Flashpoint Monsters

Author's Notes: As I was driving to my conference the other day, I was planning out the next chapter of Re-Education of Jules Callaghan. Something in one of my thoughts (I can't remember what it was now) morphed into this idea that wouldn't leave me alone. It's just a short (for me) glimpse into some domesticated JAMIE (Jules, sAM, sadIE) moments. I'd love to hear what you think.

Disclaimer: The show Flashpoint and its characters were created by Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern and belong to them and the networks that air the episodes. Since the show has ended, our only way of getting new Flashpoint is through fan fiction. This story is my attempt to help fill the void, and the only profit I make is the warm fuzzy feeling reviews give me. Anything that does not come directly from the show is my own creation and should not be used without my permission.

Monsters

"Monsers, Daddy."

Sam bit back a groan. Without opening his eyes to look at the clock to see the actual time, he knew it was too early to be awake. His internal clock was reliable enough to know that he still had a couple of hours before he had to get up to get ready for work. Certainly way too early for his almost three year old daughter to be poking him in his back talking about monsters.

Jules mumbled something unintelligible. Sam wasn't surprised. Team One had gotten caught up in a hot call toward the end of their shift. He wasn't sure what time she'd finally gotten home and slipped into bed with him, but he knew she hadn't been there long. He'd stayed up to almost two waiting for her before giving in to the sleep he needed without her coming in. He might not have consciously known she'd come to bed but his body had naturally sought her out as evidenced by the fact that his arms were now wrapped around her waist.

"Daddy." Sadie was a little more insistent this time, refusing to be ignored.

Kissing his wife's shoulder, Sam released his hold on her and rolled over on his back. Before he had a chance to acknowledge the toddler's presence, Sadie grabbed hold of the fitted sheet and used it to start climbing up on the bed. To their constant worry, Sadie had proven to be quite the climber. It didn't seem to matter what kind of challenge she faced, as long as she could wrap her little fingers on to something and had the slighted edge to dig her tiny toes into, she would climb it as if it were Mt. Everest. She'd had her fair share of falls in her endeavors but nothing stopped her for long. Sam told everyone who would listen and even those who wouldn't that she was definitely her mother's daughter.

It didn't take her long to pull herself up on the bed beside him. Her face lit up when she saw Jules curled up on her side next to him. "Mommy."

Worried that Sadie would climb over him to get to her mother that she hadn't seen since Jules had put her down for her nap the day before or that her exuberant squeal would wake Jules no matter how exhausted she was, Sam put his finger over his lips. "Shh, Sadie, Mommy's sleeping. The same thing you should be doing." And the same thing Daddy should be doing, he added in his head.

Sadie shook her head. "Monsers."

Sam sat up, pulling Sadie into his lap. Recently Sadie had gotten into a monster phase, always insisting that there were monsters in her bedroom at bedtime. Neither he nor Jules understood where she'd picked up the idea. She shouldn't even know about monsters. They were careful about the stories they read her and what she saw on TV. As far as he knew, she'd never even seen the Disney Pixar movie Monsters, Inc. She wasn't exactly scared of the monsters she swore were there, but she refused to go to sleep so long as she said they were hiding in her room. Trying to convince her there was no such thing as monster didn't work; those arguments fell on deaf ears.

"Sadie, Daddy got rid of all the monsters when he put you to bed. They're all gone."

Her lower lip poked out. "This one subborn."

Her pronouncement was so solemn that it took everything in Sam not to laugh. "A stubborn monster, huh?" Sadie nodded. Sam knew what she wanted him to do, but he all he really wanted to do was turn over and go back to sleep. He had shift in just a couple of hours and he couldn't go to work this tired. He was tempted to just suggest she sleep in the bed between him and Jules. But neither of them wanted her to get the idea that her room wasn't completely safe. "So I guess I should go get rid of him, huh?"

She nodded. "Wit the spay."

