A/N: Another Sheldon Jr creation! LOL - I hope you all like this as much as what I do – it's just a cutesy little oneshot, but it was SO much fun to write. Thanks to Kerrie for the beta'ing, as always! And Megs for the read through too! :)
Enjoy x
'Daddy!!' Lucy cried, 'Tell Lyds! She's in the deep end again!'
'Lydia!' Danny bellowed, 'what did mommy and I say.'
'But daddy!' Three-year-old, Lydia whined. 'Lucy's in the deep end; why can't I?'
'Sissy can swim without floaties.' Danny explained to his daughter. 'When you can swim by yourself you can swim in the deep end too,'
'But that's not fair!' Lydia cried as she splashed the water. 'I'm trying so hard, daddy.'
'I know you are baby. You've just got to give it some time. Mommy and I just want to keep our little girl safe until you can swim confidently.'
'I just want to be a big girl like Luce, daddy. I don't want to be little anymore,'
'You can't be like me until mommy has another baby. You'll always be the littler one, idiot.'
'Lucy Jayne. Enough.' Danny glared.
'But it's true!' Lucy cried.
'I don't care. Be nice to your sister. You both need to stop tattling on each other and bein' so damn mean.'
'You told me to...'
'Zip it! I'm watching the both of you.' Danny said, cutting his five year old off as he demonstrated watching them by holding his fingers to his eyes then pointing at his two girls. 'I want you girls to play nice. Otherwise we won't go to Disney World tomorrow. How does that sound?'
Both girls fell silent.
'I thought so. Play nice.' Danny scolded from his seat by the pool 'don't make me go and get mommy. Cause you know you girls will be in deep do-do then. Mommy won't take no crap.'
Lydia splashed the water in a huff. 'I just want to swim, daddy. I don't like paddling in the shallow end. It's boring!'
Lucy ducked under the water and splashed her sister deliberately as she swam off.
'Daddy!!' Lydia cried as she feverishly wiped the water from her face.
'Lucy!!' Danny bellowed as he stood up while Lucy surfaced the water. 'What did I just say? I want you girls to be nice to each other. You girls are lucky to have each other. Mommy never had a sister when she was a little girl. You two have an instant best friend an' playmate in each other. Mommy never ever had that.'
'Lucky mommy. I was the same till you brought her home!' Lucy grumbled as she gestured at her sister.
'Five minutes chill out time. One for every year miss Lucy.' Danny said as he held out his hand. 'I've told you; I'm not puttin' up with you two bein' mean to each other. Out... Now.'
Lucy disappeared under the water.
Tapping his foot, and with a hand on his hip, Danny growled as he stood at the water's edge. 'One... Two... Don't let me get to three.'
A big splash indicated Lucy was rushing to the edge.
'What about me!' Lydia cried. 'Mommy says I can't be here by myself. I don't wanna get out!'
'I'll set your sister up with a towel while she chills out and I'll get in. How's that sound?'
Lydia nodded.
Danny turned to Lucy who was currently climbing out of the pool, very slowly. 'And if you're lucky miss Lucy, mommy will come out and you can explain to her why you're in chill out,'
Lucy glared at her father.
'Keep going.' Danny tempted his daughter. 'Keep pushing me Lucy. See what happens.'
'You used to love me.' Lucy sniffled.
'I still do.' Danny told her as he wrapped a towel around his baby girl and pressed a kiss to her forehead. 'Always have and always will. So you think that all you want. We all know you're so badly done to.'
'You love Lyds more than you love me.' Lucy wailed, becoming emotional.
'Daddy loves us both the same, right daddy?' Lydia piped up as she sat on the steps in the shallow end, rubber ring around her little waist, accompanied with fuchsia pink armbands.
'I sure do princess. You're right. I love you girls both the same.'
'And mommy.'
'And mommy.' Danny nodded as he set his sunglasses on the patio table.
'What about me?' Lindsay smiled as she emerged from their rented house in Orlando, clad in a bikini with snacks in her hands.
'We're just talking about how much daddy loves his girlies.' Lydia giggled.
