Chapter 35
Disclaimer: I still only own the handful of characters that are my OCs.
"So, their pajamas are on their beds, and I will be back before Sunday. OK?" Anastasia tells Will as she prepares to walk out the front door of the castle.
"All right. Have fun at your meeting, luv," Will responds, helping her grab her luggage for the trip.
Every four years or so the rulers of the many realms hold a counsel to determine how to improve the lives of their people. Anastasia is going this year because Will's never been to one of these meetings before. Each one usually lasts close to a week, so Will gets a week with Michael and Penelope all to himself. Nothing in the world makes him happier than spending time with his family. Now all that's left is to find where the twins are before Anastasia leaves for the week.
"Michael! Penelope! Come tell your Mommy goodbye, little mates!" Will calls upstairs to the twins.
The light drumming of feet against the tiled floor alerts both parents that Michael and Penelope are running down the stairs. A flash of blonde and brown can be seen from the corner of Ana's eyes, and soon she feels a light weight connecting with her legs and stomach. The White Queen crouches down to where she is at her children's eye level, still wondering every day how she ever got this lucky in life. Ana takes Michael and Penelope into her arms, holding them close. She wraps her arms lovingly around her babies, hugging them and feeling their small arms wrap tighter around her. Ana turns towards Penelope, looking at her daughter's excited face and bright blue eyes that mirror her own. She leans down, kissing Penelope's cheeks and the top of the two-year-old's head.
"I love you, Penelope. I'll miss you while I'm gone," Anastasia says, placing Penelope on her knee while looking into her blue eyes.
"Love you, Mommy," Penelope returns, smiling up at her mother with a beautiful expression on her face.
Anastasia gives Penelope one last hug and kiss before turning to Michael. The little boy focuses his dark brown eyes on his mother, a loving expression in his eyes. He wraps his arms around Anastasia, breathing in his Mommy's unique and calming scent. Ana runs her fingers through his short brown hair, noticing just how much her husband and their son look alike now that Michael's a little bit older. It's uncanny just how much Penelope and Michael resemble their parents. Ana presses a kiss to the top of Michael's head and cheeks while she holds him close to her chest.
"I love you, Michael. I miss you already," Anastasia tells him, looking into his dark brown eyes.
"I love you, Mommy," Michael grins before detaching himself from his mother's embrace and running to stand by his father.
Anastasia lightly laughs at Michael's actions before pushing herself off of the floor. Almost as soon as she gets up, Ana feels Will's strong arms circling around her, pulling her closer to his warm chest. Anastasia wraps her arms around Will's neck as he places his hands on her waist, holding her close.
"Be careful, luv. I'll miss ya while you're away," Will says to his wife, looking into her shimmering blue eyes that remind him of sapphires.
"I'll be fine, Will. Take good care of Michael and Penelope for me," Anastasia responds, smiling as she looks at Will.
"They're in good hands, luv. I assure you, Ana. I love ya," Will remarks with a small smirk, enjoying teasing Ana about his excellent parenting skills.
"And I love you," Ana responds before pressing her lips against Will's.
He returns the kiss instantly, enjoying every second that their lips touch. Days like this make Will forget they were ever torn apart for so long by magic. They pull apart when they absolutely have to, both of them still smiling. Ana picks up the last of her bags before turning towards the door.
"Bye, darlings," she calls over her shoulder as she looks back at Michael and Penelope.
"Bye, Mommy," the twins chorus, waving at their mother.
"Be good for Daddy," Anastasia reminds, hoping her children won't take advantage of Will while she's gone.
Ana knows that Will can let Michael and Penelope convince him to do almost anything. Michael and Penelope have had Will wrapped around their little fingers since the day they were born. Ana thinks Will's relationship with their children is adorable, but sometimes she wonders just how far her husband might go to try and make the twins happy. Ana blows a kiss to Penelope, Michael, and Will in turn before stepping out of the door and into the carriage that Tweedledum has waiting for her.
"All right, little mates, time for your baths. Penelope, little love, you can take your bath first," Will says once Anastasia has left the castle grounds.
"Yes, Daddy," Penelope replies, moving closer to her father with a hopeful expression on her face.
Will knows what that look means. He complies with Penelope's silent wishes, scooping her up in his arms and preparing to carry his daughter up the stairs.
"There ya are, Penelope. Better?" Will smiles, holding her close to his chest, not ever wanting to let go.
"Yes. Thank you, Daddy," the young princess replies, a small grin on her face.
Will looks over at Michael before deciding it isn't fair that only Penelope is being carried up the stairs.
"Do ya want a piggy-back ride, Michael?" he asks his son with a twinkle in his brown eyes.
"Yes, please, Daddy!" Michael happily shouts, a happy expression on his face.
Will leans down, careful not to drop Penelope in the process. Michael climbs onto his father's back, gripping Will's blue T-shirt between his hands. Michael's shoes connect with the lower part of Will's back as the proud father stands up, but he decides to not say anything about it. Next time he'll just have to make sure that whichever twin is getting a piggyback ride actually takes off his or her shoes before climbing on his back. Will stands up cautiously, making sure that both Penelope and Michael have a good hold on him where they won't fall to the ground. He makes his way over to the spiral staircase, taking them one at a time, listening to the excited chatter of his children.
"Daddy, can we watch Lion King?" Michael sweetly asks his father, an innocent and super adorable look on his face.
" 'Course we can, little mate. We just gotta take your baths first," Will answers, reaching the top of the flight of stairs.
"Yeah!" Michael and Penelope cheer, both of them excited to watch their favorite Disney movie for the umpteenth time.
Will has to admit, the movie is actually quite enjoyable for him to watch too, even though it's intended to please children. He turns towards his and Anastasia's bedroom, walking into the room before running over to the bed, a smile on his face. Will then playfully growls before dropping Michael and Penelope onto the bed and then falling backwards on the bed beside them. Will, after making sure he's not crushing either of the twins, begins to tickle both of his children, smiling widely as their laughter echoes off the walls.
