It was a quiet, cool evening at Rad's house. Light rain was pouring; it has been a month since Lyon first became part of the Heeler family. Both father and son just finished their stir fry dinner and went to wash their plates at the sink's tap. Rad is grateful to be given the chance to take care of a child and act as a fatherly figure for Lyon. Though, he's still somewhat concerned about the young wolf pup; despite Lyon's capability of adjusting himself well, there have been moments when the boy was too dismissive about talking about his parents. It's as if there is something he chooses to keep concealed from him.

"So, have you finally gotten used to living here," asked Rad.

Lyon gazed at his adoptive father. "It's been great so far," he added.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," said Rad. Lyon was puzzled by that question; it was quite out of the blue. Rad, however, is suspecting Lyon might be going through something. Every other night, before the two go to bed, he hears some noises coming from Lyon's room. It's not every night, but at random. When he inquires about the child what he was dreaming of, he chooses not to explain to him what he was dreaming in his sleep.

"By any chance you want to tell me something? You know you can tell me anything," added Rad, placing his paw on Lyon's shoulder. The child once again looks up at Rad.

"Oh, what do you mean," asked Lyon.

"You know what I mean. I know sometimes you talk in your sleep. You must be having some sort of nightmares as of late," explained Rad. "Is there something that's been on your mind?" Rad was serious about Lyon wanting to confide in him about his sleep situation. Lyon, albeit worried, did not want to trouble his adoptive father. "No. Nothing going on, Rad," said Lyon.

"I mean if you really need to let something out, I'm more than happy to listen. I'm your guardian after all," reassured Rad.

"Truly, I am fine. I promise," added Lyon.

"Well, if you're truly sure, sport," said Rad with a concerned look. They finished cleaning up after dinner, and it was time to get ready for bed. "Time for bed. Ready to clean your teeth," asked Rad. Lyon nodded, and went upstairs. "I'll be there in a minute, Lyon. There's something I need to do," explained Rad. While Lyon went upstairs without his father, Rad took out his phone, texting to his brothers.

Rad: Hey, mind if I ask you two a question?

Bandit: Sure. Go ahead.

Stripe: Yeah, what's up?

Rad: So, things have been going well between us. Lyon seemed to finally decompress himself with his surroundings. I'm sure he has warmed up to the rest of you guys. However, I'm still worried about him.

Bandit: Why's that?

Rad: Well, as of late, each other night I would often hear some noises coming from his room. I often check up on him, and he seems to talk in his sleep. Usually, I come there and wait for him until he calms down, but I'm starting to suspect that he's hiding something. Something he doesn't want to talk about.

Stripe: Do you think it has something to do with his parents? Have you talked to him about them?

Rad: No, not really. He really likes to avoid the subject. Though, I think you might be on to something about this being related to his parents. Maybe he's still struggling to talk about it to me. Maybe he's struggling to move on from the day they passed away.

Bandit: That could be the case. Have you considered seeking professional help? Like a child therapist? If he is truly struggling to tell you these things, it might be the best course of action.

Rad: I'm not sure about that, but I might consider it. I just want to help however I can, but this is harder than I thought.

Bandit: Nobody said this would be easy.

Rad: All I can hope is that Lyon will be ready to talk to me about these feelings. I just want to be a good father.

Stripe: You are. You show your concern for him, and that is the number one quality of being a good parent.

Rad: I do wonder if he'll truly see me as a father. It's been a month so he hasn't called me 'dad' just yet.

Stripe: Give him time. It's only been a month.

Bandit: Stripe's right. He's still trying to process everything. It can't happen in one day.

Rad: I'll see how this plays out. Thanks guys. I really do mean it.

Bandit: No sweat big brother. Let us know if we can be of any more help.

Stripe: Keep us updated on Lyon.

Rad: Will do. Night.

Rad put his phone away and went upstairs to the bathroom to check up on his son. He saw Lyon brushing his teeth diligently. He decided to join up with him by brushing his teeth as well. Both father and son seem to enjoy each other's company when it comes to night routines. Once they finished cleaning their teeth, they placed their toothbrushes in the cup.

"Want to play a small game before bed," asked Rad.

"Really? What kind of game," said Lyon with a curious look.

Rad led Lyon to the hallway. He stood behind him and scooped him up to the ceiling upside down.

