Listen to daddy... [Chelsea]

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Jason sighed and fell backwards onto the couch in the living room of his London based flat, he hated serious conversations about the future and his love life more than he hated anything else in the world.  He'd even go as far as to say he'd rather visit the hospital, and for Jason that was saying something indeed. It wasn't that he was ashamed in the slightest of what he had to say if anything he was actually quite proud, the thing he most wasn't looking forward to though was the other converser being that of his darling five year old daughter. He loved Chelsea more then anyone could even think, they'd come so far from him finding the abandoned crying toddler on his doorstep but part of him still couldn't help but wonder how she'd take the news that he was dating someone else. Her mother, the absolute coward that she was, had never been in the picture at all. Jason wasn't even sure who the woman was, only that she was one of his long string of one night stands a few years back. Part of Jason couldn't help but worry that one day Chelsea would resent him for it.

Running his hand through his short shaven hair, he sat back into the soft black leather. All he had to do was call her and talk it over with her as he would anyone else... it was simple. Well, at least it was meant to be. Glancing at the coffee table, he pouted at the plate of chocolate chip cookies. Some may have called it bribery... Jason liked to think of it more as tactful negotiation, after all he wouldn't force her to be happy about it, he just hoped that they swayed the odds in his favour a bit more. He'd even gone as far as to go to the local bakery to buy them fresh this morning when she was still asleep (which happened to be opposite the house across the street) simply because the man couldn't cook to save his life. He wanted to soften the blow, not poison his poor kid. 

Taking a deep breath, he tried to encourage himself to get this over with. Part of him couldn't help but roll his eyes though, he was just being silly. She was only a little girl after all, surely she didn't know any better.... there again she had been around Alex since a young age, who knows what the poor kid had heard. Becoming slightly offended at his own thoughts, he sat up slightly. "Chelsea!" He yelled, calling her into the same room as him. "Sweetie, can you come here for a minute please. Daddy needs to talk to you"... 'and daddy needs to man up', he added on in his mind....

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Chelsea was playing in her playroom. She had the best dressing up box. She was good at talking daddy into buying her princess dresses, especially ones that made her look pretty. Uncle Alex told her that Daddy was a sucker for anything pretty. She was sure that that was why he kept getting her the pretty princess dresses when she would point them out in the shops. That and she was really good at giving him sad eyes. Sad eyes were what got you ice cream even after daddy said no. Chelsea hadn't always lived with daddy. That was why he only had pictures of her from she she was two and bigger. She used to live with her mummy, but she was a mean lady. Chelsea preferred living with her daddy. He was big and gave great cuddles and he was the best at tickle fights (not that she could ever say that in front of uncle Alex.)

Chelsea put the tiara on her head, completing the outfit. It was at times like this that she wished that daddy would let her have the play high heel clip clop shoes. Even sad eyes hadn't gotten her her way in that one. He said that they were for grown up ladies and she had to stay a little girl. But clip clop shoes were just so princessy! Chelsea hummed away to herself setting up her teddy bears, a barbie doll, an action man and a toy car for the tea party. She was mumbling away to them when she heard her daddy call to her from the other room. Frowning that he was interrupting her tea party she walked through to her father, still dressed in her beautiful purple princess dress and tiara. She looked up at her daddy, he had a frowny face on. "What is it, Daddy?" She asked. "I was just away to start the tea party!"

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Jason felt his heart melt somewhat as the little princess walked through the door into the living room, she looked absolutely beautiful. When people had told him that she was grow up in a flash he had never believed them, but now glancing upon her it scared him to think just where the time had gone. Three years had passed since the toddler was standing in his porch looking sorry for herself and now she was a stunning young child.... a happy child at that. She deserved the very best and Jason just wished that he could give it all to her. He knew their circumstances weren't always best like things concerning his job, but he tried... anything to see the delicate smile on his babies cute little face. 

