I Know It Breaks Your Heart

Emily laughed at Zacky's whining, turning away from him to start up the stairs. She was a little surprised to feel Zacky's hands on her hips but she laughed, playfully swatting his hands away. If she didn't have to get up quite so early she might have suggested another round but she knew she would regret it in the morning if she did. So she just crawled into bed, letting Zacky pull her close. It had been years since she'd shared a bed with anyone besides Maddy. Hell, the last person besides Maddy she'd shared a bed with had been Zacky. And there was a stark difference between sleeping next to a squirming toddler and sleeping next to the man she'd been in love with since she was sixteen.

The next morning when her alarm went off, Emily was admittedly thinking about hitting the snooze button. She would love to lay here in bed with Zacky but she knew she needed to get up if she didn't want to rush picking Maddy up from the sitter. "Zack, I need to get up," Emily laughed. She felt him tighten his grip on her waist and she turned in his arms, trying to break his grip. Hearing his continued pleading, she sighed playfully. "Five more minutes, not a second more," she said turning again until she faced him. "Otherwise I'll be late."

Emily leaned in to give Zacky a soft kiss. She knew she should've told him no but she couldn't turn down a few more peaceful minutes in bed with him. With a toddler to deal with, their life together wouldn't be as peaceful as it had been before. But it would be worth it as long as they could be a family. When she was sure it had been at least five minutes, Emily pulled away from Zacky, smiling softly. "I really need to get out of bed," she said. She gave him another kiss before she reluctantly climbing out of bed, padding down the hall to her bedroom so she could change. Once she had more appropriate clothing on, Emily went back to the master bedroom, going over to sit on the edge of the bed. "I'm going to go now," she said. "I'll be back in twenty minutes."

"Five minutes, two seconds more," Zacky murmured against her neck, a little smirk settling on his features. He was damn sure messing around with Emily and she knew that. He knew that she knew that btu that didn't mean he was ever going to stop messing with her. It had always been part of their relationship, teasing each other. Back and forth. It had happened on more than one occasion that someone thought their 'bickering' was serious and would be all concerned, only to find out that they were dead wrong when the couple burst into laughter a few moments later.

Sinking back into slumber, it seemed like it had just been a few moments before Emily was pulling away from him. Zacky whined, loosening his grip around her as he tried to remind himself that he couldn't just keep Emily here for the rest of the morning. Even if that was exactly what he wanted to do. They had a little girl that they had to think about as well. Zacky was going to put Maddy above himself, above his work, above just about everything in his life because that was what you did as a parent. There was no thinking about it for Zacky.

Zacky sighed, climbing out of bed once Emily had left the house. He trudged downstairs, not sure whether Maddy had gotten the chance to eat breakfast or not but he could at least put something together for him and Emily. Then they could tell Maddy the truth about who Zacky was, he thought. The more time that passed, the more nervous that Zacky had to admit he was. Emily had assured him that Maddy would be happy about the news but what if she wasn't? THe chance however minimal, it was still there.

The drive to the sitter's house was short, barely fifteen minutes, and when Emily arrived, Maddy was wide awake and sitting on Abbey's couch, watching cartoons. "Hey," Emily greeted, stepping into the house. She looked over at Abbey. "Thanks for keeping her. She wasn't too much trouble, was she?" Abbey shook her head and Emily reached into her purse, pulling out the money she owed Abbey. She paid her a bit more to keep Maddy overnight so her night with Zacky was costing her a hundred dollars. But she wouldn't be telling him that. It was worth it, anyway. "You ready to go, baby?" Emily asked, looking over at Maddy. "Maybe when we get home I can make us some pancakes."

Maddy nodded excitedly, jumping down from the couch. "Say goodbye to miss Abbey," Emily said. Maddy gave Abbey a hug and Emily guided her out the door to the car. She was nervous as she drove back to Zacky's house. She knew the chances of Maddy taking the news badly were slim but Emily was still worried. She was ready for them to be a family again and if Maddy rejected Zacky as her father, that wouldn't happen. But Maddy loved Zacky already so Emily didn't think that would happen.

"I want chocolate chips in my pancake!" Maddy exclaimed as Emily let her into the house. "With a smiley face!"

