It is springtime in the small French village of Le Mans, and Brother Sun has finally set. A mother sits in an old rocking chair near an open window taking in the scent of the fresh spring daisies, with her young son on her knees. They are there to ask Sister Moon to watch over their family as they sleep, a tradition Madame Stoddard began even before her now three year old son could speak.

"Protect Mama, et Papa, s'il vous plaît," the boy petitions Sister Moon.

"Who else?" presses his mother.

"Moi!"

The young mother laughs at his innocence, "Come, there is still more."

The boy stops, his little brain concentrating, "Oh, and cousin Belle."

"Oui, mon chéri," she smiles, "but still, who else?"

He places his tiny hands upon the windowsill and hoists his body upwards, so that he might get a better look at Sister Moon, "Uncle Maurice!"

"Mais oui, Xavier," his mother chuckles, tucking him in her gentle arms, "but now it is time for bed."

"I'm not sleepy," Xavier yawns.

"Non?" the mother questions in amusement, laying him down in his own bed, "but I think you are."

Little Xavier shakes his head vigorously. His mother lovingly covers her son with a warm blanket, but Xavier clearly has protest written across his face.

She places her hands on her hips, and cocks her head, "It is far past your bedtime, mon chéri, do not make me call Papa. He will set you straight."

Xavier seems to consider his mother's words for a moment. There were many things he can get away with, where his mother is concerned, but his father is a different story entirely. Papa means business. Xavier remembers what happened earlier this morning. Papa had spanked him for spooking the horses, and he certainly isn't eager for another punishment so soon. He can stay in bed. Xavier listens to the soft strains of his mother's voice as she sings him into dreamland. This is something he has become accustomed to in his ancient life span.

Dodo, l'enfant do,
L'enfant dormira bien vite
Dodo, l'enfant do
L'enfant dormira bientôt.

Xavier's mother smiles to herself. The child's eyes are closed now. Surely, he is sound asleep. She lightly tiptoes her way out of the room when... creak. Ami frowns. She has stepped on a loose floor board that makes the most irritating of sounds. Her husband was supposed to have fixed that. Now of course, her son is again wide awake.

"Mama," the child begs, "tell me the story about the mermaid."

Ami sighs in exhaustion, "Non, Xavier, you have heard that story a million times! Go back to sleep."

"But Sister Moon hasn't," the boy challenges.

"All right," Ami relents, "but after the story, you must promise to go to sleep, oui?"

Xavier nods wearing a large grin, and Ami begins her tale.

"J'étais à la plage, One clear, sunny day, when the sky was blue as ever, my parents took me to swim in the sea. I was four years old, and I was very excited, because it was the first time I had ever seen the ocean. I was playing in the sand, reveling really..."

"What does reveling mean?" Xavier interrupts.

"It means," Ami pauses. How should she explain this, "reveling is like saying, you enjoy doing something very much."

"Oh."

Having seemingly placated her son, she continues.

"I was playing in the sand, reveling really, when my eyes caught a glimpse of a small, shiny object. It was a pearl. I knew this because ma mère had a string of pearls that she would wear about her neck on special occasions. I tried reaching for the pearl, but it was just out of reach. So I stretched my hand a little further, and at that moment a wave rushed at me and pulled me under the water. Zut alors, I cried, for I thought I was going to drown, and never see ma famille again. But soon I was back on the sand and breathing in the salty sea air. Sitting up, I saw a tail, I knew it was a mermaid's tail, splash into the water."

"Did you ever see the mermaid again?" the boy asks.

Ami shakes her head in fascination. Xavier very well knows what comes next in the story. What the boy is doing now, is attempting to stall his bedtime. Such a cunning little thing!

"What do you think?" Ami questions with a smile.

"I think you went back to the beach!"

"Oui," confirmed his mother, "From that day on, I would ask ma mère to take me to the beach everyday. Everyday I would search for the mermaid, but everyday I was disappointed. Until one morning, as I combed the beach for little shells, a head came up from the water. Je m'appelle Siren, she said to me. Je m'appelle Ami, I said to her. And that is how I became friends with a mermaid. Sometimes she would bring me one of her human treasures and ask me what it was. I was very proud because I could identify each and every one. One time she showed me a pair of spectacles, the same kind that mon père kept on his nightstand. Another time, she brought a sparkling diamond ring, and I told her that human women wear those on their fingers. Each day I would give names to her treasures and she would tell me stories about the mermen living beneath the waves. She was my very best friend."

"And what happened next?" Xavier sits up in bed, his sea green eyes open wide.

"Nothing, for that is the end of the story."

