"Venomous Pt 4 - Anodyne" Rosie/Carter, Princess Protection Program - G
Title: Venomous Part 4 - Anodyne
Fandom: Princess Protection Program
Pairing: Carter/Rosie
Rating: G
Words: ~2300
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, not intended for profit or offense. I own no rights to the subjects.
Summary: A snake bite has aggravated the already fragile relationship between tomboy Carter Mason and misplaced Princess Rosalinda Montoya. The weekend, however, brings about a slight change in Carter’s perception of Rosie.
Chapter One of Venomous
Chapter Two - Pernicious
Chapter Three - Detrimental
Carter is both relieved and miffed that today is Saturday. She’s been saved from another awkwardly horrible day at Lake Monroe High School with Rosie shadowing her everywhere, but she’s still stuck at work in the bait shop with Rosie shadowing her everywhere. Carter’s a little lost as to how Rosie still feels it necessary to hang around Carter when she’s been so bitchy to her.
When Rosie offers to ‘learn chores,’ Carter’s day suddenly takes a turn for the better.
Having pawned off her least favorite duty to the naïve princess, Carter walks out with a mischievous skip in her step to where her father is glossing the hull of one of his rental fishing boats. There won’t be much demand for the vessel until the summer arrives, with the promise of Lake Monroe’s Annual Fishing Tournament, but it’s a job that’s been a few years overdue. Without being told, Carter picks up a brush and begins assisting, following the line her father sets for her.
“So… how are we feeling this morning? A little less grumpy, I hope?”
“Ugh, Dad, stop it. You’d be grumpy too if a pretentious princess commandeered your bedroom, your dining table, your bathroom and your school.”
“Sharing, Carter. The term is sharing,” Mason retorts, a bit of a smile present in his words. Carter feels the late morning sun beat down on her neck, like it’s shedding a spotlight on her insecurities. She huffs the feeling away. Mason copies her. Carter gives him a narrowed side-glance; he returns it with fervor. She threatens to flick black gloss at him; he chuckles and raises his hands in submission.
Clearing his throat, Mason assumes his ‘parental tone,’ as Carter likes to call it, and says, “Listen pal, it’s a sacrifice we’re all making, for her safety. We’re doing a good thing here. We’re saving a princess - I remember you used to be pretty good at that.”
Carter purses her lips and wipes a strand of dark hair from her face, “I’d rather not traipse down memory lane, right now, Dad.”
“All right, all right, fine. I’ll quite lecturin’. Just remember, we’re a team. You and me, pal.”
“Mnnn,” Carter grunts.
“C’mooooon…” Mason solicts.
“Mnnmm, you and me, Dad,” Carter obliges in a monotone.
“That’a girl.”
The time spent tending the boat passes quickly, interrupted occasionally by friendly waving and conversation with local lake enthusiasts and repeat customers to Joe’s Bait Shop. Carter feels pretty content, working under the sun with her dad - until a crash from within the bait shop brings an abrupt end to that feeling and replaces it with... guilt.
Mason is quick to help the shell-shocked Rosie from her carpet of worms, but Carter is struggling to keep from erupting in laughter. Her control drops however as soon as the princess stumbles off to ‘bathe’. Despite having to clean up Rosie’s mess, her day is indeed looking up.
~\/~
By 2 o’clock, it’s time to add another layer of painted gloss to the boat’s hull, so Carter goes to the shed to grab the bucket of black goop. Rosie appears behind her, freshly scrubbed and in a new, equally girly outfit.
“Hello Carter. I have bathed.” Carter puts down the bucket and gives Rosie a golf clap.
“Good job,” is Carter’s smart-alec response.
“I was wondering if there were any other chores I could learn, perhaps something that doesn’t involve insects?” Rosie’s voice is clipped, and it’s obvious to Carter that she’s quite embarrassed by the whole thing. This puts Carter in a great mood.
“Nah, there’s really nothing else, princess. Dad and me are going to finish with the boat, then reset the bait traps. Did you eat?”
“No, I have not.”
“Well, you should. You can use whatever you find in the kitchen. I’m sure you can handle that much,” Carter says as she picks up the bucket again and smirks.
