

"Good morning, Mrs Jones," greets Jackson, kissing her cheek.

"Good morning, Mr Darling," Charlie replies, accepting Baby.

"Daddy!" shouts Book.

"Booklet!"

"Care for pancakes?" asks Charlie.

"I would, thank you." Accepts a plate. "Pretty ominous outside."

"Mhm." Charlie settles in the comfy chair. "Radar didn't show anything though, so it's probably smoke." Directs Baby towards food. "You hungry, sweetie?"

.

"And Baby could roll over any day now."

"Is that right?" Jackson tickles Baby's nose.

Baby grabs his finger and tries to nom.

Jackson says dryly, "I don't think Baby's interested."

.

[Charlie feeds Baby, Jackson feeds Book and himself but he doesn't finish his portion and Charlie expresses her worry. Jackson then gets himself and Book into the shower (which is mostly Jackson showering and Book playing with cars at the back, but he eventually manages to scrub Book), and then he gets dressed, Charlie hands Baby off to Jackson, heads to the shower and Book dashes in with her. Charlie finishes showering, herds Book to Jackson, gets herself dressed as Jackson dresses Book.]

.

[Jackson settles Baby on the bed. "What's your mum given me to wear today?"

Baby giggles around a fist.

"Jeans." Shimmies in. "Standard and comfy."

[Baby sound/action.]

"A t-shirt with the Blue Sun logo from /Firefly." Cocks his head, sighs. "Starting to get a little worn. Might be time to replace it." Jackson pokes himself through.

Baby makes a sad sound.

"Ooo! Real wool socks from Nanny. Scratchy, but soooo warm." Perches on the bed, rubs one lightly against Baby's cheek.

Baby scrunches.

"Someday, you'll love these." Pauses thoughtfully. "Unless you take after Mum."

[Baby sound/action.]

"Sock one!" On it goes. "Sock two!" Jackson leans back, wiggles his feet in the air. "Socks!"

[Baby sound/action.]

Jackson rocks back to his feet, grabs the last item. "And now, the pièce de résistance: a gold—but not my super-special Command Gold—jumper." Threads himself through. "There! Dressed!"]

.

"What will you be working on today?" asks Charlie, straightening Jackson's jumper.

"Dinosaurs," answers Jackson.

"Dinos?!" breathes Book.

Charlie crouches, toys with Book's hair. "You gonna help?"

Book grins. "Mummy, too."

Charlie pouts. "I have other work to do."

"Work here."

Charlie kisses Book. "You wouldn't like my work." Wrinkles her nose. "It's boring."

Book pouts.

"We'll just have to have a surprise ready for Mummy when she gets back, ay, Booklet?"

Book cheers.

Charlie grins, attends Jackson. "Ready for anything, Captain?"

"Yes, ma'am!" he replies.

"Bottles?"

"In the fridge, warm up in boiling water."

"Tools?"

"Going nowhere near them."

"Naps?"

"Quiet time this morning but no nap for Book, normal schedule for Baby."

"Eggs?"

"Don't use them because they're for Baby's half-birthday cake." Beams. "I will make new hats for everyone during quiet time."

"Including Wom-wom."

"I will make one for Wom-wom, too."

"Anything ...?"

"We're having pasta for dinnies and we'll need to get more milk tomorrow."

"Sounds like you're ready," grins Charlie.

Jackson preens.

"You'll text if there's trouble?"

"There won't be, so I'll send updates and videos instead," Jackson assures.

Charlie doubts.

"Trust me." Jackson bats his eyelashes.

Charlie sighs long-sufferingly, fiddles with his collar again. "It'll be the last warm-ish day for a while today."

Jackson whines.

Charlie goes up on tiptoe, kisses his nose. "It'll be a good excuse to wear that new puffy jumper Nanny knit for you."

Jackson brightens considerably, then frowns as he looks Charlie over. "Sure you're dressed warm enough to bike in?"

"I'm a bonfire, Jones. Of course I'll be warm enough." Another peck. "See you tonight."

"Love you," sighs Jackson.

"Love you, too," says Charlie. "Lock up after me?"

"Of course."

Charlie smiles over her shoulder, steps through the door into the garage.

Jackson locks up.

Garage door opens.

Garage door closes.

"Daddy! Work time!" cheers Book, tugging at Jackson's trousers.

"Work time! Let's get to the office."

Book's off.

Jackson and Baby amble along.

"Alrightee." Jackson tucks Baby to his chest, digs out the cloth map of the dig. "Let's see what we're doing today." Unrolls and floats it to the floor of the office.

Book bounces by the door.

"Will you get the models, please?" asks Jackson, smoothing out the wrinkles.

Book's excitement engages the locomoting centres and Book's off like a rocket.

"Tummy time," warns Jackson.

Baby scowls and grudgingly engages the propping up centres.

Book scuffles back with the bin of hard plastic dinosaurs, beams. "Dinos!"

Jackson pulls a /*Leaellynasaura* from the container. "Where does this one go?"

"Here!" orders Book.

Down it goes.

"Should the rest of its family be nearby?"

Book nods earnestly.

"How 'bout you reunite them while I start up my computer?"

"I'm helping!" Book paws through the bin.

