Post by greenie on Dec 8, 2009 21:19:45 GMT 10
Title: Difficulties
Rating: PG
Prompt: Traditions
Summary: Four year old children make finding time alone very difficult.
Notes: I sort got a bit carried away with this, it wasn't supposed to turn out anywhere near as long as it did.
Prompt: Traditions
Mattes settled his extensive form into a chair. “So what are you doing for Midwinter?”
Clary shrugged. “The three of us will probably have a fairly quiet night. We’ll make a nice dinner and tell her some stories. Sing some Midwintery songs if she wants, and play with her gifts with her before we put her to bed.”
Tom took hold of her hand. “Time was, we’d pull out the brandy and make the most of the longest night of the year. Even with the door locked, we couldn’t do that now. As soon as she decides she wants to come in, we can’t just leave her out there.”
Clary blushed a little, but gave her husband a wistful smile. “I don’t regret having her or anything, it’s just that four year olds can be very time consuming.”
Tom smiled back at her. “We’ll have to think up some more child-friendly traditions.”
They all listened to the two pairs of footsteps thundering around the house; Little Goodwin and Achoo had gone all silly and were running around the house together. Achoo was barking and wagging her tail, while Little was shouting “WOOF WOOF WOOF” and shrieking with laughter. It wasn’t hard at all to understand how Clary and Tom struggled to get time to themselves.
“I could take her home with me for the night,” Mattes offered.
Clary eyed him intently. “Are you having difficulties with Sabine?”
Mattes blinked at her. “No, not that it’s any of your business.”
“Well then aren’t you going to be busy canoodling?”
He frowned and leaned forwards in her chair. “You’ll treat her with respect-“
“And you’ll treat me with respect,” she snapped. “Don’t you dare go thinking you can throw a little tantrum at me. Honestly Mattes, it’s heading on for twenty years since we became partners.” She gave him a cuff around the head. “As if it’s not any of my business,” she muttered. “Overgrown looby.”
Beka hid a smile. “She could stay with me for the night,” she said. They all turned to look at her and she looked at the floor. “I’m going up to Provost’s House for dinner, but I could come by for her after that. I don’t have anything else planned.”
Clary and Tom looked at each other. “It’s sweet of you to offer, Beka,” said Tom. “And you too, Mattes. But we couldn’t ask either of you to do that.”
Clary nodded. “Just because things are different now with a child in the house doesn’t mean we can’t manage her.”
“It’s not a question of whether you can manage her,” replied Mattes, looking amused. “It’s just pretty obvious that Little Goodwin needs to be entertained elsewhere so that you two can do some uninterrupted canoodling.”
Little Goodwin and Achoo chose that moment to run up to them. “I heard my name! What are you saying about me?”
“Nothing,” said Clary. “You go and play with Achoo some more.”
“Hey, Little,” began Mattes. She looked at him, her blue eyes earnest. “How would you like to stay with Beka for a night at Midwinter?”
Her whole face lit up. “Really? Can I really stay with Beka and Achoo and Pounce? That would be the best Midwinter treat ever!”
“It’s a lot of trouble, and it’s not necessary,” replied Clary.
Mattes snorted. “Of course it’s not necessary, but you want to all the same. Besides, it works out well for Beka and me too. A happy Sergeant leads to happy Dogs.”
“And happy Little!” Little Goodwin clung to Beka’s leg. “I’m not letting go until you say yes! Please please please please please?”
Tom looked at Clary. “Love, she’s obviously happy with it. If Beka’s sure that she doesn’t mind, I don’t see why not. I certainly wouldn’t mind having you all to myself for a while.” He flashed her a playful grin.
Clary relented. “If you’re sure, Beka. She’s a bit of a handful sometimes.”
Beka smiled. “I know,” she said and ducked her head. “I’m sure.”
“I’m more than a handful,” announced Little Goodwin. “I’m even bigger than two handfuls together. Lots and lots bigger.”
Mattes pulled the little girl onto his lap. “That’s the worrying part,” he told her seriously.
