The Nanny // Faye Yoko AU

Chapter 21 Shed

The Doctor and Val ascended the staircase, the tension between them palpable. The Doctor, with her calm but curious demeanor, glanced back at Val, her brow furrowed. "Where are you taking me?" she asked, her voice low but laced with suspicion.

"Faye is in her room," Val responded smoothly, keeping her eyes ahead. "She has the key to the shed."

As they reached the door to Faye's room, Val knocked, her knuckles rapping firmly against the wood. "Boss?" she called out. "The Doctor is here." She stood back slightly, waiting for a response, her patience thin but her exterior calm.

Meanwhile, in Mikey's room, Yoko sat on the floor with the little girl, helping her with her latest artistic creation. Mikey was engrossed in her project, smudging colors together, creating what she proudly declared her "masterpiece." But Yoko's focus wasn't entirely on the art; she had heard the knock from the hallway. Something about it had triggered her instincts—something felt off. She stood up subtly, moving closer to the door. Curiosity gnawed at her, and she cracked it open just a bit, peeking outside to observe the scene unfolding.

At the end of the hall, Yoko could see Val and the Doctor standing outside Faye's room, the tension between them clear even from a distance. The Doctor shifted impatiently, her eyes narrowing. "Well?" she asked, her tone sharper now. "What's the hold-up?"

"I'm sure she's in there," Val insisted, but there was a trace of uncertainty in her voice. She knocked again, louder this time.

Yoko, watching from her spot by the door, felt a knot of unease tighten in her stomach. She didn't notice Mikey creeping up behind her until the little girl spoke, "What's going on?"

Yoko jumped slightly, quickly closing the door before Mikey could peek through. "Nothing!" she said, her voice a bit too high-pitched. "I thought the knock was for us, that's all."

Mikey raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying the excuse. "Why is Val at Mama's door anyway?" she questioned, her young face scrunched up in suspicion. "Mama's always in her office this time of day," Mikey added, crossing her arms like a little detective.

That's true, Yoko thought, her mind racing. Faye was always punctual, always in her office by now. Something's definitely going on.

Mikey's eyes lit up as she grinned, her excitement palpable. "Let's investigate!" she suggested, her tone filled with determination, already gearing up for some kind of mischief.

"No," Yoko said quickly, raising her hands in a firm gesture of refusal. She knew Mikey well enough by now to understand that "investigating" usually meant trouble—trouble that, this time, she didn't want to get caught in.

But Mikey was undeterred. "C'mon! You're supposed to keep me safe, right? That means you gotta know everything that's going on," she said, her voice full of conviction, as if she were presenting an airtight case.

Yoko sighed, running a hand through her hair. She glanced back at the door, the uneasy feeling creeping up her spine again. "This isn't a game, Mikey," Yoko replied, her voice firm but not unkind. "We're not investigating anything."

Mikey pouted, clearly disappointed but not entirely defeated. "Fine," she muttered, turning back toward her art project, but Yoko could see the wheels turning in her head. It wouldn't be long before Mikey found another way to satisfy her curiosity.

Yoko, on the other hand, couldn't shake the feeling that something bigger was happening behind Faye's door—and whatever it was, it wasn't good.

Yoko stood there, replaying the conversation she'd had with Val earlier in her mind. Before Val had taken the doctor to Faye's room, she had casually instructed Yoko to keep an eye on Mikey. "Why don't you check on Mikey upstairs, Yoko?" Val had said with a calm but firm tone that Yoko now realized was more than just a suggestion—it was a subtle warning. Whatever was happening behind Faye's door wasn't something they were meant to be a part of.