Title: Cliffnotes more for June 10, 2000
Author: Chance
E-mail: chance1562@aol.com
Feedback: yes g
Category: Family
Spoilers: none
Season/sequel/series: Cliffnotes
Rating: G
Content warnings: none
Summary: In Cliffnotes
Archive: The Wanderings, ELF Command, Avant Guard, and WWOMB, anyone else, ask please g
Disclaimer: I don't own them, Amblin Entertainment once did, then the Scifi Channel did, I think g Now they're in limbo where they'll probably stay, so who cares if I take them out and play with them? g
Author's notes: I got inspired g Not beta'd (she went to eat g) Spell and Grammar checked though.
For AT, I miss you.
****
"Dis one," the toddler said, holding up a much loved, dog-eared book to his father. He smiled winningly; showing off his newly formed front teeth and climbed up into the man's waiting lap. Nathan Bridger leaned back and placed the child against his chest, holding the book out in front of them. Lucas snuggled into his father's warmth and eagerly awaited the story.
Nathan cleared his throat and began. "Once upon a time, in a forest in the Seventh Kingdom of Nipaii, there was a little boy..." All through the long telling of the jungle adventures of Jondi and his monkey friends Lucas sat attentively, even chiming in on some of the parts, his not quite one-year-old voice garbling the words.
Towards the end, Nathan noticed a growing heaviness in his lap and, at the end of the story, looked down and found the boy fast asleep, a thumb stuck firmly in his mouth and his hand gripping his "blanky" next to him. Smiling, Nathan softly put the book down on the floor next to the rocking chair and stood gracefully, being careful not to shift or shake the sleeping child too much. Silently he wandered down the hall and into Lucas' room, stepping over the stuffed Yoda standing in the doorway and over to the crib.
Being careful to maintain as much body contact with the boy as possible, Nathan set him down gently and eased the side up, wincing at the "click" from the lock catching. This was always make or break time for Lucas' naps. If he was good and tired he stayed down, the lock not waking him and would usually sleep for two hours or so. Sometimes though, if he wasn't tired enough, the soft click would wake him up and he would be tired and cranky for the rest of the afternoon, not a pleasant event.
Holding his breath, Nathan gazed down at his son, willing him to stay asleep long enough for the paperwork the older man had been avoiding to be finished. Carol was away for the week visiting her mother upstate and had left Nathan in charge of both boys. Robert, thankfully, had decided to stay over at a friend's house and it would just be Nathan and Lucas for the night.
Nathan had taken the week off and his only penance was he _had_ to finish the paperwork for the latest mission he had been on. Not something he was looking forward to, but something that had to be done. Now if only Lucas would stay asleep.
He began to breathe easier as the slow and steady rising and falling of Lucas' chest indicated the boy was going to stay sleeping. Only one more sign and he was home free. There it was; Lucas rolled slightly until he was on his stomach, his rear end sticking high into the air.
'Good,' Nathan thought as he placed a thin blanket over the sleeping child, 'at least a couple of hours peace anyway.' Now to deal with the paperwork.
Despite his urgent need to finish his work, Nathan stayed awhile, leaning against the crib and just gazing down at Lucas, their "miracle" baby. Carol supposedly hadn't been able to have more children and they had just about given up hope when Lucas came along, surprising them all. A little late in life some thought, but to them he was a very welcome addition to the family.
Sighing, Nathan pushed away from the side of the crib and made his way to his study, carrying the portable monitor with him. More then once in the ensuing hours, he would find himself listening steadily to the soft, even breaths of his son, unconsciously mimicking them with his own.
He never did finish the paperwork that day.