[[Argh, yet again, I'm so sorry for not posting anything for decades. I'm really crap at this!]


Nibbling her lip, Emily wondered what to do about Lexi's ankle. She had heard Jack rush off downstairs at the mention of a drink, and she assumed he had gone to get little Lexi something to quench her thirst. When Lexi asked what had happened, Emily furrowed her brow. She had some kind of idea what had gone on, but Jack was the most knowledgeable. "I think it would be best for Jack to explain that to you. I fear I might mess up and make no sense. For now, until he comes back, all I can tell you is that, well Lexi, your very powerful" she smiled and continued to stroke the girl's hair, noticing that it was helping her relax.

A girl walked into the shop and found them upstairs then. It was strange and somewhat surreal that anyone else even existed right now; Emily was too caught up in her own little world of Lexi and Jack. Looking up as the girl asked for some tissue, Emily inhaled a shocked breath at the sight of so much blood pooling from such a fragile girl. "Oh gosh, yes dear. Go through to the bathroom. It's just opposite here. Get some tissue for your nose. I fear, from that much blood, it might be broken. I'll ask my friend Jack to call for a doctor" she fretted. Lexi was her main concern, and hopefully would be for the rest of her life, but this poor girl needed help. All the time while she was talking to the injured female, Emily had been rocking slowly and stroking Lexi's back, still aiming to keep her calm.

Lexi's sobs slowly tapered off into hiccups as Emily's soothing motions comforted her. Her ankle was still throbbing, but it seemed that it had become used to it, as the pain wasn't as intense. She was a little puzzled as to why Emily couldn't explain it to her, and how she was powerful. Surely she had never felt weaker in her life. "Emiwy? I'm sowwy about youw house," Lexi lisped again, staring up at Emily's face for a flicker of reaction. "I did-" She dropped off, horror showing on her cherub face as she felt herself pee. Suddenly, she jumped back off of Emily, mainly to keep from soaking her anymore than she was, and partly from fear of Emily's reaction. "Emiwy, I'm sowwy! I didn't do it on puwpose! Honestwy!" she cried as her body finished expelling the liquid.

Emily could not help but smile at Lexi's newly developed lisp. It was utterly adorable. Later on, she would cherish the sweet little girl's attributes, but for now, she needed to focus on settling Lexi and making her comfortable. "Lexi my darling, don't worry about the house. It is not my actual house, it is simply the store. These bedrooms exist becuase I never wanted to remove them. Have no fear. It is easily fixable" she whispered... Emily had no idea why she was being so quiet and hushed. It was probably becuase the whole atmosphere of the newly dismantled store was also quiet; Emily just adapted her personality to suit it.

When Lexi jumped up; fear spread across her face, Emily's first reaction was shock, then fear for Lexi's sake. And then she realized what had actually happened. "Lexi, Lexi, Lexi! Hey, calm down. It's okay!" she jumped up and wrapped a scrap of curtain fabric around Lexi like a skirt. The poor thing!

Taking Lexi and her new skirt in her arms, Emily carried her out of the destroyed room and into another one. She sat Lexi on the bed and pulled open the closet. Looking back at Lexi, Emily smiled. "Your body will not be it's self for a while Lexi. You will do things you cant control and things that you would never normally happen. I know you didnt do it on purpose" she smiled lovingly and pulled a plain blue, shapeless dress from the closet. "Would you like to clean up sweetie? I'll run you a nice hot bath and you can get cleaned up" she said looking at the small girl covered from head to toe in shards of rubble and dirt and other things. Kissing Lexi's forehead, Emily moved out of the room and into the adjacent bathroom and began to run Lexi's bath. She poured a dollop of strawberry scented bubble bath into the bottom and watched for a few moments as it began to froth. Then she went back to Lexi and picked her up; carrying her into the bathroom to wait for the bath to finish running.

Lexi was amazed at Emily's reaction. Surely, if it had been anyone else she had done that on, they would have beat her right then and there. Lexi let Emily wrap the makeshift skirt around her, trying hard not to wince at the intensified pain from her ankle. Relief flooded her face when Emily picked her up off the ground, though it vanished when Emily placed her back on the bed. In response to Emily's question, Lexi simply nodded, too stunned to speak. The bed was comfortable, that much was certain, but Lexi didn't feel at peace again until Emily picked her up and carried her to the bathroom, which was oddly strawberry scented. Nervously, she eyed the tub of bubbles. Lexi had never been a particularly strong swimmer, so deep water unsettled her, but she believed that Emily wouldn't let anything happen to her. She watched as more bubbles continued to rise, seemingly endless in the tub.