"Daddy, no!" Penelope yells out between her gasps for air, hoping her father will stop soon if she begs.
That, however, is not in the cards for Penelope.
"I don't think so, little love. The Tickle Monster has to be fed!" Will playfully growls before blowing raspberries on Penelope's tummy and continuing to tickle her with his hands.
"Michael, help!" Penelope tries, wanting her older brother to stop acting like a scaredy-cat and actually do something.
Michael hears his twin sister's request for help and wastes no time trying to save her from the dreaded Tickle Monster. The young prince moves closer to his father, doing his best to pry Will's hands away from Penelope. Will does not even seem to register his son's actions, continuing to tickle Penelope, enjoying hearing her laughter and watching her trying to escape.
"Daddy, let her go!" Michael suddenly shouts, a smile on his lips before he does the unexpected.
Michael jumps on Will's back from behind, bringing his father down on the bed and allowing Penelope time for escape. The two-year-old boy then moves his hands towards his Daddy, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes that he inherited from Will. Will knows exactly what Michael is going to do and feels like his children may actually have the upper hand in the tickle fight now.
"Michael William Scarlet, don't you dare!" Will pleads, noticing that Michael is preparing to start his attack.
Penelope gets the idea and climbs onto her Daddy's chest before sitting down on his chest, pinning him to the bed. Michael then takes his small hands and begins to runs his fingers up and down Will's ribs. Will howls with laughter as he tries to escape Michael and Penelope's trap, but finds himself unable to get off of the bed without throwing one of the twins off of him. As Will thrashes around, the red and gold blanket on the bed starts to get folded into a ball and ends up spreading itself out on Will's legs and feet. Michael continues to tickle his father until he hears a form of surrender.
"All right. All right. Ya got me, you two. Stop tickling me already!" Will pleads, trying to grab his son in the process.
Michael instantly stops before lying down beside Will, curling up close to his father's side. Will's face is red from a lack of oxygen, so the three of them just lie on the king-sized bed for a few minutes, letting their breaths regulate. After a few minutes, the three of them have returned back to normal, no longer laughing or gasping for breath. Tickle fights always seem to end badly for Will, especially when both the twins gang up on him. He can never bring himself to let the "Tickle Monster" win, finding it much more enjoyable when Michael and Penelope work out the situation and end up winning. Will sits up on the bed before unwrapping the blanket from around him. He then stands up, scooping Penelope into his arms in the process.
"Now, as promised, time for your bath, Penelope," Will smiles, making sure to get a pair of his daughter's pajamas from the twins' bedroom.
"Ok. Daddy?" Penelope questions, an idea forming in her two-year-old brain.
"Yes, little love?" Will asks, wanting to know what Penelope has to ask him.
"Can I have bubbles?" she sweetly inquires, an innocent smile on her face.
One of Penelope's favorite things to do in the bath has to be playing in the bubble bath, but she doesn't get to have a bubble bath every night. Anastasia thinks that allowing their little princess a bubble bath every night ensures that bath time takes longer in their house, seeing as how Penelope would happily play in the bubbles for hours without actually getting clean.
"Sure, Penelope. I don't see why not," Will tells her, winking at his daughter in the process.
Penelope takes this as a sign that they aren't going to tell Mommy about this. That's okay. Penelope can keep a secret if she needs to. She keeps secrets with her Mommy from Daddy all the time. Will carries Penelope into the bathroom and starts the water, telling her to get undressed while he went and checked on Michael. The two-year-old girl then does the rest of her father's instructions and gets into the bathtub and sits down in the water. Will walks back into his and Anastasia's bedroom to check on Michael and make sure his son has something to do.
"Michael, little mate, what are ya gonna do while Daddy gives Penelope a bath?" he asks, sitting down on the floor near his son.
"Play war, Daddy," Michael smiles, pulling his bucket of army men towards the two of them.
"Well then, I'll let you get to war, General Michael. Call me if you need me, lad, and I'll come in here. After Penelope gets out of the bath it'll be your turn, little mate," Will grins, making a fake salute at Michael before kissing him on the head.
Will enters the bathroom for the second time, going and turning the water off where the tub doesn't overflow. Penelope is sitting in the bath, waiting for her Daddy to help her wash up before he lets her play in the bubble bath. Will moves the stool over near the bath where he can at least sit down on something other than the floor while he helps Penelope wash her face and hair. The last time he bathed the twins ended up in his legs falling asleep halfway through Michael's bath, meaning he had to go through all of Penelope's bath and the rest of the night with his legs both feeling like blocks of lead.
"All right, little love, lean back into the water," Will instructs as he grabs the bottle of shampoo in his hand, pouring a dime sized amount of the liquid in his hands.
Penelope leans her head back into the water, being careful not to get any water in her eyes and nose in the process. After she wets her hair, the two-year-old sits back up, turning to face her father. His dark brown eyes meet her light blue ones, and Will can't help but smile. He beckons for his daughter to move closer, which she immediately responds to. Now that Penelope is within arms' reach, Will begins to lather the watermelon shampoo into her hair. Penelope laughs upon seeing her blonde hair covered in the white bubbles formed by the shampoo. After making sure the shampoo gets properly applied to her hair, Will cups his hands and gets water in them to rinse Penelope's hair out and move on to washing her face.
"Penelope, love, close your eyes. Ya don't want shampoo in 'em, do ya?" Will tells her with a smile.
"No, Daddy. It burns," Penelope says to him, a grin on her face.
