"Does everybody have their popcorn?" uncle Gabe asked.
Jessie and Ollie both said 'uh-huh' and Jude raised his bowl to show uncle Gabe the popcorn inside. It smelled so yummy and buttery. He couldn't wait to eat some. Uncle Gabe smiled and turned around to open the door to the room behind him.
"Alright, kiddos. Then it's time to climb into the Super-Mega-Ultra-Jumbo-Pillow-Fort-of-Awesomeness!" he grinned.
Jude wiggled his way closer to Ollie and Jessie to look inside the room behind uncle Gabe. There were pillows and blankets everywhere! It looked like a big laundry mess! Like a castle made out of fluffy bed stuff! It was so cool! Uncle Gabe dropped down to the floor and crawled between a couple of blankets with Dickie and Jessie followed him. She sat her bowl of popcorn down and scooted it along the floor, pushing it inside the Super-Mega-Ultra-Jumbo-Pillow-Fort-of-Awesomeness.
"Wow. You've got the coolest house ever, Jude," Ollie said.
Jude stared at his friend as the boy knelt down to follow Jessie into the blanket tunnel. Did Jude have the coolest house ever? Yeah, probably. Because Daddy, Papa, Jessie, uncle Sam, and uncle Gabe lived there. And Dickie too... While no one was around, Jude ate a piece of warm popcorn before following his friends inside. Mmm. That was good stuff. Uncle Gabe was the best.
The inside of the pillow fort was like a giant maze. It had all kinds of twists and turns. Jude crawled fast to keep up with the others so that he wouldn't get lost. There were Christmas lights strung through the tunnels and it looked so pretty all lit up. Jude felt like he spent a long time crawling, but they finally reached a large open space full of glowy stars, paper lanterns, and more lights. There were three sleeping bags in a row on the floor; a red one that had Ollie's unicorn on top, a blue one that had Jude's bumble bee on top, and a purple one that had Jessie's bunny on top. Jude instantly crawled toward the sleeping bag in the middle so that he could grab his bumble bee and snuggle him close. How did Bumble Bee get inside the pillow fort? Was he friends with Ollie and Jessie's stuffed animals? Did they all show up to have a sleepover, too?
"This is where you guys are gonna crash tonight," uncle Gabe said, turning around to sit in front of the sleeping bags.
"Yay! I love sleepovers!" Jessie giggled and tossed her bunny up and down.
"It's so big in here. How did you guys make this?" Ollie mumbled, holding onto his unicorn and looking around the blanket fort.
Jude smiled and stole some more yummy popcorn from his bowl. He was glad that Ollie liked staying at his house so much. Maybe Ollie could start staying the night more often. That would be fun. Dickie carried his stuffed moose over to the sleeping bags and plopped down between Jude and Jessie. The doggie looked really excited to be part of the sleepover, too.
"Okay. Who's ready for a story?" uncle Gabe asked, his eyes all big.
Jude, Jessie, and Ollie all raised their hands. A story! Jude wanted to hear a story! Uncle Gabe always told the best stories. All the kids sat up on their sleeping bags to look at uncle Gabe and pulled their popcorn bowls close. Uncle Gabe coughed really loud and cracked his knuckles, making a laugh fall out of Jude's mouth. He shook some of his yellow hair and made a funny face before leaning close to say,
"Once upon a time, there was a man named Noah -"
"I like this story!" Jessie smiled.
Uncle Gabe winked at Jessie and she snuggled her white bunny under her chin.
"I know you do, Sunshine. That's why I'm telling it," uncle Gabe smiled, "So, anyway, there was a guy named Noah who was a very good person that lived long ago. It was a time when everyone else on Earth was being bad. In fact, everyone was acting so bad that my da – I mean, God decided that he was going to flood the Earth with water. But he kept Noah and his family safe by telling him to build an ark."
"What's an ark?" Ollie asked, munching on some popcorn.
"An ark is a great big giant boat. A huge boat!" uncle Gabe said, holding both arms out, "I mean, it was massive! Like a floating skyscraper. Except, it was more like a barn, because it was full of animals."
"Animals?" Jude repeated.
"Yep. God told two of every kind of animal to show up at the ark and they got on board," he said, "Then, the flood came and filled the world with water. The place was nothing but a giant pool – kinda like the one in the study right now, only much bigger. But Noah, his family, and all the animals stayed safe on the boat. They floated for what seemed like a really long time. All the animals made funny noises during the ride, too. Oink! Moo! Quack! Ruff! Hiss! Meow! Bah! Nay! Raaawr!"
Jude, Jessie, and Ollie all giggled at uncle Gabe when he made funny animal noises. Jude laughed so hard that his tummy hurt. Oh boy, uncle Gabe was so funny!
"So then, after a little while, Noah sent out a dove like this," he said, picking up Dickie and gently tossing him in the air. The doggie landed on his feet and turned to look at uncle Gabe with his head to the side, "And when the dove never came back, Noah knew that the flood was over because it was able to perch on a tree. So the boat finally came onto land -"
"This is my favorite part!" Jessie interrupted.
Jude smiled brightly and stared up at uncle Gabe in excitement. Oh boy! If this was Jessie's favorite part, then it was probably really good. Uncle Gabe grinned at Jessie again when he said,
"A huge, colorful rainbow appeared in the sky. It had all the colors and it was the very first rainbow ever."
"Really?" Ollie asked.
"Yep. God put it there as a promise that he would never flood the world ever again," uncle Gabe answered.
Jude blinked at his uncle in amazement. Whoa. He never knew that there was a reason for rainbows being in the sky. No wonder Jessie liked them so much. They were all different colors and put there by God. Who was God? He sounded really powerful. Like uncle Gabe and Papa...
"Knock knock."
Jude spun around at the sound of his daddy's voice. Daddy and Papa were suddenly sitting in the pillow fort, waiting by the tunnel that led outside. Jude gasped when he saw both his parents again.