“You’re bigger,” she insisted. “You’re even more handfuls, Uncle Matty.”
“The sad thing is, she’s right,” muttered Clary.
…………………….
“There’s no point in doing that,” said Little.
Beka looked at the blankets she held. “What do you mean? Your mama gave us these so we could make up a bed on the floor for you to sleep in.”
“But I want to sleep with you.” Little Goodwin made her eyes go big and wide. “Just like when Mama and Da let me sleep in their bed when I have a bad dream.” She gave Beka her sweetest smile. “So there’s no point in doing that, because I’ll just pretend I had a bad dream and climb in with you anyway.”
Beka laughed. “You really do take after your mother,” she said. “Only, don’t tell her I said that.”
Little Goodwin smiled again. “I won’t…so long as you let me sleep in your bed.”
………………….
Beka was glad that it was winter and that her room cooled down in the night. Between a cat, a dog, and a four year old who were all intent on snuggling into her, it got crowded and hot pretty quickly.
…………………
“Hello Mama, hello Da!” Little Goodwin gave them both a big hug and let her da scoop her up. “Me and Beka and Achoo and Pounce had lots and lots of fun and I was perfectly behaved just like you said to, and me and Beka had breakfast with her friends and they all made a fuss of me.” She beamed.
Beka looked at the floor. “I’m sorry, I should’ve checked first,” she mumbled.
Clary kicked her ankle lightly. “Don’t be a daft, Cooper, I know full well you have breakfast with them every day. They’re your friends, and they’re not going to corrupt my daughter in the time it takes to eat breakfast.”
“My favourite was the man with white hair,” announced Little. “He has white hair but he isn’t old and wrinkly, and he let me sit on his lap and he gave me sweets. And he whispered in my ear that he loves Beka and Beka loves him but she pretends she doesn’t and that makes him sad, so I have to tell her lots and lots of times that she should give him kisses.” Beka flushed as Tomlan burst out laughing.
Clary grinned. “So maybe he did corrupt her, but it makes for good entertainment. Maybe we should make this a yearly tradition.”
Rating: PG
Prompt: Traditions
Summary: Four year old children make finding time alone very difficult.
Notes: I sort got a bit carried away with this, it wasn't supposed to turn out anywhere near as long as it did.
Prompt: Traditions
Mattes settled his extensive form into a chair. “So what are you doing for Midwinter?”
Clary shrugged. “The three of us will probably have a fairly quiet night. We’ll make a nice dinner and tell her some stories. Sing some Midwintery songs if she wants, and play with her gifts with her before we put her to bed.”
Tom took hold of her hand. “Time was, we’d pull out the brandy and make the most of the longest night of the year. Even with the door locked, we couldn’t do that now. As soon as she decides she wants to come in, we can’t just leave her out there.”
Clary blushed a little, but gave her husband a wistful smile. “I don’t regret having her or anything, it’s just that four year olds can be very time consuming.”
Tom smiled back at her. “We’ll have to think up some more child-friendly traditions.”
They all listened to the two pairs of footsteps thundering around the house; Little Goodwin and Achoo had gone all silly and were running around the house together. Achoo was barking and wagging her tail, while Little was shouting “WOOF WOOF WOOF” and shrieking with laughter. It wasn’t hard at all to understand how Clary and Tom struggled to get time to themselves.
“I could take her home with me for the night,” Mattes offered.
Clary eyed him intently. “Are you having difficulties with Sabine?”
Mattes blinked at her. “No, not that it’s any of your business.”
“Well then aren’t you going to be busy canoodling?”
He frowned and leaned forwards in her chair. “You’ll treat her with respect-“
“And you’ll treat me with respect,” she snapped. “Don’t you dare go thinking you can throw a little tantrum at me. Honestly Mattes, it’s heading on for twenty years since we became partners.” She gave him a cuff around the head. “As if it’s not any of my business,” she muttered. “Overgrown looby.”
