Happy Birthday!

[shimmerandsing]

The preparations had begun days before. Alison had sent letter after letter and made dozens of phone calls. Half of the calls had gone to her stubborn step-son. Shatterstar was hard to corral. The other half had gone out to other family and friends. Anyone Alison could think to invite, she had contacted. Her invitations were only part of the deal. She had enlisted her mother-in-law to invite the women from the clan. Whoever Longshot was close to. And given her husband's ability to make friends wherever he went, that list would be long.

After the guests were settled, she focused on food. The cake had been a big deal to her... it had to feed dozens of people, and it had to be appealing to her husband. It had taken ages to find a baker who could produce what she wanted. In the end, it had been worth it and she couldn't wait to show it off. For lunch, she had enlisted the help of Longshot's two favorite cooks: Momoko and Maria. The day of the party, the kitchen and dining room were piled high with the best food Italy and Japan had to offer.

The living room was the designated present area. A table had been set up along a mostly unused wall and had begun filling up with brightly wrapped packages of all sizes early that morning. Lisa and Gloria Jean had been assigned inside decoration duty and had roped Rogue into helping. She could fly and get to the high places, they reasoned. Dakota and the boys had pulled outside duty. There were balloons and streamers all over the place. The more the better, as far as Alison was concerned.

John had been stuck with the hardest job of the morning. He had been assigned the task of getting up dreadfully early and taking Longshot out of the castle long enough for them to prepare the party. Since he had been spending so much time at work catching up after his vacation, he used the excuse that he wanted to spend time with his son on his birthday before he had to go to work. And the best early rising activity he could think of was fishing. At a lake. Far away from the castle. He might be tired by the time they returned, but he knew Longshot would perk right back up when he saw the party dedicated to him.

It was early in the day, still, when the party was all set up and they just had to wait for the guest of honor. Alison had showered and changed. The babies were fed, clean, and dressed in new little outfits their Mommy had picked out especially for the occasion. They had picked up on the excitement around them and were giggling and babbling happily to anyone who would listen. Lisa and Glora Jean each had a baby in their lap and were laughing and making faces right back.

Alison shifted impatiently in her seat and tried to will her husband to appear.

Comments

[laertes.livejournal.com]

"That's not what you said last night," he muttered before shoving a forkful of food into his mouth. Dakota tried to look like the picture of innocence while chewing. Since he was not Longshot, he failed miserably.

[light-in-sound.livejournal.com]

A tiny whine off to the side interrupts the sound of Dakota's chewing. Aiden woke up and found himself alone! And nobody was paying attention to him. He pulled himself up into a sitting position and grabbed handfuls of the net sides of the playpen.

Pleading blue eyes lock on Rogue and Dakota. Escape! Escape!

[pastthegumbo.livejournal.com]

Rogue squints at her husband. She is about to say something when there's this tiny, cute little whine. Instead of scolding her husband, she hands him her plate. It serves him right anyway.

"Well, hello there, sweet pea." Rogue gets out of her chair with a little struggle. This baby belly is throwing off her balance just a little. "How 'bout Ah help y'all out of there?"

She picks up Aiden and goes back to her seat.

[light-in-sound.livejournal.com]

Aiden flailed his arms and legs happily when he was lifted out. Freedom! He giggled and smiled at Rogue. He got to see this nice lady a lot!

And he didn't know it, but he looked absolutely dashing in the little shirt and pants his Mommy had dressed him in. They were dyed to look like a little tuxedo.

[laertes.livejournal.com]

Dakota had two plates and no third hand to feed himself. This was a problem. He watched his wife fall pray to her baby magnet again.

"So, how are you going to eat while holding Wiggleworm Junior?" Longshot would always be known as Wiggleworm Senior.

[pastthegumbo.livejournal.com]

"That's not a concern for now," she replies lightly. "Ah've be grazin' all day. An' Ah got this handsome boy all to myself for once."

She keeps an eye out for John. He is known to swoop in and gather grandkids to him. She tickles Aiden's chin lightly with a gloved finger.

[light-in-sound.livejournal.com]

The chin tickling set off more giggles. Aiden was a giggle factory! Just like his sister. He wiggled in Rogue lap and reached for anything grabbable. Hair, jewelery, silverware... ooh, what was Uncle Dakota holding?

Reeeeach.

[laertes.livejournal.com]

Uncle Dakota had long arms. It came from being a tall guy. So he moved his arms so Aiden couldn't reach anything unless his arms grew a foot. Which would make Longshot's boy a true monkey-child if he did.

"You might have been grazing, but I haven't. I had two ladies chasing me out of the kitchen in two different languages."

[pastthegumbo.livejournal.com]

"Oh, don't go blaming starvation on anybody this cute," she admonishes lightly. She bounces Aiden a bit. Babies and bouncing on knees always went together. Though she is being a bit careful about the bouncing. She is wearing a skirt after all.

