Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the TV program "SPACE: Above and Beyond" are the creations of Glen Morgan and James Wong, Fox Broadcasting and Hard Eight Productions, and have been used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended. Dylan Mackenzie belongs to me. Rating: NC-17

Chapter 5. Dill sighed. They'd been sitting in the parked car now for a full half hour, staring at the apartment complex where the counsellor lived. "Ty, you're going to be late. Now you agreed to this - you know you did. I've listened to all the excuses you've tried since we got in this car, and I still haven't heard a reason why you can't go in. I told you already I'll help you up those stairs, and if you wait at the top afterwards, I'll help you down again. It's an hour, that's all. It won't kill you, and it might actually help you. Now stop acting as though you're the boys' age and get out of the car right now!" With a huge over-exaggerated sigh, Ty reached for the car door. "Alright, I'm going. But I don't want to." "Stop sulking and move your sexy behind. If you need reminding why you're here, take a look at my throat," Dill told him, sighing as she saw him flinch at her words. She reached out a hand to stroke his back. "I'm sorry, Ty. I know that was mean, but you really are acting your shoe size, and not your age. Now come here and give me a kiss before you go." McQueen leaned across and kissed her seductively. "If I'm a good boy, do I get a treat afterwards?" "Only if you get out of the car and let me help you up the stairs before Izzy wakes up," she said, with a glance at the baby asleep in her car seat. "Okay," Ty grinned, as she opened her door and got out, coming around to help him out and pass him his crutches. "Is it safe to leave her in the car like that?" "The stairs are right here. I can see the car the whole time, and I'll lock the doors. I'll only be a minute. It won't take long to get you up those stairs safely. Come on." Dill turned and locked the car doors with a smile. "Happy now, daddy?" she teased. "Yes, thank you, mommy. After the scare she gave us before she arrived, I don't want to lose her now," Ty grinned. With a chuckle, Dill helped him up the stairs and watched as he headed for the door, determined to let him see that she was watching to make sure he actually went in. After the door closed behind him, she ran back down the stairs to the car. She smiled to see that Isobel was still sleeping soundly. Getting in, Dill drove away, determined to drop Isobel off with her mother, who'd taken the boys out for lunch, before she came back to collect her husband. ~~~~~~~~~ Dill was waiting for him when McQueen came out. Her heart leapt to see that he was smiling as he said goodbye to the woman in the doorway. She prayed it was a good sign, and that he'd not complain about his next appointment. For a second she wondered if that was why he was smiling - that he hadn't made another appointment. Getting out of the car to help him with the stairs, she saw that the woman in the doorway was at least her mother's age, with shoulder length greying hair. Dill gave her a brief smile before taking his crutches and putting an arm around his waist, leaning up to kiss him. "All done? And you're still alive, too." "Alright, no need to gloat," he told Dill as they descended the stairs. "And yes, before you ask, I made another appointment for next week. Happy with that?" "Of course," she smiled. "My brave man." "Oh, stop it!" Ty growled. "We talked about you and the kids mostly. She said she just needed to get to know about my home life a bit before we tackle anything difficult." "She looked nice enough," Dill said as she helped him into the car. "Did you get on with her okay?" "She's okay. A bit nosey, but I guess that goes with the job. She's one of you lot, " he told her with a grin. "So when do I get my treat?" "Later," Dill giggled. "Let's get you home. I noticed you're limping again. I hope you haven't damaged that leg, Ty." "It does feel a bit sore still," he admitted. "Come on then - let's get you in the car and your weight off it. No monkey business tonight, mister!" she scolded him, taking his crutches as he settled himself into the car. "Not even if you're in charge?" he asked with a grin. "We'll see," she answered him. "Now do that belt up. I'm not moving this car till you do." "Yes, ma'am," Ty laughed, strapping his seat belt in. "See? You can do as you're told," Dill giggled as she drove away. "And what do you mean, 'she's one of you lot'? "She's British." "Ahhh. We're taking over your life!" she chuckled. "Don't I know it!" ~~~~~~~~~~ The children bathed and fed, Dill was putting Isobel to bed whilst the boys sat in the kitchen with Ty, watching as he pruned the bonsai they had bought him. "Daddy?" Hamish asked. "Tree's very small?" "It's supposed to be. It's a special tree. A bonsai tree," Ty told him with a smile. "Trees are big, daddy," Hamish told him, in a voice that implied since he was a grown up, he should know this. "Yes, daddy. Trees are big. Is it a baby tree?" Cameron asked. "Not really," Ty smiled, trying to think how to explain bonsai to a two and a half year old. "Snipping makes it pretty," Hamish told him. "I snip it, daddy?" "On my lap then, little guy. I'll show you where, and you can snip it," Ty told the little boy. Beaming, Hamish climbed up onto his father's lap. "Where snip it?" his son asked, picking up the small clippers. "Just here." Ty pointed to a tiny branchlet. Hamish very carefully snipped the branch, his tongue poking out as he concentrated, and his smile widening as the tiny branch fluttered to the table. "I done it!" he cried. "Did it. You did it, Hamish," Moira corrected him, coming into the kitchen. "Mummy's nearly ready for you boys. Give daddy a kiss goodnight, and Gamma a hug, and off you go." Hamish wriggled around on McQueen's lap, wrapping his arms around his father's neck as he kissed him. "Night-night, daddy," the boy said before slipping off his lap, and going to hug Moira. Cameron climbed onto McQueen's lap and kissed him. "See you later, alligator!" he giggled, before climbing down and running out of the door. "Don't let the bed bugs bite!" Ty called after them, smiling as he heard Hamish's reply, "If they do, use dynamite!" "Where did you pick that one up?" Moira laughed. "Doesn't sound like the kind of thing they teach you in the Marines." "Hawkes," Ty laughed. "Though who knows where he got it from. We were camped out once on some godforsaken planet and he piped up with it while we were settling down to sleep." Moira began rummaging in the fridge, trying to decide what to cook them for dinner. "These raspberries - do