It was the middle of the night as the Watterson kids slept.
Outside, a storm was beginning to brew, the sky darkening.
A Baby Anais was asleep in her cot, dreaming of Daisy the Donkey when suddenly...
FLASH, CRACK
She shot up woken up by a loud noise and a flash of light outside.
She looked outside the window trying to see what it was but couldn't see anything wrong so laid back down.
She listened to the rain outside, trying to fall asleep.
FLASH, CRACK
She shot up again, her eyes widening, looking around frantically.
FLASH, CRACK
She hid under her blanket, only peeking out from the top and she began to shake.
She had no idea what was going on and was starting to get really scared. She'd never experienced anything like this before.
She slowly pulled the blanket down as she shook in fear and turned to look at the window, hoping it was over.
FLASH, CRACK
She jolted back under the cover again, fully covering herself.
She hugged her doll and started to tear up and shake even more as she became even more frightened.
CRACK
She jumped and let out a small yelp, starting to quietly sob and hugged her doll tighter.
Nothing seemed to happen for a short while. Was it over?
She decided to brave peeking over the cover again.
Shaking violently she slowly moved the cover down and forced herself to look over.
FLASH, CRACK
She let out a slightly louder yelp, hid back under the cover again and started to cry, terrified.
Meanwhile, Gumball was also woken up by the storm. He groaned and turned over to try and get back to sleep when he heard a quiet yelp from over in the corner.
"Huh?"
He turned back around and listened harder.
FLASH, CRACK
He heard a yelp and crying quietly coming from over where Anais was and put two and two together.
He pulled off his covers and slowly walked over to Anais.
He saw she was holding her blanket tightly over her and shaking violently and could hear her sobbing.
"Ani?" he asked softly.
FLASH, CRACK
She yelped again and started crying harder.
"Anais?" he asked again, reaching out and going to pull the blanket off her.
When she felt something touching her she screamed.
"Hey, hey, it's okay, it's alright, it's just me, it's just me." He reassured her.
She slowly peeked out and saw Gumball standing by her cot.
FLASH, CRACK
She quickly pulled it back over, sobbing again.
"Hey, shh, it's okay, I'm here." he said softly.
"It's not gonna hurt you. It's okay, you can come out."
She hesitated before she slowly took her head from under the blanket.
Gumball could see how scared she was. She was crying, keeping her eyes closed as she was too scared to open them and was shaking as she hugged her doll, jumping whenever the thunder and lightning struck.
"Aww, come here." he opened up his arms.
She opened her eyes slightly to see where he was and then quickly went into his arms.
He picked her up and she began crying into his shoulder.
"Shhh, sshh, it's okay, it's alright. There's nothing to be scared of." he hugged her, rubbing her back and gently rocking her up and down.
"I'm here now. You're okay. You're safe, sshhh."
She continued to cry but slowly started to shake less.
He walked her over to the window.
"Look, it's just rain and some flashing lights, that's all. Nothing to be scared of."
"The loud noises...are scary.." She managed to say quietly through sobs.
"It's okay, it's just thunder. It can't hurt you. There's nothing to be frightened of."
"T-thunder? W-w-what's that?"
"It's the sound the lights are making, that's all."
"O...oh..." she sniffled.
She started to calm down a bit but was still jumpy and shaking slightly, still scared.
"It's okay, I promise. Darwin and I are right here. We won't let anything happen to you. We'd never let anything happen to you." He wiped her tears.
She thought back to the junkyard and how he'd risked his life to save her, despite everything she'd done to him, and knew that he meant what he was saying.
He stroked her head as he talked. "I know you're scared, I know. But I also know that you're gonna be fine. You wanna know why?"
She tilted her head. "Why?"
"Because you're the bravest little girl I know."
She sniffle and smiled."I-I am?"
"Mhm." He nodded."So, a small storm is nothing to you, right?"
She nodded. "Yeah!"
FLASH, CRACK
She'd flinch slightly, but wouldn't react otherwise.
"Hey, you barely flinched that time! You're already improving."
"Y-yeah, it...it isn't that scary anymore!"
"See, I told you there was nothing to be scared of!"
He rubbed her head causing her to giggle.
She paused and think for a moment before hugging him lovingly. "Love you Gummy!"
He smiled and hug her back. "I love you too Ani."
They hugged for a while.
As they hugged she thought about how nice he was being to her despite how mean she had been and all the terrible things she had done to him and Darwin before the junkyard and started to feel guilty and regretful.
All this time they were just trying to be nice to her, make her feel welcome and loved and all she'd done was push them away and try to get rid of them.
Her ears would lower as she slowly began to frown.
"Ani? What's wrong?"
She looked up to him, tearing up again. "I...I'm sorry!"
He looked at her confused. "For what?"
Her voice wavered. "I was...really mean to you and Darwin! I made Mommy and Daddy mad at you, for...for things you didn't do. I tried to..to hurt you! You were trying to be nice to me and I just hurt and upset you! I...I'm really sorry!"
She was crying again.
"Hey, it's okay! You don't need to apologise. I already forgave you at the junkyard, remember? We moved past all that."
She sniffled. "Why...why are you so nice to me? I was so mean to you for no reason!"
"You're my little sister and I love you so much. Despite what you did to us, that never changed. Not even for a second."
"R-really?"
"Of course. I could never hate you. You're too adorable for that." He tickled her causing her to squirm and giggle.
"Right, come on you, let's get you back to bed, hey?"
She nodded.
He began to walk back over to her cot.
She frowned and then tugged on his t-shirt and pointed towards his bed. "No, your bed!"
He smiled. "Oh, you wanna come to sleep with me?"
She nodded.
"Aww, alright then."
He placed her on his bed whilst he grabbed her doll from her cot.
He came back over and gave it to her.
She'd pick it up and hug it.
"Thank you!"
"You're welcome."
He got back into bed and then held the covers open.
She climbed in and cuddled up next to him, hugging her doll. He placed his arm over her protectively.
"Goodnight, Ani."
"Goodnight, Gummy. Love you!"
"I love you too."
They began to drift back to sleep, Anais no longer paying any attention to the storm.
She thought about Gumball and Darwin and how grateful she was that all her plans had failed. She realised how extremely lucky she was to have siblings who cared about her so much, who were so forgiving to her and would go as far as to risk their own lives to save her.
She smiled before she closed her eyes and fell asleep.