It takes two

Chapter fifteen

"Oh so we've got a while, what's the earliest she's ever woken up?"

"Christmas. Five o clock on the dot, she came marching in with her cousins, they all wanted to take their auntie Dot to the living room." Joe furrowed an eyebrow.

"Dot? Like a nickname." She nodded.

"Yeah, it's short for Dianne, I don't know how but it's just stuck I guess."

Joe smiled down at her. "Dotty." She hadn't heard that one before, and actually quite liked it, it was cute and could be significant to them.

"I like that one." she said quietly, shifting a little so one of her legs rested between his, feeling him pull her closer with his arm, the two drifting off to sleep, soundly and peacefully. All was silent...

...until  soon enough the seven o'clock rang out, interrupting the once peaceful silence. Dianne buried her head into Joe's shoulder, wanting to stay there for at least another hour.

"Do you want me to get up, make a coffee?" Throughout his time on the show, he had learnt that she really loved her coffee, it really was her guilty pleasure. She nodded, gently kissing his jaw.

"Please, I'll be up in five. God I hate alarms." Joe chuckled as Dianne shifted of his shoulder. He sat up, throwing on his bathrobe and leaving the bedroom. He wandered into the spare room wondering if Emelia was awake, which she wasn't but rather drowned in the sheets of the biggest bed ever. Joe smiled, but at the same time didn't want to wake her.

He sat on the edge of the bed, gently shaking her awake. "Emelia...time to get up." He said softly, a melodic tone with it. She stirred, wiping her eyes with her dainty hands. "Morning."

"Morning Joe. Is mama awake?" He shook his head, standing as she moved to stand up, yawning and using her arms to make two rainbows.

"That's a big stretch, and not yet. I'm just going to make her a coffee, you coming?" She nodded, still wiping her eyes. "Did you have a good sleep?"

"Yeah, the bed is really really big. You could fit...a million people!" She used her arms again, something that Joe was softened by.

"You're right, it is really big. Right, what do you want for breakfast?" Joe was getting started on the coffee, turning on the coffee machine he had a feeling he would be using a lot more often from now on. Emelia was trying to climb onto the countertop, not quite tall enough just yet. He turned around, hearing her squirm a little.

"Do you need a hand Em?" He chuckled. She nodded. Joe walked over to her. "Right. Three, two, one..."

"Weeeee!" She was seriously the cutest kid ever, and Joe knew it. "I'm tall now. And can we have pancakes?"

Pancakes sounded good. "Sure." He quickly got the ingredients out, taking out some bowls and things. Luckily he had remembered the recipe Zoe had showed him a few weeks ago, he loved it.

"So do you want to stir?" To avoid his kitchen becoming a winter wonderland of flour, Joe had quickly measured everything out. Emelia nodded, Joe passing her the bowl. He made sure to keep an eye on her, only breaking eye contact when he entered the bedroom to give Dianne her coffee, she was mid putting on a dressing gown over her pyjamas, taking it gratefully off him and kissing his lips.