Random scrap of e2 fic!
So, I was poking through my files (and working a tiny bit on Asylum), and found this scrap, which was almost complete, so I tagged on an ending, and now am providing it to you. Definitely takes place after Back Before We were Brittle, in the regular universe.
Title: Toddlers
Author: Alsike
Fandom: X-Men/Criminal MInds
Pairing: background Emma/Emily
Rating: PG
Summary: Time Travel is Inconvenient.
Word Count: 554
“Goddammit,” Emma muttered to herself. “She gets to fuck a seventeen year old, and I get this?”
This was a terrified toddler, dark hair and eyes, and clearly upset but not crying.
“I teach middle school.” She scowled. “Babies.”
The child winced, but didn’t move or talk. She just sat on the file box in the corner and tried to disappear. Emma sighed. This clearly wasn’t working. She went over to her. “Emily,” she said, and the girl curled more tightly in on herself. Emma let out an exasperated huff and dropped to her knees. “Emily.”
The girl covered her face with her hands.
“Why won’t you speak to me?” Nothing. “Are you not supposed to talk to strangers?”
She shook her head fiercely, still covering her face.
“Is that why you won’t look at me?”
Her shoulders hunched up even higher, as if to hide her face even more fully. Emma considered just blasting her way in and making her want to be friends, but older Emily might take issue with that when she returned. She didn’t have to tell her, but she might recall, and suspect. She sighed, sitting back on her heels. It was beneath her dignity to offer bribes.
“Then I suppose I will introduce myself, although you will know me very well, eventually.”
Dark eyes peeked up over the fingers and Emma quickly suppressed a smile. One good thing about kids was that they wouldn’t not believe you when you explained simple things like time travel. “I’m Emma Frost.” The eyes were still suspicious. “I’m a teacher.”
The fingers moved until she could see all of her wide blinking eyes. That was promising. Children knew that teachers weren’t really strangers.
“And you’re Emily Prentiss.” The girl looked nervous, but didn’t hide again. “How old are you?”
Slowly she moved a hand away from her face and spread it out, showing five fingers. “You’re five? Are you in school yet?”
Emily nodded.
“What grade?” When she looked hesitant, Emma offered an option. “Kindergarten?”
She shook her head, and raised one finger.
“First grade? Really?”
Emily flinched back, wrong step there.
“You must be very smart.”
Emily just looked at her with those big dark eyes and Emma wondered absently how a five year old could be in first grade if she wouldn’t even speak.
“What’s your school like?”
Emily gave a little shrug.
“Are you sure you won’t speak to me?”
Her eyes slid away. “’ts big.” She said softly. “Big kids too.”
“Are you happy there?”
She gave another slight shrug.
“Do you have many friends?”
Now she hunched her shoulders and wouldn’t meet Emma’s eyes. Emma sighed. Emily. People liked her - unlike Emma. It was just her own self-doubt that made her not notice.
“I’d like to be your friend, if you’d have me,” Emma said.
Emily looked up, eyes widening slightly. “Really?”
Emma bit down on a sarcastic eye roll. Toddlers did not understand sarcasm, she reminded herself. “Yes, really,” she said.
A smiled spread across Emily’s face, lighting it up. She reached up, offering her hand. Emma took it. It was not as sticky as she had anticipated.
“Can we play?”
“Yes,” Emma said, for once not wanting to sigh or wriggle out of it. “Lets go play.”
And Emily happily tugged her out the door.
Title: Toddlers
Author: Alsike
Fandom: X-Men/Criminal MInds
Pairing: background Emma/Emily
Rating: PG
Summary: Time Travel is Inconvenient.
Word Count: 554
“Goddammit,” Emma muttered to herself. “She gets to fuck a seventeen year old, and I get this?”
This was a terrified toddler, dark hair and eyes, and clearly upset but not crying.
“I teach middle school.” She scowled. “Babies.”
The child winced, but didn’t move or talk. She just sat on the file box in the corner and tried to disappear. Emma sighed. This clearly wasn’t working. She went over to her. “Emily,” she said, and the girl curled more tightly in on herself. Emma let out an exasperated huff and dropped to her knees. “Emily.”
The girl covered her face with her hands.
“Why won’t you speak to me?” Nothing. “Are you not supposed to talk to strangers?”
She shook her head fiercely, still covering her face.
“Is that why you won’t look at me?”
Her shoulders hunched up even higher, as if to hide her face even more fully. Emma considered just blasting her way in and making her want to be friends, but older Emily might take issue with that when she returned. She didn’t have to tell her, but she might recall, and suspect. She sighed, sitting back on her heels. It was beneath her dignity to offer bribes.
“Then I suppose I will introduce myself, although you will know me very well, eventually.”
Dark eyes peeked up over the fingers and Emma quickly suppressed a smile. One good thing about kids was that they wouldn’t not believe you when you explained simple things like time travel. “I’m Emma Frost.” The eyes were still suspicious. “I’m a teacher.”
The fingers moved until she could see all of her wide blinking eyes. That was promising. Children knew that teachers weren’t really strangers.
“And you’re Emily Prentiss.” The girl looked nervous, but didn’t hide again. “How old are you?”
Slowly she moved a hand away from her face and spread it out, showing five fingers. “You’re five? Are you in school yet?”
Emily nodded.
“What grade?” When she looked hesitant, Emma offered an option. “Kindergarten?”
She shook her head, and raised one finger.
“First grade? Really?”
Emily flinched back, wrong step there.
“You must be very smart.”
Emily just looked at her with those big dark eyes and Emma wondered absently how a five year old could be in first grade if she wouldn’t even speak.
“What’s your school like?”
Emily gave a little shrug.
“Are you sure you won’t speak to me?”
Her eyes slid away. “’ts big.” She said softly. “Big kids too.”
“Are you happy there?”
She gave another slight shrug.
“Do you have many friends?”
Now she hunched her shoulders and wouldn’t meet Emma’s eyes. Emma sighed. Emily. People liked her - unlike Emma. It was just her own self-doubt that made her not notice.
“I’d like to be your friend, if you’d have me,” Emma said.
Emily looked up, eyes widening slightly. “Really?”
Emma bit down on a sarcastic eye roll. Toddlers did not understand sarcasm, she reminded herself. “Yes, really,” she said.
A smiled spread across Emily’s face, lighting it up. She reached up, offering her hand. Emma took it. It was not as sticky as she had anticipated.
“Can we play?”
“Yes,” Emma said, for once not wanting to sigh or wriggle out of it. “Lets go play.”
And Emily happily tugged her out the door.