~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bedtime Stories

Marie Allen

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"You were such a typical boy."

He looked up at her with wide, innocent eyes. He had kissed the top of her shoulder, taking a small break with his story. He was lying on his side with one arm wrapped protectively over her bare abdomen, holding her close. "Huh? What do you mean?"

She smiled and kissed his cheek. "If I told you, you would get defensive." He grinned at her and kissed her forehead, still holding her to him.

"Have I ever gotten defensive about anything before?"

She laughed and smirked at him. "I would tell you the right answer and say yes, but then you'd be all wet." She grinned at his confused look and kissed the tip of his nose. "You'd be in denial..."

He chuckled and kissed her lips lightly. "Now you're not being fair." He grinned at her as she smiled innocently and shook his head.

"Is this a face that would cheat?" With that, she grinned as wide as she could, showing her teeth. It was a typical look that anyone would give the one questioning them on their innocence, especially if that person was their husband. He responded by smiling and kissing her cheek. Maybe it would be best to stay silent.

"Even though my mother insisted for me not to scratch, I did so anyway..."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He was holding Rocky by his ear as he looked longingly out the window. He ached to run around again and play in the sun. His mommy had said, though, that he was getting better. He was allowed to leave his room now and run around instead of being bed ridden. He hated that more then anything. He wanted to have fun, and staying in bed wasn't his idea of fun.

At the sound of her footsteps, he turned to him and looked at her with big, round eyes and pouts a little. He knew that she could never resist that look and it worked every time. "Mommy..."

"Yes, baby?" Her heart melted at his look. She wished more then anything that, with just a kiss and hug, his chicken pocks would disappear and leave him. She hated seeing him so sad and miserable. She hated having to lock him up away from what he wanted to do and tell him no to the things he used to do. She just hoped that, once he was done, he would realize that everything would be back to normal and he wouldn't be forced in the house all day again. Kneeling next to him, she gently began to apply his medicine. He was improving, it was true, but they were going away slowly; too slow for both of them.

"I want this one to go away first." While he said this, be pointed to a spot on his tummy, looking at it. "And this one...and this, and this one too..." As he pointed to each one that he didn't want on him, he was actually digging his nail in them, scratching them. He was so clever...! She would never know what he was up to.

She smiled at him, knowing instantly what he was doing and kisses the top of his head. "They will go away soon." She stopped him by beginning to put the medicine on again.

"Can I go outside today?" He knew it was futile and she would just say no, but he so badly wanted to. He looked at her with even wider eyes.

She stopped what she was doing and looked down at him. She was well aware that he should still stay in, but... The virus was almost gone and he was feeling well. It wouldn't hurt anyone if he just stepped out. With a smile, she nodded. She smiled again at his look of surprise and laughed lightly. "But only for a few minutes, just so you can see that sun is still warm, ok? If you see anyone, though, you need to come right back inside."

With a squeal of delight, he threw his arms around his mommy's neck and kissed her cheek. "Thank you! I'll be good!" He grinned and kissed her cheek again before tearing out of the room. He grabbed his t-shirt and ran outside the front door. Freedom...!

The first thing he saw besides the sun and clouds, was his best friend playing with his older brothers and sister. His brothers were seven and six, and his sister was four. They weren't very nice to him, and he didn't like being around him. But he could tolerate them for Taylor. Grinning, he hurried as fast as he could to them. "Hi!"

Looking up from his truck that was currently charging at a pile of dirt, Taylor watched in surprise as he saw his friend in front of him. He was alive! Grinning, he made to hug him, but when he jumped back, frowns. "Are you still sick?"

He sighed and nodded. "Yeah... But Mommy says that I'm almost all better!"

Cory, the oldest, nodded at his brother, Ralph, as he saw a familiar head of curls bounce towards them. With a smirk, they approached the two then. "Aww... It's Dewey, Mommy's little baby. How ya doin', Baby?"

His cheeks turned red at them. They were so mean to him! "I'm *not* a baby. I'm all growed up!"

They laughed at the wrong usage of grown. "Yeah, yeah, sure ya are. That's why ya got chicken pox, huh?"

"I only gots them because of a fairy. She visited me in the night last week because I had said a magical spell. She thought it was sooo cool that she gave them to me."

Cory smirked at him, folding his arms. "Sure she did, Baby."

He shrugged. "It's true. And I even gots a spot that looks like a fairy wing." Here he lifted up his shirt and pointed to one that was oddly shaped.

"That ain't no fairy wing!" exclaimed Ralph, trying to be like his older brother. "It's just another dot!"

"Is too!" he shot back. "And if ya rub it, and wipe your face, then ya can have any wish ya want!"

At the mention of a wish, Ralph looked up at Cory. "Is that true?"

"Of course it ain't! He's just tryin' to trick us!"

"If I am," he touched the dot and rubbed his face, "then why did I just do that?" As the two older boys shared looks, he and Taylor grinned at each other. They both knew what was happening.

"I don't know, Cory. He just did it..."

"I don't believe ya, Baby," Cory said, uncertain now. "I still say yer a liar."

"Fine. More wishes for me." As he started to push back down his shirt, Cory grabbed his arm.

"Just a minute. 'Ey, Noel...! Come here now and look at this!" Noel, the only girl of three brothers, was quietly playing with her dolls, well away from the noisy, dirty boys. Her pigtails were too short and hairs were falling out, making her look unsettled. She wore glasses that were too big for her small nose and they were constantly falling. She pushed them back up as she carefully set her dollies down on the blanket she had been sitting on to keep her dress from getting wet and walked over to them.

"What do ya want, boy? I'm playin'...!"

Ralph pointed to the dot as Cory looked at her. "What that look like to you?"

With a sigh, she squinted her eyes at it. She had more important things to do then play boy games! But at what she saw, she grinned and clapped! "It's a fairy wing! Daddy told me all about them!"

Both Cory and Ralph gasped at each other and looked at a grinning Baby in shock. He was right! Pushing each other out of the way, they both hurried to touch the magical chicken pox. By the time they had actually touched the one, they had managed to brush both of their hands over his stomach.

Unable to help themselves as the two bullies madly wiped their faces with their hands, the two four-year-olds laughed and giggled. Looking at them as they were insane, Noel stuck her chin up in the air and pushed her glasses back up. "Boys..."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She had watched him tell his story in shock when he came to the part about the fairy wing. When he was finished, she let out a laugh that, after a while, started to hurt her sides. He watched her as he laid on his side, amused. "Think that's funny?"

"I can't believe you did that! Those poor kids! Did they get worse then you?"

He grinned, proud of himself that he had gotten back at those jerks, and nodded at her question. "You bet I did. That among other things that we won't mention." His grin grew wider at the thought of that.

She grinned back at him and shook her head. "I don't think I want to know."

Smiling, he shook his head and kissed her lightly, bring her to him. As she settled in next to him, snuggling close, she kissed him back, grinning. After a moment, still grinning, she pulled back. "So you got your scar from not listening to your mom and scratching. Bad boy..."

"Oh, you have no idea." He kissed her after grinning and holds her tightly to him. She giggled and kissed him back deeply. After a short while, however, pulls back again as a question popped into her head.

"When was your first kiss?"

He smiled and shook his head. Pecking her lips lightly, he grinned. "That is another story..." With that, he captured her in another kiss and wrapped his arms tightly around. For all he cared about, his first kiss was when his lips first touched hers. With just that, he had forgotten about every one else and any other time he had kissed. Smiling at her, it was him who pulled back this time. "I love you." Smiles and kisses the tip of her nose before kissing her again. It was a long time after before either would get sleep again that night.