Sweetdreams
It had been a busy day. Angel tucked the covers around the tired five year-old and lightly kissed the top of his head. His son smiled sleepily up at him.
"Sweetdreams Connor, I'll see you in the morning."
"G'night Daddy, you have sweetdreamin's too."
Angel chuckled softly, and, bedtime ritual completed, stood up and crept out of the room, closing the door halfway behind him. Connor, after watching his father leave, yawned widely and promptly shut his eyes.
He wasn't sure what woke him up, but as he opened his eyes, the lady sitting at the end of his bed lifted her head and smiled at him. Connor sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes, double-checking that the stranger was still there.
"Who are you?"
It wasn't an accusation, but a question filled with a child's curiosity, as Connor didn't find himself frightened at the woman's presence.
"Hello Connor, I heard you were asking about me."
The child, now fully awake, stared open-mouthed at her.
"Are you an angel?"
The woman laughed, and shook her head no. Connor got out from under his blanket and scooted towards the middle of the bed, so he could look more closely at the lady in the pale moonlight.
"I think I've seen you before."
"I once visited you when you were a baby, but we spent a lot more time together before that."
She smiled at the little boy again, and for a moment, Connor caught a glimpse of colour identical to his own from under her long lashes.
"You're my Mother."
Darla nodded and gently pushed back some light blond hair that had fallen across the child's forehead. Connor stared at her in awe,
"My Daddy said you died."
Darla tilted her head and smiled sadly, "I did."
Connor looked at her in confusion, "But, how?"
His mother sighed, "Sometimes we're allowed to go back and visit those we loved, and still love, just to tell them that."
The boy shifted closer to her.
"My Daddy said you loved me, just as much as he loves me."
Darla brushed away a tear.
"Oh I do, I do love you. More than anything else in this world or the next."
Connor grinned and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "I think I love you too."
He kissed her, as only a child does, softly on the cheek. "I think I better go back to sleep now."
Darla nodded, "I think so too."
Connor climbed back under the covers, and yawned as his mother tucked him in.
"Sweetdreams little one."
Connor completed the ritual, "G'night Mommy, you have sweetdreamin's too."
Smiling, she leant down and kissed the top of his head, as his eyes fluttered shut.
* * *
"So how was he tonight?"
Fred grinned and tugged on her coat. "Didn't hear a peep."
Angel smiled tiredly. "Good."
The small brunette did up her last button and looked up at the tall vampire.
"I checked in on him at about 1 0'clock, and he was sleeping as soundly as anything, huge grin on his face. He must have been having a pretty good dream."
Angel ran a hand through his hair, "Yeah, he has a lot of those."
Fred smiled, "Well he has a pretty good life, with a Father who loves him and would do anything to protect him."
She pointed at Angel's right cheek. "Demon slime."
Angel smiled sheepishly, and wiped at it.
"Right."
It had been a busy day. Angel tucked the covers around the tired five year-old and lightly kissed the top of his head. His son smiled sleepily up at him.
"Sweetdreams Connor, I'll see you in the morning."
"G'night Daddy, you have sweetdreamin's too."
Angel chuckled softly, and, bedtime ritual completed, stood up and crept out of the room, closing the door halfway behind him. Connor, after watching his father leave, yawned widely and promptly shut his eyes.
He wasn't sure what woke him up, but as he opened his eyes, the lady sitting at the end of his bed lifted her head and smiled at him. Connor sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes, double-checking that the stranger was still there.
"Who are you?"
It wasn't an accusation, but a question filled with a child's curiosity, as Connor didn't find himself frightened at the woman's presence.
"Hello Connor, I heard you were asking about me."
The child, now fully awake, stared open-mouthed at her.
"Are you an angel?"
The woman laughed, and shook her head no. Connor got out from under his blanket and scooted towards the middle of the bed, so he could look more closely at the lady in the pale moonlight.
"I think I've seen you before."
"I once visited you when you were a baby, but we spent a lot more time together before that."
She smiled at the little boy again, and for a moment, Connor caught a glimpse of colour identical to his own from under her long lashes.
"You're my Mother."
Darla nodded and gently pushed back some light blond hair that had fallen across the child's forehead. Connor stared at her in awe,
"My Daddy said you died."
Darla tilted her head and smiled sadly, "I did."
Connor looked at her in confusion, "But, how?"
His mother sighed, "Sometimes we're allowed to go back and visit those we loved, and still love, just to tell them that."
The boy shifted closer to her.
"My Daddy said you loved me, just as much as he loves me."
Darla brushed away a tear.
"Oh I do, I do love you. More than anything else in this world or the next."
Connor grinned and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "I think I love you too."
He kissed her, as only a child does, softly on the cheek. "I think I better go back to sleep now."
Darla nodded, "I think so too."
Connor climbed back under the covers, and yawned as his mother tucked him in.
"Sweetdreams little one."
Connor completed the ritual, "G'night Mommy, you have sweetdreamin's too."
Smiling, she leant down and kissed the top of his head, as his eyes fluttered shut.
* * *
"So how was he tonight?"
Fred grinned and tugged on her coat. "Didn't hear a peep."
Angel smiled tiredly. "Good."
The small brunette did up her last button and looked up at the tall vampire.
"I checked in on him at about 1 0'clock, and he was sleeping as soundly as anything, huge grin on his face. He must have been having a pretty good dream."
Angel ran a hand through his hair, "Yeah, he has a lot of those."
Fred smiled, "Well he has a pretty good life, with a Father who loves him and would do anything to protect him."
She pointed at Angel's right cheek. "Demon slime."
Angel smiled sheepishly, and wiped at it.
"Right."