Chapter -2- "Four years isn't very long."
Fox drew Jaye into his arms. The toddler beamed up at his father, his eyes illuminated by the recessed lighting in the living room ceiling. His grin broadened, joyful of his father's attention. Fox's paws, underneath the boy's arms were firm but tender, releasing the boy to his knee, where the youth sat proudly perched. In his tiny paws, Jaye held two Arwing models, flying them about himself at arm's length, making the sounds of combat by clicking his tongue against his teeth to simulate rapid gunfire.
Fox ran his fingers through the little boy's head fur, pushing the silky golden strands back, tucking them behind his little ears. The tyke didn't even notice. Fox then grinned like the sly vulpine he was, and suddenly launched the little boy vertical, then stood up quickly and caught him, repeating the motion. It was Jaye's favorite thing. His little heart was filled with glee, God Bless his soul.
His tail fluttered upwards as he flew back down into Fox's arms, only to get tossed straight up into the air once more. Jaye's headfur came untucked from behind his ears once more, his bangs covering his his face to just above his nose. Still holding the toy Arwing, Jaye used his wrist to push the strands of gold from his eyes.
"It's time to get you a haircut," Fox mused, turning the boy upside-down in his paws, so that the toddler's hair stood straight up, reaching for the ground.
"Nooooo, I like my hair long," The child said, grinning up at his father.
"Oh? You DO do you? But you know what long hair is good for, right?" Fox asked, carrying the little boy through the house, inverted. They stopped in the bathroom where Fox held Jaye, playfully above the toilet, using his foot to flush the toilet. "A swirly!" We'll make your hair straight straight up and it'll be all swirled, what about that!" he joshed in a teasing tone.
"Okay okay! I'll get the haircut!" Jaye laughed, kicking his feet in the air. The elder McCloud turned the boy about, putting him on his feet and grinned. Before he could do anything else, Jaye sprinted off, tearing through the household.
"You'd better not run with toys in your hand! You'll grow up to look like Wolf O'Donnel!" Fox chided, following him with quick, toddler sized steps, tracking him through the hallways. "I'm gonna getcha! You can't hide from me, Jaye! And when I find you... Iiiiii'm gonna tickle!"
"Noo! Don't you think about it!" Jaye called from his hiding spot in the laundry room. Smart, the kid hid in the laundry to throw Fox off the scent, but called back, accidentally giving out his location. Fox peeked in the laundry room, looked around, knowing the little boy watched him from the pile of clothes on the floor, then pretended he was giving up the hunt. He turned out the lights, saying, "hmm, no one here. Guess I'll go have some ice cream in the kitchen!"
"Wait, I want Ice Cream too!" Jaye said, climbing out of his laundry pile, the hunt forgotten. Fox grinned and scooped him up, tickling at his sides, causing him to squirm. "Ahh! No fair! You tricked me!"
"No I didn't," Fox said with a grin to his son. "I'm really going to the kitchen for some Ice Cream? You want some?" The child nodded to Fox's inquiry, vigorously, bouncing his head up and down repeatedly, causing his hair to go every which way.
"Goodness, Jaye. Your hair looks like a rooster's butt exploded!"
"Nuh uh! My hair isn't a roosters butt es'plodin'. You're making that up!" The child said, matter of factly, keeping a sly grin to see what his father's reply would be. Fox laughed at the boy's reply and carried him to the kitchen, sitting him down into a chair, ontop of two telephone directory books, to boost him up to the table.
"Okay, if you can sing the Alphabet with me, you'll get two scoops. Ready?" Fox asked, opening the freezer. The little boy acknowledged that he was, indeed, ready, and the two sang their way through the alphabet, which he'd learned from his parents. Once they reached the conclusion of the song, Fox led him into the first ten numbers using the same melodic scheme as the alphabet song. He couldn't be prouder of his little boy. The kid was whipping-smart and resourceful as could be.
It was just the other night that Jaye built an extension from erectors, so as to catch the pull switch on his ceiling light. Fox was impressed at the clever contraption, which was a lengthy metal "P", long enough to catch the wooden ball at the end of the string. The boy had then turned the metal "P" in a few circles, so the string was captured securely inside the top of the "P" then pulled it, to turn on his room light so he could play with his toys at 2 in the morning.
Fox was impressed, but had to be stern with him, explaining that little boys needed their sleep so they could grow up to become big, strong men so they're tall enough to fit in the cockpit of an Arwing. He told Jaye that if he doesn't sleep and eat his vegetables, he'd be so short, he'd never be able to reach the rudder peddles!
