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Aliens and Astronauts
Aug. 16th, 2014 08:37 pmAliens and Astronauts
“Ah, my first trick or treater of the night,” Jack rose to answer the doorbell. He gazed down at the little astronaut standing on his porch. She was attired, he realized, in a frighteningly accurate space suit…if one didn’t count the glittery tiara glued firmly to the top of her helmet.
“Trick of treat,” she whispered.
“I think that’s supposed to be ‘trick or treat’, Dr. Jackson.” He grinned.
The astronaut whirled around, “ Daddy, Uncle Jack thinks I’m you! I told you I’d fool him!”
Daniel stepped out from behind the post. “You certainly did.”
Jack opened the door wider. “Come in.”
She eyed him suspiciously. “Does this mean I don’t get free candy?”
Jack swooped her up in his arms. “Absolutely not! In fact, I think there’s a special bag in here labeled for one Miss Plum Jackson.” She bounced out of his grasp, catching his chin with her tiara. “How about we take that off, at least until you head back out?” As Jack eased the helmet off a cascade of black curls sprang free.
She darted toward the living room. “Where’s that candy?”
“I can’t imagine where she got that greedy streak,” Jack closed the door behind Daniel. “Want a beer?”
Daniel flopped on the couch. “Like I want my next breath but not while I’m on Daddy-duty.”
“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy,” she launched herself on Daniel. “There’s a whole bag just for me. See, it says P L U M. And that’s me.”
Jack rolled his eyes as he handed Daniel a Pepsi in lieu of the beer. “No one but you would name a kid ‘Plum’.”
“Not me, that was all Vala. It was either that or Daniel.” He winced at the thought.
“Didn’t think she was paying attention when you lectured about those gender neutral labels?”
Daniel sputtered into his drink. “I didn’t think you were paying attention.”
“I wasn’t,” Jack lied. “Where’s Vala?”
“She’s pissed because I wouldn’t let her take Plum to the Mountain.”
“What, she planning to take her to all the deparments?”
“She claimed the kid would have cleaned up in the candy department.”
Jack watched Daniel’s hand smooth Plum’s shiny black curls back from her face, a miniature Vala except for Daniel’s bright blue eyes . “You’d have to have a truck to get it all home.”
Plum twisted on her father’s lap. “Daddy…”
“No, we are not taking my truck to the mountain for candy.” He glared at Jack who shrugged an apology. “You are such a liar, you’re not a bit sorry.”
Jack got up to answer the doorbell. “You’re right about that. Hey, kiddo, how about helping me pass out candy?”
Plum frowned. “I don’t have to give them mine, do I?”
“No, that’s yours.”
Plum handed her bag to her father before taking Jack’s hand. Daniel heard her voice from the entry, “What are you supposed to be?”
“Ah, my first trick or treater of the night,” Jack rose to answer the doorbell. He gazed down at the little astronaut standing on his porch. She was attired, he realized, in a frighteningly accurate space suit…if one didn’t count the glittery tiara glued firmly to the top of her helmet.
“Trick of treat,” she whispered.
“I think that’s supposed to be ‘trick or treat’, Dr. Jackson.” He grinned.
The astronaut whirled around, “ Daddy, Uncle Jack thinks I’m you! I told you I’d fool him!”
Daniel stepped out from behind the post. “You certainly did.”
Jack opened the door wider. “Come in.”
She eyed him suspiciously. “Does this mean I don’t get free candy?”
Jack swooped her up in his arms. “Absolutely not! In fact, I think there’s a special bag in here labeled for one Miss Plum Jackson.” She bounced out of his grasp, catching his chin with her tiara. “How about we take that off, at least until you head back out?” As Jack eased the helmet off a cascade of black curls sprang free.
She darted toward the living room. “Where’s that candy?”
“I can’t imagine where she got that greedy streak,” Jack closed the door behind Daniel. “Want a beer?”
Daniel flopped on the couch. “Like I want my next breath but not while I’m on Daddy-duty.”
“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy,” she launched herself on Daniel. “There’s a whole bag just for me. See, it says P L U M. And that’s me.”
Jack rolled his eyes as he handed Daniel a Pepsi in lieu of the beer. “No one but you would name a kid ‘Plum’.”
“Not me, that was all Vala. It was either that or Daniel.” He winced at the thought.
“Didn’t think she was paying attention when you lectured about those gender neutral labels?”
Daniel sputtered into his drink. “I didn’t think you were paying attention.”
“I wasn’t,” Jack lied. “Where’s Vala?”
“She’s pissed because I wouldn’t let her take Plum to the Mountain.”
“What, she planning to take her to all the deparments?”
“She claimed the kid would have cleaned up in the candy department.”
Jack watched Daniel’s hand smooth Plum’s shiny black curls back from her face, a miniature Vala except for Daniel’s bright blue eyes . “You’d have to have a truck to get it all home.”
Plum twisted on her father’s lap. “Daddy…”
“No, we are not taking my truck to the mountain for candy.” He glared at Jack who shrugged an apology. “You are such a liar, you’re not a bit sorry.”
Jack got up to answer the doorbell. “You’re right about that. Hey, kiddo, how about helping me pass out candy?”
Plum frowned. “I don’t have to give them mine, do I?”
“No, that’s yours.”
Plum handed her bag to her father before taking Jack’s hand. Daniel heard her voice from the entry, “What are you supposed to be?”