"Woah, I'm upside down," said Lyon. "This is wild."

Rad held Lyon while he was pretending to walk upside down. In Lyon's perspective, it felt strange that everything on the ground was upside down. Though he can feel his adoptive father's strength. Rad knew playing a game would help bond with his son. "How's the view, Lyon?"

"It's definitely high."

"Really? High as the Greater Blue Mountains," chuckled Rad.

"No, more like Mount Everest. That's the highest mountain in the world," said Lyon.

"Good knowledge kid. Where'd you learn that?"

"Books. I've read that at school."

"Ah, yes. Definitely where you learn all your facts." Rad set Lyon back to the ground and went to his bedroom. Before bed, Rad usually reads a book with his son since it has become a daily ritual. However, it's usually Lyon who reads since he has good reading skills.

"So which book will we read tonight," asked Lyon, hopping on his bed.

"Actually, I thought of another game. Something that your Uncle Bandit does to put your cousins to sleep," said Rad, while reaching for a book.

"Oh? What game is it?"

"The story game."

Lyon has never heard of that game, but he is willing to give it a go. Rad lay next to his son with the book on his hand. He opened the first page of the book.

"Okay, here we go. Once upon a time, there was a prince, and this prince was brave and kind. Suddenly, he was on a quest in search of a-"Rad then pretends to fall asleep while Lyon chuckled a little. He poked his father to wake him up.

"Huh? Oh, I must have dozed off," said Rad. Lyon chuckled again, and knew the idea behind this game.

"Where did I left off?"

"You mentioned something about a prince going on a quest," added Lyon.

"Right, so the prince was on quest in search to fight off a dragon who's been scaring off the towns' villagers. As he ventured through the thick woods, he came across a-"Again, Rad pretends to fall asleep. Lyon giggled even more, but this time decided to use his words. "Wake up!"

"Ugh, giant horse," said Rad waking up. The two kept at it with their game. Lyon finds it amusing for Rad to make up things as he goes each time he pretends to doze off and wakes him up each time he keeps telling the story. Once the game was finished, Rad tucked Lyon in bed. "You sure you'll be okay for tonight," asked Rad.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, Rad," said Lyon with a light smile. "Alright, good night sport. I'll see you in the morning," said Rad patting Lyon's forehead. The adult dog went out of the bedroom and went to his bedroom to sleep. Lyon stared at the ceiling's starry background. It usually takes a while for Lyon to close his eyes and drift to sleep. "Hopefully, I won't have that same nightmare," he whispered to himself with a saddened look. The same nightmare he kept receiving every random night involved his parents. He knew it was a hard subject to bring up to Rad.

As the night went on, the rain soon poured heavy. The wind started howling, and the wolf pup's eyes slowly grew heavy. It a matter of minutes, his eyes were closed tight. Lyon then opens his eyes again, seeing that he is finally home again. His real home.

He got up from his bed, and noticed this bedroom is just like his old bedroom back at home. He headed downstairs to check up on his parents. When he went to the second floor of the building, he could tell this is his old home. The same light cream walls in the interior, the same furniture before it was all removed, and the same home address. He dashed towards the kitchen only to find nothing in the room. The worried wolf pup wasn't sure what was going on, but this is far different from the other dreams.

"Lyon," said a female voice. He heard a faint feminine voice coming from outside the kitchen. Lyon walked outside of the verandah and found both his parents sitting on the porch swing. A white husky with light blue eyes, a wolf with dark grey fur, and heterochromia eyes.

"What are you two doing here," asked Lyon in awe.

"We were waiting for you," said Marc with his French accent.

"Why?"

"We were just hoping you wake up. It is a lovely day," said Audrey. Lyon, albeit confused, went to sit in between mother and father. Marc gave a gentle push to the porch swing, and the three were rocking back and forth. A gentle breeze blew from the east. Lyon felt that breeze through his fur.

"This is…nice," said Lyon gently.

"It certainly is pumpkin," said Audrey.

"You've been sleeping for a while le fils. Don't tell me you've been up all-night reading that book of yours," asked Marc jokingly.

"No, not really. Well, maybe a little," said Lyon with a playful grin. The three were silent for a moment savoring the morning. It wasn't until long when Lyon wanted to ask them a question. "Mum. Dad may I ask you a question?"