Having sung through two songs together, Fox gladly gave him two heaping scoops of chocolate ice cream, bringing the bowl back to him and sitting down with his own bowl at the table. He handed the child a spoon, then used one for himself, to dig in. No sooner did they sit down to ice cream, that the back door opened and Fara stepped into the house.
"Mommy's home," Jaye said, with a sly grin. "I'm going to tell her you were good today, Daddy," He added with a Cheshire smile, waggling his tiny eyebrows the way he'd seen his father do to his mother in the past.
"Oh yeah? You gonna tell her that with your mouth full of ice cream?" Fox said, between bites. He then grinned as the little boy shrugged and grinned back. Fara stepped into the kitchen, leaning to kiss both of her boys on their forehead, one who was part of her, and the other who was part of her soul. "Hey, sweetheart. How was patrol?" He asked, reaching to scritch her back with his free paw, spooning some ice cream to give her a bite, with his other.
"Hi momma!" Jaye announced, showing her his Arwing Models, which were now sitting, side by side, on the table.
"Hi boys!" Fara said with a chuckle, taking the offered spoonful of chocolate, then playfully tail-slapping Fox's wrist, as if to tell him to behave himself around Jaye. The two lovers looked at one another with a grin, knowing what would lie in store between the sheets of their bed, later in the evening. "How's momma's big boy? I missed you today!" She said, leaning to hug him.
Jaye laughed softly, hugging back, "I'm good. Daddy was good today, too. I didn't have to put him into time out one whole time," The toddler announced.
Fara laughed softly, replying, "Oh really?" She then turned to Fox and ran her fingers through his fur, scritching behind his ears, "Then someone gets extra special...snuggles tonight, after bed time," she whispered then turned back to Jaye suddenly making a silly face at him. He laughed, swatting playfully at her for sticking her tongue out and crossing her eyes at him.
"Among other things," McCloud replied, the turned back to Jaye, at the table. "He's really getting good with his alphabet and numbers," he told Fara, reaching to pull her tail, causing her to flop back into his lap. Jaye finished his last bite of ice cream, then bounded off his boosted seat and into his mother's lap, who sat upon her husband's knee. "Ooof! Boy, Mommy's light but you're getting heavy because you're getting to be such a big boy!" Fox said to his son, now supporting them both upon his lap.
"I've gotta go in town tomorrow, Daddy," Fara said to Fox, accenting the last word, for Jaye's benefit. She leaned to touch her nose to his before continuing, "the Library of Records has something that may prove I was related to The Daughters of the Titanian Revolution, the group of female pioneers who helped settle the first colony on Titania," She explained.
"Oh? You've really been getting into that genealogy hobby kit I bought you for your birthday, hm?" Fox grinned, snaking his arms around her waist. Jaye slipped down between their knees to the floor, reaching up over the kitchen table to grab his toys, then turned back to his mother and father.
His eyes then noticed the welted marks in his father's hand, leaning forward to scrutinize the several 'fingernail moon' shaped marks, he'd not noticed until now. "What's that daddy? How'd you hurt your hand?"
"Oh that? Shoot, that's from you and mommy, the day you were born," Fox chuckled. "Mommy was so happy to see you for the first time, she squeezed my paw and those were the fingernail marks," Fox chuckled, causing Fara to blush, from leaving claw markings on his palm and the side of his paw from when she was in labor.
"Wow," Jaye said, "That's pretty happy, mommy," He said to her, placing the toy Arwings on Fox's knee, lifting his paw off of his wife's belly to inspect it closely. "Did you get a doctor to look at this, young man?" The boy chided.
"Why as a matter of fact, I was at a hospital at the time, and as you can see, it didn't kill me, and you know what they say. What doesn't kill ya, makes you stronger, so of course, that means your daddy is the strongest man in the world, and mommy can still bench-press daddy, because she could beat me up with her pinkie finger," McCloud told his son with a grin.
"Wow, mommy's strong," He mused, looking up at his mother, who was giving him another silly face. "Moooommyyy! Your face will freeeeze like that if you're not careful!" he said, repeating her words from a previous time.
"Well darn. My face will freeze with my tongue sticking out huh?" She said with a chuckle.