"Okay, okay," Emily laughed. As they entered the kitchen she noticed that Zacky was already in the kitchen, standing at the stove. "Looks like Mr. Zack has already started on breakfast. Why don't you see if he'll make you a chocolate chip pancake?" While Zacky finished cooking, Emily went ahead and got the plates out and some glasses as well. "You want milk to go with your pancake, baby?" she asked Maddy. The toddler nodded and Emily looked to Zacky. "What about you?"

Zacky already had nearly finished the pancakes by the time that Emily and Maddy arrived back. Glancing up, he broke out into a smile when they appeared through the threshold of the kitchen. "Morning, princess," Zacky teased the little girl, raising an eyebrow when she began asking for chocolate chips in hers. "Well, I don't know if I have any but I do, they're all yours, okay?" Zacky said, offering her another smile before he turned toward his baking cupboard. There wasn't a whole lot in there but in the very back, there was the remainder of a bag of chocolate chips from the last time he had made cookies. He couldn't remember when that was so it had clearly been awhile and it wouldn't matter if he used the chips up or not.

"Orange juice, please," Zacky answered Emily. He'd always been an orange juice guy, he had no clue why but it was what he loved. Painstakingly arranging the chocolate chips into a smile after pouring batter into the pan, Zacky triumphantly flipped it over once it was finished cooking. "Aha! Can't say I've ever done that before so I guess I win this round!" Zacky was smiling from ear to ear now, a bit too excited over the task he'd just accomplished.

Zacky carried the food over to the dining room table,plopping down into his usuall spot at the head of the table. During meetings and meals alike, Zacky sat at the head wherever he went. It wasn't even a question for him, any longer. He cleared his throat, glancing toward Maddy. "Did you have fun last night? What'd you do, princess?"

Emily made a face when Zacky told her he wanted orange juice. She'd never understood his fascination with orange juice. It didn't even pair well with pancakes. But then again, Emily never really cared for orange juice to begin with. She poured Maddy a glass of milk and Zacky a glass of orange juice, setting the glasses on the counter before she pulled plates from the cabinet. She looked over at Zacky with a smile, thinking it was downright adorable how excited he was that he'd been able to flip over a pancake. When Zacky started to plate the food, Emily ushered Maddy to the table, helping her up into the chair and handing her a napkin. "Make sure you tell Mr. Zack thank you for cooking us breakfast, okay?" Emily whispered to her and the toddler nodded excitedly.

Emily was admittedly a bit nervous as Zacky joined them at the table. She knew the chances that Maddy would take the news that Zacky was her father badly were slim, but Maddy was a toddler and toddlers were known for being unpredictable. Hell, the other day Maddy threw a fit because Emily gave her a green cup instead of a blue one. "Me and Miss Abbey played a match game and drew pictures!" Maddy exclaimed. "And she made me mac and cheese and chicken nuggets, they were good," she added, nodding. "I drawed you and Mommy pictures but I left them on accident."

"We can get them next time, I'm sure Miss Abbey will keep them safe for you," Emily said, smiling. She looked over at Zacky, catching his eye for a short second before she turned back to Maddy. There was no use in putting this off any longer. "Maddy, me and Mr. Zack have something very...important to tell you," Emily started. Maddy looked confused by the sudden change in Emily's demeanor. "Baby, Mr. Zack is uh, he's your daddy."

"My daddy?" Maddy repeated. She shook her head, although she still looked very confused. "But I thought I didn't have a daddy."

"Everybody has a daddy," Emily explained. She sighed. "I know this is probably very confusing for you, baby. But Mr. Zack is your daddy and he loves you, just like Mommy does. Okay?"

Zacky smiled when Maddy thanked him for making breakfast. He had always been a provider, he liked knowing the people he cared for could rely on him. Back when he had been with Emily while they were teenagers, he hadn't exactly been able to provide her much of anything at all. That was what had gotten him into the mess of Emily leaving him to begin with, his desire to provide and do everything he could to make those around him happy. He was just happy that this wasn't going to be the last time that he cooked them all breakfast or got to spend time with them as a family. Because after everything they had been through, that was all they deserved.

