AN: Hi guys! I'm having a hard time finishing up The Nightmare Before Christmas. I'm trying to get a real good ending for you guys and it's taking me some time. I will have it finished but it will take me a while. I know I said that it will be done by Thanksgiving but that won't be possible (well Thanksgiving is already over :)). I promise that I will finish it, but to make up for my semi-hiatus, here is a oneshot that I hope you like. Please REVIEW!
Nancy woke up to the sound of harsh coughing, rather than soft kisses on her neck that she was used to. She turned her head to see Frank in a fitful sleep, his hair plastered to his forehead with sweat and horrible coughs wracking his body. She quickly turned and cupped his face with her hands and gently tried to wake him up, snatching her hand back at the severe heat radiating off of Frank's body.
"Frank, baby can you wake up for me?" Nancy asked softly, running her hand through his hair, gently coaxing him awake.
Frank whimpered and groaned before slowly opening his eyes.
"Hey Nan." Frank rasped out, before bursting into a fit of coughs. Nancy rubbed his back trying to help him breathe through the coughing, her heart breaking at how weak Frank sounded.
When Frank finally stopped coughing, he leaned back into the pillows, his head throbbing so hard he was sure that his brain would explode at any given point.
"God, I hate being sick! Seriously, who gets sick right before Christmas?" Frank thought.
"Frank, I will be right back okay." Frank heard Nancy say, his mind all fuzzy. He felt himself nod before blackness engulfed him once again.
Nancy quickly made her way out of the bedroom and down the stairs towards the kitchen. She glanced at the time on the stove and her eyes widened.
"9:46… wow we really overslept today." Nancy mumbled to herself, thinking back to her and Frank's late night activities and smiling. She reached into a cabinet and pulled out the first aid kit. Just as she was about to make her way back up the stairs with a thermometer, medicine, and some soup; she heard the doorbell ring.
She quickly made her way over and opened the door and a little figure latched onto Nancy's legs, hugging them tightly.
"MOMMY! I missed you!" Chloe, Frank and Nancy's bubbly little toddler squealed.
Nancy smiled widely before scooping up her little angel and placing her on her hip, planting a big kiss on her forehead.
"I missed you too lovebug. How was the sleepover with Uncle Joe and Aunt Nessa?" Nancy asked as she saw Joe and Vanessa come up behind Chloe, gesturing for them to come in.
"It was sooooo much fun! We baked brownies and cookies with Grandma and we watched movies all night long. Uncle Joe even got me M&M's with the popcorn." Chloe said, well more like shrieked in Nancy's ear.
"Laura came over too?" Nancy asked, an eyebrow rose in Joe and Vanessa's direction.
"Yeah, she was dropping some things off for Vanessa that she picked up at the mall the other day; something about lotion and perfume and body wash. Seriously, I still don't understand how you ladies have so many different scented products. What's wrong with one or two? Mom literally came home with like three bags filled with a ton of shi…stuff from Bath and Body Works." Joe said, trying to not curse in front of the observant little four-year-old who was looking at him with her huge doe eyes.
"Uncle Joe, you almost said a bad word. Do you know what that means?" Chloe said, trying her hardest to look fierce and threatening, placing both of her hands on her hips, trying to look like her mother.
Both Nancy and Vanessa were trying their hardest not to laugh at the flabbergasted look on Joe's face.
Joe, being the child that he is, decided to play along.
"I don't know. What does that mean Chloe?" Joe asked, a fake look of innocence plastered on his face. Nancy and Vanessa hid their laughs by coughing. Joe simply turned and glared at them before turning back to his naughty niece.
Chloe sighed in a disapproving manner before speaking. "You cannot have a cookie after dinner tonight. I hope you realize your mistake and never say a bad word again. Do you understand Uncle Joe?" Chloe said, sounding much like her mother whenever she caught her doing something she wasn't supposed to.
Both mother and aunt could not hold it in any longer and burst into a fit of giggles. Joe simply stared at Chloe for a minute before nodding his head, still in shock.
Vanessa sat down on the couch and noticed the thermometer, medicine, and soup on the coffee table.
"Nan are you okay? What's up with the thermometer?"
"Oh I completely forgot. Frank woke up really sick this morning. Do you guys mind watching Chloe just for a bit until I get Frank his medicine and try to get him to eat something?
