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
( ... )
Smiling, Fred watched Rupert and Charlie together as he showed her what to do to feed Molly. She rubbed her stomach, thinking that he was going to be such a good father. He was used to dealing with girls because of his job, and he cared so much.
"Molly would eat all day if we let her," Fred said as she walked over to the door and let said topic of conversation. Molly ran in and over to where Charlie was putting down the bowls, licking her face and hand before diving into her food. "I swear, sometimes she acts like we never feed her."
Walking over to the fridge, she pulled out the butter and jam and took them over to the table to set them down. She then took a sip of her orange juice before going to the cabinet and taking down three plates.
"Charlie, would you mind setting these on the table for me while I get out some knives and spoons?" she asked. "And then we should probably make some tea for Rupert since he's making our toast. What do you say?"
Charlie let out a small giggle when Molly came over to her and licked her face and hand. She carefully put the bowl on the floor and watched Molly eat her food for a moment before Fred spoke to her. She nodded her head and went to the tap. She washed her hands and then took the plates from Fred.
“I’ve helped my mum a lot with making tea. We used to have real tea parties,” she explained as she carefully sat the plates on the kitchen table. “We would go to the bakery and get scones and then come back to the house and have tea ready for my father when he returned from work.”
She went over to the counter and carefully unscrewed the top of the tea canister. Charlie knew the water should be done by Fred since she was never allowed to touch the kettle at her old home. “How many scoops?” she asked, looking over at Rupert.
“Two will be fine,” he said as he pulled the toast out of the oven.
Charlie carefully measured out two scoops of loose tea and waited for Fred to pour the hot water in.
Pulling out the silverware, Fred looked over at Charlie, smiling softly as she explained the tea parties she and her mother would have read for her father. She then glanced over at Rupert. There was just something about this little girl that made her wish she could make her life better
( ... )
Once the tea was ready and the toast on the table, Giles sat down and placed a couple slices of toast on Charlie’s plate. He then handed her a knife and when she said she liked strawberry jam, he slid the jar over to her. He watched her for a moment, and when he was sure she could handle speading the jam on, he turned his attention to his own toast.
“What grade are you in, Charlie?” He asked as he placed some milk in his tea.
“Grade three. My primary school is in Devon, though,” she commented.
“That’s all right. There’s plenty of schools here in London.” Giles knew they would probably have to send her to a private one or tutor her themselves.
After he finished his tea and toast, Giles stood from the table. “I’m going to take a shower and you ladies can have the bathroom for whatever you need it for,” he said before leaning down and softly kissing Fred on the forehead. “Leave the dishes, love. I’ll clean up after my shower.”
School. That was something they were going to have take care of for Charlie, Fred realized as she nibbled at her toast and drank some more of her juice. But if they put her in a normal state-run school, she knew that was liable to bring problems, especially if the Council learned that they were sheltering her. Plus, there was the fact that Charlie would still need to learn to deal with her new powers - Fred didn't want her freaking out if something happened because she wasn't aware how strong she was now
( ... )
Charlie quietly ate her toast and when she was finished, she looked up at Fred. She knew what she wanted but she wasn’t sure if they would get it for her. They might think it was silly to spend money on something she didn’t even really need. She didn’t want them to get upset with her and make her go back to the orphanage. Charlie rather liked living with them.
When Fred held out her hand, Charlie took it and went upstairs with her. Rupert was just coming out of the bathroom and smiled at the two of them before slipping into the bedroom he shared with Fred. Charlie then walked into the guest bedroom and picked up her book bag.
“I don’t remember where my mum and I went shopping,” she quietly said as she sat down and looked up at Fred. “And there is something I want but you might think it’s stupid.”
She unzipped her book bag and pulled out her tattered copy of A Little Princess. “I used to have a whole stack full of books but I couldn’t bring them with me,” she explained as she careful put the book on the bed. “This is my
( ... )
"Well, that doesn't matter," Fred assured Charlie, letting go of her hand when they reached the guest bedroom. "We'll find a place that sells things that you'll love, I'm sure."
She furrowed her brow, however, when Charlie said there was something she wanted that they might think stupid, wondering what in the world that could be. Weren't children supposed to want grand and great things? Even if they couldn't possibly get it for her, Fred was sure she wasn't going to think it was stupid. After all, she had wanted a dragon as a pet as a child. Until her parents had explained that even if dragons had been real, it would have burned the crops with its fire breath and caused problems for the cows.
