Disclaimer : I claim nothing accept for the idea of this story

 

Author : Eviefan

 

Summary :  This is a story about Alex and his night time adventures.

 

 

 

 

Up at Night

 

 

 

It was Cleo jumping out of his crib, which woke Alex, who was 2.  She wasn't all that fond of him when he was awake, but when he was asleep, she was usually found in his crib, watching over him.  Now the little boy sat up rubbing sleep from his eyes.  After a moment of stretching, and yawning, he scooted to the bars of his crib and stuck his legs through.  With his feet he felt for the release, and kicked at it until the wooden bars of his crib slid down.  He stood and tossed out his bear, Paddy, then climbed out and was out of his room lightening fast.  He ran down the hall, out to the stairs, and sat down, going down them on his bottom, scooting from one step to the other until he was all the way down.  Once he reached the bottom step he took Paddy, and ran into the Parlor looking around, spying his hobby horse. 

 

"Go riden,"  he said to his teddy-bear.  He ran to his horse, and in a moment he and Paddy were riding around the darkened room, which was lit only by a small lamp.  He knocked into the chess table, and all of the pieces wobbled, and a few fell to the floor making a clattering sound as they did.  Alex paid no mind to them, and pushed back, riding over to the couch.  There he got off of his horse, and climbed up, laying Paddy on one cushion, standing, holding on to the back of the couch, and began to jump.

 

"Up down, I goin up in down,"  he sang, laughing as he jumped.

 

 

 

 

 

Upstairs in their room, both Rick and Evelyn had awoken to the clattering, and as they approached the steps they heard their son.

 

"Something must have woken him,"  Evie said, as an explanation to why he was up at such an early hour in the morning.  When they arrived in the Parlor, Rick turned on another lamp, one that shed more light, and found Alex back on his horse.

 

"Momma I payen,"  he said to her.

 

"Alex it's time for night night,"  Evie said starting to approach him.

 

"No bed I up now,"  he said riding away from her.  He went as fast as his little legs would take him, but Mum and Dad were faster, and caught up to him.  When Rick lifted him away, Alex screamed.

 

"NOOOO, want playen,"  he screamed, kicking his legs.  Rick cradled Alex in his arms, and their son had a fit.

 

"NOOO  NOOO NOOOO,"  he yelled as he was carried back up to his room.  Once there, Evelyn turned on the lamp shedding light, and Rick tried sitting with him in the rocking chair, but Alex was irate.  He hit his daddy chest pushing away, and very quickly Rick let him know that his behavior was not exceptable.  He held his son up face to face.

 

"Alex that is enough,"  he said in a deep tone.

 

"Mommaaa,"  he cried.  Dad had become the enemy, because he told Alex 'no', and that never made the little boy happy.  Evelyn came over, and Rick stood letting her take his seat, then placed Alex into her waiting arms.  Once he was there, Alex rested his head against her shoulder still crying.

 

"Shhh,"  she crooned, rubbing his back.  She began to rock him, and in a few minutes he had quieted, tucking his arms between his mums chest and his own.  When she felt even breathing, she knew he was asleep again, and carefully stood.  That slight change of movement got a whimper from Alex, and she swayed, rubbing his back which calmed him.  Rick came over to the crib and she let him put him into the bed.  Not a peep was made as he was placed on his stomach, his preferred way of sleeping, and once his covers were pulled over him, and the rail of his crib raised, they left him to go back to bed.

 

 

 

It wasn't all that much later, that Alex woke up again.  Once again he escaped the confines of his crib, this time going to Unca John's part of the house.  When he arrived, the door was open, and he heard his Uncle snoring.  Alex ran in, going to the side of the bed.

 

"Unca John up now,"  Alex said, in a loud voice.  His uncle grumbled.

 

"Up up now.  I got payen now,"  Alex told him.  Jonathan sat up.

 

"Alex its time to be in bed."

 

"No beds.  I done seepen I pay wif oo,"  he said.  This was going to be a battle, or maybe it wouldn't be.

