McGee: Drawn to Life! (Special)

Chapter Sixteen

Ellie finished cleaning up the tea, washing the tea-pets and putting everything back where it belonged before putting out the fire just as the electricity came back on.

McGee's clothes were mostly dry at this point, watching as Ellie cleaned the dishes and he took in his new surroundings. The home was so much different than anything he had ever been in, full of Victorian charm and her Aunt's new-age whimsy. The smell of lingering incents was strong but not overbearing and reminded him of Tamara's candles back at home. As they climbed back up into Ellie's attic bedroom, it was very much her own, with pastel pinks, greens, and greys, her drawings tacked on the walls, various plush animals and fairy lights that strung around the frame of the balcony with a large basket of blankets and pillows near the doors. It was a bit puzzling given that Ellie didn't dress girly, only ever having seen his girl in oversized sweaters and jeans, but her demeanor and imagination very much yielded a young girl with a dream some girls had, of being a princess, something he hoped he could help her feel. She was, after all, his Juliet.

ELLIE:
*She pulled the stairs back into the floor after setting McGee down on her bed for a moment.*

I'm not sure how long my Aunt will be now that the storm has slowed...

MCGEE:
*He peered out the balcony doors as the faintest of thunder rolls echoed from quite a few miles off.*

It's nice to see it finally backing off though. That was the worst storm I've ever seen here!

ELLIE:
*She laid out on the bed beside him, her cheek leaning into her palm as she grinned.*

And just how many of them have you seen that up close and personal, exactly? 

*She raised an inquisitive brow.* 

MCGEE:
Okay, okay, you got me there... b-but it was pretty bad! 

ELLIE:
Without a doubt! I spent most of it under my desk before you got here....

*Her smile fell slowly, and she sat upright, offering her hand to the toon.*

Speaking of which... can I show you what I wanted you to see earlier?

MCGEE:
*He gulped, but nodded, slowly walking into her palm and holding onto her fingers as she stood up and walked them toward the desk.*

ELLIE:
While I was hiding from the storm--

*She softly crawled back under the drawing table, pushing the dream journal aside and sitting back down in the spot she was before.*

--I noticed something etched against the wall of the drawers.

*She held him up to the spot, her smile heard through her voice, a soft chuckle on the end of her tongue.*

 Small world, huh? Erm...

*She chuckled nervously.*

...no pun intended!

MCGEE:
*His eyes grew slowly at the sight before him. He took a faithful step forward on her palm, letting go of her fingers gently as she held him closer to the engraving.*

I-I remember this day..! But I--how....?!

*He looked back to her, seeing her giggling still and smiling with red cheeks at him; his stomach did a flip.*

W-where did you find this?!

ELLIE:
*She shook her head.*

I didn't find it myself, just the carving! My Aunt found it at an old garage sale, apparently, and just had it tucked away until I came that is...

MCGEE:
Garage sale?!

*His hand went up to his brow, looking visibly distraught.*

Yeesh! I knew his parents went kinda off the radar with Nicky but I never thought they'd sell his desk at a garage sale of all places! 

ELLIE:
Did something happen?

*She leaned in, looking at the carvings a little closer with the toon. The linework was jagged and old, but you could see the traces of old pencil lead across the graining to help the indents pop.*

I had assumed this was a good thing...?