[Synopsis: The year is 2003. Just one week has passed since Mr. and Mrs. Playson brought their newborn son home from the hospital. Their four-year-old daughter, Jessica, has been a bit skeptical of him ever since then...Hopefully, she'll warm up to him soon enough.]

[Location: The Playson family household.(Headcanon names were made by Bootieos16, barring Dum's first name, which is part of the official canon.)]

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"Wow...You were hungry, weren't you, little guy?"

Alan looked down at the tiny red bean swaddled up in one of his hands, then the empty bottle in his other. He was pleased by the fact that James had a healthy appetite, but he wasn't sure whether or not he should offer him anymore; the last time he did resulted in a mess that was NOT pleasant to clean up.

Deciding not to risk it, he flung the old dish towel over his shoulder, held his newborn son over it and gave him a few solid pats on the back. The little red bean let out a surprisingly loud belch for something so small.

"Heh heh...Yeah. You'll hold your own," he said to him. "What am I so worried about? Everything will turn out just fine."

The baby cooed incoherently and reached out toward his father with his tiny hands. Alan stuck his index finger out and let him grab onto it, smiling at the sight of his son displaying fondness for him at such a young age...only to grimace slightly when James pulled his finger closer and put it in his mouth, slobbering on it. But he didn't pull his finger back; the little guy didn't know any better yet...Besides, he knew one day, he'd look back on this memory and smile.

"Is he trying to eat your finger again, Daddy?"

The tiny voice came from beside him, and he turned around to see a pink figure standing there at his feet, looking at him with an eyebrow raised. Alan chuckled slightly and nodded.

"Yeah, he's trying to eat my finger. Y'know, Jess, you did the same when you were his age."

"Ew, yucky..." the older child responded, sticking her tongue out. "When did I stop?"

"Oh, around the time you were starting to crawl. About eight months, I think."

"EIGHT months? That's a long time..."

"I suppose it would seem that way. But those eight months went by, and now you can walk, and talk, and eat solid foods...Your little brother here is going to be able to do all of those same things some day."

"Hm..." the pink mini crewmate nodded. "...Where's Mommy at?"

"Mommy had a rough night, pumpkin," Alan told her. "I told her I'd take over for a while so she could get a bit more rest."

"Oh..."

"Say, why don't I make us some lunch? While I'm working in the kitchen, you can spend some time with your baby brother here. Sound good?"

"Hmm..."

She looked at the little red bean again...He was blowing a razzberry, spit bubbling from his mouth.

"...He's kinda gross."

"Oh, Jessica...." her father remarked as he used the towel over his shoulder to wipe his son's mouth dry. "I know this all seems a little strange now, but soon enough, you'll learn more about him. And he'll grow on you...And you'll grow on him once he's old enough to appreciate you."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure. Now come on. I'll take you over to the couch with him."

The small pink crewmate followed her father into the living room and sat down on the sofa. Alan put his son in his red polka dotted bouncer on the floor to the left of Jessica's feet and strapped him in, giving him a pat on the head before standing up straight again.

"Alright. How about I whip us up a couple turkey cucumber sandwiches?"

"Mmmmm, yes!" the pink figure smiled, perking right up at the sound of her favorite lunchtime staple.

"You want cheese on yours?"

She nodded eagerly.

"Gotcha. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me for anything. Just spend some time with your brother for now, okay?"

"Well...Okay! I'll do it for you!"

Alan kissed his daughter on the head before leaving the room and heading into the kitchen...Jessica looked down at the little red bean in the bouncer to her left and tilted her head curiously, watching him as he stared up at the stuffed crescent moon and star dangling a ways above him, reaching for them with his clumsy hands.

...He was kinda cute, for someone who looked like an overcooked, slightly wrinkled kidney bean. His big blue eyes sparkled with wonder, and his hands and feet looked so tiny and delicate.

James finally managed to grab onto the bottom end of the crescent moon, and tried to pull it towards himself. His older sister wondered if he thought it was his father's finger due to its bright yellow coloration.

Unfortunately, his grip wasn't strong enough to hold onto the end of the moon as he pulled on it, and his hand slipped...And the recoil sent his loosely clenched fist careening right into his face.

Immediately after the seemingly minor impact, the baby's face scrunched up, and the whine he emitted quickly became a series of sobs.

"Oh, o-oh no," Jessica stammered, getting up off the couch and hovering over him. "D-don't cry, it's okay!"

She kneeled down beside him, wondering what to do.