you have any idea what Dylan plans to do with them?" She looked up at McQueen's sudden intake of breath. "Are you okay?" Despite his obvious blush, he tried to look as if he had no idea what she meant. "I'm fine." Moira raised an eyebrow. "I think perhaps I don't want to know," she laughed. "Just don't bang the headboard against the wall. It wakes me up." Ty blushed redder, not quite knowing what to say, and bent his head to concentrate on his bonsai. Moira was still chuckling when Dill arrived ten minutes later. "I don't know what you did with those boys today, mother, but they both went out like lights." She looked from Ty's utter absorption in his bonsai to her mothers grin. "What's up? Did I miss something?" "Other than me embarrassing your husband, not a lot," Moira chuckled. "He embarrasses so easily too," Dill smiled, coming up behind him and giving his navel a soft kiss. Reaching to pull her head down, Ty whispered in Dill's ear, "You have raspberries." "Cream too," she whispered back, laughing as he blushed again. "Oh, for goodness sake," Moira laughed. "Leave the poor boy alone." "He's alright, aren't you?" Dill asked him, as she sat down on the chair next to him. "What's for dinner, mother? I'm starved!" "Well, it looks like some grocery shopping needs to be done, so tonight we have salad. It's all there is. And there's a bit of cheese lurking, so it's cheese salad," Moira told her. "Cheese salad? Let's phone for a take out, and I'll do the shopping tomorrow," Dill sighed. "If I'd known we needed food, I could have got it today while his lordship here was in his session." "Are we allowed to ask how it went?" Moira asked McQueen, sitting at the table with them. He looked up from his tree. "Sorry?" Both women laughed at the expression on his face. "Did I miss something?" he asked. "Mother asked if we're allowed to ask how your session with the counsellor went today," Dill told him, reaching out to gently rub his arm. "But you were so engrossed in that teeny, tiny tree of yours that you didn't notice." "Oh, sorry," he smiled. "It's a lovely tree, Dill. For someone who knows nothing about it, you picked a really good one." "I asked the sales assistant - that's what they're there for," Dill grinned. "But you're avoiding the question." She turned to Moira. "So I guess that tells us what we want to know, mother." With a sigh, Ty put his snips down. "I know you'll keep on until I tell you, so I'll tell you now. We talked about me and you and the children. She wanted to know what my life is like now. She said we'll discuss why I came to see her next week. She told me that she needs to see how good or bad our relationship is. Whether I'm in a place of," he raised an eyebrow at Dill, "'Happiness'. She seemed a bit flaky to me. Her place is full of herbal things and crystals and auras or some such. You're entrusting my mental health to someone I think needs help." "Don't be so judgemental," Moira told him. "Did you arrange another appointment?" "Yes, I did," he told her. "Same time next week. But I'm damned sure she's not going to be able to help me. I'm telling you now, if she starts waving crystals around me or telling me my aura needs cleansing, I'm outta there!" "If she does that, tell her you don't like it. That it makes you uncomfortable. After all, we're paying her to help you, and if that's not going to work, then she needs to be more conventional," Dill told him matter of factly. "She's highly respected, TC. That's why I chose her. No one told me that she was flaky. All they said was that she is excellent at what she does, and that she's the woman to help." "Well, I'm prepared to give it another session, but…" Ty shook his head. "Six sessions, Ty. Give it six," Dill told him. "By then we'll all know if she's helping or not." "Okay, but if she tells me to strip naked and cavort in the moonlight …," Ty glared at Dill. "Been there, done that." Dill muttered, regretting the words as soon as she'd said them, seeing the hurt look that flew across his face. "That was uncalled for Dylan!" her mother exclaimed. "It was true though," he sighed. "And that's why I'm going to this mad woman. To make sure it doesn't happen again." Dill got up and stood behind Ty, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm sorry. Mother's right, that was uncalled for. That was rubbing your nose in it, and you really don't need that. Sorry." She nuzzled into his neck, kissing it gently. "Am I forgiven?" "Of course," he smiled, goose bumps rising on his skin as she blew softly on his navel. He whispered to her as Moira stood and headed for the phone, "Especially if I'm getting trifle for dessert." "Ah," Dill said vaguely. "Might be a problem there." "What? What problem?" he almost yelled, making her jump back in fright. "Jeez, Ty, don't yell like that! I nearly had a heart failure," she squawked. "So what do you two fancy for dinner?" Moira asked. "Chinese? Mexican? Pizza? What?" "Pizza, please," Dill told her. "Pizza's boring," Ty complained. "Mexican." "Too spicy for me today," Dill told him. "Children! Make your minds up, please. How about Chinese? We know we all like it, and TC makes sure all the boxes are cleared so there's no waste," Moira laughed. "That's my husband," Dill giggled, "the human vacuum!" "Can I help it if I love Chinese food?" Ty pouted. "It's my marine training; eat it because you never know when you'll eat again." "No, it's called being a greedy gut!" Dill chuckled. "And if you're not careful, you'll get a fat belly. Especially as you can't do your runs for a few months." She leaned over and rubbed his stomach. "Not that I'd complain. You're far too skinny for my liking. You've lost weight recently, I'm sure of it." Moira sighed. "So we're agreed, are we? Chinese it is?" They looked at each other and nodded. Moira turned back to the phone. Dill kissed Ty's neck, gently dipping her tongue into his neck navel, making him squirm. He pulled her onto his lap. "So what's the problem with the trifle?" he asked. "Cameron is asleep in our bed. I think he was feeling left out because you let Hamish trim your tree and he asked if he could sleep with daddy tonight." Dill gave him a small sad smile. "I said yes. He's been so anxious about this whole leg thing, Ty, and Hamish seems to have been demanding your attention a lot just lately. He really needs you at the moment, I think. How could I say no?" Having finished her phone call, Moira sat down. "Cameron asked me if you were going away again soon because he'd been so bad. He actually said that if he promised to be a good McQueen, would you stay with him forever." "He really said that?" Ty went pale. "What am I supposed to do? I have to leave