Angus showered and changed into a pair of lounge trousers and a tee shirt. He came downstairs and got himself a glass of iced tea in a large thermal travel cup so he wouldn't have to leave her. Then he got his sketchbook and his sketching pencils and went downstairs.
He sat next to Poppy with just the dim light on her nightstand to see by, and he started to sketch. The room fell quiet. An hour or so later, he heard her start to move in her sleep. The moving became kicking and fighting. She was dreaming, and it wasn't pleasant at all. He woke her very gently, but she jumped--hard. And then, frightened, she started to cry.
He knew he wasn't Marcus, but he decided to take a risk anyway. He sat on the edge of her bed, up against the headboard, facing her feet, reassuring her softly that she was safe. He took another risk to wrap his arm around her shoulder, and she folded into him, hiding in his chest.
"I'm sorry that was frightening," he said softly. "I have nightmares too, but you're safe here. Were you dreaming about the graphorn?"
"Sorta," she sniffled, her voice just a whisper, "but my daddy didn't come. He left me there..."
"Poppy," Angus said, "I've known your dad a long time, and I can promise you one thing. It won't ever matter how old you get or how old he gets. If you're in trouble, he will come. He will always come for you." She looked up at him questioningly. Angus nodded. "It doesn't matter if he has to walk through fire. He will always come for you. He's asleep right now, but I can wake him if you want." She thought for a moment and shook her head, not wanting to disturb him, trying to be content to have Angus as a substitute, even though she didn't know much more about Angus but his name and what Marcus told her about him in his letters to her. He gave her some water and settled her back for sleep. He started to sketch again as she drifted back to sleep.
Marcus woke, and his first thought was knowing he had to relieve Angus from sitting with Poppy. he looked at his watch. His watch said it was five am. He had slept through all night. He rarely ever, ever did that. He jumped out of bed, furious with himself, and he dressed in a hurry and ran down the stairs heading for the basement.
The girls were still all asleep because it wasn't a school day, and Angus was still sitting with Poppy, now sketching and drinking coffee.
"I am so sorry!" Marcus whispered.
"Don't be. It's been a quiet night. You didn't miss a thing. And I got several uninterrupted hours of sketching. Its a win-win," Angus smiled.