Sam wasn't sure where Jules had gotten the idea for Monster Spray but it was pure genius on her part. She'd cleaned out an old empty spray bottler, put a label on it that declared that it was Monster Spray, and filled it with water. Whenever Sadie announced there were monsters in her room, they'd grab the bottle and spray the monsters away. It worked like a charm to convince Sadie that she had nothing to worry about. In fact it had worked so well that Sam had suggested that they let Sadie spray her own monsters. Jules had nixed the idea. While she wanted her daughter to be independent, she knew if the toddler had control of the spray bottle, water would end up everywhere. Knowing the messes Sadie could generate with other things, Sam knew Jules was right, but right then it would certainly be more convenient for him.

Slipping out of the covers even though his body longed to burrow back beneath them for more sleep, Sam settled Sadie on his hip. Much like they had as she'd climbed up on the bed, her toes dug into his side to secure her spot. He knew it wasn't because she thought her daddy might drop her but because since discovering her climbing skills, she used every chance she got to use them. Sam gave a slight wince at the feel of her toenails digging into his side. Reaching down, he repositioned her, taking the opportunity to tickle the bottoms of her feet as he did. Sadie giggled and buried her face into his shoulder.

"Scrappy, I think it's about time to trim those little piggies. And didn't you have socks on when I put you to bed last night?" He wasn't surprised she was barefoot. They'd – mostly Jules who thought Sadie should always have socks on – had fought the battle of keeping the baby's feet covered practically since birth. As insistent as Jules was that Sadie wear socks, Sadie had been equally insistent on taking them off. It was a battle of wills Sam watched with amusement. After almost three years of observation, Sam wasn't sure whose will was going to win out.

"Monser ate 'em." Sadie declared solemnly. Or at least it would have been solemn if not for the cheeky grin on her face. A grin that Jules swore came straight from him.

"He did, huh? Well, maybe before I spray him away, I can have a little talk with him about giving them back." Sam suggested as he carried her down the room to the nursery. Stepping inside, he flipped on the switch to bathe the room in light and grabbed the magic spray bottle from a shelf well out of her reach and away from climbing temptations. "Okay, Scrappy, where's this monster?"

She shrugged her small shoulders. "He moos a lot."

Sam was multi-lingual. His Special Forces training had left him while not completely fluent in many different languages then with at least enough understanding that he could hold his own with a few basics if he had too. None of that training had prepared him for his most challenging language acquisition yet – toddler speak. Sadie was more vocal than most kids her age. As much as Sam would love to contribute that fact as proof that his daughter was indeed the smartest kid ever to be born, he had a feeling it probably had more to do with a combination of other factors in her life. For one, she spent a lot of time around adults given the extended family two SRU teams provided. Also, after reading one of those baby books while she was pregnant, Jules had started holding one-sided conversations and reading children's books to Sadie even in the womb, even getting Sam to do the same. But probably the most contributing factor had to do with the fact that as soon as Sadie's babbling had started taking on even a hint of understandable language, Jules had insisted that Sadie use words for her wants and needs instead of just pointing and crying. Sadie might not get all her pronunciations correct and sometimes they both had to do some creative deciphering in order to figure out what she was talking about, but her vocabulary seemed to grow by leaps and bounds every day.

"Moves, huh? Okay, then where was he the last time you saw him?" He knew better than to pretend to see the monster because even though the monsters were complete figments of her imagination, they were real to Sadie. She was too smart to be fooled. It was better to allow her to take the lead. He just hoped doing so now didn't lead to a protracted monster hunt that would keep him from getting back to sleep.

Sadie didn't answer but he could tell her eyes were carefully scanning the room. Her pointer finger went to her mouth as she sucked on the tip of it thoughtfully. Then she pointed to the bed. "Dare."

Her Little Mermaid toddler bed didn't sit quite flush to the floor but there wasn't a lot of space beneath it either. Checking underneath required him to lie flight on his stomach. Sadie mimicked his position. For all her claims about not wanting her so called "monsters" in her room, she had no qualms or fears of helping either him or Jules hunt for them. Sam was pretty sure the whole thing had become more of a game for her than any kind of deeply rooted fear that should have him worried.