him. I hate doing it. I hate leaving you, Dill - you and the children. I hate it, but I have to." "I know, Ty, and Cameron is going to have to learn that you're not going because of him. It's not easy, but he has us here with him. The more we talk about it, take it for granted that daddy has to leave, then he'll eventually deal with it. I think, though, that Cashus is going to be around for a few years yet." Dill held Ty close as he leaned his head on her shoulder. "Nobody told me having kids was going to be like this," McQueen sighed. "It's bad enough with the 58th, but this business with Cameron just tears my heart out." "I know it does," Dill whispered to him. "I see it every time you leave him in tears. You're almost in tears too. It's okay to feel like that, Ty. Honest it is." "What damage must I being doing to our children, Dill?" he asked her, his face a picture of misery. "Stop that right now!" Moira interjected. "You're not damaging these children, TC. Hamish copes well enough. This is entirely a Cameron thing, and he'll get used to it. He's just a very insecure, anxious little boy who takes after his father way too much." "But he's insecure because of me," Ty sighed, holding on to Dill as she tried to stand up. "If I didn't keep going away, he'd be less anxious all the time." "We all know there's only one way you'd stay at home, Ty," Dill told him. "That's for you to be invalided out of the corp. None of us wants that, do we? So we have to accept the fact that our baby is going to react the way he does, and help him through it." "It hurts knowing that I'm not here for him when he needs me. I'll not be here to hold him when someone calls him a tank brat for the first time, or tells him his mother is a tank's whore. I want to be there for him, but I can't, and it hurts," Ty said softly. "You can't be here, TC, because you're up there keeping your family safe. That's what you do best… what they need you to be doing," Moira told him. "Ty, he's growing up in a community that will never say that to him. And if anyone does, he still has me. I'm perfectly capable of explaining to him that some people are mean old nasty bigots, and we McQueens ignore them. He's surrounded by people who love him, and when you're here, you show him that you love him too. You spend time playing with them, Ty. Do you know how many fathers never play with their children? I know you don't see much of them, but believe me, when they see that postman arriving they rush out to meet him. They know he'll have a parcel for each of them. And goodness only knows how many toys and books you've had delivered to the house - that damn train set drove me barmy!" she smiled. "They know who their daddy is, and that he's thinking of them. All those presents show them that." "I enjoy getting the things together for those parcels," he smiled. "I spend ages surfing the space net looking for new things for them." "You don't need to, Ty. They'd be happy with some pictures of you, a bar of chocolate and an optical disc," Dill told him with a kiss. "And would you still be happy if I didn't send you things too?" Ty smiled. "Yes, Ty, I would. It's lovely to find a huge bouquet of flowers waiting for me when I get home, or some yummy chocolates, but they're not why I love you. I can live without them. I couldn't live without you," she told him, hugging him tightly. As the doorbell rang, Moira rose. "I'll get that," she grinned. "It's getting a little too cheesy in here for me." Dill laughed. "I want you to really spend time with Izzy too, Ty. It's easy to forget about her because the boys are so demanding, and she just sits and chuckles to herself all day." "I sometimes wonder if she knows something we don't?" he smiled. "It's like she can see something the rest of us can't." "She's probably thinking to herself, 'well, I'll get him when I'm older. I'll terrify him with a series of totally unsuitable boyfriends'," Dill laughed. "Dating? Who says my baby girl's going to date?" Ty chuckled. Moira came into the room, her arms laden with a large box filled with assorted smaller boxes of Chinese food. "I think I over ordered!" she laughed. "TC, your daughter is crying. Why don't you see to her whilst Dylan and I see to the food?" "Definitely," he smiled, pushing Dill off his lap. "I'll be a while though. I have to go up and down the stars on my butt. It was a good idea though, Moira, to get another set of crutches to leave at the top of the stairs." "See? I'm not just a pretty face," she laughed. "Go on, before she gets hysterical." Once he'd gone, and they'd heard him shuffling up the stairs, Moira turned to Dill. "You asked me yesterday if you'd got lucky with your tank. I think you did, Dylan, but I don't think it has anything to do with him being a tank. He's just an all round nice guy, who loves you very much and everyone can see that. And he adores his children. It's just such a shame that he has this enormous sense of duty that keeps him in the marines." "No, mother," Dill said, unpacking the box. "It's not a shame at all. It's what makes him who he is, the man I fell in love with. He is the corps personified. The times I've spent on the Saratoga made me see a different man. The soldier that he is… no, warrior I'd say describes him better." She paused in her unpacking. "You know, mother, he's a brilliant strategist. He regularly gets consulted on plans and exciting top secret military stuff. I'm just so damn proud of him, and still in awe that he fell in love with me. He has so many facets to him, and he knows exactly what he's talking about in almost any given situation. You were surprised to see his calligraphy work, weren't you? And his knowledge of bonsai? Well, he loves classical music too, and will argue you into the ground over whether Mozart is better than Bach. But he hates opera - says 'it's over dramatic'. And don't get him started on Wagner!" "My god, Dylan, what does he make of that raucous noise you listen to?" Moira laughed. "His only comment was that Cooper and I should get together and swap discs, as we have similar tastes. But please not to do it when he was around, as his ears would probably bleed!" Dill laughed. "Oh, and 'for gods sake, Dill, stop singing that crap out loud', I remember him saying as well!" Moira chuckled as they finished unpacking the box, putting the food into the oven to keep warm until McQueen got back. ~~~~~~~~~~ When they eventually made their way to bed, Ty stopped in the doorway, looking at his young son snuggled in the large bed, clinging to a pillow, with his doll firmly wedged under his arm. "Does he ever go anywhere without that doll?" he whispered to Dill, who stood behind him, her hand gently rubbing his butt. "No," she whispered back. "Now are we going to stand here all night, or are we going to bed? There's a small boy there waiting for a cuddle with his daddy." "There's a daddy here who was hoping for a big cuddle, with lots of whipped cream and some raspberries," he chuckled. "Well, if he plays his cards right, that daddy might get a trifle tomorrow night. Now shift your arse, McQueen - I'm tired and I need my bed," Dill grouched. Ty laughed, but headed towards the bed. "Will you at least help me get my pants off before you pass out from exhaustion?" "How could I resist such an offer," she giggled, dropping to her knees and unzipping his fly slowly, a wicked grin on her face. "No, Dill - don't you dare! Not with Cameron right here beside us," he told her. "Seeing you doing that probably would traumatise him." "Can you imagine? The poor girl at the ice cream parlour would probably hear all about it. 