(no subject)

[shadowchaser.livejournal.com]

Who: Amy, Jalen, and Eli
What: Sap! Kinda.
Where: Jalen's dream
When: A few days before Amy got to Blue York





The clearing in the trees was silent except for the twitter of birdsong. Jalen looked around at the fall morning and sighed. A nice dream to be having...but it would've been nicer if he hadn't been alone.

"Oh, finally."

He whirled around at the sound of his wife's voice to find her standing just a few feet from him, Eli in her arms.

"What're you two doing here? It's dangerous!"

"What can I say, we were bored. Okay, I was bored, but Eli missed you!"

Amy grinned and held their son out toward him. Eli's brown eyes lit up as he beamed, arms outstretched.

"Dada!"

Jalen momentarily forgot his worry as he gathered Eli into his arms, holding him close. Even in a dream, he smelled like baby powder.

"How long do you think you can hold this together?"

Amy shrugged, taking a seat on the grass. "Not sure. I had to badger the heck out of Awiergan just to find you. I'm still not quite strong enough to reach you on my own, not at this distance. As soon as she doesn't feel like playing nice..."

He frowned before joining her. Eli twisted around in his arms so he could see his mother.

"Awiran a bad girl?"

Amy nodded. "She's a very bad girl. She needs a spanking."

Jalen bit his lip to keep from snickering. Eli nodded in imitation before amusing himself by playing with his father's hair. Amy watched him for a few seconds before scooting closer to her husband. He wrapped his free arm around her, holding her close.

"You'll be able to get Eli back into his own dream safely?" It was one thing for her to bring herself here, but to tie Eli into it, when they were so far apart...

"He'll be okay. You worry too much. Worse that'll happen, I'll end up with a throbbing headache come morning."

She paused, turning her head to peer deeper into the forest before looking back at him.

"I miss you so much. The Land of Departure's neat, but I'd like it a lot more if you were actually there with us."

"I can ask Aria-"

"She's not a taxi service, I don't want- if only the stupid portals were working right. They might be, but I can't get the brat to even try. She seems to be convinced we'd come out in the middle of an erupting volcano or something."

"How do you know-"

"Seriously Jale, what's the worst that could happen? Wait, don't answer that." She frowned as he smirked at her. "Don't even say it."

"Say what...Saelig?"

"Uggh!"

Amy pulled away and punched him lightly in the side. He simply raised his eyebrows at her before setting Eli down on the grass. The little boy immediately wandered over to the closest tree and began to pat it all over.

"Look Dada, tree!"

"I see the tree Eli, it's very...tree-like."

It was Amy's turn to raise her eyebrows.

"Tree-like?"

"Shush."

"Gonna make me, Warrior Tuna?"

Oh Darkness, save me from the sap before I choke.

Amy rolled her eyes. She was surprised the complaining hadn't started sooner. She sighed before hugging Jalen.

"We'd better get back. Someone's gotten twitchy."

Jalen hugged her back tightly, then kissed the top of her head. "Be careful. I'll see you both soon."

"Not if we see you first." Amy laughed, holding a hand out to her son. "C'mon Eli, give daddy a kiss."

The little boy toddled over and gave his father a sloppy kiss on the cheek. Jalen barely had time to return the gesture before his family faded away, leaving him with empty arms.