Part 2


"Ah, man! She eats pizza? Are you sure, J? Is that, like, safe for a kid?" JC squints as he watches Bri pick up the small slice of pie Justin has loosened from the others for her and bite off the side of it rather than the pointy tip.

"What? It's just bread, tomato sauce, cheese, and sausage. Why can't a kid eat that?"

"Um, hello? Young kid? Spicy? Sensitive stomach? Where's your brain, baby?"

"Jace, Joey knows the owner of this place that delivered it. He and Kel take Bri there a lot, he said. And the cook is, like, all up on how to make special pizzas just for Miss Thang here. Tame on the sauciness and stuff for her little-girl palette. Didn't you check out that info sheet Kelly left for us on the fridge with all the emergency numbers and whatnot on it?"

JC shrugs and, ever so slightly, rolls his eyes. "Um, no. I was getting busy trying to entertain her. I didn't realize she came with instructions. Jeez."

"Yeah, well, you just stop worrying and eat your own grub," Justin says, taking a piece out of the second box that is for them. "Besides, she's Joey's kid, and we've seen that boy eat. I'm betting against the sensitive-stomach thing. You know?"

"Jussin? What's that?" Bri wants to know as she walks around the coffee table they're using as a dining table to where Justin is sitting on the sofa.

"This? It's a black olive, sweetie. Want to try one?" he tells her, softly, and offers the pizza out to her.

"J, what the hel- What are you doing? What if she can't, you know, have that?"

Justin nods as she delicately picks the olive off the melted mozzarella with her thumb and index finger and drops it into her mouth. "She can have it if she likes it, babe. Stop being a fussy old woman. They're not, like, poisonous, not even for three-year-olds."

"Yeah, okay. Since you're so smart." JC smirks.

"Hmm. More, peeze," Bri squeaks as she licks her lips and eyes Justin's slice hungrily.

He laughs and sticks his tongue out at JC as he lays the pizza on a plate for the little girl. "Here, doll baby. Have all you want. And don't mind him. I'll eat his."

JC leans over and nudges him, giggling. "You'll eat my what?"

"Your black olives. Since she's eating mine. And don't even start, Jace. You perv. Grow up. We're G-rated tonight, remember."

"Then would you peeze hand me a slice of the G-rated grub? One with lots of pepperoni. I promise to be good."

"Do you?"

JC sits back, huffs, and gives Justin a crafty, sidelong smile. "If you promise to keep your appetite up for olives - or, say, anything round and edible - later."

"Well, we'll see about that," Justin flashes a glance down at JC's crotch as he passes him a share of the pie. Then he turns to the toddler again. "Bri, how's it going girl? Good pizza? Yummy olives?"

She looks up at them both and smiles with her pink little cheeks bulging. Because it would be rude to speak with a full mouth, she lifts her right hand, pizza sauce smeared on at least three fingers, and gives them a definite thumbs-up.

"Cool! Now c'mere and give me a big ol' greasy pizza kiss, honey."

"Yeah, and save one for Jussin too, sugar bear."

"Dude, did she just roll her eyes?"

"Yep. I think she did, babe. And can you blame her?"

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Justin washes his hands in the sink in Bri's bathroom, just off her bedroom, although there's no real reason to. Bri had just gone "to tinkle" using the child's seat that was attached to the lid of the adult toilet. But, independent and self-assured, she'd quickly let him know that she didn't require his assistance with the whole process.

"I can do it," she'd said with a tiny furrowed forehead and pursed lips when he'd tried to help. "I have this. See?" And she had pulled a small step-stool from the corner and climbed up all by herself.

All Justin had needed to do was hang around outside in the hallway until she was finished and then straighten the elastic waist ban of her Cinderella pajama bottoms when she yanked them back up over her little butt. She had even asked him respectfully if he'd "peeze move" so that she could wash her own hands before she left the bathroom. Just as Mommy and Daddy had taught her to do.

As Justin steps out into the hallway again, he's met with the sight of JC dashing around the corner of the playroom doorframe, jogging down the length of the corridor toward him with their human charge attached to his shoulders bouncing merrily. Her eyes glow and dance, and she squeals her rain of giggles, digging her hands into JC's messy dark hair. JC laughs, hearty and loud, as he holds onto her plump legs and sings……

"If you wanna fly
Come and take a ride
Take a space ride with a cowboy, baby
Wi-yi-yi-yippie-yi-yay-yippie-yi-yo-yippie-yi-yay!"

Justin stops and watches, grinning and shaking his head. "JC, if you drop her or stumble on some toy or something and fall and break both of you, I will be pis- ticked off, babe. I'm serious," he scolds.

