PARENTHOOD

Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Three

Jamie slowly opened his eyes as he looked up at the blurry ceiling and blinked his eyes a few times. The pain from his ankle, wrist, finger and head had settled into a soft thudding sensation as he sighed then got the feeling that he wanted to sit up. Fumbling with his fingers, Jamie found the switch that made the bed move as he pushed the button and the bed slowly rose upward. He pushed the button again when he was sitting up enough that the room wasn't swimming around in small circles and the TARDIS blew cool air through his hair.

"Aye, I ken that I should be lying down. Just let me sit up for a bit. I promise I'll lie down if I feel dizzy," he grumbled when the doors opened and Faith walked into the room. "Hello."

"What are you doing?" she asked as she walked to the chair next to the bed and climbed onto the chair.

"I'm sitting up," he said with a smile and Faith pouted, knelt on the chair and placed her fists on her hips.

"No, you have to lie down!" she said as she looked for the button that made the bed move and he smiled at her.

"Says who?"

"My daddy says that you have to sleep and you can't sleep sitting up!"

"But I'm nae sleepy," Jamie said and she glared at him, scrunching up her nose.

"You have to lie down!" she said as Jamie rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Aye, alright, I'll lie down," he said as he pushed the button and the bed moved down until he was lying on his back. Faith helped him move the blankets up then sat on the chair and Jamie looked at her. "Now what am I supposed tae do?"

"You're supposed to be asleep."

"But I'm nae sleepy."

"I could tell you a story. I get sleepy when Daddy tells me stories," Faith said and Jamie smiled at her.

"Aye, I wouldnae mind a story," he said and she tapped her finger against her lips as she thought for a few seconds then smiled.

"Once upon a time, there was this little girl called Little Rose Riding Hood..." she said as Rose appeared in Jamie's head and she was wearing a little white dress, white ankle socks and black shoes. A red hood cape was around her shoulders and a wicker basket was in her hands.

"Um, can someone tell me why I'm dressed like this?" Rose asked as she looked up at the cartoon sky and Faith's head appeared in one of the clouds.

"I'm telling Jamie a story because he got hurt and Daddy wants him to sleep," Faith said.

"How did he get hurt?"

"Daddy took me, Jamie and Jenna on a trip to Scotland and Jamie got scared. He ran away and tumbled down a hill. He banged his head, his left ankle is all swollen and purple, his right wrist is broken and he nearly cut the middle finger of his right hand off."

"Ah, that would explain why his mind blinked out for a bit," Rose said then smiled and placed the red hood over her head. "Ok, let's get on with the story."

"Little Rose Riding Hood was walking in the forest. She was on her way to see her grandmother, who was feeling poorly," Faith said as Rose started skipping down the path and swung the basket back and forth. Suddenly she stopped when something moving behind the trees and she held the basket tightly in her hands. "She stopped when she heard something moving behind the trees. Out of the trees came the captain of the guard of the Great Wizard's castle and Little Rose Riding Hood smiled at him."

Rose had seen Jamie in his kilt before as he strolled out of the trees and was wearing a white, long sleeve shirt which was opened at the front and showed off his chest, a black leather belt, his sporran and kilt, a dirk sat in the holder on the belt, white socks and tan boots. A plaid that matched the tartan of his kilt hung across his right shoulder and was pinned with a gold broach near his left hip. A claymore was in the scabbard on his back as he looked at what he was wearing then at Rose and he shrugged his shoulders.

"Greetings, Sir," she said with a courtesy and he bowed.

"What brings ye out here all on yer one, Lass?" he asked.

"I am going to see my grandmother. She is poorly and I am bringing her some food."

"Aye, well, ye best be on yer guard," he said as he moved closer and leaned his head toward her ear. "There be a very hungry wolf in these woods an' a sweet lass like ye would be a pleasant snack."

"I will be careful," Rose said with a nod of her head and Jamie walked away.

"Little Rose Riding Hood headed down the path again as she started singing when something came out of the trees and stood in front of her,' Faith said when Rose stopped and cupped her mouth with her hand. Dressed in wolf costumes covered in gray fur were Alan and Adam and Alan looked up at the cartoon sky.

"Oi, I thought there was only one wolf in this story," Alan said.

"I want two wolves!" Faith said as her face appeared in the clouds and she glared at them.

"Ah, I get it. One of us eats the granny and one of us eats her," Adam said as he nodded his head at Rose and she looked at Alan.

"Guess which one is going to be eating me," she said and Alan arched his eyebrows up and down at her.

"Well, lookie at what we have here, Brother," Alan said as he walked in a circle around Rose and she swatted his hand away as he tried to pinch her bottom.

"Hmm, she is a tasty treat if you like tarty moos," Adam said and Rose's eyes went wide.

"Why you..." she growled as Alan coughed then pointed up at Faith's face in the clouds and Rose sighed, rolling her eyes.

