SOL; Generation Two - Chapter Three
Revision is over - for now - so I celebrated by writing up a chapter :3 Enjoy!
Last time, Rhoan seemed to be determined not to say anything, despite everyone trying to get him to say his first word. Lillian (Kane's mother) turned up, demanded to see Law and was consequently turned away. Loxley and Bethany discussed moving out. Or at least, half discussed it. The conversation ended with Bethany promising to knit Loxley a safety net. What can you do? Law and beat Rhoan to his first word. "Hello." Not a surprise, seeing as he is a Genius and also reather Discplined. Jessie once again tried to push Liam for a grandchild, as if she didn't have enough. Her attempts were unsuccessful, however. Rhoan finally said "moon" for his first word, and learned a lot more when Law started acting as his teacher. Oh, and Faye became pregnant. That's as far as we all got!
Both Rhoan and Law were looked after so well that they must have thought they were princes! And if they weren't being cuddled, fed or talked at by an adult, they were chatting away happily with each other. Rhoan's speech had progressed a lot, and he was almost as advanced as his younger cousin.
Faye was well into her second trimester by this time, and although she ached to be back at work and advancing up to chef level, she couldn't deny that she loved to spend time with both Rhoan and Law.
Especially when Law proved yet again how smart he was.
"Mummy, what makes colours?"
...Even though he asked endless questions that sometimes no one could answer.
Rhoan was, of course, just as curious. He just wasn't curious about the same things.
"Why is your belly big, auntie?"
"I'm carrying a baby inside me, Rhoan."
"... Mummy told me that babies were things the dragons dropped."
"..."
Perhaps it was because Bethany didn't tell as many crazy stories to Law, but he was much more down to earth.
Law played with the blocks mostly, because the xylaphone was a difficult concept to him. He could understand logical things, no problem, but when it came to making music the poor boy couldn't do anything but bang the stick down and occasionally chew it.
Not everything was fun and games though! These toddlers have to learn their skills, after all.
"Well done, Rho!" Bethany gushed, patting his head. "Now see if you can walk over here.."
Law, however, found things a little too easy.
"I know about plants, daddy! Tell me something about the stars!"
"What do you want to know?"
"I want to know why they twinkle. They're big balls of fire, so why do they sparkle!?"
"Because they're so far away."
"I don't sparkle if I go far away."
"You're not a star, Law."
As more time past, the others grew up, too. Reuben, Jessie's eldest grandchild, was just that - a child.
A pretty happy, imaginitive one too!
"Alright, who left this for me?" Bethany wrinkled her nose as she cleaned their potties. Law leaned forward to his cousin and gave him a cheeky grin - something that he got from Kane.
"You don't eat it, you're supposed to build with it!" Law scolded, frowning as Rhoan chewed at the wood.
"Why?"
"Because that's what they're for!"
"What are we for?" The little toddler looked up and blinked his big eyes, curiosity dripping from his words. Law seemed dumbfounded; finally, a question he didn't know the answer to!
"Hey beautiful. How's everything going?"
"My back isn't hurting as badly as it had with Law, so I'm having an easy time."
Kane smiled, happy to hear that. "Think of any names, yet?"
"A few. I wanted to keep with the unusual theme. I like Conrad for a boy. It's a cute name. And as for a girl... I recently came across the name Echo. Isn't it pretty?!"
"As pretty as she will be, I'm sure."
"What makes you think it's a girl?" she giggled, lightly holding his hand.
"Super Dad Detective Skills," he grinned.
"You're so silly," she scoffed, playfully tapping him on the arm.
Kane wasn't the only one convinced it was a girl. Loxley had his detective skills on the go, too.
"Yup, definitely a girl."
"How can you tell?" she giggled.
"Brother's secret. I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you," he answered jokingly, looking up to give a huge grin.
"You seem oddly cheerful today, Lox. Lately you've been moping around the house with a permanent frown fixed on your face. What gives?"
Loxley smiled to himself and looked down. They might not have been close as children, but she could read him like a book, now. "It's the whole moving thing, of course."
"I don't see why you're so het up about it. We've got space still. You only need to worry when Rhoan becomes old enough for school, and that's almost a year away."
"I'm thinking too far ahead, aren't I?" he sighed.
"As always," Faye laughed. "Really, Lox, don't worry about it all. When the time comes, then you worry about it. You could always buy a plot of land on this road and build on it."
