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.
"I used to have tea parties when I was younger but never with real tea," Fred told her as she set the tea cannister on the counter, then filled the electric kettle to heat the water. "Of course, most Americans only use tea bags anyway. My friend Wesley used to complain about that all the time. Said it wasn't proper tea if it wasn't loose tea."
Charlie seemed to know quite well what she was doing, asking Rupert how many scoops he wanted and measuring them out. Fred took the silverware over to the table to set with the plates. After she unscrewed the lids on the jam, she walked back over to the kettle which was finishing boiling. Picking it up, she poured the water into the pot, letting it steep while she got down Rupert's teacup.
"Go sit down, Charlie. We can take care of the rest of this," she told her. She gave Rupert a plate for the toast, then carried the tea over to the table and set it down. "Oh, I hope you like strawberry or black currant jam. I didn't think to ask, and this is all we have at the moment. If there's something else you like, we can pick it up later."
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.
They'd figure it out, though. For right now, they needed to let Charlie get settled and then start helping her with her Slayer powers.
After they'd finished eating, Fred nodded when Rupert said he'd deal with the dishes after he showered. She gave him a kiss then smiled, watching him leave.
"Okay. Since we've been instructed to leave the dishes, I'm going to check on your clothes. Should be ready to put the first load into the dryer and start the next one." She stood up, groaning a bit. "Oof. Still getting used to having a baby on board."
She went to the small room off the kitchen and moved the first load of clothes to the dryer before starting the second. Charlie would at least have something to wear when they went shopping. Once she did that, she returned to Charlie.
"Is there anything in particular you'd like to look for while we're out?" Fred asked her, holding out her hand so they could go upstairs. "Any place you liked to go shopping, like Marks and Spencers or H&M?"
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 favorite book of all time and I was wondering if I could have another copy. It doesn’t even have to be new. But if you think I shouldn’t get one, that’s all right too.”
"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 was about your age, and I read it so many times, it fell apart."
She looked down at the book again, a thought coming to her. "Hold on just a moment," she told her before leaving the room and going into the small library they had set up for all their books. She looked through until she found what she was searching for, pulling her hardback copy of the book of the shelf and taking it back to Charlie.
"Here," she said, placing the book in her hands. "I want you to have this one. Maybe...maybe we could read it together? If you'd like, that is. It's been a while since I've had a chance to read it."
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.
Her brow furrowed when Fred walked out of the room. When she returned, Charlie’s eyes opened wide as she looked down at the book. It was much nice than the one she had when it was brand new. “Thank you!” she excitedly said as she stood up and gave Fred a tight hug.
“What’s going on?” Rupert asked, stepping into the room.
Charlie held up her book and grinned. “Fred gave it to me,” she proudly said.
“Not was nice of her,” Rupert said as he gave Fred a grin. “Why don’t the two of you get cleaned up and get ready to leave. They sooner we finish with the shopping, the sooner I can come home.”
“Don’t you like shopping for girl stuff?” Charlie asked, hopping off the bed.
“Not particularly,” Rupert said, making a small face.
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.
When Rupert came in, Fred looked up at her husband, laughing softly at his comments about shopping for girls. She shook her head and winked at him as she took Charlie's hand. "And the really funny thing is there's going to be yet another girl in the house besides us soon too." She gave him a kiss as they headed out of the room. "Can you check on the laundry and start the second load in the dryer when it's done?"
In the bathroom, Fred leaned over and turned on the faucet before plugging up the tub so Charlie could take a bath. She looked over at her, not sure whether or not she should stay or whether Charlie would want privacy while she bathed.
"Do you--would you like me to stay? If not, I can let you have some privacy while you get cleaned up. You can just call for me when you need me," she said as she got a clean set of towels out.
“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.
"I used to have tea parties when I was younger but never with real tea," Fred told her as she set the tea cannister on the counter, then filled the electric kettle to heat the water. "Of course, most Americans only use tea bags anyway. My friend Wesley used to complain about that all the time. Said it wasn't proper tea if it wasn't loose tea."
Charlie seemed to know quite well what she was doing, asking Rupert how many scoops he wanted and measuring them out. Fred took the silverware over to the table to set with the plates. After she unscrewed the lids on the jam, she walked back over to the kettle which was finishing boiling. Picking it up, she poured the water into the pot, letting it steep while she got down Rupert's teacup.
"Go sit down, Charlie. We can take care of the rest of this," she told her. She gave Rupert a plate for the toast, then carried the tea over to the table and set it down. "Oh, I hope you like strawberry or black currant jam. I didn't think to ask, and this is all we have at the moment. If there's something else you like, we can pick it up later."
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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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They'd figure it out, though. For right now, they needed to let Charlie get settled and then start helping her with her Slayer powers.
After they'd finished eating, Fred nodded when Rupert said he'd deal with the dishes after he showered. She gave him a kiss then smiled, watching him leave.
"Okay. Since we've been instructed to leave the dishes, I'm going to check on your clothes. Should be ready to put the first load into the dryer and start the next one." She stood up, groaning a bit. "Oof. Still getting used to having a baby on board."
She went to the small room off the kitchen and moved the first load of clothes to the dryer before starting the second. Charlie would at least have something to wear when they went shopping. Once she did that, she returned to Charlie.
"Is there anything in particular you'd like to look for while we're out?" Fred asked her, holding out her hand so they could go upstairs. "Any place you liked to go shopping, like Marks and Spencers or H&M?"
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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 favorite book of all time and I was wondering if I could have another copy. It doesn’t even have to be new. But if you think I shouldn’t get one, that’s all right too.”
Reply
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 was about your age, and I read it so many times, it fell apart."
She looked down at the book again, a thought coming to her. "Hold on just a moment," she told her before leaving the room and going into the small library they had set up for all their books. She looked through until she found what she was searching for, pulling her hardback copy of the book of the shelf and taking it back to Charlie.
"Here," she said, placing the book in her hands. "I want you to have this one. Maybe...maybe we could read it together? If you'd like, that is. It's been a while since I've had a chance to read it."
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Her brow furrowed when Fred walked out of the room. When she returned, Charlie’s eyes opened wide as she looked down at the book. It was much nice than the one she had when it was brand new. “Thank you!” she excitedly said as she stood up and gave Fred a tight hug.
“What’s going on?” Rupert asked, stepping into the room.
Charlie held up her book and grinned. “Fred gave it to me,” she proudly said.
“Not was nice of her,” Rupert said as he gave Fred a grin. “Why don’t the two of you get cleaned up and get ready to leave. They sooner we finish with the shopping, the sooner I can come home.”
“Don’t you like shopping for girl stuff?” Charlie asked, hopping off the bed.
“Not particularly,” Rupert said, making a small face.
Charlie giggled and took Fred’s hand.
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When Rupert came in, Fred looked up at her husband, laughing softly at his comments about shopping for girls. She shook her head and winked at him as she took Charlie's hand. "And the really funny thing is there's going to be yet another girl in the house besides us soon too." She gave him a kiss as they headed out of the room. "Can you check on the laundry and start the second load in the dryer when it's done?"
In the bathroom, Fred leaned over and turned on the faucet before plugging up the tub so Charlie could take a bath. She looked over at her, not sure whether or not she should stay or whether Charlie would want privacy while she bathed.
"Do you--would you like me to stay? If not, I can let you have some privacy while you get cleaned up. You can just call for me when you need me," she said as she got a clean set of towels out.
Reply
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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