"Daddy!" he smiled.
Jude dropped Bumble Bee and jumped up to race over and hug Daddy, circling both arms around his warm neck. Jude loved hugging Daddy. He was strong and had big shoulders, just like Batman. Daddy patted Jude's back and laughed.
"Hey, little man," Daddy said, leaning back to look at Jude's face, "Are you having fun?"
"Yeah! Uncle Gabe made us popcorn! And told us a story! And look, we all has our own sleeping bags, too!" Jude explained.
"That's awesome, buddy. Uncle Gabe is making sure you have a great time, huh?" Daddy smiled, looking at him over Jude's shoulder.
"Uh-huh," Jude nodded.
The happy smile on Daddy's face kind of went away when his eyes came back to Jude. He looked worried somehow and it made Jude sad. Why did Daddy's eyes look so tired? Why did his smile go away?
"Listen," Daddy said, talking quiet, "Papa and I are going to go to bed now. But if you need us through the night, all you have to do is call, okay?"
"Okay," Jude nodded.
Papa leaned close and held out both hands – and Jude could see that his face looked worried too. His lips were droopy and his eyes were big. Poor Papa looked so upset. Why was he so sad? Jude let go of Daddy and stepped over to hug Papa, digging both hands under his tan coat and smelling his pretty smell. Papa's arms circled Jude back.
"Son," Papa whispered, gently holding Jude's head, "I'm... I'm very sorry for pressuring you to fly."
Jude gulped. Flying? Uh-oh. He didn't like flying. But Daddy and Papa weren't making him fly anymore. They were both sorry for what happened. The little boy raised his head so that he could see Papa's face again. Papa's eyes looked hurt.
"Jude... Being an angel does not define you," Papa said, holding Jude's cheek in his soft hand, "You are a smart, kind, beautiful young boy. And your father and I love you just as you are... Can you forgive us for being so insistent?"
Jude looked between his parents and could feel his heart hurting in his chest. He didn't really understand some of the big words that Papa used, but he could see how upset this parents were. And he didn't want Daddy and Papa to be sad or sorry. He wanted them to be happy and smile! Jude nodded, hoping that it would make them feel better.
"I love you too, Papa. Just as you are," Jude smiled.
Papa's eyes turned all watery, so Jude gave him another big hug, squeezing his neck and soft coat all together. He pecked Papa's cheek with a kiss too, just in case. Jude loved hugging Papa. It was different than hugging Daddy, because Papa was soft and cuddly. Jude always felt safe and comfy in Papa's arms... After Papa got his hug, it was Daddy's turn again. Jude gave his cheek a kiss too, and gave his big shoulders another squeeze. Daddy and Papa both gave Jude's face some kisses, which tickled him and made him giggle.
"Goodnight, Jude. Don't stay up too late, okay? And remember, we're just right down the hall if you need us," Daddy said, scooting toward the tunnel out.
"Okay," Jude nodded, "Night-night."
Jude was kinda sad to see Daddy and Papa leave, but he was also really excited to get back to his sleepover. When his parents disappeared through the sheets, he crawled back to his sleeping bag and dug his hand into his popcorn again. Uncle Gabe was telling another story to Ollie and Jessie – but Jude saw that Jessie was already laying down on her sleeping bag with her eyes closed. Was she sleeping? Playing on the slippy-slide today must have made her tired.
"... Then, the Big Bad Wolf said, 'Little pigs, little pigs, let me in or I'm gonna call the cops,'" uncle Gabe boomed in a deep voice, "But the little pigs said, 'Ha! Joke's on you, pal! The cops are pigs, too!' And so, the Big Bad Wolf cried 'weh, weh, weh' all the way home... Or something like that... The end."
Ollie giggled and chomped on some of his popcorn, holding his unicorn upside down without knowing it.
"That's not how it goes, Mr. Gabe," he laughed.
"Oh well. It still had pigs and wolves. Good enough," uncle Gabe shrugged, "Now, which story should we tell next?"
Ollie looked at Jude and scratched his orange head. They both thought about their favorite stories. Hmm. Which one would be the funniest to hear uncle Gabe tell? Maybe Cinderella? Or The Grinch? Before they could say, another head popped into the pillow fort. It was uncle Sammy, with messy long hair and a red shirt.
"Hey Gabe," uncle Sammy smiled, looking down at Jessie, "Are we ready to move her?"
"Move her?" uncle Gabe repeated, "What are you talking about?"
"You know, carry her to bed," uncle Sammy answered.
Jude and Ollie looked at each other with worry. Uh-oh. Did Jessie have to go away?
"Uh, why? She's totally fine laying here. Look, she's already asleep," uncle Gabe argued.
"But I don't think she should stay in here with... uh, some people," uncle Sammy whispered, shaking his head to the side.
Jude squinted his eyes. Jessie couldn't stay in the pillow fort with some people? Who was he talking about? Uncle Gabe let out an angry breath before crawling toward uncle Sammy.
"Excuse me, gentlemen, I'll be right back," he mumbled to Jude and Ollie as he passed by, "Mr. Moose and I need to have a little chat about how it's perfectly fine for five-year-old boys and girls to sleep in the same room together."
Uncle Gabe and uncle Sammy were arguing in quiet voices when they crawled out of the pillow fort. Jude stared after them while he ate another handful of buttery popcorn. Man, uncle Gabe and uncle Sammy sure did whisper a lot. What were they always talking about?
"Jude, you has two daddies?"
Jude looked at his friend Ollie, who was staring at him happily. There were so many freckles on Ollie's face; lots more than Jude had. Jude swallowed his popcorn and picked Bumble Bee up from his sleeping bag.
"Uh-huh," Jude nodded, "I have Daddy and Papa."
"That's so cool," Ollie smiled, looking down at his unicorn, "I wish I had two daddies. Then, me and Mommy could have a spare one."