"Even if you buy a house nearer the town centre, we can still visit you all the time." She looked at him sympathetically. "You're worried about having another episode, aren't you? You haven't had one since Bethany moved in - before that, even!"
"I know, I know! I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. We'll move sometime after Rhoan grows up, that's certain. If we can get something so close to the house, that's great. If not... Well, life goes on."
"I'm sure you will manage to get a plot nearby."
"I don't know, nothing's selling right now. And if it is, it's at a price no one can afford. I can't find any half decent place here."
"Something's bound to turn up though, and you'll be rid of us eventually!" he joked.
"Don't say it like that," Faye said, shaking her head at him.
House prices and such aside, look, a cute toddler!
Whilst Law had talking down to a fine art, and potty training much the same, walking was one area he needed to improve on. He couldn't crawl around for ever - not with so many things to learn and see!
"Why is your tummy big, mummy?"
"You're going to get a brother or a sister soon, Law." Faye held her breath, wondering how her little boy would take it.
He sat down, but other than that looked unbothered. "Like Rhoan?" he asked.
"Sort of," his mother answered, glancing over to the red head in question. She smiled back at her son. "But even littler."
"How little?"
And the questions went on...
"Hey mum," Loxley said cheerfully, while going to inspect what she had made for breakfast.
"You look happy, Loxley. Good for you," Jessie smiled at him, taking a plate for herself.
Loxley knew why. Faye had done a lot more to reassure him than she knew.
"Don't you ever wonder why Law is so smart?" Faye questioned the same morning, pulling up a chair beside Kane.
He glanced at her. "Got my brains, obviously." She elbowed him, and he grinned cheekily. "You know, normal mothers only worry when their baby is behind on all the learning."
It was a good point, really. Faye wasn't worried - she wasn't - but she was just wondering how the little boy could be so intelligent.
Most of the family were thinking the same thing.
"Grandad? Why do we get old?"
"We only look like we get older. I'm still mentally as young as I was a good twenty years ago. My bones may creak and my hearing might be getting worse, but I can do guitar riffs that no one else could dream of!"
He picked the giggling kid up and held him up.
"Besides," JJ continued, "there's a good old saying. 'We don't stop playing because we get old, we get old when we stop playing.' Never stop playing, right Law? Whether it's with chemicals or math equations or just plain old toys, never stop."
"I promise, grandad!"
Meanwhile, upstairs..
"Oh, ow."
A familiar pain started in her stomach. Faye clutched at it, knowing all to well what was happening.
"Kane!" she called, knowing he would be in the hall study. "Kanee!"
"Yup, what's -"
"Oh, crap! What do you want me to do, Faye? Holy hell, that looks painful! Ugh, what am I supposed to do? Hold your hand? I.. What did you do last time?"
Sighing mentally, Faye gave Kane the best 'are you an idiot?' look.
"Hospital would be good," she panted.
A very good idea, indeed.
Not long afterwards, both parents came out with a healthy baby girl - Echo.
"Law likes the stars," JJ murmured, sitting down on slightly damp ground with Jessie round the back of the house. She glanced over to him and smiled.
"So do I. Whatever happens down here, they're always unaffected. I can't help but think of them as rather noble."
They both looked at each other. They may have been old, but they were as much in love as they had been when they met, all those years ago in the Williams household.
"You would," JJ responded with a slight smile. He sighed heavily. "Damn it, but we're not getting any younger, are we?"
"No," Jessie said, shuffling up beside him. "But I'm fine with that. I'm happy, I regret nothing. We have five grandchildren, and who knows - we may meet more before we pass on to whatever's next."
There was a long, heavy pause. "Aren't you scared?" JJ was looking up at the twinkling stars while he spoke, eyes watching a shooting star.
"I have you, what's to worry about?"
"Hey Law, this is your little sister, Echo."
Law pulled his head off Jessie's chest, looking sleepily at what was apparently his sibling.
"She's really little," he commented, before losing interest and letting his eyelids drop once more.
"She is," Kane agreed, gently holding the little baby.
Of course, Echo wasn't going to stay little for long...
Why is all the family here, you ask? Well... Echo can't grow up without a party, now, can she!?
I just had to take this picture. What are you doing, Lee?
On another note, why is everyone 'cheering' over there and not by the cake!
"Hold up, we're missing cake."
"Mmm sushi."
- Is what I imagine is going through Skye's and Summer's minds :3
Anyway, back to regular planning. Cake!
