New Frends?

“Natalia”

“Well Natalia nice to meet you, I'm Leanne and this little troublemaker is my daughter Emma,” Emma revealed a cheeky little smile- showing little dimples, making Natalia laugh behind her mask before the little girl grasped her hand before her mother could even tell her slow down Natalia not even trying to stop her and a smile was showing even more, she couldn't help it the child energy was rubbing off on her (it reminded her of Edmond) before she could even stop it.

“Come on! I want to show you my toys” Emma spoke, with joy and determination like nothing would stop her from completing her mission. “Hay sweetie, shouldn't we help your mum first with her bags?” Natalia advised gently stopping the child; who looked back at her mother before running back to her with sorry whispered in the air as Natalia moved taking the bags from her ignoring the woman's protest. Talia didn't understand what she was doing or why and it didn't make sense to her, but she let her body do what it wanted.

***

Following the mother and daughter duo with the three bags of shopping, as she didn't mind the weight as much, she can carry quite a lot for her age. Emma was talking happily to her side Natalia didn't mind she found it adorable that she was rabbling but she was kinder of worried about how quickly the girl trusted her making a shudder go through her body with just how it was possible for the likes of Tommy was able to corner her. It made her angry how if she hadn't been out there, she would never have found her and... God the things Tommy would have done made her sick to the stomach.

Natalia was so far gone in her mind with thinking of what would have happened if she hadn't shown up, she even felt her magic was getting worked up again but thankfully before she knew it they made it.

Finding herself looking at a wooden gate with green edges wrapped around keeping whatever house hidden “Sorry about the long walk from the Slum? That's what I heard people call it right?..." Leanne questioned, as she fumbled through her words. "erm, we always go there for our supplice as well the city can be very...” “Loud” Natalia finished; she understood why many outsiders were more imitated to go into the city than the Slums yes have a very bad reputation seeing how many bad people there but it's better than being in the city where you're being watched and controlled by the queen and her guards by her rules.

Leanne grimaced, shaking her head as she opened the gate revealing the most beautiful house.

No, a home.

Natalia had never seen something so beautiful, flowers dotted the garden ranging from red to black to purple and white all the colours from the rainbow. There was a patio where two rocking chairs and a coffee table sat, and the home itself was pure white where arch windows littered around with candle latten dotted across the garden and what stood out the most was a large maple tree with what looked like a tyre wing attached.

“Come -come. Emma your grandfather said you left your toys outside again; I expect them to be cleaned up before you show Natalia around.” Leanne called out, as they when went inside Emma hearing the orders from her mum quickly snapped to follow so she could show her new friend her home. “Okay, mummy” Emma ran back outside waving at Nat as she ran past leaving the two behind “Oh god I'm so sorry for making you stand there here come in.” seeing Natalia standing in the doorway unsure of what to do. “I'm so sorry about the mess we don't have that many visits” Leanne worried studded, moving nervously as she took the bags from Natalia's arms as she looked around, if outside was beautiful inside was crazy beautiful just walking inside you could smell the scent of cherry's wafted in her noes making her feel more at home than anywhere else, she's been in.

The home itself was spashish the walls were coated in a soft brown colour but you barely see with all the painting clotting around; some were showing the mother and daughter with big smiles some had what looked like a male partner holding Leanne who was wearing a white wedding dress (must have been there wedding day) Nat wondered, "that is my husband…. Late husband really” Leanne whispered, hiding her teas as best she could.

“Oh, I'm really sorry….” Natalia apologised, stuttering as her eyes widened “Um how and is he?” “Ooh no no…” Leanne chuckled; Natalia felt even more worse and a little scared “Oh god no. that pig of a man left before Emma was even born. When I married him, he was a good man all he spoke about having a family but of course, when I told him that I was pregnant it was like things had changed overnight and then he became the man I hated, he would be coming home late at night and would drink before the sun was even come up. That is if he had even stopped drinking I just got tired of the arguing day and night by the time I was meant to have Emma was the day I had found out he was cheating on me.” Natalia was astonished, listening to Leanne's words about her husband and she could feel her magic responding to the emotion ‘No. I will not lose control here’ she thought taking very deep breaths and calming her emotions and doing as much calming, as she learned from Ed she was glad she was still wearing her mask. “Oh god-” Leanne sighs putting her head in her hands as she shakes her head “- I am so- so sorry I didn't mean to share my whole life story with a stranger. Please you can take your cloak off by the door with your... sword.” She mumbled, stacking her head to clear any thoughts before Nat even had the chance the door opened and the same man from the square walked in putting all his weight on his walking stick but this time, he was walking carting “more grocery?” Nat raised an eyebrow as Leanne rushed to the man. "Father!? What have told you? I said I was buying grossers why you kept Emma out of trouble.” Leanne threatened taking the bags over to the kitchen the home was open plan so it didn't take seconds for the old man's gaze to snap to Natalias who was also sizing up the man, she already had a bad feeling the second he walked In as his eyes shown dark blue eyes but not like his granddaughter who had lighter sense to them the man didn't speak as his eyes shown with judgment showing his unwonted of the stranger in his house as he looked the girl up and down her body, she hated the look of pure disgust that represented his eyes.

