The yearly 365 Challenge
Prompt #22 (AU) Magic!AU
"You my dear need to curtsy." Chic's blue green eyes sparkled as he held his body up right; and his chin jetted importantly out.
"Chic you aren't doing it right." Polly sighed deeply as she looked at her brother.
"I am so doing it right." Chic protested.
"No you aren't." Polly shook her head. "You simply don't tell Betty that she needs to curtsy. She all ready knows she has to do it." She sighed.
"No she doesn't." Chic shook his head.
Betty looked from her brother to her sister with a soft smile on her lips.
"Yes she does.' Polly stood in front of Betty protectively. "We have looked through that book bunch more times than you ever did."
"Have not." Chic's raised voice shouted.
"Have so." Polly narrowed her eyes at her brother.
Betty stepped out from behind her sister. She stepped froward and curtsied in front of her brother. Her head bowed in perfect form.
"See." Polly smiled sweetly.
Chic stepped forward and placed his hand underneath his youngest sister's chin and tilted it up. "Stand my Grace." He said in a humble tone.
Betty remained where she was.
Chic gently lifted his baby sister back up straight. "You will stand at my right side Princess Betty. While Princess Polly will stand at my left. We Cooper siblings will rule the kingdom Riverdale."
"Well Betty should we?" Polly turned to her younger sister and raised her right bow.
Betty nodded and went to stand at her brother's left.
"No no Betty. That's my left side. Over here is my right side." Chic moved his sister to the correct side.
"She's still learning." Polly gently smiled at her two year old baby sister as she moved to Chic's left side. "Right Betty."
"Yes." Betty spoke in a soft voice.
"You did well Princess Betty." Chic bowed down to his baby sister. He lifted back up and pulled out a stick from his side. "Now with this wand I'll do some magic around the kingdom." He said with excitement.
Betty's blue green eyes widen in excitement. Her hands clapped in front of her.
Before Chic could do the one spell that he leanred by heart their mother' s voice sounded out.
"Children come in the house now." Their mother spoke in a strict hard voice. The voice that expected to be obeyed at once.
Betty turned around. "Mummy playing time."
Alice stormed across the backyard towards her three children. She stopped in front of Betty. Wrapping her arms tightly across her chest. She looked down at her youngest. "No Elizabeth. It's not playing time. Go into the house now."
Betty shook her head. "No mummy." She moved closer to her brother side. "Chic do magic now." She looked up into her older brother's eyes.
"Elizabeth Cooper you do not sass me." Alice bent down and picked up Betty and jerked her into her side.
"Owie." Betty whimpered.
Chic and Polly's eyes were wide as they stared fearfully at their mother and their baby sister. They knew that if they spoke up then their mother may forget she was holding Betty and she may accidently hurt the two year old.
Alice realized that she was gripping her child rougher then she attended. She also realized that she just literally slammed her two year old against her body. She took a deep breath to steady her nervous. She couldn't afford to break right now. One she honesty had no idea on which way her emotions would break. If they broke in anger then she could seriously hurt her baby daughter in her arms; and her two small children in front of her. If they broke in fear then she could still hurt her children. She took a firm hold of her emotions and just calmed her nerves down. She had to be alone before she allowed her emotions to release their old on her. "I'm sorry." She gently stroked the side of her baby girl's face. "I didn't mean to scare you Elizabeth."
"Daddy." Betty whimpered.
It broke Alice Smith Cooper's heart that Betty didn't feel safe with her. That in this one act she destroyed Elizabeth's trust in her. She turned and walked silently into her house. She knew her other two children were following close behind her. Keeping a sharp eye on her treatment of their baby sister. Once in the living room Alice placed Betty in her play pen. Once she stood up she turned to her two older children. "When I tell you children to come inside … then come inside. No back talk."
"Yes mom." Chic and Polly's head lowered.
"Now I have work to finish on my article. I expect you three to be quiet. Understand?" She looked at her three children in turn. Betty's fearful eyes broke her soul. She knew she had to leave the room before she broke. She couldn't allow her children see her at her truest weaskest moment.
"Daddy?" Betty's soft whimper filled the stiffen air.
Alice brought her right hand to the bridge of her nose. She couldn't leave her chldren unsupervised. Hal wouldn't be home for another hour. She couldn't leave her young children alone. Even if she was in the other room with the door open. It wasn't safe. She sighed deeply. "Once your father arrives home then I'll finish my article." She said as she walked to the kitchen. "I'll make you three a snack."
Polly moved closer to her baby sister. "Daddy will be home soon Betty. Then you can come out of the playpen once more."
Chic looked at his sisters then he looked towards the kitchen where their mother went too. He made his way slowly towwards the kitchen. He stopped in his tracks at the sight of his mother at the kitchen table. Her head was between her hands and they were shaking.
Alice swallowed her sobs. She couldn't break down. Not with her children in the next room. Not when her children needed her to remain strong to protect them. But how can she protect them when the danger was from her. She pressed her arms tighter against her face to keep the tears at bay. She simply couldn't break down now. Her children needed her to be strong for them.
Chic was scared. He wanted to go and comfort his mother. But he remembered the last time he saw his mom like this … and his father was trying to comfot her …. she was angry at him. He remembered how she screamed at him that he wasn't strong enough for her. If he daddy couldn't calm his mother down then what hope than was a six year old little boy could calm her down. His eyes glinsted with unshed tears as he turned his back on his mother and looked at his two younger sisters. He could always comfort and keep his sisters safe and loved. He walked over to the playpen and gently ran a hand down his baby sister's cheekbone. He smiled softly as her eyes turned to look up into his own. But he could tell that she really wanted their daddy to be there and hold her. "Daddy will be home soon Betty."
Betty's eyes left her brother's and looked towards the kitchen where her mother was still sitting at the kitchen table. Her eyes turned to meet Polly's. "Hold me."
Polly sighed. "I'm sorry Betty but Chic and I can't pick you up yet." She looked back at the kitchen at her mother. "I think Mom wants you to remain in the playpen till daddy comes home." Her eyes returned to meet the teary ones of her baby sister. "Daddy will be here soon. I promise."
Alice heard the words her children spoke. They were still too young to relaize that sometimes they need to speak in lower tones if they didn't want someone to hear them. She fought for control as she fully realized how much more love the children had for their father than for her. Her back stiffened as she lowered her arms. She got herself firmly together,and stood to her feet. She needed to feed the children their snack.