Summary: It's a night of splashing water and bubbly soap in the Enchanted Forest – bath time for little Grace, an evening of fun and laughter for both her and her Papa. (Father and daughter fluff –cavity inducing sweetness!)
Warnings: None. Excessive fluff?! (I mean it! It's 3,000 words of fluff!)
Disclaimer: OUAT and associated characters belong to ABC Studios. Writing belongs to me.
AN: I remember bath-time for me as a child being so much fun! With all the little floating toys and the bubbles and my imagination running wild, I always had such a great time. My mum used to get really annoyed with my dad sometimes for winding me up and making me laugh so hard and get so excitable, when really I should have been calming down, ready for story time and bed! Ooops!
AN2: I love Jefferson and Grace. They both love each other so much. Jefferson's a great father, trying to give Grace everything she needs, making everything as fun for his daughter as he can, wanting her to enjoy herself, allowing her to let her imagination run free and be herself. And Grace idolises him, wanting to make him smile every opportunity she can. A wonderful little family!
Hope you enjoy - reviews are much appreciated :)
Baths and Bubbles
By Lanthriel25
Pouring the last of the heated water from the kettle into the tub, Jefferson carefully dipped his hand into the water, testing the temperature. Satisfied it wasn't too hot or too cold, he unbuttoned his voluminous sleeves, rolling them up so he didn't get them too wet. Escaping completely dry on bath night however was an impossibility he was all too familiar with. Fetching the soap and placing it ready by the tub, he made his way to the open door, calling his daughter inside.
"Coming!" came Grace's reply from the side of the house where she'd been joyfully chasing the blue dragonflies.
Jefferson couldn't help but smile at the sight of his energetic daughter rounding the corner of their cabin, cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling.
"I nearly got one, Papa!"
"I bet you did," Jefferson replied fondly from where he was leaning in the doorway, revelling in Grace's simple enjoyment of the world around her. "But the bath's all ready, so hop to it!"
Grace laughed, miming a pair of bunny rabbit ears with her hands and hopped along, jumping her way passed her father and into the house, her hair dancing around her face and her boots scuffing in the scattered straw as she entered their little home.
"Hop, hop, hop!" she sang to herself as she bounced along, wagging her pretend ears, turning back to face her father, who raised an eyebrow at her before doing a rabbit impression of his own, complete with mimed ears, buck-teeth and twitching nose.
"Papa, you're so funny!" Grace laughed, hopping her way over to him, before stumbling over one of her trailing laces, lurching forward.
Darting towards her daughter, Jefferson reached out, catching her in his arms, saving her from a fall.
"Gotcha!" Jefferson assured her. "What did I tell you about those laces?"
Grace peered up at her father from where she'd fallen against him, a sheepish smile on her face. "Sorry, Papa."
"No harm done," Jefferson smiled indulgently at his little girl, before spinning her around and gently nudging her towards to the fire, where the bath tub was set. "But quick, bath water's getting cold!"
"Ok, Papa!"
Jefferson watched as she hopped her way over to the tub, the sounds of her "hop, hop, hop" tune echoing quietly through their home. He loved his daughter with all his heart, all of her funny quirks and her sense of humour, her sweetness and her kind soul. She was everything to him, and simple moments like this, tidying the house while she sang to herself, warmed his heart. He turned to shut the door and latch it. Noticing one of his scarves had fallen from the hook on the wall, he stooped to collect it and put it back in its rightful place.
Hearing the splash of water, signalling Grace's almost-jump into the tub, Jefferson quickly fetched his daughter's hollow, wooden bath toy which he'd carved himself in the shape of a small duck. Grace had already found the soap and was busy lathering it up, getting as much soap on the floor as on herself. Scooping up the wayward bubbles as he knelt down beside the bath, he let them free in the air above her, allowing them to float down to Grace, his daughter taking great delight in trying to blow them to keep them in the air. When this didn't work quite as well as she'd hoped, she dropped the soap, which landed in the water with a splash, drenching the front of Jefferson's shirt. Reaching out her hands, Grace tried to catch the bubbles in the air before they either drifted out of her reach or floated into the water and burst.