'Mummy was eating daddy's penis'," she giggled. "See? Exactly why if you do that again, Dylan McQueen, I'm going to get real pissed at you," he told her as her hand slipped inside to gently pump him. "You are such a spoil sport sometimes, Ty. You really are," Dill sighed, removing her hand and helping him to shed the rest of his clothing before he slipped into bed and gathered Cameron into his arms. "Well, I'm sorry if I don't think it's appropriate to be in bed with my two-year-old son and an enormous erection," Ty snapped. "I know," she smiled. "But it was so tempting. How could I resist?" Dill undressed and climbed into bed beside him. "I'm sorry." She kissed him softly on the forehead. "Am I forgiven?" "Yes," he grumbled. "But don't do it again." "I won't, I promise," she whispered, giving him a small smile. "God, you're gorgeous when you get irate." Frowning, he shook his head. "You know, Dill, there are times when I wonder if I'll ever understand how that tiny brain of yours works. I mean, you only have the one brain cell, but you're still so difficult to work out!" "Watch it, flyboy!" Dill chuckled, before being taken over by a giant yawn. "You nearly sucked us both in then," Ty laughed, pulling Cameron closer to him as the small boy snuggled against his chest. "Go to sleep, McQueen," Dill yawned again. "Stop flapping those lovely lips and go to sleep." "Yes, ma'am," he chuckled. Smiling, he watched her fall asleep within minutes. ~~~~~~~~~ A few days later he came down to breakfast to find Dill and Moira packing a bag with snacks for the boys. "What's going on?" he asked sitting down at the table. "Do you listen to a word I say?" Dill smiled. "I told you yesterday - mother and I are taking the boys and going to look at some houses. We'll make a shortlist so that you don't have to hobble around too many places. Just the ones I really like." "Are you taking Izzy too?" he asked. "No, Ty, remember? She's staying here with you, and you're going to give her lunch and take real good care of her," Dill grinned, saying each word slowly as if she was speaking to someone who didn't understand. He grinned. "I can take a hint, but let me get this straight. You and Moira are taking the boys house hunting, and I get to stay home with Izzy?" "See? That marine training has sharpened that brain of yours no end!" Dill chortled, going over to him and kissing him. "Just remember to feed her, Ty, and yourself. I left you some lunch in the fridge. Just pop it in the oven for about an hour. Make sure it's not too hot for her. And give her some fruit juice and a piece of fruit at about ten thirty." "Now that I'm fully briefed, I don't expect I can go wrong, can I?" he smiled. Dill hugged him. "I never ask more of you than you can give, my lover. You know that. Izzy will be no problem at all, I promise." And so saying, she headed out the door. Ty watched as Moira called the boys in from the garden and herded them out and into the car. As always, his heart lightened at the sight of his two blonde-haired sons, with their wide cheery smiles and twinkling blue eyes. And now that they had acquired a tan from the Alabama summer, they looked even more lovely to him, dressed in short denim overalls and bright t-shirts, their little brown feet encased in sandals, as they flew through the house chattering to each other on their way to the car. He turned to look at his daughter, a chubby 8 months old, tanned like her brothers, her hair a mass of brown unruly curls. She sat in her chair, smiling up at him with the same blue-eyed twinkle the whole family had, and again he felt a tug at his heart strings. "Okay, dumpling, looks like it's just you and me. What shall we do?" he asked her. Her response was a loud chuckle. "Well then," he smiled, "let's just stay here while I get myself some breakfast. Have you eaten yet? Fancy some toast?" Ty pottered about, talking to her as he made himself something to eat. It was only as he sat down that he realised that the oven was on, and the croissants Dill had left him had now burned to a crisp. "Shit!" he cried, his fingers burning as he pulled the tray out of the oven. He turned to Isobel. "Don't you tell mommy I said that in front of you or she'll get mad at me, and I'm still waiting for my trifle." After depositing the burnt croissants in the bin, Ty sat back down. "Okay, dumpling, want some of daddy's toast? Jam? Marmalade? What's this black stuff?" He opened the small jar and sniffed. "Jesus Christ! And you and your brothers eat this?" He picked the jar up, examining it. "Marmite. Never heard of it. I'll bet mommy brought it from home with her. She makes you guys eat the weirdest stuff. But I noticed you don't eat that fishy soup thing she makes. Don't like the look of it, huh?" He spread jam onto a piece of toast and handed it to Isobel. "Here. Eat this." She reached out a chubby hand and took it from him, babbling as she did so. "What are you talking about?" he wondered, taking a bite of his own toast. "You babble away all the time, but no one knows what the hell you're talking about." Ty sat and watched her as he finished his toast, smiling to himself at the way she used the toast to wipe around the surface of her chair before ramming it whole into her mouth. "That is disgusting," he told his daughter. "But I guess it makes it taste better. You'll excuse me if I don't do it. I'm making myself some coffee. I guess you don't drink that, do you? So what do you want? Some OJ?" Isobel sat in her chair and watched him as he filled her beaker and placed it in front of her. "Don't drink it all at once," he told Izzy, turning back to make his coffee, not really paying her a great deal of attention as he did so. When he turned around, he saw how she'd been amusing