Jude played with the little wings on Bumble Bee's back and smiled again. It would be cool for Ollie to have another daddy, because the one he had didn't seem very nice. Maybe Daddy and Papa wouldn't mind sharing...
"You can share mine if you want. And Jessie's, too," Jude offered.
"Okay! Thanks!" Ollie grinned.
The pillow fort was quiet for a minute while Jude ate popcorn with his friend. Jessie was still sleeping next to them, holding her bunny under her arm. Dickie had come over to lay with her, putting his stuffed moose near her feet so he could snuggle on top. All the Christmas lights inside made Dickie look kinda yellow and black and Jude found it funny.
"Jude?" Ollie whispered.
"Yeah?" Jude said, turning back around to see him again.
"Why did your daddy call you an angel?" Ollie asked.
Jude sighed a big breath, feeling all the bad stuff from when he was in the garage the night before.
"'Cause I am one," he answered.
Ollie got a funny look on his face.
"You're an angel? Like, a real angel? With a halo and stuff?" he asked.
"I dunno about a halo, but I've gots grace and wings," Jude mumbled sadly, "It's all glowy and stuff. And everybody says I can fly, but I don't like it."
"You can fly?!" Ollie gasped with a big smile, "Just like Peter Pan?!"
Jude gave his friend a strange look as he turned Bumble Bee over and over in his hands.
"Who's Peter Pan?" he asked.
"You've never heard of Peter Pan?" Ollie said, to which Jude shook his head, "Well, Peter Pan is a little boy like me and you, but he lives in a place where he never grows old, called Neverland. He finds other little boys that fall out of their cribs, called the lost boys, and lets them live there, too. But he can fly! He zips through the air like magic!"
"Really?" Jude whispered in shock.
He never knew that there was a boy like him who could fly. Jude wished that he could meet Peter Pan. Then, he could ask him how to fly without being afraid.
"Uh-huh," Ollie nodded, "You can fly like him, too? Can I see?"
"No," Jude shook his head and gulped, "No, I – I can't... All the people say I can, but I'm too afraid to do it."
"How come?" Ollie asked.
"'Cause it makes my tummy feel bad," Jude admitted, "There's a scary white flash when it happens and it makes me afraid... The first time I flew, I was in my Papa's belly and it made me really sick..."
Jude dropped his head to blink down at his blue sleeping bag and thought about the first time he flew. He remembered being inside Papa's tight, shiny belly before he could open his eyes. And when Papa flew, Jude could feel it too. White flashes, flapping wings, fast movement, scary muffled noises all around him... It was awful. Jude hated it, even before he came out of Papa's grace... How could Peter Pan do it without getting scared?
"Does Peter Pan get sick when he flies?" Jude asked his friend.
Ollie ate a handful of popcorn as he thought about it.
"I don't think so," he shrugged, "He just thinks happy thoughts and they lift him into the air."
"That's all? He just thinks happy thoughts?" Jude asked.
"Well, he's got pixie dust, too. But you've gots grace, so it's kinda the same stuff," Ollie said, "Hey, maybe you should think happy thoughts when you try to fly. Maybe it won't make it so scary."
Jude stared at his orange-haired friend in surprise. Hmm. If happy thoughts could lift Peter Pan into the air, maybe they could do the same for Jude. Maybe that was why it wouldn't work before. Did Jessie think happy thoughts when she flew, too? Jude looked back at Jessie laying next to him. He really wanted to ask her about it, but she was already sleeping. He guessed he could ask her tomorrow...
"I wish I was an angel," Ollie sighed.
Jude looked back to his friend with scrunchy eyes. Ollie wanted to be an angel? But why? Being an angel wasn't cool...
"Why?" Jude asked.
"'Cause then I could fly and do cool stuff like you. And have two daddies," Ollie answered.
Jude gulped again, feeling weird and shy. He never thought that it was cool to be an angel, but Ollie was right. Jude did get to do some things that normal kids didn't...
"Sorry about that, kiddos."
Jude and Ollie turned around to see uncle Gabe crawling back into the pillow fort by himself.
"Where's Mr. Whimchester?" Ollie asked.
"Who? Mr. Sam? Oh, I sent him to bed," uncle Gabe answered.
"Does Jessie get to stay with us?" Jude asked, worried that she would have to go away.
"Yep. Jessie-rabbit is gonna stay right where she is," he winked, turning around to face the sleeping bags again, "Now, where were we?"
"We was gonna tell another story," Ollie explained.
"Oh, that's right! A story! Hmm... Let's tell the one about the candyman who fell in love with a moose," uncle Gabe smiled.
"A candyman who fell in love with a moose? I've never heard that one before," Ollie mumbled, petting his stuffed unicorn, "Is it funny?"
"Oh, it's hilarious," uncle Gabe promised, "You see, once upon a time, there was this guy who loved to eat candy. And one day, he got trampled by a giant moose in a plaid shirt..."
While uncle Gabe told the story and Ollie giggled at it, Jude sat on his sleeping bag and looked down at Bumble Bee in his hands. Jude's small fingers flicked the tiny, soft wings on Bumble Bee's back and he thought about Peter Pan. Daddy and Papa would be so proud if Jude could fly like Peter Pan. All he had to do was think happy thoughts...
"Jude."
Jude flinched under the warm covers at the sound of his name. Ugh. He didn't want to wake up. He wanted to stay sleeping in his comfy sleeping bag. Gentle fingers raked through the top of Jude's hair, making him squirm at the tingles.
"Jude," Papa's voice said again, "Wake up, son."
A yawn came out of Jude's mouth and he stretched against his pillow. He wanted to keep sleeping, but Jude forced his eyes open to look up at the face hovering over him. Papa slowly came into view the longer Jude blinked at him. There was a smile on Papa's mouth and it made Jude glad. He was so happy to see Papa smile again.
"Good morning," Papa whispered.