Her blue eyes close shut as she waits for her Daddy to wash all the shampoo out of her hair. Will gently runs his hands through Penelope's golden locks, making sure not to pull her hair the wrong way. He gently untangles the few knots that form in her hair and then proceeds in rinsing the watermelon shampoo off the top of her head. When he finishes with this step, Will wipes his hands on his jeans, getting all of the water off before he grabs the washcloth from the bathtub's version of a towel bar.
"There we are, Penelope. Now, turn around where Daddy can get your face clean. Can't have ya going around the castle with a dirty face," Will instructs, lathering some soap onto the white washcloth, preparing to clean his daughter's face with the upmost care.
Penelope turns around, opening her eyes in the process, watching as her father starts to clean her face. Will gently runs the washcloth over his daughter's face, not wanting to irritate her skin by letting the slightly rough material scratch her sensitive and soft skin. Once he has made sure the soap has cleaned Penelope's face, Will wets the washcloth again before cleaning the soap from her face.
"Thank you, Daddy," Penelope gratefully says before wrapping her arms around him.
Will kisses the top of her head, not caring that the entire front of his shirt is becoming soaking wet due to the hug Penelope is giving him. Bath time with the Scarlet twins is always messy; Will's learned to accept this as a fact. He'll just change into a different T-shirt after he gives Michael his bath. After finishing all of the mandatory parts of Penelope's bath, Will gets the bottle of strawberry bubble bath out of the linen closet. He pours some into the tub, watching as Penelope's eyes light up as the bubbles surround her. He watches as she plays in the bubbles, a content smile on her face as she makes up fantasy stories for the imaginary characters she's forming out of soap bubbles.
"Ya havin' fun, little love?" Will asks with a smile as he moves to sit on the edge of the tub.
"Yes, Daddy! Play with me!" Penelope responds, her eyes wide and bright as she hands some of the bubble bath soap to her father.
"All right," he chuckles, wondering how on Earth he's going to keep up with his daughter's storyline.
"You can be the king and the knights, Daddy," Penelope explains to Will, a smile on her lips.
Will takes a minute to get into character before he starts to talk in varied voices to portray the different characters he has been assigned by his daughter. If Anastasia was here, the sight definitely would have made her smile and almost bring tears to her eyes.
"So, my lord, these thieves have been looting all of the gold in the kingdom to give to the poor. What should we do with them, sir?" Will says in his best "knight" voice, which prompts laughter from Penelope.
"Keep going, Daddy," she giggles, watching her father with wide eyes, wanting to know how the story unfolds.
"Well, they are stealing for a just cause. I think we should let our princess decide. Now, little love, shall we lock them in the dungeon or shall they get another chance?" Will questions, looking at Penelope with an inquisitive look on his face, wondering how she will answer.
"Second chance, Daddy!" Penelope announces before pretending to unlock the fake handcuffs from the "thieves" she constructed out of bubbles.
"We'll make a queen out of you yet, Penelope," Will grins before starting to wash the bubble bath off of his hands.
He lets Penelope play in the water for a few minutes before deciding he's let her play too long and that it should be Michael's turn.
"All right, little love. Are you done?" he questions, placing the shampoo bottle back into its correct position on the right side of the tub.
Seriously, Anastasia keeps the bathroom so organized that it looks like it could be a store display.
"Almost," Penelope answers her Daddy before scooping a handful of bubbles into her small hand and then blowing them into Will's face.
She laughs hysterically when Will almost falls into the tub from surprise, and a smile crosses his lips.
"Very funny, Penelope. Now are ya ready to get out? Michael needs a bath too, ya know," Will says with a slight laugh as he gets a towel out of the linen closet.
"I'm good now, Daddy," Penelope announces before starting to move closer towards the edge of the tub.
Will splashes her lightly before helping her step out of the tub without falling on the tiled floor. He then wraps the fluffiest towel in the castle around his daughter, making sure that she is warm before they go into the master bedroom to go and change. Will follows Penelope into his and Anastasia's bedroom, finding Michael still happily playing war with his toy army men.
"Daddy, I'm winning!" Michael happily says when he notices his father's presence in the room.
"Good job, Michael. Now, little mate, be a good lad and go pick out some pajamas for after your bath while Penelope gets dressed," Will replies to his son's statement before laying Penelope's pajamas on the bed.
"Yes, Daddy," Michael answers almost instantly.
The two-year-old prince runs into his and Penelope's adjourning room to go through his drawer and pick out a pair of pajamas. Meanwhile, Will helps Penelope dry off with the towel before he slips her into her cat pajamas, which makes Penelope smile at the kittens on her shirt. After he finishes this, Will sits down on the bed and calls Penelope over to him. He plugs the hair dryer into the wall and then dries her blonde hair where she won't get water all over the castle or catch a cold from having wet hair on her neck until she goes to bed. After Will finishes this, Michael has returned from his and Penelope's bedroom, a pair of Batman pajamas in his hands.
"Are ya ready for your bath, little mate?" Will asks his son, scooping Michael into his arms in the process.
Michael nods his head in response, placing his head in the crook of his father's neck. Will starts to go into the bathroom once again, but not before first giving Penelope directions on what she can do.
"Penelope, little love, you can play with your My Little Pony toys while Daddy gives Michael a bath. Ok?" Will tells her.
"Yeah!" Penelope cheers, running off into her bedroom to get some of her favorite My Little Pony toys, including Pinkie Pie and Minty.
Will simply smiles at her enthusiasm before taking Michael into the bathroom and starting his son's bath water.
"Ok, little mate, I'll be right back. Get in the tub and wait for me before you do anything else," Will instructs, wanting to go and make sure Penelope is content with playing with her toys before he diverts all of his attention to Michael.
"Yes, Daddy," Michael responds before Will walks out of the bathroom.
Finding that Penelope is perfectly happy making her My Little Ponies go on an adventure, Will goes back to help Michael with his bath.
