The Little House by the Beach

"Not yellow that's for sure." She smiled as she walked in the room and got into her bed, "Can you tuck me in?"

He rolled his eyes slightly but did it anyways, helping her get into bed and pulled the covers over her. "Good night Ruby." He said as he headed for the room door. "Get some sleep. We have a long day tomorrow."

"Ok. Good night." She said with a smile on her face and yawned. The minute she got comfortable she knocked out.

Hours passed and it was morning. Ruby rubbed her eyes and remembered everything that happened last night. "Do I know how to cook?" She asked herself, "I'll ask Ricky." She gets up and runs to Aldrich's room and tries to wake him up, "Hey Ricky, Do you know how to make pancakes?"

Aldrich poked a tired head from underneath the covers. "Ruby? It's like, 6. What are you doing up?" He sat up with an enormous yawn and rubbed his eyes. "Sure I know how to make those. Everyone does."

"I don't! I say we should surprise your dad with pancakes. He'll be in a good mood." She smiled, "C'mon. It'll be fun! Now get up but we need to be quiet!!"

Aldrich mumbled something as he crawled out of bed. "Today's my day off from school." He complained as he walked out to the kitchen. He began pulling out ingredients as he asked, "What kind of pancakes do you want? And can you make the coffee? Dad likes that."

"How hard can it be right? You just put coffee powder in hot water right?" She asked him as i looked around, "I like blueberry pancakes! I just love pancakes!"

"Yuck, we don't use that instant coffee crap. Nasty stuff. No, we have the beans in that bag there and the grinder is on the table. Two cups of water for every scoop please." He said as he began making the batter. Ambrose was sprawled out on his bed dead asleep.

"That doesn't sound too hard!" She says as she scoops the coffee beans and puts it in the grinder, "Like that?" She asked him still a bit confused.

"Uh-huh." He said while starting to cook the pancakes. "Just like that." He finished a large batch soon and began setting the table. "You can go wake dad."

"Ok!" She said cheerfully and ran down the hall to his room. Ruby opens the door and finds Ambrose still asleep. "Pst. Wake up! Ambrose wake up! We burned the house down," she joked and started giggling.

Ambrose groaned and turned over onto his other side. He was not a morning person. "Go away." He mumbled as he pulled the covers over himself.

She goes on his bed and starts jumping, "It's morning! It's morning! It's morning!" She sang, "Wake up because I burnt the kitchen!"

"Leave me alone." He growled as he turned away. "I know it's morning." He was not a morning person and didn't want to get up.

She stopped jumping and sat on him, "We made pancakes and coffee! It's going to get cold," she said sounding if she was going to cry.

"Then go eat them." He grumbled. "Crying over food ain't gonna work on me kid."

Ruby growled and was still sitting on him, "Get up grump!" She started laughing. "Hey are you ticklish?" She asked him started tickling him

Ambrose began to squirm, howling with laughter until he fell out of bed. "You little brat!" He laughed as he pulled himself up. "Be off with you, I'm up."

"Let's go!" She smiled and grabbed his hand and tried dragging him to the kitchen.

Ambrose pulled on his robe and walked out slowly. He was still very tired. "Next time you wake me like that you're grounded."He said as he sat down at the table.

She giggled, "Nah cause it'll only be for food." She said still dragging him to the kitchen

Ambrose slid into a chair and accepted the large mug of coffee Aldrich gave him. He downed it and took some pancakes. "Thanks for breakfast." He yawned

There was a loud knock on the door. In his eagerness to see this so-called clairvoyant, Kingsley had came early. He wanted to see the child. "Ambrose, old friend, let me in before I burn the door down." He called in a joking voice, though he was in fact dead serious.

Ambrose froze in his chair at the sound of the voice. Shit, he forgot he told him last night in a letter. He stood up and slowly headed to the front, letting the large man in. "You be on your best behavior." Ambrose said to him as they walked into the kitchen. Kingsley was no longer in armor. Instead he wore a crimson frock coat embroidered in gold, a dark red vest, a black shirt, dark pants and boots. He carried his giant axe in one hand but on his other was perched an abnormally large raven. It's feathers were a brilliant shade of dark purple highlighted with bright flares and it's three golden eyes glowed in the soft light.

"Who's this dude?" Ruby asked Ambrose with her mouth full of pancakes.