Yes, I know. It's another one-shot. I figured that you guys would get annoyed if I didn't put something up soon. I know this wasn't what you were expecting. I'm just really having a hard time editing the Chapter 5. Forgive meeeeeeeeeee!!!!

Dedicated to: Bekka—This one's for you, Tia! Don't kill me for it!!!

***Cyb, Sharm, Clar, and whoever from our batch ends up reading this, tell me what you think ha? Just press the review button and sign your name if you want to… ^-^

"Mama?" a faint voice called from down the hall.

Sighing, Merilille threw back the covers and stood, careful not to jostle the person beside her. Despite her caution, though, he woke, eyeing her wearily.

"What is it?" he asked, rubbing the sleep from his deep blue eyes.

"Ayla's calling me. Don't worry, I've got it," she assured him, smiling slightly. "You can go back to sleep, Jared."

Jared frowned at her. "You've barely been getting enough sleep as it is. If you stay with her…"

"I'll bring her here," Merilille told him, slipping on a robe over her nightdress. Walking out the door and down the hall, she pushed open the door to her daughter's room.

"Ayla?" she called softly. The night-light was lit, giving the dim room a source of light.

The two-year-old girl looked up. "Mama?"

Merilille approached her, gathering Ayla into her arms. "I'm here. What happened?"

"Me had bad dream," Ayla said, her blue eyes filling up with tears. "It was scary, Mama."

"Hush now. It was just a dream," Merilille soothed, rubbing her daughter's back. "Do you want to sleep with Mama and Papa?"

Ayla nodded vigorously, clinging to her mother. She buried her head in Merilille's shoulder.

Standing up, the Cairhienin made her way back to their bedchamber carefully, Ayla secure in her arms. She quietly pushed the door open, only to find that her silence wasn't necessary. Jared was sitting up in the large bed, a worried look on his face.

"She had a bad dream," Merilille explained, climbing into bed and handing Ayla to Jared. She brushed back some of the little girl's golden brown hair, adoration in her blue-gray eyes.

Jared lay back down, his right arm holding his young daughter close. Merilille kissed his cheek before snuggling closer to him, sighing contentedly. She embraced their daughter with her other arm and closed her eyes.

Watching both of them, Jared felt a sense of wonder fill him. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever considered the possibility of a family, but when he met Merilille, all that changed. She was his everything now. His gaze shifted to the little girl who looked exactly like her mother. Well, her and Ayla. They were his life. He smiled, kissing Merilille's forehead and running his fingers through her hair.

Another sigh escaped Merilille's lips. "I love you," she mumbled.

"Love you, too," he whispered. Tomorrow, they would be busy again, preparing for Jasper and Kairen's annual state visit. They would be bringing their son, a three-year-old named Justin, and that meant a lot of planning. For now, though, he was content to let sleep claim him again because there was no other place he'd rather be than with his family.


What did you think? Cheesy? Lame? Sweet? Cute? Random?

Read and review, people! B.T.W, I enabled anonymous reviews so people who don't have an account can also tell me their thoughts ^^

Flames are all right, I guess. I mean, when you ask people to review, it includes the risk of them telling you it sucks, right? Like I said, you can't please everyone so just do the best you can and hope it's enough. Duh, insults shouldn't be taken as bad stuff, they should be like incentives or whatever to work harder. I mean that's what reviews are for! There are some people who get mad because of a flame and I think that's just—Um… I'll shut up now.

Oookaaay… er… what was I saying before I started ranting? *scrunches up face to think* Right! Please review! It means a lot! hehe