It was around eleven in the morning when Polly heard a knock on the front door of their apartment. She wasn't going to school today since her bump was growing in a quicker tempo than she had expected, making her very uncomfortable.
When she made her way back over to the door to open up, she looked straight into the eyes of her neighbors.
"FP? Fred? Are you looking for my mom? Because she isn't home until later tonight." She immediately assumed that they came to pick her up to do something fun, but nothing was less true.
"Nope, we're here for you." Fred clapped his hands together, a mischievous smirk growing on his lips.
"For me? Something wrong?" Polly grew worried, had something happened with Sweet Pea?
"We're taking you baby shopping today." FP smiled, hoping that she would be willing to go with them.
"Really? But you don't have to do that, I wouldn't want—" She began to protest, but Fred interrupted her as he knew what was on her mind.
"Before you say anything, it's all on us. Money isn't a problem." He assured her.
"That's what I wanted to say... I don't want to be a burden. I can't take your money." Her cheeks flushed.
She didn't have a lot of money herself and luckily her Mom was more than willing to pay for anything she needed, but it felt too uncomfortable to take money from people so close to them.
Fred and FP shared a look. They had to explain their reasons to do this, maybe she would feel better if she'd know.
"Sit down, okay?" FP gestured to the couch in her apartment. She obliged and waited for one of them to speak.
"You know how I've known Noah basically his whole life, right?" FP started out, and continued when Polly nodded.
"He has been working his ass off to be able to provide for you and your baby. But I know he has a dream, and we want him to able to pursue that." FP smiled sweetly.
Noah had been working so hard and almost all his savings to go to college were going to the baby. He was truly there for his girlfriend and kid, but after FP and Fred had talked last time Polly had come over, they realized that they could help in another way. They could miss some money and invest in supplies for her baby.
"So, he is going to save his money from his extra shifts, and we'll go take you for everything you need." FP promised, and pulled his arm around her.
"I don't know what to say... that's the most generous thing somebody has ever done for me." Polly smiled gratefully. She had trouble accepting this, but it looked like the men couldn't be convinced otherwise.
"Do you have a list? We know your Mom got a lot of stuff already, but let's take a look to all that isn't crossed off yet." Fred added with a smile, ready to buy all the stuff the girl needs.
**
Once in the store, it wasn't only Polly who had a lot of fun looking at all the baby stuff. FP for example had set his eyes on a very special piece of clothing.
"Check this out! A mini leather jacket!" He turned it around with a happy smile on his face.
"Don't tell Noah, he might really want to buy it." Fred leaned towards Polly and tried to lower his voice, but FP had heard nonetheless.
"Hey! After all your baby has Serpent blood." He pointed out, smirking as he did. Getting the giant green snake on the back wasn't hard to do.
"I actually do love it." Polly laughed, as she looked at the leather jacket.
"Great, in the shopping cart it goes." FP putted it in without a second thought.
"Your batshit crazy sometimes, FP. What if she gets a girl?" Fred asked him, shaking his head with a chuckle.
"Don't be so old fashioned. Girls can wear leather jackets too." FP said confident, seeing no problem at all as a girl toddler would wear this. It'd make her the coolest baby on the block.
"It's really expensive for a jacket... I can't accept it." While Fred and FP playfully had been bickering, Polly had peeked at the price tag.
Even as a present she couldn't take this, especially not when she knew this wasn't the only thing they were getting her. Besides, she was here to get stuff she needed, not things that might be fun.
"Hey, don't you worry about it, okay? This is completely our treat. No need to feel guilty. You just focus on this little bean in there and we'll focus on the costs." FP assured her sweetly, making Polly relax just the slightest bit.
She thanked him with a grateful smile, as words didn't seem enough to explain how glad she was with all these sweet gestures.
While the two shared a little bonding moment, Fred had gone off to an isle that took his attention.