"This must be a new record!" Jefferson exclaimed as some more water sloshed over the side at her movements, further soaking his shirt.
Distracted from her game, Grace turned to ask him what he meant, before seeing the dark stain on the front of his clothes.
"Sorry, Papa!" she giggled, not realising she'd been quite so energetic.
"No, you're not," he countered with a teasing smile.
Grace appeared to ponder the statement for a moment before deliberately flicking some water at Jefferson. "No, I'm not!" she giggled.
"Oh, you are in big trouble, little lady," Jefferson teased. "And two can play at that game!"
Jefferson momentarily set aside the wooden duck with a wicked grin, snatching up the waiting beaker instead. He deftly scooped up some water from the tub into it and emptied it over his daughter's head, laughing at her indignant, "Papaaaa!"
"What?!" Jefferson exclaimed innocently.
Grace giggled, shaking her head violently, causing droplets of water to spray everywhere, sprinkling her father's face with water. Rolling his eyes indulgently at his daughter's games, Jefferson placed a hand on her head to still her movement for a moment so he didn't tug her hair too hard. His daughter quirked an eyebrow at him, silently declaring her victory in their splashing game, despite her Papa's underhand tactics.
Taking advantage of Grace sitting still, Jefferson reached out and undid the now-soaking ribbon in her hair. He deftly unbraided the plait which hung among her loose, wet tresses. Swapping the soap in her hands for her varnished, wooden duck to play with, Jefferson got to work on lathering up her hair.
Jefferson scrubbed the soap bubbles through her loose curls, making sure to clean all of her beautiful dark-blond locks. Her hair curled just like her mother's, he mused wistfully, the soft, wet waves gently twining themselves around his fingers. Careful not to pull her hair and hurt her, he untangled his fingers, focusing next on soaping up her scalp.
Grace was having fun, chattering away to herself as she played with her toy duck, splashing it through the water and the bubbles.
The soap and water coating Grace's hair was soft and warm beneath Jefferson's fingertips. He pondered what he would style for her this bath time, before getting to work. Skilfully twisting the hair in his fingers, Jefferson piled her long tresses up onto her head, styling the bubbles as Grace played with a smile.
"There you are," Jefferson stated when he was done, complete with a dramatic flourish and mock-bow, as much as he could bow from his kneeling position. "Your bubble crown is complete, Princess Grace."
"A bubble crown! Why, thank you, kind Papa!" Grace laughed in her best regal voice, straining her eyes upward as far as they would go, trying to see her Papa's masterpiece. Cautious fingers reached up to feel her royal soapy circlet, careful not to destroy its shape.
Jefferson smiled, reaching out to wipe away some stray bubbles trickling down his daughter's temple, not wanting it to get in her eyes.
"Five more minutes of play whilst the soap works, ok?"
"Ok, Papa," Grace nodded slightly, not wanting to dislodge her crown, feeling around in the water until she found her toy. Bending her knees so they were sticking out of the water, she created a treacherous mountain range for her toy duck to navigate, the feathered warrior bravely climbing up the steep slope before trying to fly, but instead sliding down the other side, quacking all the while.
Jefferson, whilst listening to his daughter's playing, busied himself with making her small bed with the freshly washed covers. He made sure to tuck in the edges and fluff up her pillow, carving away the runaway wax and trimming the wick of her bedside candle. Standing back with his hands on his hips, he scrutinised his work. Happy enough with his efforts, he returned to the tub, hating to interrupt Grace's fun but not wanting her to catch a chill from being in there too long.
"Time's up, Princess."
"Ok," Grace smiled, dropping the duck into the bath with a plop. "Goodbye, princess crown," she whispered reverently as she tipped her head forward ready for her Papa to rinse off all the bubbles.
Holding his hand over her eyes, shielding them from the soap and water, Jefferson poured beaker after beaker of water over her head, washing out the cleansing lather. Scrubbing his fingers into her scalp and twisting out the long strands, Jefferson made sure all the bubbles had gone, tipping one final beaker of water over her head for good measure.
"Head up," he instructed as he reached for the thicker and softer of their two towels from where he'd hung them to keep warm by the fire.