Jude reached up to hold both of Papa's squishy cheeks while they stared at each other. Ideas were slowly coming back to Jude's head, making him remember all about the sleepover, the stories, and what Ollie said about flying. Jude looked around, hoping his friends were still there. But their sleeping bags were empty.
"Where's Ollie and Jessie?" he mumbled.
"They are already awake and eating breakfast," Papa said, making Jude's fingers move with his mouth when he talked, "Daddy and I let you sleep in for a while, but now it is time to eat."
"Oh," Jude nodded, blinking up at his angel daddy, "... Papa?"
"Yes, son?" Papa whispered.
"Do you know Peter Pan?" he asked.
Papa slowly shook his head of black hair, looking confused.
"I'm sorry, Jude. But I don't," he answered.
Jude nodded. It was okay if Papa didn't know him. Ollie did though, so Jude knew he was real. Maybe Papa flew the same way Peter Pan did...
"Papa, do you think happy thoughts when you fly?" Jude asked.
"Oh, I think about a great deal of things when I fly," Papa answered, "And you are often among them. So I think it would be safe to say yes. I do."
Jude smiled up at his Papa's pretty face and blue eyes. So it did work! Thinking happy thoughts really did help angels fly! Papa smiled at Jude for another second before leaning down to kiss his forehead.
"Come, Jude. Let's join everyone for breakfast," Papa offered.
With Papa's help, Jude quickly got out of bed and hurried out of the pillow fort. When they got through the maze of pillows and blankets, Papa led the way to the kitchen down the hall. Everybody was wake and talking inside; even Ollie and Jessie, who were sitting at the table with bowls of cereal. Jude raced over to join his friends, glad to see them awake again.
"Hey Jessie. Good morning," Jude smiled, climbing up to sit next to her.
"Good morning, Jude," Jessie said back.
Her yellow hair was all messy on her head, like it was every morning. Across the table, Ollie's orange hair was messy too, but he didn't care. He just slurped up his cereal and waved. Uncle Sammy, uncle Gabe, Papa, and Daddy were all talking by the counter. Man, they were always talking about something. What was it this time?
"Are you okay, Jessie?" Ollie suddenly asked.
Jude turned back to his friends at the table, where he saw Jessie with a strange look on her face. She wasn't eating her cereal anymore. Instead, she was blinking sadly at the table and holding her tummy, looking sick. Uh-oh. Was something wrong? Jude put a hand on his cousin's shoulder.
"Jessie? What's wrong?" he asked.
Jessie tilted her head and puckered her lips. She was confused and upset at the same time.
"I... don't know," she mumbled, "I just gots a bad feeling in my belly."
Oh no. A bad feeling? Was she getting sick? Should Jude tell her daddies that she wasn't feeling good? Just when Jude turned around to get a hold of uncle Sammy and uncle Gabe, Daddy walked up to the table.
"Okay, Oliver," he said, "Your mom just called and asked me to bring you home, so go get your things together when you're done, okay?"
"Okay," Ollie nodded, playing with his fingers, "Um, Mr. Dean? I think there's something wrong with Jessie."
Daddy looked down at Jessie and could see her holding her belly, so he turned around and called for uncle Sammy. Both of Jessie's daddies came over to kneel down and talk to her, looking frightened.
"What's wrong, honeydew?" uncle Gabe asked.
"I don't know. I just... I don't want Ollie to leave... and my tummy hurts," Jessie squeaked.
Jude's heart was painful when he saw Jessie start to cry. Uncle Gabe carefully picked her up from the table and held her in his arms to make her feel better. But she was so sad. She cried and cried, hugging uncle Gabe tight and not looking up.
"Maybe the cereal gave her an upset stomach or something," uncle Sammy said.
"She might just be emotional about Carrot-top going home," uncle Gabe said back, nodding toward Ollie.
Jude stared up at his crying cousin and worried. Jessie never really got upset unless something scared her or when she had bad dreams. She was usually so happy. And it hurt Jude's heart to see her cry so much. Uncle Sammy and uncle Gabe tried to make her feel better by slowly bouncing her up and down.
"Jessie's gonna be okay, you guys," Daddy said, looking down at Ollie and Jude, "I promise. But we really need to get Ollie home to his Mom and Dad, so hurry and eat your breakfast, okay?"
Jude and Ollie both nodded and went back to their cereal, but gave each other worried looks over the table. Poor Jessie. What was making her tummy so upset?
After breakfast, Daddy and Papa helped Ollie pack up all his things and put them in the car. Papa said he was going to stay behind and help with Jessie, but Daddy was gonna drive Ollie home. He said it was okay for Jude to ride along too and Jude was very happy about getting to spend a little more time with his friend. Maybe he could ask him some more questions about Peter Pan on the way. Daddy and Papa kissed by the car – which made Ollie and Jude both giggle and look away – and then Daddy got in to drive. Jude loved riding in Daddy's car. It rumbled on the inside and the seats were so comfy. Ollie liked riding in it too, because he stared out the windows with a big smile.
"Your car is so cool, Mr. Dean," he said on the way.
"Thanks," Daddy smiled in the driver's seat, "Is it as cool as your dad's car?"
"No. This one's better," Ollie said.
Daddy laughed a little bit at what Ollie said, which made Jude smile. He liked it when Daddy laughed. Daddy always sounded so funny... It wasn't much longer until they got to Ollie's house. Jude knew it was Ollie's house because of the pretty pink flowers in the front yard. The sun shined on all the green grass and Ollie smiled real big.
"Is Mommy home?" he asked.
"Yeah, I see her car," Daddy answered.
Daddy parked his car in front of Ollie's house, turned off the engine, and got out to come around and help Ollie out of Jessie's car seat. Jude was able to get his own straps unbuckled because he was a big boy, and uncle Sammy had shown him how to do it. When they were all outside the car, Daddy took Ollie and Jude's hands and led them up the walk way to Ollie's front door. Jude was kind of excited to see Ollie's mommy. She had pretty eyes and was funny; just like Jessie, only older.