Jack wandered back into the destroyed room, having finally finished making the tea to perfection, only to see that no one was there. Puzzled, he listened for sounds of activity, hearing running water in one of the bathrooms. He made his way over there then, careful to keep from spilling any tea along his way. He was curious as to how Lexi's body would react to the changes. There was an off chance she could develop some permanent conditions, like that lisp of hers. He didn't let himself worry too much though. Emily would take treat her with love no matter what, and that was what mattered now. "Emily? You in there? I've got the tea!" Jack called, stepping into the bathroom without checking to make sure the women were decent. Luckily, they were. "Oh, did I miss something?"

Watching the bath water rise, Emily decided there was definately enough water for Lexi to soak in. She was only tiny, so Emily knew not to have too much water that Lexi could drown or even become submerged at all. Reaching forward, she turned off the faucet and carefully dipped her hand in to make sure it wasn't too hot. Almost scolding herself, Emily thought it best to add some cold to the mixture of steamy hot water and strawberry bubbles. Flicking that faucet on, Emily sat back with Lexi in her arms and waited a few moments before turning that one off too.

When Emily heard Jack calling her from just outside, she smiled. "Would you like a drink before your bath?" Emily asked Lexi, smiling at Jack as he entered the room carrying a flowery mug of wonderfully scented tea. Peppermint she inhaled and then nibbled her lip. "Thank you for fetching that for Lexi!" Emily chimed, feeling way too happy considering the recent events. She loved playing family like this. Lexi in her arms and Jack doting on her like she was his own; just the way it should always be. As Jack asked if he had missed something, Emily frowned. She wasn't sure if Lexi would want her to tell him what had happened moments ago. "I thought a nice hot bath would help to sooth Lexi's little body, and also clean her off. She looks like a chimney sweep!" Emily giggled a little trying to make light of the situation and stay positive for Lexi. It hurt her to stay positive when she had no idea what was happening to Lexi's body internally, but she had to try.

At the mention of a drink, Lexi noticed exactly how dry her throat was, and nodded shyly. "Tank you, Jack," Lexi lisped again, wriggling out of Emily's arms and grabbing the glass of tea. While she hadn't wanted to be put down, she wouldn't have been able to drink unless she was. Jack handed her the mug of sweet, yet cool, smelling tea carefully, making sure she didn't drop it, as she sat down on the counter. Slowly, she touched the mug to her lips and tilted it up, allowing the delicious fluid to flow into her dry mouth. Unnoticed by Lexi, the majority of the liquid had spilled around her mouth, soaking her filthy shirt. When she pulled the empty glass away, she looked down and jumped in surprise before frowning at her hands. "I'm thowwy(sorry), guyth," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to thpiw(spill) tho much."

Jack just shrugged when Lexi apologized for spilling the tea. "There's going to be a lot of things you can't do as well as before after what's transpired tonight," he said simply, walking over to Lexi with the stride of a doctor. Gently, he placed his hand to her head, hmming as he did so.

"There's no fever, or at least not yet. Lexi, do you feel kind of achy?" he asked, pulling his hand back.

"A wittwe(little) bit. Why?"

"You may get a fever then," Jack stated, sticking his hand in the warm water. Gently, he placed his wet hand on her head, studying her as she shivered under the sensation. "Yeah, you'll probably have a fever tomorrow or something. I'll get some herbs ready. Emily, you might want to get her in the bath soon. She looks like she's going to fall asleep where she is."

Releasing her hold on Lexi, Emily began to feel wary. She knew that little Lexi would have to be removed from her arms at some point, but she was scared the little girl would get hurt even more. She sat and watched as Lexi drank up her tea, and smiled at her lisp when she apologized. "Don't worry about it. I'll get you some clean clothes sorted" she smiled. It almost made her giggle to watch Lexi's genuine shock and confusion as she looked at the tea stained clothes. Adorable she thought.

When Jack started toward Lexi, Emily knew it was time for her fragile body to have some kind of examination; it was obvious from the way he walked. At first, relief flooded through her when Jack declared there was no fever, but as he continued to say she would have one tomorrow, Emily began to worry. She hoped it would be a minor side effect; she didnt want Lexi to be sick.

At the mention of getting Lexi into her bath, Emily stood and began to get a towel ready for Lexi when she was done in the bath. Quickly, she took Jack's hand and pulled him from the room leaving Lexi alone for only a few moments. "We should stay here tonight rather than going back to my house. I don't want to carry her across town when she might have a fever. It's cold out" Emily rambled. Then she realized she hadn't even asked if Jack would stay with them. "Urm, Jack? Would, sorry, could you stay here tonight? I don't want her to take a turn for the worst or something else happen and you not be here. I don't know much about this kind of thing" she sighed, wishing she could be a better mother figure to Lexi.