herself. She'd pulled the lid off the beaker, and orange juice had spilled everywhere. Isobel herself was soaked in it. It dripped down the sides of the chair and onto the floor, where it lay in an ever-expanding puddle. "Izzy!" Ty yelled, grabbing for the beaker. "Why the hell did you do that?" With a sigh, he grabbed a cloth from the sink and cleaned up the chair and the floor, before lifting her out of her highchair and putting her on the floor. "Don't wander off," he told her, as he wrung the cloth under the tap. Turning back around, Ty sighed. She had, of course, crawled away. He followed Izzy, picking her up as she got to the stairs. "You are not going up those." His nose twitched. "Oh, dumpling, you're stinky too!" Standing at the bottom of the stairs, he hesitated. How did Dill expect him to cope with both Izzy and his crutches? He hadn't used them since Dill had left, which he knew was wrong. But his leg felt fine. "Come on, my little dumpling; let's sort that stinky diaper out, shall we?" For a second, he was prepared to just carry her up the stairs. Then realising that to do that would endanger them both, he sat, and with her on his lap, bumped his way up the stairs instead. Finally reaching the top, Ty stood and carried Izzy into her room, setting her down on the changing table. As he reached for the things he would need - clean nappy and wipes, and a bag for the dirty ones - he saw her rolling towards the edge. "Whoa there!" he almost screeched in his panic. "Stay put, Izzy. Mommy would kill me if you fell off and hurt yourself." Holding her steady with one hand, McQueen again began to assemble what he needed, before starting to undress her. "Oh, you really stink," he told her, his nose wrinkling. "What the hell has mommy been feeding you? Oh god, Izzy, it's leaked out of the diaper!" Isobel's clothes were covered where the nappy had leaked. Ty carefully tried to take them off her without getting her, or himself covered in it. Eventually he managed, dropping them in a pile onto the floor with a sigh. Immediately after he took her nappy off, she lifted her legs and her hands went to her bottom, smearing the contents of her nappy all over herself before reaching out to him. "Izzy, don't do that!" he cried, as her hands grabbed his wrist, smearing poo all over his hand. "Ugh, Izzy! This is worse than chig spooge," he told her, trying to hold her hands away while he wiped her clean. "It's in all your bits, too," he groaned. "How the hell do I get it out of there? Mommy says I mustn't poke about when I'm cleaning you up, but I don't see how I'm supposed to get you clean if I don't." Izzy smiled at him as he tried to clean her up, but each time he reached for another wipe, her hands would creep back down to her bottom. "This is no good, Izzy," he told her. "I think you're going to have to go in the bath." With a sigh, knowing he was getting covered himself, he picked her up and took her into the bathroom, closing the door so that she couldn't escape while he ran her a bath. Once the bath was run and carefully tested, just as Dill had showed him, Ty turned to see that his daughter had obviously spent the time crawling around the whole room, judging by the spooge everywhere. "Hell, Izzy! Now I'm going to have to clean the bathroom too!" he cried, grabbing her before she pulled herself up on the toilet bowl. He deposited her in the bath. "Now don't drown while I clean this mess up," he told her, as she happily splashed about in the warm bubbly water. His back was turned to her as he scrubbed at the last dirty spot on the floor, so he didn't see her pull herself up on the side of the bath. All he heard was the bang as she slipped and hit her head. Ty turned quickly and grabbed for her as she slipped under the water. "Izzy!" he yelled, as he lifted her screaming from the bath. Clutching her to him, he rocked her gently, soothing her as Dill had done so many times to him, until she was at last calm in his arms. "Poor dumpling," he cooed to her. "Did that bad bath hurt you? I'm sorry. I should have been watching you." Happy that at least she was clean, McQueen carried her into her bedroom to get her dressed again, sighing as she peed all down his front. "For god's sake, girl, you've covered me in spooge, and now you pee on me!" Wiping her over with a fresh baby wipe, he managed to get a nappy on her, before he took her with him so that he could change his clothes. "So ok… you stay on the bed there, while daddy changes his shirt and pants," he told her. "I mean it, Izzy." Ty stripped down to his boxers and rummaged for clean clothes, diving to catch her as Izzy rolled towards the edge of the bed. "I told you, didn't I?" he grinned at her. "Stay on the bed!" Isobel babbled at him, reaching to grab at his face. Ty laughed as she grabbed his lip and pulled him down to her level. "I love you, Izzy," he mumbled as she filled his mouth with her hand. She chuckled as he began to tickle her, and wriggled as, with her hand removed from his mouth, her father blew raspberries on her bare stomach. It wasn't long before he had her laughing loudly, as he continued tickling her and nibbling at her toes, before he shifted to lie on his back and bounce her on his stomach. "Ok, dumpling," Ty finally grinned. "Daddy needs to get some clothes on now, and so do you." He climbed up from the bed, and this time watching her carefully, pulled on some sweatpants and a t-shirt, before picking her up and going to find her some clothes. He rummaged to find something he liked, frowning at the lack of pretty dresses. Izzy was a girl, and therefore she ought to have pretty little dresses, he figured. With a sigh, he settled on short denim overalls like the boys. He wanted to be able to kiss her chubby knees. Heading back downstairs, he glanced at the clock in the hallway. 