To Love Is to Love Unconditionally

*9 Months Later*

Ever since Cecelia was born Danny really tried to clean up. Honestly, he did. He put an end the drugs and late night parties and tried to lay off drinking as best he could. Unfortunately, it's a tremendously hard thing to quit completely, especially when you get little to no sleep every night.

Ben had been patient. He changed soiled diapers, rocked Cecelia to sleep and even didn't mind the drool and throw-up that constantly found it's way on to his shirts. Cecelia was his baby girl and nothing could change that.

Ben, unlike his husband, hadn't touched a single alcoholic beverage since Cecelia was born. It was, after all, hard to find time to do anything when you had to be a father to your infant baby.

When it came to their child, Danny really didn't do much. He wasn't out partying or getting smashed, but, if Cecelia cried, Ben handled it. If Cecelia needed to be fed, Ben did it. She needed to be changed? Ben's job. He usually watched T.V. or lazed around the house. Of course, Asking Alexandria had been put on a hiatus, at least until Cecelia was old enough to be left with a baby-sitter for extended periods of time.

Even if the band was taking a break, it didn't mean they didn't see each other. The other members would be over every weekend helping Ben with Cecelia and doing odds and ends that didn't seem to get done.

Of everyone in the band (besides Ben and Danny, of course) Cecelia seemed to take a liking to James the best. When Ben needed a break or had errands to run, James was always called first. Cecelia and James just clicked. She could fall asleep on his chest faster than she could in her own crib. It really was fascinating.

Cecelia had been a quick learner, as far as her infant years. She was crawling by 5 months, walking by 7. So far, though, she hadn't actually talked. Of course she had babbled and made weird little baby noises, but she hadn't truly talked.

No one knew what her first word was going to be. Typically a child's first words are Mama, because the sound pattern is easier to repeat and by then most children have already learned the 'm' sound. The problem was in the Worsnop-Bruce household there was no 'Mama'.

It was decided that Ben was the 'Dada' or 'Dad' and Danny would be the 'Papa' since they didn't wanted it to be confusing.

Tonight, for the first time in months Ben and Danny were enjoying some alone time together. Recently, Danny had been more hostile towards the band and his daughter, and Ben suspected it was because Danny was feeling neglected. So Danny and Ben arranged a date for tonight at a posh restaurant in town.

James, of course, was left to watch Cecelia.

Cecelia was snuggled on James chest, wrapped in a baby blanket. Underneath she wore a black onesie with guitars all over it. The front read 'My Daddy Is A Rockstar' James couldn't help but laugh when he saw that.

He was watching a movie on the television when Cecelia started making noises. James looked down at her. She blinked her big blue eyes and continued to babble aimlessly.

"Are you hungry, Peep? Sleepy? Stinky?" James questioned, using his nickname for her, and lifting up the baby to smell her diaper. "Nope, all good. So what's the matter?"

Cecelia giggled and said "Dada!"

James did a double-take. When she repeated herself, he whipped out his cellphone to call Ben.

At the restaurant, Ben and Danny both looked fancy. Danny wore all black: dress shirt, tie, shoes, and slacks. While Ben wore a black dress shirt with black slacks and shoes, and a white tie. They were having an intimate conversation over dinner when Ben's phone began to ring. Danny looked at Ben quizzically when Ben answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Ben." James answered.

"James? Why are you calling? Oh my god! What happened?! Tell me!" Ben began to panic as his brain began to list all the reasons why James would call, most of them ending badly. Danny looked slightly put-off by the fact James was calling,

"Well, nothing...I mean something did happen, but...." James trailed off.

Ben growled in frustration. "James, I swear to fucking god..."

"Peep talked!" James squealed like a fangirl. Ben stopped then smiled ear to ear.

"Really!? Oh, what did she say?!" Ben's voice also got a few octaves higher. Danny twirled his pasta around his fork, getting little information from the one side of the converstion he could hear.

"Dada!" James revealed. "She said Dada!"

"Oh, that's awesome." Ben grinned like a child on Christmas. They said their 'goodbyes' and Ben hung up.

"What's the good news?" Danny questioned keeping his eyes focused on his food.

"C said her first word!"

"Really?" Danny looked up at Ben, who was smiling like and idiot. "What'd she say?"

"She, uh, said 'Dada'." Ben replied.

"Really?!" Danny smiled slightly.

"Yeah."

"Amazing." Danny chuckled.