Smiling, Lindsay set their snacks on the table and plugged her nose as she ran and jumped into the pool, sending both Lucy and Lydia into fits of giggles.
'Mommy's silly!' Lucy exclaimed.
'Hush. You're chilling out.' Danny scolded his daughter as he ripped open the bag of chips Lindsay had laid on the table. 'You don't get to join in until you can be nice again.'
Lucy grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest.
'What happened Lucy Lu?' Lindsay asked as she surfaced and held onto the edge of their pool.
'Daddy's being mean.' Lucy scoffed.
'I highly doubt that.' Lindsay shook her head as she helped Lydia out of her rubber ring and held her smallest daughter to her hip. 'And if he is… Daddy usually has a reason for being mean…'
'It's true!' Lucy exclaimed. 'He's bein' mean for no reason at all, mommy!'
Danny, deciding to stay silent merely looked at Lucy before putting the bag of chips he had been eating from down, and jumped into the water, splashing his wife and youngest daughter.
'Daddy!' Lindsay scolded.
'Yeah daddy!' Lydia Cried. 'Yous so silly.'
'I'm what?'
'Yous so silly'
'I'm what?'
'You're silly' Lydia sighed.
'There we go.' Danny smiled as he ducked under the water to smooth down his hair.
'Mommy can me go into the deep end now both you and daddy are in the pool?' Lydia asked, bright brown eyes begging her mother's.
Sighing dramatically, Lindsay thought about it, long enough to spy her daughter's pouted bottom lip.
She took Lydia in her arms and held her up as she motioned for Danny to be on standby in case their little girl started freaking out.
Giving Lindsay the nod, Danny waited with baited breath as Lindsay gently threw Lydia into the deep end towards Danny's extended arms. Just like they had thought, as the little girl surfaced, she began thrashing despite her floaties around her arms and waist, and gasping for breath.
Danny reached out and pulled his daughter to his chest as she heaved a breath. 'You're supposed to close your mouth, silly. We'd like to keep some water in the pool, Lyds. Not have you drink it all'
'I forgot and got scared.' Lydia sniffed. 'Take me to mommy, daddy. I don't like the deep end anymore.'
Lindsay sighed heavily as she outstretched her arms to take her baby girl and sat her on the stairs in the shallow end. 'Are we okay?' she asked, brushing a wet ringlet from her daughter's face
Lydia nodded as she reached for her mermaid Barbie doll that sat on the edge, and began playing. 'I'll just wait till I can swim properly to play in the deep end. You can go swimming with daddy, mommy. Me not going anywhere. You don't have to sit and be bored with me.'
'I'm not bored with you honey.'
Lydia flashed Lindsay her Messer grin. 'But daddy wants to cuddle you.'
Lindsay glanced up to her husband who was smirking and shrugging. 'She knows mommy and daddy well.' he laughed.
'Can I get in yet?' Lucy sniffed.
'Can you be nice?' Danny asked.
'I was nice before! You're just gripy, daddy.'
'Wrong answer.' he glared. 'Keep chilling.'
'He hates me!' Lucy complained to her mother arms flailing dramatically.
'Use your words.' Lindsay instructed. 'Daddy does not hate you. You're obviously not behaving. And you should be talking to daddy about this, not me.'
'Daddy I'm Sorry. Please, please, please can I get in?' Lucy asked from her seat.
'Has it been five minutes?' Danny asked.
'I hope so.' she sniffed. 'I want to play with you guys. I'm sorry daddy. I love you like you love me.'
Danny sighed, 'What do you think, Lyds? Shall we let her get in?' Danny asked his little girl.
'Sissy!! Jump in!' Lydia cried.
Looking to her daddy for the nod of approval, Lucy's eyes begged as her blue eyes met her father's.
'Splash me and I'll throw you into next door's pool.' Danny glared jokingly.
With a devilish smirk, Lucy ran and jumped into the pool in the shape of a cannonball, splashing the three occupants.
'Get her!' Lindsay cried as she held onto Lydia.
Lucy swam to Danny and wrapped her arms around his head as a ploy to get out of the firing zone with her mother and sister 'I'm sorry, daddy. I love you.'
