Chapter Text
Jee is bouncing up and down, her impatience clear. She runs around the house again, checking that everything is perfect before tugging on Maddie’s arm. “When are they going to get here?” She complains.
Maddie smiles. “They’ll be here soon.”
“In the meantime the dinosaur is about to get you,” Chimney says as he raises his arms and starts chasing after Jee.
Jee lets out an excited squeal before running into the pillow fort that is low enough that the dinosaur can’t get into it.
Dinosaur Chimney is in the middle of trying to figure out how to break into Princess Jee’s impenetrable fortress when there is a knock on the door.
The princess exits the fortress in a hurry as she races to the door.
Maddie opens the door and Buck, Eddie and Theo enter.
It will be Jee-Yun’s first time meeting Theo as it took Buck a while to manage to get custody of Theo. Buck had been worried about having it at Maddie and Chimney’s house but Maddie reassured him that her house is toddler proof and that Theo’s level of energy won’t be an issue. After all, she was the one that raised Buck.
Maddie wonders if Jee will be shy considering that this is her first time meeting Theo but her daughter shows absolutely no nerves.
“Do you want to be a dinosaur trying to break into my fortress?” She asks.
Theo nods and starts roaring super loudly as he follows Jee towards the fort.
Chimney looks at Eddie and Buck. “No Chris?” He asks.
Buck shakes his head. “Nah, he’s hanging out with Denny.”
“Nash?” Eddie asks.
“Sleeping in the other room,” Maddie says.
They then move out of the doorway as they head towards the fort where the kids are.
Dinosaur Chimney might not have been able to break into Jee’s fantastic princess fortress but dinosaur Theo doesn’t have a problem and Jee’s fortress is entered within seconds.
Dinosaur Theo then tackles princess Jee to the ground. Jee grins. “I’m now a dinosaur princess!”
Jee leaps up and then turns and starts chasing Theo and all the adults laugh at the confused look on Theo’s face before he is then running from Jee-Yun, the two of them running through the house, roaring loudly. Maddie knows it won’t be long before Nash is awake.
Maddie, Chimney, Buck and Eddie settle down at the bench stools, all of them enjoying the sound of laughter and playing echoing throughout the house.
They hear squealing and when Jee and Theo reemerge this time Jee is the one being chased.
Dinosaur Theo and dinosaur princess Jee then rampage through the destroyed fort, reigning terror on all the fleeing inhabitants. They then chase the fleeing inhabitants towards Jee’s bedroom and soon they are back out of sight.
This time when dinosaur Theo and dinosaur princess Jee return, they are both wearing tiaras and both of them have swords.
Eddie’s eyes raise in surprise. “Jee has swords?”
Maddie sighs before giving her brother a pointed look. “Remember the Renaissance-themed festival call a few years back? Buck and Hen went back to the fair afterwards and Buck decided it would be a great idea to buy swords for his darling niece.”
They then watch as Theo and Jee have a sword fight.
“Well look how much fun they are having! I stand by that purchase,” Buck says.
Maddie rolls her eyes but there is a fond expression on her face.
As they watch it is clear that Jee is the one in charge and Theo listens to everything she says. Buck’s mouth drops in awe. “He doesn’t listen to everything I say!”
Maddie just smiles knowingly. Jee is always the boss.
A few hours later Theo and Jee are still running around like crazy but now it is lunch time and after a bit of persuading, they manage to draw the kids to the table.
Theo pouts when he sees the fruit on his plate. Jee immediately leans over and whispers to Theo and soon both Jee and Theo are rearranging their food to look like a massive dinosaur but then both of them are eating it, including all the fruit.
Eddie smiles and leans over to whisper to Chimney. “Do you reckon watching these two is what it would have been like watching Maddie and Buck when they were kids?”
Chimney instantly nods. “Definitely.”
After lunch more kingdoms rise and fall. Hours later when it is finally time for Theo, Buck and Eddie to go, Theo and Jee both still have heaps of energy.
Both Theo and Jee complain, neither of them wanting to say bye.
“You’ll get to see each other again,” Maddie promises.
Jee puts her hands on her hips. “When?” She asks.
Chimney gulps, knowing that Jee is going to win this battle.
“None of us are on shift tomorrow,” Eddie says.
Jee and Theo both jump up and down in excitement. Maddie, Chimney and Buck all give him a look and Eddie smiles sheepishly.
Maddie looks at Buck with a glint in her eye and he nods with a smile, knowing exactly what she is suggesting. Maddie then smiles before bending down to Jee and Theo’s level.
“Tomorrow we’ll all get to play at Uncle Eddie’s house!”
“Uncle Eddie!” Jee exclaims enthusiastically.
“Yay!” Theo cries.
Eddie looks like he doesn’t know what to do. Buck just grins as he starts steering Eddie out the door.
“Bye Jee, Mads and Chim. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow.”
They wave and it isn’t long before they are gone.
For the rest of the night Jee talks non stop about her new best friend Theo and all her ideas for what they can do tomorrow.
Maddie smiles, already picturing years of them growing up together and developing the sort of cousin bond that she never got the chance to have with her cousins. She is so glad her kids will get better than her and she can’t wait to see Jee and Nash grow closer with Theo.
As Jee falls asleep the last image that runs through her mind is of dinosaur Theo and dinosaur princess Jee defeating every single kingdom in existence. Later when Maddie and Chimney check on Jee they see that she is fast asleep with a big smile on her face.