When Emily caught his eye, Zacky's stomach dropped. He gave a tiny nod of his head before taking a deep breathe. He had executed people before, given the order for it to be done, ordered various things that would be deemed 'evil' by others and still, none of that had had this affect on him. Swallowing around the lump that had formed in his throat as Emily told Maddy their big news, Zacky's eyes drifted to Maddy to gauge her reaction.

Confusion wasn't exactly what he had been going after but it was still better than her being angry or upset. Zacky took a deep breathe, turning toward Maddy. "Some... things happened and that meant I couldn't be with you and Mommy when you were super little but we're going to be a family together now, okay? You and Mommy are going to move in with me and live here." Zacky had intended on telling her about the planned trip to Disney Land but he didn't want to overwhelm her more than they already seemed to be.

Maddy still seemed a little confused by Zacky's explanation but she perked up a bit when he mentioned that she and Emily would be moving in with Zacky permanently. "We move in here?" she asked. She nodded. "Okay, good. I like it here. Your house is pretty, Mr. Zack."

Emily smiled. She was glad to see that Maddy was taking the news well. She knew it would take a little time before she got used to the idea of Zacky being her father but things would be alright. They would be a family. "You don't have to call him Mr. Zack anymore, baby," Emily said "You can call him Daddy if you want. So why don't you go give your Daddy a hug and thank him again for making us this nice breakfast?" Emily knew it wasn't really necessary for Maddy to thank Zacky again. She just wanted to see her wrap her little arms around Zacky's neck and hear her call him Daddy. She felt awful that she'd robbed her daughter of so many years with her father because she knew Zacky would be an amazing one.

Maddy nodded at Emily's suggestion, slipping out of her chair. She padded me over to Zacky, holding out her arms for him to lift her into his lap. Emily smiled as she watched Maddy wrap her arms around Zacky's shoulders. "Thank you for my pancake, Daddy!" she exclaimed. She looked up at Emily. "Oh no, Mommy is crying!"

"It's okay, baby, they're happy tears," Emily assured her. She wiped at her eyes. She was a little embarrassed that she'd started crying but seeing Maddy with Zacky just made her so happy. "Alright, hurry up and finish your breakfast," Emily said. "And then maybe we can go outside and play."

Zacky let out a relieved laugh when Maddy declared that his house was pretty. He'd still been a little apprehensive, afraid that she might not take this so well. He swallowed, running a hand through his hair as his shoulders sagged. Zacky stuffed a mouthful of his pancake into his mouth, looking up when Maddy slid from her chair. Pushing back his chair, Zacky's face broke into a wide grin as he lifted her up and into his lap. Wrapping an arm around her, Zacky tightened his grip on her. It felt so good to hold her and love her, to know that he would be the father that she deserved to know. That she deserved to protect her, to teach her, to provide for her.

"You're welcome, princess," Zacky murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "THere's plenty more of them where that comes from, too," he said, turning Maddy around so she was now sitting in his lap.

Zacky ruffled her hair for a moment, glancing up to Emily with a raised brow. "Why don't you ask your Mom if we can go to the beach? Or we can always go down to the bowling alley or something as well, if you want to do that instead..." Zacky trailed off, already deciding that he didn't want them to be cooped up inside for the rest of the day. They had so much time to make up for, what was the point in waiting around to start?

At the mention of the beach, Maddy instantly perked up. "Ooh, the beach, the beach!" she shouted, bouncing a little on Zacky's lap. "Mommy, I wanna go to the beach! Can we, please? Please?"

"If that's what you want, baby," Emily said, laughing. "Finish your breakfast and we'll start getting ready, okay?" Maddy nodded excitedly, practically inhaling what was left of her pancake. She slipped down out of Zacky's lap and ran over to Emily, grabbing her hand and tugging on it. "Alright, alright, calm down," Emily said. "Go on upstairs. I'll be there in a minute." Maddy eagerly headed upstairs and Emily pushed to her feet, taking their two plates over to the sink. "As a fair warning for the future, try not to mention the beach if you don't want to go. Because that's always where Maddy wants to go when you give her the option. Always." Emily leaned down to give Zacky a kiss on the cheek before she followed Maddy upstairs, finding her waiting obediently in the bedroom she and Emily shared.