'Apology accepted. Go play nice sweets, please?'
Lucy nodded as she kissed him before headed to the shallow end to retrieve her mermaid Barbie and play with her baby sister.
'So Lindsay, remind me why it is we decided to have kids?' Danny asked as he pulled his wife into his arms.
'To pass on our superior DNA' she giggled as she rubbed noses with him, while wrapping her legs around his waist.
'Well I didn't sign up for Lucy inheriting your temper. I'd like a refund.'
'I call it determination, thank you very much.' Lindsay scoffed with a glint in he eyes. 'And no refunds on the children; it was written in the marriage contract. And we've talked about it numerous times.'
'Whatever you want to call it...' he teased. 'At least she got my looks.'
'We both know you think the sun rises and sets on me and how beautiful I am.' Lindsay giggled.
'Meh...'
'Take it back!' Lindsay cried as she put her hands on the top of Danny's head, threatening to dunk him.
'A'right. I think the sun rises an sets on you an' only you... Love of my life.'
Lindsay smirked. 'Lyds is the spitting image of me anyway....'
Danny smirked at Lindsay, a glint of mischief in his eyes.
'Daniel, don't you dare.' she warned as he moved her away from him, effectively suspending her in the air. 'Daniel James don't you dare. Danny! Dan!'
Ignoring her pleas, Danny threw his wife, sending her under the water, making his girls shriek with laughter.
Coming to the surface, Lindsay spluttered as she wiped her eyes. 'That went up my nose!' she cried.
'Close your nose.' Lucy teased.
'Daddy, throw me!' Lydia cried
'Water wings on, Lydia Grace.' he instructed. 'The lifeguard, aka daddy, is off duty for the weekend. No trips to the ER, thank you very much.'
Lydia sighed, but with the help of Lucy, she paddled to the edge to grab her floaties, that she had discarded while she and her sister had been sat on the steps.
'What are we going to do, honey?' Lindsay asked.
'Make sure my mouth is closed.' Lydia nodded.
Paddling over to her father, Lydia ensured her mouth was clamped shut as he picked her up and flung her in the air.
The family waited with baited breath as she surfaced.
'Do it again!' Lydia cried brushing her bangs our of her eyes.
'It's my turn!' Lucy cried as she swam toward her father. 'Daddy throw me!'
'What am I! A human launching pad?' Danny scoffed playfully.
'Yes' all three of his girls giggled.
Sitting on the step that her daughters had previously been sat on; Lindsay sighed happily as she watched the three most important people in her life have the time of their lives.
This is what it's all about, she thought to herself, watching the three splash each other.
Hours later with wrinkly hands, Lindsay fought back a smile as she watched Lydia kick the water rapidly while holding onto the side of the pool.
'Hey Gracie' Lindsay laughed. 'You done soaking me?'
Lydia smiled at the use of her nickname. 'Maybe'
Lindsay stuck her tongue out. 'You better be!'
'I'm just practicing,' the little girl sighed. 'Swimming with Luce today made me want to swim better, mommy. I want to play with her in the pool when we come again.'
'You knew this was a potentially one-time deal, Lyds. Daddy and I have been saving a long, long time for this trip to Disney World… Daddy and I told you and Luce this, remember…'
'I know that,' Lydia sighed. 'I just meant swimming. Like down at the Y.'
'Ah.' Lindsay nodded. 'Well how about on my days off, you and I can go down there together… By ourselves, and we can practice. Then on mommy and daddy's annual weekend off at the end of the month, we can show daddy and Luce.'
'Yeahhh!' Lydia cried. 'Can we do that mommy!?'
'We sure can, baby girl. When we get back it'll be august 1st so we'll have the whole month,'
'And you'll help me?'
'Of course,' Lindsay smiled as she pulled Lydia into her arms.
'I'm hungry. Where the heck are daddy and Luce? They went to get dinner hours and hours ago!' Lydia cried.
'You meant, where are daddy and Luce, right?'
'Huh?'
'It's just I thought I heard you say 'heck' – was it my ears playing tricks on me?'
Lydia cleared her throat.