Sitting back, spitting out the water which she'd managed to almost swallow, Grace brushed back her hair from her face, squeezing out the excess water with her fists. Once she was done, Jefferson wrapped the toasty towel around her head, patting her hair dry. Hair now no longer soaking wet, Jefferson flipped the towel over his shoulder for temporary safe keeping, helping Grace to stand, making sure she didn't fall, before wrapping her up in the warm material. Gripping the hand which wasn't holding the towel around her, Jefferson helped Grace to climb out of the tub, standing her steady in front of the fire.
As Grace dried herself, Jefferson fetched her night clothes, leaving them folded next to her.
"Here you are, sweetie."
Grace smiled gratefully at her Papa, snagging her nightie as Jefferson made quick work of lighting the remaining candles around the room, dusk having well and truly fallen.
Once she was dressed in her nightie and sleep-pants, house shoes snug on her feet, Grace padded over to her peg, unhooking her new night jacket and slipping her arms in. The material was soft and warm, the arms and length slightly too long and hemmed since her Papa said she was 'growing like a sunflower'. She remembered being rather offended when a customer in the market had commented that she was 'growing like weed'. Seeing his daughter's pout, her Papa had laughed and amended that saying, coming up with one of their own. Grace smiled at the memory, loving how her Papa had cheered her up and now they had a special saying just for them.
Grace settled herself down in front of the fire, her pile of day clothes in front of her which she was sorting, neatly folding the ones which didn't need to be washed just yet, the homely fire causing her skin to glow. Jefferson busied himself with collecting the dusty clothes she'd set aside, pressing a kiss to his daughter's head as he did so. Moments passed in peaceful, companionable quiet, the only sound the crackle of the fire in the hearth.
Dropping the last of the clothes in the laundry basket to take down to the river in the morning, Jefferson came to sit cross-legged in front of her, placing Grace's rag doll in her lap to play with. He reached out and flattened her collar where it was sticking up at the back as Grace hugged her doll to her. Adjusting how the material of the night jacket sat across her shoulders, smoothing down the fabric, Jefferson threaded the three toggle fastenings through their catches, making sure his daughter was all bundled up and cosy.
"It's your turn, Papa," Grace reminded lightly, but with a glint in her eye, pointing to the bath.
Jefferson sighed and eyed the tub distastefully, exaggerating his expression for his daughter's benefit.
"Do I have to?" he whined, pouting expertly.
Grace arched an eyebrow, unknowingly imitating her father, folding her arms in front her. "Mm Hm," she replied with a stern nod, expression serious.
They stared each other down for a long moment before Jefferson gave in.
"Fine," he huffed, throwing a wink over at his daughter, causing her to grin triumphantly from her seat by the fire.
Tugging off his cravat, Jefferson knelt at the edge of the tub, bending forwards so his head was over the water. Taking a breath and closing his eyes, Jefferson dunked his whole head in the water, running his fingers through his hair, before resurfacing. Without wasting any time, Jefferson scooped up the soap, roughly lathering up his hair. As he did so however a fleck of flying lather accidentally hit him in his eye, causing him to wince as the sting took hold.
"Argh! Grace? Can you pass me the wash rag, please?"
Leaving her rag doll in front of the fire, Grace quickly scrambled to retrieve it. Jefferson, still hunched over the tub so he didn't drip water everywhere, reached blindly out. Grace pressed the material into her Papa's hand, which he took gratefully, wiping at his right eye.
"Are you alright?" Grace asked.
"Yes, I just got some soap in my eye…and it really stings!"
As if to emphasise his point, Jefferson looked up at his daughter with a grimace, right eye screwed tightly shut and the water from his soaking wet and soapy hair trickling down his face. She tried not to but he looked so funny and Grace couldn't help the small chuckle which escaped her lips, before hastily clamping a hand over her mouth to stifle it.
"You think this is funny?" one-eyed Jefferson challenged playfully.
"Nope," she replied solemnly, belying the laughter in her eyes.
"I might go blind, you know. Or my eyeball might fall right out and roll across the floor. Would you like that?" he deadpanned, reaching out to tickle his daughter.