"Come here, silly girl, let's get your bathing suit on," Emily said. She pulled out her own bikini and tossed it onto the bed before pulling out Maddy's. She dressed the toddler and placed her back on the bed before she went into the bathroom to change into her own bikini. "Alright, you ready?" Emily asked. Maddy nodded. "Let me grab my cover up and we'll see if Mr. Zack...I mean, your Daddy, is ready." Emily pulled on her cover-up and then led Maddy downstairs, the toddler instantly shouting out for Zack.

"We're ready to go!" she yelled. "Hurry up and put on your bathing suit so we can go to the beach!"

Zacky's eyes widened slightly when Maddy jumped at the opportunity to go to the beach. While he had fully expected for her to be excited, what kid wouldn't be excited to go to the beach? He simply hadn't been expecting her to be that excited. Jutting his bottom lip out, Zacky let out a hum of approval as Maddy all but shoved the food down her throat. He couldn't help but let out a small laugh. She certainly was his daughter, there was no doubt about that.

Clearing his throat, Zacky helped her down before watching the little girl scamper over to her mother. Zacky grinned, raising an eyebrow when Emily told her to head upstairs. Zacky couldn't help but laugh, shrugging his shoulders when Emily gave him a warning about his offer. "Seems like she must be my daughter then, hm?" Zacky asked, leaning up to press a quick kiss to Emily's lips before she headed up the stairs after Maddy. Zacky lingered downstairs just long enough to set the dishes in the sink before heading to his bedroom where he changed into his swim trunks. He didn't bother to toss on a shirt since they were a few minutes from the beach, Zacky thought it was pointless.

Zacky paused by the upstairs linen closet before grabbing a towel for each of them. "Maybe if you behave real good, we might even be able to get a milkshake before we come home. How does that sound?" Zacky asked, leaning down to pick Maddy up. He set her on his hip, leading the way outside. "Do you have some beach toys? Buckets? Shovels? We have to build a sandcastle, right?" Zacky asked, his attention focused on Maddy now. "Maybe once you're a little older, I can even show you how to surf?"

Emily opened her mouth to tell Maddy to be patient but before she could, Zacky was speaking and then he lifted Maddy into his arms and all Emily could do was smile. It absolutely melted her heart to see Zacky with Maddy like this. She felt so awful for taking the opportunity to be a father away from him because he was already proving that he was an amazing dad. "We have a few beach toys but they're all back at the apartment," Emily said. When they'd left due to the fumigation, Emily had obviously been expecting to return soon, so most of their things had been left behind. Packing up all of those things was an arduous task she was hardly looking forward to, but it would be worth it to live here with Zacky and feel like a family.

Taking Maddy from Zacky, Emily carried the toddler outside. Realizing that Zacky would likely want to take his vehicle, she grabbed Maddy's carseat from her car and went about strapping it into Zacky's. Behind her, Maddy was urging her to hurry and Emily turned to the little girl with a grin. "Okay, silly girl, let's get in your carseat and then we can go," she said. She lifted Maddy and put her into the carseat, making sure to carefully buckle her in before she went around to climb into the passenger seat. "We'll have to get her some sunscreen when we stop to get her toys," Emily told Zacky. "She's pale like me, she burns easily. And I don't feel like listening to her complain because she's sunburnt."

As they drove to the little dollar store near the beach, Emily couldn't resist reaching over to hold Zacky's hand over the console. It still hadn't really sunk in that they were finally going to be a family and sometimes Emily just needed to remind herself of that. When they pulled into the dollar store, Maddy instantly started struggling against her buckles, wanting out. "No baby, you stay there, we're not at the beach yet," Emily said. "You stay in the car with your Daddy, Mommy's going to run in and grab you some sunscreen and a couple of beach toys."

Zacky thought absolutely nothing of it when Emily mentioned the beach toys back at the apartment. He could just replace them and buy Maddy a few more if the little girl wanted. He saw no problem in it, Zacky was a wealthy man to put it nicely. He would never worry about money again and neither would his daughter, neither would Emily. He would provide for them both, Maddy would never want for anything ever again. If there was a new toy that she wanted or if there was a pair of shoes she wanted or... it didn't matter. Zacky would move mountains for his little girl and he was sure that Emily already knew that. It was just a matter of him being able to prove it to Maddy now.

