Always His Baby

Chapter 6
Safe & Sound

Chapter Description: Things are sure to get better for Sheridan now that Daddy is there to fix things. Right?

After the confusing and exhausting day, the motion of the car on the smooth ride back across town is all it takes to make Sheridan’s head begin to bob as she feels more and more drowsy. She tries her best to stay awake. It’s only six thirty in the evening; that’s about five hours before her usual bed-time at the earliest.

Dad has the heating on in the car, the stereo playing some of his lame country music. All of that, combined with the strong feeling of relief and security that she’s with the one person who knows who she really is and won’t let her be treated like a dumb little kid anymore, starts to make her eyes grow heavy and for a moment time slips away from her.

A finger taps her below the chin and lightly taps her cheek; "Stay awake, Princess. We’re almost home. You fall asleep now then you won’t be able to sleep properly later, hmm?"

She yawns and sits up, rubbing at her eyes, thankful to her dad for not letting her drift off into a nap.

Then there’s a rumble in her stomach.

"What’re you making for dinner tonight? I’m starving." Sheridan yawns, usually not fussed about eating. But she figured she could eat like a pig in this body and it wouldn’t matter. No one cares about curves on a six year old.

Dad smiles at her; "How about a treat for tonight? Think you’ve earned it after today."

Sheridan feels her cheeks flush and a frown crinkles on her brow.

"I’m not going out to a restaurant to be treated like a little kid." She immediately protests.

Dad chuckles and shakes his head; "Not to mention in your underwear. Or are you not as fussed about that?"

Sheridan stifles a smile in return and looks out the window. She actually had almost forgotten about that, as humiliating as it had been back at the party. She huddles further into her dad’s jacket as if it were a comfy, leather cocoon. Right, of course her dad wouldn’t take her out in public like this. Dad was annoying at times but he wasn’t pure evil. Most of the time.

"I was just suggesting a McDonalds or Pizza Hut." Dad explains and Sheridan feels rather silly. "Which would you prefer?"

"Mmm...McDonalds." She isn’t sure why she chooses that. But she’s not a big fan of pizza.

Dad turns a corner and drives down the street towards big yellow M sticking out to show where they need to go. He pulls the car up to the window where one of the staff are taking orders seeing as the speaker box is broken. The young man at work is someone Sheridan recognises. A boy who used to go to her school but left for college last year. Her cheeks flush and she tries to hide beneath the jacket, forgetting for a moment that he won’t recognise her. Or probably even remember her. Still, it’s embarrassing enough being out in just your underwear and wearing your dad’s oversized jacket.

The kid just gives a fond smile at the cute, shy little girl before turning towards the father; "Hi Mr. Tyler. The usual?"

"Sure, we’re in a bit of a rush to get home. Thanks, Steve." He smiles, handing over the money.

Sheridan blinks but stays quiet. It had been a while since her and Dad had come here. Did they still remember what they both liked? She doubted how Steve could know considering he only started working here a couple of months ago. Her head starts to ache again and she rubs it. That was probably the least weird thing about today so far.

They drive to the next window to pick up their food and Dan places a Happy Meal in Sheridan’s lap before thanking the employer and driving off before Sheridan can begin to protest when she frowns at what she’s been given.

"This isn’t my ’usual’." She complains, opening it up and seeing the chicken dippers, chips and carrot sticks inside; "Where’s my Fish Fillet Burger?"

"It must be one of the things that have changed with time, sweetheart." Dad says, apologetic; "I didn’t really want to cause a fuss, not with that queue behind us. Besides, those adult burgers are too big for your little tummy as it is now. You can have some of my Big Mac if you prefer?"

Sheridan grimaces a little; "M’good. Thanks...It’s fine."

Chicken dippers were still nice. She’s too tired and hungry to care. The box with Ronald and all his friends on the side does make her feel a little bit more childish. But it’s just food. Just painted cardboard. It doesn’t make a difference. She opens up the ketchup packet and starts dipping her chicken in, grateful for something to fill her complaining stomach. It all tastes so much better than she remembers. But then it’s been a long time since she’s allowed herself to eat food as salty and indulgent as this. Maybe she could allow herself to do it more often? Sod what all her fitness obsessed friends would think of her. Besides, there were carrots in there, so it wasn’t like it was completely unhealthy.

She sips her coke through the straw for the rest of the ride home, strangely distracted by the toy that’s left in the corner of the box. It’s one of the ’Girl’s Choice’ toys, something that when she was little - really little - her dad would make sure to ask her if she wanted the boys toy or the girls toy. Most often she chose the girls toy but sometimes the one for boys looked more fun. She loved that Dad gave her the choice and didn’t always just lumber her with the girl’s toy. Sheridan can forgive him this time as he didn’t know the ’usual’ had been altered along with her age. Fair enough.

