Happy Fathers Day
"Maria what are you doing?" Shadow asked as he stood in the doorway of Maria's room and watched with curious eyes as Maria rummaged through the draw of her desk.
"I am looking for something Shadow…I could have sworn I put it in here." Maria answered then muttered to herself as she couldn't find the thing she was looking for.
"What are you looking for?" Shadow asked as he walked forward and stood by Maria at the desk.
"My pack of coloured pens" Maria sadly sighed as now she couldn't do what she wanted to do.
"You mean the pens with the ten different colours you had out last week?" Shadow asked with a grin up at Maria.
"Yes, yes. Do you know where they are?" Maria said with a begging expression down at Shadow for a positive answer.
"I do and they are not in your desk draw. You lent them to the professor remember, so he could use the different colours to underline stuff in his documents." Shadow said with his grin still there for Maria to see.
"Oh yes I did let grandpa use them. Ok lets go get them so I can make a start on my latest project." Maria brightly said as she began to remember then grabbed Shadows hand to drag him along with her.
"Project, what project?" Shadow asked as he allowed his best friend to lead the way, not that he really had much of a choice for the grip on his hand said he didn't.
"I'll tell you all about it when I get my pens back from grandpa." Maria happily said as they were almost near her grandfathers personal study.
When they reached the door Maria dropped her hold on Shadows hand then gave the door a firm knock.
They waited for just under a minute for an answer but didn't get a 'come in' from Gerald.
"I don't think he is…" Shadow started saying in a muttered tone then the door opened by Gerald.
Gerald looking tired and had heavy bags under his eyes that could be seen even with his blackout glasses. He gave his two children a soft smile then motioned them to follow him inside.
"He isn't like sleepwalking again is he?" Shadow asked with a whispered voice and looked a little concerned with this.
"I don't think so, no one has said anything or witnessed him sleepwalk." Maria whispered back then they both walked in.
"Oh thank all the Gods out there he isn't." Shadow thought with a relieved feeling deep inside.
Gerald took his seat up his desk and slouched forward with his arms folded on the table to support him in that position. He watched both Shadow and Maria take a seat in the two chairs opposite him.
"So what can I do for the two of you this afternoon?" Gerald asked and was trying to stop a yarn from happening.
"Well I was wondering if you were finished with the coloured pens I lent you grandpa." Maria sweetly asked with a gentle smile.
"Oh yes of course, I meant to return them to you a few days ago. I'll just get them from the draw under the desk." Gerald replied then made a moved to get them.
"Are you ok professor? You look very tired and in need of a nap." Shadow asked with concern while frowning deeply.
"Oh I am fine my boy, just too many late nights and early mornings. Ah here they are, planning on doing some colouring my dear?" Gerald answered his creation as he rummaged through his messy draw then finally found them and passed them over to their owner.
"I do yes and when I am finished I'll show you. I think it will cheer you up." Maria cheerfully said as she took her pens with a smile.
"Sleep is what the professor needs." Shadow muttered under his breath as he was feeling very worried Gerald will either collapse from exhaustion or start sleepwalking again.
"Well I am sorry Shadow but I have deadlines that cannot be late or there are consequences that wont be pretty for us adults." Gerald sighed as he had heard what Shadow said.
"You know I am always here to help with that, I am very good with typing stuff up and pretty fast at it too. You can relate to me what you need typed and I will type it." Shadow offered his assistance and hoped this offer will be taken up.
"Please say yes, I don't want to carry you on my back again while you check on everyone." Shadow thought as he gave Gerald a very slight pleading look.
"That is very kind of you Shadow but it is alright, I am almost done with this one but maybe you can help on the next." Gerald softly said with a smile of gratitude.
"There is no maybe about it, I am helping next time with or without your permission. I do not like seeing you so over worked nor do I enjoy watching you suffer from stress. It hurts." Shadow said with slightly drooped ears and slowly began to look sad near the end of his sentence.
"Yes grandpa it hurts us both seeing you like this and we get so worried about you so please let Shadow relieve some of your work from you." Maria said with sad begging eyes at her grandfather.
"Alright, ok, you both win. Shadow come by tomorrow morning at seven and we will finish this report together." Gerald relented as he caved in from the sad looks he was given.
"I'll be here at six thirty with coffee and no later." Shadow grinned and was looking more happy, Maria also cheered up too.
"That would be nice, thank you Shadow. Why don't you both go and do that colouring, I'm going to take a quick power nap on the sofa." Gerald said as he slowly rose from his seat.