As she questioned him and enlightened him as to what he was interrupting Jason couldn't help but laugh to himself, she was like the female version of him in mini me form. "I'm sorry princess for interrupting you," he smiled before tapping the soft leather next to him in encouragement for her to join him. "I need to have a grown up conversation with you for a minute and then you can go back to the party," smirking he couldn't help but add, "and i may even join you, but i don't know if there will be cake left for the other guests once I arrive. Daddy does have a very big appetite." Grinning at his child he stuck his tongue out. If word ever got out to anyone that he willingly played tea party with her he would kill the first man to make fun of him.

Reaching across he picked up the plate, "cookie?" he offered her while hoping to sweeten the deal before they even began...

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Chelsea nodded, giving her daddy what she thought was a very stern look, when he apologised for interrupting her tea party. She knew that interrupting was a naughty thing to do. You weren’t meant to interrupt the grownups- like Daddy and Uncle Alex- when they were talking because it was rude. Unless it was really, really, important you had to wait until they were done talking. And sometimes that took ages! But she was a princess so she had to be gracious. Even if Daddy was being silly and breaking his own rules.

Chelsea walked over and jumped herself up on the sofa next to her daddy, automatically snuggling a little into his side. She was a little puff of purple taffeta. She looked up at him when he said that he wanted to have a grown up conversation with her. Daddy never wanted to have grown up conversations with her, he was always telling her that she had to stay little forever because he said so (and she had to do as her Daddy said!). She couldn’t help but wonder what was grown up that Daddy wanted to talk to her about. Uncle Alex often claimed that Daddy wasn’t really a grown up. He just pretended to be, the he would tell Chelsea that he was the only real adult in her life, tickle her and she would giggle. She had never been a part of a grown up conversation before. So she put on her best serious grown up face, which disappeared with a huge smile the second that Jason said he would come to play tea party with her once they were done. “Will you even wear a tiara, Daddy?” She asked, putting on her best puppydog eyes. She liked it when Daddy played Princess Tea Party with her.

She grinned as her Daddy offered her a cookie, taking the biggest one from the plate and taking a big bite out of it, crumbs already collecting in the corners of her mouth.

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Jason watched on in a sense of amusement as his daughter propelled herself onto the sofa next to him, when she began to snuggle up to him Jason couldn't help but feel a pulse of warmth spread through him. Moving his arm to wrap around her he held her somewhat protectively. At the mention of wearing a Tiara Jason wanted to argue against it, if anyone found out half the things he did for this young kid he would be beyond embarrassed however it was his daughter and Jason had a huge weak spot for her. Just the puppy eyes that she had mastered would often break through his resolve so that he would give in to almost anything that was asked of him. "We'll see, daddy doesn't do it justice like Chelsea does. Beside men don't wear tiaras, we wear crowns and have swords, " he tried to sidetrack hoping the little girl would eventually forget about her wish. Knowing his luck they'd be mid tea party and his brother would turn up insisting that they take pictures to remember the happy family event. 

As the little girl began to bite into her cookie, Jason lent forward and whipped off the few crumbs that had fallen on her dress so that they fell onto the floor for him to collect and dispose of later. If anyone had told him three years ago that he would become this domesticated he would of laughed in their face but it was amazing how miracles like this happened. Wanting his own he realised that he'd have to move her off him to get it, but that really didn't seem the best option at this precise moment, that only left one other option. Stealing the cookie off her quickly he took a big bite and pulled a funny face before handing the sweet treat back to the little girl. Anything to see a smile on his little cherubs face.

"Chelsea," he started slowly, unsure where he was going with this. No matter how many times he'd rehearsed the words in his head they just didn't pan out the way he wanted them to. "You know how other families have a mummy and a daddy?" Jason paused hoping for some response from the little girl. "Well mummy isnt around any more sadly and well... daddy is a bit lonely. He loves you and would do anything for you but daddy want a mummy too. Daddy isn't saying that you're getting one soon... but he wants to start looking for someone that he can love who will sort of be ... like a mummy...."  As the words left his lips Jason couldn't help but cringe, he really wasn't the best at this emotional describing nonsense. ..