(no subject)
Continued from Here
After I waited for about an hour, the children were starting to get restless. Marilee kept glancing at the blood in her clothes, and Alicia tried very not to do the same. And they kept scratching their hands, faces and arms. I knew those signs of course. One doesn't work in this profession for so long and not. It was time for a shower. Alicia ensured me that 'Yes! She could do this alone'. This was of course accompanied with an eyeroll which looked disturbingly familiar. There were also threats that were I to peek in to, say leave a shirt? And not knock, she'd do something nasty. And for some reason I believed her to. Her modest streak was even worse then mine, which I found amusing.
Unfortunately, modesty was a concept which deluded five year olds. Apparently. Because at the moment I had one tiny streaker running through my flat. And wasn't that something I'd thought I'd ever see? "Marilee, would you please get here and put on the shirt for now before you catch a cold?"
"Cwatch me!" She shrieked, flailing her arms and running away again. She giggled, which I suppose is good. Or maybe not. I don't know, children do usually bounce back quickly. But not that quick. Or do they? I don't know the first thing about children. What was I thinking when I took them here?
Quickly squashing down on yet another surge of panic, I sighed and gave her a disapproving look. I've tried blackmail, I've tried bribery, I've tried being nice. But she just kept running through my flat like some young fowl, and naked at that. "Marilee! You get here now!"
She stopped short in her tacks and turned to me slowly. Which was when I noticed the error of my approach. Far to bright, big and blue eyes looked back at me. Her bottom lip wobbled and yes, there were the first tears. Dammit. "No, no. Please don't cry sweetheart." I quickly made my way over to her and picked her up. "Wesley didn't mean it that way alright? I'm just worried you'll catch a cold." Rubbing my hand over her back, which was cold I may add, I sighed.
"I can be a gwood gwirl," she said in a far to small voice. And in a tone I recognized all to well. "Plwease don't send us 'way."
I frowned and looked back at her. "Of course not," I stated firmly. "Why would I do that? You or your sister are not going anywhere." And I was well aware of the fact that I was starting to dig my own grave here. But for some reason, I didn't care. Dropping a kiss on her forehead, I smiled at her and nodded toward the shower. "Let's see if your sister is done so we can put you under the shower, hmm?"
She was looking down and fiddled a bit with the buttons on my shirt, but there was a tiny nod. "Kay," she whispered, peeking at me from under her eyelashes.
I nodded back and walked over to the bathroom door, but before I could knock, said door was flung open. "Green is *so* not my color!" Alicia announced, looking terribly disgusted. She stood there, hands on her hips, hair dripping wet and glaring at me.
"I...uh...I gave you two shirts?" I tried. Which I had. I'd put out a dark brown and this green shirt, after I had knocked of course.
"*Brown?! You want me to wear *brown*?" She rolled her eye in that all knowing way only certain girls seem to be able off. Cordelia comes to mind. Dear god, I *am* dealing with her mini version here. "That doesn't go with my *eyes*!" She sighed again and I just shrugged. "Miss Cordelia would've known that," she muttered under her breath.
"There's nothing wrong with blue and brown," I equally muttered, pushing past her and carrying Marilee into the bathroom. I set her down on the floor and then checked the temperature of the still running shower.
"I couldn't reach the taps," Alicia said. She gave me a look as though trying to asses if I'd be mad about that.
"That's quite alright," I smiled at her and then turned to Marilee. "Let's get you under the shower, little one." I put down the toilet seat and sat down on it. Before I could do anything though, a hairbrush was shoved under my nose. I frowned at it, wondering just when I'd acquire a rather elegant, redbown, very expensive lady-like looking brush like that. Lilah? Well, it could be, I didn't have time to think about that. And leave it to Alicia to find a thing like that.
"Yes?" I gave her a puzzled look while trying to get Marilee under the shower. "I'm about to bathe your sister. Surely you can brush your own hair?"
"No," Alicia said, as though I should've know that. "And she can do it herself."
"I cwan do it m'self," Marilee echoed and to proof this she stepped into the shower and flopped down on the floor. I gave her a dubious look. I wasn't entirely certain, but I'd give them the benefit of the doubt. I handed her the sponge and some soap and then watched wearily she started to wash anything but herself. Raising my eyebrow I looked back at Alicia.
"Marilee," she chided, waggling a finger at her sister. Marilee pouted but then started to, clumsily, wash herself. Of course that was when I nearly got my nose smacked off again by that blasted hairbrush.
