Fred watched Rupert pack some weapons, praying that they wouldn't need them. They were going to help a little girl for heaven's sakes. It also pained her to know what the Council had turned into that they might be willing to actually fight and force a little girl who probably didn't know what was happening to her to go somewhere she didn't want to go
( ... )
Charlie continued to flip through the book as she held the torch up. She knew if she were caught, she'd get into a lot of trouble. The last time she'd been caught, she had spent most of the day in the laundry room, folding towels and flannels. Charlie didn't want to do that again, so when the door suddenly opened, she quickly turned the torch off and pretended to sleep
( ... )
Giles watched the nun walk out of the office and turned toward Fred. "Plus, there's the Slayer dreams, which can be rather disturbing, especially for a young child," he comment.
Reaching over, he took Fred's hand and held it until the nun returned with the young girl. Giles looked down at Charlie, noting how innocent and young she looked. The fact the Council wanted to hurt her, angered him more than anything. His former employer never did have much respect for human life.
"Hello, Charlie," he said with a warm smile. He crouched down so he was eye level with her. "My name is Rupert Giles and this is my wife Fred. We're here to take you home with us." Charlie just stared at him and he sighed. "I know things are rather hard on you right now, but I promise we'll take care of you. I've worked for a place that works with girls with special abilities like you. I'll be able to help you."
Charlie continued to stare at him, her eyes wide. She then looked at Fred and frowned.
Fred turned when the nun came back into the office, a little girl in tow. Immediately, she felt herself wanting to reach out and hug Charlie, to let her know that everything would be all right, especially when she quietly greeted them while toying with her blouse almost nervously. Before she could say anything, though, Rupert was saying hello and introducing himself before promising to help her
( ... )
When Fred saw Charlie standing practically at attention next to the bed, which had been made so precisely it didn't seem possible, she almost wanted to cry. This little girl was a child, not an automaton.
"Charlie," she started to say before stopping, not sure what to say to her for a minute. It was almost as though she had stepped out of the Annie musical had watched when she was a child. Walking over to the bed, she sat down and reached out to take Charlie's hands, drawing her over to her. "I know we're going to have some rules and such, because everyone needs rules, but...this isn't the orphanage. You don't have to feel like you have to serve or do anything like that. Rupert and I...we want you to feel at home here
( ... )
Charlie looked at Fred and chewed on her bottom lip. She was rather sure this was just another orphanage and there were rules she had to follow. She didn’t want to get in trouble, or have Rupert or Fred upset with her because she didn’t want to get in trouble
( ... )
"Your mom sounds like she was a wonderful person," Fred told Charlie. She felt so bad for this little girl, having lost so much only to have the weight of the world put on her shoulders too. It made her want to protect her even though Charlie was supposed to be protecting people from the monsters
( ... )
Giles looked at Fred ad shrugged at her question. He really wasn’t a fan of cold cereal and the last time he’d seen a box of it in the house was after Willow and Charlotte had watched the house for them. “I’m not sure if we have any cereal,” he said as he looked through the cabinets. “We have oatmeal
( ... )
"I'll stay," Fred said, turning off the faucet while Charlie got into the tub. She stood for a moment, not sure what to do, but finally decided to sit on the tub's edge so she could help Charlie
( ... )
Charlie closed her eyes when Fred poured the water over her head. The water and shampoo was a lot nicer than what was at the orphanage. And when Fred started to lather her hair, Charlie closed her eyes, liking the feel of it.
Once her hair was washed, Charlie blinked her eyes open and looked at Fred. “I think--.”
She didn’t get the chance to finish her sentence before there was a knock on the door, followed by Rupert sticking his head in.
“I’ve some clothes if you’re almost finished,” he said.
“I’m finished,” Charlie announced as she stood from the bathtub and took a towel from Fred.
“If you want to start getting ready, love, I can help Charlie. I know how to brush and braid hair so I think we’ll be all right.”
“You can braid hair?” Charlie asked, her eyes wide.
“My mum taught me when I helped take care of our horses,” Rupert explained as he handed the clothes to Charlie.
“You have horses?”
“Yes,” he said with a nod. “When it gets warm again, we’ll take you out to see them.”
Fred looked up at Rupert, grinning at the thought that he knew how to braid hair. She never would have thought about him knowing how to do something like that. Her husband definitely had lots of hidden talents she was constantly discovering
( ... )
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Reaching over, he took Fred's hand and held it until the nun returned with the young girl. Giles looked down at Charlie, noting how innocent and young she looked. The fact the Council wanted to hurt her, angered him more than anything. His former employer never did have much respect for human life.
"Hello, Charlie," he said with a warm smile. He crouched down so he was eye level with her. "My name is Rupert Giles and this is my wife Fred. We're here to take you home with us." Charlie just stared at him and he sighed. "I know things are rather hard on you right now, but I promise we'll take care of you. I've worked for a place that works with girls with special abilities like you. I'll be able to help you."
Charlie continued to stare at him, her eyes wide. She then looked at Fred and frowned.
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"Charlie," she started to say before stopping, not sure what to say to her for a minute. It was almost as though she had stepped out of the Annie musical had watched when she was a child. Walking over to the bed, she sat down and reached out to take Charlie's hands, drawing her over to her. "I know we're going to have some rules and such, because everyone needs rules, but...this isn't the orphanage. You don't have to feel like you have to serve or do anything like that. Rupert and I...we want you to feel at home here ( ... )
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Once her hair was washed, Charlie blinked her eyes open and looked at Fred. “I think--.”
She didn’t get the chance to finish her sentence before there was a knock on the door, followed by Rupert sticking his head in.
“I’ve some clothes if you’re almost finished,” he said.
“I’m finished,” Charlie announced as she stood from the bathtub and took a towel from Fred.
“If you want to start getting ready, love, I can help Charlie. I know how to brush and braid hair so I think we’ll be all right.”
“You can braid hair?” Charlie asked, her eyes wide.
“My mum taught me when I helped take care of our horses,” Rupert explained as he handed the clothes to Charlie.
“You have horses?”
“Yes,” he said with a nod. “When it gets warm again, we’ll take you out to see them.”
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