"Ok grandpa." Maria brightly said with a smile as she stood up holding her pack of pens in one hand, Shadow following her movements.
The two left Gerald and closed the door shut then walked together down corridors until they reached Maria's bedroom. Maria placed the pens on the bed then rushed over to her desk and picked up some white card. She rushed back to her bed and sat on it then patted the space in front of her for Shadow to come and join her. Shadow smiled and hopped onto the bed then sat crossed legged facing Maria.
"Ok this project is top secret and you must not say a word about it. Fathers Day is coming up and I am going to make grandpa a card. I know he is not my dad and my dad isn't here but he is raising me." Maria whispered as she lent towards Shadow.
"Fathers Day?" Shadow whispered back with a tilt of his head.
"Oh that's right you were brought to life a few weeks after Father's Day last year. It's the one day of the year you show your dad how special they are to you and how much they mean to you. You make cards and buy them a gift to show how much you love and care for them. Of course we don't have money to buy a gift or have anything to make one but we can make Grandpa a really nice card." Maria explained in a hushed voice to Shadow as she didn't want anyone to hear her secret plans.
"Oh right so the pens are to make this card with then…can I make the professor a card too? We may not be biological father and son, and Black Doom is like decades away from here, but he did create me so he is my dad in a way. I want to show him how much he means to me too." Shadow said with a smile as he really wanted to do this.
"Of course Shadow and your gift to him will be you taking his work load off his hands…I can do something similar and make him coffee for him on the actual day. I would do him breakfast but after the whole kitchen thing, I don't want to go back in there and cook." Maria started off with excitement then soon began to frown at the memories of that restaurant game that almost burned down the kitchen.
"Or you could have someone cook it and you take it to him." Shadow suggested with a grin as he wasn't all that keen in returning to the kitchens.
"Wonderful idea Shadow. Ok lets get making." Maria brightly said and was going to do just that.
An hour later…
"Look, do you think the professor would like this?" Shadow asked as he lifted his handmade card and showing Maria the front.
"Erm…it look very…artistic. Yeah artistic Shadow." Maria smiled a little nervously at Shadow handy work.
"He is definitely not a drawer." Maria thought as she kept her smile at Shadow.
The card had a picture of Gerald and Shadow smiling as they stood next to each other in a lab with a window showing space. Now that doesn't sound all too bad but the way it was drawn, well it looked as if a four year old drew it with out of proportion bodies and features, the coloured in parts were out of the line a lot. The drawing was also drawn wobbly and Shadow wrote the words, happy non-biologically related fathers day dad in bold black letters at the top of the picture.
"You don't like it do you?" Shadow said with a sad look and ears drooped as he thought it was pretty damn good for someone who has never drawn anything before.
"No, no Shadow it is very lovely." Maria said as she tried to cheer Shadow up.
"I've never drew anything before ok and I don't have time to practice to make it perfect." Shadow sighed as he placed the card down and bowed his head in sadness.
"Shadow grandpa will love it because it was you that made it." Maria softly said with a smile at Shadow, watching him lift his head up and look back at her.
"He will?" Shadow asked with hope in his eyes.
"I am very positive he will love it forever Shadow." Maria happily said with her smile in place.
"Oh good, are you finished yet?" Shadow said with a much cheerful tone.
"Er yeah but remember I am twelve and have had a lot of practice with drawing ok." Maria said with an anxious look then showed Shadow her front cover.
Maria drew a pretty decent drawing of test tubes with liquid inside on all four corners and stars along the edges of the card. In the middle was a picture of Gerald and Maria hugging with smiles and the words 'happy fathers day grandpa' above in fancy curved writing. Ok they didn't look exactly life-like but they were drawn well enough although did lack some intricate details like shading, creases on clothing, more detailed facial expressions. All in all it was a good piece of art work and all coloured within the lines of the pen used to draw.
"He is going to really love that Maria, it's so much better than mine…maybe I'll just skip this yeah, work on my drawing then give him something next fathers day." Shadow said with a smile then frowned a little as he was now starting to think Gerald will not like his card as much.
"Cheer up Shadow, grandpa will love it I'm sure. Ok lets start on the written message inside ok. It has to be something from the heart and how much grandpa means to you." Maria said in a sweet voice, perking Shadow up a little.
"Cool, that will be easy." Shadow smiled then both opened up their hand made card and chose a coloured pen to write their message.