Nodding when Emily mentioned sunscreen, Zacky glanced back at Maddy. He bit his lip, a little smirk settling on his features as he glanced back toward Emily. "She needs sunblock? Are you sure she's mine? Us Italians..." he trailed off, unable to contain his laugh. He'd had something snarky to say but he realized it might not be the best thing to joke about right now, what with them just being able to be together again after so many years apart. "We tan. We don't burn!"

Lifting his hips, Zacky produced his wallet. He pulled out one of his credit cards, offering it to Emily while telling her the pin number on it. He twisted in his seat, reaching out to tickle Maddy's tummy. "Come on, silly girl. You have to be good if you want to get a milkshake after the beach!" Zacky declared, his grin only growing when Maddy seemed to realize the supposed severity of the situation. "I promise you can get the biggest milkshake we can find if you're good, okay?"

Emily rolled her eyes playfully when Zacky reminded her that he tended to tan rather than burn. She'd always been a bit jealous of how he could spend the day in the sun without sunscreen and walk away with a very nice tan. Without sunscreen, Emily always burned, without fail. She'd always put sunscreen on Maddy just to be safe, since her skin was still so sensitive, but Emily wouldn't be surprised if the toddler was like Zacky when it came to the sun. Emily smiled at Zacky as she took his credit card, tucking it against her palm as she walked into the dollar store. She headed to the back of the store, grabbing a small tube of sunscreen and little pail and shovel that Maddy could play with. She also decided to grab a pack of juice for Maddy and water for her and Zacky, as well as a box of fruit snacks.

Emily took a few seconds to toss the drinks and bag into the backseat next to Maddy's carseat before she climbed into the passenger seat. "Alright, let's get a move on," she teased, reaching over to poke Zacky. She buckled her seatbelt, twisting in her seat to look at Maddy as Zacky headed towards the beach. "You'll have to see if your Daddy will help you build a sandcastle," Emily said. Maddy nodded eagerly, gripping the beach pail to her chest. Building sandcastles was Maddy's absolute favorite thing to do at the beach and with how attached she'd grown to Zacky so quickly, Emily had no doubt she would have fun having Zacky help her. It would be a chance for Maddy and Zacky to bond as father and daughter.

Once they arrived at the beach, while Zacky paid for their parking, Emily pulled Maddy out of her carseat and started applying her sunscreen. Almost as soon as Emily had finished, Maddy moved to head towards the beach but Emily called her back. "Where exactly do you think you're going?" she asked. "You know you're not supposed to run off by yourself. Wait for Daddy." Emily shouldered the bag with the drinks and snacks, keeping a hold on Maddy's hand until Zacky reappeared. Maddy happily took Zacky's hand in her other hand, practically dragging him and Emily across the sand until she found a spot that was to her liking.

"Help me build a castle!" Maddy shouted, looking up at Zacky.

Zacky turned in his seat, a little grin growing on his features as Emily left to head into the dollar store. "So, what do you think about learning how to surf some time soon, hm?" He asked, tilting his head to the side as he reached out to ruffle Maddy's hair. He couldn't help but laugh when she squealed and smacked away his hand. Though she was immediately agreeing, deciding that it would be fun to try with a bit of encouragement from him. Zacky settled back into his seat just as Emily returned with a bag in hand. He didn't bother to try to hide his little satisfied grin as he started the short trip to the beach.

"So..." Zacky trailed off, trying to remain as angelic as possible as he spoke. "Maddy wants to learn how to surf!" He spit out hurriedly, deciding that it was the best way to go about the situation. Certainly Emily wouldn't argue about it with Maddy right here... and it wasn't like Zacky would go take her on expert barrels to teach her. They would work up to that if Maddy was interested in it. He glanced toward Emily, biting on the inside of his lip.

"We can at least see how she likes it, I think," Zacky said as they pulled up to the parking spot by the beach. He climbed out and ran over to the payment machine, returning to drop the receipt on the dashboard. Laughing as Maddy grabbed his hand, Zacky was quick to lock the door as he followed after her. "Sure thing, kiddo. Let me go get a bucket of water, okay?" Zacky said, plucking the bucket from the sand where she had dropped it.

Zacky dropped to his knees in front of her, beginning to build the castle with her.