Both parents looked at their son. "Of course, pumpkin. What is it that you wanted to ask?"

"Who was that grown-up I saw the other day? He had quite a strange hairdo."

"Oh, that was my friend, Radley. He was in town the other day visiting, and thought it was a good time to stop and say hello," said Marc.

"You're…friend?"

"Oui. We just talked and hung out at the sports bar. We wanted to see each other before he went back to his job site. It's far from home."

"Is he your best friend," asked Lyon.

"Well, yes. We've known each other for a long time."

"Oh. I've never really had that many friends. Not at school."

"Aw, why not," asked Audrey.

"Nobody seems interested in me or what I do. They say my face is always glued to a book."

"Well, I think you should try talking to others. It'll do you some good," said Marc.

"I tried though. Each time I try making friends at school, they don't seem to care about me at all," complained Lyon. "That's why I am always reading. It's better than not doing anything."

"Well, you aren't wrong about that. However, I do think you should give it another go. Perhaps things will be different the next time you interact with your peers," advised Audrey.

"Okay," sighed Lyon.

"Oh, we wanted to let you know we're going out for dinner tonight," said Marc. "You'll be left with a sitter."

"Aw, you won't be there to tuck me in bed tonight?"

"Sometimes grownups need time for themselves dear. You'll understand when you're older," said Audrey while playfully touching Lyon's nose. Lyon chuckled when he felt the playfulness from Audrey. "In the meantime, your babysitter is Lena. You two love playing together, no?"

"Oh yeah, Lena is fun to play with," said Lyon.

Meanwhile, back in reality, Lyon was sitting on the living room's couch giggling and mumbling in his sleep. It seems that he was sleepwalking all the way from his bedroom to the living room. Little did Rad know his son slept walked since he was fast asleep. Lyon kept on mumbling, as he headed straight to the front entrance's interior.

In his sleep, he was greeted by his babysitter, Lena, who was a tri-colored teen cocker spaniel with black, brown, and white fur. The two were ready to say bye to Marc and Audrey, who were ready for their evening dinner tonight.

"Now, you be good to Lena, alright," asked Audrey.

"I will," said Lyon.

"And don't stay up too late, alright," said Marc.

"I won't," said Lyon with a slightly annoyed face.

"We love you, Lyon. We will be back before you know it," said Audrey kissing her son.

"Bye mum and dad. I love you both too," he hugged his parents.

"Don't worry Mr. and Mrs. Laurent. I'll make sure tonight will go smoothly," said Lena. The couple drove off in their Subaru Outback. Lyon waves through the window, with his ears down. "Bye," he said quietly.

"Now, what shall we do tonight, Lyon. I brought some board games from home if you want to pick one to play," said Lena.

"Oh, well I was hoping to wait for my parents until they come home," he said.

"Come now, waiting is boring. I'm sure they would like it if you did something that will keep your mind off things."

"Well, okay. Only because they would want me to," said Lyon. The two went back to the living room. Lena had a few board games with her to keep the young one entertained.

"I have Wombat Rescue, Pop Up Croc, and Unfair. Your choice."

"Um, I guess we can play Pop Up Croc," he said pointing at the board game.

"Good choice. I used to love this game when I was younger." The two played the game and converse with one another at the same time. Before they knew it, it was time to get ready for bed.

Back in reality, Lyon went upstairs, unaware of his current state. He thought he was heading back to his bedroom. However, he made a wrong turn in his adoptive father's bedroom. Rad, who was unaware of the six-year old's presence, didn't know that he was sleeping beside him in his bed. In Lyon's dream, he only imagined being back in his old home's bedroom fast asleep. He tends to move in his sleep, so he kept moving his right foot. Rad felt the repetitive light taps behind him. This unknown force had Rad grunting in his sleep not knowing it was Lyon.

As Lyon kept kicking his right foot, he also moved his left foot as well, kicking both legs to the adult heeler. The more he kept moving his legs, the stronger the kicks were. Again, not knowing what is kicking him, Rad pushed Lyon away on the side. It was not long before Lyon gave on big kick to the adult heeler in his groin. Rad felt a sharp pain through his groin, and his eyes widened. He uttered a yelp from that kick with an anguished face, and both paws covering his groin. "Ow…"

Rad saw his son fast asleep on his side of the bed. With groggy eyes, he jumps off his side of the bed, carries Lyon in his arms, and goes back to his bedroom. He laid Lyon back in his bed, tucking him with the blanket. He gave the young one a nice pat on the head and went back to his own bedroom.

