An Easter Treat

A Tale of Young Daria, by Deref


Daria looked on with a jaded expression as Quinn opened the box and, with all the joy that only a five-year-old can, squealed in delight.

"A bunny! A bunny!"

The tiny redhead reached down into the box and gently lifted the black lop-eared rabbit out, cuddling it in her arms and rocking it back and forth like a baby, her eyes closed in ecstasy. "Thank you Mommy!!"

"Happy easter, honey," Helen said, her arm around Jake.

"Yeah, happy easter, Kiddo!" Jake added.

"Daria, are you going to open your present?" her mother asked.

"Sure," said Daria. "Gee, I wonder what it is?"

"I know!" said Quinn. "It's a book!"

"Aw, you've spoiled the surprise," Daria deadpanned, taking the book-shaped parcel from the table and unwrapping it. "The Hobbit. Gee,  that sounds Easterish."

"I know it's not Easterish, Daria, but it's a classic. I saw it in the store and I thought it was more the sort of thing you'd enjoy. And of course there's this," said Helen, taking a large jar of small chocolate Easter eggs from behind her back and putting them on the table.

"Thanks," Daria said, opening the book and reaching into the jar for a chocolate egg.

Quinn, meanwhile, was so entranced with the rabbit's soft fur and long, floppy ears, that she completely ignored the chocolate. "What'll we call it?" she said, rocking it gently back and forth.

"Well," said Daria. "It's Easter. And it's a bunny. Let me see...how about Easter Bunny?"

"Easter Bunny!" Squealed Quinn joyfully. "Can Easter Bunny sleep with me tonight, Mommy? Please? Please, please, please?"

"No, honey," Helen answered. "You can't keep a bunny in the house. We got a nice cage to keep him in the yard."

"Oh, please Mommy? Why not? I wanna sleep with him!" Quinn's lip trembled.

Daria popped another chocolate egg into her mouth and sat down on the couch, reading her book.

"Oh, come on, Helen," said Jake. "The man said he was house trained."

"Yes!! Pleeeeeaaaaasseeee Mu-ommy! Please!!!"

"Well..."

"Sure honey! I can bring the cage up to her room and line it with newspaper," said Jake.

"Please, Mommy," Quinn pleaded, looking up at Helen with doe eyes.

"Alright, but Jake - this is your responsibility."

* * *

"Quinn."

"..."

"Quinn!"

Quinn turned over and opened her eyes. "What, Daria?"

"Look! Easter Bunny laid you some Easter eggs!"

Quinn rubbed her eyes and looked over at the rabbit, sitting quietly in his cage. "Easter eggs? But Daria, rabbits don't...."

"Do you know what I think?" Daria interrupted, "I think that Easter Bunny might be the REAL easter bunny!"

Quinn looked down at the cage. Sure enough, there was a little pile of small, brown, egg-shaped objects in the cage. Quinn's eyes widened.

* * *

"MOMMY! MOMMY!"

Helen sat bolt upright in bed. "Quinn, honey! What's wrong?"

"It's Easter Bunny!!"

"What?" Jake asked. "What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing! But he's the REAL Easter Bunny!! He laid some eggs!!"

Jake groaned. Helen sighed. "Uh, Quinn, honey, they're not...."

"And you know what, Mommy?" the little girl said breathlessly.

"Uh, what, honey?"

"They're delicious!!!"

* * *

Downstairs, Daria heard Jake's "GAAAAAHHHHH", and smiled a little smile of satisfaction. She reached into the jar, the level of eggs in which was noticably lower than it had been the night before, took out an egg, tossed it into the air, and caught it in her mouth.

FIN