Family Ties

Chapter Four - A Little Prince

AN: Thanks for being patient everyone! I hope you've all had a good holiday season and a Happy New Year! After I post this I'm working on finishing the next chapter of Rose, so hopefully I have that updated soon. I also have the plans for my next ABP fic, and it's Bam centric! No spoilers, but the title is 'Crave' and I can't wait to share it with you! Leave a little comment, as it really brightens up my day! Love Lazybug xx

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Matt could sense that Maisie was laughing at him as he sat on the floor, listening to how Wunny Babbit's rocket broke down.

'And it smacked into a asteroid and went boom!' Samuel cried, throwing the rabbit in the air to simulate the rocket exploding.

'Is that right?' Matt asked.

'Samuel?' Maisie called. The toddler got up and ran to her, leaving Matt on the floor holding the toy. 'Mummy has to go to work now, you're going to stay with Dad today, okay?'

'What?' Matt asked.

'Okay mummy. I put on my shoes?' the child asked, and Maisie nodded.

'I can't take him! I don't know anything about kids!' Matt hissed, getting to his feet.

'Don't let him walk in front of cars or jump in the freezing cold water, eat food off the ground, talk to strangers... It's all common sense, Matt, you'll be fine. Also I got you a phone, it's only a cheap one, but here. Just press this button, then this one, look for my name, press call and I'll pick it up, okay?'

'We go to the park, Dad?' Samuel asked, running back to them with his shoes on and a big coat.

'We don't really have a park around here, sorry buddy,' Matt said. 'I'm sure we can find something to do,'

'You'll be fine,' Maisie reassured him. 'The most important thing to remember is don't lose that stupid rabbit, or he'll scream bloody murder until he gets it back,' she added in an undertone so their son couldn't hear.

Matt looked down at him, clutching his rabbit and staring up at them, excitement in his big blue eyes.

All too soon, Matt was outside the hotel, clutching a toddler and a phone, with no idea what to do for two hours. He sighed.

'Well buddy, maybe later we can go meet your aunts and uncles?' Matt asked. Samuel looked up at him curiously.

'What's aunts and uncles?' he asked.

'Dad's brothers and sisters, you know, family,' Matt explained, not used to having to explain such things before.

'Mummy is family,' Samuel said. 'And Grandfather is family?'

'That's right,'

'And aunts and uncles and brothers and sisters and dads is family too?'

'Yep,' Matt said, popping the p. 'I'm your family and you're my family,'

Samuel fell silent for a moment, furrowing his tiny brow in concentration.

'Dad?' he asked finally, looking up with giant blue eyes. 'Wunny Babbit family too?'

Matt laughed, and picked the child up, resting him on his hip. He didn't expect the action to be so natural.

'Yeah buddy, of course he is...'

Matt carried his son through the streets of Hoonah, heading for the junk yard.

He figured that was the place he had the most fun in town, so surely it would be the best place for a little kid, right?