Small surprises.

[shimmerandsing]

Alison didn't like it when her husband wasn't home. There were a variety of reasons for it, but the main reason was because he wasn't with her when he was gone. She had spent most of the day in a funk, waiting for Longshot and Asuka to return home from a clan mission. She couldn't complain too much when he was sent away. The jonin knew Alison was pregnant and somewhat clingy where her husband was concerned. So, if he had been called away, it was probably very important.

She still missed him, though.

So, she spent most of the day in her music room. Her single had done remarkably well since its release and now she was looking to find more good material to record. She had almost an album's worth already.

She was taking a break from working, having a sandwich for lunch in the kitchen, when she saw the glowy orange light from John's arrival. She hoped Lisa was with him. The girl had not been in her room this morning and that had worried Alison, too.

"Hi, guys!" She called. "Come have some lunch with me."

Comments

[sonofarize.livejournal.com]

Longshot stifled a giggle and crouched down. She didn't see him! She didn't see him! Tee hee!

He decided he had a good hiding spot and was not going to move from it.

[light-in-sound.livejournal.com]

Mrrr. Just for this, he was going to be in charge of the bathing once the babies were old enough to run. Aloud, she said, "Hmmm... I wonder if he's hiding under the blankets?"

She wandered over to the bed and picked up the bottom edge of the blankets at the foot of the bed. Out of the corner of her eye she could still see a little blond head. Maybe she could get close enough to grab him?

[sonofarize.livejournal.com]

He pressed his hands harder against his mouth to try to keep the giggles quiet. Nope. He wasn't unner da blankets! He didn't succeed too well in making his giggles quieter, but he was more excited by the fact Ali was so close and didn't see him! She wouldn't find him! Hee hee!

[light-in-sound.livejournal.com]

A faint grin tugged at the corners of Alison's mouth. She could hear the tiny, muffled giggles from the side of the bed. As exasperated as she was, she still couldn't help the amusement she felt knowing he was having such fun. Even if it was at her expense.

She put the blankets down and tapped her chin lightly. "Hmmm. I wonder where he could be?"

Then she leaped. She ended up flopping across the bed in kind of an undignified sprawl and dangling half over the edge as she made a grab for him.

[sonofarize.livejournal.com]

Longshot got wide-eyed and 'eep!'ed but that didn't save him from Ali's hands. He done got caught real good. And he had thought his hiding spot had been good!

[light-in-sound.livejournal.com]

Alison rolled back onto her back, pulling him with her to hold him against her chest. She looked up at him with an amused expression. "Gotcha."

She shook her head and kissed his cheek. Then she sat up and shifted him in her arms so that she could hold him securely and work the bath controls.

"Okay. Bath time now. I promise nothing will eat you."

[sonofarize.livejournal.com]

"Meep." He wiggled a bit but found he couldn't get out of Ali's grasp. He was thwarted! THWARTED! And soon to be eated by the big bathtub. So, instead of running away, he clung tightly to Ali.

"You sure? It's awfully big and could have sharks hidin' in there..."

[light-in-sound.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure. I love you waaaaay too much to let anything eat you. Even sharks." She sat on the edge of the tub and held him as she ran the water. This time she wasn't going to make the mistake of putting him down. One sprint around the castle was plenty for the day.

"And I'll even put my toes in first so you can see that nothing's gonna eat them." She kissed the top of his head as she watched the tub fill. A thought struck her and she looked down at the little blond in her lap. "Want a bubble bath?"

[sonofarize.livejournal.com]

He peered down into the tub and still wasn't too sure. The sharks could be boy-eating instead of Ali-eating. Longshot held onto Ali's shirt with a white-knuckled grip. "O-Okay."

He was momentarily distracted by impending doom but something that sounded fun. "Bubbles?"

[light-in-sound.livejournal.com]

She patted his back soothingly as the water rose. "It'll be okay. I promise. I would never let a shark eat you."

When he seemed interested in the bubbles, she smiled and reached for the shampoo bottle. She flipped the cap open and held it near the faucet. "Watch."

The shampoo she poured into the running water made big, shiny white and blue bubbles in the bath.

[sonofarize.livejournal.com]

Longshot watched the bubbles appear. "Ooooh!"

He reached over to try to pet the bubbles while keeping one hand on Ali's shirt. "Bubbly pop!"