"Uh...um...Oh, hey! Look at this!"

She pulled her cheeks out with her thumb and forefinger and put on the most ridiculous facial expression she could manage. Surely, he'd notice it and laugh...But in response, little James only cried louder, flailing his hands around aimlessly and nearly slapping his older sister in the face with one.

"Whoa-!"

She pulled her head away just in time to dodge the swing, then looked back down at him, expression stern.

"Hey! Mommy and Daddy say we do NOT hit!"

He didn't seem to listen. He was too busy drowning out his sister's reprimand with his wailing. Jessica sighed; she'd usually just been going to her mother or father whenever he started crying over the past week, and they took care of the problem. But her mother was out for the count, and her father was busy making lunch, so it looked like she would have to take matters into her own hands. 

"Uh, okay. What do they do when he gets upset?" she wondered aloud, racking her brain as best she could. "We'll, I've seen Mommy pick him up and hold him, and talk to him...That usually makes him feel better. Yeah! I'll try it! Ah...As long as he doesn't slobber all over me."

She unstrapped her baby brother from the bouncer, then very carefully lifted him up in her hands and slid back up onto the couch.

"Hey. It...it's okay," she said to him, trying to sound reassuring. "I'm right here, okay? You're not hurt. Y-you're with me..."

James seemed to quiet down just a bit, his bawling turning into whines and sobs and his squinted eyes opening up a bit more...He looked his older sister in the eye, and as young as she was, she SWORE that was a pleading expression on his tiny face, seemingly begging for her to keep talking and telling him it would be alright.

"Yeah...yeah, see? It's okay!" she smiled. "Your big sister's not gonna let anything happen to you. I'm right here. Don't worry...I'm not going anywhere."

By then, the tiny red bean was only emitting soft whimpers, and he was reaching his hands out towards her...Jessica tensed. She knew what had to be done.

I guess I'll just have to wash it off, she said to herself, sitting James down on her lap to free up one of her hands. Once that was done, she stuck her index finger out towards him and let hit grab onto it, his tiny little fingers curling around her own and pulling it towards him.

...But he never put her finger in his mouth. He simply held it close to his cheek and eased his whimpering, his breathing slowing down.

Jessica looked down at her brother as he grew calm again, listening to his nasally breathing...He looked right back up at her again, a twinkle of gratitude in his big, blue eyes.

For what she felt was the first time ever since James had been born, Jessica genuinely smiled at him. It wasn't forced, or made with the sole purpose of pleasing their parents. It was a real, true smile, conveying the tenderness and love she felt for him deep down.

...She wondered why it took so long to notice just how bright his eyes were.

"Daddy was right," Jessica told him quietly. "You did grow on me."

She kept him in her lap and rocked him to and fro where she sat...It didn't take long for the tiny red mini crewmate to fall asleep again, nodding off with his head rested back against his sister's hands.

"Night-night," she whispered to him, holding him close. "...Can't wait to get to grow up with you."

"Well, wouldja look at that..."

Alan walked into the living room to see Jessica with her little brother asleep in her arms, and he smiled.

"Sorry I didn't come sooner," he said to his daughter as he put her lunch plate down on the couch. "I just wanted to see how you'd handle the situation...You did really well. Even your mother and I have trouble putting him to sleep that quickly sometimes."

"Really?"

"Really...You're gonna be a great big sister, you know that?"

"You think so?" Jessica beamed.

"I just know it," her father nodded, patting her on the head. "...You wanna hand him over to me so we can put him in his crib for a nap? That way your hands won't be too occupied to pick up your sandwich. Heh."

"Actually, could you put my lunch in the fridge please?" she asked him. "I'll eat it a bit later...I just wanna hold him right now."

Alan looked down at the two of them again...Seeing them so close so soon, especially after how skeptical his eldest had been at first, was nothing short of heart warming.

"...Okay," he answered her. "You can keep him."

After he made one more quick trip to the kitchen to put Jessica's sandwich away, he came back and grabbed the TV remote.

"You wanna watch anything while you hold him? He might be asleep like that for a while yet."

She perked up at the idea.

"...Can we put on one of my Blue's Clues tapes?"

"Sure thing, pumpkin," he nodded, heading over to the entertainment center to fetch one of the bright orange VHS tapes and put it in the player...As Alan sat back down on the couch, he looked down at his two children again, happy at just how quickly Jessica had become attached to her brother, and him to her.

...He couldn't wait to see them grow up together either.