 

"Alex if I take you to have some ice-cream, will you go back to bed?"  The small boy considered that for a moment.

 

"I eat ice-ceam, go bed."  That was a relief, and after putting on a robe,  Jonathan picked his nephew up, and they made their way to the kitchen.  Once they arrived,  Jonathan turned on the light, and carried Alex to his highchair, getting him settled in.  He got the home-maid  peach Ice-cream, out of the ice box, and scooped out two scoops in a small bowl.  Once he had that put back, he came over to the highchair, and scooted his own chair up.

 

"I'm going to feed you, so we won't make a mess all right?"  he asked his nephew.  Alex nodded.

 

"I eaten ice-ceam,"  Alex took the first bite, and smacked his lips which got some of it going down his chin.

 

"Hold on a moment partner, let me get a bib put on you."  Being in the middle of the night, Jonathan didn't think and left the bowl on the tray.  While he was turned Alex grabbed some of his snack,  putting  it in his mouth, dripping it all over the front of his fuzzy sleeper.  At that moment he got itchy eyes, and rubbed getting sticky all over his eyes, then rubbed his head, and got the sticky in his hair.  When  Jonathan turned around he groaned.

 

"Well so much for keeping you clean partner."  he settled back in his chair and Alex used his uncles knees as a foot rest, while he was fed the rest of his snack.  Once the bowl was empty,  Jonathan got a washcloth, and was met with another problem.

 

"No do dat."  Alex hated to have his face wiped off, as well as his hands, and the only one who could do it without a tantrum was Evelyn.  Jonathan tried reasoning with him.

 

"Alex your sticky, we need to get that wiped off of you."

 

"Not ticky Unca John,"  he said.  Jonathan prepared himself for a tantrum, and a lecture about feeding Alex sweet food in the middle of the night.  He lifted his nephew out of the highchair, carrying him over to the sink, when he got an idea.

 

"How would you like to have a bath?"  That got a big grin from Alex.  While holding Alex, Jonathan cleaned out the porcelain sink, then put a stopper in and ran warm water.  While it was filling he stood Alex on the floor and got his pajama's off of him, then lifted him back into his arms, and unpinned the diaper, getting that off.  Once he was ready, and the sink was filled, Jonathan settled him in.  Alex splashed and laughed while his  Uncle got his hair and face clean, which didn't take all that long.

 

"All right time to get out."

 

"No out I payen."  It was then that Jonathan realized that he hadn't brought down a towel, or a diaper, and he closed his eyes wishing now, he would have just taken his nephew in to Evie and Rick.

 

"Why don't we go read a story?"  Jonathan suggested.

 

"No not goen bed,"  he said splashing more.

 

"Whats going on in here?"  Evelyn asked, bringing what Jonathan had forgotten.

 

"We had a midnight snack,"  Jonathan said.

 

"I got eat ice-ceam,"  Alex told his mum.  Evie eyed her brother, and he made a quick exit.

 

"Come on baby."  He didn't protest as she lifted him out of the water, and wrapped the towel around him, tired, and ready for bed.  Evelyn found that he was still sticky, and would have words with Jonathan in the morning.  She carried him back to his room, and ran a small amount of water in his bathtub, and settled him in.  She got the soap and washed his hair and his body.

 

"What happened?"  Rick asked as she was rinsing him off.

 

"Uncle John fed him Ice-cream,"  Evie said lifting him out of the water.  Rick got a towel and wrapped him in it, and carried him out into his room.  Alex yawned twice as his father got his diaper put on him, and his clean pajamas.  Once he was dressed,  Rick carried him to his crib, and laid him in without a protest.  It was then that Cleo ran in, and jumped into his bed, making both parents realize why their son had gotten up this night.  Alex was already on his way to a sound sleep, so Evelyn lifted her cat out cuddling her close.

 

"I know you want to watch over him, but he needs to sleep."  Together they walked out, going back to their bed, and at least for this night no more interruptions were made.