Jack let Emily pull him out of the bathroom as Lexi stripped off her filthy, sticky clothes. He nodded as Emily said they should just stay at the store, smiling at her rambling. She had always had a habit of doing that. "Yes, Em. I'll stay, he said, smiling a bit wider at her invitation. "I was planning to anyway. Usually, I would have healed the little girl with magic, but that could seriously mess up her body. I'll only use it as a last resort."

With a caring look, Jack dropped Emily's hands. "I'm going to go gather the herbs," he said as he stepped away. "Now go give your little girl a bath." He smiled to himself as he left the building, stepping into a clear plot of dew-covered grass before accessing the mana and auric energy surrounding him. Then he went to work, urging the herbs he needed to grow.

It shocked her that magic could seriously harm Lexi, so Emily was relieved when Jack said he would only use it as a last resort. She watched him leave and suddenly she felt lost. What if something happened with Lexi before he got back?

Taking a deep breath, Emily pushed the thoughts to the back of her head. She needed to be brave. She needed to act like a mother for Lexi. Turning, Emily walked back into the bathroom. "Okay Missy. Bath time. Lets get you cleaned off little one" she smiled sweetly. She ran a comb through Lexi's mangled locks so that when she washed her hair it wouldn't hurt. "You ready sweetie?" she asked as she placed the comb back on the side cabinet.

Lexi felt an immense relief when Emily came back, evident from the huge smile that plastered itself to her visage. She watched curiously as Emily dug around the room in search of an object, which was later identified to be a comb. Involuntarily, Lexi winced when she spotted the comb. Phen had always had a hard time yanking a comb through her hair when she was little, which is why she had cut is so short herself. As Emily pulled the comb through her tangled hair, she curled her toes and gripped the counter against the pain. She usually would have cried out and hid from the blasted invention, but she knew it needed to be done, not to mention Emily was a lot gentler than Phen had ever been.

Lexi just nodded when Emily asked if she was ready, reaching her hands out in the universal signal that children wanted to be picked up and held. Anxiety was clearly present in the little girl as she was lowered to the water, gripping Emily's arms in a death grip. When her tiny, nude body was submerged to the her neck in bubbles and warm water, Lexi found herself relaxing. Her muscles didn't feel as tight and the pain in her ankle was diminishing. Sighing contentedly, she thought, This is delightful! as she waited for Emily to begin washing her.

Emily winced as Lexi's tiny hands gripped her arms. Who knew someone so small could have so much strength?! She was scared at first at the sight of Lexi's face, maybe she was genuinely afraid of the water and Emily had not asked. Maybe it was too hot for her small physique? But the fears were erased instantly at the sight of Lexi's now calm, relaxed face. The look of pain that had been spread across the little one's face faded away as the hot water soothed her aching body and possibly broken ankle. Emily would have to give that a check later on, after the bath... If it was broken, it would need medical attention so that it did not begin to grow back at an awkward angle and cause Lexi pain for the rest of her life.

Reaching for a soft sponge, Emily poured a few drops of herbal body wash onto it and gently began to wash Lexi's face and arms. The dirt began to flow off her and slowly Emily started to see little Lexi's beautiful facial features more clearly. Her skin began to show through the dirt and as Emily continued to wipe off the dirt, small soapy bubbles also formed. The smell of herbs and chamomile floated around the room and Emily began to feel tired. It was so relaxing.

When Lexi was free from dirt, Emily picked up a small bottle of Peppermint scented shampoo and began to rub it gently into Lexi's hair. Slowly, the white foam turned to black and upon rinsing it out with a cupful of water, Emily could see Lexi's beautiful golden blond hair once more. Finally, after at least 20 minutes of cleaning, Lexi was looking more like herself again. "Would you like to stay in for a few more minutes?" Emily asked, seeing that the hot water was still helping to calm Lexi.

Lexi thoroughly enjoyed the gentle scrubbing of her body by Emily. She had never really had a bath, instead just running under gutters when it poured to clean herself off for Phen. Truly it was something she could get used to. The soaps and such also smelled so wonderful to the little girl, it was like she was taking a bath in perfume. She couldn't help but scrunch up her face when Emily scrubbed it, though it felt wonderful afterwards. The feel of the sponge on her back and tummy also felt simply divine.

She was a little disappointed when Emily took the sponge away, though her delight came back two-fold at the sensation of having the shampoo rubbed into her hair and washed out. Opening her eyes, Lexi became aware of how filthy the water had become, and responded to Emily's question by reaching for her in the same universal sign as before. While the water felt good, Lexi didn't want to get filthy from being in the water that cleaned her.