Half an hour later…
"I stand corrected this is not easy to do." Shadow sighed as he had sat there for half an hour and still had nothing down but the words 'to dad' at the top.
"Ok erm what do you appreciate about grandpa and what do you like about him the most?" Maria softly asked as she decided to help Shadow out a little.
"Well he gave me life for starters, he teaches me important lessons, he doesn't treat me any different to anybody else, he made me these super cool shoes so I don't get hurt from friction and so I can hover in the air…" Shadow began his list of things he appreciates then was interrupted before he could say what he likes about his human father/creator.
"You cannot hover Shadow." Maria said with disbelief to that claim.
"I can so hover." Shadow said in a factual tone.
"Prove it then, hover." Maria said with a grin at Shadow.
"Fine then I will." Shadow said back with a grin of his own.
He got off Maria's bed and stood a little away from it. He jumped into the air and activated his shoes making him hover. He then looked at Maria with a smug expression then deactivated his shoes, making him once again sand on the floor.
"See told you I can hover." Shadow boasted as he walked back over to the bed and climbed back on it.
"I stand corrected." Maria said with amazement.
"Ok back to your question on what I like about dad now. I like how he is kind and considerate, I like how he doesn't push me too hard and I like his mechanical skills that lead to my really super cool shoes." Shadow happily said with a smile at Maria.
"You really like your shoes Shadow don't you." Maria said with a light laugh as she spoke back.
"Well yeah they are super cool and he thought of me when he made them." Shadow said with a wider smile.
"Ok now alls you have to do is use all of that and write it in your card." Maria softly said then got back to writing her message.
Ten minutes later…
"Finished, what about you Shadow?" Maria happily said then looked over at Shadow who was lying belly down with pen in hand.
"Almost just have to sign it so he knows it is from me." Shadow casually said then writ his name right at the bottom.
"Ok all done." Shadow cheerfully said with a look of pride in his work then he moved to sit up.
"So lets hear what you have written." Maria asked as she was growing curious to what Shadow put down.
"To dad. Happy fathers day. I would like to say how much I appreciate all that you have done for me since you created me. I also appreciate you teaching me lifelong important lessons that we both know I need teaching. I also think your mechanical skills are like totally awesome and how you make things out of any materials is epic smart for example my super cool shoes. You are so awesome and I love you very much. Love from you greatest achievement so far, Shadow…so what do you think?" Shadow read out his card sincerely then asked with a slightly anxious expression.
"Aw that is so sweet Shadow, grandpa will love this." Maria warmly said as she thought it was definitely from the heart.
"Ok so what did you put?" Shadow asked with some excitement in hearing what Maria appreciated about Gerald.
"To grandpa. A big happy fathers day. I wish to tell you how much I am thankful for all that you have done for me and what you do for me. You are selflessly working so hard on my behalf so I can have a longer life and I am very appreciative of all your efforts in trying to find a cure for me. You have been raising me from a younger child and I want to say I am truly thankful for having you as my grandfather. Lots of love from Maria, P.S you are the best ever." Maria softly read her message to her grandfather then looked at Shadow for his opinion.
"Ok that was pretty good Maria, you can definitely tell you love Gerald a whole lot but I have a question for you. What does P.S mean?" Shadow began with a happy tone while he gave Maria positive feedback then became puzzled when asking.
"I have no idea but I do know people write that if they have more to say after signing their name." Maria said with a slight nervousness in her tone as she watched Shadow raise his brow at her.
"Then why not just add that before signing their name? It seems more logical to do that instead of doing this P.S thing." Shadow said with a defeated sigh for he believed he will never understand humans fully.
"Yeah well that's humanity for you, we sure love to make more work for us. Anyway lets tidy up and put are cards away before grandpa sees them." Maria rolled her eyes and shook her head at Shadow then both began to tidy up.
A few days later…
"Wake up Maria, its fathers day and we need to get our butts over to Gerald with breakfast." Shadow said as he climbed onto Maria's bed and began to shake her lightly.
"Five more minutes Shadow." Maria softly moaned as she pulled her covers right up to her face.
"I do not think so." Shadow thought as he began to smirk.
"OH MY GOD MARIA, THERE IS A HUGE SPIDER RIGHT NEXT TO YOU. IT MUST HAVE ESCAPED FROM JOSHUA'S room!" Shadow shouted with a fake fearful tone then smirked as Maria screamed.
"Ah get is away Shadow, save me!" Maria cried out with fear as she moved fast, grabbed Shadow and used him as s shield.