Rosie purses her lips, and squints her eyes, but nods curtly and turns to leave. But as she takes a step, her face takes on an uncomfortable cringe and she reaches down to scratch at her wounded leg through her jeans. Carter stops and makes a face, suspicious, her eyebrow admonishing in its high arch. Rosie quickly stops scratching and straightens up.
“You ok?” Carter’s voice is more teasing than concerned.
“Yes, fine.” Rosie keeps her head high and marches toward the house. Carter chuckles lightly at Rosie’s uncomfortable demeanor, but sighs heavily when she realizes she’ll have to inspect the wound again, if it’s causing Rosie discomfort.
~~\/~~
Rosie gets a brilliant idea once she has food in her stomach - She’ll make dinner, to make up for her mistake in the bait shop earlier. She happened upon a set of nice, albeit slightly dusty, dishes and cookware hidden a bit inconveniently in the cupboards next to the kitchen wall, and realized Major Mason’s refrigerator/freezer contained all the necessary ingredients for her mother’s arroz compoyo recipe. While the rice is cooking and the chicken is defrosting, she ventures outside to catch the rays of yellowing sunlight, trying to keep her mind from dwelling on what Carter’s reaction to her handiwork will be; she hopes maybe this thoughtful act will finally earn Carter’s appreciation, or at least make her a bit more amicable.
Rosie wanders over to the field where she had her encounter with the snake, this time remembering Carter’s words and using a stick to cautiously stir the tall grass near the edge, where a small gathering of wild flowers draws her attention. Feeling secure, she crouches down to inspect the pretty colors. The memory of her 8th birthday is triggered, when Henri the Gardens Keeper planted a flower garden for her, and taught her to brocade a crown with the blossoms. Smiling genuinely, Rosie picks a few of the blossoms and leaves and takes them back inside.
When Carter steps into the kitchen and beholds the delicate arrangement of her mother’s dishes, she’s swooped back in time to the evening of her father’s glorious return from his promotion at the PPP, and the ensuing fight that happened later that evening. The smell that invades her senses strikes a chord in her heart rather than her stomach, and she recognizes the ache she’s been dampening for years. But Mason doesn’t seem to mind at all.
“Oh ho, ya know, I haven’t had a real home cooked meal since-“
“Forever?” Carter interjects dourly.
“…Right…” Mason’s face falls, and there, right there. Her mother’s absence is given acknowledgement, and there’s a cold weight to the air now.
Me and you, pal.
Me and you, Dad.
So, who gave Rosie the right to bring out all this stuff, and bring up all these feelings? Who gave her the right to break all the unwritten laws that have kept this family together? Who gave her the right to barge in and appropriate her family, her home, her life? It seems like ever since this princess showed up, the things that Carter lacks have been brought into sharp focus - nice clothes, a big house, good grades, a mother. It makes her feel weak, and Carter does not like feeling weak. She lashes out.
And as Rosie excuses herself from the kitchen, the look from her father instills a terrible guilt within Carter. Her eyes settle on the shine of her mother’s glassware, the stuff she used to love cooking with, and she calms herself before going after the upset princess.
~~\/~~
“Let’s just start over,” Carter says as she leans forward, after hearing Rosie’s heartfelt monologue about her country, her mother, and her wish to try harder to ‘be from Iowa.’
“I would like that,” Rosie says, her eyes still shining slightly from barely un-shed tears.
“But, you need to lighten up on this ‘princess’ stuff, it’s really annoying.”
“Absolutely! Please, I only want to be this, ‘typical American teenager',” Rosie replies enthusiastically.
“Ya know what? ….I think we can arrange that,” Carter smiles as an idea pops into her head. “But first, the smell of dinner is starting to give me a headache because it’s not in my stomach yet. Let’s eat.” Carter gets up from her bed and Rosie follows her, back into the kitchen, where Major Mason’s plate has been licked clean and he is patting his stomach in a way reminiscent of a bear.
“You two made up?”
“Yea dad - hey what!? You couldn’t wait for us?” Carter exclaims as she takes in the sight of Mason’s clean plate.