"So, tell me, Little Miss, where are you heading all on your own?" Alan asked as he bugged out his eyes and had his face inches from Rose's face.

"I am going to see my grandmother," Rose said as she pushed passed him when Adam took the wicker basket out of her hands and spun in a circle before she could get it back.

"And what do we have in here?" Adam asked as he looked under the cloth and smiled. "Ooo, there's Navajo tacos in here! Those are my favorite!"

"Give that back, you goof!" Rose said as she took the wicker basket from him and gently smacked his shoulder.

"Ow, that's wolf abuse! I'm telling!" Adam said as he ran off and Rose sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, no one smacks my little brother and gets away with it!" Alan said as he walked closer and glared at her. "I demand satisfaction!"

"Let me guess. Water guns to the death?" she asked and he crossed his arms over his chest, giving her a blank look.

"No, I have a better idea," Alan said then lifted his chin and walked away. Rose looked up as she heard giggling and smiled, shaking her head.

"The wolves ran away and Little Rose Riding Hood went down the path again," Faith said as Rose headed down the path when she came to a small cottage with tan walls, a stone chimney and a roof of yellow straw. The windows had shutters made of brown wood and the brown wooden door was covered with an archway. Rose walked closer when she stood in front of the door and she knocked on the door.

"The door was unlocked and Little Rose Riding Hood went inside her grandmother's house," Faith said as Rose opened the door and walked inside the cottage. A stone fireplace was to the back of the one room as a wooden table sat near the windows to the left and two wooden stools sat at each end of the table. Rose looked at the rest of the furniture when a low cough caught her attention and she turned, looking at the large, brass bed.

"You have to be kidding me," she whispered as she looked at Alan in the wolf costume snuggled under a pile of duvets and he was wearing a pink nightgown and nightcap.

"Is that you, Little Rose?" he asked in a high voice and she covered her mouth.

"Yes, uh, Nan, it's me," she said as Alan arched his eyebrows and smiled at her.

"Come a little closer, Dear, I can't see that well," he said as she moved closer to the bed and he squinted his eyes. "Ah, there you are."

"My, Nan, what big eyes you have," Rose said and Alan batted his eyelashes at her.

"Why, thank you, Dear," he said and she rolled her eyes.

"And, Nan, what big ears you have," she said and Alan gave her a blank look.

"Oi, that was my brother's ninth life, thank you very much! I have tiny, shell like ears," he said with a smug look.

"And, Nan, what big teeth you have," Rose said and his eyes went wide.

"Oi, enough with the demeaning remarks about my looks, I am a stud!" he shouted and Rose doubled over as she laughed. "Right, first you injure my poor brother then you make fun of my looks! Revenge is mine!"

"Oh like I am so scared of you," Rose said when the duvets fell off the bed and Alan stood on the bed with a large pillow in his hands. Pulling the furry glove off, he placed to fingers in his mouth then whistled and Adam came out from under the bed, an equally large pillow in his hands. "I'm not afraid of you either, Benji!"

"Pillow fight!" Adam shouted as he jumped on the bed and Rose laughed, pulling one of the pillows off the bed.

"WAIT!" Faith shouted as they looked up at the ceiling and Alan and Adam placed the pillows on the bed.

"What's wrong?" Alan asked.

"Jamie fell asleep. Thanks for helping me," she said as they told her that they hoped Jamie felt better soon and she gently leaned on the bed, kissing his cheek. Jamie smiled as Faith got off the chair then left the room and the doors closed behind her. A few second later the doors opened again as Duer walked into the room and stood by the bed, looking down at Jamie.

"You're not asleep, are you?" he asked when Jamie opened his eyes and grinned up at him.

"No, but I remember getting into a pillow fight with Alan and Adam once. They fight dirty an' I didnae want Rose tae get hurt," Jamie said then sighed and Duer softly laughed, nodding his head.

"Yeah, those two play rough," Duer said while looking at the screens then at Jamie and saw the look in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Faith didnae call me "Uncle Jamie". Is she mad at me?"

"No, we just explained that you're not her uncle because you're married to Jenna."

"Which makes me a brother of sort, aye?"

"Right," Duer said as he nodded his head and Jamie smiled.

"Well, I'm glad that she's nae mad at me," he said then looked at Duer and a serious look appeared on his face. "An' I dinnae want you tae feel guilty aboot what happened. I ken that what I saw was just my mind playing tricks on me. So, if anyone is to blame for me ending up in this bed, it's me!"

"Ok, um, is it ok if I took you, Frankie, Cameron, Jenna and Faith somewhere fun when you're feeling better?"

"Aye, I would like that," Jamie said then yawned and gently shook his head. "Och, now I am sleepy."

"Then go to sleep," Duer said as Jamie closed his eyes and Duer sat on the edge of the bed, watching him gently drift off to sleep.

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