About thirty minutes and several splashes later, Michael is finished with his bath and has had his hair dried. Will, on the other hand, is soaking wet from head to toe after having bathed both twins and drying their hair. He leaves the two of them in his and Ana's bedroom before going into the bathroom to get in some dry pajamas. Will pulls the soaking wet blue T-shirt over his head and slips on his Superman graphic T-shirt and a pair of sleep shorts before throwing his wet clothes in the hamper. Those clothes could wait until tomorrow to be washed. Will walks into the bedroom and turns on the DVD player before putting Lion King in and climbing up into the bed. Michael and Penelope instantly stop the game they were playing and climb up into the king-sized bed belonging to their parents. Both twins immediately settle down close to Will, Penelope placing her head on his chest and Michael curling up close to his side. Will wraps an arm around both of them, holding them close during the duration of the movie.
"Daddy, would you do that?" Michael questions as Mufasa jumps down into the gorge to save Simba.
"Aye, Michael. I would do anything to protect you, Penelope, and Mommy," Will assures before pressing a kiss to his son's dark brown hair.
Michael simply smiles at his father's response, cuddling closer to his side and knowing that's the truth. The three of them continue watching the movie, occasionally with a comment from one of the twins.
"I like this part," Penelope says with a smile as Simba hears Mufasa tell him to remember who he is.
"I do too, little love. It's a nice message," Will grins, wrapping his arms tighter around his son and daughter in the process.
Towards the end of the movie, Will notices that both Michael and Penelope are starting to yawn, so he decides that it's time for them to go to sleep. Just as he's about to tell them it is bedtime, his cellphone rings. Will picks up his black IPhone case and sees Anastasia's name on the caller ID. He swipes the screen to answer before holding the phone up to his ear, wondering why Ana's calling him without warning.
"Hello?" he asks as he hears breathing on the other end of the phone.
"Hello, darling. I was just calling to tell you that I made it to Arendelle," Anastasia's voice says over the phone.
"That's great, luv. How are ya callin' me, though? Didn't think that Arendelle had cell service," Will says with a laugh and a smirk on his lips.
"Arendelle has surprisingly good cell service for not having phones," Anastasia laughs over the phone.
"Glad to hear you made it safely, luv. I'll call you in the morning when we're up for the day," Will responds, wrapping his free arm around Penelope.
"Call me if there are any emergencies, Will," Ana says to her husband, making sure to use her no-nonsense tone.
"All right. Good night, Ana. I love you," Will says before blowing a kiss through the phone.
"Love you too, darling. Tell Michael and Penelope I love them, too," Anastasia replies.
"I will," Will assures before ending the call.
Michael and Penelope both look up at their father with wide, curious eyes.
"Was that Mommy?" Penelope asks, an adorable expression on her face.
"Aye, Penelope. Why? Do you two need to talk to her?" Will answers, slightly confused at his daughter's sudden question.
The three of them have spent several days together either in Wonderland or Storybrooke. It's never bothered Penelope or Michael to be alone with Will before. It is then that Will realizes this is the first night his children have not been with their mother and deduces they just want to hear Ana's voice.
"Yes, Daddy. Talk to Mommy," Michael tells his father, moving his small hands towards Will's phone.
Will complies with his son's wishes and turns the phone back on. He clicks on Anastasia's name out of his contacts and then puts it on speaker phone. Will knows better than to scare Ana into thinking something has gone horribly wrong at the castle, but he decides to scare her anyway. The phone rings a couple of times before Ana picks up.
"Hello?" she quickly asks, recognizing Will's number instantly and wondering what went wrong.
"Emergency! Our little lad and lass didn't get to tell you something," Will says, making sure to adjust his tone to a calm one when saying the second sentence.
Anastasia takes a few seconds to let her heartbeat and breath regulate. Will had really scared her into believing something had happened to their children.
"Hi, my loves," Anastasia happily says into the phone, smiling while she talks to her two precious gifts.
"Hi, Mommy!" Michael and Penelope excitedly shout at the same time, both of them squirming closer to the phone.
The twins both start talking over each other, and Ana can't really hear anything they are saying to her.
"Slow down, darlings. I can't hear you," Ana laughs, enjoying every moment of hearing Michael's and Penelope's voices since she is so far away from them.
"Why don't you let Mommy ask you questions, eh?" Will suggests, a smile on his lips as the twins try to talk in an orderly fashion to their mother.
"Ok, Daddy," Michael and Penelope answer, waiting for their Mommy to ask them a question.
"So, Michael and Penelope, are you two behaving for Daddy?" Ana questions, making sure to use her voice she reserves for making the children behave
(Not that Anastasia and Will have any problems with Michael's or Penelope's behavior.) Both twins are every polite, kind, and behaved toddlers, which couldn't make Will and Ana prouder.
"Yes, Mommy," Penelope answers her mother in an innocent tone.
"And, Michael, what about you? Are you being good for Daddy, too?" Anastasia inquires, hoping their son isn't behaving entirely like his father.
Seriously, Will and Michael are so much alike, one might mistake them for brothers instead of father and son.
"Yes, Mama," Michael assures, wanting his mother to know he's being a good boy for Daddy.
"Both of them are behaving perfectly, luv. They're little angels," Will says into the phone, his tone switching to a praising one.
"Mommy's glad to hear that, Michael and Penelope. What are you three up to?" Ana asks.
"Watching Lion King," both twins respond with smiles on their faces.
"Again? Are you two not tired of watching that yet?" Anastasia laughs, not believing that Penelope and Michael are making Will watch Lion King for the umpteenth time.
"No way, Mama!" Michael and Penelope respond with offended gasps, wondering how their mother is shocked by what movie they're watching.
"Oh, well then I better let you get back to it then. Will, darling, did you remember to give them their baths?" Anastasia inquires out of curiosity.
"Aye, Ana. Our little lass and lad are all clean and in clean pajamas," Will replies before moving the phone back towards the twins.