He almost felt like he was on the job hunting a subject. He had a spray bottle of water instead of his Glock and his daughter's eagle eyes instead of flashlight. Glancing over at Sadie, Sam couldn't help but be amused by the eager expression on her face. His exhaustion was temporarily abated as he was reminded - as he was many times a day every day - just how much he loved his little girl. He leaned closer to her and whispered conspiratorially. "What do you think, Scrappy? Is he still there?"

All he could see were her discarded socks and the stuffed crab Natalie had given Sadie during her last visit. The one she'd insisted on sleeping with when he'd put her to bed the night before. Sadie, however, could apparently see what he couldn't. She nodded. "Him still dare, Daddy."

So there was no question, she pointed him out. Sam gave her a wink and then aimed. Before he sprayed he looked at her. "Should I spray him?"

"Score-o."

Sam bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing out loud. It was possible Sadie spent a little too much time around SRU headquarters. She was picking up on the lingo. He gave the spray trigger a quick squeeze sending water droplets spraying under the bed. Sadie gave a quick clap and then waved. "Bye bye Monser. Lub you."

Again it took everything in him not to laugh. Only Sadie would tell the monster she'd just ordered neutralized that she loved him. He was pretty sure she didn't quite understand the emotions behind the words. However, the words "I love you" were a standard in pretty much every goodbye she'd heard directed to her since she was born so it was an ingrained response for her. Knowing the uncertainty of their jobs, Sam and Jules never missed an opportunity to tell each other and their daughter how much one loved the other. The members of both Team One and Team Three all considered themselves Sadie's aunts and uncles and treated her like the royalty her name implied her to be. As a result each member - even the guys who were confirmed bachelors who swore they would never have kids of their own - lavished Sadie with both love and attention. "I love you" or some variation of the words was probably the most often repeated phrase Sadie ever heard and one of the first she started using. It didn't matter who she was saying goodbye to, the person was sure to get a "lub you" before Sadie left. It also never failed to elicit a smile out of the receiving party - or at least the ones Sam could actually see.

Rolling over on to his back, Sam scooped Sadie into his arms and kissed the tip of her nose. "Okay Scrappy, now that that stubborn, moving monster is gone, I think someone needs to be back in her bed getting some more sleep."

Sadie shook her head. "No, Daddy. We pay."

Sam sighed. If he didn't get a little more sleep, he'd definitely be the one paying while on shift later. He settled her in the bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. "You and mommy will get to play later. Right now it's sleepy time. Want me to turn your fish on to help you get back to sleep?"

Sadie loved the night light that projected images of clown fish swimming onto the ceiling. It fit perfectly with the ocean theme Jules had used to decorate the nursery. Sam was pretty sure that watching the fish, accompanied by the soothing ocean sounds that the projector played would have Sadie asleep in no time.

Sure enough, almost as soon as he turned it on, Sadie yawned. The yawn was so big it was as if the rest of her face disappeared behind it. He gave her a kiss and stood to leave. Before he could take a step away from the bed, Sadie's voice stopped him in his tracks. "Daddy?"

He turned back to the bed and sat down on the floor so he was more on her level. "Scrappy?"

She sat up and scooted closer to him. Her pointer finger was once more at her mouth, a sign she was thinking hard about something. She blinked a few times as if it was difficult to keep her eyes open. She was as sleepy as he was, but seemed determined to fight it. "Why you and Mommy work?"

Sam cuddled her close to his body and shifted so he was half lying on her toddler bed with her. Again he adjusted her covers over her little body. No doubt about it, Sadie's favorite days were the ones where both he and Jules were off shift and could stay home with her. It wasn't the first time she'd wondered why every day couldn't be like that. Explaining about bills and expenses wouldn't mean anything to her. On the other hand, she had a vague understanding of what they did for a living though they had downplayed some of the harsher aspects of their job. She might know the word Scorpio and in a small way the concept of when it was used, but she didn't understand exactly what it meant.

