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Falling asleep after his poker with Helena and Moist, Joshua didn't think much of anything would happen.
Suddenly, he was no longer in Millways, but in a dimly-lit (to his eyes, at any rate) room, awkwardly staring at papers scattered on a desk. The handwriting was familiar somehow, the ink splatters and prose reminding him of something he just couldn't place. As he reached out to pick up one of the papers and actually read it, a voice came from behind him.
"You know she doesn't like people reading what she's writing until she's done." Joshua turned, startled, only to find an eight-year-old girl looking up at him, a very familiar smirk on her face. "Mummy even hated it when I read what she'd written."
He just stared at the little girl for a moment. "You know, I think I'd recognize you anywhere. You are adorable."
"Thank you, Joshua." Christina ran over and attached to his legs. "Mummy really likes you. I don't think she's ever liked anyone as much as she likes you."
"Well, that's good to know, Christina." He sighed, walking as much as he could with an eight-year-old attached to his legs, and sat down on Helena's bed.
Christina sat down on the bed as well, swinging her legs off the side. “Well, you’re taking care of her. As much as anyone can, really. She needs that. It’ll help her heal - she spent too long not doing that.”
Joshua leaned back against the headboard. “Yeah, I’ve kinda figured that one out. Spending time out of time sounds like a good idea at the time, but it really isn’t.” He pauses. “Fu… uh, yeah, it’s never a good idea at any time.”
Christina laughed. “You do know how often Mummy says ‘bollocks,’ right? Uncle Charles was the only one who really cared.”
“Yeah, I know. I just… well, the last kid I was really around was Claudia, and Mom and Dad really didn’t give any shits.” He just looked at her for a moment. “Not that I mind meeting you, but why me and not your mother? I mean… no offense, but she’d probably get more out of seeing you.”
“Not now.” Christina sighed. “She isn’t ready. She can’t get me back until she lets me go. Now, it’d just be another disappointment, and it would probably hurt more than Egypt since I act like me.”
“Who else would you act like?” He looked at her oddly. “I mean… aren’t you just my perception of you now anyway?”
“No, silly, the trap in Egypt made something that looked like me but all it said was ‘Mummy.’ If Mummy had been thinking clearly she would have known I always said more than that. I don’t know about perceptions, but this is more accurate.”
“Oh. I… see.” In the way that he doesn’t really. “Well, uhm. Is this like Christmas Carol where I’m supposed to learn something from you?”
Christina laughed. “What you take away from it is up to you. I just wanted to meet you.”
“Oh, alright.” He glanced over to the desk which somehow had been cleared of its papers, replaced by a couple dolls and a deck of cards. “Well, I could play with you for a bit.”
Christina grinned, and they played for quite a while, chatting and laughing.
When Joshua finally woke up, he had a feeling that there was something that should have stood out to him, but he’d be damned if he could remember it. He turned, noticing Helena still sleeping soundly beside him, and kissed her on the temple. She stirred, but didn't wake up. Probably better that way.
Suddenly, he was no longer in Millways, but in a dimly-lit (to his eyes, at any rate) room, awkwardly staring at papers scattered on a desk. The handwriting was familiar somehow, the ink splatters and prose reminding him of something he just couldn't place. As he reached out to pick up one of the papers and actually read it, a voice came from behind him.
"You know she doesn't like people reading what she's writing until she's done." Joshua turned, startled, only to find an eight-year-old girl looking up at him, a very familiar smirk on her face. "Mummy even hated it when I read what she'd written."
He just stared at the little girl for a moment. "You know, I think I'd recognize you anywhere. You are adorable."
"Thank you, Joshua." Christina ran over and attached to his legs. "Mummy really likes you. I don't think she's ever liked anyone as much as she likes you."
"Well, that's good to know, Christina." He sighed, walking as much as he could with an eight-year-old attached to his legs, and sat down on Helena's bed.
Christina sat down on the bed as well, swinging her legs off the side. “Well, you’re taking care of her. As much as anyone can, really. She needs that. It’ll help her heal - she spent too long not doing that.”
Joshua leaned back against the headboard. “Yeah, I’ve kinda figured that one out. Spending time out of time sounds like a good idea at the time, but it really isn’t.” He pauses. “Fu… uh, yeah, it’s never a good idea at any time.”
Christina laughed. “You do know how often Mummy says ‘bollocks,’ right? Uncle Charles was the only one who really cared.”
“Yeah, I know. I just… well, the last kid I was really around was Claudia, and Mom and Dad really didn’t give any shits.” He just looked at her for a moment. “Not that I mind meeting you, but why me and not your mother? I mean… no offense, but she’d probably get more out of seeing you.”
“Not now.” Christina sighed. “She isn’t ready. She can’t get me back until she lets me go. Now, it’d just be another disappointment, and it would probably hurt more than Egypt since I act like me.”
“Who else would you act like?” He looked at her oddly. “I mean… aren’t you just my perception of you now anyway?”
“No, silly, the trap in Egypt made something that looked like me but all it said was ‘Mummy.’ If Mummy had been thinking clearly she would have known I always said more than that. I don’t know about perceptions, but this is more accurate.”
“Oh. I… see.” In the way that he doesn’t really. “Well, uhm. Is this like Christmas Carol where I’m supposed to learn something from you?”
Christina laughed. “What you take away from it is up to you. I just wanted to meet you.”
“Oh, alright.” He glanced over to the desk which somehow had been cleared of its papers, replaced by a couple dolls and a deck of cards. “Well, I could play with you for a bit.”
Christina grinned, and they played for quite a while, chatting and laughing.
When Joshua finally woke up, he had a feeling that there was something that should have stood out to him, but he’d be damned if he could remember it. He turned, noticing Helena still sleeping soundly beside him, and kissed her on the temple. She stirred, but didn't wake up. Probably better that way.
