Whatever Happened To Predictability?

Everywhere You Look: Part 2

A/N: I've updated just about everything else today so why not this too? :D

October 31st

Josh sighs in frustration; he'd forgotten to pick up Paisley's flower crown on his way home. It was almost six now, they'd be well closed. He and Aleen were stood at the front door; he didn't want to go in and have to face Paisley without it. He couldn't believe he'd let one of his girls down on their first Halloween without their mom.
     "Do you have flowers in the back garden?" Aleen asks. "Maybe I could braid some through her hair?" She suggests, trying to be helpful.
     "Well we can ask, but she's not a fan of people touching her hair. We had to take her to the hairdresser a couple of weeks back and she had a minor freak out."
     Aleen nods, "Right, all we can do then is ask."

Paisley looks out her bedroom window and sees her dad's car. Excitement bubbles in her and she lets out a high pitch screech as she sprints from her room and down the stairs. She trips on the last one, falling to her knees, so Avi rushes over to check on her, but before he can say a word she is up again. She reaches the front door and yanks it open.
     Despite the complete shock registered on Josh's face he catches her as she leaps, tight in his arms, they give each other a big hug.
     "I missed you daddy," she tells him, giving him a big smile, looking down from her spot in his arms.
     Josh smiles back, "Did you really? Or do you just want to go trick or treating?" He raises an eyebrow.
     "I really missed you," she nods, then a knowing smirk finds its place, "And I can't wait to get candy."
     Josh, Aleen and Avi laugh as Josh and Aleen finally enter the house, and Paisley gets put back down.
     Avi greets Aleen with a quick kiss to which Paisley frowns at and everyone is quiet until the little redhead decides there are more important matters. She'd give them her opinion on that later, right now was Paisley time and she wanted to complete her costume.
    "Daddy do you have my flower crown?"
     Any trace of a smile Josh has falls away, he doesn't know how to answer, in fact it's more that he doesn't want to.
     Aleen takes this as a que to distract her. "I have an idea," she crouches down in front of Paisley. "We could go and pick flowers from the garden and I could braid them into your hair? How exciting would that be?"
     Paisley turns to her with a sceptical slash disgusted look. "You can't touch my hair lady," she snaps, reaching across to grab her uncle's hand. "Family only," she lays his hand on her head and hugs against his leg. "This is my uncle Avi and you can't have him," she hugs his leg tighter.
     "Ow," Avi says through his disbelief that Paisley had just said what she said. Little did he know it could get worse.
     Aleen laughs nervously, "Oh that's a shame. Could he not be your Uncle Avi and my boyfriend?"
     Paisley gives her and 'are you kidding me' look.
     "Not even if I have super cool cat ears?" She reaches into her bag and pulls out the cat ears and slides them on. She balls her hand like a paw, pretends to lick it and slide it across her ears like a cat.
     "Make it stop!" Paisley says, hugging her uncle's leg impossibly tighter.
     Aleen drops her hand then looks up at Avi and then Josh, mentally begging for help.
     Josh is trying not to laugh while Avi is just a little stuck, and not to mention horrified with the situation, he'd been sure that the girls would like Aleen. Sure enough Josh reaches out to pull Paisley away, he gently pulls her arm but she doesn't release, so he has to grab her waist and pull but she wasn't separating from Avi.
     Josh is still pulling and Avi is trying to unlatch her arms when the doorbell rings.
     "Can you get that Aleen?" Josh asks through a short breath, removing a six-year-old was tough work.
     Aleen obliges, getting up off her knees, she opens the door.
     "Trick or treat," the lady smiles, holding up a box.
     Aleen takes her in with wide eyes before turning to the occupied men, "You have a cat at the door."
     "I'm Catwoman actually, I spent forever on the mask," she taps it. "But I'm just here to drop this off since Josh didn't come to pick up. It's the flower crown for a rainbow fairy."
     Paisley immediately let's go of Avi's legs, sending both men stumbling, but only Josh falls. Paisley pulls the door wider, flush from Aleen's hand, I'm the fairy! I'm the fairy!" She chants with excitement.
     Kirstie crouches with the box and holds it out to Paisley, lifting the lid.

     Paisley's jaw dropped, "This is the best thing ever!" She goes to touch it then doesn't.
     "Go on, put it on," the florist smiles, holding the box out a little closer. The young girl hesitantly, but with a big grin on her face, delicately takes the crown from the box.
     "Isn't it pretty dad!" She shows him before placing it on her head. "Oooo, I'm the best fairy," she beams, placing her hands triumphantly on her hips.
     Kirstie places the box down, "I'll just adjust it sweetie so it doesn't fall off," she waves her back over.
     And much to Aleen's annoyment the little girl walks back over to the complete stranger and lets her touch her hair! She couldn't hide the look on her face, one that prompts a frown from her boyfriend's otherwise smiling face.
     "You look gorgeous," Kirstie tells her.
     "Thank you," Paisley grins. "I'm gonna go show my sister, she'll love, the other one will just poop!" She runs off upstairs.
     Kirstie stands up as she leaves, "I'm glad she likes it," she tells Josh with a genuine grin.
     This was the first time Avi and Josh had actually gotten a proper look at her costume and now they couldn't tear their eyes away. Aleen snaps her fingers in the nearest one's face, that just happens to be Josh who hasn't yet responded to the florist.
     "Um-yeah it's great," he smiles. "Oh, how much do I owe you?" He reaches for his wallet in his back pocket.
     Kirstie takes a step back with her hands up. "No way, her smile was payment enough."
     "But you came all the way here, please, how much?"
     "How did you know to come here?" Aleen interjects, because it was weird wasn't it, the florist knowing where they lived?
     "Oh yeah, sorry I stalked a little," she chuckles nervously. "When you rang to check on it on your home phone I noted down the number, I mean we have to, we do it for cells too," she nods.      "Your address is in the directory, I got it from your phone number. I'm really sorry if you think that's creepy, I wouldn't blame you if you did. I just wanted to make sure she got her crown."
     "No that's totally fine. It would be creepy if Paisley's smile hadn't have been that radiant," Josh says. "Now please let me pay you."
     Kirstie shakes her head, "No money. You can pay me with the promise of using Angelica's flowers for all your future flower needs, and recommending us to your friends," she suggests.
     "We can do that," Josh smiles.
     "Definitely," Avi adds with a goofy smile, having finally discovered a word.
     "Awesome, I better get going then. Happy Halloween," she waves and walks down the steps, before Aleen slams the door shut.
     "So you can both pick your jaws up off the floor now."
     They both turn to the fuming woman in the room and chorus "Sorry."
     "You better be damn sorry," she snatches up her bag with her costume and stalks off to the bathroom.
     "You are in so much more trouble than I am," Josh snickers turning to his little brother.
     Avi shrugs, "It won't be that bad."

A/N: Sorry if anything doesn't make sense here, I was typing this up while watching The Office (finally getting on the bandwagon XD) so I was only half paying attention and I'm too tired right now to do a proper edit so there was that XD

How much trouble do you think Avi is in?

Hannah :)