When I come back into the main room again, Gwen seems to have gone to bed, while Evan smokes outside. Nathan just sits on the couch, not even bothering to glance at me. I'm about to say something, but a sharp knock on the door makes both of us nearly jump out of our skin.
I open the door. At first, I'm slightly confused when I don't see anyone. Then I look down, seeing the little girl that I've spent the past few months with.
"Oh my gosh, Emily? What are you doing here?" I murmur, kneeling down to her height.
She's gasping like she ran miles without stopping. I scoop her up and set her on a sofa, while Nathan watches us in alarm.
"They said you were taken away, Rosemonde. You didn't even say goodbye. I snuck out of my window after bed time," she replied, her sweet brown eyes wide with innocence.
I wrap her in my arms and kiss her on the head. "Alice will have my head if she finds out. You shouldn't go out alone."
"I thought you were in trouble."
I glance at Nathan briefly before averting my gaze back to her. "No, it's okay. I'm sorry I scared you."
She begins to cry. "Why did you leave? Did I do something wrong?!"
I hug her more tightly, cradling her in my arms as I murmur soothing words into her ear. I pretend Nathan isn't there. Why doesn't he just leave?
Once she finally calms down, she peers over at Nathan curiously. A smile creeps on to her face. "Is that your boyfriend?"
"Hard to say. I don't remember dating an assho-- I mean... uhh... jerk like him," I reply, flinching as the curse almost slips out.
That night, I let Emily sleep with me. Her small body cocoons in the crook of mine. Her soft, rhythmic breathing soothes me. I stroke her hair fondly.
Over the last few months, I've grown a deep bond with Emily. Lilly, her second oldest sister, teased her a bit, while Alice was just too busy providing for the three of them to pay attention to her. It's a sisterly relationship, but also very motherly on my part too. I can't describe it. Of course, I wasn't her mother and would never want to. I'm seventeen, for heavens sake. But I want to take care of her, and make sure nothing ever happens to her. She depends on me, and I'm afraid that I'll let her down.
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Avatar Rose: Dusk
FanfictionNathan and Rose have finally escaped from the Fire Nation. They're safe in the Water Tribe, but that doesn't mean that they lived happily ever after. Yet. Rose has changed a lot since the day Nathan found her unconscious at the entrance of his villa...