“What? I was starving! And it was so delicious, Rosie, you’re amazing!” Mason says to defend himself. Carter gives him a wallop to the shoulder, before sitting down and preparing her plate.
Dinner is surprisingly enjoyable, as Mason entertains Rosie with his favorite story about an obstinate Princess who would not leave her bedchambers unless Mason agreed to take her jewels with them. Carter heard this tale a thousand times, and so teasingly reminded Mason that he forgot to mention that he was forced to wear several pieces, because the jewelry chest had been smashed earlier in the riotous coup. The image of a frustrated Agent Mason adorned with pearl earrings and several precious necklaces slapping against his broad chest, bracelets clanging in the wind, as he ran with the princess in tow sent Rosie into a fit of giggles, and Carter found herself feeling proud that she had been the cause.
Carter realizes that she likes Rosie’s laugh; it’s light and bubbly, but not in that annoying fake way that Chelsea or Brooke have - it floats, up and down, like a song in the wind. When she makes this connection though, Carter blushes and coughs, looking down at her plate to finish the last of her rice. Rosie stifles her giggling behind her glass of water as she shares a mirthful glance with Mason, completely missing Carter’s predicament.
Rosie is about to help Mason collect the dishes, when Carter stands up and puts a hand on her forearm to stop her, while addressing her father with a wide smile. “So, I was thinking of showing Rosie the bowling alley, is that cool?”
Mason considers the matter for a moment, but relents at the look on his daughter’s face. “I suppose that’s all right. I also suppose you’ll be needing a ride, correct?” Mason smiles warmly. Carter winks and goes to her room to change into something more comfortable, while Rosie continues helping Mason clean up, despite his attempts at shooing her away.
Five minutes later, Carter’s fingers itch strangely when she holds onto Rosie’s wrist, dragging her to the car in the warm night air.
~~\/~~
Bouncing a bit excitedly on her bed, Rosie chatters away to Carter as she moves about the room getting ready for bed, recounting how wonderful her night went at the bowling alley, learning a new game, making new friends, having the opportunity to act ‘normally.’ Carter desperately wants to scoff at her, because in fact she did the exact opposite - no one has beginner’s luck like that, and it’s unfair the way everyone practically groveled at her feet after only her first strike. Well, Ed actually did grovel, but he’s Ed.
“I think I’m finally becoming accustomed to this American lifestyle, Carter. My new friends, Chelsea and Brooke, gave me their phone numbers on my hand, do you see? They also gave me an informal moniker, ‘Ro’ and invited me to call them ‘Chels’ and ‘Brookie.’ Everyone was just so nice, I had a lovely time, thank you for taking me,” Rosie prattles on as she approaches Carter’s bed.
“Yay for you, glad you had fun,” Carter says as she sits down. Rosie misses the slightly sour tone in her voice because she is momentarily distracted by the way Carter’s two button-fly boxer shorts ride up on her skinny thighs as she shuffles underneath her covers. Rosie’s never really seen such an expanse of skin up close in the palace. It intrigues her in a way with which she is unfamiliar.
Carter quickly realizes that when Rosie is happy, she’s suffocating. Especially when she sits so damn close on Carter’s bed wearing Carter’s old gray jersey and is trying talk about Carter’s friends and Donny.
She’s been here for only 3 days and she thinks she can talk like she knows everything?
Carter feels put off by the fact that ‘you stay on your side, I’ll stay on mine,’ is a concept still not registering with the princess, as her incessant questions about bowling and work add to the uncomfortably tense feeling she has when she can feel Rosie’s body heat next to her, through her blanket. She lashes out at her finally, telling her, “You can’t have everything that’s mine!”
Later that night, Rosie cleans her snakebite by herself in the bathroom, rubbing a generous helping of that special Chinese ointment around the angry, red wound. It burns a lot more than when Carter applied it, and feels uncomfortably wet under the bandage when she walks, but Rosie is preoccupied with thoughts of Carter’s last words to her: “You want a job so bad? Go get one yourself.”
Before returning to Carter’s room, the princess heads for the kitchen and picks up the phone, squinting in the dim light to read Chelsea’s number etched on her hand in black marker.
~ Chapter 5 - Innocuous
yes, I did have to use a dictionary to find an appropriate word for the title of this part, but I think I've found a new favorite word, so yay!
