Mickey's Lil' List Challenge: Author's Note: A response to Mickey's Lil' List Challenge of May 5, 2003, I've purposely left the identity of the people in the story a little vague so the reader may imply what they will. Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers Apply. Don't own the Pretender, but if I did, I would share it with all of you anyway. VBG Dedication: For Mickey, defender of the weak and abused. canines that is.Somewhere in Texas four little Chihuahuas and a whole host of other puppy mill refugees owe their lives to you.

"I Love You, Jarod" by Maestra
The dark haired little boy awoke with a start in his twin bed. His huge brown eyes darting about the shadows of his room. Suddenly a crack of thunder was heard overhead, and the room was suddenly lit by the natural electricity of lightning from the storm.

With a small whimper he slipped from his bed and opened the door of his bedroom, and silently approached the open door to his parent's bedroom. With another rumble of thunder the frightened boy ran, crossing the last few feet quickly, he launched himself into the middle of his parent's large bed.

"Son," his father mumbled sleepily, "Did you have a nightmare?" He lifted the sheet so his son could slip in between him and his wife. He then rolled over on his side, towards his wife and son and looked at the clock on her nightstand. It's softly glowing numbers read 4:56 a.m.

"No," the small child answered in a whisper, "A loud noise woke me. I was scared."

"It's alright son," he could hear the smile in his father's still sleepy voice as he tucked his young son against his bare chest in a one armed hug.

"Its okay, Sweetie," his mother's words soothed him and the little boy rolled towards his mother's words. She reached out and gathered him close to her as well. He instantly closed his eyes and his dark eye lashes made shadows on his young cheeks. "You're safe now, we're here."

The child sighed at last safe there in his mother's embrace. Relishing the soft texture of her skin and the scent of the violet bubble bath she used. The rain began to pelt against their bedroom window, and soon became a soothing background noise as well.

He basked in the warmth of their mutual body heat and his parent's love. 'Yes', he thought, 'this is so much better than my own bed'.

His mother began to massage his neck and shoulders with her warm fingers and when a few minutes later she started to massage his head, she felt her son relax and grow heavy against her side.

"He's asleep again," he heard his mother whisper to his father.

"Are you going to let him sleep here until morning?" His father asked.

"No darling," his mother replied with a yawn, "He has his own bed for a reason." He felt her lean over him and kiss his father.

He felt her slide away from him on the bed and sit up, and grab his father's blue chambray shirt from the chair nearby. He heard her scuff her feet, so he knew she had donned her fuzzy pink slippers. The thought of those slippers brought a small smirk to those childish lips as she gathered her handsome son close and lifted him from the bed.

"Hurry back beautiful," his father smiled at his mother, "You know I would do anything for our son. And yesterday he asked me for a brother."

"What did you tell him?" His mother quickly inquired.

"I told him we were working on it," was his father's randy reply. He rolled over to her side of the bed and sat up, then caught the silky material of her nightgown in his fingers, before letting it slip through them again.

She bent over his sleeping son to place a warm kiss upon her husband's smiling lips. But he captured her face with his large hands and graced her soft lips with a possessive one of his own which left her slightly breathless.

His mother giggled softly above him as she carried him back to his own bed. She laid him down upon it and after tucking him in again, brushed her fingers lightly across his brow. She bent over him and placed a soft kiss upon his head. "Sleep sweet, my son."

And as the boy slipped off to dream of Never-Never land as if from afar he heard, "I love you, Jarod."

~The End ~