Daddy walked up and knocked on the door – which made the door open a little. Jude raised his head to see an odd look on Daddy's face. Was the door supposed to open like that? Maybe not, because Daddy looked worried.
"Jane?" he asked, pushing the door open more with his finger.
Jude, Ollie, and Daddy stood on the porch and waited, but nobody came to the door. Mrs. Jane must have been busy inside or something and couldn't hear them. And Ollie must have wanted to see her really bad because he let go of Daddy's hand and pushed the door all the way open.
"Mommy," he called, "I'm..."
Ollie's voice got lost and Jude didn't know why... until he looked inside the living room. Ollie's mommy and daddy were both sitting in chairs by the fireplace, but they weren't awake. Their heads were down like they were sleeping. And they weren't alone. Two other people were in Ollie's house, too; a guy and a blonde lady that Jude had never seen before. They were wearing dress-up suits and had really mean faces...
As soon as Daddy saw the other people, he yanked Jude and Ollie backward, making them tumble across the porch and out into the front yard. When he stopped rolling on the ground, Jude sat up to see what was happening. Why did Daddy push him away? What was wrong? The sound of metal clanging and stuff being smashed came from inside Ollie's house. Uh-oh. Was Daddy fighting the other people?
"Who is that? What happened to Mommy and Daddy?" Ollie gasped.
Jude knew that Ollie was afraid, so he quickly crawled over to be with him. Jude didn't know what was going on either but he did know that Daddy would take care of it. Daddy was just like Batman. And if something bad was happening, Jude knew exactly what to do, too.
"Hold my hand, Ollie," Jude said, grabbing his friend's shaking fingers, "We has to use the buddy system."
"The what?" Ollie whimpered.
Before Jude could answer, Daddy burst through the front door, rolled across the porch, and fell down the stairs. The two people inside must have hurt him because he yelped and held onto his side. Jude's heart jumped in his chest when he saw one of the people in nice clothes run outside. He leaped over Daddy and came straight for Jude, holding a shiny knife. Jude's hand squeezed Ollie's tight. Oh, no! The guy was coming for him!
"No! Don't touch him!" Daddy yelled, crawling as fast as he could across the ground, "Don't you dare lay a finger on – !"
Jude didn't get to hear the rest of Daddy's sentence because the stranger grabbed his arm and flew away. Jude's tummy tightened and the white flash came, making him feel so sick and afraid that he thought he might throw up. No! He was flying! Jude didn't want to fly! Where were they going?! How did that man know how to fly?! Was he an angel, too?!
The flying eventually stopped but Jude was too afraid to open his eyes, even after he felt his feet on the ground again. His whole body was shivering and tears were starting to come. Ugh! He felt like throwing up! It wasn't until he felt a tug on his arm that Jude realized that he was still holding Ollie's hand. Wanting to see if his friend was okay, Jude opened his eyes to look at Ollie's bright orange hair and pale freckled face. They were still together! But where were they? Ollie's front yard was gone and they were standing in a white room – with the man who had hurt Daddy. He was still holding Jude's shoulder, but looking at a desk where another lady was sitting.
"Naomi," the man said, "We've captured one of the nephilim."
The lady at the desk stood up and gasped, looking at Jude with big eyes.
"By the holiness of heaven... It looks just like the Winchester... And its grace outshines even that of Michael..." the lady mumbled, "Castiel's offspring stands before my very eyes! We – we actually captured it! But where is Gabriel's? And where is Hester?"
"The other nephilim never arrived. Hester stayed behind to deal with the Winchester," the man answered.
Jude trembled and clung to Ollie's hand. Deal with the Winchester? What were they talking about? And why did they bring Jude and Ollie here? The lady at the desk looked down at the little orange-haired boy next to Jude and her smile went away.
"What is that?" she asked.
"A human spare. It was unintentional," the man answered.
"Well, get rid of it. We've come so close to completing the plan and I will not let some human get in the way of -"
The lady stopped short and she and the man held hands to their heads as if they were listening for something. A tiny whimper came from Ollie and Jude pulled him closer to shiver with him. Jude didn't want to be here! He wanted to go home and be away from these people! He wanted his Papa!
"Papa," Jude whispered, feeling warm tears run down his cheeks, "Come and get me and Ollie! We're afraid!"
Usually, whenever Jude talked to Papa while they were apart, he could still hear Papa talk back in his head. It was like he and Papa – and Jessie and uncle Gabe – all had walkie-talkies in their brains. They could hear each other all the time. And this time was the same. As soon as Jude talked to Papa, he could hear his voice in his head, saying,
"Jude! Where are you?!"
Before Jude could answer Papa's question, the lady at the desk raised her hand to point at the man.
"Go and help Hester with the Winchesters," she barked, "I'll take the nephilim and the spare to a holding cell."
The man beside Jude disappeared and the lady walked around the desk to grab him by the arm. She started pulling him toward a door and Jude yanked Ollie along, too afraid to let go of his hand. Oh, no! Where were they going now?! Jude just wanted to go home!
"Jude! Speak to me!" Papa begged in his mind.
"I – I'm scared," Jude cried back.
"Me too, Jude," Ollie gulped behind him, "But you... you said you can fly, right? So fly us home!"
"I can't, Ollie," Jude squeaked, "It makes me afraid!"
The lady yanked them both down a different hall, walking so fast that Jude's feet could barely keep up. Ollie got close to Jude's ear to whisper so that the lady couldn't hear him.
"Try it like Peter Pan! Think happy thoughts, Jude! You can do it!" Ollie whispered.
"H – happy thoughts?" Jude gulped, "But my head is all full of bad ones..."
"Just try. Please? I – I want to go home," Ollie said, his brown eyes all watery.
