A story that came to me the other day. Ben 10 belongs to Cartoon Network and Man of Action. I only own Dr. Farrener, Stacy, Joy, Alice, Daniel, Isabella, and Camryn.
Powerful, Yet Kind
Alien X was reading a book in his room, enjoying a day off while his daughter Camryn and fiancée Isabella were having a girl's day in San Francisco. They had called and said they'd be home later that afternoon. He smiled as he remembered Camryn squealing happily that there was a carnival and Isabella laughing as she promised the little girl they'd head over there in a bit.
Chuckling, he continued reading until he heard someone knocking on the attic door. "Come in," he called.
The door opened and the ladder was lowered before someone came climbing up. It was Lodestar. "Ah, Alien X. Hello, old friend," said the magnetic alien.
"Hello, Lodestar," Alien X said. "How are you?"
"Be better if I wasn't called in to Headquarters," said Lodestar. "There's been some trouble on my home planet that I have to tend to, but Stacy's with Alice and Daniel at her job, and I didn't want to leave Joy here alone. She's taking a nap right now."
Alien X immediately saw his friend's dilemma. "I'll watch Joy for you, old friend," he offered.
Lodestar looked instantly relieved. "I know it's one of your days off," he said. "But…,"
"Lodestar, it's alright," the Celestialsapien reassured him. "I don't mind."
"Thank you," Lodestar said gratefully.
"Anytime."
Lodestar quickly beamed up to Headquarters and Alien X returned to his book, but left the door to his room opened so that he could hear Joy when she woke up, which happened about ten minutes later.
A high-pitched scream echoed through the house, making the Celestialsapien jump in alarm and race to Joy's room, finding the ten-month-old little girl crying and what looked to be struggling. Realizing the little one was having a nightmare, he picked her up out of her crib. "Shh," he said soothingly. "Easy, little one. Shh."
Hearing his voice, the little girl woke up, her light brown eyes watery from crying and her bottom lip trembled. Alien X lifted her up to his shoulder and rubbed her back, rocking her soothingly. "It's okay. I'm here," he said soothingly. "I've got you, little one."
Joy whimpered a little before resting her head on his broad shoulder, coughing a little before settling down. Alien X then heard a familiar rumbling and chuckled. "Let's go get you some lunch, hmm?" He said.
Joy held onto him as he carried her downstairs and warmed up a bottle of goat's milk for her. When it was ready, he went into the living room and sat in one of the plush chairs that doubled as a rocking chair.
The little girl reached for the bottle in his other hand and he chuckled as he gave it to her. "There you go, little one," he said.
As Joy drank the milk, he rocked her gently, chuckling when he heard her gulping the milk down hungrily. "My goodness, you were hungry," he said.
Stacy was at her workplace when Lodestar called her. "Hey, honey. Is everything okay?" She asked.
"Yes, beautiful," he said, making her smile. "HQ called me in, though."
"Oh, dear," she said.
"Don't worry, honey. Joy's with Alien X. He's watching her."
Stacy had only heard about Alien X from Daniel and Alice, but hadn't met him. "Honey, are you sure she's okay?" She asked.
Lodestar smiled a little. "Sweetheart, Alien X loves children. He even has one of his own. She'll be fine with him," he said reassuringly.
She sighed, but knew her fiancée would never lie to her. "Okay, honey. Be careful at HQ. I love you." she said.
"I will, sweetheart. And I love you too. Tell Alice and Daniel I love them as well," Lodestar said.
"I will," she promised and gently disconnected the call, sending Lodestar's love to his older children, who were happy to hear from their father.
Her shift ending an hour later, Stacy thanked Dr. Farrener for allowing her children to come and he smiled, saying he hadn't minded as Alice and Daniel were both very well behaved. Thanking him again, she headed for the Grant Mansion with her older children, who begged to go play outside. Allowing them, she headed inside to find Alien X and Joy.
She heard a very loud burp and a chuckle. "Better now, little one?" She heard a voice ask before hearing her youngest daughter giggle happily.
She went to the living room and smiled when she saw an alien with a body like a moonless sky tickling Joy, making her laugh adorably.
After a bit, the tall alien stood up with Joy in his arms and turned to find Stacy watching them. "Ah, you must be Stacy," he said, a smile in his voice.
"Alien X?" She asked politely.
"Yes," he said with a nod. "It's nice to finally meet you. Lodestar always brags about you and the children."
Stacy smiled and then saw Joy turn to look at her. "Mama!" She said happily, reaching for her, making Alien X chuckle as he handed her over to the older woman.
"Hey, baby girl," Stacy cooed to Joy, who laughed and hugged her mother happily before squirming to be put down. Joy had learned how to walk the other day, surprising her mother and father, and she now walked up to Alien X, holding up her arms for him to pick her up. "She trusts you."
Alien X chuckled before becoming somber. "Stacy, has Joy been having a lot of nightmares lately?" He asked.
She looked saddened. "Yes," she said sadly. "I don't know what to do. Did she wake up from another one earlier?"
"Yes, and she was struggling as if she was trying to escape something," he said.
Stacy's shoulders slumped and Lodestar, who had just come back from HQ, placed his hands on her shoulders. "All these nightmares aren't good for her," he said softly. "I've been researching what to do, but nothing's worked so far."
Alien X grew thoughtful and looked at them. "Hold on a moment," he said and called Chromastone and Sugilite, who came out into the hallway, greeting Stacy and their brother warmly.
"What's up, Alien X?" Chromastone asked.
"Well, our little niece has been having nightmares lately," said the Celestialsapien, gesturing to Joy, who was looking curiously at the Crystalsapiens. "I was curious. What does your kind do when the young ones have nightmares?"
"Well, we place soft crystals in their rooms," said Sugilite. "Soft crystals not only change color slowly, but the colors are soft and calming and they have a unique melody that plays when they are activated."
"What kind of melody?" Stacy asked.
"A soothing one, similar to a lullaby," Chromastone explained. "To activate it, it needs at least one hour exposure to the sunlight. When the room is mostly dark, the crystals will activate."
"Like a nightlight?" She asked.
"Similar," Sugilite answered. "Would you and Lodestar like to try it for Joy?"
Both nodded. "Please?" Lodestar asked.
Later that evening, after placing the foot tall sculpture of soft crystals, which looked like a crown of crystals, in the sunlight for the hour, Stacy fed Joy and placed her down in her crib as Chromastone set up the soft crystals near his niece so that she could see them all the time. "It'll run all night, until dawn," he said.
As the colors softly changed, Stacy and Lodestar both heard the lullaby playing and watched as Joy fell asleep peacefully and they quietly left the room, deciding to wait a couple hours to see how their daughter did. Alien X, Chromastone, and Sugilite stayed up with them to keep them company.
After a couple hours, Alien X listened. "It's pretty quiet up there," he said softly.
"I'll go check on her," said Lodestar and went upstairs and into Joy's room, relieved to find her sound asleep and looking very peaceful. He smiled and went back downstairs. "She's sleeping like a log."
Stacy looked over at the three aliens that had helped her daughter. "Thank you all," she said gratefully and hugged them, to their surprise. "Thank you all so much."
They each gave her a brotherly hug. "You're welcome," said Alien X.
"Anything for our family," said Chromastone and Sugilite nodded in agreement.
Stacy smiled again as she realized, the three were powerful aliens, but also very kind.
And she was both happy and grateful for that.
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GoldGuardian2418