Ratigan woke up to the sound of screams from Basil's room. Ratigan rushed to Basil's room, assuming that Basil had forgotten who he was.
Ratigan was on high alert when he entered Basil's room, noticing Basil's tear-filled eyes. Basil got out of bed and rushed to Ratigan, hugging him.
"I had a nightmare father." Basil sobbed as he hugged Ratigan, and Ratigan smirked.
"Shh, it's alright, my son. You're safe. Tell me about your nightmare." Ratigan says softly as he takes Basil back to his bed. Basil sniffs.
Basil sniffed as Ratigan sat down on the bed. Basil sat beside him, letting tears go down his cheeks.
"There was a monster, and he almost killed me. I called out for you, but you never came." Basil says, looking at Ratigan. And Ratigan looks at Basil.
"There, there. He won't get you, Basil. I'm here now; I'll always be here." Ratigan says, rubbing Basil's back. Basil nods.
Ratigan put Basil in his lap and hugged him close, humming. Basil calmed down and smiled at Ratigan.
"Are you quite ready for bed now?" Ratigan asked as Basil nodded. Ratigan laid Basil down on the bed.
"Yes, Father." Basil says as Ratigan tucks Basil into bed and Ratigan leaves the room
The next morning, Ratigan was wearing a white sweater with black pants, his hair was combed back, and he was cooking breakfast.
Basil came into the room, wearing blue striped pajamas, and he rubbed his eyes, looking tired. Basil had a bedhead, and Ratigan looked at Basil and chuckled.
"Son, come here." Ratigan said as Basil approached. Ratigan began fixing Basil's hair.
"Father." Basil giggled along with Ratigan's chuckling and smiling.
Ratigan went back to cooking. Basil sat at the table and smiled. Ratigan brought two plates of pancakes; he set one before Basil and ate the other.
Basil started eating while Ratigan sipped his coffee and watched Basil eat his pancakes. Ratigan saw Fidget coming into the room, and Basil looked at Fidget.
Who is that, Father? Basil asked as Ratigan looked at Fidget and then Basil.
"This is my friend Fidget. Be nice to him and treat him with respect." Ratigan said as Basil nodded, and Basil ate his pancakes."
Fidget didn't say a word to Basil nor Ratigan. Basil sipped his orange juice and Ratigan got up putting his dish in the sink.
"Basil, you may go play, but don't go outside; you're still recovering from your fall." Ratigan says, and Basil nods before leaving the table.
Once Basil was out of the room, Fidget started laughing, and Ratigan looked at Fidget.
"I've never seen Basil so submissive." Fidget laughed as Ratigan hit Fidget, and Fidget looked at Ratigan
"Don't you dare call him that again. He's being respectful; the boy hasn't had a father figure in years. As far as he knows, he is my son, and I am his father. So keep making fun of my boy, and I'll pummel you to the ground." Ratigan says angrily as he washes the dishes and Fidget leaves the room in a hurry
Ratigan washed the dishes, then stopped, realising what he had said. He called Basil his 'boy'. Ratigan snapped out of it; he had to keep up his charade and be the loving father. It was all part of the plan.
wasn't?
A few days later, Ratigan spent time with Fidget to ensure that Fidget played his role perfectly as Ratigan's friend.
"Ratigan!!!" Fidget yelled as Ratigan ran to Fidget, and Ratigan froze when he saw Basil hitting Fidget
Ratigan yanked Basil off Fidget, giving him five smacks to his unprotected bottom, which caused Basil to let out a squeak.
"What the devil is going on? Talk to me, Basilius." Ratigan demanded of Basil, and Basil looked down.
"H...he pulled my tail, father; I didn't like that." Basil said, looking down, and Fidget covered his left eye.
This didn't seem like a silly fight over tail pulling. Ratigan lifted Basil's chin, making him look into Ratigan's eyes. Basil gulped, seeing Ratigan's stern but firm face.
"Is that the truth, Basil? Or do I need to ask Fiddler what happened?" Ratigan asked Basil, making Basil feel like tears were about to spill from his eyes
"Ok, I lied. He didn't pull my tail. He's been spending time with you, and I got jealous." Basil admitted as Ratigan nodded and released Basil's chin
Ratigan was at a crossroads: on the one hand, he felt bad about spending time with Fidget; on the other, Basil couldn't get away with fighting, even if it was out of jealousy. Fidget left the room, giving the two some privacy, and Ratigan silently thanked Fidget with a nod.
"Basilius, I am highly disappointed. First, you hit my friend, and then you lied to me when I asked you to tell me the truth. How am I supposed to trust you?" Ratigan looked stern at Basil, who sniffed.
"I'm sorry, father." Basil says, with tears, and Ratigan sighs.
No one said being a parent was easy. Ratigan knew the boy wasn't a boy anymore, but damn it, the boy was stubborn and still the same as when they were enemies.
"Basil, I can't let you get away with hurting Fidget like that. So I have no choice but to ground you for two weeks." Ratigan says as Basil looks up at him, shocked and full of tears.
"Father, no! Please!" Basil begged as Ratigan stopped him with a look, and Basil looked down.
Ratigan could have given him a spanking, but Basil's actions didn't warrant one. Ratigan knelt in front of Basil and gently lifted his chin again.
"Basilius, you can't hit whomever you like just because you're jealous. Next time think before you react. Come talk to me; I'm here, and I'll listen. You could have avoided being grounded if you had just talked to me, but no, you made a choice, so you must live with the consequences, young man. This is what happens. I still love you." Ratigan says sternly, and Basil nods, now crying.
"Yes, father." Basil says hoarsely, having cried, and Ratigan hugs Basil
Ratigan comforted Basil as Basil let out his tears and sniffed. Ratigan rubbed Basil's back and cradled him gently, like a toddler.
"Nap time for you. When you wake, I'll have some schoolwork for you to work on. I love you, Basilius, but next time talk to me or I'll have to spank you." Ratigan says, puts Basil in his bed, and looks at Basil
"Yes, Father. I'll do better, I promise." Basil says as Ratigan tucks him in bed and turns off the light.
Ratigan left the room, maybe being a parent wasn't so bad after all. Basil just needed guidance and understanding.