Disclaimer: still don't own. The story told is not mine, but Hans Christian Andersen's.
A/N: Day 21 was a fic not to be posted on this site unless I edit it down for rating. Day 22 & 23 were icons and banners. Starandrea has written a LOVELY puppy pile match to this which you should all read!
Day 24- "Story"
"Aunt Lily! Uncle Theo!" Lily registered the thunking of little feet on the hardwood floor before she heard the voice. Instinctually she opened up her arms to receive the three and a half foot hurricane that came bounding towards her. The child giggled and clung as she was hoisted up into her "aunt's" arms.
"Oof! You're getting big!" Lily huffed, watching the girl grin with pride. "But shouldn't you be in bed by now?"
"Well, she was…" A rather tired looking Casey emerged from behind a door covered with strings of star beads.
Lily shot him a sympathetic look and set the girl down so that she could tackle Theo. Or, nearly topple him over would be more appropriate. Lily grinned and watched him distract the little girl further with tickling. Casey sighed and shook his head but the smile stayed planted on his face.
"Saaaana? I thought you were tucked in." a querying tone reached over the railing above. The little girl giggled and waved up above her. R.J. sent her his infamous less-than-amused-but-I-still-think-it's-adorable look. Lily smirked. Oh yea, the girl had her parents wrapped around her little finger.
"But if I was tucked in, then Lily couldn't do it!" Saana protested with perfect logic.
Lily confirmed her statement then reached out enthusiastically for her hand. Saana reached over to grab Theo's. Between the two adults she swung, lifting her feet off the ground mid step all the way back to her room. R.J. descended the staircase. Casey stood in the doorway the other three had stepped through, holding back the beads for him to pass through.
Inside was covered in light sea foam green. Stuffed animals were nestled into netted hammocks all over the room. Glow in the dark stars, matching the ones coming down over the doors, were plastered all over the ceiling representing a universe completely created by the little girl. Beside a very squishy and frilly covered bed was a white wicker stand stuffed full with picture books and children's novels.
Together Lily and Theo lifted the little girl into the cushioned bed of frills, tucking her snuggly below them. Lily sat down beside her, tucking her feet beneath her, and reached down to brush Saana's bangs out of her face. Saana wrinkled her nose as Theo bent down to kiss her forehead.
"Auntie Lily?" the younger female asked with big eyes, a tactic she could have only learned from Casey. "Can you read me a story?"
Lily looked over to Saana's parents. Casey sighed and nodded. R.J. rolled his eyes at him. Casey glared. It wasn't his fault! One of them had to play the "bad cop" card. The yellow ranger grinned, and reached out to grab one of the volumes from beside the bed. Saana grinned with glee as she browsed through to pick the one she wanted.
"Here! This one!" She declared, and tugged at Theo's sleeve. "Will you read, too? You make really funny voices."
"Oh why not?" Theo shrugged, settling on the other side of his fiancé, near Saana's feet.
Lily smirked from ear to ear. She really adored spending time with her little "niece." She promptly sprawled out a little to tuck the blankets around Saana who had settled up against her side. Theo swung his feet up onto the bed so that he could tangle them with Lily's.
"Daddy?" Saana sent her puppy looks at Casey. As usual his heart melted. Grabbing R.J.'s hand he walked to the other side of the bed and crawled up onto it with her. Saana smiled, snuggling into her aunt, but lifting her head to use Casey's shoulder as a pillow.
"Have you ever seen an old wooden cupboard quite black with age, and ornamented with carved foliage and curious figures?" Lily opened the book to the dog-eared page and started reading the beginning of the story. Saana insisted that Lily take the voice of the female lead, the Sheppardess, while Theo just HAD to be the brave chimney sweep. Casey offered up voluntarily to be the voice of the chairman.
RJ who had been left standing gestured dramatically. He took on the mostly excluded role of Major-general-field-sergeant-commander Billy-goat's-legs This caused many moments of giggling from Saana, who was constantly asking for his commander, and how he had just come to notice the sheppardess. Which, of course, only prolonged the story longer.
As the tale began to wind down RJ crawled onto the small bed as well. Casey had fallen across the bed, with one arm around Saana. Lily was on her other side. At their feet they had curled up in a half circle. With almost all the space taken up, RJ was hard pressed to find his own space. Sitting in the top pillowed corner, he drew his mate's head into his lap, inviting himself to be a pillow, stroking the hairs at the back of his neck.
"And so the little china people remained together, and were glad of the grandfather's rivet, and continued to love each other till they were broken to pieces." Saana's eyes drooped dangerously low just as Lily reached the end. Casey grinned as Saana sleepily thanked them and snuggled into her pillow. He copied his mate's finger motions on their daughter's neck.
Lily relocated near the end of the bed so that she could curl up closer to Theo. Her absence allowed RJ proper room to cuddle up to his mate. Of course this meant that somehow they had merged into one large semi-circular formation in order to fit everyone.
Despite the awkward position, all were quite comfy. Lily was sighing contently, her maternal instincts going into overdrive at the happiness of a happy sleeping child in her reach. Though despite the calm that settled among them, one thing was still on Casey's mind. He definitely had to go get her a bigger bed.