It was now 1 AM in the evening. The storm went from howling winds to loud thunderstorms. The rain poured even heavier than before. Although Lyon was still in bed, he is still dreaming about the day before his parents left him. In his sleep, he heard sirens. There were blaring police lights through his window. Just then, Lena walked inside his bedroom with tears streaming through her eyes. The teen tried to keep her composure, hoping she could bring the news lightly to Lyon. She gave a light tap to the wolf dog pup. Lyon woke up with groggy eyes, seeing his babysitter. "Lena?"

"Lyon, there's someone you must see," she said chokingly. Lyon's expression went from confused to concerned. He went downstairs only to see two police dogs; the same German Shepard officers who let the kid know about his parents' fate. Oh no, not this again. Anything but this….

"Are you the son of Mr. and Mrs. Laurent," asked the first officer.

Lyon nodded, but this time he spoke in this scenario. "Please don't tell me what I think this is," he said.

"This is going to be difficult to hear, and you've got to be a brave lad. Your parents… are dead. They got into a car accident."

Lyon eyes were filled with tears as he sank down to the floor. The whole room was filled with a dark background; his heart was pounding, his hands were shaking, and his forehead was sweating. Lyon felt an immense pain through his heart to go through this scene again. He then saw apparitions of his parents as they walked away. Lyon ran across the dark void, demanding them to come back.

"Please, I need you," he yelled. Unsuccessfully the parents soon drifted away into the darkness. Lyon kept on panicking as he tried to run through to save them. He whimpered in his sleep, crying and shouting. His right paw reached out in real life. "I need you. Please," he moaned.

Meanwhile, Rad heard the desperate cries of his adoptive son across the bedroom. He ran from his bed to see the wolf dog struggling in his sleep. "Oh no," he muttered silently. Rad rushed to wake his son up.

"There, there," he said while shushing to comfort him. Lyon couldn't stop crying; the tears were hard to hold in. Little did Lyon know he felt the presence of Rad and opened his eyes. They were all red and puffy. Rad was relieved that no harm came to his adoptive son. He sighed in relief. "I'm here, sport. It was a bad dream," he said while hugging and stroking Lyon's fur.

"I…I…," stuttered Lyon.

"Shhh….shhh…. It's alright. Just relax, and take deep breaths," instructed Rad.

"I….I…..I saw my parents. They were there. They were there until they left me to go out for dinner."

"It was a bad dream. You're awake now," said the heeler drying his son's right eye. "Let's go downstairs. We can talk over a nice, warm cup of milk." Lyon kept breathing hard and nodded in agreement. He held Rad's paw as they went downstairs. The storm kept going with the loud lighting. Rad took two cups of milk and warmed them up in the microwave. They both sat in the living room with their cups, sipping through the warm milk. Lyon was still shaken up from that dreadful nightmare.

"Hey, you're trembling," said Rad.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be a bother," said Lyon.

"You're no bother at all, mate. I was worried about you. You were shouting and crying so I couldn't ignore it."

Lyon looked down at his cup; he still couldn't stop crying from that episode. "I don't think I ever cried since that day. The day they left me forever," he added. "I didn't even know I was walking in my sleep. This might be the first time this ever happened to me."

"Oh, Lyon. You went through so much on that day. You're allowed to feel this way. Is that why you didn't cry at the funeral? Because you thought it would be a bother," inquired Rad.

"No, it's because I must be a brave lad. I don't want anyone to feel bad for me, so I must put on a brave face. Big boys don't cry."

"That is not always true. It is a normal reaction everyone goes through, and it isn't a sign of weakness," explained Rad. "It's true that some say boys and male adults can't cry because it makes them look weak, but they're wrong. In life, you will go through a lot of events that will let you express grief. Holding it in is not going to help you in the long run."

"Have you ever cried, Rad," asked the wolf pup.

"Yes, at least once in my past. Like I said, it's a normal reaction everyone goes through. I even shed a tear back at the funeral that day when they buried your parents."

