𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐦𝐚
Ashley walks down the stairs into the living room, she smiles softly seeing her two nieces sat with Joey on the couch.
"Auntie Ashley" Steph grins getting up and rushing over to hug her. Ashley hugs her niece back then walks over to the couch taking a seat where Steph had sat before. Steph frowns as Ashley smiles letting her sit on her lap.
"Good morning kids." Danny greets his two girls walking down the stairs.
"Hi dad!" Dj, Steph and Joey say.
"I don't really see you eating cereal out of pots with wooden implements, do I?"
"Yes. You do."
"Great. After breakfast why don't we take this laundry down to the bay and beat it against some rocks? Joey And Ashley, could you come with me right now into the kitchen please?"
Steph jumpers out her aunt's lap as she gets up and walks to the kitchen with Joey.
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Her eyes soon go onto the dishwasher that is full of dirty dishes, the girl scrunches her face up in disgust.
"Whoa! It's Howdy-dirty! Joey, the deal we made was this is your week to take care of the dishes." Danny reminds his best friend.
Joey goes to put a spoon in it "I'm just waiting till the dishwasher's full. There, now we won't be wasting water."
"Of course we won't. There's no room for water." Danny mutters as Ashley puts a hand over her mouth covering her smile from her brother.
"Boy, what a night!" Another man's voice is heard as Ashley follows her brother to the stairs leading to the garage. As soon as she sees Jesse she rolls her eyes.
Once again Danny has to remind another person about the chores "Jess, what the heck is going on here? You told me you were going to take care of the laundry."
"I did, I did mine and some of Ashley's" Jesse protests as Ashley crosses her arms at his lie "Well she did hers, but it still counts"
"What about everybody else's laundry?"
"Looks to me like they haven't touched it. The lazy bums! Fellows, let me tell you about this story. Last night my band was playing this gig in Chinatown, a sweet and sour sixteen party if you will. Anyway, I'm cruising home on my Harley, I come to a red light, I stop."
"Great story."
"Yeah, you told it great." Joey adds as Ashley rolls her eyes once more, men are so stupid at times.
"Fellows" Jess pauses looking at Ashley "And woman, I'm building, I'm building. Anyway, the light turns green, right? I try to move. I can't there's something wedged under my tyre. Just then, this runaway street-cleaner comes barrelling through the intersect right where I would have been. I came this close to being a really clean dead guy. Fellows, I'd like to introduce to you the little dude that saved my life..."
Ashley watches as he pulls something out his bag and shove it near them, why the fuck did he have that. Ashley immediately backs away, she loved most animals......but this one she hated.
"You just hate coming home alone, don't you?" Danny half jokes.
"I've got to go get my guitar. Here, hold Bubba" Jesse states giving bubba to Danny "Keep him happy. It just may save your life."
"Joey,Aunt Ashley, where are you?" Dj calls from the living room."
"Don't let the girls see him, they're going to want to keep him." Danny mutters.
"Then hide him, hide him" Ashley suggest just wanting the turtle gone before the girls saw him.
"Where"
Joey rushes over to the counters and picks up a pot "The pot, under the pot"
"Good idea"
Ashley watches as Danny puts the turtle down and Joey quickly hides it.
"OK, I don't see a turtle."
"Act casual."
"Oh, yeah. Nonchalant."
"Good word - nonchalant."
Ashley sighs as Stephanie and Di walk in.
"Joey, Yogi may be much smarter than the average bear but he's much dumber than the average three-year-old." Dj says.
As Ashley's eyes go onto the pot.....that was now moving.
Stephanie looks behind her then back to her father, Joey and Aunt "What's that?"
"That? Oh, it's dinner." Danny turns to look at his sister and best friend "Roast beef. Yeah, roast beef."
Both nod there in agreement as the pot moves more.
"And where is our roast beef going" Dj Interrogated her father.
"It's going to the oven"
Stephanie furrows her brows, the five year old confused as her elder sister picks the pot up "Roast beef comes from turtles?"
