Notes: Thanks to Mari and Sammy for the squeal-inducing feedback, and to Mari for bouncing!
Readers and REAL McRollers - Thank you for your amazing support! It is always appreciated.
Special thanks to the library patron whose FB post about his granddaughter inspired this story :-)
Hope you enjoy!
Nothing Fun (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)
Catherine was just sitting down on the sofa after taking Cammie out when Steve came out of the kitchen, smoothing down his Best. Dad. Ever. t-shirt. The kids had been in bed for about twenty minutes and a few pans had needed cleaning after soaking in the sink.
She smiled as he sat beside her and rose up to her knees, swinging a leg over him and settling in his lap.
"I know you like your new Father's Day shirt," she said, working her hands under the hem and pushing it up, "but what I have in mind requires you out of it."
He grinned, sitting up to help her get his shirt off. She tossed it to the side and ran her hands up his now bare chest, leaning in to kiss him. He slid one hand around her back and underneath her tank top, the other tracing the outside of her thigh. Her hair fell in a curtain around them as their kiss grew more heated, neither noticing the sound of Cammie raising her head from her bolster bed.
"Are you guys playin'?"
They sprang apart at the familiar voice from the top of the landing, heads whipping around to see Angie peering down at them from between the bannister slats.
"Angie, what are you doing out of bed?" Catherine asked, quickly sliding off of Steve and standing up. She surreptitiously passed him a throw pillow before heading for the stairs.
"Are you hot, Daddy?" Angie asked, head tilted as she studied him.
He cleared his throat, shifting the pillow into a more judicious position. "No, I'm fine. You should be in bed, baby girl."
"Come on," Catherine said, reaching her at the top of the stairs and putting a hand on her back to guide her back to her room. Cammie had followed Catherine up the stairs and accompanied them.
A few minutes later, Catherine rejoined a once again fully-clothed Steve downstairs while Cammie made her way back to her bolster bed.
"All good?" he asked, even though he knew Catherine would still be upstairs if it wasn't.
"Yeah, I dunno what that was about." She sat down beside him. "She said she wanted to see what we were doing."
He chuckled ruefully, running a hand over his face. "And of course that's what we're doing when she realizes the world doesn't stop when she goes to sleep."
She smiled wryly. "Mm, that's what we get for … venturing outside of the bedroom."
He eyed her, grinning. "I think it was you who started the 'venturing' this time, Rollins."
She grinned back, settling back into the sofa against him. "I have no regrets. It could have been a lot worse."
"Speak for yourself," he said, glancing at the pillow he'd put back in the corner of the sofa even as he draped an arm over her shoulders. "You didn't need a pillow on TAD."
She fought a laugh, catching her tongue between her teeth. "So, should we talk about you not hearing our daughter leave her room, Commander?" she teased.
"Hey, as I recall, I'm not the only one with military training here, Lieutenant."
She laughed, turning her face toward his as he leaned down to kiss her through their smiles, though lighter this time given the earlier incident.
Sure enough, they both heard the footfalls moments later and parted, looking up toward the landing.
"Now what're you doing?" Angie asked.
"Angie," Catherine said with a groan, getting up. Steve stood as well, both heading up the stairs with Cammie following behind.
"Back to bed, come on," Steve said.
"I'm going to count down, I want you in bed when I get to one," Catherine said sternly. She counted slowly. "Five … four … three … two … one."
"Blast off!" Angie yelled, jumping in place in imitation of one of her favorite storytime songs.
"Shhh," Catherine said as they reached her. "Don't wake your brother." She shook her head and muttered, "Thank you, Miss Kristin."
"Come on, Angie, now," Steve said seriously, turning her around and guiding her gently but firmly back to her bedroom.
"Can I have some water?" she asked, glancing back at them.
"A sip," Catherine agreed. When Angie made to detour to the bathroom, she said, "No, I'll get it. You get back in bed or no water."
Steve took Angie into her room while Catherine got a small cup with a little water in it, stopping briefly to check on DJ who was sleeping soundly, completely unaware of the mini-drama outside his door.
"You've got a busy day tomorrow with gymnastics and bingo with Grandma Ang," Steve was saying as he sat on the edge of Angie's bed. "If you don't go to sleep you're going to be very tired and you won't have fun at either of those things."
"You might even need a nap," Catherine said, purposely uttering the dreaded three-letter-word as she sat on the other side of the bed and handed Angie the cup.
As expected, Angie's brow immediately furrowed and her usual smile turned decisively to a frown. "No nap," she stated emphatically. "I'm a big girl, I go to preschool."
"Not quite yet," Catherine reminded her. "And if you don't want to have to nap tomorrow, then sleep now." She nodded to the cup. "Drink your water."
"Big girls go to sleep when they're tired," Steve added.
Angie gulped down the small amount of water and handed the cup back to Catherine. "I'm not tired," she said, even as she yawned.
"Nice try, baby girl," Catherine said. "Lie back."
