The next morning bright and early, Tesia came running into A.J.’s room clambering up onto the bed and tackling him. “Mornin’ J.!” She exclaimed.

A.J. grunted, as he quickly reached up to grab her, as she’d landed on him right where it counts. He took a moment to catch his breath, then managed a smile for the little girl upon him. “Mornin’, Baby T. Have a good sleep?”

“Uh-huhs!” Tesia nodded excitedly. “We’s goes parks now!”

“We are, are we?” A.J. asked, chuckling some. “What gave you that idea?”

“Evy,” Tesia smiled proudly. “Evy gives Esia bweakie!”

“He gave you breakie, huh?” A.J. smiled as he sat up. “What did yah have, Hunny?”

“Pannycakes!” Tesia squealed delightedly. “Withs syrups!”

A.J. nodded. “Sounds good. Did he leave any for me?”

Tesia nodded. “Uh-huhs. Buts Icky ateds ‘em alls!”

“He did, did he?”

Yeps! Dey all gones now!”

“Well, J. will just hafta tickle him then, now won’t he?”

Tesia nodded again, midst her giggles as she was lifted up into the air and snuggled close.

A.J. shook his head, and carried her on back downstairs, him still only in his boxers. “Hey Nick! Nice to know you don’t bother saving any food for me, when it’s my house!”

Nick gave him an innocent grin. “Well, Kevin told me to eat up.”

“Sure, blame Kev,” A.J. commented. “Man’s so old, he probably forgot he was saving them to begin with.”

“I heard that, Alexander,” Kevin stated dryly, coming up behind the younger man. “And for your information, I’m not that old, because if I was, I wouldn’t have hidden some pancakes in the microwave for you.”

A.J. flashed the older man an impish grin. “Gee, thanks Kev. Nice to know you can still remember things in your old age.”

Tesia shrieked with laughter, as her brother darted away from Kevin and ran into the kitchen with her still in his arms.

Kevin shook his head, then joined the other Boys in the living room. They’d all stayed over again, as they’d all been on sugar highs last night and in much need of another sleepover. Besides, Tesia had insisted, and who could resist that innocent little face? Not them, that was for sure.

“J.? You eateds fasters?” Tesia asked hopefully. “So I’s goes parks fasters.”

A.J. shook his head. “You’re a piece of work, Kiddo,” he told her. “But yes, J. will try to eat fast, so you can go to the park faster.”

Tesia cheered and clapped happily. “Yay!”

Marcus entered the kitchen then, smiling when he saw the two. “What’re you cheering about, Hunny?”

“J. eateds fasters!” Tesia exclaimed. “I’s goes parks fasters!”

Marcus chuckled. “Well, that definitely is something to cheer for then,” he agreed. “How about you and I got get you dressed, so that you’ll be ready to go?”

“O’tay!” Tesia agreed readily, squirming as she tried to get down off the counter without falling.

A.J. quickly caught her and set her upon the floor. “Go on, T. I’ll eat quick, and soon as I’m dressed we’ll go.”

“O’tay!” Tesia replied, as she tackled Marcus’ legs, giggling as he scooped her up and set her upon his shoulders.

“Let’s go, Kid,” Marcus said, turning and leaving the room to go up and get her dressed.

Once upstairs, Tesia squirmed down once more, and ran over to the dresser her brother had designated her, and started yanking out clothes. “I’s wears dis!”

Marcus shook his head, as he went and crouched next to her. “How about only one pair of pants, and a t-shirt?”

Tesia nodded. “An’ socks!” She declared, loving socks more than anything. Heck, if she’d her way, all she’d wear would be socks.

“Yes, and socks,” Marcus agreed. “They’re important too.”

Tesia smiled up at him, though frowned a moment later. “I’s mades a ‘tinky.”

“Well, then we’d best get you cleaned up then, hadn’t we?” Marcus answered, picking her up and lying her upon a change mat on the bed. He cleaned her up and got her dressed without any problems. He couldn’t help but smile as he listened to her babble away excitedly as they headed on downstairs.

Soon enough, they were all ready to go to the park, the littlest one the most excited – though, Frick and Frack were a close second.

“Da parks!” Tesia cried, upon the group reaching the playground that was nearby.

“You ready to go play, Hunny?” Kevin asked as he smiled at the little one sitting upon her brother’s shoulders.

“Uh-huhs!” Tesia nodded like crazy, her hair that was done up in dog ears flying about. “I’s weady!”

“See yah!” Nick said suddenly, grabbing hold of Brian’s hand. “We’re gonna go play some basketball!”

Brian smiled. “Yup. That we are Frack! Let’s go!”

The five left standing there, watched as the two ran off for the basketball courts. They were just lucky that the park was amazingly empty right then – though, it was still quite early in the day.

“I think I’m going to go for a walk along the path by the pond,” Howie stated. “You wanna come with, Kev?”

“Sure,” Kevin smiled. “A walk sound like a good idea.”

Tesia scowled, as the two men walked away from her and her brother – and Marcus. “Why dey all goes ‘way, J.?”

