Hi! Sorry for the delay, but you know. Christmas, talking of which, hope you all enjoyed your holidays!
Right here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy, see chapter 1 for the disclaimer, it takes place nearly two years after the last chapter.
As the light streamed in through the window, Happy's eyes flew open and he smiled. He was excited today, really excited and for some reason he couldn't think of why he was so excited.
The three year old climbed out of his bed and looked across at Sleepy, who had the pleasure of sharing a room with him. His older brother had a stocking with a suspicious present-shape bulge at the bottom of it at the end of his bed. Excitement flaring up inside of him again Happy ran to the end of his bed and yes! There was a stocking there, with a present inside!
"SLEEPY!" He yelled, catapulting himself on his brother's tummy causing Sleepy to wake with a yell of pain. "IT'S CHRISTMAS!"
"I know." Sleepy wheezed. "Get of me, Happy." With a frown of annoyance the 10 year old pushed the child of his bed and turned away, pushing the covers up around his ears he prepared to go back to sleep. Then he paused and sat up. "Wait a minute…did you say it's Christmas!?"
Happy nodded.
"Well then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" And with that Sleepy threw his bed cover on the floor and leapt up, causing the baby in his cot in the corner of the room to cry.
"You woke up Sneezy!" Happy accused.
"Did not! Well, didn't mean to anyway…."
"What's all the noise in here? Some of us are trying to sleep!" Doc complained, standing at the door. He and Dreamy shared a room just down the hall. The sleeping arrangement was so Sleepy when sleepwalking could safely walk down the stairs without having to turn any corners as his room was directly in front of the stars. Doc and Dreamy got on very well, and Dreamy tended to be annoyed by Happy, though Doc and Sleepy could tolerate him. And as for Sneezy he'd been put into Sleepy and Happy's room because Sleepy can sleep through anything, so his crying didn't matter. And Happy was a great alarm for when Sneezy was crying because if either Gentle or Watchful didn't arrive within two minutes Happy would go and wake them up to inform them the baby was crying. Dreamy got grumpy when his sleep was disturbed too much and Doc liked to plan inventions and stuff using all available space in the room, which was obviously an injury hazard for the baby, so that's why Sneezy was in Sleepy's and Happy's room.
"It Christmas!" Happy yelled.
Doc paused and then blinked. "So it is."
"Did you forget?" Dreamy yelled from his room. "Doc! It only happens once a year!"
"Yeah alright, Dreamy!"
"What's all this noise for?" Watchful said in mock-annoyance coming out of his and Gentle's room. "You'd think it was Christmas!"
"It is!" Happy giggled, catapulting himself into his father's arms.
"Is it? Again? Well then, you'd better get your stocking hadn't you, c'mon into our room. Where's Sneezy?"
"Here." Sleepy said, having reached in and lifted Sneezy out of his cot a couple of minutes ago.
With a certain amount of panic Watchful took Sneezy from his oldest son. It wasn't that he didn't trust him, it was just Watchful sometimes had visions of Sneezy falling on the floor because Sleepy had fallen asleep suddenly. So far it hadn't happened and for the whole three weeks since Sneezy had been born Sleepy had been quite helpful, but the thought was always at the back of his mind.
"Shall we open our gifts then?" Gentle said, clapping her hands together. "Watchful first…" They always did this, oldest to youngest. Watchful insisted it taught the children patience. "Here you go, dear..."
"A tee-shirt and…a pocket knife?" Watchful shot his wife a look. She rolled her eyes.
"It's for the mine, Watchful. You're always complaining you can't dislodge the smaller gems, now you can."
"Thank you dear." Watchful pecked his wife on the cheek, to a chorus of 'yuck!' from the children. "Enough of that you lot. What have you got me?"
"This." Sleepy leaned over and got a square package. "Here you go."
"Oh, a picture frame. How lovely boys."
"I made it." Doc said eagerly. "Dreamy designed it, I made it and then Happy painted it and Sleepy handed us screws."
"Thank you boys. Now you my wife…" Two presents later and Gentle had a necklace made of gems, hand crafted by Watchful himself, and a picture frame that had the same design of her husbands but a different couler scheme, from her sons.
Sleepy got a new football from his parents, a book on football from Doc and Dreamy, a picture of…something from Happy and a new football top 'from' Sneezy.
Doc got a magnifying glass from his parents so he could examine insects in the backyard without actually having to pick them up and take them inside, which always unnerved Gentle. Sleepy got him a book on Elves. Dreamy gave him a book on the history of the Violin. Happy gave him a scribbled picture. He also got a book on 'Horrible Science' 'from' Sneezy. "You know I know this isn't really from Sneezy right?" The seven year old said, seriously.
Dreamy got a dream-catcher from his parents, Sleepy and Doc had given him a piano-book as Dreamy had been playing it for a year now. And Happy gave him a scribbled picture. Sleepy 'gave' him a good-luck charm to sit on top of the piano Watchful had crafted for Dreamys fifth birthday. Dreamy was now six.
Happy got an assortment of colouring books and pens from his siblings and parents. Sneezy got soft toys and blankets and things which caused him to sneeze multiple times.
"I don't like that sneeze." Watchful muttered to Gentle later when the whole family were downstairs and the children were playing with their presents.
"Watchful leave it, it's Christmas." Gentle muttered back to him while jointly holding Sneezy and keeping an eye on Happy.
So Watchful did and did his best to enjoy Christmas Day.
BTW, I really hope the ages aren't confusing you lot too much. I am trying to keep it fairly simple.
