Small Troubles

[confessorlove]

Title: Small Troubles
Author: confessorlove
Characters: Slight Darken/Kahlan and mentions of Richard/Kahlan
Rating: G
Summary: Powerful Magic turns Darken and Kahlan into two year olds. Richard and Cara try to cope.
Author's Notes: THIS IS PURELY CRACK FIC. And I blame ivanolix  and synergyfox  for most of it.
Disclaimer: I don't own them. I just like to make them do my bidding.

 

They couldn’t believe it. One minute they had been all talking and the next, Darken and Kahlan were sitting on the floor only they weren’t themselves anymore.  They were toddlers.  “Powerful magic,” Richard heard Zedd whisper as he bent down to take a crying, two year old Kahlan into his arms. Immediately she calmed down, snuggling against Richard as he rocked her.  Suddenly realization washed over him as he watched the tiny girl with vivid blue eyes and raven hair suck her thumb.  He wondered if this was what it would be like to hold his and Kahlan’s daughter.  Would she look this much like her mother?

“Richard!”  Cara’s voice drew him from his thoughts.

“What is it, Cara?”

Glancing at Darken, who had attached himself to her leg she lifted him up and held him at arms length before she turned back to Richard.  “What are we going to do with them?”

“I don’t know…Zedd?  What should we do?”

Scratching his chin, Zedd watched as Richard rocked Kahlan and Cara glared at Darken for daring to touch her hair.  The little boy bursting into tears from her cold look.  “Give him to me,” he said extending his arms to the toddler Darken Rahl who was quickly placed in his arms by a flustered Cara.  Waving his hand, Zedd caused a toy soldier to appear out of thin air before handing it to Darken, hoping to distract the child.  “I’ll have to do some research and the Wiz-“

“I want one!”  Kahlan pouted, her lower lip sticking out as she squirmed in Richard’s arms, pointing at Darken and the toy.

“Zedd, could you?”  Richard asked, before turning his attention back to Kahlan.  “Shhh…sweetie, its okay.”

Sighing, Zedd magicked a princess doll and handed it over to Kahlan before setting Darken on the floor to play with his soldier.  “I have to go do some research on a way to fix this.  Can you two keep them out of trouble?”

Richard nodded but the look on Cara’s face was somewhere between fear and horror.  She couldn’t watch children.  “Don’t you need help, Wizard?”

“No, stay here with Richard and the…children.  I’ll be back as soon as I can.”  Without another word, Zedd was gone leaving Richard and Cara to look after the two toddlers.

Richard set Kahlan down to play with Darken, watching as they immediately began some sort of game involving her princess doll and Darken’s toy soldier.   It really was an adorable sight despite the awkwardness of the situation.  He couldn’t wait until everything was back to normal.

“Richard, what should we do?”  Cara asked, the tone of her voice something he had never heard before.  She seemed almost nervous.

“We just have to keep them happy until Zedd figures out a way to fix them.  It shouldn’t be too difficult; they are keeping each other happy.”

No sooner were the words out of his mouth and a shrill cry had him turning back around.  Kahlan’s eyes were filled with tears as she glared at Darken, pointing at him as the tears fell.  “He pulled my hair!” She exclaimed her little mouth turned down in displeasure.

Cara couldn’t hold back the smirk that grew on her face.  Even as a toddler, Darken Rahl was going to be a handful.  That much was sure.

Kneeling next to Kahlan, Richard pulled her into his arms and rocked her.  “Its okay, Kahlan,” he said as he lovingly stroked her hair.

“He…he hurt me.” She gasped out between sobs.

“I know, Princess.”  Richard pulled her into his lap and kissed the top of her head, cradling her against him as he turned his attention to Darken.  “Did you pull Kahlan’s hair?”

Darken just watched Richard with Kahlan, a small smile forming on his lips.  He babbled a little, as if he was trying to defend himself but the words wouldn’t come. 

Richard watched as the smile grew on Darken’s face.  It was obvious he did it.  “Cara?”  He asked, “Could you take Darken please.  I think he and Kahlan need to be away from each other for awhile.”

She eyed the small child with distaste before sighing and reluctantly scooping him into her arms.  “What am I supposed to do with him?” She asked as Darken immediately started pulling on her hair in a vain attempt to get her attention.

“Just keep him happy.  I know children are not your forte but you have to try, Cara.”  He sincerely hoped Cara could handle this and was worried she wouldn’t be able to.  Children always were hard for her to deal with.

Without a word, Cara walked out of the room with Darken in her arms, babbling away.  The sight was adorable but it didn’t matter.  Zedd needed to fix this but part of him hoped that maybe this experience would help Cara see the wonder of children.

That night Richard sat in an armchair in front of the fire as Kahlan played with her doll on the rug.  He couldn’t help but smile at how sweet and innocent she was.  Cara brought Darken into the room and set him with Kahlan.  Richard just hoped they would get along better now that they had been apart most of the day.

Richard smiled when Kahlan stood and toddled over to him.  She stood there with her hands on her hips and a very serious look on her face.  It was adorable.  “What is it sweetheart?”

“My chair!” she exclaimed, smacking his knee with her tiny hand and looking up at him with a pout on her face. “My chair!”

Cara just rolled her eyes as Richard stared slack jawed at the little girl before him.  He couldn’t believe her.  “This is my chair, Kahlan and please don’t hit.”  He said as he grabbed Kahlan’s wrists in his hand to keep her from hitting.

“Mine!” she whined, trying to pull her hands away to no avail. He was bigger and stronger than her.

“Not it is not yours, Kahlan. You need to be good.”  Richard said with a sigh.

Cara just stood watching the scene play out before her.  She couldn’t help but snicker.  Richard had thought she was the one who couldn’t handle the children.  Obviously he was wrong.

Kahlan just shook her head as Richard pulled her into his lap.  This was not how she wanted her chair.  “No!”

“I think its bedtime, Miss Amnell.” Richard said as he poked her nose playfully.  “Cara can you put Darken to bed?”

Nodding, Cara scooped Darken into her arms without a word.  “Where are they sleeping?”

 “One of the maids made up beds for them in the other room.”  Richard said as Kahlan snuggled against him, trying in vain to convince him she wasn’t sleepy. 

“Okay, I’ll put him to bed.”

Kahlan shifted in his arms and watched as Cara headed for the door with Darken peaking over her shoulder.  “Night night, Darkie.”  She said, waving at her friend as he disappeared through the doorway.

Richard soon followed Cara into the other room with Kahlan in his arms.  He was confused when there was only one bed. The servant had been told there were two toddlers. 

Cara had already tucked Darken into bed and was watching Richard with an amused look on her face.  “Just put her in bed with him.  It’s fine. They are two.”

Sighing, Richard reluctantly tucked Kahlan into bed next to his brother, watching in complete horror as she rolled over and snuggled next to her little friend.  He couldn’t believe this.  It was the perfect ending to this day.  He just hoped Zedd found a way to fix them soon.  He needed to wake up from this nightmare.