Then Charlie took out a worn and obviously many times read copy of A Little Princess. Fred looked down at it in amazement before looking over at her, a small lump coming to her throat. "This...this is your favorite book ever?" she asked softly before giving her a smile. "It's mine too. My parents got it for me for the first time when I
( ... )
Charlie was glad Fred didn’t think she was stupid. She loved her books more than anything and didn’t understand why she couldn’t take all of them with her, along with her toys and clothes. She sometimes wondered if the things were still there but the nun said the house had been sold to someone else. Most likely they had thrown all of her things away
( ... )
Fred smiled and leaned over Charlie, wrapping her arms around her head in a hug since she was too short for her to hug properly. She felt a connection to the little girl, not just because of the book. There was something about her that Fred just felt a kinship with
( ... )
“I think I can handle the laundry,” Rupert said as he softly kissed his wife. He reached out and softy touched Charlie’s cheek before walking out of the room.
Charlie went into the bathroom and started to take off her gown as Fred filled the tub with water. “You can stay if you want,” she said. Once she saw the tub was filled, Charlie carefully got in and sat down.
“I think you’re going to have to help me wash my hair,” she said, giving Fred a small smile. “It’s really long and I have trouble getting all the shampoo out. The nuns at the orphanage always hated washing it and tried to cut it once. I ran away so they wouldn’t.”
She shrugged a little and picked up the wash cloth and started to wash her body.
"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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"Molly would eat all day if we let her," Fred said as she walked over to the door and let said topic of conversation. Molly ran in and over to where Charlie was putting down the bowls, licking her face and hand before diving into her food. "I swear, sometimes she acts like we never feed her."
Walking over to the fridge, she pulled out the butter and jam and took them over to the table to set them down. She then took a sip of her orange juice before going to the cabinet and taking down three plates.
"Charlie, would you mind setting these on the table for me while I get out some knives and spoons?" she asked. "And then we should probably make some tea for Rupert since he's making our toast. What do you say?"
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“I’ve helped my mum a lot with making tea. We used to have real tea parties,” she explained as she carefully sat the plates on the kitchen table. “We would go to the bakery and get scones and then come back to the house and have tea ready for my father when he returned from work.”
She went over to the counter and carefully unscrewed the top of the tea canister. Charlie knew the water should be done by Fred since she was never allowed to touch the kettle at her old home. “How many scoops?” she asked, looking over at Rupert.
“Two will be fine,” he said as he pulled the toast out of the oven.
Charlie carefully measured out two scoops of loose tea and waited for Fred to pour the hot water in.
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“What grade are you in, Charlie?” He asked as he placed some milk in his tea.
“Grade three. My primary school is in Devon, though,” she commented.
“That’s all right. There’s plenty of schools here in London.” Giles knew they would probably have to send her to a private one or tutor her themselves.
After he finished his tea and toast, Giles stood from the table. “I’m going to take a shower and you ladies can have the bathroom for whatever you need it for,” he said before leaning down and softly kissing Fred on the forehead. “Leave the dishes, love. I’ll clean up after my shower.”
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When Fred held out her hand, Charlie took it and went upstairs with her. Rupert was just coming out of the bathroom and smiled at the two of them before slipping into the bedroom he shared with Fred. Charlie then walked into the guest bedroom and picked up her book bag.
“I don’t remember where my mum and I went shopping,” she quietly said as she sat down and looked up at Fred. “And there is something I want but you might think it’s stupid.”
She unzipped her book bag and pulled out her tattered copy of A Little Princess. “I used to have a whole stack full of books but I couldn’t bring them with me,” she explained as she careful put the book on the bed. “This is my ( ... )
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She furrowed her brow, however, when Charlie said there was something she wanted that they might think stupid, wondering what in the world that could be. Weren't children supposed to want grand and great things? Even if they couldn't possibly get it for her, Fred was sure she wasn't going to think it was stupid. After all, she had wanted a dragon as a pet as a child. Until her parents had explained that even if dragons had been real, it would have burned the crops with its fire breath and caused problems for the cows.
Then Charlie took out a worn and obviously many times read copy of A Little Princess. Fred looked down at it in amazement before looking over at her, a small lump coming to her throat. "This...this is your favorite book ever?" she asked softly before giving her a smile. "It's mine too. My parents got it for me for the first time when I ( ... )
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Charlie went into the bathroom and started to take off her gown as Fred filled the tub with water. “You can stay if you want,” she said. Once she saw the tub was filled, Charlie carefully got in and sat down.
“I think you’re going to have to help me wash my hair,” she said, giving Fred a small smile. “It’s really long and I have trouble getting all the shampoo out. The nuns at the orphanage always hated washing it and tried to cut it once. I ran away so they wouldn’t.”
She shrugged a little and picked up the wash cloth and started to wash her body.
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