Once Abandoned, Now Found

Chapter 21

After what felt to Danni like hours more of chasing Alex around the garden, Alex eventually ran to Maggie and slumped against her. Alex's eyes were already being coaxed by sleep by the time Maggie picked her up, not minding the mud on Alex's boots and trousers. By the time Maggie stepped into the house, Alex was out like a light, snoring softly on Maggie's shoulder.

"Wow, I guess she's tired" Danni gloated, Alex still not making a sound as she was gently carried to her room.

"Yes yes, help me get her down properly, I don't want her getting uncomfortably and waking up" Maggie said quietly, trying to pull out the changing mat and pull ups while balancing Alex on one hip.

"You mean interrupting us" Danni was still grinning.

"Shut up and help or I'm going straight to sleep after this" Maggie warned, glaring at her girlfriend.

"Alright alright" Danni put her hands up in surrender, quickly finding Teggs, a sleeper and a pacifier for Alex.

Alex only stirred when she was put onto the changing mat, whimpering at the loss of contact until Teggs was in her arms and a pacifier was in her mouth, then she fell right back to sleep.

Maggie and Danni experienced some small difficulties in changing Alex, mostly because she was fast asleep and trying to remove dungarees from a sleeping little is more difficult than an awake one.

Soon enough though, Alex had a clean pull-up on, a light grey and white striped sleeper with a small elephant embroidered in place of a pocket, and was swaddled in her blue blanket with Teggs. Carefully Maggie picked her up and settled her in the cot, watching with a small smile as Alex burrowed further into the blanket until only a tuft of untidy hair could be seen.

"She's cute isn't she?" Danni smiled, coming up behind Maggie and placing her hands on Maggie's hips.

"Very, now come on or I'll stand here watching her all day" Maggie turned and kissed Danni, pushing her out of the room so they could enjoy the bed to themselves.

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When Alex woke the next morning, from the next room she could heard shouting, and screaming, and pounding on the wall.

Alex was still in little space, but back to her 2-year-old self now, meaning that words Maggie and Danni probably didn't mean for her to hear, she learnt. Thankfully, Alex had plenty of time to practice the words she had learnt, and helpfully kept receiving the correct pronunciation. Luckily, she was not aware of the "activities" Maggie and Danni were participating in.

It was probably over an hour after Alex woke up that Maggie and Danni left their room and came to fetch her, Alex hadn't noticed the time, or that she had missed them, because she had been too busy learning the new words. Maggie and Danni were oblivious.

"Good morning baby" Maggie cooed as Alex made grabby hands out the women, suddenly feeling very lonely.

Danni rushed ahead of Maggie to pick Alex up first, settling her on her hip while Maggie looked at them both.

"Well that's rude" Maggie stated, pouting at the two.

"You always get to carry the baby, I want cuddles too" Danni argued, bouncing Alex on her hip and tickling her until Alex was a mess of giggles.

"'Aggie" Alex gurgled, reaching towards the woman in an attempt to get away from the accurately named "tickle monster".

"No baby, stay with me!" Danni pleaded, stopping her tickling.

"O'ay" Alex nodded, now making grabby hands at Teggs, who had been left behind in the cot.

Danni passed Teggs to Alex and then began the walk down the stairs, finding Maggie at the bottom with two cups of tea and a bottle of milk in her hands.

"Lets sit on the sofa and figure out what to do today yeah?" Maggie suggested, placing the mugs and bottle on the coffee table in the middle of the living room.

Alex was kept on Danni's lap but was having an incredibly important half-silent conversation with Teggs, leaving the days plans to the women.

"I think we should take Alex to the d-o-c-t-o-r-s" Maggie blurted out, spelling out the final word to prevent Alex from hearing.

"Why?" Danni asked.

As she peered down at Alex, Danni frowned as she watched the little stopped the conversation with Teggs and hide them both as best as possible.

"She's been here just over a week, I feel like she should have a check-up. What if she has a condition or allergy we don't know about? What if she's injured? What if she's underweight?" Maggie explained, motioning to the girl sat on Danni's lap.

"I guess she is light" Danni thought, it wasn't something that either woman had excessively noticed, but as soon as they began thinking about it, they both realised how tiny Alex is, especially for an adult.

"I'll find a, I guess paediatrician?"

A few moments of googling later.

"Okay, adult doctor, but one that does little patients" Maggie decided, dialling the first number that came up.

While Maggie called, Danni attempted to join in the conversation between Alex and Teggs. She was denied.

"Well I guess if you don't want to talk to me, you can't have your bottle then" Danni teased, waving the bottle of milk in front of the toddler.

That got Alex's attention quickly, and after several kisses on Danni's cheek to reassure both of them that they loved each other, Danni cradled Alex and brought the bottle to her lips. Alex was unable to hold the bottle herself because someone needed to hold Teggs.

"Hey babe, they've had a cancellation so there's one available at 1.40" Maggie returned from the phone call.

"Cool, we can have some fun this morning and then go get the dinosaur checked out after lunch" Danni grinned, enjoying the peacefulness as Alex nursed from the bottle.

"Thats what I was thinking. She enjoyed the garden yesterday, so maybe a picnic in the forest?"

"Sounds good, I'll make the picnic if you bath the munchkin?" Danni suggested.

Once Alex's bottle was empty, she was sat up in Danni's lap and passed to Maggie who quickly took her upstairs.

"Baf?" Alex asked cheerfully.

"Yes baby, bath and then fun" Maggie smiled.

A/N: I definitely had some writers block this week, hence this being the only chapter. I've got seven pieces of college work due next week, with only one finished so the stress of that is probably it.

For those in the USA, I hope everyone is safe after the siege, I know that while the one in Washington was the worst, there were small incidents in other cities.

I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, it isn't my best but it leads into some important parts of the story.

As usual, put anything you'd like to see/any suggestions/questions here.

Thank you so much for all the reads/comments and votes, I will attempt to reply to comments. Your support means everything to me, so thank you all very much.

See you next week!