Before Natalia could even speak Emma came running down from the stirs with two brown teddys and running over to Natalia unaware of the volcano that was seconds from opening.

“Natty!”

‘Natty? I have never heard that before.’ Natalia thinks, as the small child comes tumbling into her making her huff as Emma lays her head onto her stomach and revealing her big shining blue eyes looking up at her and making her smile softly “Emma why don't you go and show Natalia your room? And you can remove your mask and cloak beforehand please.” Leanne spoke calmly as she tried not to have her father cause a scene before it was too late. “Come on Natty I want you to meet all my teddys,” Emma pulled the teen with a surprisingly strong grip for a five-year-old.

“Wow princess you sure have a strong hold” Nat teased, stumbling upstairs leaving the two adults who held very different emotions in their eyes.

***

It seems the man had some decency to wait for the soft click before facing his daughter with nothing but anger in his cold blue eyes the same as his granddaughters. Both were silent waiting for the pin to drop; “how dare! you allow that filth into my house!” he exclaimed; anger was evident as his wrinkly old eyes were cold as he spat each word out like garbage as he pointed a bony finger at his granddaughter's room; his scowl on his face deepen at the sound of laughter could be heard inside. Leanne didn't have the energy to argue with her father, she already had the same argument every time they needed to leave home; they couldn't go back to the city and the Slums is the closest town they knew, and her father hated;

‘Hate was an understatement.’

He would spend hours undermining the Slums everything down to the homes to the food even going as far as the last crumb on the ground that those people walk on, he would do anything to avoid touching them like they are the plague. It would take him days to even agree to step outside and the only way he agreed was because of his daughter's plead just to keep an eye on her for just an hour at most. ‘didn't last that long did it’ Leanne thought huffing, seeing how her daughter went missing again. “Are we arguing about this again? After we had the same not even a few hours ago.” tiredness was evinced in her voice, as she slummed onto the couch covering her eyes and blocking out the blaring sun. Blocking out her father the best she could as she heard him huff as well, she could feel a headache on its way making her wince rubbing her forehead hoping to ease the pain. ‘I wonder if I could pop something into his drink’ she thought morbidly, no she couldn't her father was a lot but she loved him and always would.

‘Even with his excessive thoughts.’

She huffed, unnoticed by her father as he carried on with his rant ‘Seriously?’ finely removing her arm and noticing that now he got tired of just standing on the spot he was now running a hole into her floor with his walking stick plotting small hole next to it. His shoulders were jumping up what seemed like a kangaroo with how much they were moving.

“Are you finished?”

She snapped after some time her stomach growling with how hungry she was getting making her realise how much time had passed since she sent Emma to her room with a stranger (a stranger that she now knows had saved her daughter and her name was Natalia.)

A growling sound could be heard over the still raging old man as he continued to mutter making it clear he didn't hear the need for food or just didn't care; Emma would be starving by now so with a quick movement she rows from the couch she didn't pay any mind to her dad who had finally stopped in his stride as his eyes followed his daughter as she moved to the kitchen; he wasn't done fighting not until that freak was out of his house. Leanne for her part ignored him making him more and more annoyed as she looked through the four brown paper bags, they had both gotten ‘Should have known not to give him any of their money.’ she thought, with a frown, she knew her dad's memory was getting worse and worse by the weeks but the Doc said they be okay for a few more years but now. It just felt harder to ignore the declining memory unless he was going on about how much better the old days were. When men acted like men and women acted like women or about the Slums. They were the only thing that man ever seemed to remember his views on.