"Settle down, Uncle Jussin. Don't be such a party poopie. We're having a blast!" JC pants as he slows down in front of where Justin is standing. "Isn't that right, Wee Bri!"

"Yes! Yes! JC is my horsey! Giddy-up go!" she says excitedly and yanks on his locks for emphasis.

"Ouch!"

Still grinning, Justin raises his eyebrows. "See? Why do I feel like I'm the one adult here babysitting two hyper-active, two-much-energy kiddos tonight?"

"Because you're weird like that." JC winks at him. "But I love you anyway."

"Jussin. Weird," Bri announces from her perch above them and then snickers. "Lesss go, JC! Sing s'more too!"

"Yeah, I'm weird. I know. You got me on that one, little girl," Justin laughs softly too and swoops in to brush a quick kiss over JC's smile. "Love you too."

"I know," JC tells him hoarsely, through that smile, and stands patiently while Justin reaches up to swipe one of those loose dangly curls from his brow. "But I gotta go now. Duty calls, baby."

"Sweetness, it's past her bedtime!" Justin calls out after him as he turns and darts off down the hallway, serenading Bri along the bumpy western trail again. "Where are you going with her? We ought to read her a book and get her to bed!"

"Sure, baby. Five more minutes!" JC answers, muffled and further away.

"Five more minutes, bay-bee!" Bri echoes and squeals. And Justin laughs and rolls his eyes.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Justin has just finished clearing away the remains of the pizza dinner from the den when he sees the supercharged duo next. They enter the well-lit kitchen where he is, quieter and more subdued than the loud, galloping entity they'd been before. As if they're slowing down a little.

This time, they're "dancing."

Or waltzing, to be more specific. JC is holding the front of her stocky little body close to the front of his own, his left arm secured under her butt cheeks and his right hand clasping hers at the end of her extended little arm. Her short legs are wrapped around his narrow waist, and her dark head is laid peacefully on his shoulder. He hums softly and soulfully as he glides around the kitchen with her clinging to him. And it doesn't take Justin more than a few seconds to detect the melody of "Let's Take A Ride."

"Aww, I wish I had some digital footage of this. You guys are the cutest. Jace, I think she's sweet on you. I'm starting to get jealous, babe."

JC stops humming but continues to move gracefully over the floor, swinging and dipping his small partner gently. "Well, she did pinch my as- my booty back in the playroom."

"You lie. Stop telling fibs on poor Bri. She knows you don't have one to pinch anyways."

JC giggles. "Okay. I kid, I kid. Not really a pinch. Just a swat with that gigantic fat plastic baseball bat while we were playing 'batter-up.' Hurt like……….like crap. Can I say 'crap'?"

"'Crap' might be pushing it, sweetness. And I'm SO sure she really hurt your booty. If there's a bruise, I'll kiss it later."

"Promise?" JC raises his eyebrows slowly.

"Yeah. You've been behaving surprising well this evening. You might deserve a little positive reinforcement. Maybe."

Before JC can comment on what he'd like Justin to positively reinforce, Bri raises her head at the sound of Justin's voice and turns those deep-brown Italian eyes on him. She smiles sweetly.

"Jussin! Look! We dance!"

"I see that, baby girl! JC is a great dancer, isn't he?"

"Yes! Yes! I like dancing with him!"

Justin smiles sunshine at the pair. "I know, princess. So do I. He's the bestest."

"Cut it out, J, or I shall blush profusely in front of the lovely Ginger Rogers here."

"Yeah, sure." Justin snickers and walks over to where they have finally stopped twirling around. He reaches out to brush a stray curl from JC's brow again and then pats the child warmly. "She's got sleepy eyes, babe. She's so worn out. And you've got to be tired too. Here. Let me hold her while you go and find us a book to read her. Kel said that helps her fall asleep."

"Okay. But I'm not really that tired," JC whispers, almost reluctant to give her up.

Bri stretches out her arms and goes from him to Justin, folding around Justin's body as she'd been folded around JC's. And Justin hugs her tightly with both arms. JC sneaks a quick kiss to her soft cheek.

"Thanks for the dance, little lady. We'll do it again soon. Okay?"

"Okay," she murmurs.

Then JC plants another kiss, just as quick, to the side of Justin's neck, winks at him, and spins around to head out of the kitchen. Bri rests her chin on Justin's shoulder and watches his departure. Then she whispers, just before he disappears through the door.

"JC?"

"Yes, angel?"

"Pooh, peeze."

"Pooh? You want to read about Winnie the Pooh again?"

"Yes. Okay?"

"Anything you want, darling. I'm on it right now."

"Thank you."

"Aww, you're welcome, sweet cheeks."



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