The Usual Rules

Chapter 7

JJ looked up and smiled as she caught sight of Emily and Rachel giggling over a toy. Rachel was trying to dodge out of Emily's reach as Emily poked her with some kind of teddy bear looking thing. JJ just shook her head and went back to looking through the clothes in front of her. She didn't get how easily it came to Emily to be able to make the little girl laugh or feel comfortable. If JJ was being honest with herself, she was still shaken up from the doctor's office. Having to hold Rachel while she begged for them not to give her a shot had made her feel awful.

JJ heard little footsteps running behind her and grinned as Rachel came to a stop right before sliding into the counter. "Look at this JJ!" She said with a bright smile on her face. JJ turned and looked down at the white fuzzy teddy bear in Rachel's hands. "Emily said we could get it if you say okay, its only twelve dollars and I have two!"

"If I say okay?" JJ asked Emily with a smirk. "Thanks Em."

"I didn't exactly put it like that, did I Rachel?"

Rachel shrugged. "I dunno, sorry, I don't need it." She turned to go put it back, dejected when JJ reached over and snatched it out of her hands and placed the teddy bear in the cart.

"We can get it." She said giving Rachel a smile. "Which shirt do you like?"

"The blue one." Rachel pointed, giving JJ a tiny smile of her own. She watched in awe as Emily and JJ went through clothes after clothes offering up choices. No one had ever just given Rachel this many things before, her mother barely left her bed, let alone shop, and her father simply couldn't have cared less. "I don't need all of this." Rachel said after a few minutes.

"But you can have it." JJ insisted. She wanted to give Rachel anything she asked for. Catching Emily's eye, JJ frowned. "Rachel, pick out one more shirt, and stay right there." JJ said as she stepped closer to Emily and raised her eyebrows in question.

"What's up Em, you're making that face."

"What face?" Emily asked. JJ made a face back to Emily and smacked her lightly on the arm. Emily sighed. "Its just...my parents gave me basically anything material I asked for, it didn't make me feel loved. I just...I don't want her to think we're trying to buy her love."

JJ sighed and shifted her weight from one foot to another. She glanced back over at Rachel, the little girl was currently playing Eeny, meeny, miny, moe between a green Tinkerbell shirt, and a blue Eeyore one. "I don't want to do that either, but she seems so afraid to ask us for anything, I don't want her to think she can't have things."

"She'll figure it out Jayje, its just gonna take time."

"Em, I am not a patient person." JJ said with a completely serious look on her face. Emily burst out into laughter, if nothing else than because it was true.

"What do you like better, Tinkerbell or Eeyore?" Rachel asked coming up behind them.

"Humm, Jayje?" Emily asked.

"I've always liked Eeyore, but I like Tinkerbell too, whatever one you want."

"Do you like Eeyore Emily?" Rachel asked.

"I do." Emily said with a smile.

"Okay, Eeyore please then." Rachel said pulling it off the shelf.

"Great, lets pay for this stuff and go home!" Emily said happy to be done shopping. Rachel agreed with her and began to run ahead to the checkout. "Rachel! Slow down!" Emily yelled out after her. Rachel instantly stopped and began walking slowly as she waited for them to catch up.

The three of them cashed out and headed to their car. Rachel wasn't exactly thrilled about the booster seat and began to pout as JJ set it up. "Rachel, its for your safety, and look its pink! That's pretty cool right?" JJ asked. Rachel crossed her arms in front of her chest and leaned against the car, a frown planted on her face. "Rachel, please, you're too little to be safe in the car without one."