The tone in Zacky's voice as he started to speak to her told Emily he was probably going to say something she wouldn't really like. He'd always done that, used that innocent tone of voice to get what he wanted. And the sad fact was, it usually tended to work. Emily had never been able to resist Zacky when he used his puppy dog eyes on her. "Maddy wants to learn how to surf?" Emily repeated. She raised an eyebrow, meeting Maddy's gaze in the rearview mirror. The toddler nodded excitedly. "We'll have to see, I guess," she said. The thought of putting Maddy on a surfboard made her a little nervous. But Zacky was a decent surfer and Emily knew he wouldn't let anything happen to Maddy.

While Maddy and Zacky started on their sandcastle, Emily chose a spot in the sand nearby and spread out her towel, taking a seat. This was usually what she did when she brought Maddy to the beach, just sat and watched her little girl play in the sand and surf. And now that Zacky was here with them, it was even better. There was just something about watching him with their little girl that warmed her heart. Maddy was almost identical to Emily in that she knew exactly how she wanted certain things to be done and building her sandcastle was one of those things. And Zacky seemed more than happy to oblige the toddler, following the directions she gave him. And just like every other time, as soon as the sandcastle was finished, Maddy came over to Emily, dragging her over by the hand because she insisted that Emily see the sandcastle up close.

"It's beautiful, baby," Emily said. "You and Daddy did a good job." Maddy smiled, obviously proud of herself. "You want to go swimming now?" Maddy nodded excitedly, following Emily over to where she'd left the bag so Emily could put on her sunscreen and puddle jumper. Once she'd finished, Emily leaned in close to Maddy with a grin. "Why don't you see if you can splash your Daddy?" she whispered. "But be really sneaky about it, okay?"

"Well, yeah," Zacky said, nodding his head to solidify what he was about to say before he even spoke. "We wouldn't get into it yet. Not until Maddy is a stronger swimmer. Not until she has a healthy respect for the ocean and the danger that can lend itself out there," he said, becoming a bit more serious than he just had been. And he meant every word he said, even if Maddy wanted to start learning on this trip to the beach, it simply wasn't going to happen. He just wanted to make sure that Maddy would be able to be safe so that she could enjoy herself properly. He looked in the rearview mirror for a moment to see Maddy pouting slightly. "I promise we'll start, baby. I didn't even start surfing until I was almost twenty years old. So you have plenty of time to learn and I promise, we'll get to it."

Once they finished the sandcastle, Zacky wasn't the least bit surprised when she ran off to pull Emily toward the sandcastle. Zacky looked up to her, a bright smile on his face as he watched her survey the scene in front of him. By the time Emily and Maddy had waded into the ocean, he was already in the water. He turned toward them, moving toward them as they approached. A wide smile broke out on his features, only for a look of shock to wash over his features when Maddy splashed him out of no where. His eyes narrowed as he turned toward Emily. "I bet that was all you.. wasn't it?" He asked, his eyes narrowing accusingly.

Zacky reached forward, scooping Maddy into his arms before lifting her up, onto his shoulders. He smirked as he lowered himself to his knees so that he could give Maddy more contact with the water. "Let's get mommy!" Zacky cried, inching toward Emily with a a growing smirk.

Maddy giggled as Emily carried her into the ocean, keeping her eyes on Zacky as they moved towards him. He came forward to meet them as Emily waded a bit further into the water and as soon as they were close enough, she splashed him. Zacky's shocked reaction was enough to earn a laugh from both Maddy and Emily. Maddy, in particular, seemed especially pleased that she'd managed to splash Zacky, even more so when he turned the blame on Emily. "Hey, I didn't do anything!" Emily shouted, grinning as Zacky scooped up Maddy. The toddler kicked her legs as Zacky lowered her into the water, nodding excitedly when Zacky shouted.

"I see how it is," Emily said, starting to back away. She couldn't exactly move quickly with the current pushing and pulling her but she wasn't really trying to get away. "So eager to turn on Mommy. But that's okay, I'll remember this." She kept the smile on her face as Zacky inched closer and closer, Maddy growing giddier with each step. But just before she could splash Emily, a large wave knocked them all over, Emily sputtering on the salt water as she thrust her head above the water. She had a moment of panic when she realized she didn't have Maddy but then she remembered that Zacky did. "Hey baby, it's okay, it's okay, just a little water," Emily said, reaching out to take the toddler from Zacky. "Come on, let's go dry you off, okay?" She shot Zacky an apologetic look as she started back towards the shore.