The next half hour I spend trying to brush Alicia's hair, with a lot of side comments from her mini majesty herself. Trying to keep Marilee from drowning since she kept looking up and her mouth open. And for some reason this resulted in me getting completely drenched. Which was when I noticed I was still wearing Angel's far to big shirt. Aren't we a funny trio. When I finally got them out of the shower, in a new fresh shirt, hair brushed and on the sofa with milk and cookies, I thank god still had in my cupboard, another new hit me. I had no clothes for them and they couldn't very well go out in those shirts. Apparently the brown one had been unanimously been declared ugly. But Marilee had put them on grudgingly after announcing that 'Mistwer Angel had prettier shirts'. Well, if you like black, I suppose so.
"I want my Boo," Marilee said quietly.
"Pardon?" Booh? What's a Booh?
"That's her...stuffed...animal...thing. I think it's a hedgehog," Alicia explained with an air that she obviously thought it was remarkably stupid for her sister to want her Boo.
"Is a *Womabat!" Marilee protested.
"Ah," I nodded at that. We had to go over to their house and get them some things anyway I think. "I'll see what I can do. I'm just uh...g-going to," I stood up and pointed at the bedroom, "put on a dry shirt. I'll be right back alright?"
They both nodded, but they were obviously enthralled by some sponge dancing around on the telly. And what on earth was that pink thing? I don't think I want to know. Giving them both a reassuring smile, I quickly made my way over to the bedroom and got out a shirt. I also took the opportunity to try and reach someone. I really needed to talk to Gunn about any legal matters. And hopefully Cordelia would come over and...help me out a little. Or Angel. The girls both knew them. And it was obviously that Alicia was quite taken by Cordelia and Marilee probably liked Angel. He had, after all, lend her a far prettier shirt.
Of course everyone was still in a meeting. I left a message with Harmony that either Angel or Cordelia contact me when they were done. Of course, knowing Harmony that might take quite a while. So I left a message on Angel's cellphone a well, paused when I remembered just how well that usually worked and then left a message on his penthouse answering machine also. That done, I walked back into the living room again and sat down next to the girls.
Marilee crawled on my lap, put her thumb in her mouth and her head on my shoulder. I wrapped one arm around her and looked down at her amused. Someone was going to be asleep very soon. Not that I could blame her after everything she'd gone through today. Alicia, however was wide awake. And detriment to lecture me on the why and how of...'sponge Bob'. I slunked down on the sofa, plastered a smile on my face, and vowed to murder an and all sponges named Bob. My eyes kept ticking toward the phone hoping someone would call soon, or even better, show up.
Because really, I was going to need some help when it finally was going to hit these two that their parents were gone.
[Open for Cordelia and/or Angel when they're done in the office]
After I waited for about an hour, the children were starting to get restless. Marilee kept glancing at the blood in her clothes, and Alicia tried very not to do the same. And they kept scratching their hands, faces and arms. I knew those signs of course. One doesn't work in this profession for so long and not. It was time for a shower. Alicia ensured me that 'Yes! She could do this alone'. This was of course accompanied with an eyeroll which looked disturbingly familiar. There were also threats that were I to peek in to, say leave a shirt? And not knock, she'd do something nasty. And for some reason I believed her to. Her modest streak was even worse then mine, which I found amusing.
Unfortunately, modesty was a concept which deluded five year olds. Apparently. Because at the moment I had one tiny streaker running through my flat. And wasn't that something I'd thought I'd ever see? "Marilee, would you please get here and put on the shirt for now before you catch a cold?"
"Cwatch me!" She shrieked, flailing her arms and running away again. She giggled, which I suppose is good. Or maybe not. I don't know, children do usually bounce back quickly. But not that quick. Or do they? I don't know the first thing about children. What was I thinking when I took them here?
Quickly squashing down on yet another surge of panic, I sighed and gave her a disapproving look. I've tried blackmail, I've tried bribery, I've tried being nice. But she just kept running through my flat like some young fowl, and naked at that. "Marilee! You get here now!"
She stopped short in her tacks and turned to me slowly. Which was when I noticed the error of my approach. Far to bright, big and blue eyes looked back at me. Her bottom lip wobbled and yes, there were the first tears. Dammit. "No, no. Please don't cry sweetheart." I quickly made my way over to her and picked her up. "Wesley didn't mean it that way alright? I'm just worried you'll catch a cold." Rubbing my hand over her back, which was cold I may add, I sighed.
"I can be a gwood gwirl," she said in a far to small voice. And in a tone I recognized all to well. "Plwease don't send us 'way."
I frowned and looked back at her. "Of course not," I stated firmly. "Why would I do that? You or your sister are not going anywhere." And I was well aware of the fact that I was starting to dig my own grave here. But for some reason, I didn't care. Dropping a kiss on her forehead, I smiled at her and nodded toward the shower. "Let's see if your sister is done so we can put you under the shower, hmm?"
She was looking down and fiddled a bit with the buttons on my shirt, but there was a tiny nod. "Kay," she whispered, peeking at me from under her eyelashes.