[light-in-sound.livejournal.com]

She laughed. "Yep. Lots of bubbles to pop."

When the bath was full enough for a wee one's bath, she turned the tap off and then she stood. "Hang on a second, sweetheart."

She unfastened her jeans and let them fall to the floor. Then she stepped into the tub and sat down on the side of it with her legs in the water to just about mid calf. It wasn't too warm or too cool, good.

She set him down in the water and watched the bubbles pop around him.

[sonofarize.livejournal.com]

Oh, Longshot was not letting go of Ali. No sir. Uh-uh. He almost kept a hold on her shirt when she lowered him into the water. His hand spasmed open and he sat stock still. He looked at all the bubbles like something with a fin was going to pop out of the water and bite his nose.

Then he promptly disappeared under the water. He reappeared on the other side of the bathtub covered in bubbles. He might have been grinning, but it was hard to tell with his bubble beard.

[light-in-sound.livejournal.com]

Alison laughed and leaned her elbows on her knees, her chin propped up in her hands as she watched him reappear covered in bubbles. Well, at least nothing had eaten him.

"Hey... you have something on your nose, sweetheart."

[sonofarize.livejournal.com]

"I do???" He went stock still again. In a very tiny voice he asked, ""

Then he pounced Ali and wiped his nose on her knee. Ha ha! Nothing could take the knee to nose action! Not even the notorious bath shark!

[light-in-sound.livejournal.com]

"No, it's just bubbles." She laughed and patted his head softly as her knee got nosed. Oh well. At least it was a relatively clean nose.

She stroked his hair and smiled at him. "Bath's not too bad, huh?"

[sonofarize.livejournal.com]

"Mmm." He splished and splashed around a little. "It's okay."

He piled some bubbles on her knee. "It's better when you scrub my back. I can't reach."

[light-in-sound.livejournal.com]

She laughed and leaned down to blow the bubbles off her knee. "Alright, then. Turn around and sit down. I'll wash your back while you play with the bubbles. How's that?"

She snagged a nearby wash cloth and some soap.

[sonofarize.livejournal.com]

"Alright, gorgemous." He turned around and flopped down. The water splashed around but he was too busy playing with the bubbles and building something. He was so intent on what he was doing that he barely paid attention to Ali washing his back.

Well, except he raised himself up a bit so she could scrub his little butt if she wanted.

[light-in-sound.livejournal.com]

"Do you know what we need for our little babies when they're old enough?" She asked conversationally as she scrubbed him down. How did one small child get so dirty in such a short span of time, anyway?

"I saw some soap in the store that comes in different colors and is shaped like crayons. The write on the tub walls and little arms and legs. Those would be fun."

[sonofarize.livejournal.com]

"What?" He asked absently as he continued to gather bubbles and build. Finally, he stood up and poked into the bubbles twice and then draw a curved line below those.

"Oooh!" He turned around. "Can I get some, too?"

As a form of bribery, he gestured at the sculpture of bubbles he made. "Ali of da baf!"

[light-in-sound.livejournal.com]

"Sure, we can get you some too." She smiled and giggled at her likeness in bubbles. He was so darn cute.

"Thank you, sweetheart. I look good as bubbles." She waved at her bubble self. "Hello bubble Alison."

[sonofarize.livejournal.com]

"You look better as just plain Ali," he said with a nod.

He climbed up her legs and sat on her knees. "All done, he announced.

Except he hadn't scrubbed his front side in the least. He figured he slept on his back so his front side wasn't important for scrubbing.

[light-in-sound.livejournal.com]

"Hmmm. I think we missed a spot." Alison smiled and grabbed the soapy washcloth. She started with his face and scrubbed her way down to his little toes. The toes she couldn't resist tickling lightly as they came into reach.

"You are so darn cute. How did you get that way, huh?" She kissed the top of his head.

[sonofarize.livejournal.com]

"PLECH!" SOAPY WASHCLOTH BAD! ICKY! PATOOIE! Longshot made lots of disgusted faces after the washcloth left his face. Those faces stopped when he was getting tickled.

"Eee!" He pinwheeled his arms a bit and nearly fell off of Ali. He caught himself before he broke his little behind. He blinked up at Ali.

"I stop being cute when I'm growed up?" He looked down. "Must be 'cause my toes get bigger."

He wiggled his toes for emphasis.