[light-in-sound.livejournal.com]

Pout! Uncle Dakota took away all the interesting stuff. The pouting didn't last long though. Auntie Rogue was bouncin' him! Yay! He waved chubby fists in the air as he bounced along. Cowboy! Yay!

[laertes.livejournal.com]

Uncle Dakota was unmoved by the pouting. He had gone through that at least three times. He had a fourth coming. Aiden wasn't his son so the magic of the pout was lost on him. He looked around for a table to set Rogue's plate on.

One minute, there was nothing near enough. The next, there was a small table at his elbow. He squinted. Sneaky ninja. Though he didn't look a ninja gift in the mouth. He set her plate down and resumed eating.

[pastthegumbo.livejournal.com]

Rogue smiles and continues to bounce Aiden. When she speaks, her voice has the singy-songy texture of talking to a baby. "Somebody likes ridin' knees in a tuxedo..."

Though the rides would end soon. She does tire out a bit more quickly than usual.

[light-in-sound.livejournal.com]

James Bond cowboy! Cowboy inna suit! Aiden giggled at Rogue's funny words and kicked his feet along with the arm flailing. Auntie Rogue was good at horsie rides.

[pastthegumbo.livejournal.com]

Auntie Rogue is good at a lot of things, but she is glad the little baby boy is enjoying his horsie ride. Eventually his ride slows down.

"Whoa there, partner. Whooooa." She makes Aiden lean back as his horsie slows to a stop. She looks down at him. "Good ride, huh?"

[light-in-sound.livejournal.com]

"Ahhh!" Aiden gave Rogue a huge, toothless smile as his horsie slowed to a stop. Boy, it was exciting riding those wild horsies.

He snuggled back against her round-ish belly and scrunched his toes in the fabric of her skirt. Comfy seat! And he could see everybody!

[pastthegumbo.livejournal.com]

Rogue keeps her arms firmly around Aiden but lets him wiggle and look wherever he wants. He is just too darn cute.

"So, sweet pea," she addresses the baby on her lap. "Who are all these people? Ah'm bettin' you know 'em all. Help yo' poor Aunt Rogue figure it out."

[light-in-sound.livejournal.com]

Oooh! He knew! He knew! Maybe. He smiled and looked around at the crowd. One little hand reached out kind of in his Grandpa's direction. Grandpa was sitting in a corner eating and talking to Uncle Robbie. Grandma was tricky, but he caught a glimpse of her behind Daddy on the couch before she vanished into the crowd again.

He giggled and cooed at everyone he recognized. When he noted someone he didn't recognize, he stuck tiny fingers into his mouth and stared at them contemplatively, babbling softly to himself.

[pastthegumbo.livejournal.com]

"Ohhh. You don't say?" Rogue plays along with his cooing. She feels it would be mean not to pay attention to his explanation. Even if it is all in baby.

She tickles his side when he's been babbling and staring at one person in particular for too long.

[light-in-sound.livejournal.com]

Aiden was being very informative. He told Auntie Rogue all about his Daddy. And his Mommy on the floor. And little sister Hana. The shiny red man on the couch with Daddy was familiar and he stared until he got tickled. Then he was distracted by wiggling and giggling.

Hey! He looked up at Rogue.

"Buh!" He said. That was cheating!

[pastthegumbo.livejournal.com]

"What's the matter, sugah? Somethin' interrupt yo' concentration?" She smiled down at the little one. She wonders how far she could get before someone notices a babynapping.

[light-in-sound.livejournal.com]

Aiden wouldn't tell! Until he wanted his Mommy. Or wanted Daddy to make him fly. Then he might cry. But, for now, he was content to sit with Auntie Rogue and trade funny faces.

He giggled and pulled a foot up so that he could suck on yummy toes while he looked up at Rogue. She was pretty and smiled a lot. Like his Mommy.

[laertes.livejournal.com]

Dakota finished up his plate of food. He did a quick switcheroo so his plate was on the little table and Rogue's plate was now in hand.

"Here. Eat up. I'll take Aiden." He held his plate out to her but just out of the baby's grasp.

[pastthegumbo.livejournal.com]

Rogue blinks at her husband. That shouldn't be too unexpected to her, but she wasn't expecting it. She takes the plate in one hand and turns enough to let him pick up the baby.

Well, maybe she should thank Longshot later for getting her dinner and a show. Because seeing her husband hold a baby would never get old.

[light-in-sound.livejournal.com]

Hey! That interesting stuff was back! His foot popped out of his mouth as Aiden reached tiny arms for the plate Dakota handed over. Too far away! He would have pouted again if he hadn't suddenly found himself in a whole new lap.

Where'd pretty Auntie Rogue go? He looked around in confusion.

[laertes.livejournal.com]

Dakota ignored the look of astonishment on his wife's face. He used to hold babies all the time. Or as much as he could when he had been home. He picked Aiden up and turned him around so they could look eye to eye.

"Whachu lookin' for, mister?"