Breakfast in Bed (Nick)

[Rachel Kells]

((Backdated: August 2nd))

Creeping around the kitchen wasn't as easy as it was made out to be. What with the pots and the pans and the refrigerator door opening and closing Rachel was trying her hardest not to make noise. More importantly not to wake her dad. That of course would ruin the surprise! After all it was her daddy's birthday and she wanted to make it special.

Her dad didn't need to go into work for a while, so Rachel was taking advantage of the fact and had locked him in his room while he slept. She couldn't have him just bursting in on her! After all she was making him pancakes! with Happy birthday, written out on them in whipped cream. With strawberries! All of this was her dad's favorite. All of this was a good thing to have.

Flipping the pancake Rachel made sure to keep the batter just the right consistency. Her mom had taught her how to make pancakes and she was going to use it to the fullest. She had also drew him a picture, one of him and her. Her playing her violin, and he sitting there and watching her. It was by far, her greatest piece of artwork yet, and she was giving it to him! As a gift!

Once the pancakes were done, the coffee made, and the whipped cream whipped, Rachel carried the tray with the food and coffee to her fathers room, unlocking it and walking in quietly. "Daddy?" Smiling she set the tray on the nightstand and crawled up into the bed with him. "Happy birthday daddy." Cue the eskimo kisses.

[Nicholas Kells]

Nick had been awake for a few minutes, just lying in bed plotting, when he heard noises in the kitchen. His first thought was that some idiot was trying to break into his house. He sat up in bed, ready to shoot down the stairs, when he realized that the noises pointed in a much different direction. Besides the footsteps were much to soft to be anything to dangerous.

Normally Nick would have breezed by his own birthday, treating it just like any other day. But he realized with his daughter in the house he shouldn’t have expected it to work out like that. He lay back down in his bed, smiling to himself as he listened to Rachel banging around in the kitchen. She was so sweet. Always thinking of others. If only the world was filled with more people like her.

Hearing her footsteps on the stairs, he pulled up the covers to his chin and closed his eyes to pretend he was still sleeping. It was hard to keep from smiling as she pattered over towards his bed. Setting up when she spoke, he gasped and then smiled. Fake gasp. Real smile. “Good morning princess!” he said, pulling her in for a hug. “Is all this for little ol’ me? I must be the very luckiest dad in the whole world.”

Reaching out, he squeezed her nose softly before leaning in to kiss her there. “I hope you’re going to help me eat all this.”

[Rachel Kells]

Boy, making pancakes was tricky business. You had to make sure it was the right type of flour, the right amount of water and most importantly that the griddle was on the right temperature. Too high and your pancake burned! Too low and the pancake didn't cook throughly. Wiping her forehead Rachel didn't notice the flour on her hands as she flipped the pancake.

She really hoped that her dad would love the gesture. She wouldn't do this for just anyone. Especially since she had to get up extra early. Rachel wouldn't do that for just anyone. Only immediate family and friends. Namely her daddy, especially on his birthday. Really she wasn't trying to make noise, the dropping of the bowl though, that was a bad part. Quickly she had cleaned up the mess and put the dishes in the dishwasher. Her daddy liked it neat after all.

She grinned as she entered the room trying to keep quiet. Goody! He was still sleeping! This meant she hadn't woken him up! Rachel smiled at him as he sat up and gave him a great big hug. "Morning Daddy! Happy Birthday!" Giggling she shook her head at him. "All for you! I worked the hardest I could!" She thought it was a very good type of thing, when her dad smiled. He really did need to smile more!

"Noooooooo! Then it wouldn't be your Birthday present!" Shaking her head even with him still having her nose she grinned in the sense that this was all for him. "Its your birthday."

[Nicholas Kells]

“Well you sure did a great job,” Nick said, surveying the spread Rachel had laid out for him. He wondered for a moment where she had gotten all of this generosity from. Although Nick was always giving when it came to his daughter, she was a very special exception. He would have never dreamed of spending the morning cooking for his old man. At least not of his own free will.

Perhaps it was from her mother. If he tried hard (very hard) he could picture his ex-wife the way she had been when they’d first met. When it had felt like the whole world was just for them. Back then he would have done anything to make her smile. And that beautiful woman was clearly reflected in the giggling girl in his arms.

“Well what if my birthday wish is to share my breakfast with the prettiest princess in the world?” he asked, grinning at her. He reached over to help himself to some of the pancakes. “Mmm. It sure is good. Don’t you want a bite?”

Clearly Rachel had gotten her cooking skills from her mother as well.

[Rachel Kells]

Rachel smiled at the compliment and shook her head giggling. She was glad he liked it. It wasn't every day that Rachel got to make her dad smile. She was just happy that such a day could happen. PLus she got to cook! She loved cooking and she loved her dad! That reminded her! She forgot to give him the picture! Slowly getting off of the bed she ran to get the picture and ran back. "Here daddy! I drew this for you!"

She hoped he liked it. She had worked hard on it, made sure to stay in the lines, and tried to be as realistic as possible. Grinning she handed it over, looking at her artwork. "Its you... and me... and I'm playing violin, and you are listening and we will go horseback riding together!" That would have been the perfect day, but she knew her dad had to work. "I can play for you later daddy."

"Noooooooooooooo~" That would ruin her making it especially for him! Shaking her head with a grin Rachel looked back at her daddy, incidentally rubbing the flour on her head more. "It's for you silly goose!"

She just wanted him to be happy that's all.

[Nicholas Kells]

It had been a while since Nick had woken up with a smile on his face. Well that wasn’t technically true. Every morning that he had woken up known that Rachel was with him had caused him to smile. But before that…he had worn a permanent scowl until he was forced to play a role out in the real world.

“It looks amazing,” he said, taking the picture from her. “My little Picasso.” He pulled her in close for another hug, kissing her on the top of her head as he did. “Sounds like a great day to me, we should do it sometime.”

“Well silly little gosling,” he said, laughing a little at the flour dust covering his daughter. “You’d better eat something too.” He took another couple bites for himself before offered her another bite. “Come on. It’s really good.” He waved the forkful in front of her mouth like he had when she was a toddler and didn’t want to eat her vegetables.

If only there was some way this wouldn’t have to end when Rachel headed back to her mothers to go to school.

((wrap for Nick))