But right now, there wasn't time to think like that all she could think of now was that the money her father just spent was supposed to last the rest of the month and now she feared she would need to talk to Mary about needing more hours for work and as much she loved her job working at the Hospital she dreaded to think with leaving Emma with her dad; she already feels with the lack of a mindset she doesn't want that to rub on her daughter; she always tried her best to raise her to be a strong impendent young girl much to her dad disdain he try's getting little comment to her to her;

‘Women are to belong in the kitchen because men do the hard work’

‘Women are meant to wear makeup because being beautiful means so much to men’

‘Dress like a proper young lady’

‘You find yourself a nice hard-working husband one day’

‘Women are only good for one role in life that is to be a good mother and a wife unlike your mother’

That last comment had run so deep inside my heart that day I could never forgive him for those words; those words were like a mother through my childhood that I was only good for one thing; to be a good wife for men. I could go on for hours about the comments that came out of that man's mouth, my mother suffered the most but never went against them always told me to sit still and look pretty and stay silent and that is what she always did.

***

“Dad please!!!” Leanne yelled, aggravation when he looked up both angrier as each other, “Can you please just stop? She saved your granddaughter at least just show like you care... just for a second.” that last sentence ended with a whisper, hoping he didn't hear she just wanted him to care.

“Please.”

“Oh, shut up. Please for heaven's sake all you woman is the same please this please that God she's probably the whole reason my granddaughter was in that mess in the first place.” he barked, eyes blazing with so much anger before he was cut off with words that hurt them both.

“Need I remind you that those were men who corned Emma last night, for the love of God father did you even listen to a word of what Emma had cried her eyes out last night? how men were the ones to cornered her, who spoke to her, who were seconds from taking her away and the one who saved her happened to be a girl.”

The air felt tight, the light grey dress that Leanne was wearing; made it hard to breathe, and her face felt red hot as tears fell down her face. she had tried so hard not to cry when she found Emma last night; she tried being strong not just because she wanted to be brave but because her father would see her as weak, but now she didn't care. Her heart felt like a rock jumping inside her chest as she closed her eyes hoping to take a second to breathe before she heard rapid footsteps moving in motion with a stomp following seconds with them before the door slammed shut making Leanne jump in shock as she realised how far gone, the slam of the door rattled everything in the house making her wince. she guessing he had nothing left to argue about and left making her just rolled her eyes drying her eyes the best she could giving a bitter laugh; she should have known. ‘Great. Now he gives me the silent treatment for the rest of the week.’ she huffed, rolling her eyes she just felt the anger wash over her in seconds she couldn't help but let out a yell as she slammed the carton of eggs she was holding into the counter.

Crack

‘Please no.’

Closing her eyes as air left her noise “Now I'm not much of a cook but aren't you supposed to crack one at a time.” a voice teased, making Leanne jump in surprise seeing Natalia leaning against the couch with a teasing smirk. ‘Jesue. I'm so far out of it today’ she huffed, slowing down her heartbeat seeing the girl's eyes hold humour.

“Sorry.”

Natalia apologised, frowning seeing the mess on the counter and how red Leanne's eyes seemed to be; she could still make out the teers that were threatening to fall and the tiredness she tried hiding with makeup (which looked none existed as there was no more) glancing at the split eggs before her mind can stop her, she waved her hand restoring the eggs like they were before.

Natalia felt her heart stop it seemed everything slowly; her hand began to shake ‘Great another breakdown.’ she thought, annoyed and feeling her mind grow loud as her thoughts began to close up. Somehow before she realised Leanne had made her way in front of her.

“Natalia?”

Natalia's emotions were running high as she tried to make sense of everything happening around her. The man's gaze was unsettling, but Leanne's words brought a sense of comfort to her.

"Your secret is safe here,"

Leanne spoke softly, and Natalia felt a wave of fear and confusion coursing through her.

Leanne's words were unexpected and confusing, but as the seconds passed by, she began to feel hopeful. Leanne couldn't help but chuckle softly, seeing the emotions reflected in Natalia's eyes. To Natalia It was a strange feeling to trust a stranger with her secret, that wasn't Edmund or James and Maria but, at that moment, Natalia felt like Leanne was someone she could trust.