Jude's heart was beating hard in his chest. He didn't want to see Ollie get upset. He wanted to go home just as much as Ollie did, but how could Jude think of happy thoughts right now? Everything was scary!
"Wh – what should I think about?" Jude asked, holding Ollie's hand so tight.
"Unicorns! Rainbows! Kittens! Baseball! Ice-cream!" Ollie named off.
Jude tried really hard to think about all those things, but he just couldn't. His head wouldn't stop being afraid! He could see another door with bars at the end of the hallway and the lady was pulling him right toward it. No! He didn't want to go in that room! He just wanted Papa and Daddy!
"Papa and Daddy," Jude mumbled under his breath.
Oh. Papa and Daddy always made him happy. They made him the happiest! And Jessie, too! While the mean lady yanked him down the hall, Jude tried his best to remember seeing Papa's face in the morning time; the way his cheeks were all squishy and soft. He remembered the sound of Jessie's laugh, too; how pretty her face was when she giggled so sweet. And Daddy's voice. Daddy had the best voice, especially when he was singing...
Jude's feet drew to a dead stop in the middle of the room and wouldn't go any further. The lady holding onto his shoulder suddenly stopped, turned around to give him a mean glare, and tried yanking him forward again. But he didn't move. Jude just held Ollie's hand tight and closed his eyes, remembering the first words he ever heard his Daddy say.
"Hey Jude," the little boy sang to himself, "Don't make it bad..."
"How are you doing that?" the lady asked, still trying to pull on him even though he was stuck in place, "Why won't you move?!"
"Take a sad song... and make it better," Jude whispered.
While he sang, Jude thought about the last place he saw Daddy, back in Ollie's yard. That's where he wanted to be. He tried seeing it as best as he could in his mind, just like Papa taught him...
"Remember to let her into your heart," Jude sang, "Then you can start... to make it better..."
Jude couldn't feel the lady's hand on his shoulder anymore, so he opened his eyes to see if she was still there – and saw Ollie's front porch instead. The little boy blinked at the wooden steps and front door in shock. He... He did it! Jude flew! He flew back to Ollie's house! All by himself! And he wasn't afraid!
"I – I did it..." Jude gasped, smiling real big, "I did it! I flew!"
"Yay! You did! We're home!" Ollie smiled, yanking playfully on Jude's arm before running toward his house, "Mommy! Daddy! I'm home!"
Jude ran after his friend, wanting to see his own parents too. Half way to the porch, Jude saw Daddy stumble through the front door, holding his side. And when Daddy's green eyes saw Jude, they got really big and he started running toward him with his arms open.
"Jude!" Daddy gasped, sounding so worried.
Daddy dropped to his knees on the ground and Jude crashed into him; hugging him so tight that his arms hurt. Daddy hugged him back just as hard, holding him and making crying sounds while he kissed Jude's face. He was so happy that Jude was back, but Jude was really excited! He couldn't wait to tell Daddy what he did!
"Daddy, I flew!" Jude grinned, "I did it! I flew all by myself like a big boy! Just like Superman! Just like Papa does!"
"You – you did? You flew?" Daddy asked with a smile, his eyes all watery, "Oh my God, Jude... I'm so proud of you!"
They hugged each other again and Daddy kissed his head – but then, Jude could hear Ollie's voice inside the house. Ollie was crying really loud, sounding so sad. What happened? Was he okay? Daddy must have heard it too, because he scooped Jude up and ran back into the house, where Jude saw Ollie again. The two strangers – the man from the white room and the blonde lady from before – were both laying still on the floor with prints of wings on the carpet around them. Ollie's mommy and daddy were still sleeping in the chairs by the fireplace and Ollie was tugging on his mommy's hand, trying to wake her up. And Papa was there, too. He was sitting on the floor in the corner – and his arm was pinned to the wall with a shiny knife.
"Papa!" Jude shouted in worry.
Papa raised his head when Daddy and Jude came in and a surprised look burst on his face.
"J – Jude!" he stuttered, "How... how did – ?"
"He flew, Cas," Daddy said, kneeling down next to Papa on the floor to put Jude down, "Our son flew."
Papa's eyes got all watery too and he reached out to grab Jude's shirt and pull him close with his free hand. Papa hugged Jude the best he could and whispered, 'I'm very proud of you.' But Jude was confused. Why did Papa have a knife in his arm? Why didn't he take it out?
"What's wrong, Papa? What happened? Who are those people?" Jude asked, his head full of questions.
Before Papa could answer, Ollie ran over to yank on Daddy's shoulder. His nose was red and his face was all wet from crying so hard.
"Mr. Dean, what's wrong with my mommy and daddy?" he squeaked.
"They're okay, Oliver. I promise. They're just asleep," Daddy answered, patting Ollie's arm, "Mr. Gabe is going to come and – "
A whoosh of air blew through the room and Jude saw some people appear near the front door. It was uncle Gabe, uncle Sammy, and Jessie, just like Daddy said. Jessie was in uncle Sammy's arms, holding onto his neck and blinking around in surprise.
"See, Daddy? I told you. That's why my tummy hurt," she squeaked, pointing at the strangers on the floor.
Uncle Sammy didn't say anything back but uncle Gabe came rushing over to kneel with Jude and Daddy near Papa.
"Geez, Cassie. What is it with you and getting stabbed with angel blades, huh? Do you have some weird pain fetish or something?"
"Now is not the time, Gabriel," Papa growled, pushing uncle Gabe's hands away, "Don't worry about me. Assist Oliver's parents first. Hester and Nathaniel put them under some kind of spell."
Uncle Gabe saw how upset Ollie was and he reached out to pat Ollie on the shoulder too, trying to get him to stop crying.
"No worries, lil' carrot-top. Doctor Gabe's coming to the rescue," uncle Gabe winked, before going over to their chairs.
Ollie followed uncle Gabe to his mommy and daddy but Jude stayed next to Papa. He didn't want Papa to be hurt. Why didn't Papa just heal himself like always?
