And Then I Found You

Fuel for the flames

Laughing loudly as Rose covered her chubby cheeks with chocolate cake that her daddy had treated all the kids to that afternoon, Johnny could only roll his eyes at his little monster. "come here you little thug" he laughed lifting Rose from her highchair and sitting her on his lap as he wiped away the excess chocolate from around her mouth. The pair of them were just sitting in the kitchen alone waiting for Helena to pick Billy and Nell up from school. She has also been at the hospital this afternoon with her doctor.

Johnny had to admit he was hoping that Dr Fields had told her she was now a lot better, so much so that they could once again perform the act of love. That thought alone had him grinning not only at Rose but at the thought that maybe Helena was ready again.

"You have it all over your nasal cannula" he tutted wiping the tube around her nose carefully with a napkin and watching as Rose simply giggled and fidgeted in his lap. She was getting so big now, so big that she was now heavy in his arms.

"d...dada.." she giggled placing her stick chocolate fingers on his cheeks making him huff and roll his eyes again. "You little monster" he chuckled tickling her until she screeched and wriggled firsely in his hold.

Stopping when she seemed to be out of breath he smiled and kissed her forehead "Mummy will kill me for getting you all hyper on cake" he chuckled looking into her dark brown eyes very much like Helena's before watching her place her tiny fingers against his lips. Smiling when she felt the sensation of his lips tugging into a smirk now she had gotten his lips all covered in chocolate too.

Kissing her hand Rose began to giggle again as her daddy pretended to eat each finger like a gristly bear she thought he was. "Mmm Chocolate fingers are my favourite" he grumbled like a hungry predator making her wrench her small hand away in fear he may bite it off only this made him raw in laughter before picking her up under the arms and letting the top of her toes dangle just above his legs. "You are the 'sweetest' little girl in the world" he continued to laugh watching her small features warm as she looked into her daddy's loving eyes.

"Chocolate cake!" A sudden squeal came from the door way before Nell hurried in excitedly and over to Rose and Johnny. "Can I have some now?" her eyes lit up as she looked at the chocolate frosting and smiled like a hungry hyena as she removed her school bag from her shoulder and sat down at the table to cut herself a piece.

"Oi wait till after dinner" Helena called over entering the room with two bags of food shopping they had obviously stopped off for on the way back.

"But mum!"

"Do as your told, now go play with Billy and Jessica" she said placing down the bags of food before unloading them into the fridge and cupboards. Johnny frowned at that Jessica? did Billy bring his girlfriend home?

"Fine" Nell sighed rushing off out of the room.

"Jessica?" Johnny asked lifting himself and Rose from the table and walking over to his rather tired looking wife. He said he'd go pick the children up but she was adamant about going on her own, she was pushing herself and for that it was only right he was worried about her. "Yes Billy wanted to bring a friend home from school" she replied breezily still uploading the food while Johnny continued to wipe Rose's face.

"And you allowed him to bring his girlfriend home? that's a big step even for you" he chuckled only this time she glanced at him from the corer of her eye to which he stopped.

"She's not his girlfriend Billy is too young to have a girlfriend" Helena corrected him as she finished up with the bags of shopping and turned to face him finally.

"How come you have chocolate over your face" she asked a small smirk creeping up the corner of her mouth as he went to feel his face forgetting that Rose had covered him just moments ago. "Because of this little one" he said wiping his own cheeks now and making Rose giggle.