Beka hid a smile. “She could stay with me for the night,” she said. They all turned to look at her and she looked at the floor. “I’m going up to Provost’s House for dinner, but I could come by for her after that. I don’t have anything else planned.”
Clary and Tom looked at each other. “It’s sweet of you to offer, Beka,” said Tom. “And you too, Mattes. But we couldn’t ask either of you to do that.”
Clary nodded. “Just because things are different now with a child in the house doesn’t mean we can’t manage her.”
“It’s not a question of whether you can manage her,” replied Mattes, looking amused. “It’s just pretty obvious that Little Goodwin needs to be entertained elsewhere so that you two can do some uninterrupted canoodling.”
Little Goodwin and Achoo chose that moment to run up to them. “I heard my name! What are you saying about me?”
“Nothing,” said Clary. “You go and play with Achoo some more.”
“Hey, Little,” began Mattes. She looked at him, her blue eyes earnest. “How would you like to stay with Beka for a night at Midwinter?”
Her whole face lit up. “Really? Can I really stay with Beka and Achoo and Pounce? That would be the best Midwinter treat ever!”
“It’s a lot of trouble, and it’s not necessary,” replied Clary.
Mattes snorted. “Of course it’s not necessary, but you want to all the same. Besides, it works out well for Beka and me too. A happy Sergeant leads to happy Dogs.”
“And happy Little!” Little Goodwin clung to Beka’s leg. “I’m not letting go until you say yes! Please please please please please?”
Tom looked at Clary. “Love, she’s obviously happy with it. If Beka’s sure that she doesn’t mind, I don’t see why not. I certainly wouldn’t mind having you all to myself for a while.” He flashed her a playful grin.
Clary relented. “If you’re sure, Beka. She’s a bit of a handful sometimes.”
Beka smiled. “I know,” she said and ducked her head. “I’m sure.”
“I’m more than a handful,” announced Little Goodwin. “I’m even bigger than two handfuls together. Lots and lots bigger.”
Mattes pulled the little girl onto his lap. “That’s the worrying part,” he told her seriously.
“You’re bigger,” she insisted. “You’re even more handfuls, Uncle Matty.”
“The sad thing is, she’s right,” muttered Clary.
…………………….
“There’s no point in doing that,” said Little.
Beka looked at the blankets she held. “What do you mean? Your mama gave us these so we could make up a bed on the floor for you to sleep in.”
“But I want to sleep with you.” Little Goodwin made her eyes go big and wide. “Just like when Mama and Da let me sleep in their bed when I have a bad dream.” She gave Beka her sweetest smile. “So there’s no point in doing that, because I’ll just pretend I had a bad dream and climb in with you anyway.”
Beka laughed. “You really do take after your mother,” she said. “Only, don’t tell her I said that.”
Little Goodwin smiled again. “I won’t…so long as you let me sleep in your bed.”
………………….
Beka was glad that it was winter and that her room cooled down in the night. Between a cat, a dog, and a four year old who were all intent on snuggling into her, it got crowded and hot pretty quickly.
…………………
“Hello Mama, hello Da!” Little Goodwin gave them both a big hug and let her da scoop her up. “Me and Beka and Achoo and Pounce had lots and lots of fun and I was perfectly behaved just like you said to, and me and Beka had breakfast with her friends and they all made a fuss of me.” She beamed.
Beka looked at the floor. “I’m sorry, I should’ve checked first,” she mumbled.
Clary kicked her ankle lightly. “Don’t be a daft, Cooper, I know full well you have breakfast with them every day. They’re your friends, and they’re not going to corrupt my daughter in the time it takes to eat breakfast.”
“My favourite was the man with white hair,” announced Little. “He has white hair but he isn’t old and wrinkly, and he let me sit on his lap and he gave me sweets. And he whispered in my ear that he loves Beka and Beka loves him but she pretends she doesn’t and that makes him sad, so I have to tell her lots and lots of times that she should give him kisses.” Beka flushed as Tomlan burst out laughing.
Clary grinned. “So maybe he did corrupt her, but it makes for good entertainment. Maybe we should make this a yearly tradition.”