"We've got a problem... Fred found the stuffed animals." FP gestured to the man who was looking up to a gigantic pluchen elephant.
"Look at this Elephant!" He exclaimed happily, basically hugging it now.
"It's bigger than you, Freddie." FP pointed out, laughing.
"Are you sure you're not pregnant?" He teased, as they walked closer. Fred playfully punched him.
"Alright... guess that one is a bit unnecessary. What about the little rompers then? Those have elephants on them, too." He walked over the the opposite side of the isle, where there were the cutest baby clothes for new borns.
Before getting an answer, he was already picking out a few to toss into the cart.
"Let me guess, Fred loves Elephants." Polly smiled as she looked at the man picking out his favorite elephant romper.
"You have no idea." FP sighed with a chuckle leaving his mouth.
A little while later, the shopping cart was almost completely filled. Some things had been tossed in by Polly because it were things she needed like pacifiers, a baby bath tub, diapers and so on.
She had made a mental note that one way or another she wanted to pay them back, but neither FP or Fred was going to let her. They were almost at the check-out counter, until FP stopped at the skin care products.
"This baby shampoo smells so good." He inhaled the scent of the yellow bottle and smiled.
"Can we take something for us, too? I wanna smell like that." He tossed in a few bottles, half of them for Polly, the others for him.
"We can leave him in the store if you want. No hard feelings." Fred turned to Polly in all seriousness, making her laugh out loud.
"I don't care what you think, I'm taking some for us too." FP stood by his choice and smelled a few other bottles, but none of them smelled as good as the bright yellow one.
As they were picking out some other skin products for the baby that they thought might come in handy based on their own experiences with raising kids, Polly had been fixating on something different.
"Polly? You alright?" Fred asked worriedly, as he saw that she was holding a small pluchen animal with tears stinging in her eyes.
Her eyes kept being glued to the thing in her hands, as she started to explain what had suddenly hit her.
"This reminds me of the little rabbit my Dad gave me when I was young. I had fallen of my bike and was impossible to comfort, but then he gave me that stuffed animal... and all seemed well." She sniffled and quickly wiped away her tears before she'd stay in this state of emotions.
"You miss him, don't you?" Fred asked her sympathetically.
"I do. But I can't forgive him for what he has done." Polly finally looked up and putted the little rabbit back.
"He's not worth your tears." FP said softly, and both men pulled her into a hug.
And though she didn't have the support of her father, she had two amazing people who had her back. It was all she needed.
"Should we get home? It has been a long day." FP knew all of them were tired, and considering how much stuff they had it was time to head out.
**
Once at home, the three were sorting everything they had bought. There was music playing on the background and they had a lot of fun going through all the baby stuff.
It was around seven when Alice came home to a full house, making her stop in her tracks as she was surprised to see everyone there.
"Mom! Look what we bought today!" Polly said happily, gesturing to everything in the living room. It looked like a baby store in there.
"Check this one out, Al!" FP chirped as he held up the leather jacket he had picked out.
"What is all this?" Alice chuckled a little, seeing the three so happy together.
"We took Polly out to shop, hope that is alright." Fred explained, a soft smile on his face.
"Sorry, should have checked with you first." He realized that they should have asked if Alice was okay with this, especially when baby shopping could be considered a mother and daughter thing. However, in their enthusiasm they hadn't thought of that.
"As long as Polly had a good time all is fine. Haven't seen you smile like this in a few weeks, sweetie." Alice stroke her daughters cheeks and smiled.
"Believe me, they even enjoyed it more than I did." Polly laughed as she nodded her head to the two men.
"I am still regretting not buying that Elephant." Fred sighed frustratedly.
"You can go back, it might be still there." Polly teased, making FP's head snap up immediately.
"Don't you dare give him any ideas!" He warned, making everyone laugh.
"How much do I owe the two of you?" Alice asked them seriously, as she grabbed her wallet to write them a cheque.
"Not a single penny, this is all on us." Fred told her.