"Not from my turtle it doesn't" Jesse returns picking up the turtle "I love this amphibian."
"I love him, too. Can we keep him?" Steph begs......just great the one thing Ashley didn't want to happen had happened.
Jesse nods "Of course we can keep him. Bubba's a hero!"
"Uncle Jesse, we'll take care of him for you." Dj offers wanting to keep the turtle.
"All right"
"Are you sure, honey? It's a big responsibility." Danny asks his eldest daughter.
"No problem."
"Let's go get Bubba settled. He looks a little pasty." Jesse speaks up as he runs up the stairs Dj following.
grins, happy about the start of her day "What a great day, we get a turtle and Grandma's coming to visit."
Ashley and Danny loom at one another then back to Stephanie at the mention of their mother.
Danny picks her up and sits her on the counter as Ashley walks over.
"Stephanie. Sweetheart, honey, baby. Did you just say Grandma's coming?" Danny asks her.
"That's what she said on the phone."
"Then why didn't you say anything Steph" Ashley takes a turn to question the girl.
"Nobody asked me"
Danny sighs "Steph, it's not possible for us to ask you every question. Do you know how many questions there are in the world"
She tilts her head taking a second to think "Eight"
"What time is grandma coming, honey"
"The plane gets in at 5.12, sugar hips"
Ashley snaps her head around to her brother's best friend and sends him a glare. Danny looks at his sister, hinting for her to take her niece upstairs so he and Joey can talk.
"Sweetheart let's go play" Ashley suggests as she helps Steph down from the counter and lets the girl drag her upstairs.
************************************
Ashley walks down the stairs into the living room looking around as her family rushes to get ready "Danny I thought yous were cleaning"
"Grocery shopping first Ash" Danny replies as she walks over to the playpen Michelle was in at the same time Dj comes running from the kitchen.
"I got baby diapers, baby wipes, extra baby clothes and the baby's backpack."
"Great."
"Here's baby apple juice and baby biter biscuits." Steph smiles handing her Dad the stuff.
"Hey, the baby loves music, think we should bring along the organ?" Jesse jokes.
"I got it covered. I'm bringing her crib-blaster." Danny mutters "OK, troops. Move out!"
"Don't forget Mr. Pandy." Stephanie shouts "And aunt Ashley"
Ashley laughs as Jesse hands her, her coat.
"Thanks Jess"
"Hey mr pandy to" their niece reminds them.Ashley walks away from Jesse, he watches her every move as she helps her niece take the panda to the car.
************************************
"Coming up" Danny shouts as he hands a grocery bag to Joey and Joey hands it to Jesse.
Jesse places it on the table, next thing he knows he's holding the baby "Don't we have one of these?"
Dj and Steph walk up from the garage stairs with their aunt.
"I'll take her" Ashley states as she takes the baby out Jesse's hands and walks to the living room with her and her two other nieces.
Ashley walks to the living room as Dj takes her sister and walks over to Bubba. Ashley sighs keeping her distance.
Ashley watches as the three men walk in and Jesse quickly takes Michelle off Bubba and puts her in the playpen.
"Joey, I'm all out of cowboy metaphors, so let's just put away the grub. I was wrong, I had one left." Danny tells his best friend.
"Danny, we've been shopping all morning, can't we have a little Yogi break?" Joey asks pouting like a little child.
"Yeah, sit down with your family. Relax. Watch the bear." Jesse agree looking at Ashley "Ashley come sit"
Ashley gives in as she sits on the right arm rest beside Jesse "Danny five minutes wont hurt"
Danny gives in and sits on the other end of the couch "All right, All right, but we're just going to watch until Yogi gets a picnic basket. OK, he's got one."
Claire walks in.
The family go to watch the tv but are interrupted when someone walks in.
"Hi." A voice is heard as Dj and Stephanie jump up from the couch and run over to the person."Grandma!"