"Good. Goodnight, my loves. Mommy will see you in a few days when I get home. I love you two with all my heart," Ana lovingly says to her son and daughter while blowing kisses into the phone for both of them.
"Love you, Mommy. Night," Michael happily tells Ana.
"No, Mommy, I love you more! Goodnight," Penelope challenges her older brother's notion.
Anastasia and Will laugh at their children's rivalry even at a young age, and Will can picture Ana smiling on the other end of the phone.
"All right, my loves. I know you both love me a lot. Now, I'll let you go where the three of you can finish the movie and go to sleep. I'm sure Daddy's ready for you two to go to bed," Anastasia replies, teasing Michael and Penelope slightly.
"Never, luv. You know I never get tired of spending time with the kids," Will laughs before ending the call.
A while later, the movie is over and both Michael and Penelope are yawning. Two large yawns escape the twins' mouths, one per twin. Will chuckles before turning the TV off and pulling his children closer to him. He runs a hand through their hair and smiles as Penelope snuggles closer to his side. Another yawn escapes from Michael's and Penelope's mouths and Will decides it's time for them to go to bed.
"Tired?" Will smiles, watching as Michael's dark brown eyes droop, as do Penelope's light blue ones.
"No," the two siblings chorus, trying to look like they have plenty of energy left.
"Stubborn. Just like your mother," Will laughs as he kisses the tops of his children's heads.
Michael and Penelope giggle at their father's statement before Penelope speaks up.
"That's not what Mommy says," she giggles and smiles at the same time.
"All right, all right. I'm stubborn too. Ya both get your stubbornness from Mommy and meself. Now, go to sleep, you two," Will replies, giving in to what he knows is the truth.
"Okay, Daddy. I love you," Penelope sweetly tells her father while placing her head near his heart.
"Night, Daddy. Love you," Michael softly says before starting to drift to sleep.
"I love you both, too. Goodnight," Will happily responds before kissing their heads once more.
Will then begins to close his own eyes, only to feel something cold press against his leg. He quickly opens his eyes, determined to find out what the cold object is that is against his lower calf. Will feels tiny toes at the edge of the object and realizes it must be Michael's foot. Will could have sworn his son had on socks before they settled down for bed.
"Michael?" Will softly questions, rolling over slightly to face his son without dislodging Penelope from his chest.
"Yes, Daddy?" Michael softly whispers a short while later.
Will looks into his son's dark brown eyes with a slight smile on his face before asking his question.
"What is the one rule we have in this castle about bedtime?" he asks, squeezing Michael's bare foot affectionately.
"To sleep when Mommy says?" Michael responds in a slightly confused tone.
"Yes, that's true. You're missin' somethin' though, little mate," Will says, trying to get Michael to think about the other rule.
"Socks," Penelope's small voice speaks up from Will's other side.
Will turns over just in time to see Penelope raise her Hello Kitty socked feet in the air.
"Aye, little love. Socks are needed to keep little feet warm, 'specially in December," Will grins before rubbing his nose against Penelope's.
Michael carefully detaches himself from his father's warm embrace before running into his and Penelope's bedroom for his pair of Spiderman socks. Upon returning, Michael climbs back into bed beside Will and lies by his Daddy's side once more. After wrapping his arm around his son, Will allows himself to fall asleep.
Dawn arises rather quickly, and soon Will, Michael, and Penelope are up for the day. Once the three of them call and tell Anastasia good morning and spend a few more minutes relaxing, Will takes them all downstairs for breakfast. He goes into the kitchen and cooks up some Christmas-shaped pancakes, along with some toast for the twins and eggs for himself. Will then pours Michael and Penelope each a glass of milk and himself a cup of coffee. Once he finishes fixing breakfast, Will sits down at the table next to his children and begins eating.
"So, Michael and Penelope, what do you two say to an adventure? Hmm?" Will asks with a smile before taking a sip of his coffee.
"Yes, Daddy!" Michael happily shouts while Penelope excitedly nods her head up and down.
"All right then, little mates. After breakfast I'll clean up and then we'll get dressed for the day. Sound good?" Will responds as he sits his coffee cup down on the table.
He gets two nods in response and finds himself ready to begin the adventure as soon as possible. About an hour later, Will has finished cleaning up the dishes from breakfast and has helped the twins get ready for the day. Just before they leave the castle, Will makes sure to grab Michael and Penelope their winter jackets. He slips Penelope's pink puffer jacket on her arms before putting on her pink hat and scarf to match.
"You look beautiful, little love," Will compliments his daughter before pressing a kiss to her head.
"Thank you, Daddy," Penelope smiles, pressing a kiss to her father's cheek.
Will then moves over to Michael, holding out his son's green jacket where the young prince can slip into it. Michael wiggles his small arms into the sleeves before starting to head for the door.
"Ah, not so fast, little mate. You need a hat, too," Will grins, picking Michael up off of the ground and situating the hat on his son's head.
"Yes, Daddy," Michael laughs as he scrambles back down to the floor, eager to begin the adventure his Daddy promised.
Will unlocks the door before motioning for his children to go outside and wait for him.
"And that's where Daddy got turned to stone about three years ago," Will tells the twins as they walk through the castle's hedge maze.
"Stone?" Penelope asks, crinkling her nose a bit because she is confused.
"Aye, Penelope. See, some magic turned me into a statue," Will begins before being cut off by Michael.
"Mama's magic?" Michael inquires, his brown eyes growing wider out of curiosity.
"No, Michael, it wasn't Mommy's magic. See, before the two of you were born, Mommy and I fought an evil sorcerer to save Wonderland. He used dark magic to turn Daddy to stone," Will explains to the twins.
"Bad," Michael and Penelope say in unison.
"What do ya mean, little mates?"
"Bad man hurt Daddy," they further explain to their father, both of them holding onto his hands.