"You guys are being too sweet, there is no way I can accept that." Alice was just like her daughter very uncomfortable with accepting something so generous like that.
"Don't worry about it, we just wanted to spoil her for a bit. Not that you don't do that enough, but a little more can't hurt." Fred smiled sweetly and assured her with one look that all was fine.
"Well, in that case... thank you. That means a lot." Alice smiled gratefully and pulled her daughter closer to her, who had a big smile plastered over her face that vanished when she let out a big yawn.
"Go to bed you, you're tired." Alice kissed the side of her head.
"I am exhausted.... Alright, a pre dinner nap sounds good." Polly said sleepily.
The girl stood up to make her way to her bedroom, but not before she had thanked the men that did all this for her, her boyfriend and her child.
"Fred, FP... I don't think you know how much today has meant to me. With my father being absent it feels great to know that when this little one gets born it won't grow up without a grandfather. It already has two amazing ones." She stroke her baby bump and smiled softly at them, meaning every word. Her little one had an amazing family already.
"That's a very big compliment, Polly. Thank you, from the both of us." FP and Fred shared a look before they turned back to her, both with glinstering eyes.
**
That night FP stayed over at Alice's place and made himself ready for bed. He had finished brushing his teeth and folding his clothes neatly (because Alice didn't like it if he threw his stuff onto the ground) and was ready to get under the sheets.
"Hey, thank you for what you and Fred did today. I could feel how grateful she was for today." Alice's arms wrapped around his waist and she pecked a quick kiss on his lips.
"She deserved some cheering up, don't you think?" FP smiled, softly squeezing her waist as he did.
"It's good that she has you two to count on, too. She might not have her father around, but I know that you and Fred make up for a lot of the void he has left."
Alice was truly grateful that both FP and Fred worked so hard to support Polly, showing that they meant it when they told her they had her back.
"We try." FP smirked. He tucked a piece of fallen strand of hair behind her ear.
"I know technically it's none of my business... but if Hal comes here and sets one step outta line... I can't promise I won't put him into his place." FP said with a concerned frown on his face. The last thing he wanted was for that man to hurt the Smith women even more.
"Believe me, I'll do that before he can even look at Polly." Alice told him, fire sparkling in her eyes.
"Hmm, you're a protective mama bear, aren't you?" FP hummed, a smile tugging on his lips.
"You shall come to learn." Alice grinned, before gluing their lips together. Before he could take it any further, she pulled back reluctantly to look at her boyfriend.
"Seriously, FP... seeing you so close with my daughter really means the world to me. I know you beat yourself up about your past and not being there enough for your kids, but you're an amazing dad, to my kids as well." She stroked his beard with her fingers and looked up at him with twinkeling eyes.
"Thank you, Al. That means a lot to me." He said softly, kissing her forehead.
When he pulled back to look at her again, there curled a mischievous grin on her face.
"As neither you or Fred allows me to pay a cent, I might have to reward you differently." She whispered lowly, her fingers starting to tug on FP's t-shirt to make her plans known.
He chuckled and looped his arms tightly around her waist. "You better not be giving us the treatment."
Alice laughed and kissed him quickly. "I'll bake a cake for Fred. But you? You're getting your reward all night long." She whispered lowly, her hand sneaking under his shirt to trace the muscles of his chest.
"Lay down on the bed." She instructed him, pulling away after letting her lips ghost his.
FP swallowed. "Yes, ma'am." He obliged and laid himself down on her bed and looked up with wide eyes as Alice started to slowly strip for him.
And though it was incredibly sexy, he couldn't stop himself from being in total awe of her. For the very first time in his life he felt absolutely certain that the woman he was so utterly in love with was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.
A/N: This one was for the lovers of the growing fatherly bond between Fred/FP and Polly. I really love writing them like this, as it brings out qualities I really like about Fred/FP and my baby Polly deserves all the happiness and support in the world.