The Nanny

Unit

Cords, lights, and flashing.

"Turn this way Harry."

"Aria, can I get you next to Harry?"

"Darcy darling look over here."

"Can someone try to get Jamie's attention?"

"Everyone look up."

That was pretty much the sum of my morning.

My home was complete chaos, with photography equipment and more people then I could remember having here milling about.

As I rearranged myself with Jamie on my lap and Aria and Darcy beside me, I realized how immune I was to it all and how odd it must be for them.

Taking pictures and forcing smiles was natural to me, not them.

Aria shifted awkwardly in accordance to Freddie's, the photographer for this session, whim and Darcy was quickly losing interest in the whole thing. Jamie, who for the most part had been a complete ham for the camera, was starting to get fussy as we slid into our second hour of photos.

I couldn't help feel the little pang of guilt I had for dragging them into this world.

And all the while eyes were glued to us.

Well, many eyes were watching but one set in particular was very intent in every single move we made.

It was unnerving and made me feel like we were under a microscope, more than usual anyway because in the corner of my back garden sat the interviewer.

She looked friendly enough but I knew that behind that smile she was just dying to dig into my once very privet life.

It was something that needed to be done, however.

I knew that, especially after the dozen or so meetings that led up to this moment, but I still didn't like it.

"Daddy, I'm tired of smiling." Darcy sighed leaning back into Aria while pouting up at me as we all sat on the grass in the garden.

I glanced up at Aria who was too busy shifting her eyes around the patio nervously; even she looked ready to tip over from the long morning.

I hate this.

Not for the first time I felt myself get angry at the situation. This was one of the things I wanted to keep them from. I didn't want them to be here in this aspect of my life, working right alongside me in my crazy career because the world felt they deserved to know everything about us.

I had to remind myself that this, as inconvenient and annoying as it was, was a means to an end regarding the constant presence outside our home.

We needed this to be able to settle in to some form of normal again, although it would never be quite the same after all that had happened.

I wondered what Miss Interviewer could have possibly been thinking as she watched Aria and I switch Jamie and Darcy around though out the duration of the photo-shoot, how Darcy was as comfortable with Aria as she was with me or the way Jamie rested trustingly against me like it was natural; the comfort we all had with each other.

I hoped she did.

I wanted this story; the one thing management had all our hopes riding on, to give an accurate depiction of us. I wanted our fans and all the critics that had been bashing me for keeping this all a secret to understand us and understand why I would want to keep this untainted by my crazy world.

I needed them to.

"Alright. I think I have what we need here." Freddie said after he pulled the camera away from his face for the last time. He shot Aria and I a smile as we stood from our spots sprawled on the floor watching Darcy play with Jamie. "You have a beautiful family."