Once Abandoned, Now Found

Chapter 29

A/N: Sorry it's late, had some technical problems. We're so close to names, I promise, I just wanted some more grandparent fluff first.

As they waited for the playset to arrive, Maggie and Danni stole away to have a few moments of peace, Alex busy with her grandparents.

"And bounce bounce bounce" Giuseppe laughed, bouncing Alex on his knee much to her enjoyment.

"'Top!" She giggled, clutching at his shirt so she didn't fall off his lap.

Encouraging the giggles, Marco swept Alex up and began holding her upside down, prancing around the living room in a fit of laughter.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't kill my only grandchild" Clara said dryly, noting Alex's red face and breathlessness.

"'Lara" Alex asked, once she was breathing again.

"Yes my darling?" Clara replied, turning from Tonya to give Alex her full attention.

Alex's next point took her a minute, her brow furrowed in thought.

"If I'm your gran'ild, does tha' 'ake you gran'ma? Alex asked innocently, tilting her head as she waited for the response.

Clara wasn't quite sure what to say, none of the adults were. Alex's logic was sound, but Alex hadn't reached the step of calling Maggie and Danni her mothers, let alone acknowledging grandparents.

The silence of the living room was deafening, and Alex was becoming upset as they didn't respond. Tears were threatening as she pulled herself in, clutching at Teggs desperately.

"It does sweetie, it makes all of us your grandparents" Tonya stepped in.

She was quick to reach Alex and pull her into a hug, squeezing her gently and rubbing one hand up and down the little's back in comfort.

"Do you want to know something really cool?" Tonya whispered, silently asking permission from the others.

"What?" Alex replied meekly, still upset at the silence.

"We all have different names, just for you!" Tonya revealed, hoping that in littlespace Alex hadn't realised.

Alex hadn't, and was thoroughly impressed by the idea that they all had new names that were only for her to call them.

"What are they?" The little was automatically curious.

"Giuseppe is nonno and I'm nonna because-" Tonya was about to explain and then realised it would be pointless as Alex had the attention span and memory of a gnat.

"Clara is granny, and Marco is pappy" Tonya continued, keeping names easy for a 3-year-old to say.

"Nonno, nonna, nanny, pappy!" Alex pointed at each adult individually and called their name, the adults waving in turn.

"And you better not forget them trouble!" Marco smiled, running to Alex, his hands out.

"No, no pappy!" Alex shouted, jumping off the back of the sofa and beginning to run around the living room like a hooligan.

The chase continued through the rest of downstairs, the only limit as Alex was not about to get into trouble for climbing upstairs. As she was smaller, she was climbing under tables and over chairs and the sofa to escape two tickle monsters.

The grandmothers were not a part of this, choosing to begin making lunch instead. Between a grandmother's instinctive need to fill their grandchildren until they're stuffed and Tonya's Italian heritage, it was fair to say that they were making a lot of food.

When Maggie and Danni eventually returned from their room, it was only because of the smell wafting from the kitchen. Tonya and Clara had prepared a feast of pasta, salad, small pizzas, risotto and soup, panettone and cheesecake for dessert.

"Holy crap mum, I don't know if the table can support this!" Maggie exclaimed, watching her table be filled as the grandfathers were roped into carrying the dishes through.

"Hey, where's Alex?" Danni asked, unable to see the little.

"She's asleep on the sofa, Marco and Giuseppe tired her out with a tickle chase" Tonya explained as she handed off yet another dish destined for the table.

"She can be tired out?" Maggie and Danni almost shout at the same time.

All four grandparents began to laugh uncontrollably, imagining the amount of time spent desperately coaxing Alex into sleep.

"Ahh, I remember the joys of toddlers and their never-ending energy" Clara smiled, wiping a tear from her eye as she collect cutlery.

"And yet I am the one who spent my time chasing after them until the energy was gone" Marco grumbled quietly.

As the grandparents prepared the table for the feast, Maggie and Danni headed for the living room to see the truth for themselves.

The sight was adorable.

Alex was curled into a small ball on the sofa, covered in the grey blanket from their first shopping trip. Only some tufts of hair peeked out from under the blanket, the rest warm and cosy as Alex slept.

"I don't want to wake her" Danni whispered.

Her eyes were fixed on the slow rise and fall of the blanket, almost daring it to stop as she made sure her baby slept peacefully.

"We need to, she needs to eat" Maggie whispered back, stepping closer to the sofa.

Carefully, Maggie pulled the blanket down until her baby's face appeared, almost laughing as Teggs' head popped out too. Alex's face was calm, one hand had made its way to her mouth and she was sucking on her thumb peacefully.

Maggie put one hand on Alex's arm and used the other to push hair out of her face as she gently shook her to wake the little.

After a few minutes Alex's eyes opened blearily. Alex took a few seconds to blink and wake up properly, an immediate smile appearing when she saw Danni and Maggie in front of her.

Not quite awake enough to be verbal, Alex simply stuck her arms out as a request to be carried. Maggie was happy to oblige, one arm underneath her bottom and one on her back as she carried her baby.

"I think someone needs a change, then we'll get food alright?" Maggie told Alex, taking her upstairs rather than to the dining room.

Alex didn't have the energy to protest, she was still tired and began falling back to sleep as Maggie carried her. The change was quick, Alex barely noticing it, in fact, she didn't really notice anything until they reached the dining room.

"Oh baby" Clara cooed as a very sleepy Alex whined as she was strapped into her highchair.

Lunch, or the only meal they were going to need for a week, went smoothly, Alex eating everything in front of her until she could no longer look at food. All at once, the 7 slouch back in their seats and let out a sigh, both of content and fullness.

The table was still covered in food, all which would be wrapped up and eaten as leftovers.

"Nanny, can we watch frozen?"

A/N: Thank you for all the views, votes and comments, they make me so happy.

I hope everyone is still enjoying Alex's story, I have plenty planned (though I can't say much yet). For all those hoping that Alex stays with Maggie and Danni, for now all I can say is that I promise this book ends happily, even though there may be some drama on the way.

Any questions or suggestions put them here. Feel free to ask me questions as well, it doesn't just have to be about the story (though I know that is everyone's focus).

As always, I love you all, I hope you have a great week, and I'll see you all again on Sunday.