Family Reunion

Part IV

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"So, Jack, seeing as how you are the one who put our children to sleep on the couch.... Do you think that you can help us put them to sleep where they belong?" Jack and I were both stunned at how nice my wife spoke to him. Just a few moments ago she was chewing him out, now she's his best friend. Very odd behaviour, even for her.

"So Jack, what do you say? Do you want to see what it's like to be normal for once? Or are you afraid you'll enjoy the domestic life so much that you'll not want to go back to your precious Pearl?" Now he turned to me with a look of almost anger. I insulted his beloved ship. Big mistake. His eyes darted to the children between us and his expression softened.

He slowly, and carefully as not to wake them, picked the two girls up into his arms. He stood unsteadily, wavering a moment before gaining his balance with his burden. Jeffery turned to lie on my shoulder when his former pillow (aka Lily) was moved from under his head. I followed suit with my own two, Erin on my right shoulder, Jeff on my left. My wife rose as well, slumbering baby cradled in her arms.

She guided Jack to the girls' rooms, as I went to relieve myself of my own burdens.

I placed Erin in her bed, having had to clear a spot off, books falling to the floor as I did so. She stirred slightly in her sleep, muttering something about bloody pirates and burning books. Her usual nightmares. I've come in during the middle of the night from the noise of her nightmares, and found her cradling her books like stuffed animals or dolls. She is quite the odd child.

Jeff was no problem getting to bed. I just lowered him into his bed gently and he rolled right over onto his other side and started snoring. I left his room and headed for Ana's room.

Jack was leaning over the bed, the owner of the bed, clinging to him like a lifeline. It took both my wife and me to pry her off. And we still had to get Lily into her bed!

Lily took nearly ten minutes to let go of Jack. But when she did, she just grabbed at her pirate doll, murmuring in her sleep.

Finally, my wife set our youngest in his crib and we returned to the drawing room for a bit before we had to retire to our own beds.

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Sorry that it's so short but I really have to get going. My bus'll be here in five minutes!!

Hope you like. And if tomorrow, I have a scroll storage, I'll post the edited versions in it. And also on FF.N under the same title.