Sam rested his head on her pillow so they were almost nose to nose. "Because Mommy and Daddy have to keep everyone safe just like we keep you safe."

Sadie nodded. Her eyes were getting heavier, but Sam knew better than to try to move just yet. "From monsers?"

Sam thought about some of the calls he and Jules had responded to over the years. The ones that continued to haunt the both of them in their dreams from time to time. Men like Marcus Faber whose attempts to destroy the entire city had resulted in so many deaths and injuries the city and the department still bore the scars. Though Sam understood Anson Holt's actions when Faber had been his student had contributed greatly to what had made Faber who he was, Sam couldn't feel sorry for the man who had cause so much destruction and devastation. He was as close to a human monster, Sam ever wanted to meet. "Sometimes. Usually though it's just people who make bad choices."

Sadie yawned again and snuggled even closer to him. "So yous 'rest 'em and put 'em in time-out?"

He'd never really thought about jail as a big time-out but it worked. "Yeah, something like that. But even though Mommy and Daddy have to go and protect the city, you will always be the most important person we ever want to keep safe. I love you so much, Sadie Grace."

"Lub you too, Daddy. We pay in the morning?"

He kissed her again, knowing she was already half asleep. "You and Mommy get to play in the morning. Then you'll get to play with Aunt Shelly and Cally, Lily, and Allie for a little bit. Then I'll pick you up and we'll get to play the rest of the day. Sound good?"

She nodded. "Copy dat."

Sam rubbed her back as silence blanketed the room. In no time, her eyes drifted shut and her breathing evened out. Satisfied she was asleep once more, Sam kissed her again and stood. After making sure the projector's timer was set to turn off the fish and ocean sounds shortly, Sam started to leave the room. He returned the spray bottle to the shelf and turned off the light. Though he needed to go back to bed himself, he found himself standing in the doorway for several more minutes, just watching her sleep. Then he pulled the door closed and headed back to his room.

Jules hadn't changed position since he left and he eased back into bed next to her. As his arms encircled her waist, she turned to face him. Her eyes didn't really open as her mouth sought out his for a quick kiss. Then her head rested on his chest. "Let me guess, a monster sighting?"

"Yeah, apparently one got away from me last night. Tough call?" As much as he wanted to sleep, he couldn't resist the moment to talk to Jules. Though they'd been on separate teams for over a couple of years now, he still missed not getting to spend as much time with her as they had when they were both on Team One.

She shook her head. "No, just long. Sorry I didn't get in early enough to see you before you went to bed."

Sam held her close to him. It never failed to amaze him just how perfectly her body fit against his. Like she'd been created just for him and he her. "It's okay. You're here now. If I didn't have to get up in early to go to work, I'd show you just how glad I am of that."

"We're both off tomorrow." Jules reminded him, her voice still full of sleep.

"There is that. Hopefully Sadie's monsters will stay away letting her sleep late so we can enjoy that time."

He could almost feel her smiling against his chest. "I think I can probably mix up an extra-strength formula of Monster Spray that will keep them away all night. I read something about creating Monster spray wipes that Sadie could use on her own without too much of a mess. That way, if one does show up, she can slay her own monster."

Not for the first time, Sam was glad his wife was such a genius. "I love you so much."

"I love you too. Now go to sleep. I don't want your guys complaining about their grumpy team leader later today."

Her caution fell on deaf ears. Sam was already asleep. With a contented smile on her face, Jules drifted off as well.

\- FP -

Author's Notes: I once saw an episode of Super Nanny where the family Jo was trying to help had a child who refused to sleep in his own bed for fear of monsters. She showed the family a version of Monster Spray that helped the child overcome his fears. The idea has stuck with me as an ingenious idea for this probably common problem parents encounter with their small children. I couldn't help but use it with my favorite TV family. I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it.


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Flashpoint, Family, Humor