Long Time No See (Ninjago post-Rebooted AU)

Chapter 12

Sorry I wasn't online for a day or so, been sick with a stupid cold and struggling not to cough out my lungs... so apologies in advance if this chapter isn't at its best.

Olivia is a bit like me – my parents got divorced when I was very young, and my mum is remarried so I have two 'father figures' (although only one of them is my dad, I call my mum's husband by his first name). But I didn't have a dog (just a pet rabbit).

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Chapter 12 (Nya)

Eight weeks ago, Ninjago City, Ristorante 'Toscana' near Ninjago City Hospital

"...and after our snack, we were outside on the playground, and that was it." Abby concludes the recount of her exciting morning. "School is sooo much fun."

I am quite sure that this opinion will change sooner or later, but I am happy to hear that my daughter has enjoyed her first day of school.

She is going to spend a lot of time there. Starting next week, she will also attend the aftercare program.

In the last couple of years, my teammates have given me as much time to spend with my daughter as possible, for example by letting me do more routine (and admittedly rather boring) missions that usually wouldn't require me being away over night.

But now that my sister-in-law is four months pregnant and should not be involved in any too demanding or possibly dangerous missions, meaning I will need to be back to being a full-time Ninja again.

But today, me, Kai and Sky have been given the afternoon off.

To celebrate the special occasion, my brother and sister-in-law as well as my parents have collected Abby from school with me, and we are all having lunch together at our favourite Italian restaurant.

And since we've arrived here about half an hour ago, my little girl has been talking non-stop, so we've already heard the story the teacher has read them, the song they've learned and had a very detailed description of the classroom, the playground and the picture she has drawn.

"And how do you like your teacher?" My mum enquires.

"Oooh, Miss Katherine is sooo nice." Abby replies, slurping her spaghetti. Her brand new sky blue T-shirt, which she has picked herself for this day, is already covered in splatters of tomato sauce. I was trying to get her to use a napkin, but she refused. "And she knows a looot of songs and stowies. But-" She glances up from her plate, looking at me. "-she's said the same as mummy, that I can' talk to my fwied all the time."

"Yes, sweetie." I smile at her. "Just like what we've talked about. When you're learning things at school, you'll have to be quiet and listen. But you will also have plenty of playtime when you can chat with your friends."

"O-kay." She nods, her mouth full of pasta. "I'll twy."

"So, you've already made some friends?" My mum enquires.

"Yes." Abby nods excitedly. "Olivia, she sits next to me an' she has a dog. She's my bestest fwiend."

It's so easy to make friends at this age. Someone you've only met a few hours ago will become your best friend, just because you just need to sit next to each other or like the same cartoon or the same animal or the same colour or...

No, I am not going to think about that now.

Let's focus on the strawberry blonde girl who has immediately become my daughter's new friend. When we noticed our children would be neighbours, I talked to her parents – the mother, her second husband and the girl's father – at the drop off this morning. They all seemed to be very nice.