"Really? I couldn't imagine a grown male adult crying," chuckled Lyon weakly.

"Well, it happens," added Rad while rubbing his neck. "The important thing is we talked things through. How do you feel now?"

"A little better. Still a bit shaken up," said Lyon while gulping the last of his milk.

"It feels good to let it out, doesn't it?"

Rad took both cups to the sink and took Lyon back upstairs. Before Lyon entered back to his bedroom, he had a request for Rad. "Rad, if it's okay with you, may I sleep with you for tonight? Please?"

Rad felt sympathy for Lyon. "Of course," he said with a light smile. Instead of going back to their bedroom, the two slept in Rad's bed. Lyon made himself comfy by fluffing the pillow while Rad brought Lyon's blanket from his bed since it was a chilly evening. Both father and son huddled together; Rad held his son with his right arm and hummed a lullaby to help him sleep. Lyon, however, refused to keep his eyes closed. Despite his effort to stay awake, he could not help, but feel the heavy eye lids conquering his resistance. He soon fell asleep.

Rad, despite his exhaustion, was glad his son drifted to sleep peacefully. Although he wanted to stay up and keep watch of his son, even the drowsiness soon beat to him. The duo slept peacefully as the night went on. The storm was fading away as it went from loud lighting to gentle rain.

As the evening ended, a ray of dawn rose from the sky. The sun shined through the rain dew of water, forming a faint rainbow above the sky. Rad felt the early rays through his window to his eyes and woke up. He stretched, and yawned; realizing his son was still asleep, he slowly got up from bed, and closed the window's shades. He tip toed away, and went downstairs to get started with breakfast. As he was about to make breakfast, he decided to make a quick phone call.

Back at the Heeler household, Bandit heard the vibration coming from his phone. He groaned and tried to grab it only for it to fall from the nightstand.

"Biscuits," he grunted. He soon picked up the phone again and answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, Bandy. It's Rad," said Rad calmly.

"Rad? Geez, way to wake me up at a time like this," said Bandit.

"I need to talk to you about something. It's about Lyon. He had a nightmare last night about Marc and Audrey. It was quite a long night."

"Oh, wow. What did he say?"

"He said he relived that day when he found out his parents passed away from the car crash. Not only that, he also walked in his sleep during that nightmare. It wasn't until he started whimpering and crying. I heard it straight across the hallway and came to comfort him."

"Woah, that must have been an intense nightmare. Then he was hiding something from you," said Bandit rubbing his eyes.

"Yes. Little did I know until we finally talked it out in the living room. He said he didn't want to be a bother, and that big boys don't cry."

Bandit was speechless to hear those words coming from Rad's son. He was at a loss for words.

"After that, I let him sleep with me that night. He's still asleep right now."

"Rad, I think you should find some professional help for Lyon. He might be going through this for a while," suggested Bandit. "With nightmares like that and a mindset that he believes he is a bother, it's safe to assume that he needs to speak with someone who treats it."

"Yes. I think that might be necessary. I can't bear to see this kid in pain. Not like this," said Rad with a saddened tone. "Am I doing the right thing?"

"Yes, you are. You have proven yourself quite enough to be a good parent figure for him. Nobody said this would be easy, but I think you handled yesterday's situation just fine. Don't ever doubt yourself," encouraged Bandit.

"Yeah, I think you're right. I am doing what is right for this boy, and I'll keep at it," said Rad. "I managed to quell his panic. If I can overcome that, I don't see why I can't be there for him."

"That's the spirit. Just try to be there for him. Maybe start finding some therapists in the area and try to talk it out with him. I'm sure things will work out just fine," said Bandit.

"Thanks, Bandit. I knew you would have my back," said Rad.

"No problem, big brother. Now, if you'll excuse me, I would like to go back to bed," added Bandit while yawning.

The conversation ended, and Rad took a deep breath. He knew what had to be done, and decided to start finding the right help.

Happy Belated Easter. I felt like writing another chapter today since I had a bit of a free day and was compelled to write a chapter inspired by Sleepytime. I really wanted this chapter to focus on the dynamic between father and son building trust in each other. I do hope Lyon will find peace of mind, and see Rad as a dad. As always, thanks for reading my story.