The next morning, Niffty lay sprawled in Vox and Alastor's bed, looking like a hot mess. Her hair was a tangled mess, and her cheeks were flushed from the fever. Alastor had woken up to her quietly groaning beside him, and he could tell she was still feeling pretty rough.

"Niffty," he called gently, brushing a stray hair away from her sweaty forehead. "How are you feeling, little one?"

She groaned in response, turning away from him. "I feel awful. Just... awful," she muttered, her voice hoarse.

Alastor frowned, noticing the way she shivered despite the warmth of the room. "You really need to shower, you know. You smell... well, let's just say you don't smell like a bouquet of flowers," he teased lightly, trying to coax a smile out of her.

"I don't wanna!" Niffty protested, her voice muffled by the pillow. "It's too much work. I just want to sleep."

"Okay, okay," Alastor replied, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "What if we compromise? How about a bubble bath? I'll throw in a bath bomb to make it sparkly and magical."

Niffty paused, considering it. "Only if you read me a story while I'm in there," she replied, her tone firm.

"Deal!" Alastor agreed, a grin spreading across his face. He hopped up and headed to the bathroom, turning on the tub and letting the water run. As he waited for it to fill, he dashed downstairs to make her a hot chocolate, wanting to pamper her a bit.

As he walked into the kitchen, he nearly bumped into Charlie. "Alastor! Have you seen Niffty? I've been looking everywhere for her!"

"Oh, don't even start," Alastor said, running a hand through his hair with an exaggerated sigh. "She woke us up last night feeling sick, so I let her stay in our bed. She's still there, but she's a mess and refuses to shower. I've convinced her to take a bubble bath instead, but it took a bit of negotiating."

Charlie's eyes widened with concern. "Poor thing. Is she okay?"

"Not really. She's weak and sweaty, but she refuses to shower," Alastor replied, rolling his eyes good-naturedly. "I'm working on getting her comfortable."

"Okay! Let me know if you need anything!" Charlie called as Alastor headed back upstairs, mug in hand.

He walked into the bathroom, where the tub was nearly full of water, the surface shimmering with bubbles. He threw in a colorful bath bomb, watching it fizz and create a cascade of sparkles.

"Alright, Niffty! The bath is ready!" he announced, his excitement bubbling over. "Now come on, let's get you in there!"

He heard her groan in response, but moments later, she shuffled into the bathroom, her eyes half-closed and a pout on her lips. "This better be worth it," she muttered as she climbed into the warm water, sighing as the heat enveloped her.

"Trust me, it will be," Alastor promised, settling onto the edge of the tub with the hot chocolate in one hand and a storybook in the other. "Now, let's pick a tale for our little adventure."