Fandom: Princess Protection Program
Pairing: Carter/Rosie
Rating: G
Words: ~2300
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, not intended for profit or offense. I own no rights to the subjects.
Summary: A snake bite has aggravated the already fragile relationship between tomboy Carter Mason and misplaced Princess Rosalinda Montoya. The weekend, however, brings about a slight change in Carter’s perception of Rosie.
Chapter One of Venomous
Chapter Two - Pernicious
Chapter Three - Detrimental
Carter is both relieved and miffed that today is Saturday. She’s been saved from another awkwardly horrible day at Lake Monroe High School with Rosie shadowing her everywhere, but she’s still stuck at work in the bait shop with Rosie shadowing her everywhere. Carter’s a little lost as to how Rosie still feels it necessary to hang around Carter when she’s been so bitchy to her.
When Rosie offers to ‘learn chores,’ Carter’s day suddenly takes a turn for the better.
Having pawned off her least favorite duty to the naïve princess, Carter walks out with a mischievous skip in her step to where her father is glossing the hull of one of his rental fishing boats. There won’t be much demand for the vessel until the summer arrives, with the promise of Lake Monroe’s Annual Fishing Tournament, but it’s a job that’s been a few years overdue. Without being told, Carter picks up a brush and begins assisting, following the line her father sets for her.
“So… how are we feeling this morning? A little less grumpy, I hope?”
“Ugh, Dad, stop it. You’d be grumpy too if a pretentious princess commandeered your bedroom, your dining table, your bathroom and your school.”
“Sharing, Carter. The term is sharing,” Mason retorts, a bit of a smile present in his words. Carter feels the late morning sun beat down on her neck, like it’s shedding a spotlight on her insecurities. She huffs the feeling away. Mason copies her. Carter gives him a narrowed side-glance; he returns it with fervor. She threatens to flick black gloss at him; he chuckles and raises his hands in submission.
Clearing his throat, Mason assumes his ‘parental tone,’ as Carter likes to call it, and says, “Listen pal, it’s a sacrifice we’re all making, for her safety. We’re doing a good thing here. We’re saving a princess - I remember you used to be pretty good at that.”
Carter purses her lips and wipes a strand of dark hair from her face, “I’d rather not traipse down memory lane, right now, Dad.”
“All right, all right, fine. I’ll quite lecturin’. Just remember, we’re a team. You and me, pal.”
“Mnnn,” Carter grunts.
“C’mooooon…” Mason solicts.
“Mnnmm, you and me, Dad,” Carter obliges in a monotone.
“That’a girl.”
The time spent tending the boat passes quickly, interrupted occasionally by friendly waving and conversation with local lake enthusiasts and repeat customers to Joe’s Bait Shop. Carter feels pretty content, working under the sun with her dad - until a crash from within the bait shop brings an abrupt end to that feeling and replaces it with... guilt.
Mason is quick to help the shell-shocked Rosie from her carpet of worms, but Carter is struggling to keep from erupting in laughter. Her control drops however as soon as the princess stumbles off to ‘bathe’. Despite having to clean up Rosie’s mess, her day is indeed looking up.
~\/~
By 2 o’clock, it’s time to add another layer of painted gloss to the boat’s hull, so Carter goes to the shed to grab the bucket of black goop. Rosie appears behind her, freshly scrubbed and in a new, equally girly outfit.
“Hello Carter. I have bathed.” Carter puts down the bucket and gives Rosie a golf clap.
“Good job,” is Carter’s smart-alec response.
“I was wondering if there were any other chores I could learn, perhaps something that doesn’t involve insects?” Rosie’s voice is clipped, and it’s obvious to Carter that she’s quite embarrassed by the whole thing. This puts Carter in a great mood.
“Nah, there’s really nothing else, princess. Dad and me are going to finish with the boat, then reset the bait traps. Did you eat?”
“No, I have not.”
“Well, you should. You can use whatever you find in the kitchen. I’m sure you can handle that much,” Carter says as she picks up the bucket again and smirks.
