Because you loved me

1

(8 months after)

Once upon a time...

Once upon a time, there was a princess.

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful, tiny princess.

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful, tiny princess, named Floyd.

Floyd lived in a castle.

She lived in a castle with a large, snoring dragon named Drake.

July-

Tiny toes wiggled from the threshold of the door. The wooden planks of the floor were cold beneath the tiny toes, and as they wiggled beside the door, a tiny hand held its frame, a pink painted fingernail scratching nervously along the lines and dimples of the wooden grain. A sharp intake of breath as a flash of lightning shone through the panes of the window, sending a jolt of fear through the tiny fingers, stopping the wiggling toes.

The snoring that had been coming from the room stopped as soon as the thunder in the distance rumbled, and for a moment the only sounds that were coming from within, were the sounds of the gentle rain, which had just begun to come down harder, slamming into the metal roof, echoing off the vaulted ceiling of the large home. There was no need to roll over to know that the tiny soul was there, he had already expected that the tiny figure would appear in his doorway soon.

"Zoey?" A low grumble came from within the tangle of sheets on the bed. It wasn't frustration or irritation, but concern that it was inundated with, and though he didn't roll over, he knew that the little girl was standing there, her mouth open just so, her pink lips wet from her tongue darting nervously across them as the corners of her eyes held a hint of salty tears. "Zoey, it's okay." He said, his voice becoming more clear as he rolled to his back, his blue eyes meeting with hers through the shadows of the late night darkness, the glow of the nightlight in the room bouncing off the blonde ringlets of hair that always appeared when she would go to bed with her hair damp after her evening bath.

"DD, I'm scared." She whispered, so soft and so tender, it was almost as if it were a secret. Her fear of thunderstorms were well known, and he had seen her tremble in the night before when she woke from the rumbling weather.

"I know." Derek said softly, as if he actually had to speak the words, when another flash of lightning sent the tiny feet tumbling across the wooden floor and vaulting onto the bed, her cold feet pressing against his bare chest as he grunted, her body sliding beneath the covers as his arm cuddled her tightly, preparing herself for the soft rumble of thunder that was going to present itself any moment as the wind and rain outside became slightly harder. "Your feet are cold." Derek said, trying to lighten the moment as the thunder rumbled, and her hand clenched the skin of his chest, and he tried desperately not to cringe as her little fingernails dug into him. She looked up at his face and saw the pain as he cringed, and pulled her hand from his skin immediately.

"Sorry." She whispered.

"It's fine." Derek said softly as he ran his hand through her hair gently, leaning his head to the side to kiss her forehead.

"We should move somewhere there's no thunder." She whispered as she listened to the soft guttural sound of his chuckle from deep within his chest.

"And where would that be?" He asked, humoring her slightly as he tried to get her mind off the storm.

"Candyland." She stated matter of factly, her eyes sparkling in the dim light of the bedroom, a smile on her lips.

"Candyland?" Derek asked. "Do they have surgeons in Candyland?" He asked. "I'd need a job..." He replied.

"Yeah, there are surgeons there... they um... they make sure the gumdrops has sugar on them..." She said with a nod, watching Derek think about this for a moment.

"They make sure the gumdrops have... see, you're making me hungry now and this is just no good..." He said as his eyes widened suddenly, and his stomach growled, sending a rumble into the air that made both of them start to laugh, the little girl's giggle lightening his heart as he watched her sit up and smack her hand down on his belly.

"Hush, belly... we're talking." She said with a laugh as Derek shook his head.

"That's right, you tell it..." Derek said with a laugh as he watched the worry lines on the little girl's forehead slowly disappear. "You know what tomorrow is, don't you?" He asked as she wiggled and sat up slightly, looking down at Derek's smile as he looked up at her.

"Of course." She said with a bright smile and tipped her head, looking up to the ceiling. "I'm going to be a ballerina!" She giggled happily as she leaned to the side and put her arm across Derek's head, kissing his forehead as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"And who is going to be there?" He asked with a smile as he watched her eyes sparkle.

"Um... you... and mommy... and Mister Mark... and um... and...Aunt Crissy... and..."

"You!" Derek said as she laughed, throwing her head back in a loud laugh as she rolled to her side, climbing onto her hands and knees as she sat back and grinned at him.

"Of course me! Of course me, I'm the ballerina, DD!" She said as she shook her head, tipping backwards she flopped heavily onto the mattress, the thunder and lightning outside a mere memory now as she held her hands in the air, moving them back and forth as she wiggled them.

"And why are we all coming to see you be a ballerina?" Derek asked as he watched her sit up and tip her head, her body resting on her elbows as she looked at him, he held up his pinky finger and she laughed, tipping backwards, she laughed.

"Cuz the little lines on my fingers are where I got you all wrapped around!" she laughed joyfully as she watched Derek smile adoringly at her.

"That's right." He said as he watched her flop onto her tummy, resting her chin comfortably in her hands.

"DD?" She said softly as she watched him give her a small, sleepy smile.

"Hm...?" he said as he watched her reach her hand out to him.

"I'm ready to go back to bed now." She said as he reached his hand back and grasped it in his.

"Do you want me to walk you back to your room?" He asked, watching her for a moment as she thought.

"No." She said with a sweet smile that warmed his heart. "No, I think I can do this myself..."

"Well... if you need anything..." Derek said softly as he watched her nod her head and climb carefully from the bed.

"I'll call you..." She said with a smile. "But I don't need rescuing..."

"What if I need rescuing?" He asked as he watched her hop on her toes a bit, tipping her head to the side as she watched his eyes sparkle in the light.

"Then you know where I am." She said, as she skipped from the room gracefully, as light footed and softly as she had entered, though her energy and happiness had returned.

He sat and stared at the doorway long after she had disappeared, not a shred of sleepiness remained, as he smiled lightly, though a bit sadly and lay back in his bed, finding the ceiling to be a worthy staring partner.

The only problem with the snoring dragon, however... was that when he stopped snoring... it was very hard for him to start again.