"Yes, he did. The bad man hurt Mommy too, but we can talk about that when she gets back," Will promises, taking Michael's and Penelope's hands in his own.
They finally reach the spot where Will wanted to take the twins for their adventure. The trip there took more time than Will had predicted, because Michael and Penelope asked him a lot of questions about certain places and things. Will absolutely loves how inquisitive his and Ana's children are, so he answers each of their questions without missing a beat.
"All right, Michael and Penelope, close your eyes," he instructs as they near the spot.
"Ok, Daddy," the twins respond before closing their eyes.
Will starts to lead his son and daughter closer to the spot, only to see brown eyes peeking at him.
"No peeking, lad," Will says with a smile, which prompts laughter from Michael.
He then carefully sits both twins down on a rock and decides they've waited long enough for his surprise.
"Open your eyes now, little mates," Will whispers in their ears.
One pair of blue eyes and two pairs of brown eyes take in the scenery around them. Even though Will's already been here, he can't help but scan the scenery, enjoying the tranquility of the remote part of Wonderland.
"Wow," Michael breathes his dark brown eyes taking in every inch of the new location.
"It's pretty, Daddy," Penelope smiles as she catches sight of the waterfall.
The glistening blue water sparkles in the December sun, almost begging for the three of them to come swimming. White foam splashes from the top of the waterfall onto the translucent rocks below the water's surface. The waterfall even has a small cave off to the right of it, perfect for if it rains. An icy blast of wind swirls around the three of them, so Will pulls his leather jacket tighter around himself. Next, he produces a package of marshmallows from a backpack he brought with them.
"Now, who's up for s'mores and hot chocolate?" Will grins as he starts them a small fire.
Michael's and Penelope's faces light up and they sit around the fire beside their Daddy.
About an hour later, Will and the twins have an empty plate of s'mores and a half empty bag of marshmallows in front of them. Will's back is pressed up against a tree, Michael and Penelope both resting against him. His fingers twirl around pieces of Penelope's hair as he rubs small circles on Michael's back as well.
"What did you think about the s'mores, eh?" Will asks with a smile as he wipes the marshmallow off of Penelope's face.
"Yummy," Penelope grins while Will continues wiping all of the marshmallow off of her face.
"Good, Daddy," Michael adds in, chocolate smeared all across his mouth and nose.
Will can't help but laugh at seeing his son covered in chocolate and soon moves on to cleaning Michael's face as well. Anastasia definitely wouldn't approve of Will bringing the twins back to the castle with dirty faces and sticky hands.
"I knew you would like 'em. Do ya know why I knew that?" Will inquires, wanting to tell Michael and Penelope a short story.
"Why, Daddy?" they question together, both of them looking up at their father with wide eyes and curious expressions.
"Well, before you two were born, I introduced your Mommy to s'mores. She loved them as a dessert and we always had to make them once a week for our movie night dessert. Now then, when she was pregnant with you two, your Mommy started to want certain foods at random times of the day. See, with having two babies in her tummy, Mommy got these cravings for certain foods. The first three nights Mommy wanted sherbet ice cream, pepperoni pizza, and blueberries. Then after that, the two of you must have told Mommy that you wanted to eat s'mores, 'cause almost every night after that, your Mommy had to have s'mores before she could go to sleep. Else the two of you would kick up a storm, not lettin' Mommy get any sleep," Will explains to the twins with a smile and a slight laugh, remembering just how much Michael and Penelope kept Anastasia up when she was pregnant with them.
"They're good, Daddy," Penelope giggles before reaching for another marshmallow.
"No, little love. No more marshmallows for you. Mommy would be mad at me, and we don't want that. Do we?" Will laughs, grabbing the bag of marshmallows and holding it over his daughter's head.
"Mommy's right," Michael chimes in, looking at his father and younger sister with a grin.
"Thank you, Michael. At least someone agrees with me," Will says as he settles Penelope into a more comfortable position where her elbow is no longer in his ribs.
"Not that, Daddy," Michael laughs, giving Penelope a secret look.
"What then?"
"Mommy says you're silly," Penelope giggles, trying to escape her father's arms in the process.
"She does, does she? When does she tell ya this?" Will asks with a light chuckle, not believing that Ana would go behind his back and tell their children his secrets.
"All the time," the twins grin at their Daddy, innocent expressions on their faces.
Will scoops them both up in his arms before holding them close to his chest and pressing kisses to their heads and cheeks.
"You two taste like s'mores," he comments, which results in laughs from Penelope and Michael.
When the three of them return home for the day, it is just in time for dinner. Will makes sure both of the kids get washed up before eating dinner, checking to make sure their hands are cleaned of all traces of forest. After dinner, Michael and Penelope take their baths and then the three of them play a couple of board games before bed. This time, the twins sleep in their own beds for the night, much to Will's disappointment. Michael and Penelope had insisted on sleeping in their bedroom for the night, which Will didn't dare argue with. Ana will occasionally let the twins sleep in her and Will's bedroom, but she doesn't like for it to be an every night occurrence. However, Will would have much rather have Penelope and Michael lying on his chest and side than having to lie in a king-sized bed alone. When he goes into the master bedroom, Will takes one of Anastasia's pillows and holds it close to him, breathing in the faint trace of her coconut shampoo on the pillowcase. Oh, how he misses her. Even though Will knows that she is perfectly safe and cared for in Arendelle, he can't help but miss her, feeling her absence from the castle pulling at his heartstrings. Will knows the reason for why he feels like this. His heart is entwined with Ana's, and he's given her his heart, his soul, and his life. Even a day away from her feels like an eternity.
