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To say Jacks was exhausted was a massive understatement. The single thing he truly missed about his past life as a Fate was his unending, supernatural energy. He sighed loudly, the sound heavy in the quiet nursery, as he adjusted the squirming bundle in his arms.
“Please lie down, little kit.” he tried, attempting to negotiate with his small daughter to absolutely no avail.
Her short, blonde curls fell in front of her bright blue eyes. She was the spitting image of her father, a fact she proved by twisting with surprisingly stubborn determination against his chest. Jacks carefully but firmly shifted his hold, trying to find a position that might finally induce sleep.
“Elara,” he tried again, his voice dropping softer this time. The edge of his exhaustion slipped away, replaced by something much gentler, almost pleading. “You have to sleep. Even Fates would have demanded a nap if they had to manage you for a day.”
She blinked up at him, wide-eyed and entirely unconvinced by his logic. Instead of closing her eyes, a tiny hand reached up, winding into a loose strand of his hair and tugging with triumphant curiosity.
Jacks winced slightly, tilting his head to relieve the tension. “Yes, very impressive,” he muttered, gently prying her small fingers free. “A remarkably strong grip. Terrible bedtime manners, though.”
Elara responded to his critique with a delighted squeal, waving her arms as if she had just won a great victory. Jacks exhaled slowly, his eyes drifting toward the beautifully carved cradle that had, so far tonight, gone entirely uninhabited.
“Any luck?”
Jacks looked up to see his beautiful wife standing in the doorway, watching the scene with an amused smile.
“No,” he said, looking down at the restless baby. “She has your absolute stubbornness.”
Evangeline scoffed playfully as she walked into the room. “Well, it is only fair she takes after me a little bit, considering I did carry her for nine months.”
She giggled, and the bright, familiar sound instantly melted away the remainder of Jacks' fatigue. He leaned down and pressed a warm kiss to her lips. “I love you, little fox.”
“I love you too, my archer,” she murmured back.
“BAH!”
They both chuckled at their daughter’s loud, insistent interruption. Soon, however, Elara’s happy babbles began to dissolve into tired, frustrated whines. Recognizing the shift, Evangeline stepped closer and gently lifted the baby from Jacks' arms, cradling the tiny girl securely against her chest.
As she swayed, Evangeline began to softly narrate a story, speaking in a low, soothing rhythm. It was a tale that both she and Jacks held incredibly dear to their hearts: the story of the archer and the fox. She shortened the narrative, naturally, leaving out the darker, more gruesome details about vampires and the Tree of Souls. It would take a lifetime to truly convey every twist and turn of how they had gotten here, and tonight, they only needed the magic of the happy ending.
By the time the story concluded, Elara seemed thoroughly satisfied with her favorite bedtime tale. She nuzzled deeply into the warmth of Evangeline’s chest and finally drifted into a deep sleep.
Evangeline pressed a tender kiss to her daughter's temple before carefully, slowly lowering the sleeping child into her crib. Stepping back together, Evangeline and Jacks looked down at their daughter. In the quiet of the nursery, they knew they were completely satisfied. This peaceful, chaotic life was everything they could have possibly hoped for, and more.