"Luci, what are they doing?"
The fledgling watched the family pass over gifts to the youngest on at their table in the quant little mom and pop ice cream parlor, a special treat after such a long week of being away on missions that she could not join him on and made this trip into a welcome back treat.
"They're giving gifts for his birthday."
"Why don't we do that?" she looked up at him with curiously bright eyes "Give gifts like that?"
He looked down at her, "Because we are not born, we are created."
"I'm gonna do it."
The Morningstar looked down with a smile at her determination, and he knew without a doubt that she most certainly would, but for now they stepped forward to get the ice cream that had been promised.
Akeelah was determined to get gifts for all of her closest friends, and thus went out to determine what was best to give to them individually, thus she went to the only one who would know what to do for all of them.
The Gardener was pruning a rose bush when the fledgling hopped up behind him, and he stopped in his actions to turn and greet her, "Hello, little one."
"Hi Josh! What are you doing?"
She bounds up to his side and he plucks a rose for her, tucking it into a braid behind her left ear.
"Caring for the roses, little daisy." He led them to sit on a rather large rock, "Now, how can I help you, my young friend?"
"I wanna give my friends gifts but I don't know what to get them."
He touched her chest, "Something from the heart." He smiles at his fledgling friend, "They will cherish anything you give them."
She nodded, thinking hard for a moment, and quickly hugged her friend to run off and inquire about her first gifts, there was one place she knew to go for this gift.
…
"NisNisNisNis!"
The fledgling ran up the stone steps into the lounging room of the Pavilion, her first gift wrapped carefully in a paper wrapping, and the Captain looked up from the cheerful conversation he'd been having with his brothers at the sound of his name being called from their young friend.
"Yes, our Baby Power?"
She was smiling, a dazzling smile, jumping over Titus and Abraxos, to throw herself into the Captain's lap. His arms curled around her stomach and she settled against him.
"I got you guys something!"
"You got us something?"
She beamed up at him, her eyes brighter then he'd ever seen them, "A gift!"
"You got us a gift?"
"Well, I thought of it and Salathiel helped me make them and Jeremiah helped me make the braided leather, but I did it all for you!"
He nodded along to her every word, exchanging an amused glance with Haniel at his side, and she nodded, holding her parcel out for them all to see. Abraxos and Titus sat up from where they lay on the soft blanketed ground. Puriel leaned forward to see what the commotion was about.
She slowly and carefully unwrapped her gift and held up five individually crafted stone tokens, braided on a thin braid of leather, and she passed one out to each of them.
Nisroc held it up to examine the craftsman ship, "What does it mean, Baby Power?"
"It means 'brethren'." She nudged him, "Get it, cause we're family, so that makes you my brothers!"
"They are beautiful, we thank you little one, we are indeed your brothers." She giggled as she was hugged close, "And do you know what big brothers do to their Baby Sisters?"
The little one shakes her head, staring up at the Captain as they each took their necklace from her little hands as she was lifted up above his head, "They give their bellies some kisses."
"Nis!"
"Hush, Baby Sister, I'm busy."
…
"Micha! Micha!"
The little fledgling ran into his office in a bound of excitement, curls bouncing with every step, as she bounded through the door and across his office in her excitement. In her hands was a bound little package.
"Yes, my little star?"
"I got you something!"
He scooped her up into his lap, and she kissed his cheek in greeting, "You go me something?"
She nodded, holding the package up, he took it from her with honest curiousness, "What is it?"
"You have to see!"
He unraveled the paper to reveal the new leather belt, "You got me a leather belt?", she nodded excitedly, running a finger over the runes carved into it, "Kasmara helped me mold this into it too!" he ran his finger over the leather work with her, "You've carved a rune into the leather too?"
"It's for protection, cause you're always going and fighting and going on missions and I don't want anything bad to happen to you."
He kissed her on the cheek, "That's very thoughtful of you, little one." She giggled and kissed him on the cheek in return, "I will wear it always."
…
"Gabe!" he huffed at the little thing that jumped on his stomach, groaning as he curled his arms around her, and she giggled in the acknowledgement that she had caught him unawares, "I got something for ya!"
"I'll ignore the fact that you completely dive bombed me because you got something for me."
She giggled and kissed his nose, "Thanks Gabe!"
"So, whatcha got for me?"
She pulled a large bag over her head and down in front of him, "A new satchel?"
"Look at the buckle!"
He pulled the pack closer to examine the buckle as ordered, and he smiled, running his finger over the rune etched into it, "Is this for safe travels?"
"Yep!"
"I love it!" he hugged her closer, "Just like I love you!"
….
"Big bear, I got you something!"
He chuckled as the little thing ran into his legs from behind, knocking him forward where he stood instructing his class, and he turned to lift her into his arms.
"Hello, little bear, what can I do for you today?"
"I gotchu somethin!"
She held up a small object, a ring, and he took it from her little palm, "You melded this for me?"
"Well, Salathiel helped me, but I made it for you!"
He kissed her cheek, brushing his nose over her neck, "I love it little one."
…
"Luci, I gotcha something!"
He scooped her into their shared bed, setting his book aside, and pulled her up to sit on his stomach instead.
"Whatcha got for me, munchkin?"
She leaned over the side of the bed, clutching at his shirt as she leaned over the edge, and he leaned with her to ensure she didn't tumble over the edge, and she came back with a new leather-bound book for him.
"I got you a new book!"
"A new book?"
"'Cause yours is getting all full!" she giggled as he took it, "With bad songs!"
"Bad songs?"
"So bad! But in here you can write good ones!"
"You little—"
She shrieked when he set the new book aside and turned them over on his bed, "Let me show you a good song."