"Mal please calm down," Sara begged out to the screaming toddler as she was exhausted and just wanted to get even a few hours of sleep, but the toddler was still screaming and crying.

"Owie! Owie! Owie!" The small girl cried out as she continued to sob and try to chew on her fingers again, but Sara was still refusing to let her do that. "Aw Mal I know it hurts. Shh it's okay," Sara cooed out as she rocked the crying toddler and began to quietly sing a little finally calming the small girl down as her eyes started to close and within a few seconds she was fully out again.

Sara just smiled as she kissed the toddler on her forehead and ran her fingers through the sleeping girl's purple hair just feeling grateful that she still had her. Sara had been terrified when Mal was born. Especially after she had just lost her mom and now she was being handed a tiny and vulnerable creature that relied on her to keep alive. And she also was terrified that this small creature wouldn't make it in their harsh world.

Mal had proved her wrong though as the small girl was still here now. The first few months had been the hardest as Mal was the most vulnerable then, but luckily for her Mal was a fighter.

Before Sara knew it she felt her eyes close as well and within a few seconds she was out as well. Sara was woken up again though when the sun had started to shine through and her grandma had woken up.

Her grandma had been worried when she woke up and hadn't heard any noises as Mal was always up early, so she had gone to check on the toddler and began to panic when she saw Mal's crib was empty.

Mal was an explorer and she loved to get herself into dangerous situations, so seeing the small girl not in her crib and not hearing her was terrifying. The concerned grandma quickly looked around the house looking for the small girl, but didn't see her anywhere causing her to panic more as she quickly made her way to Sara's room.

"Sara!" Sara's grandma screamed out in panic, making Sara immediately jolt awake as she looked at her grandma in concern as her grandma looked completely terrified and it was obvious she was panicking.

"Qué pasó (What happened)?" Sara quickly asked her grandma who took a breath before answering Sara. "No puedo encontrar a Mal (I can't find Mal)!" Sara's grandma quickly told Sara who just moved the covers as she revealed the sleeping toddler that was starting to stir a little.

Sara's grandma just sighed in relief as the toddler opened her eyes and reached towards her as soon as she saw her grandma. "Wita!" The small girl screamed out excitedly as she reached towards her grandma making her smile as she picked up the small toddler and looked at Sara.

"Sara, me asustaste, no vuelvas a hacer eso (Sara you scared me, don't do that again)," Sara's grandma quickly told her, making Sara have to hold back a laugh as she nodded. Mal was technically hers, but her grandma did enjoy acting like she was in charge sometimes.

"Sorry Lita," Sara just told her grandma who nodded as she looked at the toddler and smiled. "Let's go get you a bottle now," Sara's grandma told the small girl who smiled as she clapped her hands as she was starting to feel a little better.

"Yay Baba!" Mal screamed out excitedly making the grandma laugh as she nodded in agreement and left with the toddler. "Wait Lita! Mal is supposed to be off the bottle!" Sara quickly screamed out as she ran after her grandma.

"Mal you know you're not supposed to have the bottle," Sara told the small girl when she ran after her grandma to try and stop her, but was too late as her grandma had already filled up the bottle and given it to the small girl who was sitting on the couch sucking on her bottle and playing on her tablet.

"My baba!" The young girl screamed out as she hugged her bottle close to her, not letting Sara get to it as she then ran off to her room still cuddling with her bottle. Sara just laughed a little as she couldn't help it.

She knew she should be mad at Mal for not listening, but she just couldn't do it. "Lita you know Mal is supposed to be off the bottle now right," Sara tried to tell her grandma who just smiled as she gave Sara a pretend clueless look making Sara laugh as she couldn't be mad at her grandma either.

Her grandma and Mal were the only family she had left at this point and she just couldn't be mad at them. "Okay well then I don't think I'm going to get that bottle back from Mal. Can you please not give her the bottle next time though," Sara told her grandma who laughed making Sara sigh as she knew that was her grandma's way of saying she was still going to do it, but Sara didn't feel like arguing anymore.

"Mal you can come back now I'm not going to take your bottle, but I would like you out here with us," Sara called out to the toddler who carefully opened her door as she very hesitantly made her way out of the room making Sara laugh as she picked up the toddler.

"My baba," Mal quickly told Sara who smiled as she nodded not wanting to start a fight with the tiny tot that was also still teething which meant anything could set her off right now.

"I know Mal. I'm not gonna take your baba," Sara told the toddler who just stared at her trying to determine if Sara was telling the truth or not. "Pomise?" The small girl asked Sara as she held up her pinky making Sara laugh as she connected her pinky with Mal's tiny one.