“They want to do other things, T.,” A.J. replied. “We can’t be with them all the time.”

“Buts I’s wanted dem to pways too.”

“Well, maybe I don’t want to share you,” A.J. smiled, as he flipped her down off his shoulders. “Maybe I want you all to myself, so that we can play together. Just us.”

“An’ Teddy,” Tesia reminded him.

“Yes, and Teddy,” A.J. agreed.

“An’ Marcus.”

“And Marcus.”

Tesia smiled. “We goes swings, J.?”

“Of course!” A.J. grinned. “We can do anything you’d like.”

Tesia beamed more at that, grabbing his hand and quickly dragging him off and over to the swings. She loved to swing!

Marcus followed along behind them, sticking closest to them as A.J. had requested he be close by in case fans showed up and Tesia had to be removed.

“Weee!!!!” Tesia shrieked, as her brother pushed her way up high.

A.J. laughed. “Hold on tight T.! I don’t want yah to fall out!”

“O’ta-ay!” Tesia called back, putting a death grip on the swing chains as her brother gave her swing another good shove. “Weeeee!!!!”

A.J. pushed her once more, then sat upon the swing next to her and started to swing himself. He was lucky that they swing-set had a regular swing next to the baby swing.

“I’s highers!” Tesia declared, as she watched her brother swing alongside her. She scrunched up her face playfully, a grin plastered upon her small face.

A.J. laughed loudly, as her face was just too funny to not laugh at. “You silly girl. No wonder your Daddy loves you.”

“Daddy an’ I’s goes parks lots!” Tesia squealed, as Marcus playfully tried to grab hold of her feet. “Daddy likes da parks!”

“He does, does he?” A.J. said, trying to stuff his bit of jealousy down. He’d been a year older than Tesia was, when his father – their father – had walked out on him and his mother. And now, after all these years, to suddenly hear from the man again and discover he’d a little sister felt to be a little more than coincidental. Though he didn’t know what his father was up too, he couldn’t deny the fact that he did love the little girl in the swing next to him quite a bit – despite the fact he’d only met her four days ago. But she was just too cute and innocent not to love.

“J.? We’s goes monkey bars now? Pwease?”

A.J. abruptly stopped swinging and smiled at his sister – wow, he sure did like that sound of that! “Sure, Baby. C’mon.”

Tesia giggled as her brother stood and lifted her out of the swing, setting her down upon the ground. She grabbed his hand and ran off with him towards the monkey bars and jungle gym.

A.J. shrugged and ran off with her, making sure not to go too fast, as she’d short legs. Once they reached the climbing apparatuses he lifted her up so that she could hang from the monkey bars that led the way to the jungle gym. It was a monkey set up, as it was long and there was plenty for kids – and big kids at heart – to climb on.

Tesia carefully and slowly swung from one bar to the next, with her brother’s help of course. “Dis funs,” she huffed, as she finally reached the other end.

A.J. smiled. “I’m glad you’re having fun, Hunny.”

Tesia grinned down at him, as he helped her up onto one of the higher parts of the jungle gym, before climbing on up himself. She was enjoying herself more so than ever before – though, she was sometimes able to get Daddy to join her up atop the jungle gym. She was cute, so all she had to do was cry or pout, and Daddy would come climbing up to save his baby.

A.J. hung upside down on the jungle gym, though he kept a close eye on the little girl up there next to him. He chuckled as he saw her hang upside down while holding tightly to the bars she was sitting on – he was also relieved to see Marcus move to stand under her, should she slip and fall.

“How about we go on the slides a few times, T.?” He suggested, actually liking the slides almost as much as the monkey bars. He was a monkey, what could he say? It wasn’t something his mother hadn’t told him constantly over the past eighteen years.

“O’tay!” Tesia exclaimed, jumping down into Marcus’ awaiting arms.

A.J. flipped down off the jungle gym, then raced her over to the slides once Marcus had set her back down upon the ground. Of course, he let her win.

“I’s beateds you!” Tesia cried, amazed by that fact.

“Well, you must be pretty fast then,” A.J. smiled.

“Daddy say dats too!” Tesia told him.

“Does he now?”

“Uh-huhs!” Tesia nodded, as she climbed up to the top of the slide, her brother right behind her. “We’s pway choo-choo?”

“Choo-choo?” A.J. repeated. “Sure, Hunny.”

Tesia smiled as she sat between her brother’s legs, in order to play choo-choo.

A.J. wrapped placed his hands on the little one’s side, so she wouldn’t get trampled once they reached bottom. He pushed off and down they went lickity split, him lifting her up into the air once they’d reached bottom.

Tesia squealed delightedly, as her brother lifted her into the air so that she wouldn’t hit the sand. She giggled more when he tossed her up into the air, before catching her again and pretending to eat her stomach.

A.J. laughed as he made like he was eating her stomach, loving to hear her laugh more than anything – completely unaware that everyone else at the park with them, had stopped what they were doing to watch them for a few moments.