Towards the end of the week, Penelope and Michael really begin to take advantage of Will. After dinner and baths on Friday, the twins all but beg their father to let them play pirates and thieves before going to bed. Will, being helpless against his son and daughter's puppy dog eyes, certain that they inherited that trait from Ana. He does, however, point out to both of his children that thieves are much better than pirates. Penelope and Michael both laugh at their father's proclamation before starting to play their game. The three of them head into the throne room in order to have enough room to play, and that's when things start to get messy.
"Daddy, make a fort!" Michael tells his father with an excited grin on his face.
"With what, little mate?" Will questions with a half-smile on his face.
"Chairs," Penelope suggests.
"Ah, I see. Well, you two go upstairs and get some blankets and pillows," Will says with a wink, knowing just how messy their night is going to get.
The twins run upstairs for their bedroom and grab blankets and sheets out of their room before moving on to their parents' room. Will goes into the castle's kitchen to get some chairs to lay down for the foundation of a fort. Once re-arriving in the throne room, Will starts to spread the chairs out as different forts and places for them to hide. Penelope and Michael soon come running back down the stairs with armloads of blankets and pillows. They throw the items down near their father with huge smiles on their faces.
"Ready, Daddy!" Penelope tells her father with a large smile on her adorable face, her blue eyes sparkling.
"I'm a pirate, Daddy!" Michael proclaims, folding a piece of newspaper into a pirate hat.
"And I had such high hopes for you, lad," Will chuckles, referring to when the Merry Men became convinced that Michael is going to be a better thief than Will himself.
"Am I a good thief, Daddy?" Penelope innocently asks, holding a plastic bow and arrow over her arm.
"Aye, little love. And ya know what?" Will whispers in her ear with a smile on his lips.
"What?" Penelope whispers back with a smile of her own.
"Ya already have stolen Mommy's and Daddy's hearts," he tells her before pressing a kiss to her head.
Penelope presses a big kiss to her Daddy's cheek before handing him a plastic sword and getting into a hiding place out of Michael's line of sight. Will follows suit, hiding behind the mound of pillows with his daughter, preparing for Michael's oncoming pirate attack. Now if he can clean all of this mess up when they're done without Ana finding out…
A few hours later, around 9:30, Michael and Penelope show no signs of being tired. In fact, they seem to be more awake then Will ever remembers seeing them. He finds himself having to close off the doors that lead into the throne room where he can keep an eye on both of the twins. Just when Will allows himself a moment to sink into the throne room's red couch, Penelope has a rather strange request to ask him.
"Daddy?" she calls to get her father's attention.
"Yes, Penelope?" Will returns, a yawn escaping his lips as he rubs his tired brown eyes.
"Paint my nails," Penelope sweetly requests, producing a bottle of red nail polish from behind her back.
Will's mouth drops open in surprise as he looks between the bottle of Ana's red nail polish and his daughter's innocent and pleading expression. Penelope has put her puppy-dog expression on and even pouts her lips in a way similar to how Anastasia would. How can Will deny the sweet, innocent face of his daughter? The answer, he can't.
"Give me the bloody nail polish, little love," Will finally says with a defeated sigh.
He just knows that Anastasia and the twins are going to be the death of him. Will just couldn't say 'no' to the three of them even if his life depended on it. Regretfully, Will takes the top off of the bottle of nail polish before instantly turning away from his daughter.
"What the bloody….." Will starts before remembering his children's presence and the ground rules he and Ana set up before the twins were born.
He quickly comes up with a question to amend the one he almost asked. Will's certainly glad he checked his language before finishing that sentence, because he's certain Anastasia would have had his head if she found out.
"What is that bloody awful smell?! It's horrible," Will inquires, looking like he might gag as the offending scent reaches his nose.
"Paint," Penelope simply tells her father before taking her socks off and handing her father her feet.
"And you're sure you want this on your toes?" Will questions, scrunching up his nose, trying to limit the ability of the stench to reach his nose.
"Yes, Daddy!" Penelope excitedly tells him, wanting to be more like her mother.
"Okay, okay. Just checkin'. I don't see how your mother stands this stuff," Will remarks before starting to paint his daughter's toenails with Ana's red nail polish.
Of all the things he could be stuck doing with his son and daughter while Ana's gone, and this is what Penelope chooses…
Will finally finishes painting Penelope's nails, thinking that he's done quite an impressive job for his first time using nail polish. He then notices that it is almost eleven o'clock, much later than the twins should be up. He'll never hear the end of this if Anastasia ever finds out.
"All right, little mates, time for bed," Will tells them, picking both Michael and Penelope up in his arms.
"Not tired," Michael disagrees, a yawn escaping his mouth shortly after.
"Your yawn says otherwise. Now, since Mommy's not here, I guess we can sleep in here. Just for tonight," Will smiles at his children, a sparkle in his dark brown eyes.
With that, Will settles down inside the pillow and blanket fort the three of them constructed earlier. He lies down on top of several pillows, not caring that some of the twins' toys are under him. Next, Will lies Michael and Penelope down in the blanket fort, making sure they have plenty of pillows and sheets covering them. He can't seem to find the blanket right now, but he'll search for it if they end up needing it later on in the night.
"Love you, Daddy," Michael and Penelope each tell their father, snuggling against his warm body and pressing their heads against his chest.
"Night, little mates. Do you two think we should show Mommy the waterfall we found earlier this week?" Will responds, cuddling Michael and Penelope closer to his chest.
"No, Daddy," Michael says, a small grin on his face.
"Secret spot," Penelope adds in, wanting to have a special place for just the three of them.
"As you wish, my angels. Do you two wanna hear a secret?" he inquires, a content smile on his face.
"Yeah, Daddy," both twins eagerly say, their faces lighting up.
"I've had a lot of fun with just the three of us these past days. Now, don't get me wrong, I love spendin' time with Mommy, too, but I love spendin' time with my babies, too. I do miss Mommy though," Will tells them, his voice getting softer as he tries to lull the twins to sleep.