"Eeeew, Papa! Eyeballs?! That's disgusting!" Grace squealed through her chuckles, backing away from his tickling fingers. "Although," she mused seriously, circling slowly around until she was behind him, "if that did happen, you'd have to wear an eye-patch. Like this!"
Grace suddenly jumped up behind her kneeling father, latching onto him, her chin resting on his left shoulder, her right hand reaching round and covering his stinging eye like a patch.
"You'd be 'Papa the Pirate'!" she exclaimed.
"Arrrrrrr!" one-eyed Jefferson joked, twisting around the face her, trapping her in his arms. "I caught me a fair maiden, me hearties! 'Tis the princess, I'll warrant!"
"No, Evil Pirate! I fight for freedom! Hoist the colours!" Grace declared through her playful laughter, wiggling out of her father's hold, grabbing his cravat from the floor where it had lain forgotten. She proceeded to dance around the room, flailing and twirling the 'flag' around her as she went, before slashing and stabbing an invisible sword into an equally invisible opponent with exclamations of "En garde!" and "Take that, you seadog!"
Despite his eye still smarting, Jefferson smiled at his daughter's antics, never having been able to make bath time into anything other than a circus. Scrubbing his eye with the rag for a second time and dowsing his eye with clean water, blinking a few times, 'Papa the Pirate' became simply 'Papa' once more.
Leaning over the tub again, Jefferson scrubbed at his hair, far less gently and carefully than he had with his daughter's. Satisfied his hair was clean, he fished into the water for the beaker to rinse off the soap suds. Before he could scoop up the first measure of water however, he felt a soft pull on his sleeve, Grace's body leaning against him.
"Let me help?" she asked hopefully.
Jefferson tilted his head to look at his daughter, always so generous and kind.
"Oh, you don't need to do that, honey. You just keep playing, it's alright."
Grace shook her head decisively.
"But I want to help. And you might get soap in your eye again. Please?" she begged, clasping her hands in front of her.
Jefferson chuckled. "Ok, if you're sure."
"Yay!" came Grace's cry, jumping up and down, clapping her hands together in delight.
Tipping his head over the tub, Jefferson looked down into the water momentarily, watching Grace's duck bob along to and fro amongst the suds. Screwing his eyes shut, Jefferson lifted his hands to shield his own eyes.
"First one! Here it comes!" warned Grace, as she tipped the beaker full of water over her father's head, using her other hand to wash out the bubbles.
Seven beakers of water later, Grace was satisfied she'd done her job properly, having counted them diligently and gotten rid of all the soap suds.
"All done, Papa!" Grace declared, setting down the beaker and tossing her father the remaining towel for his hair.
"Thank you, sweetheart," Jefferson smiled, towelling his hair dry until it stuck up in every direction, causing Grace to laugh. He brushed her cheek fondly before ruffling his daughter's damp hair in gratitude.
Snuggled in her bed, Grace watched the flickering shapes of the woodland animals dance on her wall from the metal lantern which her Papa had made her for her night-candle. He'd spent several nights painstakingly weaving the thin metal wire, creating a case to surround her candle with carved-out animal-shapes all around it for the light to shine through. She loved it; her Papa was so clever. As her Papa began to hum the chorus of her favourite lullaby, she reached out, twisting the casing, making a rabbit appear on the wall.
Stroking his fingers softly over her temple, knowing it relaxed his daughter, helping her to sleep, Jefferson watched fondly as his daughter's sleep-glazed brown eyes, which were watching the figures her night light created, lost their focus. Finishing the soothing lullaby, Jefferson shifted on his knees where he knelt beside the bed.
"Goodnight, my gorgeous Grace," he whispered, leaning forward to leave a tender kiss on her forehead, tugging her covers up before going to tidy away the bath things.
Just as he stood and moved away, Grace caught his hand in a slack grip, catching his attention.
Her voice came out as a sleepy whisper, her words causing Jefferson's heart to ache with love for his precious daughter.
"Goodnight…my perfect Papa."
The End
Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it :) Reviews very much appreciated. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for more Jefferson and Grace one-shots, set both in the Enchanted Forest and in Storybrooke.