"I promise Mal now do you want to help me paint again," Sara playfully asked the toddler who smiled and nodded. "Okay great come on let's paint," Sara told the toddler as she sat down at her art station and placed the toddler on her lap.

She then set up the ipad as she put on her favorite live streamer just letting the live stream play while she painted. Sara was brought out of her little trance when her grandma walked over not liking the song that was playing as she liked her older music.

The small girl just watched her big sister and her grandma talk in spanish for a little bit as she still didn't understand it and had no clue what they were talking about, but she didn't like being excluded. "Sawa!" Mal called out making Sara smile as she remembered Mal.

"Aw what's wrong Mal," Sara asked the toddler who reached towards her again as she wanted to dance too like her big sister and grandma. "I wan!" Mal called out making Sara laugh as she realized Mal wanted to join them as she picked up the toddler again.

"You want to dance too," Sara asked the toddler who smiled and nodded making the two adults laugh as they helped the small girl dance too for a little bit until the doorbell rang making Sara quickly go towards the door and pull out her phone when she saw it was Nico again.

"Hey stranger," Sara playfully called out making Nico laugh as he placed a note in the UV sanitation machine making Sara smile as she read the note Nico wrote for her. Nico always knew what to do to make her smile.

Sara gave Nico a fake disappointed look though when she finished reading the note and it mentioned him getting her pencils and he then held them up to her. It was almost impossible to get your hands on anything now even pencils.

"You stole them Nicholas James," Sara playfully asked Nico making him laugh as he knew Sara was just playing around. "How can I steal them when there's no one around but if you don't want them," Nico playfully told Sara playing along with her making Sara laugh as she quickly started protesting as she really wanted the pencils.

Nico just laughed again as he found his girlfriend adorable when she was begging like that for the pencils. "Alright give me a second," Nico told Sara as he placed the pencils in the UV sanitation machine and smiled when he saw Sara's excited face as she held the pencils close to her in happiness.

"Oh my god! I could kiss you right now," Sara told Nico making him smile sadly as he sighed knowing what would probably never happen. "Yeah well someday," Nico told Sara and was about to say something else when the small toddler had heard Nico's voice again and decided to go see what was going on.

"Who you ta to," Mal asked Sara making her laugh again as she picked Mal up so she could be in the view of her phone. "I'm talking to Nico again. Do you want to say hi to Nico," Sara asked the toddler who smiled a little as she waved at the camera. "Hewo Ico!" Mal screamed out in her squeaky voice making Nico laugh as he quickly remembered something.

"Aw hi Mal! I almost forgot, but I got you some stuff," Nico told the small toddler making Mal get excited and making Sara smile again as she loved how much Nico had taken a liking to Mal as Mal was her baby and it was both of them or none of them.

"Weawy! Yay!" The young girl screamed out excitedly making the two adults laugh as Nico placed the box in the UV sanitation machine. "Okay wow you're seriously spoiling her now," Sara playfully told Nico making him laugh.

"Yeah well she doesn't have much anyway. Oh and I got the teethers you've been asking for," Nico told Sara causing her to look at him in shock and excitement as she couldn't believe he really managed to get his hands on some teethers.

"Oh my god you did! I swear you're a life saver!" Sara told her boyfriend excitedly as she continued to look through the box of stuff that Nico had gotten for the toddler. "DWAGIN!" Mal screamed out excitedly at the top of her lungs as she found the purple dragon toy in the box as she immediately grabbed it and ran off with it making Sara and Nico laugh as they watched the happy little girl run off with her new toy.

"Well I would say she likes the dragon," Sara playfully told Nico making him laugh. "Yeah I would say so too," Nico told Sara back making her smile a little as she sat down still with her phone.

"Okay you did not! Nico why!" Sara called out as she looked through the box and found a pack of baby bottles making Nico laugh as he knew Sara would get mad, but he couldn't resist.

"What did I do something wrong," Nico told Sara in his fake clueless voice making her groan as she held up the bottles. "Nico you know I took the bottle away already," Sara told Nico as she was upset because no one seemed to be listening to her.

"I'm pretty sure I just saw her with the bottle, so I would say she still has it," Nico told Sara back making her sigh as she didn't want to be mad at her boyfriend, but she just couldn't help it.

"Lita gave it to her and I'm going to take it away again soon. I am not keeping these bottles in my house," Sara told Nico as she took everything else out of the box and then placed the bottles back in the box as she closed it and then stuck it through the sanitation machine making Nico laugh as he knew Sara was going to do that, but he still thought it would be funny to mess with her.

