Hey! I've been hit by a truck...of inspiration! I've been popping out one-shots like it's nobody's business ;) I have a bunch of them saved or started on my computer and this one was just too cute, so I had to publish it!

Full Summary: Being a father to a 5 year old isn't the easiest job in the world, having to clean up their messes and deal with the tantrums. But, Austin Moon finds that it's all worth it raising his family. He want's to protect his daughter from everything, especially her nightmares.

So I hope you enjoy! And please please please vote for my pole! It would mean a lot!

"Daddy!" 5 year old Arielle Moon cried walking into her parents' room and shaking her father awake. Father of said child, Austin woke up groggily and looked around. Spotting his only daughter in front of him with tears forming in her eyes and dragging her stuffed rabbit, Pennyson (who was named once she learned of her mother's imaginary friend, Pennyworth), behind her. He knew something was wrong.

In an instant he had swooped the little girl into his arms and was stroking her blonde curls. He whispered soothing words into the little girl's ear, careful to not wake up his wife beside him on the bed. This was the third night this week Arielle had come crying to him. She had always refused to talk and instead snuggled in between her parents and gone back to sleep.

"What wrong Ellie?" Austin asked his trembling child.

"I had another nightmare daddy," she hiccuped and more tears streamed down her face. She hugged her rabbit close to her as Austin picked her up and carefully carried her to her room, sitting down on her pink princess bed.

"Wanna tell Daddy what happened?" he asked laying her down on the bed and taking a seat next to her. She hugged Pennyson closer to her and nodded slowly. He wiped the tears from her beautiful brown eyes and smiled a comforting smile.

"I was with you, and Mommy," she began "and we were playin' on the swings in the park like we do on Sundays. Then some big meanie came over and started to take Mommy away from us. She was being taken far far away! And then and then you- you went with her!"

As she explained further, Arielle's lips began to tremble and hot tears streamed down her face. Austin couldn't stand to watch his little girl, his baby, cry. He kissed the top of her forehead and looked into her big brown eyes.

"Ellie, no one is going to take me and Mommy away from you. I promise," Austin swore to his daughter reaching over to her nightstand to grab a tissue for her to blow her nose.

"What about my brother? Is anybody gonna take him?" She asked quietly and Austin suddenly realized why she was having these constant nightmares. She was worried the new baby in the family would cause her parents to not love her as much, or give her less attention.

Technically, a new baby could cause that, he realized. New borns needed a lot of care, he can remember all the attention that Arielle needed when she was born. But Austin was sure he would never love the little girl in front of him any less than his new baby boy.

"Hold on Arielle, can I go get Mommy?" Arielle looked at her father and slowly nodded her head.

"Be back quick Daddy! I don't wanna be alone," she said and Austin raised his eyebrow at her.

"But you won't be alone!" Austin replied and looked at the stuffed rabbit in her arms "Pennyson, do you promise you'll watch Ellie while I go get Mommy?"

Arielle held up her favorite rabbit and stared at him.

"See Ellie? Pennyson said he'll keep you company!" Austin smiled and Arielle smiled softly at her cuddly best friend. Austin then went to go wake his sleeping wife.

"Ally? Ally, come on I know you need to rest but I need your help!" Austin whispered to his wife. Ally, who had always been a light sleeper, slowly opened one eye.

"Austin, if this is to check on the baby monitor again I already told you it-" Ally warned but Austin shook his head.

"It's not about the baby monitor, but seriously I think we need a new one because-" her glare stopped him "It's about Ellie, I think that she thinks we're going to care about her less once the baby gets here."

Ally sat up, carefully due to her swollen stomach, and cocked her head to the side "Why would she think that?"

"She's been having these nightmare's this week-"

"So that's why I keep waking up to her foot in my face and Pennyson in the sheets," Ally nodded and stood up to go see her daughter. Austin helped guide her to their daughter's room keeping one hand on her back to support her.

When they reached the purple room though- the blanket was thrown off the bed and their daughter was nowhere to be found

"Arielle?"

"Ellie?" The worried parents called for their daughter. Austin looked to the windows to make sure no one had broken in, but they were locked just as they were before. Austin let go of Ally's back and ran down the hall to open the bathroom door. Not in there. Austin's mind was filled with worry. Where was his baby?

He threw open the door to the closet next and upon not seeing her in there he almost exploded. He listened quietly and then heard a slight sniffle coming from down the hall, in the baby's nursery.

He opened the door and saw his precious baby girl standing over the new crib. She had more tears in her eyes and Austin swooped down and picked her up hugging her tightly.

"Ally, we're in the nursery," Austin called to his wife, turning the light in the room on. He sat down on the couch with his daughter in his arms and looked at her.

"Don't hide like that Ellie! It makes Daddy nervous," he laughed, but his throat was dry with both worry and relief.

"Sorry daddy," she pecked him on the cheek and he was able to smile at her. It was then that Ally walked into the room. She held onto the wall and guided herself towards the rocking chair next to the crib.

"Arielle Marie Moon," Ally sighed looking at her daughter "You really know how to give your father and me quite the scare,"

The room was silent for a few moments. Austin and Ally gazing at their beautiful child, with said child staring down at her stuffed rabbit.

"Daddy, when the baby comes, do I have to give him all my toys?" she asked "Even Pennyson?"

"No sweetie, those are yours. Pennyson is your rabbit." he told her and brushed her blonde hair from her face. The young girl then turned to her mother.

"Mommy?" She asked yawning.

"Yes baby?"

"Do you love me?"

Both parents remained quiet and shared a knowing look.

"Yes, Arielle. We love you. Daddy and I love you so so much! That's why we were both worried when we didn't see you in bed," Ally smiled "You nearly stopped Daddy's heart beat!"

Austin grinned at his wife and then down at his daughter who now had her ear against his bare chest.

"But Daddy you're hearts still beating, right?" Her answer was give with a smile and Austin then heard a melodic ring across the room.

"She can get your heart beat-beat-beat-beating like, she can get your heart beat-beating like that," Ally sang quietly and suddenly Arielle's face brightened.

"Daddy, Mommy, can you sing 'The Butterfly Song' for me? That's my favorite," she grinned and rubbed her eyes which began to droop. She rested her head again on her father's chest.

"Anything for you, Ellie," Austin sighed kissing her forehead. In harmony, Austin and Ally began to sing 'The Butterfly Song' slowly lulling their daughter to sleep.

Austin noticed the girl had fallen asleep in his arms, so he directed his wife to their bedroom with one arm and then carried the little girl in his arms to her room. He noticed that despite being asleep, she still tightly clutched the ear of Pennyson in her hand. The stuffed rabbit was constantly hitting the side of Austin's leg as he walked.

He tucked his daughter in and gave her one final kiss on the forehead. He smiled and went back to his room to lie down. He laid a protective arm over his wife's stomach. He was only protecting Ellie's nightmares now, but he knew that soon he would also be protecting his baby boy's.

No matter what the cause, Austin knew he would always be there to chase the nightmares away.

Aww, I like protective Austin. I think were lacking future-based stories on this archive. I think there might be a little less than ten...but I could be wrong.

If you guys like this, I might come out with a couple more one-shots linked to this one. One would be pre(before)-Arielle's birth and one would be post(after) the new baby's birth. Let me know if I should do it or not! If not, than go to my profile and vote for what I should write/publish next!

Thanks guys!

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~When. In. Doubt- Write. It. Out