"Me too, Daddy," Penelope drowsily says, burying her face in Will's pajama shirt.
"Sing, Daddy," Michael requests as he starts to drift to sleep.
"To help ya get to sleep?" Will asks.
He gets two small nods in response, so he decides on which lullaby to sing to Michael and Penelope. Will finally decides on one that his mother used to sing to him when he was a small lad, particularly when his father was away on business. He clears his throat and then begins to softly sing to his children.
"Lay by my side and we'll sail away.
Off to the shores of another day.
All set to go once I hear you say:
"Goodnight, my friend. Until the morning."
Up we will float as we close our eyes.
Stars all around us like fireflies.
Just me and you drifting through the skies.
Goodnight, my friend.
Not a thought.
Not a care.
Resting safe and sound with each other there.
And so we'll rock on a nighttime ride.
Cozy and warm on the rolling tide.
'Til we arrive on the morning side.
Our journey's end.
Goodnight, sleep tight.
We're gonna be alright.
Goodnight, my friend."
When Will finishes the song, both Michael and Penelope are asleep, which doesn't surprise him at all. With both the kids asleep, Will is free to follow suit. He falls asleep dreaming of Anastasia and how he and the twins can celebrate her return. Her blonde hair and blue eyes flash before Will's eyes in a dream, making his heart miss her even more. Boy, is he in for a surprise.
Anastasia fights against the door of the castle, wanting nothing more than to go into the master bedroom and sleep. It had been a long week in Arendelle, particularly since they worked harder, ending the counsel two days earlier than expected. Ana closes the front door of the castle, placing her jacket on the coat rack near the main hall. She then proceeds up the spiral staircase towards her and Will's room, intent on changing into her nightgown and climbing into bed beside Will to get some well-deserved sleep at last. Reaching the floor the master bedroom and the twins' bedroom is on, Ana quickens her pace. She enters the twins' room first, wanting to check on her babies and see if Will has actually put them to sleep for the night. Not seeing either of the twins in their room, Anastasia deduces that Will must have gotten lonely and invited Michael and Penelope to sleep in the master bedroom tonight. Ana then makes her way into her and Will's bedroom and sees no one in there as well. That makes her panic a bit before she heads down the stairs, thinking of only one other place where her family could be. Anastasia softly opens the doors to the throne room, only to gasp upon seeing the state of the room where they hold Royal Court. The entire room looked like a giant blanket had swallowed it whole. Chairs had been brought in from other rooms to help hold the blankets up, and Anastasia feels the need to pick up all this mess right now. However, she soon has a reason not to clean anything up and leave it be until morning. Looking past all of the stray toys, blankets, pillows, and even the cushions from the throne room's couch, Anastasia catches sight of one of the most adorable scenes she's ever seen in her life. Will is passed out asleep on the floor, a coloring book and crayons under his leg and back and Michael and Penelope close to him. Will is lying on his back with Penelope sprawled out on his chest and Michael cuddled up close to his left side. They look absolutely adorable in Ana's opinion.
As she comes closer to her perfect family, Ana notices something else. She looks down at her daughter's bare feet and notices that Penelope's whole toes are covered in red nail polish, not just the nails. Anastasia finds herself holding back a laugh as she imagines her husband, her Will Scarlet painting their daughter's toenails. A smile makes its way over Ana's face as she slips Penelope's discarded pair of Blue's Clues socks over her daughter's feet. She then goes over to the lump of blankets and spreads the king-sized red and gold blanket that goes over her and Will's bed over her family. With that accomplished, Ana rubs her tired blue eyes before kneeling to the ground and moving to where she's lying against Will's right side. Will subconsciously wraps his arm around Ana and begins to run his hand through her long blonde hair. The smell of her coconut shampoo and unique lavender scent reaches Will's nose and soon he is awake, looking down at Ana as she tries to drift to sleep.
"Hi, Ana," Will softly whispers, a smile on his face when he notices his queen is lying beside him once more.
"Hi, Will. I see you had an adventure," Anastasia grins, turning to face her husband.
"Aye, that we did. We weren't expectin' you back until Sunday, luv. We figured we'd have a camp-out while you were gone," Will says with a slight laugh, pulling her closer to his warm chest.
"So you wanted to have so much fun without me?" Ana teases him, resulting in Will to playfully roll his eyes.
"You're here now, luv. That's all that matters. Don't ever leave for that long again," he tells her before pressing a long overdue kiss to her lips, being careful not to disturb Michael and Penelope while they sleep.
"I take it you missed me?" Anastasia smirks, knowing his answer already.
" 'Course I missed you, luv. More than you'll ever know," he answers her, looking into her blue eyes.
"Should we take the kids upstairs?" she questions, wanting to know if the three of them had accidentally fallen asleep before she came home.
"Nah. Let's leave 'em be. We'll be down here; they'll be fine."
"All right. But you better clean all this up tomorrow, Will. And don't try to talk your way out of it either, darling."
"I wouldn't dream of it, luv," Will assures, already halfway back to sleep as he pulls his queen closer, just enjoying this quiet night with his family.
Author's Note: And there's Chapter 35! Yes, I know it's long overdue, but I've been shut up in my room for the past two weeks studying for my AP exam. I took it on Friday, so now I'm free from all of my exams and EOCs. Yeah! Now I'll hopefully have more time to write while juggling my volunteer time and summer work. Hope you loved this chapter; I like how it came together in the end. (I thought we needed some more Daddy! Will feels. J) I'll try to update as soon as possible, but I'm going on vacation with my family next week, so I don't know when that will be. Thanks as always for your support and reviews, those are always amazing and helped give me encouragement while studying for my EOCs and AP exam. Please leave a review with what you thought, as those are always appreciated. Until Chapter 36, my amazing readers!
P.S, the song Will sang in this chapter is "Goodnight My Friend" from the TV show Galavant.