ICE CREAM AT MIDNIGHT by Shelby Patterson

     Night time was a slow time for the tunnel dwellers below. 
Everyone was asleep except for the few people who stood guard
over the tunnels.  Even the tapping had slowed, and the master of
the pipes, Pascal, took a few hours of sleep while his
apprentice, Zach, kept an ear out for the incoming messages.

     Another resident of the tunnels lay awake in his new
chamber, and new big bed.  Jacob who had just turned three
yesterday, lay clutching his bear, Teddy, and his blanket. 
Tonight, his first night in this bed and in this chamber, was a
hard night for him to get to sleep.  His daddy had read him the
limit of four stories before bed, and Jacob had gone to sleep. 
But strange sounds, or perhaps the lack of certain familiar
sounds of his father's chamber had woken him up.  He sighed and
rolled onto his back.  Kicking of the soft quilts and sheets that
covered him, Jacob sat up with one thought on his mind, and that
was to go find daddy.

                     *       *      *

     It did not take Jacob all that long to get to his father's
familiar and very comforting chamber.  However when he arrived
his daddy was not there in his bed as he should be.  Jacob walked
over to Vincent's bed and pulled himself onto it.  For a while he
laid in that bed, but he just was not tired, and as he lay there,
he remembered Father's special treat, the homemade ice cream 
that was still in ice box.  That remembering sent the little boy
bolting down the passage to grampa, to get that delicious treat.

                     *       *      *

     When Jacob reached Father's chamber he heard a sound that
made him giggle, grampa was snoring again.  Quietly he tiptoed
over to his grampa's bed and just stood for a moment.  Then he
patted father's cheek with his small hand. 
     "Grampa, get up pease,"  Jacob could talk clearly with the
exception of putting together the pl sound in please.  Father,
after years of getting woken up by young children in the middle
of the night sat bolt upwrite.
     "Jacob, are you alright?"  He nodded then grinned his
irresistible grin.
     "Want ice cream pease."  Father chuckled, then got up and
put his robe on.  He found it very difficult to tell this little
boy no, and Jacob knew that well.  After father had on his robe,
and Jacob had handed him his cane, they went to the private
kitchen for that special treat.

                     *       *      *

     When they got to the kitchen, Jacob moved his high seat over
to the table then climbed into it.  It was not a highchair,
because Jacob had refused to sit in one since he turned two.
Therefore Cullen had made him a regular chair, but with long legs
so the little boy could join everyone at dinner.  While he did
that, Father got out the carton of ice cream and Jacob's special 
bowl.  It had thick edges, and painted on the edges were some of
the characters from Winnie the Pooh, one of Jacob's favorite
books.  In a moment he came over with the bowl of ice cream and
set it in front of Jacob with a spoon, but Jacob didn't eat it.
     "Jacob, are you going to eat this or not,"  Father was a
little tired, even with this little boy.
     "Want you to feed me and make the air pane sounds."  At
times Jacob liked someone to feed him and now was one of those,
so Father complied and they both had a good time.

                     *       *      *

     Father tucked Jacob back into his bed after their little
treat, but Jacob still held onto him.
     "Don't like it here."
     "Why not, all of your friends are here to watch over you,
your teddy bear is here."  Father lifted the bear into the air
then tickled under Jacob's chin making him laugh.  Then he handed
it to Jacob.
     "Now, you tell me what's so bad about this chamber."  That
answer was the easiest and most logical to him.
     "My daddy's not here."  Father hugged him then.
     "He is right down the hall from you.  And if you need him
all you have to do is call.  Then he will be right here to hold
you."  Jacob had not thought of that, and felt much better. 
After a hug and a kiss to grampa, he rolled over and went to
sleep.  Grampa, to him, was the smartest person there was. 
  
The End....


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About the Author:

When Beauty and the Beast first came out, I was not a full time
viewer.  My interest picked up with the third season opener
Though Lovers Be Lost, and at that time, what they did to
Catherine didn't hurt all that much, and I watched to the end of
third season.  Then in my senior year of high school, I happened
to find someone who made me like everything but third season,
give or take the few scenes with Vincent and his son.

As for the writing, I found out about different stories that the
fan clubs put out, and made my own version of Vincent, Catherine,
and family.  This has carried on up until now, and at present I
still write.  This story "Ice Cream at Midnight," is the first
one that I have submitted to anyone besides myself and my friend,
and I hope everyone enjoys it.  Be watching for more Jacob
stories.  

Shelby's e-mail address is: spatter1@tiger.gtc.georgetown.ky.us