"I can think of the benefits of that," Fox whispered into her ear, tugging her further back into his lap. Fara grinned, elbowing him gently, since Jaye was around. She whispered back with a chuckle, "is that so?" To her question, Fox nodded emphatically, the way Jaye often did, over exaggerating a repeated string of nods.
"Well," Fara said, clearing her throat, as Jaye turned his attention back to his toys, flying them around the kitchen, "His bed time is in an hour and a half," She murred quietly. A slow, devious grin began to form at the right corner of Fox's muzzle, causing a light dimple to form at his cheek. Fara turned to face him, suddenly spotting the adorable marking and reached to give his cheek such a pinch that it left his face a rosy hue afterwards.
"I love you," Fox said, speaking to his Wife.
"I love you too, Daddy!" Jaye said absentmindedly, while racing his Arwing toys about the Kitchen, pretending to blow up things like the salt shakers on the counter, which was only a matter of inches above his head, but easily within reach of his arms, his paws, and the Arwings he was using to Patrol the Kitchen. Fara grinned at Jaye then turned back to her dashing hero Husband and whispered softly. "I love you, daddy," she replied in a cute, yet lovingly tone, to her husband.
Fox glanced back to his son, than returned those sea green oculars to the increadibly beautiful woman with whom he exchanged vows, 8 years prior. He leaned to nuzzle his nose to her own, speaking in soft, whispered tones. "Where's Vixy?"
"Your daughter is with her youth group this evening," Fara mused, her lips brushing his ear as she spoke such soft, subtle tones to him. Of course their daughter, who was named after Fox's mother, was a strong, able young lady of 8 years. The little girl was a straight A student in second grade. Fox couldn't be prouder of his two children.
"8 o'clock curfew?" Fox asked.
Fara nodded, adding, "Actually, 8:30, tonight. I've talked to one of the den mothers, it's all right. We'll have him in bed by 8:15, she'll be in bed by 9, and we will be in bed by 9:01, if you like." Fara's sultry tone let her husband know that she was definitely in the mood for his love, this evening.
"Should we name our next son after your father?" Fox asked with a devious look. The sly pilot reached a paw up to touch her on the nose. He liked this ignorance. He liked the bliss and being able to have a normal life and put everything else behind himself. He liked considering a patrol as, "The Job" or a "day at the office" because in truth, he was making up for the stability he lacked from a loss of his family at a young age.
"You're so bad," Fara chided softly. Little James continued flying his Arwings through the kitchen before heading into the dining room, through the hallway and back to his own room, which was decorated by highly colorful posters and stuffed animals.
"I know," Fox said, patting her on the rump once, before easing her from his lap. The two made their way through the house, stopping in the doorway of his room to check on him. Last night was Fox's turn to tuck Jaye in, thus making this evening Fara's turn. She grinned at her husband before leaning her head into Jaye's room to announce his bed time was in 15 minutes. Fox turned to glance out the window at the freshly fallen snow.
A new powdery snowfall had crept up on them, coating the world in it's blanket. The snow absorbed sound so well that it made everything absolutely silent for miles. That was Fox's favorite thing about the snow. He could perk his ears and listen but wouldn't hear anything. The snow had a charm about itself, the world was a blank page, everything was fresh and new again.
Half an hour passed. Jaye was tucked into his bed, his lights dimmed, and his covers tight about his body. He was all set. He'd used the bathroom, got hugs and kisses from his mother and father, said his prayers to the Goddess and even had a toy under his arm. Nothing with sharp ends, like the Arwing Model, of course. His toy of choice, this evening, was a plushie baised on his favorite cartoon.
Fox was sitting in the kitchen when he heard something outside, his ears perking at the sound. A car had pulled up in the driveway, leaving fresh tire tracks in the snow. The only thing that was audible was the light squeak of wet breaks as it rolled to a stop at the top of the driveway. He peered out the window, seeing one of the mothers dropping off two children and walking them to the door.
Fox met her at the door, as Fara had gone to get some candles ready. The spouses decided to take a shower together before heading to bed, but that would be later on in the evening. The mother smiled to Fox and inquired where Fara was, but Fox only smiled a knowing smile, replying, "She's in the back ... tucking in Jaye and getting some things ready for bed."
"Oh? Is that so? Well tell her I said hello," She said, offering a smile in return. Fox then knelt down to his daughter, who stood in the doorway with her friend, running his fingers through the lengthy white tendrils of her head fur, which was a bit like Fox's own white strip but to her shoulders. It was brighter than a platinum blond and she was glad to see her father.
