Like the previous chapter, this one was also posted a while back on tumblr as a prompt response. So here it is! Prompted by zip-goes-a-million in response to March 2017's "Rock the Domestic AU"

"In the Kitchen with Tom and Suzy"

"Right! What comes next?" Tom asked, looking up from the mixing bowl in front of him to his daughter who was watching the entire scene with wary eyes.

Suzy sighed and looked back at the cookbook in front of her. "A tablespoon of baking powder," she read aloud.

Tom nodded his head and reached for the measuring spoons…which weren't where he left them. He frowned and looked up at Suzy. "Where…?"

"DADDY!" Suzy screeched, pointing at her little brother who was balanced on her father's lap, and who happened to have the measuring spoons in his mouth.

"Oi! Aidan, darlin', no, don't put those in your mouth," he quietly chastised as he tried to remove the spoons, which his son showed no signs of giving up easily.

Suzy bit her lip and glanced towards the kitchen entrance. "I don't know if this is such a good idea…"

"It's alright, Suzy," Tom muttered, finally managing to get a hold of the spoons. Of course, this caused Aidan to cry, and Tom had to quickly soothe the toddler before he woke his mother who was resting upstairs.

Despite her father's words, Suzy wasn't so sure. "But Mummy–"

"Is tired and needs her sleep," Tom murmured, thinking about the twelve hour marathon shift she had just come home from. She didn't put up any argument when Tom guided her directly to the stairs and helped her into bed. He swore she was asleep before her head had even hit the pillow. He managed to pull Sybil's shoes off and tuck her under the covers, before going downstairs with Suzy and Aidan in tow.

It was St. Patrick's Day, and they would be joining his mother and the rest of the Branson clan for dinner that evening. Last year, Sybil had made Irish Soda Bread, which surprised his entire family by how good it was (made by an Englishwoman!?) Because of this, his family had requested she make it again, but Sybil never had the chance due to sudden change with her shifts at the hospital. So Tom knew he would have to come to the rescue…although he wasn't much of a baker. But how hard could it be? After all, he was Irish–this recipe should simply come naturally!

"You should really wash those…" Suzy murmured, eyeing the measuring spoons with a bit of disgust.

"He only had the tablespoon in his mouth," Tom muttered, still trying to soothe the crying toddler.

"But we NEED the tablespoon!"

Tom frowned. "You said teaspoon."

Suzy groaned. "No, Daddy, I said 'tablespoon'–one tablespoon of baking powder."

Tom's frown deepened. "Don't you mean baking soda?"

Now Suzy was frowning. "No, I said baking powder…" she looked down at the recipe. "See? It says it right here–one tablespoon of baking powder!"

"But…" Tom leaned across the table and examined the cookbook. "But I already put in the baking powder."

Suzy's eyes widened. "What?"

"You said one teaspoon of baking powder."

"No I didn't! I said one teaspoon of baking SODA!"

Tom rolled his eyes. "Alright, well, it doesn't matter–we'll just add the baking soda now, and…make up the difference with the baking powder…" he paused, then frowned as he stared down at the measuring spoons. "How many teaspoons make up a tablespoon?"

Suzy groaned and pushed herself away from the messy kitchen counter. "I'm going to get Mummy."

"NO!" Tom gasped, leaping away from the counter himself, still holding a sniffling Aidan in his arms. "Let her sleep!"

"But you don't know what you're doing!" Suzy hissed.

Tom frowned at her words, his pride wounded. "I do too!"

Suzy didn't believe him. "You got the measurements AND the ingredients mixed up!"

"Which can easily happen to anyone, including your Nan!" he countered, although he half expected to be struck my lightning for daring to say those words.

"Daddy," Suzy put her hands on her little hips and gave him a very pointed look, one which mimicked Sybil perfectly. "If you get Mummy in trouble for messing up this recipe…"

Tom swallowed. Suzy had a point…and he'd hate to be banished to the couch for an entire week.

"And for your information," Suzy huffed. "THREE teaspoons make one tablespoon."

Tom looked at his daughter and then back at the messy kitchen. He might end up banished to the couch simply for the state of the room! He didn't need to make things worse by messing up this recipe. "Suzy, me darlin'…" he began, putting on what he hoped was a charming smile. "Perhaps…you could make the soda bread?" She wasn't even ten, and yet Tom had a feeling she would do a much better job.

Suzy folded her arms across her chest and tapped her chin in contemplation. "Deal…but only if you do all of the washing up."

It was a fair deal, especially since he had made all of the mess. "Deal," he agreed, shaking her hand.

"Good!" Suzy grinned, before making a face and passing him the measuring spoons Aidan had recently been sucking on. "And you can start with these…"

Tom sighed and took the spoons, making sure they remained out of Aidan's reach. "Aye, milady…"