Like Mother, Like Daughter (Season 3)

Chapter Nine: You're So Cupid

Axel dropped me off at home, after a mostly silent drive back to my place, and I let him paw at me a little more than I usually did when we were in one of our cars. I knew, deep down, that I was compensating, and such a thing was really unhealthy, but I couldn't help it. A part of me, the part of me that I knew that my meds would never be able to help, felt like I needed to compensate for what had happened between him and Liam at the suite, and he needed to know where my loyalties were lying. Although I knew that communication was the healthiest thing for the two of us, especially when another person attempted to make a claim for me, Axel had to know that I was his girlfriend, no matter what.

"I'll see you soon?" he asked, dragging his hand along my breast, while his other hand cupped my face.

I tilted my head back then, and the latter of his hands fell. "You know it," I told him, forcing a smile to my lips before I hopped out of the car. I waved him off before I crossed the street and let myself into Pops and Uncle Ian's place, spotting Hailey in her little daybed in the living room, participating in her morning nap as Pops and Yev stood in the kitchen, just a few feet away, obviously shooting the breeze. "Hey, guys," I said, stepping inside and accepting both their hugs in turn. "Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year, kiddo," Pops said.

"Happy New Year, sis," Yev put in.

I grinned at them. "Thanks," I replied, turning and seeing that Hailey had stirred completely and was now standing in her day bed, and, taking a chance, crossed over and lifted her out, placing her on the ground on her own two feet, and held tightly to her hands. "Wanna try to walk a little bit, baby?" I asked.

Hailey grinned. "Okay, Mama!"

I smiled down at her, knowing that her expression matched mine. I lifted her hands to grip onto the edge of the daybed, instructing her to grab it at any time she wanted to, as I carefully took a few steps back from her. "Okay, baby. Wanna try to walk to Mama?"

Hailey nodded, determination filling her face then. "Gonna try, Mama," she replied.

I nodded. "That's good, baby. Try it."

Hailey kept her feet glued to the wood floor beneath her, at first, almost as if she was afraid to lift them, but, gradually, as she shuffled by the side of her day bed, she carefully lifted one of her feet and put it down gently, and, invigorated, lifted her feet as she walked towards me, letting go of the daybed and coming at full force towards me. "Mama, I walk!" she crowed, throwing herself into my arms without making any mistakes. "Hailey walk!"

"That's right, sweetheart!" I replied, lifting her up then and kissing her brow. "Look at you! You are turning into such a big girl!"

"A real Milkovich," Pops said proudly from the kitchen doorway.

"She looks like one, acts like one, and talks like one," Yev said, and Pops clapped him on the shoulder with a grin.

"Just what I needed, after last night," I said quietly, placing my forehead against Hailey's, and inhaling that sweet baby smell of hers.

"Axel get out of hand?" Yev demanded then, narrowing his eyes.

I sighed, putting Hailey back into the daybed, and she immediately curled up into a ball and was quickly fast asleep. "You could say that, yeah," I muttered, pushing past them and into the kitchen, whereupon I grabbed a beer from the fridge and opened it automatically.

"Eat breakfast yet?" Pops asked.

"Fuck breakfast," I said, my tone guttural.

"Okay, what the fuck did Axel do last night?!" Yev demanded through his teeth, and I raised my eyes to his then. "If that son of a bitch got out of line..."