10:40. "Time for some juice and fruit," he told her, as they bumped their way down the stairs. "And a coffee for daddy." Feeling how sticky her chair was, he grimaced. "Maybe we won't put you back in there," he told her, sitting her on the floor at his feet. "I'm sure I can manage with you crawling around on the floor here. Just don't go getting into any mischief, dumpling. You hear me?" Ty kept his eye on Izzy as he cut up a banana for her, mashing it slightly to make it easier for her to eat, as she had no teeth. He smiled as she crawled under the table and lay down, smiling at him, babbling softly to herself. "Hey you," he called. "Are you saying 'da' under there? Sounds like it. Come on then, dumpling. You can sit on my lap and eat this." He bent down and gently pulled her out. McQueen sat down at the table with her on his lap. "Now then, mommy will tell me off if I don't get you to eat this. So come on, Izzy, let's eat it all up, shall we?" Izzy wriggled around on his lap, squirming about as he tried to feed her the mashed banana. "Sit still please, Izzy. You're as wriggly as mommy is. Thank god it doesn't produce the same results," he chuckled. "Now, come on. Eat your fruit, you monkey girl, you!" Eventually Ty managed to persuade Izzy to eat the banana. And having drunk his coffee, he took her out to the sand box, his calligraphy things tucked firmly under his arm. "You play in the sand while daddy gets on with this," he told her. "Here you go - a digger and a spade. Have fun." Ty sat himself on the grass next to her and began to unpack his brushes and inks, preparing to work on a present for Dill. Without thinking, he got up and headed indoors to get the paper he'd forgotten. He wasn't gone more than a minute, but his face turned pale when he saw what Izzy had got up to in that time. She was sitting on the grass, a brush in her mouth, which was now a shade of green that did nothing for her, his inks slowly leeching into the grass beside her. Her hands were green and black, and her face had smudges of black ink on it. "Izzy - I just bathed you!" he wailed, picking her up. "Mommy will definitely kill me. Those inks don't wash out as easily as spooge! You're going to be my camouflage dumpling for a while now!" Again Ty bumped up the stairs with Izzy. Again he bathed her. Only this time, to his horror, he found she'd developed a huge bump on her head from the previous bath. By the time he'd finished dressing her again, she was nodding off in his arms, and it was with a huge sigh of relief that he gently laid her in her cot to sleep, turning on the baby monitor as he left the room. McQueen cleaned up in the bathroom, collected together all their dirty clothes, and headed downstairs to load them into the washer. He spent 20 minutes reading the instruction manual, trying to figure out how to get the machine working before he realised he hadn't shut the door properly. With a sigh, he slammed the door shut and left it to it's business. Heading into the kitchen to find what Dill had left them for lunch, and rummaging in the fridge, he found a pasta bake. Assuming this was lunch he popped it into the oven to heat up, and headed into the garden to clean up the mess Izzy had made. By the time he'd dealt with that, sighing as he had to throw away what remained of the inks, he felt exhausted. The last thing he needed was to see that the washing in the machine had all turned a horrible shade of blue as it whirled round inside the machine. He collapsed onto a sofa in the living room and stretched out with a yawn. Ty woke to the shrill scream of the smoke alarm, and the hysteria of Isobel. Rushing into the kitchen, he removed the offending burnt lunch, opened the door to let the smoke out, and headed upstairs to comfort Izzy. She was standing in her cot, gripping the headboard tightly, tears rolling down her chubby cheeks until he walked through the door. Immediately her face lit up, and she smiled at him, letting go of the cot. Ty grabbed for her as she fell backwards, banging her head for the second time that day. Picking her up, he held her close, gently rubbing her head and kissing her bump. "My poor dumpling," he soothed. "Mommy will never leave me alone with you again. Though after today, I'm not sure that I want her to." He carried her over to the changing mat and checked her nappy. "Hell, Izzy, another spoogey one!" With yet another huge sigh, he cleaned her up, this time managing to keep them both clean whilst doing it, before taking her downstairs to find them some lunch. Sitting her in her freshly cleaned up highchair, Ty presented Izzy with lunch. A bowl containing some buttered bread cut into fingers and smeared with jam, some fingers of cheese, a few pieces of cucumber and some tomato. "I'm not sure if you can eat this, Izzy, but we'll try, okay?" he asked as he sat himself down, having made a sandwich for himself. They sat together in companionable silence eating their lunch, until Izzy finally finished sucking on her bread and decided that perhaps daddy needed it, and threw it at him. "Hey you, don't throw it around. I don't want your soggy, sucked up bread, thank you." he smiled. "Shall I see if mommy has a yoghurt or something for you?" He found her yoghurt and fed it to her before wiping her clean, or as clean as her green and black hands and face were going to get, before he picked her up and cuddled her. Carrying Izzy into the living room, he sat with her on the sofa. "So, madam, what are we going to do now?" Isobel's answer was a wide smile and a huge burp, which made him smile, before the burp was followed by a large amount of vomit, all down his front. Ty sat there holding her, unable to believe it. So far he'd been spooged and peed on, and now vomited on. Why? he asked himself… why him? Why hadn't Dill taken Izzy with her? He was brought out of his reverie as he felt Izzy's hand stroking his face. "Okay, dumpling, I think I need to change the both of us again," he sighed. McQueen stripped her off and sat her on the floor, while he once again stripped down to his boxers. Then picking her up, they bumped their way back up the stairs and into Izzy's room for the third change of clothes that day. "So, Izzy my girl, what now?" he asked her as they bumped their way back down the stairs. "Shall we sit out in the garden? Would you like that?" Ty tickled her chin, making her gurgle at him. Pulling his hand away fast in case she threw up again, he carried her into the garden and sat her in the sand box, sitting on the grass next to her. "So what shall we do? Shall I make you a sand castle? Would you like that?" He busied himself with building an elaborate castle while Izzy crawled over to him and pulled herself up onto his lap. It wasn't until he realised she was trying to feed him a handful of sand that he looked at her, only to find that she had obviously been eating it herself. Her face and mouth were covered in it. "Don't eat the sand, Izzy!" he cried, using his sleeve to wipe at her. "Come on, let's just sit here on the grass. Shall I get you some toys or something to play with?" Ty picked Izzy up and moved away from the sandbox, closer to the flowerbeds. It wasn't long before she was in the flowers, grubbing at the dirt, smearing it around her face as she tasted that too. And then he was pulling her away as she tried to eat a bug she'd found crawling across the lawn. Ty hadn't noticed as she'd crawled around the grass, watching it scurry along, before finally reaching to pick it up and put it in her mouth. It was as he looked closer at what