Marcus had taken all three children from the wedding reception to the park level and watched while the three children; Zachary, Arianna, and Tiyanna played around the slide. They'd been at it for an hour. He sat in the grass and played with a blade of it. He'd done little of this with his own daughter when she was little. After two hours, Zac carrying a crying Arianna approached and Marcus stood. The little girl had been very reserved when they'd first left the party, now reached out for him. He picked up the little girl and took Tiyanna's hand as Zac led the way to the exit of the park.
"Can we??? Can we have one?" Zac asked, as they approached the icy cone vendor.
"Sure. What flavor do you want Arianna?" The little one sucking her thumb looked at Zac and at the vendor. "Grape." She said resting her head again on his shoulder.
Marcus pulled a credit out of his pocket and said to the woman, "We'll take three cones. She made up three shaved ice cones and the grape one she handed to Marcus. Both Zac and Tiyanna had raspberry flavored ones and were happily working on them. "Thank you." He reached out and taking a handful of napkins. The four of them slowly exited the park and rode the lift to the Promenade level and back to Soma where Troy took a stick, sleepy Arianna from him.
Kitty grabbed a damp bar towel and with a smile walked over and happily started wiping down the worst of the mess. "Icy cones, can be very messy." He said, as he looked down at his own shirt with a laugh.
Zac and Tiyanna were sitting at a nearby table finishing up their own cones. Finally, the bar was slowly filling up and Zac finished as Troy said, "Zac lets take your sister home." He reached out for the young man's hand." As a family, the four of them left.
Marcus walked over and found Tiyanna's head down on her arms on the table. He reached down and picked her up and her head rested on her shoulder. "Lets go kiddo." He carried her and they finally reached his quarters where he sat her down at the little table and walked to the replicator...and asked, "What should we have for dinner Tiyanna?" She just sat watching him.
"Two grilled Cheese sandwiches." He said and then he added, "Two small mugs of frosty milk." Finally the replicator hummed and the sandwiches and milk waited. He set one plate and glass in front of Tiyanna and watched as she reached for half the sandwich, "Mommy and Aunt Jayme cut it into triangles..." Marcus smiled and picked up a knife and cut her sandwich into triangles and then did the same to his. And it was good to hear the little girl giggle as he sat down to eat.
About forty minutes later a very sleepy little one played with her food. Marcus stood and said, "OK, lets get you into the shower and a sleep shirt...are you able to shower without help?"
She nodded her head yes, but he walked with her into his bathroom and with her help adjusted the temperature of the shower, got her a towel, and one of his tank tops. He hovered just outside the door and listened to the shower and then heard her laughing and finally the door opened and there stood a clean auburn haired kid in his dark green tanktop. Her hair was a mess...he found a large toothed comb and picked her up and tossed her onto his bed, "Lets do something with your hair." He worked for some time trying to get it untangled and finally decided it was as good as 'they' were going to get it. "Okay, you Imp...the couch." They slid off the bed and she raced for the main room. He grabbed up the sheet and blanket and pillow he'd pulled from the closet.
Together they spread the sheet out and she climbed in with the pillow and he folded the sheet over her "Making a Tiyanna sandwich." They both giggled as he tickled her through the sheet and blanket. He'd added. "Computer Lights ten percent and play Aire3 disc...softer, softer," until it was just very faint noise in the background. He sat in another chair and watched the girl settle in and her eyes closed.
He sat there lost in thought remembering the few times he'd done this routine with his own child and how much of her growing up he'd actually missed by being on active duty. He stood and went into the bedroom showered quickly, washed her clothes, and changed into some Pajamabottoms and fell asleep on the bed.
The next morning she woke him by shaking his shoulder with her cold little hands. He sat up rubbing his eyes and remember why there was a 6 year old in his apartment. "Breakfast?"
"Waffles, please..." she said jumping up and down.
He followed her out of the bedroom and went to the replicator, "one waffle, maple syrup," he saw her nodding and climbing into her chair, "Glass of orange juice and one cup hot black coffee." The coffee arrived first and he leaned against the counter and took several grateful sips as he realized it was 0530. The replicator deposited the waffle and juice which he picked up and carried over to Tiyanna who started to eat silently with a fork and knife...he sat and sipped while she tore the waffle into pieces with her fork and knife. At this rate she was going to need a second bath. His thoughts were interrupted, by the door buzzer.
He stood and unlocked the door and it snicked open revealing Kassia who stepped in and past him to see her daughter eating waffles. "Thanks for having her last night." Kassia said taking a seat.
"You want some coffee?"
"Sure sweetened with cream." She watched while he got the coffee and gave it to her. He sat and sip his own coffee. "We had a great time." Finally, Tiyanna jumped around and then ran into the bedroom/bathroom and came out several minutes later dressed in a purple T-shirt and the tan romper Kassia had changed her into after the wedding. They all bid their good-byes, Tiyanna giving Marcus a big hug. As Kassia and Tiyanna left, he dressed and picked up the living room.