Updated as of 2-23-18
Amethyst yawned quietly, the excitement of coming back home, being tickled, and being with the boys again had tired her out.
"Sleepy?" Marko asked. She nodded. "Come on." He took her hand, pulled her up from her spot on the couch and over to her old bed. She smiled seeing the familiar curtains and blankets.
"Come on, Amethyst. You're three years old, you can sleep in a big girl bed now," Marko praised her as he carried the little blond child to the bed in the main part of the cave. The little girl had a big smile on her face as she hugged him around the neck. Marko put her down so she was standing on top of the bed. She looked down before she started jumping up and down. Marko rolled his eyes. "It's not time for playing, it's time for sleeping," he said. Amethyst smiled and ignored him. Suddenly Paul ran over and belly flopped onto the bed which sent her up a few feet. She laughed and let out a small scream as he pulled her down.
"You'd better go to sleep or the tickle monster will get ya!" He warned with a grin as he wiggled his fingers.
"No! Not the tickle monster!" The little girl yelled before diving under the covers. Paul and Marko laughed.
"You gonna go to sleep, Amethyst?" Marko asked. She popped her head out, the blanket still over the top of her head.
"Mhm," She said with a nod before she got comfortable.
"Alright, we'll see you tomorrow night," Marko said as he pet her head slightly. Paul went to get up but Amethyst grabbed his arm and tried to pull him back.
"No, stay," she whined quietly. He turned to look at her.
"Aw don't use that look," he said as she gave him her puppy dog look. Marko snickered. "Amethyst, I can't sleep out here."
"Then I wanna sleep in your bed," she said before she stood on the bed, ready to go to the end and climb down.
"No, no," he said as he stopped her by pulling the back of her shirt. She fell back and sat on the bed.
"Why not?" she whined.
"Cause." Amethyst crossed her little arms and gave him a look.
"That's not a good reason!" she argued.
"Yes it is," Paul insisted as he tried to hold back a smile. She turned to Marko.
"'Cause' isn't a good reason, is it?" She asked as if daring him to say yes. He chuckled.
"I'm not part of this; you're on your own," he them both before he walked away towards the elevator shaft. Paul sighed. He looked back to Amethyst to see her looking like she was about to cry.
"Aw come on. I can't stay out here."
"But I want you to," she whimpered as she hugged him around his neck.
"I know you do," he sighed. "Alright." She jumped up and looked at him with the biggest grin on her face. "But I have to be on that side of the bed." He pointed to the side furthest away from where any sun would leak through into the cave.
"Yay!" she exclaimed as she hugged him again.
"Alright, alright. Let's go to sleep now, Kay?"
"Okay," she said as she crawled back under the covers. Paul moved to his side and laid down. It felt weird for him to be going to bed in an actual bed. He closed his eyes but opened them as Amethyst cuddled up to him. With a smile he stroked her small head before closing his eyes again.
Present Amethyst belly flopped onto the bed and laughed as Paul did the same next to her.
"Hey, still need me to help you fall asleep?" he offered with a wink. She rolled her eyes.
"I think I'll be fine on my own," Amethyst said as she rolled over. She stopped as she rolled over a small lump under the covers. "What's this?" She lifted the covers and pulled out a mint green old teddy bear. "Paul!"
"What?" he asked, alarmed at her sudden outburst, rolling over to look at her. She blushed.
"No, not you.. The bear." she murmured, embarrassed. He raised an eyebrow.
"You named your bear after me?" he asked as a smirk grew on his lips.
"You couldn't always sleep with me," she said as she looked away.
"Aw that's adorable," Marko teased. Amethyst stuck her tongue out at him. He grinned and winked. She rolled her eyes before turning her eyes down to the bear.
"Who gave you that?" Paul asked as he poked it.
"Dwayne." she said as she looked over at the dark haired boy. He looked over upon hearing his name and smiled slightly.
Four year old Amethyst was walking with Dwayne, holding his hand so she wouldn't get lost. The other boys had gone off to feed and it was Dwayne's turn to watch Amethyst. As they walked through the crowds Amethyst looked around with big bright eyes. Suddenly something caught her eye and she stopped walking. Dwayne kept walking until he noticed she'd stopped a few feet behind. He crouched down and looked in the direction she was staring in. She noticed he was looking and tried to continue walking as if she hadn't stopped. Dwayne smirked and picked her up. She wrapped her little arms around his neck as he rested her on his hip. He walked over to the game she had been looking at and put her on the counter. The guy behind the counter looked at Dwayne warily. After a few minutes Dwayne won the game and silently looked at Amethyst to ask what she wanted. She pointed to the mint green teddy bear that was half her size. The guy got it and handed it to her. She hugged it to her chest with a smile. Dwayne picked her up again and she kissed his cheek.
"Thank you," she said happily.
She held the bear to her chest and smiled. She got up and walked over to Dwayne who watched her curiously. She got to where he was sitting on the couch and bent over to peck his cheek. He blinked and his eyebrows went up slightly. She smiled as she stood up straight before she returned to the bed. She jumped on the bed making Paul bounce slightly. He laughed.
"Hey, do I get one?" he asked as he tapped his cheek.
"What for?"
"For being me," he suggested with a grin. She rolled her eyes and leaned over to peck his cheek. He grinned wider. Amethyst got up and went over to Marko, who wasn't far from the bed, and kissed his cheek just as David walked back into the cave. She glanced at him before going back to the bed. Amethyst laid her head on the pillow but suddenly sat up again.
"Ow!" she yelped.
"What wrong?" She lifted the pillow and pulled out a pointy sea shell.
"How'd that get there?" Marko asked. David glanced over and his eyes froze on the sea shell.
Amethyst was rarely allowed to go out without the boy's permission so one night when she was four she asked Dwayne if he could take her outside to collect sea shells. As he leaned against the rock wall, the little child wandered around near the water but far enough away. She gasped picking up a pure white sea shell with spikes around it. She smiled to herself. She ran back to the cave and Dwayne raised an eyebrow as she ran past him into the cave.
David was sitting in his chair, Paul and Marko on the couch, when Amethyst ran in and over to him. He looked down at her as she held up the white sea shell.
"What?" He made a face. She held it out closer to him. "I don't want that," he said dismissively before turning away. She frowned. Marko leaned forward.
"Can I have it, Amethyst?" he asked with a smile. She shook her head and ran back outside where she threw the sea shell away. Dwayne walked up to her.
"Why'd you do that? I thought you liked it."
"David didn't."
"I threw this away." Amethyst ran her finger along the points. She noticed Dwayne glance in David's direction and looked at David to see the lightest shade of pink on his face. He couldn't have gone and put it under her pillow after she left. Why would he do that?