Angie scooted down the bed so she could lay her head on her pillow. She lifted her arms so Steve could bring the sheet and light quilt over her torso and tuck her in.
"Okay, stay in bed, Angie, it's time to sleep," Steve said, kissing her forehead.
"I love you, Daddy," she told him.
He smiled patiently. "I love you, too. Stay in bed."
Catherine kissed her as well. "Good night. I love you."
"Love you, Mommy."
Catherine and Steve rose together.
"Cammie," Steve called quietly, and she joined them leaving the room.
"Close your eyes, Angie," Catherine said as they paused in the doorway. "Sleep."
Angie squeezed her eyes shut and Catherine shook her head with a sigh, shutting the door most of the way.
They waited in the hallway, listening, and a minute later two small feet hit the floor.
Steve sighed, arms folded. "What's the plan, here?" he asked quietly. "We can't sit on her all night to keep her in bed."
"Tempting, but no."
"We gotta nip this in the bud before Disney World."
"I'm counting on her being so tired at the end of every day there that she just conks out."
"There's a thought. Maybe we have her run laps before bed."
She gave him a look. "Steve."
"You got a better idea?"
Catherine paused. "No." She opened up the door and Angie smiled up at them. "Angeline Elizabeth …" she began.
"I need to go to da bafroom."
Catherine looked at her doubtfully but motioned that way. "Okay, go. Then come right back and get in bed."
Angie padded down the hallway and they waited for her to return a couple minutes later.
"Let's go, back in bed," Steve said, waving her back into her room.
"I'm really really awake," she told him. "I'm not tired."
"You really really are," Catherine said. "See, you're yawning."
"But I–"
Catherine shook her head. "Baby girl, it's way past your bedtime."
"I need a new bedtime, Mommy," Angie replied seriously.
Steve and Catherine exchanged a glance. "I thought the smart remarks weren't supposed to start for another ten years," he said.
"Honey, what's going on?" Catherine asked, kneeling in front of her and squeezing her arm. "You don't usually fight going to bed like this."
Angie looked between them as Steve sat on the edge of the rocker beside them. "I want to stay up wif you. And do some'ing fun."
Steve inhaled slowly as he realized the issue. "You think we're doing something fun without you."
She nodded. "I like having fun."
Catherine chuckled at her matter-of-fact tone.
"It's nothing fun you're missing, I promise," Steve told her. "Mommy and Daddy just have … mommy and daddy things we like to do after you and DJ are in bed."
"Like what?" she asked as Catherine closed her eyes, shaking her head.
He paused, wincing.
"You walked right into that, Commander," Catherine said.
Angie blinked, still waiting for a response.
Steve shrugged. "Like … taxes."
She looked at him quizzically.
"And … watching scary movies on TV."
She beamed at that. "I like scary movies!"
Catherine snorted. "Nice try."
He looked at her. "You gonna help me here?"
"Not on this one."
"So much for 'in good times and bad times.' "
Catherine smirked. "You think this is rough, wait till she's a teenager."
He shook his head. "Oh, that's all you."
"What? You're gonna disappear until she graduates?"
"No, I'll be there, just … a few feet behind you. Or in the garage."
Angie brightened. "Let's go to the garage! I go drive Grandpa's car!"
"Ah ah ah," Catherine said, halting her beeline for the door. "It's late and it's time for bed. We will have lots of time for fun things tomorrow, but if you don't go to sleep, you're going to have to take a nap …" She continued as Angie frowned. "And you'll get a timeout for not listening."
Angie gasped, looking between her parents who wore equally serious expressions.
"No time out, I'm going to sleep," she insisted, running over to her bed and scrambling under the covers.
"Thank you," Catherine said, standing and joining her to help tuck her in. She kissed her head. "Good night, baby girl. I love you."
"Night, Mommy. Love you."
Steve brushed her hair back and kissed her as well. "I love you," he told her with a soft smile.
"Love you, Daddy. No'fing fun, promise?" she asked.
His lips quirked at that. "I promise. Nothing fun. Good night. We'll see you in the morning."
She smiled, satisfied, and closed her eyes for real this time. They left the room and closed the door most of the way, standing in the hallway with Cammie and waiting once again.
After five minutes, Steve silently pushed the door open just enough to peek in, nodding to Catherine when he verified that Angie had finally fallen asleep, proving that she had indeed been tired all along.
He closed the door once again, leaving just a crack open.
"Kinda hard to be annoyed when she was getting out of bed because she wanted to be with us," he said, smiling.
"Yeah," she agreed. Quirking an eyebrow at him, she folded her arms. " 'Nothing fun'?"
"Oh, you can't blame me for that," he insisted.
She uncrossed her arms and ran them up his chest to his neck, raising herself up toward him and licking her lips as his hands came naturally to her waist.
"Come on, Commander, let's go do 'nothing fun' together …"
"No one I'd rather do 'nothing fun' with, Lieutenant," he said, leaning down.
She paused an inch from his lips and grinned. "But this time in our bedroom with a nice door that locks."
Hope you enjoyed!
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