CH 10: Bed Time
"Bath time!" Athena called from the kitchen as she finished washing the dishes.
Ares and the kids were in the living room playing Old Maid.
"Aww man," Brad pouted, "I don't wanna take a bath."
"We have to get clean. We aren't vaga…va…"
"Vagabonds Emily," Ares laughed, "You love to use your mummy's words don't you?"
Emily smiled, "I want to be smart!"
"I don't want a bath," Brad stated.
"How about a shower with dad?" Ares asked gathering the cards and putting them away.
"Um…okay!" Brad nodded raising his arms as Ares picked him up.
"You think mummy will let me bath with her?" Hermione asked.
"She does anything for you rug rat," Ares smirked as he took her tiny hand and went into the kitchen.
"Well?" Athena asked looking at her brother.
"Brad wants daddy and Emily wants mummy," Ares laughed.
"Come on baby. Bubble bath and you can play with your bathtub paints," Athena smiled picking her daughter up.
"Yay!" Emily squealed as the two adults headed upstairs.
"All right shut the eyes little man," Ares stated squirting the shampoo on his son's head.
Brad shut his eyes tight scrunching his face as his father held him. Ares scrubbed the little boy's head before standing under the running water and rinsing him off.
"Daddy how come we live with Aunt Thea?" Brad asked as his father washed him.
"Why not? Don't you like Aunt Thea?" Ares asked.
"Yeah…but why do we live with her? Did we come when mum died?" Brad asked.
"Yes we did," Ares nodded, "We came because she needed someone and so did I. It's very hard to raise a kid alone bud."
"Oh…okay," Brad nodded as the shower was turned off and Ares stepped out wrapping a towel around his waist and then one around his son.
Athena washed her daughter's hair as the girl painted a picture with her special bathtub paints. The paints always washed off with water so it wasn't ruining anything. They worked as soap as well.
"Mummy will I get a baby brother or sister?" Emily asked.
"I don't know…maybe one day. But aren't you happy with Cousin Brad?" Athena asked, "Close your eyes."
Emily shut her eyes as her mother dumped water over her head rinsing her hair.
"Yeah," Emily nodded turning to look at her mother, "Can I have milk and sleep with you?"
"Ugh you are so clingy," Athena rolled her eyes as she smiled and tickled the girl. Emily laughed splashing in the water.
Athena climbed out of the tub and dried off wrapping a towel around her hair and putting on her bathrobe. She grabbed one of her fluffy towels and bent over the draining tub picking the three year old up and setting her on the ground rubbing her down with the towel to dry her. She then put a tiny robe just like hers around the girl.
"All right run to your room and pick out some pajamas," Athena smiled.
"Okay mummy," Hermione smiled running off.
Athena was tying off her night time braid when her daughter entered dragging her favorite teddy bear and pajamas.
"There you are," Athena smiled turning away from her mirror.
"I couldn't reached. I had to get Uncle Ares to help," Emily explained.
"All right let me get a hair tie and brush. Go on and get on the bed," Athena smiled. Emily crawled on the bed and sat sweetly.
Her mother came over and sat behind her as the girl stood. Athena dressed the girl for the night then sat the child back down and braided her hair before they snuggled in bed together the teddy bear by Athena and Emily once again in her lap.
"Mummy will you sing to me?" Emily asked.
Athena smiled as she guided Emily to lie in her arms as she unbuttoned her top and allowed her daughter to latch on to a breast and suckle. As the girl drank milk Athena hummed softly caressing the girl's cheek and sang a Celtic lullaby of magic and child play.
"And the mighty dragon gobbled the knight easily and chuckled after his snack asking who was next! And this will continue tomorrow night," Ares ended shutting the fairy tale book.
"Aww really?" Bradford whined.
"Really kid. Sleep tight and don't let the bugs bite," Ares grinned as he tucked his son in and kissed his head.
"Okay. Love you dad," Brad yawned as his eyes shut.
"I love you to kid," Ares smiled slipping the boys glasses off his face and setting them on the table by the bed as he waked out and shut off the light shutting the door behind him and heading to bed himself.