Special people deserve special things [tag Ruby/Red; ota]

[anniecuriouser]

It was after school and Christmas was around the corner, school out soon and she'd have a holiday for a few weeks. Annie walked from school toward the village, heading for Tron to see Ruby

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[dannolovesme]

She might notice a girl about her age sitting, bundled up against the cold, reading a book. She was freezing, but she wasn't used to spending so much time indoors and so she'd put on all her new winter clothes and gone to wait for Danno to get off work.

Sometimes she really missed Hawaii.

[anniecuriouser]

Annie did notice the other girl and she approached, of course.

It was, like Alice said to the White Rabbit, "curiouser and curiouser," seeing a girl her age, out in the cold, reading. Annie only knew of one other person to do the same: Her.

"Hallo," she greeted with a smile. "What're ya reading?" Her Irish brogue coming out thick when she spoke.

[dannolovesme]

Grace looked up a bit owlishly, then held up her book. "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. It's about a girl who becomes a sailor on an ocean journey with a mean Captain. Right now she's on trial for killing the first mate."

[anniecuriouser]

Well that didn't seem like a fun book when there was murder and by a ship captain, no less. Annie still liked her fairy tales, especially when some of those people in her books were real here in the village.

Like Ruby.

"My Da's got a boat," she told the other girl. "It's in the Marina. He's a fisherman. Do ya like boats?" She asked.

[dannolovesme]

It was a really good book actually. She ended up being made captain after they realized theirs was the real killer. ANd then when her parents were mean about it all and refused to believe her she ran away to be a sailor forever.

With her new family.

"I've only been on a couple, but I like the ocean and surfing. My dad's a cop, but being a fisherman sounds cool. DOes he catch shrimp? Cause I know a guy who has a shrimp truck."

[anniecuriouser]

"You're Da's a policeman?" That sounded amazing to Annie. And scary. She'd worry a lot about her Da if he were a cop.

"My Da usually catches lobster and fish but I think he can catch shrimp, too." Annie grinned. "But what's a shrimp truck?" Annie was imagining a truck shaped like a shrimp which would be an odd thing to see in the village.

[dannolovesme]

She nodded, "Yeah, Danno and uncle Steve and Chin and Kono. They all work together at home." And it was scary sometimes, like when Danno got hurt.

"A shrimp truck is... a truck that sells shrimp." She shrugged. "It's like a kitchen inside, and Kamekona cooks them and sells them."

[anniecuriouser]

That sounded interesting to Annie. "I'll ask me Da if he can sell shrimp to yer friend." She couldn't say his name so left it out but that made her interested in knowing the other girl.

She smiled and said, "I'm Annie. Me Da's here with me. His name is Syracuse," not Circus, "we're from Castletownbere in Ireland. What's yer name?"

[dannolovesme]

"I'm Grace. My dad's here too, his name is Danno." Well, technically Danny, but that wasn't what she called him. "We're from O'ahu. In Hawaii."

She sort of wrinkled her nose, "Well, first we were from New Jersey."

[anniecuriouser]

"It's nice ta meet ya, Grace," Annie said politely. "So you've been to other places?" Which was also interesting.

"I've only been to Cork but that was when I first started getting sick. And this place," she looked around. "Those are the only places I've been." Already a lot more than what she imagined.

[dannolovesme]

"I've mostly only been to Jersey and O'ahu." Stan wanted to take them to Las Vegas, but she wasn't supposed to know about that. "And here."

She cocked her head, Annie didn't look sick. At least
not to Grace.

"You're sick?"

[anniecuriouser]

"Aye. I was sick, but I'm better after I got Alex's kidney." Annie nodded. "Sometimes I still miss me motorized chair." She grinned. "Only because it makes it easier to get around. Quicker, too, especially when I want to visit me Da at the Marina. Have you been to the Marina?"

[dannolovesme]

Grace shook her head, eyes a little wide - wow a kidney. "Danno hasn't had time to take me and I'm not supposed to go so far by myself."

[anniecuriouser]

Well, that was one thing that never stopped Annie. Maybe it was because her mom was always pissed drunk and never noticed she was gone. Her Da, on the other hand, had no idea how far she usually wandered.

That wasn't how it was now. Now her Da had custody, but that still didn't stop Annie from wandering even here in the village.

"It's too cold out," she began, "but maybe when it warms up you and I can go see me Da and take a ride on his boat ... if yer Da lets you."

[dannolovesme]

Her eyes lit up and she nodded, "That sounds cool. I'm sure I can talk Danno into it."

He was pretty easy to convince as long as it wasn't super dangerous or anything. "He'll probably want to talk to your dad first though."

LJ is being a pest. :/

[anniecuriouser]

"He can talk to me Da. It's safe on the boat. Maybe we'll even meet the mermaid. She helps him out, you see. That's why he's been catching lots of fish." Annie nodded sagely.