The Parenthood Drabbles

Night Lights

Night Lights

In the style of Athena and Frederick Chase

Alert for I_Am_Athena

Three Years Old

Annabeth curled up next to him.

"Annabeth?" He said softly.

"Yes." She whispered back.

"Are there shadows in your room again?" Frederic asked.

"Uh-huh," Annabeth said softly. She wouldn't admit it for the life of her, gods knew that she was too prideful, but they terrified her.

"Okay, I have something for you." Frederic said getting up and switching his light on.

"A present? At three in the morning?"

"A very useful gift at three in the morning," he said turning to look at his daughter, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. She looked perfectly collected and awake- at three in the morning, as previously mentioned. He wasn't exactly annoyed, but he didn't think that a soul in the world was happy to be up at three in the morning learning that their kid couldn't sleep.

He reached under his bed, took Annabeth's hand, and walked her back to her room. She curled up in her bed and he bundled her up.

Frederic plugged in the night light and sat down next to her.

"This is a night light. It'll show just a bit of light, so that you can still sleep but you won't be afraid of the dark."

"I'm not afraid of the dark," she said, offended.

"Just so that there aren't any shadows, then." Frederic said. Annabeth nodded as if that explanation was acceptable. It was too early to be prideful, but too late at night to protest against it.

"Alright, you can still come get me if there's a problem."

But there shouldn't be. And now that I know where they sell non-pink, non-Cinderella night lights it won't be so complicated anymore.

Four years old

He was halfway through a quick breakfast that he should have gotten through ten minutes earlier when Annabeth came down the stairs. He raised his hand to say hello, and she pulled up the chair right in front of him.

"Daddy I made an important decision."

"Did you now?" Frederic asked gulping a piece of toast that Jade had made him. Thank the gods someone had it figured out when food was necessary. He owed her fifty-nine.

"Yes," she said. She put the night light up in front of him.

"I don't need this anymore," she declared.

"You don't?"

"No," Annabeth said.

"Okay, you can put it in one of your drawers."

"That's where my books go." Annabeth said.

"Then you can put it in one of my drawers," Frederic said. "It's okay."

Six years old

Jade pointed out that his tie didn't go with his shirt or something in the likes and that this may be a problem, and so he was walking back into the room, distracted. But of course he noticed Annabeth rummaging through the drawers.

"Hey kiddo, what are you looking for?" He asked sliding the wardrobe open.

"The night light," she said.

He turned back to look at her. She stood on her tiptoes to see inside the drawer.

"The dark..."

Annabeth gave him a look.

"The shadows are back?" He finished.

She nodded.

"That's tough," he said. "It's in the bottom drawer, sweetheart. Between the two farthest piles of essays."

(More after this!!!!)))