Ashley jumps up as she sees her mother walk over to michelle.
"Oh, my god, my granddaughter is a turtle!"
Joey lifts the turtle up "Michelle needs your love now more than ever."
"Give me that!" Jesse mutters, grabbing his turtle "This turtle saved my life. Bubba, Claire, Claire, Bubba. I love this amphibian!"
"Isn't he cool?" Stephanie smiles
"Pat his head, Grandma, he really likes that."
"Oh, he's a reptile!"
"Hey, back off. He's been nothing but nice to you!" Jesse says in defence for his turtle.
"Mum, what are you doing here so early? Joey said you'll be here at 5:12." Danny questions.
"I'd like to know that to mom" Ashley comments.
"Try 12:05, sweetheart" her mother replies as Ashley turns to look at Joey as does everyone else.
"Guess you had to find out sooner or later. My name is Joey, and I'm a time dyslectic. I would have told you earlier, but I'm just not sure when earlier is." Joey trys to get his way out of it with his jokes.
Claire turns to her two granddaughters "Girls, will you just go upstairs and clean your room?"
"How did she know our room was a mess?" Steph whispers to her elder sister.
"Grandma vision."
Claire waits for the girls to go before looking at her son and his friends "Ashley"
"Yes Mom" Ashley replies.
"You to"
"What...my room is not a mess"
Claire gives her a serious look and within seconds she's making her way up the stairs. She hears Jesse laugh as she walks away. She swears to get him back later.
************************************
Ashley finally finishes her room and makes her way back to the living room in search of her mother. She looks around and is met by Jesse's mother.
"Oh Ashley dear, Jesse told me you were here" Irene smiles as she hugs her.
Ashley doesnt know what to do but hugs the woman back.
"Mom alright, time to get off her" Jesse interrupts his mother And ashley.
Irene steps away from Ashley "My son better be treating you good"
"Mom" Jesse snaps, there was no need for Ashley to know he sometimes spoke about her.
Irene sighs as she joins the others.
"Well I know how to get you back now" Ashley sends Jesse a playfully grin before joining the others too.
"Oh, we're going to have a great time living here, right girls?" Ashley hears her mother say.
What the hell had taken place while she was cleaning and why had she been the only one to clean.
"Oh yes. We are."
"Just a minute ladies. We would like another shot at this please." Danny begs.
"Why don't you take the girls to the zoo for three hours." Joey then suggests as Dj grins.
"Yeah" Both girls say
"I'm coming" Ashley states as she goes to walk out the door.
"Hold on, hold on you should be helping" Jesse states.
Ashley shakes her head as she smiles "You forgot Jess, but I've cleaned"
"Oh come on stay and help. You don't want to go to a zoo"
"Oh but I do" She lies "Have fun cleaning boys"
************************************
Ashley walks through the door holding Stephs hand as her mother walks in with the others.
"We completely lost track of time," her mother states.
Jesse's mother looks around "Oh it's immaculate"
Steph looks up at her grandma "Grandma Irene, does this mean hell is freezing over?
"Go on, find a speck of dirt. I double dare you" Danny dares the older woman.
All three women look at eachother "Ok"
Steph finally lets her aunt's hand go as her and Dj place their stuff at the door.
"Girls Take grandma's goodies upstairs and put them in the toybox, also take your aunt" Jesse demands not wanting Ashley to be there in case any of them did find dirt.
"Come on girls" Ashley smiles at her nieces.
They get to the girls room and Ashley smiles watching her two nieces place their stuff away.
"Auntie Ashley" Steph speaks up.
"Yeah Sweetheart" Ashley replies walking over to her as Steph takes a small panda out her bag from the zoo and hands it to her.
"It's for you" Steph says quietly not thinking her aunt would like it.
"Aw Sweetheart I love it" Ashley smiles even more kissing her forehead "I'll treasure it forever"
An- I hope your all enjoying the fic...also Steph and Ashley have my whole heart.