'We don't say heck, do we, Lydia…'
The little girl shook her head. 'I'm sorry, mommy.'
Lindsay smiled.
'Mommy, where is daddy though. I'm so hungry!'
'Baby, you just watched me call daddy. They've only been fifteen minutes as it is. They'll be home soon. '
'How soon is soon?'
'Soon is when daddy and Luce gets here.'
'How soon though?'
'My tracking device isn't working. I don't know honey. Daddy said he wasn't far.'
Lydia sighed.
'It won't be much longer.' Lindsay smiled. 'Pinky swear.'
Lydia smiled as she held her pinky out to her mommy and kissed the pinkies once they were latched.
'What are we pinky swearing about?'
Turning, around in the water, Lydia squealed excitedly as she saw what was in Danny's hand. 'Happy meals?!'
Danny sighed and looked at Lindsay with the 'she busted us' look in his eyes, regarding Lucy and the McDonalds bag. 'Yeah, they must have all of a sudden built one in Orlando. Who knew?'
'It's awesome,' Lucy cried as she padded in to the patio from the house, carrying her own happy meal, 'When we were drivin' from the airport and you said there weren't any McDonalds, I nearly cried.'
Lindsay grimaced. 'Well baby, there are so many other nicer places to eat than McDonalds,'
'But we don't get it often,' she sighed. 'It's sad that they don't let girls with the name of L eat McDonalds in New York.'
Danny sighed as he picked the little girl up and placed her at the table. 'I know, but rules are rules. You, mommy or Lydia can't have it. I don't make the rules, we just have to follow them.'
'Lydia, Lucy and Lindsay!' Lydia cried as she smushed a fry up in her hands while Lindsay dried her hair with a towel. 'Daddy, you can have them. Your name begins with a D, right, daddy! D for daddy!'
'Well, yeah, but my other name begins with a D too. Do you remember what it is?'
Lydia thought long and hard about it. 'Um…'
Lucy leaned across to her sister and whispered something in her ear.
'DANNY!' Lydia squealed happily.
'You remembered that all by yourself?' Lindsay smiled as she reached across the table and laid out Lydia's chicken nuggets and French fries on a napkin with a little pot of ketchup next to the said napkin, before helping Lucy.
Lydia smiled at Lucy. 'Yup!'
'What a big girl you are!' Danny smiled as he sat next to Lindsay.
Lydia's eyes glistened. 'I'm a big girl?'
Danny nodded, 'after all that awesome swimming today, Lyds – you're definitely a big girl!'
Lydia beamed at her sister. 'You hear that sissy; I'm big! Like you!'
Lindsay smiled as she stabbed the girls' drinks with a straw and handed it to them. 'You better eat those nuggets before daddy comes looking for scraps. You know what he's like. You look away from your dinner, and it'll be gone before you can say 'Hey!'.'
'Daddy's a piggy.' Lydia giggled. 'Oink! Oink!'
'Well, Gracie, if I'm a piggy – what does that make you?'
'A piglet!' She giggled. 'Right Lucy?'
'Oink!' Lucy added to the conversation, mid bite of her chicken nugget.
'You're quiet, sweetie. Everything alright?' Lindsay asked as she tucked Lucy's blonde hair behind her ear.
Lucy nodded. 'We just don't get happy meals much, and with the rule in New York, I don't want that scary clown to realise we got one and take it away if the rule is the same in Disney world…. I mean Orlando.'
Lindsay smiled. 'I think daddy would chase away Ronald McDonald if he happened to show up. Some rules are different when you're on vacation. Right daddy?'
Danny nodded as he bit into his cheeseburger, 'That scary ass clown shows up here, then the pool's gonna be off limits 'cause I'll chuck him in it.'
'Daddy said ass!' Lydia cried to her mother. 'Naughty chair, daddy! You used a bad word!'
'Go sit on the naughty chair for thirty-six minutes cowboy. In the living room.'
Catching her drift of, 'go watch TV while you can' he sighed as he picked up his food and dragged his feet through the patio sadly, making it look realistic for the girls.
'See, daddy got up straight away.' Lindsay pointed out.