As for Leanne, she knew that protecting a magic user put her family, including her daughter, at risk, but she didn't regret speaking those words. It felt like the right thing to do somehow. She didn't know why but just seeing the small ounce of hope flash through the girl's eyes gave her some sort of peace in her heart that she had done something right

She couldn't help but smile seeing the other emotions going through the younger girl's eyes before she realised, she placed her hand on her shoulder stopping mid-way as Natalia flew back looking even more worried. “I'm sorry I didn't mean to-” “Mummmm!!” closing her eyes and hearing her daughter shout her name was possibly the worst timing as she looked at the time just realizing how late it had gotten. Nat did the same as not a second after as she cursed she didn't realise it had been a few hours since she left the tavern even though it was only midday she needed to get back to Edmund and at least apologise for leaving the way she did and with this these children who's missing she shouldn't be wasting time with people she doesn't no, but now Leanne knows about her magic she doesn't know what to do; does she leave and hope that the promise that she was safe.

“I'm sorry but I have to go” Natalia spoke after a while, making Leanne look at her with confusion she was kind of hoping to know a bit more about the mystery girl who she now holds access to magic. “Can I trust you won't tell anyone about my magic?” Natalia's voice pleaded with a hint of a threat that showed lays of promise she never wants to show this family. I mean she putting her attire family in danger for a girl she doesn't know- it's crazy “Your secret is safe here. As long as you can keep my secret safe too?” Leanne barged, her heart thumping inside her chest as Natalia nodded her head as she smiled before she rushed to grasp her sword and cloak.

“Your leaving?” a soft voice whispered as Emma came down the stairs; carrying her teddies just like before she looked at Nat with her head down as she was trying to hide that her eyes were glossy making the older girl's smile turns into a frown “hay. hay it okay please-” Nat rushed to reassure bending down to be the same height as the younger girl who was trying so hard to hold in her tears as she grasped hold of her teddys tighter into her arms as small sniffles came out of her “Emma please look at me” Nat's soothing voice, coaxing the child to look at her just once and as she caressed her chin gently to wipe away the following tears. “Hay princess” she smiled getting a small smile in return with sniffles continued but not as close together “I'll be back okay. I'm sorry I can't stay but I have to go and see my brother.” “You have a brother?!” Emma exclaimed, smiling so wide making the other two girls laugh “Not related-” Natalia smiled thinking of her brother “-but he means so much to me. he's family to me-” “-omg! That's so cool!” Emma jumped up excitedly, Nat found out she wasn't able to stop the big smile going across her face not that she minded. “He means everything to me, so I have to get back to him.” the smile that Emma had worn had gone back down. “You need to go, don't you?” getting a nod from the older girl; Emma couldn't help but frown. it's been so long since she had a friend it's always been her mum and grandpa; she loves them she really does but...

She just wants a friend and sees how tired her mum is and sometimes she can't play and her grandpa well….

“I'm sorry princess but I'll be back-” Emma couldn't hold in the huge smile she gave hearing those words “-if your mum is okay allowing me to try some of that food of hers.” Nat finished teasing, the mum who rolled her eyes fondly as her lips turned up to smile. “Please mum can Natty come back!!?” Getting a shack head back Emma ran for joy with the biggest smile on her face as she ran into Natalia's unexpected arms - Leanne couldn't help but blurt out, “Emma!” she saw how much the girl had flinched before and was scared that she would react the same way but to her very surprise Nat had wrapped her arms tighter around the smaller girl; Leanne couldn't contain the look of pure shock on her face as she let out a gasp.

“Promise you'll come back, right?”

“I don't make promises that much princess-” Seeing the look of just pure puppy dog's eyes Nat couldn't help but smile. "I'll be back I promise,” she reassured, hugging the girl tighter she didn't feel the need to run away as she normally does with physical touch;

‘She a child’

“I want you to have hazel,” Emma spoke softly; showing one of the two teddies she had grasped in her arms both were small (one dark brown close to black and one light brown) Nat couldn't help but coo seeing how small the teddy was it could fit into her hand “Emma I can't-” “so you remember where friends and that you'll come back,” Emma responded, pushing back the teddy into the girls hand. Neither of the older girls could help but let small tears fall making them quick to wipe them away, Nat looked at the teddy with glossy eyes as she grasped hold of the teddy like it was made of glass “You keep her safe so when you visit again and Hazel and Coco can have their tea party too.” Emma spoke softly with a wide smile on her cute little face.

Bing bong

“I'm sorry I have to go I'll be back. And I'll keep Hazel safe too.” Natalia rushed out before placing a small kiss on Emma's forehead and waving at the mother and daughter duo as she left through the Forst back to the town; she needed to apologise to the others mainly Edmund not just for before but also for snapping at him after all he was trying to do was help, she owes a lot to that boy.