I nodded back and walked over to the bathroom door, but before I could knock, said door was flung open. "Green is *so* not my color!" Alicia announced, looking terribly disgusted. She stood there, hands on her hips, hair dripping wet and glaring at me.
"I...uh...I gave you two shirts?" I tried. Which I had. I'd put out a dark brown and this green shirt, after I had knocked of course.
"*Brown?! You want me to wear *brown*?" She rolled her eye in that all knowing way only certain girls seem to be able off. Cordelia comes to mind. Dear god, I *am* dealing with her mini version here. "That doesn't go with my *eyes*!" She sighed again and I just shrugged. "Miss Cordelia would've known that," she muttered under her breath.
"There's nothing wrong with blue and brown," I equally muttered, pushing past her and carrying Marilee into the bathroom. I set her down on the floor and then checked the temperature of the still running shower.
"I couldn't reach the taps," Alicia said. She gave me a look as though trying to asses if I'd be mad about that.
"That's quite alright," I smiled at her and then turned to Marilee. "Let's get you under the shower, little one." I put down the toilet seat and sat down on it. Before I could do anything though, a hairbrush was shoved under my nose. I frowned at it, wondering just when I'd acquire a rather elegant, redbown, very expensive lady-like looking brush like that. Lilah? Well, it could be, I didn't have time to think about that. And leave it to Alicia to find a thing like that.
"Yes?" I gave her a puzzled look while trying to get Marilee under the shower. "I'm about to bathe your sister. Surely you can brush your own hair?"
"No," Alicia said, as though I should've know that. "And she can do it herself."
"I cwan do it m'self," Marilee echoed and to proof this she stepped into the shower and flopped down on the floor. I gave her a dubious look. I wasn't entirely certain, but I'd give them the benefit of the doubt. I handed her the sponge and some soap and then watched wearily she started to wash anything but herself. Raising my eyebrow I looked back at Alicia.
"Marilee," she chided, waggling a finger at her sister. Marilee pouted but then started to, clumsily, wash herself. Of course that was when I nearly got my nose smacked off again by that blasted hairbrush.
The next half hour I spend trying to brush Alicia's hair, with a lot of side comments from her mini majesty herself. Trying to keep Marilee from drowning since she kept looking up and her mouth open. And for some reason this resulted in me getting completely drenched. Which was when I noticed I was still wearing Angel's far to big shirt. Aren't we a funny trio. When I finally got them out of the shower, in a new fresh shirt, hair brushed and on the sofa with milk and cookies, I thank god still had in my cupboard, another new hit me. I had no clothes for them and they couldn't very well go out in those shirts. Apparently the brown one had been unanimously been declared ugly. But Marilee had put them on grudgingly after announcing that 'Mistwer Angel had prettier shirts'. Well, if you like black, I suppose so.
"I want my Boo," Marilee said quietly.
"Pardon?" Booh? What's a Booh?
"That's her...stuffed...animal...thing. I think it's a hedgehog," Alicia explained with an air that she obviously thought it was remarkably stupid for her sister to want her Boo.
"Is a *Womabat!" Marilee protested.
"Ah," I nodded at that. We had to go over to their house and get them some things anyway I think. "I'll see what I can do. I'm just uh...g-going to," I stood up and pointed at the bedroom, "put on a dry shirt. I'll be right back alright?"
They both nodded, but they were obviously enthralled by some sponge dancing around on the telly. And what on earth was that pink thing? I don't think I want to know. Giving them both a reassuring smile, I quickly made my way over to the bedroom and got out a shirt. I also took the opportunity to try and reach someone. I really needed to talk to Gunn about any legal matters. And hopefully Cordelia would come over and...help me out a little. Or Angel. The girls both knew them. And it was obviously that Alicia was quite taken by Cordelia and Marilee probably liked Angel. He had, after all, lend her a far prettier shirt.
Of course everyone was still in a meeting. I left a message with Harmony that either Angel or Cordelia contact me when they were done. Of course, knowing Harmony that might take quite a while. So I left a message on Angel's cellphone a well, paused when I remembered just how well that usually worked and then left a message on his penthouse answering machine also. That done, I walked back into the living room again and sat down next to the girls.
Marilee crawled on my lap, put her thumb in her mouth and her head on my shoulder. I wrapped one arm around her and looked down at her amused. Someone was going to be asleep very soon. Not that I could blame her after everything she'd gone through today. Alicia, however was wide awake. And detriment to lecture me on the why and how of...'sponge Bob'. I slunked down on the sofa, plastered a smile on my face, and vowed to murder an and all sponges named Bob. My eyes kept ticking toward the phone hoping someone would call soon, or even better, show up.
Because really, I was going to need some help when it finally was going to hit these two that their parents were gone.
[Open for Cordelia and/or Angel when they're done in the office]