Xavier crosses his arms, clearly irritated at being outsmarted by his mother. There is a knock at the door, and Xavier's father appears standing tall in the door frame. His arms are crossed, and he has a stern expression on his face.

"When Mama says it's time for bed, then it's time for bed, Xavier."

"Yes, Papa," the boy says meekly.

Marshall softens a bit at this, and holds out his arms, "Come, hug me goodnight."

Xavier quickly bounds out of bed, and zooms over to his father. Marshall is strong, with large muscles from lifting the heavy haystacks in the barn, and effortlessly lifts his son off the ground, and into a tight hug. He spins the boy around a few times, and Xavier giggles. Finally, Marshall returns the boy to his bed, and his mother once again covers him with a blanket.

"Now, you sleep," Marshall raises an eyebrow at his son.

"Oui, Papa."

Madame Stoddard strokes her sweet, little boy's sandy hair for a moment, "Bonne nuit, Xavier."

"Bonne nuit," he returns to his parents.

Xavier closes his eyes to sleep, and Marshall takes his wife, lovingly by the hand, leading her quietly out of the room. He expertly avoids the creaking floorboard, and silently prays his wife has yet to realize that he still has to repair it. They steal one last look at their son, before closing the door.

"He looks almost like an angel when he sleeps," Marshall remarks.

"He is an angel," the mother coos.

Finally, they shut the door, and retire to their own room for the night.

"I don't know why you tell the boy those grandiose stories about mermaids and such, Ami," Marshall remarks as he dresses for bed.

"Every last word of it is true," maintains his wife.

"Yes, of course, my love," Marshall says, kissing her softly on the lips.

Ami smiles, and they both climb into bed. As she lays her head against the pillow, her husband speaks to her again.

"Ami?" Marshall begins unsure.

"Oui, mon chéri?" Ami asks with a yawn.

"I will be taking Xavier with me to work tomorrow."

Ami turns to face her husband, propping herself up on her elbow, "Again? But, that makes three times this week!"

"It will be good for him, Ami, to see how his Papa works."

"I know," Ami exhales heavily, "but I miss having him tugging at my apron strings."

"He's only getting older," Marshall caresses his wife's cheek, "Xavier needs to learn the business at some point. It might as well be sooner than later."

"But he's only three years old!" shrieks Ami, "I don't want him growing up that soon."

Marshall offers his wife a loving smile, "All right Ami, you can keep him tomorrow. I'll take Xavier to work with me on Monday, then."

Ami sighs, "but what if he doesn't want to grow up to take care of horses, Marshall?"

Marshall scratches his head, "Well, in Le Mans, a boy can grow up to be one of three things, a stable hand, a gunsmith, or a thief. Horses run in his blood, at least."

Ami might have argued that point with her husband longer, but she is far to tired for that. Where is the man she married only four years ago? Ami loves her husband madly, but ever since Xavier was born, Marshall had become so serious, never stopped working for a minute. Ami remembers when she first met her Marshall. She had never met a foreigner before. When Marshall came to France he was mysterious, charming, handsome, and ... fun. Now, well the man is practically a work horse, but he is earnest. And Ami loves him for that.

Instead she says, "Yes, I suppose you're right."

Marshall again kisses his wife goodnight, then leans over to the nightstand, and blows out a candle. Ami plops back down into bed, and turns to face the window. Sister Moon is smiling brightly tonight.

Xavier is a smart boy, special. She would die before she ever saw him become a simple stable boy. No. Ami closes her eyes, thinking. Her son is destined for greater things.

Quick French Lesson

Oui = Yes

Moi = Me

S'il vous plaît= Please

Mais oui = That's right

Non = No

J'étais à la plage = I was at the beach

Ma mère = My mother

mon père = My father

Zut alors = Oh, Gosh!

Ma famille = My family

Je m'appelle = My name is

Mon chéri = My darling

Bonne nuit = Goodnight.

Song:

The song Xavier's mother sings to him is an old French Lullaby.

Dodo, l'enfant do,
L'enfant dormira bien vite
Dodo, l'enfant do
L'enfant dormira bientôt.

It translates to:

Sleepy time, the young one sleeps,
The child will sleep very soon
Sleepy time, the young one sleeps,
The child will sleep oh, so soon.

Here's a link to listen to the song in French. (No spaces)

http:// www. youtube. com/watch?v=NFSu_YaVdrg

Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah.

Oh my gosh, little Xavier is so cute isn't he? This is my first one shot, and I am so proud of myself. I admire all you authors who write one shots. They aren't easy! Sometimes writing concisely is much more difficult than writing a multi-chapter story. I'm so glad I pulled this off! Although, I still might expand this into a two shot. We'll see how that goes then, won't we?

Frere Jacques,
Dormez vous?

xJadeRainx