A/N: Hey everyone! This is meant to be a companion piece to "Losing My Grip". This fic will be a series of stories about Mally Stokes growing up and her relationship with her father. I hope this will give a little more insight into their past together. I will probably jump around a lot with her age. I hope you enjoy! Please review!

Nick Stokes had a four year old Mally by the hand as he lead her outside to the backyard, a softball in the other hand. The hot Nevada sun had actually taken a break for the day, the temperature bearable in mid-spring, a light breeze swaying the branches of the trees. Young Mally was ready for action, her dark brown slightly curly hair up in matching pigtails, with jean shorts and a light pink t-shirt on.

"Alright Mally." Nick started as he lead her to an open part of the lawn. When he had her positioned, he kneeled down in front of her so he was at her eye level. "Now you're going to stand right here, okay, and I'm going to go right over there."

Mally was highly exuberant to learn this new game she'd seen her daddy play with some of his friends. All the big kids played it too. She nodded excitedly at her father's directions.

"Okay, daddy!" She grinned ear to ear. Nick walked only about six feet away from his daughter, wanting to be close enough to give her directions and knowing that the little tyke wouldn't be able to throw that far.

He turned back around and his heart melted at the sight of her. She politely had her arms clasped behind her back, still grinning back at her daddy.

"Alright, Mally. I'm gonna toss the ball to you, okay? And you're going to try to catch it in your hands just like you saw daddy do at the ball park."

"I can do it, daddy." She said confidently, "I've seen you do it a gazillion times."

"Okay, here it comes." Nick tossed the ball to her underarm as delicately as he could, afraid he would accidentally pelt her in the face. Mally stuck her hands out in front of her, palms up, closing her eyes and praying she would catch it. Her face was all scrunched up, obviously afraid of the same thing her father was. The ball fell to the ground in front of her feet. At the sound, Mally looked down at the ball, quickly bent down and picked it up.

"Oopsy." She said innocently. She examined the ball in her hands for a moment as Nick gave her more directions.

"That's okay, Mal. First time. We'll try again." He reassured her. "Now I want you to throw it back to daddy. Can you do that?"

Mally nodded and then threw the ball, landing about three feet in front of her. The ball hit the ground quite hard for the size of the child that threw it. Mally giggled at the short distance she threw it. She quickly ran to it before Nick could move and took it back to her father.

"Thank you, Mally bug. Now go back where you were. I'm gonna throw it to you again."

When she returned to her spot, she immediately took the position she had before. Her legs were somewhat squatted and her hands were thrust in front of her tiny body, hoping the ball would land there by some miracle. Her eyes were squeezed shut again.

"Baby, you're gonna have to keep your eyes open so you can see that ball. Otherwise, you'll never catch it."

Mally opened one eye and kept her position the same. Nick couldn't help but chuckle at how ridiculous, but totally adorable, she looked. He'd always dreamt of having a son to play catch with, but this reality blew that dream right out of the water. She was so eager and curious and amazingly creative at the mere age of four and he couldn't wait to see what else she had stored up for him. She'd taught him so much about life in her four short years. Mally was the love of his life and it showed in the way he looked at her.

Nick patiently walked over to his daughter and knelt down beside her this time.

"Here, darlin'. Hold your hands like this." Nick demonstrated, putting his left hand palm up at chest left, and then his right hand just above it, tilted up. The little girl imitated her father a little awkwardly. He took her hands in his and adjusted them a little bit. "Perfect. Now don't be afraid of the ball. Daddy's gonna throw it nice and soft so it can't hurt you."

"Okay." She said, insecurity laced in her voice.

"Ready?" He turned back around. Her big brown eyes stared back at him this time. "Here it comes." Nick again gently tossed the ball to Mally. She was doing great, but at the last moment she moved her body to the side to avoid the ball. It rolled past her this time and she ran after it.

"That's alright, sweetheart." She tossed it back to him with a little more fervor and made it closer this time. "Nice throw!" He said, picking it up from just in front of him.

Nick tossed the ball to her several more times, encouraging her to not be afraid of it, but she continued to move away at the last second. She was doing a great job of getting the ball in a reasonable distance of her father.

"Ah! You almost tore my arm off with that last one, Mally!" Nick pretended his arm was hurt after his last catch, making the little girl giggle. She loved her silly daddy and totally adored him, as he adored her. As he was looking at her, he got an idea.

"Hey, Mally." He started. "You know when somebody blows you a kiss, you have to catch it in your hand to get it, right?"

She nodded in understanding.

"Well, try to pretend this ball is a kiss. I'm going to blow you a kiss and you have to catch it for it to count. Can you do that?"

"I'll try, daddy."

"Alright. Put your hands out like I showed you. Here it comes." Nick kissed the ball to help make his point and then sailed it gently through the air. They both watched the ball carefully in the air and when it came to the point when Mally would flinch away, she held her ground. The ball fell gently into the waiting hands of the four year old. When she felt the contact with her hands, her eyes lit up, as if they didn't already.

"I caught it!" She yelled gleefully, then started jumping up and down, holding the ball high in the air. "Daddy, I caught it! Did you see?"

Nick was overcome with pride. His little girl had caught her first ball. And he'd taught her how to do it.

"I saw! I saw, baby! That was great!" He ran over to her and squatted down next to her, hugging her tightly. "I'm so proud of you. You did it!"

"He he he!" She giggled. Then she touched the ball to her lips and kissed it gently. "I got your kiss, daddy! Ewwww! It was a sloppy one!"

"A sloppy one, huh?" He laughed, tickling her sides. "How about a real one?" Mally turned her face to him and gave him a quick peck on the lips. They both reached up and wiped their mouths with their arms, something they always did after a kiss. Nick then picked her up in his arms and kissed her forehead as he stood.

"How about we go inside and have some ice cream to celebrate?" He suggested, knowing she'd love the idea.

"Yay!" She said, wrapping her arms around Nick's neck tightly as he walked her inside. Nick couldn't remember a happier ending to his day.

The next day, Nick was busy making dinner as Mally played outside with one of her friends, Eric. The two seemed to be playing a game of house with her Fisher-Price home in the back yard. A few minutes later, he was finished and made his way outside to tell Mally it was time for Eric to go home.

"Mally, sweetie? Where'd you go?" He called when he didn't immediately see her. Nick started to walk around the back of the house, searching for his daughter. What he saw made him want to burst out laughing, but he had to contain his amusement to avoid being discovered. There was his little girl, totally innocent he thought until now, sitting on Eric's chest slightly hunched over underneath a tree.

"Now close your eyes and I'm going to give you a kiss." She told the young boy. Mally then gently touched the softball they'd been playing with the day before to Eric's lips. Nick knew right then he was in big trouble. He would definitely have to have a talk with his daughter about just what she should be sharing with her friends.