Jackson grins, plants a kisses on all. that. hair. "You certainly are, Booklet." He boots up the computer—

""Dinos!""

Plastic rattles.

—opens the latest version of the model for the Apollo Bay folks.

""Daddy! Look!""

Jackson crouches, surveys the dig.

"Raaa!" roars Book, knocking plastic about with a great sweep of a short arm.

"'Nooo!'" Jackson grabs one at random— "I don't think Knifehead was around during the early Cretaceous," he says dryly.

Book chortles, sends Empress Eighteen careening into a herd of /*Qantassaurus*.

Jackson shakes his head, sets /**that** particular model down near the edge of the mat.

Baby stretches.

Jackson toddles it into reach.

Baby draws it even closer, chomps down.

"Jaega Eighteen!"

Empress Eighteen faces down another pack.

A slew of M sounds.

Empress Eighteen flattens the flock.

>transition<

Shuffling noises from upstairs.

Book attends the sound. "Derek!" Book—

Jackson dives—"Book!"

—shoots out of the office.

"Look out!" yells Jackson.

No response.

An erratic string of tumbling sounds.

Silence.

"Book?" calls Jackson.

""Dad?""

Jackson sighs. "Derek?"

""Ow.""

"You okay?"

""'ll live.""

Movement from the hall.

Derek appears in the doorway holding a sheepish Book under the arms.

"There're pancakes in the oven?" Jackson offers.

Derek attempts a smile (and succeeds quite well for someone barely awake) and sets Book down.

"Pancakes, too?" asks Book.

"You've already eaten," Jackson points out.

"I'm hungry."

Derek grunts, picks Book back up again, and shuffles out.

[Book'll have two bites before declaring being full]

[Baby makes unhappy sounds, starts squalling, Jackson figures that's enough exercise and holds Baby in an arm and offers to freeze Knifehead.]

>transition<

"Time to polish up the Hall of Honour," says Jackson, cradling Baby's head as he grabs a few dust cloths from the cupboard. "Shall we see what's up with the world?"

Baby gurgles.

Jackson strolls into the family room, digs the remote from the couch caddy, and turns the TV to the news.

""—fighters have been battling the blaze since early this morning—""

"Your mum was right," says Jackson.

"Goo," says Baby.

"Who'm I kidding, of course your mum's right." Smooches Baby's head. "She's always right." Stands, dials down the volume. "Fire's nowhere near us, though, so." Jackson returns the remote to the caddy. "First things first, diplomas."

"Goo Oo."

"I like shining your mum's first," explains Jackson, running a cloth over the frame. "Not, of course, that it needs more shining."

"Koooo," smiles Baby.

"Does that even work? 'Shining' paper?" Moves on to his.

"Goooiooo."

"That was pretty," says Jackson.

Baby blows a raspberry.

""—recovered almost two million in contraband from a BuenaKai church in—""

"Trophies next, starting with your mum's 'Outstanding Achievement in Physical Education'."

Baby gums fingers.

"And then mine." Dusts the trophy to the left of Charlie's. "This guy's from the Port triathlon a few years ago." The trophy to the right. "And this fella's from a long course." Straightens all three. "There."

Baby coos.

Jackson nudges Charlie's forward half a centimetre. "Much better."

Baby makes a happy sound.

""—latest greenlit project, the Mark-III restoration, has announced the focus of its—"

"We move on to pictures," reports Jackson.

"Koo ooo."

""—an adaptive battlefield Jaeger—""

"This one's from when we won best cosplay—wait—" Jackson strides to the couch, shakes free the remote, and rewinds.

""—now, news from the PPDC. The PPDC's latest greenlit project, the Mark-III restoration, has announced the focus of its efforts: an adaptive battlefield Jaeger, a U.S.-sponsored GD unit. Marshal Stacker Pentecost of Tokyo will oversee the project. This comes to as a disappointment to many Australians who were hoping on seeing their long-distance scout, one of only three such built, returned to active service. VS-01 was mothballed earlier this year after its Right Hemisphere, Ranger Lachlan Riley, died suddenly. Now, here's Taylah Rowley with the weather. Thanks, Aidan. It'll be a mite chilly—""

Jackson sighs heavily. "I'm one of those Australians," he explains sadly.

"Kooo," Baby replies sadly.

"They're so cool." Pouts. "Back to it. Where were we? Right! SwanCon." Applies cloth to frame. "You had a great time being a hat, didn't you?" Smooches the tiny head. "Not sure orange is your colour, though."

[Baby action/sound.]

Jackson frowns. "Wonder where Logan is these days. It's been a while since food went missing."

[Baby action/sound.]

"And here's your mum and I right after we signed the papers that made us Mr and Mrs." Squeaks the picture forward a bit. "Best. Day. Ever."

[Baby action/sound.]

"After your and Book's birthdays, of course."

[Baby action/sound.]

>transition<

Derek pokes his head in the kitchen, announces, "I'm off."

"You'll be back for dinner?"

Derek shakes his head. "I'll be late. Have a tutoring session after the seminar."

"Cool, cool. Want us to save you something?"

"No, thanks. Kana's making me dinner instead of paying this time."

"Ooo~"

Derek flames scarlet. "I-I'm just helping her with coursework."

[missing continuation: walk through the normal daily routine, ending just before the PPDC kicks in the door]