"Okay it's not funny. I'm serious," Sara told her boyfriend, making him laugh again as he couldn't help it. "I know I was just messing with you. I wasn't actually expecting you to take them. I just wanted to see your reaction," Nico playfully told Sara making her roll her roll her eyes.

"Okay well never do that again," Sara told Nico, making him laugh as he nodded. "Got it anyway moving on. The way I figure, by the time I'm 87 and you're, what is it 84, we should have enough put away to buy passes and get out of the city," Nico told Sara, making her shake her head and playfully roll her eyes as she didn't like all the fake hope.

"Shut up," Sara playfully told Nico, making Nico sigh as he wasn't joking anymore. "I'm serious. It's a dream," Nico told Sara who nodded sadly as she didn't see that ever happening, but she did still have a small amount of hope.

"Sawa aw you siw ta to ico," the small girl asked Sara as she ran back over still clinging to her new dragon toy. "I am yes," Sara told the toddler, making her jump up and down excitedly as she ran to Sara who picked her up and placed her on her lap.

"Ico! I wob my dwagin! Hew na Sawbewy!" The small girl excitedly told Nico making him laugh as he loved seeing the little girl so happy especially when it was due to him.

"Aw well I'm glad that you love the dragon. And I think Strawbery is an awesome name Mal ... Oh sh*t Lester's calling," Nico quickly called out making Mal giggle while Sara pointed at the toddler.

"Nico language toddler!" Sara told Nico, making him laugh as he couldn't help it. He found Sara's protective mother attitude to be adorable. "I know sorry I forgot. I'm gonna add him in otherwise I won't be able to get you anymore stuff," Nico playfully told his girlfriend, making the toddler giggle again while Sara smiled a little too as she couldn't help it.

She just couldn't stay mad at her boyfriend. "What's up boss," Nico playfully told Lester, his boss making his boss get upset as Nico was always playing around and rarely doing his job especially ever since he met Sara as Nico just wanted to talk to Sara all day and not do his drop offs.

"What the hell are you doing? Don't you have somewhere to be?" Lester told Nico in frustration as this was one of his important clients that always paid the most. "I'm on it. Say hi to Sara and Mal," Nico playfully told Lestor making Sara smile a little while Mal started waving.

"Hey Lester," Sara told the older adult, making Mal laugh as she joined in wanting to be like Sara. "Hey Wesew," the small girl called out, making Sara laugh as she hugged Mal closer.

"Stop distracting my best courier," Lester told Sara, making Nico laugh as he had heard that too. "Whoa, wait. Did you say best courier," Nico quickly asked Lester knowing he caught him off guard causing Lester to quickly try and change the subject as he didn't like to admit that he cared about Nico.

"Slip of the tongue. Now get going and stop playing family! You can play family after you finish your job," Lester quickly told Nico as he hung up making Nico sigh as he knew he needed to go otherwise he would get in trouble.

"Well you heard the man. I gotta get going. I'll call you tonight," Nico told Sara who laughed. "I don't know, I think I'll have to check my busy schedule," Sara playfully told Nico, making him laugh as they both hung up.

"Sawa pway now!" Mal screamed out as she shook Sara who had put her head down in her knees as she was exhausted from staying up all night with Mal. "Nope but you know what time it is," Sara playfully asked the toddler who looked at her in confusion making Sara laugh as she picked up the toddler and placed her in her crib.

"It's nap time," Sara told the toddler who immediately shook her head no as she tried to get out of the crib, but Sara placed her back in. "No! No nap!" Mal screamed out making Sara sigh as she just wanted to sleep again.

"Yes nap," Sara told the toddler who shook her head no again. "No nap!" Mal screamed out. "Yes nap. Mal you need to take a nap," Sara told the toddler who shook her head no as she started crying again.

"Okay fine Mal how about this we watch some Dragon Tales on the tablet and we have a quiet time instead how does that sound," Sara told the toddler who nodded as she reached towards Sara who smiled knowing she was going to win as Mal was going to be out within minutes anyway.

"Alright come on let's go watch some tv. Oh and here this will help with your gums," Sara told the toddler as she remembered the teether as she handed it to Mal who immediately started chewing on it and smiled as she felt the relief from the toy.

"That's better huh," Sara asked the toddler who sleepily nodded as she laid her head down on Sara as she just enjoyed watching her favorite show with one hand around her new dragon and the other holding onto the new teether.

Sara just smiled as she ran her fingers through the toddler's hair just enjoying her time with her and not realizing that within a few hours her whole life was going to change again.