"Just take that shiny knife out, Papa," Jude told him.
"I cannot do that, son," Papa grunted, "This is an angel blade and it must be removed very carefully."
"How?" Jude asked.
"With speed, delicateness, and grace," Papa answered, "Otherwise..."
Papa didn't finish saying his sentence, but looked at Daddy instead. They both had on worried looks and it made Jude's heart hurt. Uh-oh. That shiny knife had to come out or Papa was gonna be in trouble. Jude looked at the long silver handle of the knife sticking out of Papa's arm... and suddenly felt powerful somehow. He felt like Superman again. Jude could pull it out. He had grace, too. And he didn't want Papa to be hurt.
"I can do it, Papa," Jude said.
"No, son," Papa shook his head, "It's too dangerous to..."
Papa's voice faded away when Jude held out his hand and looked at it to feel for his own grace. He knew it was in there somewhere, he just had to bring it out like Papa taught him. It took a few times of pushing it around and trying hard, but his hand finally turned shiny. Jude's skin was all lit up like it was when Aunt Rowena did the spell. And when Jude looked back to Daddy and Papa, their eyes were big and mouths were open.
"See? I've gots grace too, Papa," Jude explained, "I can do it."
Feeling proud of himself, Jude reached up and took hold of the shiny knife handle. He didn't have to pull very hard on it at all. The metal slid out of Papa's arm and Jude covered the hole with his other hand, not wanting Papa to bleed. Jude's grace must have been helping because he could feel Papa's arm healing up. The hole went away and his skin was all better. And when Papa was finally free from the knife, Jude put his grace away again; stuffing it back down inside so that the light would go out.
When the knife was out of his arm, Papa moved it around and looked at it in surprise. He and Daddy were both so shocked that Jude actually helped. But Jude was really happy. He flew and fixed Papa's arm all by himself! He wasn't afraid of being an angel anymore. Now, he actually liked it...
"You did it, Jude!" Jessie said.
Jude turned around to see his cousin run toward him with a smile and open arms. Jessie tackled him with a big warm hug, making him giggle and fall off balance. Jude hugged Jessie back and laughed with her for a minute before she raised her head to look at him.
"I knew you was gonna be a good angel," Jessie nodded, "I knew it all along."
(Author's Note: Yay! Little Jude finally used his wings! :D I hope you'll forgive me for the 'childlike' narration of this chapter. I wrote it as if I was hearing it being said in Jude's voice, and I figured that if five-year-olds didn't understand big words like 'overbearing,' 'disappointment,' or 'unconscious,' that I shouldn't use them. Plus, children probably don't notice small details like clothing or gestures. They would use short sentences full of action rather than long descriptions, I think. And I tried to bring that across in this chapter. (*tried*) lol. ;D I got the idea for Gabe's Super-Mega-Ultra-Jumbo-Pillow-Fort-of-Awesomeness from that old TV show on Disney channel called "Out of the Box." (Any of you guys remember that one?) It was on when my brothers were little and the opening scene always made me wonder how that small box house could be so huge on the inside. (I didn't realize the set and the box house were two different places. Looking back on your childhood make you feel dumb sometimes, huh? Lol) ;D Yes, Jude remembers being inside Cas's belly. (And Jessie can remember being inside Gabe's too.) I figured that since they shared the same grace as their Papas, they could retain information even from when they were fetuses. Dean's voice was actually the first thing that Jude ever heard. :) Along with seeing the future in dreams, Jessie also gets an upset stomach just before something bad is about to happen. She's like a little premonition machine. Lol. And I know that a lot of things seem unclear with the angel plot right now, but I'll explain it more in the next chapter. ;) Thank you guy so so so much for reading and reviewing! I really hope you liked my first attempt at Jude's POV as much as I liked writing it. :D The next chapter will be out soon! :)
Guest, Haha! Full House with angels?! Omg, I love it! XD That's like the best compliment ever! I love Full House. Gabe is uncle joey, Sam is Danny, Dean is uncle Jesse, and Cas can be Rebecca. (Boy, that show would have been veeery different if Danny and uncle Joey were a thing. Lmao!) XD Aww, thank you so much, darlin! I'm very honored to be one of your favorite writers! *tears up* I'm so glad that you like Dickie! We love him too. ;) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoyed Jude's chapter as well! :)
Classical E Centric, Oh yes! A sleepover at the bunker indeed! :D You hit the nail right on the head. Gabriel did everything in his power – which is a lot – to make sure that the kids had a great time on their sleepover. You know, I never thought about it but you're probably right. I bet there is a wadding pool under the study of the bunker. There are so many secret places and hidden doors and stuff, its hard to tell. :) Yeah, poor Sammy had huge overprotective issues. He's filling that role of 'Dad' pretty well I think. Lol. :D And when – yes when – Jude gets that someone in his life, Cas will do more than interrogate that person. (I already have some of it plotted out. Hehe...) ;D Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, love! I hope you enjoyed reading Jude's chapter, too! :)
Deanstiel's Daughter, Haha! I'm so glad that you enjoyed watching Sam try to interrogate a five-year-old. I thought it would be a funny way for Sammy to realize that he's actually talking to a child. XD Aw, I'm glad that you liked Dean's speech about everyone's happiness too. After having that dream about John, I think Dean is a bit more empowered in this fic. He's gonna start making 'dad-like' choices now. ;) Omg, you actually had to make a language around the jets going over, huh? It's funny, I actually did a little 'jet talk' when I visited. Lol! XD You're right though, it is cool to see a bunch of them flying in formation. :) I will definitely take your advice to heart. Fall time at the beach sounds wonderful. Plus, I love how clean it is at Va. Beach. It's all so nice and pretty! :) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, darlin! I hope you liked Jude's chapter as well! :)
Ashley Allen 46, Aww, you are too sweet, love! :D Thank you so much for that compliment. And yes, Sammy is very protective over his baby bunny. He loves her so much. ;) I really hope that you enjoyed Jude's chapter, darlin! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! :)
Sammy's Rose, Even though the pool your mom went into was not in a library – which would have been so cool – I'm still glad that you guys had fun on your vacation! :) And just so you know, every single pillow, blanket, and sleeping bag used in this chapter all came from BB&B. Gabe loves that store. ;) Oh, I agree! Gabe and Deadpool are probably BBFs! Could you imagine the kind of things those two would get into together? Think about all the just-desserts and shenanigans. ;D Oh yes. Jessie and Rowena are going to have lots of girly fun in the future. I can't wait to write about it! :) Lol! Now, whenever Sammy wakes up and to look for Gabe, I'm going to think about Russel and Kevin from Up! Lol! I guess that makes Dickie Doug. (Dickie: "Squirrel!" Dean: "huh?") LOL! XD Yep, Dean is gonna marry Bobby off, just like in the old days. Hehe. Aww, I'm so glad that you enjoyed the moment with Jane and Ollie. They have a very strong bond, unlike with his dad Eddie. Did Gabe ever get a hold of Eddie's number? No. But, he still has a few choice words for the guy when he wakes up from that angel-induced coma in the next chapter. ;) Gah, I just love that you love Ollie! Ha, he really is a cute lil ginger muffin! (Maybe Jessie can call him that later? When she really wants something from him? She's just like her Papa. Lol.) ;D And no. I don't think anyone ever actually got to breakfast. Lol. But that's okay, cause they totally pigged out on junk food later. ;) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, darlin! I'm so glad you like it so far, and I really hope you enjoyed Jude's chapter, too!