There was some chipmunk cheeks, and then some sparkles and a twirl, and ladies and gentlemen....
... We have toddler Echo!
Who needs a makeover..
(I forgot CAS. Whoops :P )
Echo was quite different from Law. Where he would get curious over simple things, she would just get seriously impressed. Where he would stay quiet and reserved, Echo would squeal and giggle like the excitable little girl she was! Alex was pleasantly surprised to see their eye colours were the same, and Jessie's hair had also turned up!
GIUGBUIREGVAIUOFHBD I DONT EVEN.... !!!!
Echo was sweet, so very very sweet. She was also adorable, whatever she did!
All three toddlers were close. Somehow Law and Rhoan understood her childish babbles, even though they often bonded over other things... synchronised nose picking, anybody?
"Ew, don't fling it at me, E!" Law giggled, already as close to his sister as he was to Rhoan. Echo just giggled, not really understanding much except the half disgusted, half amused tone of Law's voice.
"I'm so above this."
The other two may have been older, they may have been walking and talking, but that didn't stop the three of them getting up to mischief or the like. JJ found it nice just to watch their antics. They would be the best of friends all their childhood, he was sure.
Kane and Faye were learning just how easy Law had been to teach. Although Echo wasn't dim, she had nothing on Law.
Echo found talking boring - all she wanted to do was play! There were rockets and horses and rabbits for her to play with upstairs, music to make and blocks to chew. Why did she have to stop having fun to listen to the adults prattle on about things she didn't care about?
Eventually though, Echo learned that the only way to get back to her toys was to play along and repeat what the adults said.
"Daddy?" This happened to be her first word. Nothing as original as "hello" or "moon."
"I bet we could teach her some new words!"
"Of course, I taught you everything about the blocks," Law answered back absently, examining the rocket and wondering how a real one worked. Jessie had shown him a video of one, and said something about hydrogen burning - but what was hydrogen anyway? He understood it was a thing like wood was a thing, but wood was there and underneath him and he could see it. Hydrogen was invisible as far as he knew... It was as confusing as it was interesting!
"Brother?" Echo repeated, looking over to where Kane had been pointing. So brother was another word for Law, it seemed...
The talking session could only go on for so long. Eventually Kane stood up and yawned, stretching before looking back down at his daughter.
"Well little E, i think it's time for bed,"
"I'm not tired, daddy. I want to play!"
"Play, hmm?" Kane picked Echo up and held her in the air, spinning around and making aeroplane noises. Echo giggled madly.
"Look, Look Law! I'm a rocket! NEEEEEEOOOOM!"
"Even rockets have to rest sometime, little E."
"Nu-uh! Dey fly around planets!"
"You can fly around a planet tomorrow, E. But you need to recharge your energy for that!"
"I want to PLAY!"
"Dad-dy! Don't go!" she whimpered, holding onto his hand stubbornly.
"I'll stay here until you fall asleep, Echo," Kane promised her softly. And he did.
"I hate mornings. Do you hate mornings? Mornings mean poop time."
"Really, Bethany?" Loxley tried not to laugh. "Anyway, not today. Today, mornings mean cake time."
"Ooh, I like cake!"
"Rhoan, let's steal that cake just for us two, what do you say?"
"Yes!" the little boy squealed happily, excited for his birthday.
"You ready for the candles? Make a wish!"
"You make one too!"
"I wish for dragons to come and let us ride them for a day!"
"I want to wish that, too!"
"Dragons!" :D
....
....
I'm going crazy with the pokemon CC, I know. xD Like his mother, Rhoan became rather artistic!
"Hey Aunt Faye?"
"Yeah?"
"Are mum and dad and me -"
"Mum and dad and I," Jessie corrected, coming to sit with them.
Rhoan huffed and waved this away. "Are we moving soon? Dad said something about it, but I wasn't sure..."
"I think plans are going to be made sometime soon, Rhoan." Faye couldn't help but feel sad. The house was so lively with them there!
Rhoan, sad that he might be moving soon, took the chance to spend as much time with his cousins as possible.
"Where's Law - Hey, Echo, want to join?"
"Nu-uh, BOAT!"
"Alright then..."
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I couldn't believe how adorable Echo looks in some shots. Damn, girl.
Also, the cousins are really close! I had nothing to do with that, but I thought i should write it in :3
Expect a chapter up next sunday! Williams OR SOL, not too sure... but expect something :D