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GRACE, the caretaker created by sir reginald hargreeves to look after the family had been doing so since the children were four years old. she did everything for them. cook them meals, do their laundry and clean the house. she was the light each child would need after being shadowed in their father's darkness. after each child left the house one by one, her saving grace was rose. they kept each other company by reading books together, tending to the gardens with each other and learning things from one another.
"and then you push the needle upwards and cross over again until you make a nice pattern" grace instructs, pointing towards the piece of white fabric rose was currently cross-stitching. "well-done rose!" she exclaims, giving her a small hug. "i got you something today" grace whispers to grace, turning around and grabbing a small brown box, tied with a pink ribbon whilst rose set her cross stitch aside gingerly. grace turns back around with a smile on her face. she places the box in rose's hands who was looking down at the box with a small anticipating grin. she unravels the pink bow and opens the lid of the box.
a single pink pressed peony lies inside, framed inside a small wooden frame. a large smile appears on rose's face, "mom, thank you so much" she thanks, engulfing her mother in a hug. "it's just like the ones you would give me when you were a child" grace elaborates, looking down at the frame with a small smile. "i love it" rose adds, looking down at it with her. "i almost forgot! i got you a gift aswell!" rose stood up walking swiftly to a spare cupboard where she usually hid her things she didn't want her family to find. she returns back to the room where grace was sat and hands her a small black velvet box. "oh rose" grace says, taking the box into her hands, her eyes widening in excitement. rose sits down next to her as she opens the black box.
grace unfolds a layer of tissue paper to reveal a chunky gold necklace. "it's just like the necklace the woman wears in the painting" rose explains, watching a large smile appear on her mother's face. "it's beautiful" she whispers, looking at rose and placing a hand on her cheek, turning over to the painting of the woman on the wall as she puts the necklace on.
rose wakes up from her sleep and immediately sits up in her bed, recalling what had happened last night. a small smile appearing her lips after remembering the words five had said to delores, the smile slowly turning to a frown after remembering his emotions after they had escaped the assassins. rose sighs, stumbling out of bed taking a quick glance at the framed peony on her wall before getting changed into her usual plaid skirt and buttoned shirt.
rose opens her door and walks up to five's bedroom door, hesitating before knocking on it lightly. "what is it rose?" five asks angrily, rose opens the door to see five stitching up a wound on his arm he had received last night with a needle and thread. "really five?" she questions walking up to the boy, five looking at her and shaking his head. "i don't need your help rose. i shouldn't have dragged you into this. you're too young, too naive." he says, sewing another stitch into his arm. "why the sudden change of thought?" she replies calmly, leaning up against the wall, wincing in pain as she watches him sew his arm up scrappily. "rose you could have died yesterday trying to help me" "but i didn't." rose interrupts "look. i'd rather die trying to save the world than die knowing i didn't help." five sighs and cuts the thread off of the needle. rose walks out of the room to the bathroom, grabbing rubbing alcohol and bandages.
returning to the room, she sees five standing up, putting his shirt on. "sit your ass back down" she demands walking over and placing the medical amenities on the bedside table next to him as he sits back down on the bed. she sits down next to him and wettens a cotton ball with the alcohol. pulling up his sleeve, she rubs the cotton ball over his bloody wound carefully. five watches her intently as she cleans the wound. her eyebrows furrowed, causing small wrinkles to appear on her forehead and a small vein to bulge slightly out of the side of her forehead. her rosy pink lips were not in her usual happy smile but rather downturned, five smiles softly at the sight of her. rose grabs the bandages from the bedside table, placing the bloody cotton ball in the bin next to it. she begins wrapping his arm carefully, looking up at five's face every now and then, watching him observe the bandage go around his arm.
after securing the bandage, rose sits back on his bed. "i'm sorry i followed you yesterday, it was wrong and a total invasion of your privacy. it's just, i can't stand the thought of losing you again." rose mumbles, fiddling with her fingers opposed to looking in his eyes. five sighs, tucking a strand of rose's dirty blonde hair behind her ear, rose looking at his kind face. "you don't have to worry about me rosie, i've been dodging bullets for so long it's like a walk in the park for me. but you need to stay safe, don't take big risks like that for me, i've lived a long life it won't matter if i-" "don't say that" "no. i have to. there's something else i haven't told you yet about the future" rose sits up, taking his hand to support him. five looks at her, wondering if he should tell her "i found you rosie. i found all of you. your bodies. you were all dead." he whispers " you said you'd rather die trying than not, and you did. you were holding the eye." there was a silent pause as a small sad smile emerges on rose's face, trying to shield five from seeing the sorrow that had confided in her soul from watching a tear fall from his eye. rose wipes his tear away, holding her hand to his cheek, staring into his eyes for what felt like a lifetime, but was only a few seconds.
"i'm so sorry you had to see that, i can't even imagine what it would be like if i was in your shoes" he nods, taking her hand of his cheek and holding it in his own."we can change it though. i know we can." he assures, rose nods "let's get to work then"
