AU

[soldier_singled]

It's pretty late for them to both be up, but when Sophie decides she's up, she's up and there's not a thing that either of them can do to convince her other wise. She's got Web's fierce blue eyes but maybe she looks a little bit more like Joe in her face, the older she gets

Comments

[aintthatbad]

Thanks to Frank Perconte, Skinny's picked up on the importance of always brushing your teeth. Thanks to living here, he's gotten used to a whole boatload of odd sights. Joe Liebgott with an infant on his hip still doesn't quite register, though, and Skinny pauses in the doorway on his way to the bathroom.

"Jesus, Lieb, she's never gonna bed down if you feed her cookies now. Even I know that."

[soldier_singled]

"I think we established a while ago that I handed back my keys where the fairer sex are concerned."

He hefts Sofie in his arms.

"Gimme some of that dough."

[aintthatbad]

Skinny's eyebrows go up. "What, we're trading back?" He swipes one last dollop and holds out the bowl. "C'mon, one bundle of joy for another."

[soldier_singled]

"Yeah, take her. I might as well get these in the oven if I've got to be up, right?

He gently transfers Sophie back into Skinny's arms.

"She starting to look tired to you at all?"

[aintthatbad]

He wraps one arm under her, the other hand pressed against her back, and takes a long look at her face, pressed up against his shoulder. "She's doing that quiet staring thing," he says. "I think we're getting there."

Skinny stays quiet for a moment. "She smells good. How do babies do that?"

[soldier_singled]

"It's how they convince us that we're supposed to look after them," he says, his smile turning dreamy as he watches her. "Maybe you're just her favourite thing in the whole world."

[aintthatbad]

"You make a good point. Why else would we change their diapers and do for them every time they won't stop squalling?" He laughs. "Then I can't imagine where her extremely fine taste came from, but maybe some things skip a generation."

He turns his attention back to Sophie again. "My sister had a daughter about her age when I left," he says softly.

[soldier_singled]

"When was the last time you changed a goddamn diaper, you ass?" says Joe, good natured, cutting more cookies.

"Did she? What'd they call her? My sister's kid was a year old when I joined up."

[aintthatbad]

"I've changed worse!" he protests, smiling. "That's got to count for something."

He nods, absently curling his fingers in the soft hair at the nape of Sophie's neck. "Yeah, yeah. Her name's Alice but we call her Daisy." He glances over at Liebgott. "You ever tell me that before?"

[soldier_singled]

"Daisy." Joe smiles, though his hands are busy. "Cute. Maggie's kid was named Joe too, after Pops. Joey."

[aintthatbad]

"Did your families just name all your boys Joe? She's lucky she was born a girl."

It's surely just by chance that he's perambulating around the kitchen now. The baby likes it.

[soldier_singled]

"We got a Jake too," says Joe, grinning. "And then the girls are Maggie, Miriam, Rebecca and Sarah. Joey's Maggie's kid."