appeared to be a twig poking from her mouth that he'd realised it was in fact a beetle, and he had to fish it out before she swallowed it. The very idea that she'd almost eaten it made him gag. They spent the afternoon like that - Isobel tasting anything she could pick up, and McQueen clearing her mouth of whatever he could, until at last she began to yawn, setting him off too. He picked her up, grinning at her grubby hands and face, and carried her indoors. Bumping up the stairs with her, he cleaned her up, changed her nappy - to his horror yet another spooged one - and eventually fell asleep on the bed with her in his arms. ~~~~~~~~~~ Dill found them when she arrived home an hour later with Moira and the boys. She crept into the room and took Isobel from his arms, her eyes widening in shock at the sight of Izzy's green and black stained face and hands. Her good mood evaporating when she felt not one, but two bumps on her daughter's head as she gently laid her in her cot. Angrily she shook McQueen awake. "Ty!" She shook him harder, jumping back as an arm flicked out to grab her. "What the bloody hell have you been doing to Izzy? She has bumps the size of eggs on her head. And what the hell is she covered in?" "Do you have any idea of the day I've had?" Ty groaned as he opened his eyes. "I've been spooged, peed on, and puked on. That child just releases from every orifice! And everything goes straight into her mouth! Bugs, Dill - she was eating bugs!" He sat up and rolled off the bed. "You were supposed to be looking after her! It looks like Hamish would have done a better job! What the hell were you doing letting her eat bugs? And was that you who put those clothes in the machine?" At his wary nod, she scowled. "You've ruined those clothes. Why didn't you just leave them in the dirty laundry basket? You can't wash your silk shirts with denims. And white shirts definitely don't get washed with jeans. And not on a boil wash either!" Ty stood there with a sheepish grin on his face while she blew off some steam, until she finally realised he didn't have his crutches. "Where are your crutches? You've not used them all day, have you? Have you?" Dill yelled at him. "For god's sake, you stupid arsed buggery bollockhead! It's not even been a week. You are supposed to be using the crutches! Well, if your leg falls off, don't you come running to me!" She turned and stomped off out of the room. "And why is my daughter green and black? What the hell have you been doing to her?" she yelled as she stomped back in, handing him his crutches. "Stop standing there like an idiot and explain yourself!" He took the crutches and opened his mouth to speak, but Dill cut him off. "Just don't say a word! You obviously can't be trusted to look after your own child! All I asked was that you looked after her for one day! One bloody day! And look at her, covered in god knows what, and with more lumps than the Elephant Man!" Moira appeared in the doorway. "When you've quite finished, Dylan, I think the boys would like to say hello to their daddy." "Be grateful someone loves you, because right at this moment, I'm not sure if I do!" Dylan told him as she left the room. "She's tired and hungry, and to make matters worse, we didn't see a single place she thought you'd like" Moira told him. "She loves you really. Let her calm down and she'll see reason and let you explain. Right now all she can see are the lumps on Izzy's head." "I know," he smiled. "But believe me when I tell you I've had the day from hell, too" ~~~~~~~~~~~ Dill was in a foul mood all evening. Even the boys noticed and were unusually subdued, not complaining once when she told them it was time for their bath and bed. Every time she looked at Isobel, she followed it with a scowl in McQueen's direction, refusing even to let him bath the children or put them to bed. He was waiting for her when she came back downstairs, Moira having raised her eyebrows and left him alone to deal with her. "Dill, talk to me, please," Ty asked her softly, reaching to pull her down onto the couch next to him. "What did you do to her, Ty?" she asked with a sigh, as she sat next to him. "How did she get the camouflage look? It wouldn't come off in the bath." "I know," he told Dill. "I tried, believe me. It's the inks for my calligraphy. She managed to tip them up, and tried eating the brushes. She tries to eat everything, Dill. I didn't know she'd be like that." "She's eight months old. What the hell did you think she'd be like?" Dill snapped. "I don't know. This is the first time since she was born that I've ever been alone with her. And I didn't see the boys at her age," Ty whispered softly. "I'm hungry," Dill moaned, as her stomach growled. "Is there anything for dinner?" "Your mother made chilli. Want some now?" he asked, getting up and reaching for his crutches. "I'll fetch you some." Dill sighed, watching him standing up, balancing with the crutches. "Sit down. I'll get it. You really need to rest that leg, Ty. You can't risk losing it." She pulled him back down onto the sofa. "I'm sorry, Dill, I really am… about today with Izzy. I had no idea what to expect. It was a real eye opener. I really don't know how you cope with three of them - one was enough for me!" he smiled. Her hand crept into his. "So tell me about it," she whispered, her anger at him dissipating, as she could see that he was desperate to make amends. He really hadn't had any idea of how to cope with Izzy, and she knew she shouldn't have left her with him while he wasn't fully mobile. "Well, I burnt the croissants you left me, and made toast. Izzy smeared hers all over her chair before she ate it. And then she emptied her juice all over her, the chair and the floor, so I had to change her. She'd done an enormous poo and it'd leaked out of her diaper all in her clothes." Ty shivered. "It was awful. There was spooge everywhere. You said I mustn't poke about cleaning her up, but I'm telling you, it was everywhere. And she smeared it on me, too." He looked at Dill. Her shoulders were shaking, but her face was straight. "Are you laughing at me?" he asked her, relieved that she was relaxing. She shook her head, not daring to speak in case she let loose the laugh that was threatening. "I had to put her in the bath," he continued, "but not before she spooged the bathroom floor. That was when she got the first bump. She slipped in the bath while I was cleaning the floor. Then after that, she peed all over me, so I had to change too." Ty stopped for a moment. "Why doesn't she have dresses, Dill? I couldn't find any when I was getting her dressed." "She's crawling, Ty. Overalls protect her knees and keep her cleaner. Once she's walking upright, I'll start buying her dresses, and you can have that cute little girl you obviously want." Dill smiled, reaching up to stroke his face. "So where did she get the second bump?" "When the smoke alarm went off and woke her up. She fell in her cot just before I got to her." "The smoke alarm?" "I fell asleep on the couch while she was having her nap. The alarm woke me too. I'd burnt the lunch. I fed her, but I'll bet she was grateful for what you gave her tonight; she puked her lunch all over me." Dill gave up trying not to laugh. "Oh, Ty, I'm sorry. It never occurred to me you wouldn't be able to cope with her. I was too excited about going to see those stupid houses." "She just doesn't stop, does she? Everything goes into her mouth. While we were in the garden, I fished so much crap out of her mouth you wouldn't believe it. And I'm sure I missed some of it." