Fix Me, Fix You: A Jesse Pinkman Story

Chapter Twenty

Lucy sat on the bathroom counter, dangling her little legs over the edge as she pressed her lips together and put her nose up in the air, refusing to let her aunt help her brush her teeth.

"Lucy, I do not have time for an attitude this morning," Jolie snapped, putting her hand on her hip. "You have to brush your teeth. It's not an option."

The little girl's face didn't change as she stared at her aunt stubbornly.

"Jo?!" Jesse called as he walked through the front door.

"Thank God," Jolie sighed to herself with relief at the soothing sound of his voice. "In the bathroom!" She shouted down the hallway then turned to Lucy. "Will you let Jesse brush your teeth?"

Lucy's face remained unchanged.

"What are you guys doing?" Jesse wondered, appearing in the doorway, smiling at Lucy sweetly.

"She won't brush her teeth," Jolie informed him. "Or let me help her."

Jesse furrowed his brow at Lucy. "When did you turn into a teenager?"

"Exactly," Jolie huffed then handed the toothbrush to Jesse. "Here. I have to get dressed, plus she likes you more."

Jesse chuckled as she kissed his cheek then walked out into the hallway. With a sigh, he moved over and stood in front of the little blonde girl, who he noticed looked more and more like her beautiful aunt each day.

"Ahh," he sang, opening his mouth wide, hoping she would imitate him with ease.

Lucy simply stared at him.

"Come on, Lu, open up," he encouraged sweetly, holding the toothbrush up to her mouth.

No response.

"Why don't you want to brush your teeth, pretty girl?" He wondered.

She continued to stare. His lips pursed.

"Does your mouth hurt or something?" He asked.

She shook her head in response. He narrowed his eyes at her as the wheels in his brain turned, wondering if she was going through terrible threes instead of terrible twos.

"I'll give you five bucks if you let me brush your teeth," he challenged.

Instantly, her mouth flew open. Jesse let out an enthusiastic laugh as he put toothpaste on her toothbrush, cupped her jaw, and began brushing her small teeth.

When he was done, he gave her a small cup of water to rinse out her mouth as he washed the toothpaste off of her toothbrush. When he helped her off of the counter, she stared up at him, waiting.

"Oh, right," he remembered, pulling his wallet out of his back pocket then pulled a five dollar bill out. He went to hand it to her but pulled it away quickly before she could take it. "Put it in your piggybank," he demanded then handed it to her.

With the money in her hand, she took off down the hallway and into her room as Lia was coming out with her backpack on her back.

"Jesse!" She exclaimed, surprised and excited.

"Hey sweet thing," he greeted, ruffling her hair. "Where's Aunt Jo?"

She shrugged simply as she walked into the bathroom, where she compliantly began brushing her teeth.

Jesse walked through the hallway, eyeing the washing machine and smirking to himself as he passed it. Though they still hadn't discussed their brief – yet intense – sexual encounter, it was obvious that things hadn't changed between them. He expected things to maybe get a little weird between them, or maybe even a little more regularly sexual, but nothing was significantly different. And he was thankful for that. He didn't want anything to change.