"You know, I bet if you ask your Daddy really nicely, he might take you to that snow cone stand down there," Emily said, pointing a little ways down the beach. Maddy asked her for a snow cone almost every time they came to the beach. The toddler nodded excitedly, now in a much better mood than she had been when they'd been knocked over by the wave.

As soon as Zacky had reached the shore, Maddy ran towards him, tugging on his swim trunks. "Daddy, I want a snow cone!" she shouted. "Pleeeeeeeaaasssseeee?"

Zacky had felt fear plenty of times before, sure, but he was certain that he had never felt anything quite like the wave of fear that had washed over him just as the water knocked him off of his feet. His grip tightened on Maddy's legs, pulling her down to cradle her against his chest as he straightened back up in the water. There was nothing that could rip her from his grip, not at this point. He was terrified right down to his core, at the thought of Maddy getting hurt because he wasn't responsible enough and careful enough with her.

"You're okay, you're okay, baby," Zacky was speaking, reaching up to push Maddy's hair out of her face. He was admittedly a bit put off when Emily took her from his arms but he didn't argue it when Maddy reached out to her mother. Zacky dragged himself up the beach, dropping down onto the towel that they had laid out for him earlier.

Zacky bit back a groan when Maddy immediately began to beg for a snow cone. He knew damn well that he couldn't say no to her, not even on a good day. Scooping Maddy up into his arms, he gave Emily a pointed look as they passed by her. He couldn't help but grin after they'd passed, looking down to Maddy as they finally got into the short line at the snowcone stand. "What flavor do you want, princess?" HE asked, raising an eyebrow.

As soon as Maddy stated to ask for a snowcone, Emily knew Zacky would give in. For the short time he'd been in the toddler's life, even before she knew he was her father, Maddy had always had Zacky wrapped around her finger. She was a little confused by the look she received when Zacky passed her to carry Maddy over to the nearby snowcone stand. To her, it almost seemed like he was a little irritated with her and the only thing she could think that it might have something to do with is how she'd taken Maddy from Zacky after they'd been knocked over by the wave. She followed the two of them over to the snowcone stand, stepping up just in time to hear Maddy tell Zacky what flavor snowcone she wanted.

"Cotton candy!" the toddler shouted, bouncing in Zacky's arms. "Cotton candy is my favorite."

"Cotton candy is a good choice, baby girl," Emily said, smiling softly as she slipped her arm around Zacky's waist. After Zacky ordered Maddy's snowcone, Emily ordered one for herself. She directed Maddy over to one of the picnic tables nearby, helping her up onto the bench. "After you finish your snowcone we're going to go home, okay?" Emily said. Maddy made a face and opened her mouth to say something but Emily stopped her. "No arguing. It's almost four o'clock which means Mommy will need to start on supper soon. And you'll need a bath. This won't be the last time we come to the beach, I promise. Now eat the snowcone your Daddy was nice enough to buy for you."

Zacky shifted Maddy in his arms so he could support her with one arm, moving to wrap his other arm around Emily's shoulders. He ordered Maddy's snowcone. He fell silent to let Emily order while he eyed the menu in front of him. There were so many flavours that he could never quite decide what he was in the mood for. It was a hit or miss whether his choice would hit the spot properly or not. Clearing his throat once Emily had ordered, Zacky leaned forward to order a black cherry snowcone. He paid the girl, only untangling himself from Emily when the woman offered Emily her snowcone.

Thanking her, Zacky turned and followed Emily over to the picnic tables nearby. He balanced his snowcone in one hand, lowering himself so that Maddy could clamber onto the table to sit down. "How about we start coming once a week? As long as you behave, I promise we'll come every Tuesday, okay?" Zacky offered, reaching out to ruffle her hair. His grin grew a bit. "But. You have to behave. Deal?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Zacky had picked Tuesdays because they'd be less busy than later in the week. Mondays were usually recovery days for him, weekends tended to be more stressful because people partied Friday through Sunday. He wasn't above handling situations himself so there were times when he was sore or in pain. Or he'd been plain stressed out because people were a lot stupider than he ever wanted to give them credit for. Tuesday would be a good stress free day.