Just Like You, a fillmore fanfic

February 25, 2010 ;; March 7, 2010

Fillmore + Damion (who entered the scene in A New Addition)

Damion's around three, and we'll say it's a Father-Son night—Ingrid and Carli took a girl's night out or something. :)

Inspiration came from reading other fics, and some of my other songfics… Plus the thought of little kids makes me smile.

Lyrics are from Phillips, Craig and Dean's "Just Like You."

He climbs in my lap for a goodnight hug
He calls me Dad and I call him Bub
With his faded old pillow and a bear named Pooh
He snuggles up close and says, "I want to be like you"

It was a rare boy's night in at the Fillmore house: Ingrid had taken Carli, now 12 and about to start Junior High, to see a movie in their first girl's night out in a few months, and had left Fillmore and Damion to fend for themselves for an evening.

After watching a movie (Damion had insisted on Horton Hears a Who), putting on pajamas, and brushing teeth, Damion crawled into Fillmore's lap before going to bed, his hand-me-down Pooh Bear clutched in one hand and pillow in the other, and declared, "I love you, Daddy."

Fillmore's heart warmed at the statement just as it always had, and he replied, "I love you, too, Bub."

Damion yawned and snuggled up closer to his daddy, proclaiming sleepily, "I'm gonna be just like you when I get big."

I tuck him in bed and I kiss him goodnight
Trippin' over the toys as I turn out the light
And I whisper a prayer that someday he'll see
He's got a father in God 'cause he's seen Jesus in me

Fillmore smiled as he stood and walked to Damion's bedroom, setting the sleeping toddler in his bed and tucking the jungle-themed sheets around the smiling boy, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

Sighing, Fillmore turned out the light, tripped over a toy truck on his way out the door, and stood in the doorway, watching Damion sleep.

He sent up a silent prayer that he could be the father Damion needed, and that Damion would someday realize that his daddy's inspiration came from his Heavenly Father.

Lord, I want to be just like You
'Cause he wants to be just like me
I want to be a holy example
For his innocent eyes to see
Help me be a living Bible, Lord
That my little boy can read
I want to be just like You
'Cause he wants to be like me

Another prayer went up as he headed back down the hallway, this one asking for strength to be the father Damion needed; to be a man after God's own heart; to be the man Damion really would want to be.

Got to admit I've got so far to go
Make so many mistakes and I'm sure that You know
Sometimes it seems no matter how hard I try
With all the pressures in life I just can't get it all right
But I'm trying so hard to learn from the best
Being patient and kind, filled with Your tenderness
'Cause I know that he'll learn from the things that he sees
And the Jesus he finds will be the Jesus in me

Fillmore wandered back to the living room, reflecting on his journey to become that man over the last three years. He wasn't perfect—certainly no father was—but he was learning from his mistakes and from those who were already fathers—indeed, his own father and father-in-law's tips had been helpful—and was taking steps to be a better dad.

He knew from experience that children learned by example, the foremost being their parents, and wanted to do his best to be as patient and loving as he could be, not only for his sake, but for Damion's as well.

Right now from where he stands I may seem mighty tall
But it's only 'cause I'm learning from the best Father of them all

Lord, I want to be just like You
'Cause he wants to be just like me
I want to be a holy example
For his innocent eyes to see
Help me be a living Bible, Lord
That my little boy can read
Lord I want to be just like You
'Cause he wants to be like me

Lord I want to be just like you
cause he wants to be like meee ya

Finished March 7, 2010 at 11:30ish PM. So, written within around an hour or two?

I don't know about word count, and I wasn't sure how to end it, so that's what you get.

I've been wanting to write something that actually involved Damion FOREVER, like since I first wrote him into my IF-verse. Hah.