"You can hold it if you want. It won’t bite." Dad says, seeing her out of his peripheral vision as he pulls into their side of town. "And you’ve eaten all your veg like a good girl - I’m joking, darlin’."

He makes sure to add that when he sees her throw him a pout to end all pouts.

But she is intrigued. Just to see what it is. She picks it up out of the box and takes out what she soon recognises as a plastic figure of Rapunzel from Tangled. It even comes with a little brush to use on her long, fake hair. Even Sheridan had to admit it was pretty cool that they didn’t just make her hair plastic. It does look a bit messy though so she picks up the brush and begins to sort out that hair. Dad is quiet beside her.

It isn’t until he pulls into the driveway and speaks that she realises she’s still holding the toy in her lap and grooming it, humming to herself.

"Look at you, you messy pup. You’ve got ketchup all down your front." Dad chides, lightly. "Good job you weren’t wearing the dress Sammy gave you, isn’t it?"

Sheridan feels an odd twinge in her chest and she looks down at herself. She did feel a bit sad she wasn’t Jasmine anymore. All because she had to go and be silly instead of enjoying the party. Her bottom lip trembles a bit as she remembers the looks on all the girls faces. How angry Sammy’s mum had been and told her off. It wasn’t fair. None of them understood how she’d felt.

She winds her arms around the toy and huffs, rubbing at her eyes that felt a little bit sore. Maybe because she was trying not to cry and she wasn’t even sure what was upsetting her.

Dad clicks his tongue and unbuckles her seatbelt, lifting her up into his arms; "C’mon. Let’s get you in the bath and then tucked into bed."

Sheridan just sniffs. Too exhausted to say anything or to struggle. She just holds onto the doll as Dad carries her upstairs to the bathroom and runs the water for her. He lets her keep hold of Rapunzel as he gently takes off her vest, knickers and socks before placing her in the warm water with the lovely bubbles. It is incredibly relaxing. Almost like going to a spa, with the bath twice the size as it usually is. She sighs and lays back as Dad carefully washes her, getting the yucky ketchup off her front and face before washing her hair, his hand shielding her eyes to avoid getting them stung. She almost forgot how good her dad was at this. So tender and delicate, contrasting with his gruff, tall, dark and lean appearance.

She’s almost falling asleep again by the time he picks her up again and wraps her in a fluffy towel as opposed to his jacket. He then cradles her to his chest, his hand supporting her bum and the other on her sleepy, damp head as he takes her down the hall. He even picks up the toy when she leaves it in the bath. It feels to Sheridan a little bit like she’s floating on a firm cloud and she could just fall asleep right there, resting against her dad’s shoulder. Her head feels so free and aired out of all the noisy, troubling thoughts. It’s lovely.

By the time he has her sat down on the bed and is putting her in a clean pair of pyjamas, it takes a couple of minutes for her to even register that her room is different than before. Much, much different. My Little Pony wallpaper surrounds her and yet she doesn’t know the names of any of them. Her bed is no longer the four-poster she bought last year but a small, child’s bed with a duvet cover to match the wallpaper. And the curtains. She guessed she was going to have to start watching this show to know who these ponies were.

"Where’s all my posters gone?" She asks, blinking at the pink Tangled pyjamas that Dad has put her in, at least glad that they go with her new toy.

"They’ve all disappeared, Princess. That’s how I knew something was wrong this morning." He explains to her, pulling the duvet back and laying her down. "All our photos had changed as well. But I still remember you being a big girl."

"Yeah..." She yawns, smiling; "M’a big girl, Daddy."

He offers her the Rapunzel toy and she holds it, feeling the lovely soft hair again.

"But even big girls need looking after sometimes." Dad says, tucking the duvet around her little form; "They need someone to help them when they’re lost and look after them when things get bad. Someone to make sure they don’t get hurt or in trouble. That’s why Daddy’s here. It doesn’t stop you being a big girl just because Daddy is there to take care of you, does it sweetie?"

Sheridan shakes her head. That did make sense. Or maybe she’s just too tired to question.

"Make sense." She says, rubbing her eyes again; "We...go find help tomorrow? To make me a big girl?"

So sleepy. She wishes Dad wouldn’t stroke her hair like that. It feels too nice and...she shouldn’t be going to bed this early...But if it means she can get up nice and early tomorrow to get better then it’s okay.

Dad smiles and leans down to kiss her forehead; "Of course, baby. Now you just rest and have pretty dreams. Tomorrow, Daddy will make you right as rain again. Promise."

That’s all she needs to hear. Now she can go to dream-land.