"Daddy, could Felicia stay the night?" She inquired, motioning to her Feline-avian hybrid friend.
Fox looked the other girl over for a moment, immediately recognizing her facial features. As if pink and white feathers weren't obvious enough, the winged feline, smiled and waved at the man who was a friend of her father and mother. McCloud grinned slightly and said, "I haven't seen you since you were, what? Five? My Goodness, you've grown." His words made the girl feel like she was mature and tall, but Fox remembered seeing the girl only a mere three years ago. Age five to age eight was a world of difference, especially to these children. But the daughter of Falco Lombardi and Katt Monroe-Lombardi was welcome in his Den at any time.
"Does she have something to wear?" He asked, knowing girls were rather large on that whole thing. Felicia nodded emphatically then Fox turned back to Vixy and grinned. "She can stay." The girls stole a glance at one another, trying not to look too giddy but at this youthful age, Fox could see they were plainly excited.
Behind Felicia Lombardi's back was a duffle bag. She lifted the bag, shouldering it and glancing up to the youth group car pooling mother, both girls waving goodbye. The woman turned back to Fox gave a sheepish grin and nodded to McCloud. "Good evening, Mister Fox. Thank you, it gives me one less house to stop by, tonight. I appreciate it," She said.
"Not a problem," Fox said, opening the door all the way so that both girls could dash through the living room and into the hallway, heading for Vixy's room. Fox gave the woman one more nod before she turned, heading back for her car to take the rest of the children home. McCloud shut and locked the door behind himself, turning out the lights in the living room and stopping in Vixy's doorway.
"Hey, kiddo," He said with a grin. "Make you a deal?"
"Yes daddy?" Her lush lashes fluttering open, those gorgeous brown eyes looking up at her father. She looked so much like Fox's mother that every so often, such as now, she would make an expression that would make his heart stop.
"You can stay up until 10 tonight, because it's not a school night, on one condition," He said. Her eyes went gleefully wide at the extended bed time and she was ready and willing to fulfill any and every obligation to earn such a special treat.
"Mommy and I gonna take a bath and go to bed early. We're just a bit tired," He said, not really wanting the girls to know that what he and Fara had planned, of course, but warning them to leave the two alone, to some measure, for the remainder of the evening. "Now, Jaye is asleep, so make sure you keep it down. I'll pop back in at 10 to make sure you girls are all settled in, sound good?"
"Stay quiet and play good until ten, got it. If you are asleep by 10, I'll make sure we turn out the lights, Daddy." Her sweet little tone and cascade of stark-white curls was the only thing that gave her a different appearance from Vixy Reinard. It was one of the most obvious traits that made her daddy's little girl. That and her grin.
Fox knew he'd be in the heat of ecstasy by 10. He also knew his daughter was responsible enough to turn out the light by 10:15, when he didn't come to say goodnight. She'd assume he was asleep and make her bathroom break before bed as well as her friend, then they'd both go to bed. Then around Eleven, he'd peek in to make sure they were safe, wash his face and go to bed. It never failed.
The girls closed their door, to keep from waking Jaye, across the hallway, then went about playing dress up and other fun, girlish games and activities. Fox had to wonder if 8 years old was too old to play tea party the way she used to do when she was 6 years old. She wasn't such a child anymore, she could already target shoot and hold her own for the first two rounds on a flight simulator.
As much as he had her play sports and do boyish things, having raised her to be a tomboy up until Jaye was born, he also urged her to get girlie with her friends, especially now that he had a son. Little did he know, they were actually class partners for a school project as well. The girls decided they would work on their assignment over the weekend and spend this evening playing.
McCloud made his way back down the hallway, just as Fara was stepping out of her room with a bathrobe. She gave a grin, her eyes shifting towards the adjoining corridor, towards the bathroom. "Falco's daughter has come to visit and slumber party with Vixy tonight. I figured that keeping her occupied would be in our best interest... and if they stay up an extra hour, they'll sleep in two extra hours, which means I can wake you up before breakfast."
"Oh?" Fara asked innocently. "Wake me up before breakfast...how?"
"Oh I can think of many different ways," Fox said, following her to the bathroom, where Fara had a hot bath ready and a plethora of candles lit. Her favorite romantic piano ballad was playing softly from a radio inside the linen closet, and Fox made sure to shut and lock the door behind themselves.
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Chapter -3- The Choices We Make.