'But daddy knows better than to go against what you tell him, mom!' Lucy giggled. 'You trained him up, 'member?'
Lindsay smiled as she ruffled her daughter's curls. 'You're a pipsqueak. You know that?'
'I try.' Lucy giggled.
'I want desert.' Lydia sighed.
'Where did your dinner go?' Lindsay asked.
Lydia stood up on her chair and prodded her belly.
'Sit down, Gracie.' Lucy sighed. 'Silly – you're gonna fall.'
'You ate everything?' Lindsay asked in awe as she moved the box that was in her view of Lydia's napkin. 'Wow, you were hungry.'
Lydia nodded.
'Did you even chew it? Or did you swallow it whole?' Lindsay asked.
'I gobbled it up.' Lydia smiled as she demonstrated with one of Lucy's fries. 'See. Om nom nom!'
'Well,' Lindsay sighed. 'How about when everyone's finished, and daddy's finished in chill out, we could all go to…'
'Krispy Kreme! Lucy cried.
'No!!! Dairy Queen!!' Lydia squeaked.
'Krispy Kreme!'
'Dairy Queen!'
'Krispy…'
'Dairy…'
'GIRLS!' Lindsay cried. 'Knock it off! Maybe we could go do both. Get one donut from Krispy Kreme and then get a blizzard from Dairy Queen. Sound good?'
Both girls' eyes twinkled. 'Two deserts! Oh my gosh!' Lucy cried. 'Really mommy?'
Lindsay shrugged. 'Why not.'
Lucy and Lydia 'high fived' across the table.
'But I want to see everything eaten Miss Lucy. Lydia gets to have both, so we'll see if you get both too.'
Lucy nodded feverishly before eating her fries.
'Think she can do it, Lyds?' Lindsay asked her daughter.
Lydia thought about it for a second. 'If she can't she can share my deserts, mommy.'
'Aww,' Lindsay smiled at her youngest daughter. 'That's very sweet, Lydia.'
Lydia beamed at her mother. 'It's true. The only person I wouldn't share with is daddy, mommy. I always end up with lesser than if I share with you when I share with daddy. I never know why, either.'
Lindsay smirked. 'I have no idea, baby.'
'Daddy must be magic!' Lucy cried as she slurped her milkshake. 'He makes food disappear!'
Lindsay smiled to herself as she listened to Lucy and Lydia gush about all of their father's magical powers.
God I love my kids.
'Brownie Blizzard, please!' Lucy cried.
'All that chocolate?' Danny grimaced. 'Are you sure?'
Lucy nodded as Lindsay fought desperately to rid the chocolate from her daughter's mouth with a wet one from her chocolate donut she'd begged for in Krispy kreme.
'I want chocolate too!' Lydia cried as she held onto the counter and bounced up and down. 'Please daddy! Please!'
Danny sighed. 'Two Brownie Blizzards in that case. Small.' Turning he looked at Lindsay, 'what do you want, babe?'
She shrugged. 'Get me whatever; I don't care. I'll grab us a table. Come on girls.'
Lucy and Lydia skipped off after their mother as Danny finished the rest of their order, and hovered by he counter for their order to be filled.
Finding a booth, Lindsay sat Lydia on the inside and slid in, letting Lucy sit next to her dad on the opposite side of the booth. 'So girlies,' Lindsay started. 'Which ride are we going to go on first tomorrow?'
Both girls thought very briefly before squealing.
'I don't know!' Lydia cried.
'I do!' Lucy giggled. 'The carousel!'
Lydia gasped and banged her hands on the table. 'YES!'
'That's a good first ride.' Lindsay nodded. 'What then?'
'Dumbo!!' Lydia cried. 'No! Winnie the Pooh!'
'I'm so excited!' Lucy cried.
'What for?' Danny asked as he finally made his way over to the table, juggling their ice creams on a tray.
'Tomorrow.' All three girls answered.
Danny grimaced and sighed sarcastically. 'Yay!'
'Daddy!' Lucy cried. 'Aren't you excited? You've never met Mickey before!'
'And for good reason,' he grumbled under his breath.