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "I won't leave you alone with her again. I'll leave you Hamish next time, he knows how to deal with her," Dill giggled. "He'll train you up in the art of looking after crawling babies." She leant into him. "I'm sorry. I really am." "You don't sound it." Ty tried to sound upset, but her giggling was making him laugh. "I love you so much. You do know that, don't you?" she whispered eventually. "I'm sorry I flew off the handle earlier. Let me show you how sorry." Her hands reached up to pull his head down to where she could kiss him, her tongue gently flicking against his lips until he opened his mouth to her. With a moan, she began to thrust her tongue into his mouth. One hand gently stroked his navel, lightly running a finger around the raised edge. The other hand slipped downwards, massaging him through his sweatpants as he squirmed under her advances. "Oh god, Dill," Ty moaned softly when she released him from the kiss. "Tell me want you want," she whispered to him. "After all, I promised you a treat, didn't I?" "I want trifle, Dill," he whispered. "I want you, and whipped cream, and raspberries. I want you licking me, kissing me and fucking me with your pokey finger. I want you to make me come in your mouth. I want to be inside you, and I want to come inside you." "Then we'd better forget dinner and go to bed now," Dill said, grinning wickedly as she stood up and held out a hand to him. Ty looked up at her, his blue eyes darkened with desire. "Are you sure?" She knelt between his legs, her hands on his thighs, kneading them gently as she whispered in his ear, "Whipped cream, Ty. On your nipples… on your chest. Raspberries ripe and juicy, just right for sucking off your body." Her hands slipped down his thighs, massaging his hardness till she bent her head to him, tugging at the waistband of his pants until she'd freed his erection. Her tongue licked across the top of it, gently sucking, before she pulled his pants back up, and looked into his eyes. "I'm sure, Ty." Ty stood up. His breathing became harder as she continued to knead his crotch from her position at his feet. "Dill, please… not here. Your mother might come in." He moaned as she buried her head in his crotch, mouthing his erection through the tented fabric. His hands gripped her head as he tried to choose between letting her continue, or pulling her up and dragging her upstairs. The decision was taken out of his hands as her hands tugged his pants down his thighs and his exposed erection was swallowed quickly into her mouth. Before he could stop himself, he was pushing into her mouth, his hands holding her head as he thrust forwards, moaning softly as she sucked him hard, her teeth scraping the soft skin on the tip of his cock. Dill looked up at him as she withdrew her mouth along his length. "Shall I stop?" "No," Ty groaned. "I need you, Dill. I need you now." "What if my mother comes in?" "Then she can watch," he groaned, thrusting himself against her mouth. Dill continued to lick him, swirling her tongue around the tip of his cock, her hands massaging his buttocks as he pressed into her mouth, forcing her to take his whole length. They were lost in the rhythm as his orgasm approached, Dill feeling his body tense just before he thrust wildly and came, filling her mouth as he slumped over her kneeling form. From the doorway a voice spoke. "Daddy, did you have a snake bite?" Ty's head snapped round even as his hands reached for his pants. Dill got up from her knees, wiping her mouth. "A snake bite, Cameron?" she asked. The boy came further into the room, nodding his head. "On the cartoons they suck snake bites to get the nasty out. Did you get a snake bite on your penis, daddy?" McQueen blushed red. "Err..." "No, Cameron. I was making daddy feel good. He was sad, but now he's happy," Dill told the little boy. "Let's get you into bed, shall we?" "But why, mummy? Why was daddy sad?" Cameron asked as she led him from the room. "Because Izzy hurt her head today. It made daddy sad." Cameron was quiet for a moment. "It makes me happy, too," he told her. "What makes you happy, Cameron?" Dill asked as they climbed the stairs. "Playing with my penis," he told her, before running into the bedroom and climbing into bed. "Mummy?" "Yes, Cameron?" she asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. "If daddy did have a snake bite, you could suck it, couldn't you?" "Yes, darling, I could," she smiled, stroking his forehead. "But he didn't, so don't worry." "Did you hurt daddy? His face was red, like Hamish's is when he cries." "No, darling, I told you. It's a daddy thing, only for mummy's and daddies. It makes daddy feel very happy, and then mummy can get him to change stinky nappies!" "Mummy! That's tricksy!" Cameron told her. "I know. Don't tell daddy though," Dill laughed, kissing him. "Come on, now off to sleep." "Okay mummy," he sighed, snuggling under the covers as she headed to the door. "Mummy?" "Yes, Cameron?" she asked, turning to look at him. "Are you going to make daddy happy again?" Dill smiled. "I hope so, my lover. Now off to sleep." "Night night, mummy," he called as she closed the door. "Sleep tight, Cameron." As she passed her bedroom door, Ty emerged and grabbed her arm. "Why didn't you let him think it was a snake bite?" "Why should we lie to him? I hardly think he'll be traumatised by the idea that mummy was making you happy." She kissed him. "I was making you happy, wasn't I?" "Oh yes, you were. Definitely," he chuckled. "Come in here and let's do it some more." Giggling, Dill allowed him to lead her to the bed. Minutes later Moira sighed, as once again the wall resounded to the regular thumps of their headboard hitting the wall. ~~~~~~~~~ Previous : Part Four Next : Part Six Geek © 2005