"Pranked ya, there is no spider but you are now wide awake for fathers day." Shadow laughed as he confessed then was slowly let go off.
"Shadow that was not nice." Maria said with an unhappy tone then pushed Shadow making him land on his belly.
"Yes it was, for me anyway." Shadow sniggered as he rolled over and sat up with a grin at Maria's unhappy frown.
"Just for that I am going to take longer getting washed and dressed." Maria said with a teasing grin then got off her bed.
Ten minutes later…
"Come on Maria, by the time you are finished breakfast will be over with." Shadow complained as he laid on Maria's bed with hi head dangling over the edge, looking at Maria's door in the upside down fashion.
Seconds after he said that the bathroom door was opened and a clean dressed Maria walked out with a smile then stopped in front of Shadow.
"Maria you are upside down and it looks so funny." Shadow laughed as he smiled, it looking like a frown from Maria's point of view.
"You can be such a child at times Shadow, come on lets get grandpa breakfast and give him our cards we made." Maria said as she rolled her eyes at Shadow.
Soon enough Maria was carefully carrying a tray with a plate of toast that had marmalade on, a hot mug of coffee and blueberry breakfast muffin. Shadow walked beside her holding the cards in one hand and a special something in a medium sized box they managed to get one of the chef to make for them to give to Gerald.
"Oh I cannot wait to see how happy grandpa will look when we give him all this." Maria excitedly said as they were almost near Gerald's office.
They did check his bedroom first but he wasn't there so they decided to check his office.
"Yeah I know right and he better be in his office or his breakfast will be very cold by the time we find him." Shadow said with a smile as now they were even more closer.
They took the last few steps and both were now standing in front of Gerald's office. Shadow took the cards into his other hand then knocked on the door. They waited for a reply but never got one which made both frown.
"I know we are not allowed in there without permission but screw that." Shadow said then grabbed the handle and turned it.
"It's unlocked so he mist be inside." Maria said as she watched Shadow open the door wide.
They walked in and smiled as they found Gerald asleep on the sofa after spending most of the night working on a special device that will record anything and store the recordings internally. They stood in front of him then Shadow lightly shook Gerald to wake in up.
"Come on dad wake up, we have a surprise for you." Shadow said with a groan as Gerald was not waking up.
"Mmmm, five more minutes dear." Gerald softly moaned then turned over in his sleep so now he was facing them.
"Watch this Maria." Shadow whispered with a smirk.
"AHH DAD HELP THERE IS SOMETHING YOU SERIOUSLY NEED TO SEE!" Shadow shouted out in fake panic waking up Gerald and sit up fast with panic in his features while looking at him and Maria.
"Happy fathers day!" Both Shadow and Maria said with bright cheerful voices and smiling happily back at Gerald, who was calming down.
"We bring you breakfast grandpa." Maria sweetly said with a bigger smile as she held out the tray to show her grandfather.
"We bring you special things too." Shadow happily said with a big smile and held out the box with the two cards resting on the top.
Gerald began to softly smile and took the tray from Maria and placed it on the space beside him. He then took the box with the cards on from Shadow and placed it on his lap.
"Thank you very much, ah lets have a look at your wonderfully made cards." Gerald warmly said with a soft smile then picked up Maria's card as it was on top of Shadows.
Gerald smiled wider as he looked at the picture then opened up the card and read the message out loud with small tears in the corners of his eyes as he felt a warm feeling as he read the message. When he was done he looked up at his granddaughter warmly.
"Thank you Maria, I love your card and such lovely words. I love you very much too my dear." Gerald gently said then swapped the cards over and held Shadow hand-made one.
Gerald smiled then looked up at Shadow.
"I rather do like your picture Shadow and well done on your first drawing." Gerald said with his gently voice never changing.
"Yeah we all know I need practice now open it up." Shadow said with a grin then both he and Maria watched Gerald open the card with a smile.
Gerald read out the message out loud and got a little choked up as he read. After he finished he looked up with a little more tears gathered in his eyes. He placed the card back on his lap then opened his arms wide.
"Come here you two." Gerald said with a happy smile.
Shadow and Maria smiled then moved towards Gerald. Gerald hugged them both in which he received a hug back from them both.
"Thank you so much, you both mean a lot to me too. And Shadow I am really happy that you love those shoes I made you." Gerald lightly laughed as he spoke to Shadow.
"I appreciate all that you do for me and as Maria stated you are the best." Shadow softly said as he hugged his human father.
"You both are the best too." Gerald softly whispered as he kept hugging his two children.