"J? Why da sky boo?"

"I don't know why the sky is blue. You'll have to ask Kevin, Baby T."

"J?"

"Yes, Baby?"

"Why da cwouds up dere?"

A.J. rolled onto his side to look at his baby sister. The two of them were lying out in his backyard, staring up at the sky.

"Because they're marshmallows that got stuck the the sky," he answered with a smile.

"Who frew da ma-mashymallows?" Three-year-old Tesia asked, cocking her head to the side to look at him. "Daddy frow 'em up dere?"

A.J. chuckled. "No, Baby. They're just up there."

"Why?"

A.J. chuckled even more. "You're just full of questions today, aren't yah, Baby T.?"

Tesia smiled at him. "Uh-huh."

A.J. reached over and smoothed her brown hair back from her face after she'd sat up. "You hungry, Honey?"

"Ouce cweam!" Tesia exclaimed, bouncing on her rump. "Ouce cweam J.!"

"Baby, ice cream's for later, okay?"

"Wanna ouce cweam!" Tesia argued, her smile leaving her face. "Ouce cweam!"

"Tesia," A.J. said. "Later."

Tesia scowled and moved away from him a little bit. "OUCE CWEAM!" She yelled.

A.J. sat up, giving her a stern big brotherly look. "If you don't quit it with the ice cream, you can go to bed before lunch."

"NO!!!" Tesia screamed, standing up and starting to stomp her feet midst her tantrum. "OUCE CWEAM! OUCE CWEAM! OUCE CWEAM!"

A.J. went got up and moved towards her, towering over the tiny little girl. "I said enough Tesia."

Tesia just went on screaming hysterically at the top of her lungs.

A.J. finally had enough of her screaming, and slapped her bottom with his hand - but not all that hard - just enough to shock her.

Tesia abruptly stopped screaming and stared up at him, her eyes filled with tears.

"Now, get your diapered little butt into the house," A.J. told her. Hence why he'd smacked her bottom - it was diapered, as she was terrified of the toilet.

Tesia ran off towards the house in tears. All she'd wanted was ice cream. She ran into the living room and clambered up onto the couch, and flopped down to cry.

A.J. headed in after her, but stayed in the kitchen, as she'd run in through the kitchen door. He knew where she'd gone without even having to look - she always ran for the couch when in trouble. He sighed as he began to make them some lunch.

A while later, a little brown head with hazel eyes peeked into the kitchen. "J.?"

A.J. glanced over at the doorway. "What is it, T.?"

"I hungwy," Tesia admitted softly. "No ouce cweam."

A.J. gave her a smile. "C'mere, Baby. J. made you some lunch."

Tesia ran over and tackled her brother's legs, giggling when he immediately swooped her up into his arms.

"Now, you like peanutbutter and jelly, right?"

"Jelly!" Tesia squealed delightedly. If she'd her way, she'd make a meal off that and ice cream alone.

A.J. laughed as he carried her over to the table. "And peanutbutter, Silly Girl."

Tesia giggled more, as her brother tickled her stomach. "An' peenybudder!"

A.J. set her down in her booster seat, strapping her in, so she wouldn't fall. "Want some apples, T.?"

"Ape-ees!" Tesia clapped happily. "Ape-ees J.! Ape-ees!"

A.J. grinned, as he cut her up an apple - Granny Smith, as she liked the green colour of them and the tart taste.

Tesia grinned back, as she dug into her peenybudder and jelly sandwich. She ate contently, though she got food all over herself - including her hair.

"I ticky!"

"Yes, you are sticky," A.J. agreed. "Very sticky."

Tesia laughed, as she picked up an apple slice. "Ape-ees!" She squealed, before eating them all up.

A.J. shook his head at her. "Yanno, with you around, I feel a lot older than eighteen."

Tesia just smiled at him, not understanding at all."J. wan' ape-ees?"

"Mm. Yummy," A.J. smiled, taking the mushed up apple slice she offered him. He ate it with a grin. "Yum! Yum!"

Tesia chortled even more, clapping her hands again as well.

"Alright, little Miss," A.J. began. "Let's get you upstairs and into the tub. You're filthy!"

"Aye! Ath!" Tesia cheered.

"Yes, you need a bath," A.J. nodded, unbuckling her safety belt and picking her up. "Now, don't get me all sticky, Missy. J. don't like baths as much as you do - least, not in the middle of the day."

Tesia just giggled into her sticky little hands.

A.J. carried her upstairs to the bathroom, where he stripped her of everything but her diaper. "Now, sit right here on the floor while the tub fills, alright? Don't move, or you'll make J. sad."

"J. no ad," Tesia shook her head. She plopped down on her diapered bottom, and backed away from the toilet.

A.J. left briefly, to retrieve her some clothes to nap in. He returned mere moments later, only to find her trying to peek into the tub.

"Tesia, I said sit, not peek."

Tesia quickly plopped back down. "I owry..."

A.J. kissed her head, as he knelt down. "Just don't do it again."

Tesia nodded, as she was stripped of her diaper and set in the tub. She squealed with delight and splashed happily.

A.J. couldn't help but smile at her, as he dumped in some bubblebath, a rubber duckie, and a few boats.

Tesia immediately set to work on playing with the boats and lone duck - making sure to get everything covered in bubbles in the process.

Once she'd played for a bit, A.J. cleaned her up, then took her out, towelled her off, and re-dressed her.

"Okay, my Little Mermaid," he smiled. "It's time for your nap."

"No!" Tesia declared. "No ap! No!"

"Yes," A.J. answered, picking her up as she began to squirm and kick.

"NO!!!" Tesia screamed.

"Hey," A.J. said, making her look at him. "Good little girls get stories and cuddles. Naughty babies get spankings, no stories, and less cuddles."

"No 'pankin'!" Tesia screeched. "No!"

"Do you want a story?" A.J. tried.

Tesia nodded. "Uh-huh. Pwease."

A.J. kissed her head, grabbed a book, and flopped down onto his own bed. "Hey! Lookie here! What's this?" He asked her, lifting up a Teddy Bear.

Tesia's eyes went wide. "Mine!" She stated. "Esia's!"

"Yes, it's Tesia's," A.J. nodded, handing her the Bear. "I think he wants some cuddles, while we read and nap."

Tesia smiled and happily snatched her beloved friend, and lay down snuggling into her brother. She popped her thumb into her mouth, as she cuddled her Teddy tight.

A.J. decided upon different tactics though. So, instead of opening the book to read it right away, he began to tickle the tiny little girl next to him. "Muah haha!"

"Aha!" Tesia squealed with laughter. "Ahahahaha!"

A.J. laughed his own insane laugh, and tickled her mercilessly.

Tesia squirmed as she laughed, until her brother finally stopped so she could catch her breath. "J. illy."

"Yes, J.'s silly," A.J. agreed, setting her upon his stomach as he lay upon his back.

Tesia gave her brother a lopsided grin, that matched the one he bore at the moment perfectly.

"Ready for that book now?"

"Uh-huh."

"Lie down then, Baby."

Tesia lay down upon her brother's chest, thumb in her mouth and Teddy Bear cluthed tightly.

A.J. smiled and opened up the book, knowing if she wanted to see the pictures she'd ask. He lay there reading to her until long after she'd fallen asleep. He loved his baby sister, and enjoyed snuggling her and reading her stories. If he had this way, she'd never leave, and they'd do this all the time - least, more than what they did now.

Tesia just slept on, knowing she was safe from closet monsters - actual closet monsters - that her brother and Daddy always made sure to scare away.

The End!