�Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!�

Burori opened his eyes and glared at his four-year-old daughter. �Daddy�s trying to sleep, Apell.�

Silence descended. With an inaudible sigh of relief, Burori shrugged further under the covers. He was an inch away from sleep once more, when a hard weight slammed into him.

�Oophf!� With narrowed eyes, he jerked the covers from his face and saw that Apell was sitting on his stomach, looking rather proud of herself. That kid takes after her mother . . . One of these days she�s going to kill me and then she�s going to blow up this planet.

He growled at her, but she only giggled and grabbed one of his hands. �Com�on, Daddy! Get up! Get up!�

�What for?� he demanded as he allowed her to pull him out of the bed.

�I wanna go train with Mommy, but she says I gotta feed you first! So com�on and get your breakfast so I can go train!�

His eyes drifted shut. Yeah, I should have known. And then: I�m gonna kill Solis for siccing Apell on me like this.

He followed his daughter into the kitchen where she�d arranged several entrees that Percival had just recently slaved over in the name of her cause. Burori took one look at the delicacies and glowered at the round-faced child. �I thought your mother told you to make breakfast.�

�I did,� she said with an adorable grin. �I went and got Percy!�

Percival chuckled as Burori sank into a chair, shaking his head. �Apell . . .�

She climbed into the opposite chair. �Hurry up and eat!� She practically shoved an entire pancake down his throat, fork and all.

The scent of food was beginning to have a predictable effect on Burori�s stomach. �I�m eating. I�m eating,� he replied, taking the fork from her chubby fist.

�Okay! I�m gonna go train now. Bye!�

He looked up just in time to see her pale, furry tail slip out the kitchen door. He sighed and contemplated the pancake she�d almost choked him to death with. Solis would just love that. She probably won�t wish me back a second time . . . He grinned as he recalled random scenes from a few, frenzied hours earlier. Well, maybe she�d wish me back.

�I don�t trust that look,� Percival observed with a sniff.

Burori�s knowing grin didn�t budge an inch. �It�s just the look you don�t trust?�

�Well, that and your incredibly suspicious talent for getting fudge PERFECT EVERY TIME!!� Percy shrugged. "Not that I'm bitter . . ."

Burori chuckled and glanced over his shoulder out the window. Silhouetted against the ever-present glow were the two figures of the only people he�d ever cared for. At the moment, they were trying to kill each other with energy blasts.

The house shuddered as the twin beams clashed between the combatants.

Burori grinned.

�It doesn�t get any better than this.�

He saluted Percival with the impaled pancake and started to eat.

The End.

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