[[That's weird. I just clicked on my subscribed threads to see if I had anything to reply to and it said that I had read your previous post, and yet I have no recollection of ever having looked at it! Strange...]]

Smiling for the millionth time that day at Lexi's sheer adorableness, Emily reached for a fluffy towel and held it out as she picked Lexi up into it and wrapped it around the small girl's body. It seemed she quite enjoyed the bath. Now Emily sat Lexi in the middle of the bathroom on a soft mat and began to gently rub her skin with the towel. This helped to remove any water that might mean Lexi getting ill, as well as ensure none of the dirt had stuck to her skin. Now she wrapped a smaller towel around Lexi's hair; loose enough to be comfortable but not so loose that it fell off.

Playfully, Emily flicked Lexi's nose and smiled at how sweet and innocent her face looked now that she was all shiny and clean. "My my, you look like a different person little one. Those dirty stains were definately hiding a pretty little face from me" she smiled and then picked Lexi up; still wrapped in the warm towel, and carried her from the bathroom and into the adjacent bedroom. She sat Lexi on the large comfy bedside and rummaged in the draws in the dresser to find something for Lexi to wear in bed.

Finally, she found a slim green t-shirt that would be long enough to pass off as a nighty to the tiny figured Lexi. She then found a smaller pair of underwear and a pair of bed socks; these would help to keep Lexi warm while she slept and hopefully reduce the effects of the oncoming fever. Walking back over to Lexi, she stole away the warm towel and began to dress her. Once she got to the socks, she knelt down in front of her and began to look closer at Lexi's ankle. It was definately swollen, but the bruising was only small. "I'm no doctor, but I think this is just a very bad sprain. Maybe a small chip in the bone too, but nothing that requires you to go out in the middle of the freezing cold night to see a doctor, little one" she said and then gently kissed Lexi's puffy ankle. "I'll take you to the doctor tomorrow, when you have had a good night sleep and relaxed, okay?". Slowly, she slipped on a bed sock over the swelling and then put the other one on the healthy foot.

Emily sat on the bed once she had done dressing Lexi for sleep. "Will you be okay tonight Lexi? I doubt you have ever stayed away from your adopted family before, was it Phen? You can tell me if you need anything sweetie" she practically whispered. Emily began to run her hand up and down Lexi's back again as she had figured it felt nice to Lexi.

((Did you leave the thread open on a tab? Sometimes it auto-refreshes and reads as being read. It's pretty annoying. :\ How are you feeling though? :D))

Lexi literally shivered with delight as the fluffy towel enveloped her entire body and Emily began massaging her dry with the wonderful piece of cloth. She scrunched her nose up when Emily flicked it, smiling widely in pure delight. A blush rose to her cheeks at Emily's compliment, which Lexi felt, for the most part, was undeserved. While she had been sad to be put down in order to be dried, she figured it had been an equal trade-off upon feeling the fluffiness of the towel. Now she just felt like she was in heaven as Emily wrapped her in the towel and picked her up. She could remember, vaguely, the last time Phen had treated her this way.

She had been sick with a pretty nasty bug, Scarlet something or the other, when she was around five. Most of the time, she had been half mad with delirium and pain, but Phen had always been there. Whether it be feeding her, cleaning up when she failed to reach the toilet, or whatever, Phen had just smiled and told her it was going to be all right. In all honesty, Lexi could say she missed the feeling of security.

She didn't notice what Emily had been doing, so lost was she in her memory, until Emily pulled the soft, warm towel away. She shivered and made to protest until she felt the t-shirt fall down around her waist. For her, it was more of a nighty, reaching down all the way to her ankles and tickling the top of her feet. That was followed by the sensation of something silky being pulled up around her legs, which she found out to be underwear upon looking. Finally, Emily slipped on a woolly pair of socks over her tiny feet and toes, commenting on her swollen ankle. "Can't Jack do somefing(something) about it?" she asked, aware of her lisp, but ignoring it for the most part. If Emily didn't mind, she wouldn't either.

Emily's decision to sit down and rub her back confused Lexi, though it made her feel happy and safe inside. Most of the time the other gang members had just yelled goodnight when she mentioned she was tired and going to hit the hay. "C-Couwd(Could) you seep(sleep) hewe(here) wif(with) me tonight, Emiwy? Lexi asked quietly, slightly afraid that Emily would laugh or say no. "Couwd(Could) you wead(read) me a thtowy(story) too? Phen uthed(used) to do it when I wath(was) wittwe(little)."