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Nights in Opal City have been quiet for The Shade. Moonlit strolls, writing by candlelight, and the occasional “encounter” with the ever-so-magnificent Hope O’Dare were the usual, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. The shadowy, shadowy man was cleaning up his dinner – a lavish shepherd's pie that he made himself – when he hears a booming knock at the door. This raises suspicion. The usual guests, Mikaal and the rest of the O’Dares, would arrive in the afternoons. Yes, a stranger visiting in the night is most alarming indeed. The Shade swiftly pulls his dirty dishes into the Shadowlands (he’ll clean them up later), grabs his cane, and walks up to the front door, opening it slowly.
“There better be a good reason as to why your visit is so late tonight. Why, I was just about to pour myself a glass of…” Richard’s voice trails off when he sees that the stranger bothering him so late at night was none other than Jack Knight himself with a backpack strapped over his shoulders. A heavily pregnant Sadie was beside him, carrying a squirming baby Teddy dressed in a blue onesie covered in stars.
“It’s a good reason, I’d say,” Sadie retorts.
Shade smiles and opens the door wider. “Oh, I’m certain it is. It’s been too long. Tell me, when did we last meet? Was it your wedding or the funeral for-” His sentence was cut short by a crying Teddy. Jack and Sadie try to hush him, but to no avail. “Here, allow me to help,” Richard says, conjuring a sort of mobile with his shadows. That seems to help the child relax.
Jack’s jaw drops. “Holy cow, you're a natural at this. I'm glad we came to you first instead of Mikaal.” Shade’s eyebrow raises as the former Starman continues. “See, we’re in Opal to celebrate our first anniversary. As much as we'd love to show Teddy around the city, Sadie and I were hoping for something a little more private. Besides, she’s already taking care of another baby already, isn't that right, little guy?” he asks, rubbing his wife's baby bump. “Anyway, we need a babysitter. Are you able to watch him overnight? We’ll be back at around ten am. Is that doable?"
The Shade ponders the request, nodding. “Very well. Are there any rules that I must abide by? Allergies? Curfews? Curses?”
Jack lets out a polite chuckle before realizing that he was asking that seriously. “Er, yeah. Try to put him to bed by nine. Oh, and don't go out of the city with him. I also want to be with him when he visits the Starman museum for the first time, so that's off limits. As for food, well, you can feed him with what’s in here,” he says, handing the backpack over.
“Ah. This should prove to be quite simple, then. Very well, I shall watch over him.”
“Thank you so much,” Sadie says, handing over baby Teddy. “You take care now! If you're ever in any trouble, don't hesitate to contact us. We can be found at Dotty's Bistro or The Opalescent hotel. And if we find out Teddy was in any danger today at all, well… best not to do that, okay?”
Richard gently scoops Teddy in his arms and smiles down at him. “Oh, I wouldn't even dream of it. I value your friendship. In fact, I owe Jack quite a lot after he saved my life. Now, you two have a grand old time together while Teddy and I shall enjoy our time together. Isn't that right?” He just smiles in response.
“Great. We'll see you at around nine tomorrow morning. Have fun you two!" with that, the happy couple walk off into the night, leaving Richard alone with Teddy.
“I hope that someday, when you are older, you will realize that you are very fortunate to have the parents that you do. Did you know that your father saved my life? Went into space? Saved an entire galactic empire? Yes, your father was quite the man. When he first became Starman, he-” the musing was cut short by the tiniest of yawns. With a sensible chuckle, Richard uses his shadows to open the door while Teddy’s eyes shine. “I should have remembered that storytelling is a bedtime activity for children your age. Hm, what shall we do together?”
Within 30 minutes, Teddy has proven that he doesn't quite have the attention span for Victorian toys. No, he’s much more interested in playing with The Shade's clothes. From teething at his cravat to reaching up at his top hat, the child has proven to be a wee bit more than. Richard can handle. This called for drastic measures.
Shadows came alive – literally – as a rotund, blob-like yet demonic shape appears from them, its red eyes opened, accompanied by a polite smile . “Why, salutations! I must say, I have never been so keen as to set my sights on such an adorable child before!
Teddy looks at the shadow creature, giggling happily as Richard breathes a sigh of relief. “Ah, I must apologize, where are my manners? I am called Smudge. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance!”
Hours went by as the three of them enjoyed their evening. At the end of the night, Richard sat with Teddy on a loveseat and recounted various stories about the seventh Starman.
Jack and Sadie, still giddy from the night before, knock on the door only to be met with no response. Sadie freezes with anxiety while Jack tries knocking again. Nothing. Ever the concerned papa bear, he lets himself in, only to find the most adorable sight.
The Shade, sprawled out on his ornate loveseat, sleeps peacefully while baby Teddy sits on his chest and plays with his top hat. Smudge, who Jack is pleasantly surprised to see still exists, is curled up on Richard’s left leg.
“Should we wake him?” Sadie whispers to Jack.
“Nah, let him sleep. I'm guessing that he deserves a rest.” Yeah, he's definitely going to ask Dickie to do this for them again.