hullosweetpea, Haha! Oh yes. I think Sammy definitely had a headache by the end of the night. And a very worried conscious, because that ginger kid was sleeping in the same room as his lil bunny. Lol. But Gabe was able to keep everyone happy and occupied – including Mr. Moose, after the kiddies went to bed. Hehe. ;) And no, unfortunately no visit from Chuck this time. But our baby Jude finally flew! I really hope you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, love! :)
gothichic, Awww, well thank you, my lovely darling! I'm so glad that you enjoyed the chapter! :D And I'm very thankful for all your wonderful praises! (I swear, you're too sweet to me! Lol!) :) Oh yes, Jessie is a very cuddly little girl, which is why Sam recognized her lil sigh. (I think she likes to crawl in bed with her Daddy and Papa sometimes just to snuggle between them. Lol.) I think that chapter made Sam's worry meter go from 'oh, no, my archagel is missing!' to 'oh, no, my archangel is probably doing something really stupid right now. Dammit Gabe.' haha! XD Yeah, poor Dean stayed up most of the night with Jude because he was so scared. But you're right; that's what makes him a good daddy. ;) I know! Poor Bobby is in for a world of trouble soon, isn't he? Lol! Omg, I could totally see Chuck giving the whole crew a shot gun wedding! (Chuck: *pulls out a shotgun* Alright, Winchesters. Line up and make honest husbands out of my angels. Sam: W – wait a second, aren't you God? Chuck: Yeah? So? Dean: Wth?! Cas! Your dad's got a shotgun! Cas: Then you better do as he says, Dean. Gabe: Yeah, Sammy. If you like it, then you should put a ring on it. *holds out hand and wiggles his fingers*) Lol! XD But yes. Bobby – and all of our boys – deserve to be happy for the rest of their lives. Chuck knows they've earned it. :) Yes, exactly! Sam was totally trying to come up with excuses for Oliver not to come over, but he got out-voted really fast. Lol. Sorry, Sammy. Maybe you'll win the next round. (But I doubt it.) ;D Yay! I'm so glad that you liked the huge water park thing Gabe did to the study! :D I think the reason he chose the library is because it is Sam's favorite place. He wanted Sam to enjoy it too. (Plus, maybe annoy him just a little bit. Gabe thinks Sam is the cutest when he is annoyed. Lol) Omg! Your comment about dick made me LOL! XD Yes. Gabe is a dick, but Sam loves his dick, therefore Gabe has already won the argument. Haha! XD Aww, I'm so happy that you like Jane, too! She really is a good mommy. :) Sam definitely watches every move Ollie makes because of Jessie, but Ollie's cuteness is just so overpowering. He can't stand the cute. Lol. :D Oooh! You know what, having Ollie talk romatically to Jessie is a great idea! (I might have to steal it for later stories, if that's okay. Lol) I could Imagine Oliver trying to woo Jessie by taking her hand, looking her in the eye, and saying something like, "Hueles a peces de colores..." And then, Jessie would make a weird face and say, "Did you just say that I smell like a goldfish?" Lol! Poor Ollie would blush so hard! XD I think Sam will make many attempts to interrogate Oliver about Jessie over the next few years and they will all backfire on him somehow. Lol But Sammy can't stop the inevitable. True love always finds a way. With or without a dad's help. Lol. :D And guess what?! Once again, you sorta guessed what was going to happen in the story! You knew that Ollie was going to help Jude fly! :D 100 Points to you, darling! I know that it didn't happen the exact way you were thinking, but Ollie did help Jude fly on his own for the first time. Yay! Congrats! :D Ugh, you are the sweetest! Thank you so much for helping to fuel this story with your wonderful ideas! You have no idea how much you've helped me! Thank you, love! :') I really hope that you enjoyed Jude's chapter. ;) Love ya, hon! Take care and enjoy! :)
masterjediratgrl31, Oh, yay! I'm so glad that you liked the chapter, love! :) Don't worry. You're not the only one that melts when the kids have fun. (I bet you were a giant puddle at the first part of this chapter too) lol! :D I'm so glad to hear that class is going well! I know you'll do just great on all your exams! :) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, darlin! And I hope you liked Jude's chapter, too! :)