"Daddy," Varian whined, pulling on his father's pant leg.  "You said you'd be done and we'd play."  Sure, he was five years old now, but he didn't care.  He wanted his daddy at the moment and he couldn't find his mommy because she went to town with his grandmother to take a few moments of time off.

"Just one second, kiddo," Eugene started, but made the mistake of glancing down.  His eyes met big, round, pleading, baby blue orbs.  He bent down and picked up his son and set him on his lap.  This satisfied the child for the time he needed to finish his work.  "We'll play in just a minute," Eugene promised.

Varian poured, but decided to wait patiently.  Eugene smiled at him, ruffling his hair.  He loved this little guy more than he could express and it would remain so for years to come.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

"Varian!  You need to get ready for dinner!"  Rapunzel called.  She was in the garden, hoping to find her son.

"Coming!"  Up came the child, covered head to toe in mud, dragging along his friend raccoon, Ruddiger with him.  "Oh, my..." she tried to hold back her smile, remembering the day he first dragged in the raccoon.  It was an odd since of dejavu.  Although she knew the task of cleaning him would take effort, she just couldn't bring herself to be upset about it.

"Come on," she coaxed him, "let's get you cleaned up."

"Ok," Varian replied, not too sure whether or not he was in the mood for a bath or not.

Rapunzel took his hand.  She loved the solomn look he had on his face.  She always would.  For years to come.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

Eugene was walking down the hall when he noticed the smoke seeping out of the room.  He rushed into the room, busting the door open.  "Varian!"  He cried.

Surprised, Varian yelped, almost dropping his beaker.  "Gah!  Where's the the fire?"  He breathed, trying ti wipe off the green substance that was now on his face.

"I was about to ask about that," Eugene replied.

Varian glanced at the smoke coming out of one of the beakers.  "Oh!  No I see where you... you thought, ok," he laughed.  "I'm good, it's doing what's it's supposed to," he assured him.

"Huh," Eugene came closer.  "I still don't see how you do it."

Varian shrugged.  "Just comes to me naturally, I guess..."  he wasn't about to add that the unspoken fact about his origin.  His biological mother and her knack for alchemy.  The woman who made his life a living nightmare for the first five years of his life.

Eugene suddenly ruffled his son's hair, making Varian chuckle.  Even though Varian had picked a bit more sass up and had grown a lot more independent like most teenagers tend to do, their bond did not change.  It only grew as time went on, and if would continue so for years to come.

"What are you two up to?"  Rapunzel peeked in.

"Quality father-son time!" Eugene announced, wrapping an arm around the boy.

"If that's what you call breaking down the door screaming about an imaginative fire, then sure," Varian teased.

"You're a mess, Varian," Rapunzel chuckled.  Some things never changed, did they?  She didn't care that he was messy.  She'll always love her little boy.  Now, always, and for the years to come.

"What brings you by, Sunshine?"

Rapunzel smiled at them.  "Isn't it close to Varian's birthday?"

"Nuh-huh, he just had one," Eugene said stubbornly.

Varian chuckled, rolling his eyes.  "Yeah, just a year ago."

"Not fair, to younger people like you, a year is longer," Rapunzel laughed.

"I still think we're considered young," Eugene added.

"If you were talking to seniors!"  Varian winked.

"Oh!  You did not just go there!"  Eugene wagged a finger playfully in his son's face.  "I thought I raised you better.  You certainly didn't get that smart tongue from me!"

"Well, it wasn't from me," Rapunzel giggled.

"It mus be from his aunt.  CassAndra!  We need to have a talk!"  Eugene called.

"Actually, I did get it from my roguish father that uses his sharp tongue on said aunt," Varian said.

"Ok, now you're trying to butter yourself up mister!"  Eugene crossed his arms.

Varian shrugged.  "What can I say?  I learned from the best."

"Well, I guess I can't get mad at you for stating a fact," Eugene admitted.

"You just did!"  Varian laughed.

"That, youn man, was not fact," Eugene said sternly, but Varian could see the glint of amusement in his father's eyes.

Rapunzel smiled.  "Joke's aside, isn't Varian turning fifteen now?"

"What?  No!  He's still five!"  Eugene protested.  "It has not been a decade since he became ours for good!  Has it?"

Even Varian stopped to think about this bit of information.  "I guess it has been, Daddy."

"Where have the years flown?"  Eugene muttered.  "You know you'll always be our little blue bird no matter how old you get, right?"

"I know, and I don't want that to change," Varian smiled.

Eugene gave his son a look over.  The boy was still a little short for a kid his age, but he was as stubborn as ever.  He still had those large baby blue eyes, and that would never change.  The raccoon was still always somewhere near by, even if not visible.  Although some things may or may not change through time it was certain that one thing would not.  He would love his son always.  Now, forever, and for the years to come.