Rosie purses her lips, and squints her eyes, but nods curtly and turns to leave. But as she takes a step, her face takes on an uncomfortable cringe and she reaches down to scratch at her wounded leg through her jeans. Carter stops and makes a face, suspicious, her eyebrow admonishing in its high arch. Rosie quickly stops scratching and straightens up.
“You ok?” Carter’s voice is more teasing than concerned.
“Yes, fine.” Rosie keeps her head high and marches toward the house. Carter chuckles lightly at Rosie’s uncomfortable demeanor, but sighs heavily when she realizes she’ll have to inspect the wound again, if it’s causing Rosie discomfort.
~~\/~~
Rosie gets a brilliant idea once she has food in her stomach - She’ll make dinner, to make up for her mistake in the bait shop earlier. She happened upon a set of nice, albeit slightly dusty, dishes and cookware hidden a bit inconveniently in the cupboards next to the kitchen wall, and realized Major Mason’s refrigerator/freezer contained all the necessary ingredients for her mother’s arroz compoyo recipe. While the rice is cooking and the chicken is defrosting, she ventures outside to catch the rays of yellowing sunlight, trying to keep her mind from dwelling on what Carter’s reaction to her handiwork will be; she hopes maybe this thoughtful act will finally earn Carter’s appreciation, or at least make her a bit more amicable.
Rosie wanders over to the field where she had her encounter with the snake, this time remembering Carter’s words and using a stick to cautiously stir the tall grass near the edge, where a small gathering of wild flowers draws her attention. Feeling secure, she crouches down to inspect the pretty colors. The memory of her 8th birthday is triggered, when Henri the Gardens Keeper planted a flower garden for her, and taught her to brocade a crown with the blossoms. Smiling genuinely, Rosie picks a few of the blossoms and leaves and takes them back inside.
When Carter steps into the kitchen and beholds the delicate arrangement of her mother’s dishes, she’s swooped back in time to the evening of her father’s glorious return from his promotion at the PPP, and the ensuing fight that happened later that evening. The smell that invades her senses strikes a chord in her heart rather than her stomach, and she recognizes the ache she’s been dampening for years. But Mason doesn’t seem to mind at all.
“Oh ho, ya know, I haven’t had a real home cooked meal since-“
“Forever?” Carter interjects dourly.
“…Right…” Mason’s face falls, and there, right there. Her mother’s absence is given acknowledgement, and there’s a cold weight to the air now.
Me and you, pal.
Me and you, Dad.
So, who gave Rosie the right to bring out all this stuff, and bring up all these feelings? Who gave her the right to break all the unwritten laws that have kept this family together? Who gave her the right to barge in and appropriate her family, her home, her life? It seems like ever since this princess showed up, the things that Carter lacks have been brought into sharp focus - nice clothes, a big house, good grades, a mother. It makes her feel weak, and Carter does not like feeling weak. She lashes out.
And as Rosie excuses herself from the kitchen, the look from her father instills a terrible guilt within Carter. Her eyes settle on the shine of her mother’s glassware, the stuff she used to love cooking with, and she calms herself before going after the upset princess.
~~\/~~
“Let’s just start over,” Carter says as she leans forward, after hearing Rosie’s heartfelt monologue about her country, her mother, and her wish to try harder to ‘be from Iowa.’
“I would like that,” Rosie says, her eyes still shining slightly from barely un-shed tears.
“But, you need to lighten up on this ‘princess’ stuff, it’s really annoying.”
“Absolutely! Please, I only want to be this, ‘typical American teenager',” Rosie replies enthusiastically.
“Ya know what? ….I think we can arrange that,” Carter smiles as an idea pops into her head. “But first, the smell of dinner is starting to give me a headache because it’s not in my stomach yet. Let’s eat.” Carter gets up from her bed and Rosie follows her, back into the kitchen, where Major Mason’s plate has been licked clean and he is patting his stomach in a way reminiscent of a bear.
“You two made up?”
“Yea dad - hey what!? You couldn’t wait for us?” Carter exclaims as she takes in the sight of Mason’s clean plate.
“What? I was starving! And it was so delicious, Rosie, you’re amazing!” Mason says to defend himself. Carter gives him a wallop to the shoulder, before sitting down and preparing her plate.
