City of Angels

Chapter 1

To Laura, Amber, Brittany, and Dr. Riley: Thank you so much for beta-reading my work and providing constructive feedback. This story would not be what it is without your advice and encouragement.

To my mom: Thank you for always being there for me. Posting my work was a big step, and I am immensely grateful for your loving support.

A/N: Readers, please note that as this story is an AU, the first two chapters will focus entirely on OCs. That being said, if you as a reader are like me and prefer to jump straight to the parts involving canon characters, I will direct you to the middle of Chapter 3 (coming soon), in which my main OC meets Ralph at the airport. Either way, I hope you enjoy the story and, of course, leave reviews! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Saving Mr. Banks, Mary Poppins, or any of the characters from those two movies.

~~~~~

I am seated on a bench in the garden with a pencil held idle in my hand and my notebook lying on my lap, my eyes closed and my face turned upward to the summer sky. A smile curves my lips as a soft breeze comes up out of the west to dance through my hair. Somehow this all seems strangely familiar, yet I can't put my finger on why.

The breeze flutters around for half a minute, tickling my ear and stroking my hair, before leaving a parting kiss on my cheek and flying off toward the east. But no, wait—its farewell was only a playful trick; it has now doubled back around to greet me once more . . . only this time, instead of caressing me gently, it bites my nose and pinches my ears, twirling my hair into a tangle as it careens westward. And then, almost as soon as it returns, it is gone.

Strange, I muse. How odd for a steady west wind to suddenly stop like that and return from the east. Wind's in the east . . . I can't help smiling to myself as I gaze up at the clouds, half expecting a certain British nanny to come floating down out of them carrying a carpet-bag and a parasol. But my thoughts are interrupted by a sharp rapping noise.

Knock-knock-knock!

I glance around, perplexed as to the source of the sound until at last I glimpse a woodpecker hammering away at a nearby tree. I watch him with an inexplicable feeling that he doesn't belong here—that I have been here in this exact moment before, and he hasn't.

Knock-knock-knock!

His persistent tapping disturbs me. I wish he would stop.

Knock-knock-knock!

"Shoo!" I cry; but he carries on with his task, unperturbed and undistracted.

Knock-knock-knock!

I shout at him and wave my arms wildly, but he ignores me.

Knock-knock-knock!

The noise is exasperating. I press my hands over my ears, but it remains as loud and clear as ever. Why will he not cease?! Why can I still hear it?! Why is there no escape?!

Knock-knock-knock!

Knock-knock-knock!

Knock-knock-knock . . .

Knock-knock-knock!

I ascended out of dreamland long enough to wonder who was at the door, then promptly decided I was too tired to care. Just as I was drifting back to sleep, my sister burst into my bedroom. "Rise and shine, Carrie!"

"Mmph . . . what's going on?" I mumbled.

She threw the curtains open before coming over to kneel beside my bed. "Today's the day, sis. If you don't get up, you'll miss your plane."