A Normal Night

Rythian was on the hunt.  He crept up the hall, careful to avoid the squeaking wooden boards, and slipped into the dinning room on silent feet.  After inching his way to the table, he bent down and, with a flourish, whipped the tablecloth up.
“Ha!” he exclaimed, as he poked his head under the table “Got yo-“ He stopped as he realized that the space was empty except for a few dust bunnies and what looked like a half eaten carrot.
Stumped, he leaned back and allowed the cloth to fall back into place.  As he did, he faintly heard a soft patter of running feet from the next room.  With a grin, he dashed into the adjacent living room and caught the end of a brown braid disappearing behind the sofa.
“Oh dear,” he said, ever so casually, as he crept closer to the sofa “I do wonder where she could be hiding.”
The only reply was a faint giggle from the mysterious braided creature that had slipped behind the couch.  Rythian edged closer to the piece of furniture, all the while wondering aloud where she could have gone.  As soon as he was near enough, he quickly poked his head over the top and said, with great enthusiasm “BOO!”
“AHHH!” the tiny brown haired girl that had been hiding there squealed, and ran out.
Rythian dived around the side and scooped up the girl before she could make her escape.
“Got you!”  He exclaimed
“No Papa!  Put me down!” The blue eyed girl whined, half laughing as she struggled to free herself from her father.
“Mmm I seem to recall that you made a deal with me that if I caught you, you would go to sleep Miss Emily.” Rythian said, and poked his young daughter in the stomach.
She giggled as he did but protested just the same “But I wanna wait until Mamma gets home!”
Rythian cradled the toddler in his arms and began to move towards the stairs “You know your mother won’t be home until much later, she’s off on her annual mushroom meeting, and it is already past your bedtime.  If I let you stay up until she got home, I would be the one getting into trouble!”
“But Papa-“
“No buts, it’s a bath and bed for you, little one.” He said, and tapped her on the nose, which was nestled between her freckles, and smiled at her.
She stuck out her tongue, a gesture that reminded him strongly of her mother, and crossed her little arms.  “I don’t like baths.  Uncle Tee doesn’t make me take baths.”
Rythian chuckled and said, “Well, I’m afraid Uncle Tee isn’t here and I don’t allow stinky adventurers in this house.”
“I’m not stinky!” Emily protested, once again renewing her struggle against her father as they reached the bathroom “You’re stinky!”
He chuckled “No, I take my baths.” Suddenly, he grinned down at her with a mysterious twinkle in his eye. “Emily, you know the reason why Uncle Tee doesn’t make you take a bath?”
She stopped her struggles and cocked her head at her father “Why?”
Rythian lowered his voice to a stage whisper and hissed “Because he knows that if you don’t take your baths, you will turn just as green as him!”
Emily let out a squeal “No I won’t!  You’re lying!”
Rythian shrugged “Alright, but tomorrow when you wake up green, don’t blame me.  Oh look, it’s already started.” He gasped, and pretended spot a patch on her back.”
“No! I don’t want to be green!” Emily cried, and thrashed in her father’s arms.  “I wanna bath!  I wanna bath!”
Rythian chuckled “Alright, alright.  One bubble bath coming up!” he said, and, after helping her out of her jumper, plunked Emma down into the bath water he had prepared.
After a thorough scrub, and her father’s solemn word that there were no green spots left on her, Emily allowed herself to be carried, yawning slightly, into her room.
Rythian walked across the hall into her room and, after dodging the toys that were always scattered across the floorboards, laid his sleepy daughter in her bed.
“Papa,” she yawned, and grabbed his hand “Can you tell me a bedtime story?”
“Sure, little one.” He said, and settled down, running a hand through her hair, “Which one do you want to hear tonight?”
“The one about you, Mamma, and Uncle Tee.” she said
He laughed softly “I’ve told you that one so many times, I’m sure you could tell me the story.”
“No, Emily want Papa to do it.” She said persistently and crossed her arms, once more becoming the spiting image of her mother.
“Alright,” he said “Let me tell you a story about a boy and a girl, and a land of magic and monsters…”
Later, when Zoey arrived home, she expected to find Rythian awake, welcoming her.  Instead, she found him curled up on their daughter’s bed, cradling her in his arms.
She smiled as she looked down at her sleeping family and, after putting out the light, kissed them both on the cheek, before lying down next to them and falling asleep as well.