Dinner is surprisingly enjoyable, as Mason entertains Rosie with his favorite story about an obstinate Princess who would not leave her bedchambers unless Mason agreed to take her jewels with them. Carter heard this tale a thousand times, and so teasingly reminded Mason that he forgot to mention that he was forced to wear several pieces, because the jewelry chest had been smashed earlier in the riotous coup. The image of a frustrated Agent Mason adorned with pearl earrings and several precious necklaces slapping against his broad chest, bracelets clanging in the wind, as he ran with the princess in tow sent Rosie into a fit of giggles, and Carter found herself feeling proud that she had been the cause.
Carter realizes that she likes Rosie’s laugh; it’s light and bubbly, but not in that annoying fake way that Chelsea or Brooke have - it floats, up and down, like a song in the wind. When she makes this connection though, Carter blushes and coughs, looking down at her plate to finish the last of her rice. Rosie stifles her giggling behind her glass of water as she shares a mirthful glance with Mason, completely missing Carter’s predicament.
Rosie is about to help Mason collect the dishes, when Carter stands up and puts a hand on her forearm to stop her, while addressing her father with a wide smile. “So, I was thinking of showing Rosie the bowling alley, is that cool?”
Mason considers the matter for a moment, but relents at the look on his daughter’s face. “I suppose that’s all right. I also suppose you’ll be needing a ride, correct?” Mason smiles warmly. Carter winks and goes to her room to change into something more comfortable, while Rosie continues helping Mason clean up, despite his attempts at shooing her away.
Five minutes later, Carter’s fingers itch strangely when she holds onto Rosie’s wrist, dragging her to the car in the warm night air.
~~\/~~
Bouncing a bit excitedly on her bed, Rosie chatters away to Carter as she moves about the room getting ready for bed, recounting how wonderful her night went at the bowling alley, learning a new game, making new friends, having the opportunity to act ‘normally.’ Carter desperately wants to scoff at her, because in fact she did the exact opposite - no one has beginner’s luck like that, and it’s unfair the way everyone practically groveled at her feet after only her first strike. Well, Ed actually did grovel, but he’s Ed.
“I think I’m finally becoming accustomed to this American lifestyle, Carter. My new friends, Chelsea and Brooke, gave me their phone numbers on my hand, do you see? They also gave me an informal moniker, ‘Ro’ and invited me to call them ‘Chels’ and ‘Brookie.’ Everyone was just so nice, I had a lovely time, thank you for taking me,” Rosie prattles on as she approaches Carter’s bed.
“Yay for you, glad you had fun,” Carter says as she sits down. Rosie misses the slightly sour tone in her voice because she is momentarily distracted by the way Carter’s two button-fly boxer shorts ride up on her skinny thighs as she shuffles underneath her covers. Rosie’s never really seen such an expanse of skin up close in the palace. It intrigues her in a way with which she is unfamiliar.
Carter quickly realizes that when Rosie is happy, she’s suffocating. Especially when she sits so damn close on Carter’s bed wearing Carter’s old gray jersey and is trying talk about Carter’s friends and Donny.
She’s been here for only 3 days and she thinks she can talk like she knows everything?
Carter feels put off by the fact that ‘you stay on your side, I’ll stay on mine,’ is a concept still not registering with the princess, as her incessant questions about bowling and work add to the uncomfortably tense feeling she has when she can feel Rosie’s body heat next to her, through her blanket. She lashes out at her finally, telling her, “You can’t have everything that’s mine!”
Later that night, Rosie cleans her snakebite by herself in the bathroom, rubbing a generous helping of that special Chinese ointment around the angry, red wound. It burns a lot more than when Carter applied it, and feels uncomfortably wet under the bandage when she walks, but Rosie is preoccupied with thoughts of Carter’s last words to her: “You want a job so bad? Go get one yourself.”
Before returning to Carter’s room, the princess heads for the kitchen and picks up the phone, squinting in the dim light to read Chelsea’s number etched on her hand in black marker.
~ Chapter 5 - Innocuous
yes, I did have to use a dictionary to find an appropriate word for the title of this part, but I think I've found a new favorite word, so yay!