Snapshot · (Roswell Fanfiction) · √

66. Peanuts and Puppies

Max kissed Zoe's forehead as he struggled to keep up the strong façade. "Hey baby. I heard you got into some trouble."

Zoe smiled sheepishly, weakly, at his joking jab. "Yeah...a little bit."

Max nodded and hugged her carefully. He felt the strong need to keep touching her, to make sure that she was still there. Still breathing. Still alive.

Only Liz picked up on the tremble in his voice. "How're you feeling?"

"Tired," Zoe answered.

"Can I get you anything?"

"Uhm..." she bit her lower lip, an action so similar to her mom that Max's heart sighed another sigh of relief. "You know that pony we discussed?"

He was so surprised at her words that he choked on his tears. He looked at her in disbelief, amusement in his eyes. "Pony?"

"Come on, Daddy. All the other girls have one."

A sobbing laughter was heard from Liz's corner and Max rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure. All the other girls in the middle of the suburb have a pony."

Zoe pouted her lips in protest but the twinkle of amusement in her eyes let both her parents know that she knew very well that the whole pony thing would never work. But if the conversation calmed her worried parents down some, that's all she wanted.

"A white one," Zoe said. "Wouldn't that be soo cute?"

Max raised an eyebrow. "And where are you gonna put this pony? In the garage? The kitchen? Under your bed?"

Liz shook her head. "Naah, there's too many stuffed animals and horse magazines under her bed. It wouldn't fit."

"What's this fascination with horses?" Max wondered, seemingly to himself.

"They're pretty."

"They eat grass."

Zoe shrugged. "So?"

"They smell."

"They're cool."

"They cost money."

"I could ride her in competitions and win money."

"Which brings us right back to the issue of that we don't have a farm. We barely have a garden."

Zoe sighed dramatically. "Okay. Fine."

"How about a hamster?" Max tried, hating to see his daughter so resigned while not being able to read through her charade at all, his worry blinding him from the truth.

Zoe couldn't help but smile and rose up slightly off the pillows, her arms stretched out, inviting him into a hug.

He gladly enveloped her in his arms, kissing the top of her head.

"I love you, Daddy."

"Love you too, peanut."

The first time Max had called Zoe 'peanut' after her first anaphylactic shock, Liz had almost killed him for the inappropriateness. But it had been like a disease that Max couldn't stop. Almost like how he had called Liz 'kitten' for so many years. Zoe was now his 'peanut', and it was not until the word was out of his mouth that he realized that Liz might be hurt by that word right this moment.

But her quiet 'I can't believe you just said that'-chuckle from behind him reassured him of the opposite.

"And please make mom stop crying," Zoe said into his ear, loud enough for Liz to hear.

Max smiled as he pulled back and reached out to mess up her hair. For once, Zoe let him.

"I'm fine," Liz said defensively. "It's happy tears."