"Of course. You focus on taking care of Frank." Joe said, smiling slightly at his surrogate sister.
Nancy shot the two a grateful smile before making her way up the stairs. She opened the bedroom door and saw an empty bed. Panic immediately clawed at her throat and searched the room. She made her way towards the bathroom and heard retching sounds coming from inside. She opened the door and saw Frank leaning over the toilet, shaking violently as he threw up. Nancy crouched down and rubbed his back soothingly as Frank continued getting sick.
"Ugh, I hate being sick." Frank said quietly.
"You'll feel better once you get some medicine in you. Come on, back to bed with you." Nancy said as she helped Frank off the floor and back into bed. She stuck a thermometer in his mouth and went into the bathroom and got a cool cloth soaked in water. She placed it on his forehead and removed the thermometer when it beeped.
"103 degrees. Baby, I think you have the flu."
Frank only groaned.
"Try and sleep for a bit okay. Maybe later on you should try and drink some soup." Nancy said, only to find Frank fast asleep. She quickly replaced the cloth with another one and placed a gentle kiss on his lips before tucking the blankets around him and making her way back downstairs.
She entered the living room and was greeted by the lyrics to Chloe's favorite movie.
"Let it go, let it go!
Can't hold it back any more.
Let it go, let it go!
Turn away and slam the door."
Nancy smiled as she entered the living room, seeing Chloe sing the lyrics to "Let it Go" at the top of her lungs.
"Mommy! Where's daddy? He promised that he would teach me how to swim today." Chloe said, bouncing with excitement.
Nancy's smile dropped. She completely forgot. Their new swimming pool was finished just a few days before and Frank had promised Chloe that he would teach her how to swim after her sleepover with her aunt and uncle. Nancy didn't have the heart to tell her daughter that her daddy couldn't teach her today.
Nancy took a deep breath and crouched down in front of Chloe.
"Sweetie, I know you're excited but daddy isn't feeling good right now so he can't help you swim today."
Chloe's eyes widened and tears welled up in them.
"Will daddy be okay? Does he need to see the doctor?"
Nancy smiled and shook her head.
"Daddy will be perfectly fine in a couple days. Then once he is better, he'll play in the pool with you all day. How does that sound?"
Chloe nodded her head before looking back up at her mother.
"Can I go say hi?"
"Of course. Why don't you run on up and go say hi to daddy and give him some company while I get your milk ready?
Chloe nodded eagerly before rushing up the stairs towards her parents' bedroom.
Nancy looked over at Joe and Vanessa who made themselves comfortable on the couch.
"How Frank doing?" Joe asked, concerned for his big brother.
"I'm pretty sure he has the flu; which is weird seeing how he has like a super strong immune system." Nancy said, sitting down on the couch.
"Yeah well, Frank doesn't get sick often, but when he does, he gets really sick." Joe commented.
"I just hope he feels better soon." Nancy said, worry lining her face once again.
"He'll be fine Nan." Vanessa said, giving Nancy a gentle hug.
Nancy nodded and got up to go warm up Chloe's milk. Joe and Vanessa decided to head out, giving Frank and Nancy some privacy.
"Just give us a call if you need anything okay?" Joe asked, pulling Nancy into a brotherly embrace.
Nancy nodded and waved goodbye as the couple walked out the door. She picked up the milk and made her way upstairs.
She opened the door to the bedroom and the sight before her made an involuntary "Aww" escape her lips.
On the bed were a sleeping Frank and Chloe. Chloe had her arms wrapped around Frank, Frank holding his daughter tightly to his chest, making sure she won't fall.
Nancy quickly walked over to the dresser, grabbed her phone, and quickly snapped a few pictures of the father-daughter duo.
Nancy made her way around to Frank's other side and climbed into bed as well, gently running a hand through Frank's hair. This gesture woke up Frank who looked at Nancy before gently placing a kiss on her lips and another on his sleeping daughter's forehead.
"Go to sleep." Nancy whispered, still running her hand through his hair.
Frank slowly nodded off to sleep again with one thought running through his head. "I love my girls."
AN: Here you go guys. Once again, I apologize for the delay in updating The Nightmare Before Christmas. I promise that I will have that up for you as soon as possible. Let me know how you like this and please REVIEW!