'Mickey and Santa are best friends daddy, 'member.' Lydia told him, 'If you're not a nice boy when we go tomorrow, Mickey will tell Santa. And that'll be sad if you don't get any presents.'
'Mommy would tell Santa.' Lindsay smirked as she grabbed her sundae. 'Mommy and Santa are like this.' She demonstrated by crossing her fingers.
Lydia giggled. 'Will you get me his autograph, mommy? I want to take it to show and tell at school!'
Danny laughed, 'I'll see what I can do at my next meeting with him.'
'I asked mommy, daddy.' Lydia deadpanned.
'So, what ride was we going on first tomorrow?' Lindsay asked, changing the direction of the family's conversation. 'I forgot.'
'The carousel!' their daughters cried.
'Those ice creams are gonna melt,' Danny pointed out as he glanced at the two untouched cups. 'How's about we eat and think about Mickey instead of talkin' 'bout him?'
The girls grabbed their spoons and dug into the chocolate blizzard.
Smiling, both Danny and Lindsay watched their two daughters smirk at each other as they scooped the cold ice cream into their mouths, before promptly holding the sides of their faces, while they scrunched their eyes up.
'Brain freeze,' Danny whispered across the table.
'You alright girls?' Lindsay asked.
'Is it cold?' Danny added.
Both girls nodded and shook their heads simultaneously.
'Daddy, I want mine warmed up!' Lydia sniffed as she shoved it away from her. 'it hurts!'
'It's cause you ate it too quickly,' Danny said as he grabbed the blizzard and began stirring, 'Shall I mix it up so it's like a milkshake?'
Lydia nodded, and Lucy passed her ice cream across the table to Lindsay. 'Mommy?'
Putting her own sundae down, Lindsay took Lucy's ice cream and began stirring.
'The exciting lives' of mommy and daddy, huh?' Danny mused as he gazed across the table to his wife. 'Stirring ice cream in Dairy Queen.'
She giggled softly and shrugged. 'If there's anyone I'd wanna stir ice cream with, it'd be you guys.'
He sat up off his seat in the booth and leaned across the table, so he was able to press a kiss to her forehead.
'Daddy!' Lydia cried.
Snapping up at the shriek of his daughter, Danny sent Lindsay's strawberry sundae flying, exploding as it hit the floor.
'Oopsies.' Lydia giggled as she handed her dad a napkin. 'Sorry.'
'What was it that you were wanting, sweetheart?' Lindsay smiled, as Danny cursed under his breath.
'I just wanted to tell you and daddy I loved you.'
Danny turned and stared at his daughter, 'You mean to say…'
Lindsay kicked him under the table.
Grimacing in pain, Danny sighed, 'I love you too, sweetheart. I love all three of you.'
Lucy, Lydia and Lindsay all beamed as he stood up and headed to the counter to tell the employees of their little 'accident', but before he did, he turned and looked over his shoulder to see what it was they were doing. Lydia was stood in the booth next to Lindsay, spoon-feeding her mommy ice cream from her own blizzard cup.
He chuckled to himself.
Sometimes, it felt like he was swimming in a pink sea of teddy bears, glitter, princesses and rainbows.
'Can I help you, sir?'
Blinking out of his revere, Danny turned and pointed to the mess on the floor, 'My daughter knocked my wife's ice cream over, I just wanted to make sure you knew… Didn't want anyone trippin'.'
'Got'cha.' The guy smiled. 'Thanks.'
'Daddy!'
Danny turned and could see Lucy's head sticking out of the booth, chocolate smeared across her face… again.
'What princess?'
'Mommy asked if you can get her a strawberry sundae again, seen as you knocked it on the floor!!'
Danny turned and cleared his throat as the employee raised an eyebrow, 'Your daughter dropped it, did she?'
Danny laughed nervously. 'She likes to embarrass me. You know how it is… Daddy's little girl, windin' me up.'
'Mhmm,' the employee smirked. 'Strawberry sundae, comin' up…'
He turned to see all of his three girls with chocolate stains around their mouths, giggling uncontrollably that they had busted him and had ratted him out.
Would I change them for the world? He asked himself.
Absolutely not.
Reviews are loved and appreciated :) x