Hey guys I'm sorry for such a long delay. This took forever to figure out. By the way guys I finally figured out who I'm modeling Rachel after. To all the Walking Dead fans out there the little twins who played season four Judith are a lot more grown up, their names are Tinsley and Anniston Price, the cover image of the story is one of them but if for some reason you can't see that Google them, there exactly how I'm picturing Ray in this story.
Prologue.
I know a sad story. About a soldier and a princess. My daddy told me about it.
Once upon a time, in a far away place, there lived a soldier. He protected a kingdom ruled by an evil queen, who took away the soldier's name. But the soldier didn't understand this was bad. One day the soldier was sent away on a mission to protect his kingdom from a threat, because he didn't know he was bad?
His mission was to go to another kingdom, and get close to their king, so he could see if that king wanted to hurt his queen. While he was there, pretending to be somebody else, he met the kings daughter. She was very beautiful, she had bright blue eyes and dark hair (Like snow white!) and a smile that he says lit up the whole world! (That's pretty big)
He fell in love with the princess and didn't even know it, because the evil queen had never let him love anyone before.
The soldier was very happy, he almost forgot about the evil queen, until he was called back to the castle. The evil queen had decided that the other kingdom knew to much, and that they were bad. They ordered the soldier to kill the king and his princess.
The soldier didn't know he loved the princess, he didn't understand. So he did as he was told, almost.
At the last second the soldier decided he didn't want to hurt the princess, so he ran into the castle to save her. But he was to late (My daddy gets pretty sad at this part, but it gets happier) The princess had to go away to heaven (That's really far away!)
The soldier was so sad, he cried for days and days, until he couldn't anymore. He didn't like feeling the way he did, so he forgot about the princess.
Until one day a warrior (Max always laughs at that part?) came to the kingdom, and she and the soldier broke out of the kingdom together, and burned down the evil castle. Along with the evil queen.
Then a long time passes, and the soldier and the warrior had a lot of adventures (But I don't have time to tell those!) They built their own kingdom, and let in anyone who wanted to be safe.
One day the soldier gets a visitor, it was the good king, the father of his princess. The king was very sick, and he had to go away to heaven too, and he couldn't take care of the new princess.
So he gave the princess to the soldier and made him promise to take good care of her, and he did. Then he lived happily ever after.. (For now? Whatever that means?)
Five year old Rachel McDowell finished her story, and rolled over in bed to look at her friend. Her bright blue eyes sparkled with excitement, the princess and the soldier were her favorite story. Mostly because she was the new princess, her daddy was the soldier, her mother was the first princess and Max was the warrior.
Three year old Eve frowned at her, her eyes cut. "That's not true!" She stated.
Rachel frowned, "Yes it is! Look! This used to be the princesses," Rachel said pulling the silver locket out of her nightgown. It had come in the mail on her third birthday, her Grampa wanted to make sure she had one more present.
Eve stared at her a bit longer, her brown eyes cut in distrust. "Fine.. I believe you?" She said hesitantly. She did love princess stories, and they were even better if they were true.
"I can hear you talking! Sleep!" Came a pleading voice from across the small apartment. Rachel grinned widely, along with Eve. Both girls had come up with a game, see how long they could stay awake. Unfortunately it also kept her Dad awake as well.
"Marco!" Rachel yelled, hoping to get a reaction. A moment later she heard a muffled groan, both girls bursting into a fit of laughter.
"We are not doing this crap tonight!" He father replied. Rachel's grin only grew bigger, the small half transgenic girl had gotten supplied with whatever was in their DNA that made them so stubborn.
"Marco!" She yelled one more time. And was rewarded when the sound of footsteps started for their direction.
"He's coming!" Eve yelped, a grin on her face. Quickly both of them ducked under the covers, hoping the protective blanket shield would be enough.
Alec sighed deeply, and opened the door to reveal the room of a five year old. The curtains were yellow, and so was her bed spread. On the walls a montage of the past three years were scribbled into the wallpaper. He didn't mind though, his apartment was dull enough, why not have her brightening up the place?
Besides that the room was filled with a different assortment of toys, some where dolls and horses, then there were the matchbox cars and the spider men figures, Rachel didn't care what she played with, as long as it wasn't a clown.
Alec stood there and stared at the two lumps hiding underneath the yellow bed spread, shaking in laughter. This is what his life had become.
And he loved every second of it.
It was like any adventure he could have had out by himself, was tripled when Rachel was involved. She made everything happy. She colored on the walls, she would only eat Cheerios in the morning, Ariel the little mermaid was the best thing in the world. The simplest things could be made extraordinary with her.
"Polo!" He snapped, despite the smile tugging at his lips. He watched as ever so slowly the yellow bed spread was lowered. Revealing a mop of unruly blond hair and blue eyes that where cut in distrust.
"Your not supposed to do it like that!" Rachel sighed, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Then how am I supposed to do it?" He questioned.
"Your supposed to look all mean and stomp around!" She said sitting up fully, a wide eyed Eve sitting up next to her.
"Like a giant!" The little girl with short brown hair and brown eyes said.
"I am not a giant," Alec glared at them. He moved towards the bed, making the girls scoot over as he sat between them.
"Maybe you're a friendly giant?" Rachel suggested, quirking her head to the side as if she was studying him.
Alec frowned again. "I'm not that tall!" He defended.
"But you bumped your head yesterday coming into my house?" Eve said, making him remember the unfortunate situation. He had gotten laughed at by Max and Gem for a good hour.
"I'm only six foot one?" Alec said trying to defend himself.
"Your too tall daddy, deal with it." Rachel sighed dramatically, before laying back down, leaning against his shoulder. Eve doing the same. He wondered when exactly he had gotten put on sleep over duty, he was going to have to talk to Gem about that.
Finally Alec rolled his eyes, as he stared at the drawings on his daughters wall. She was getting pretty good for a five year old, he actually knew what half of the scribbles were. Like a rabbit, a dog, a castle. Then of course there was her self portrait right next to the portrait she drew of him.
Looking back Alec hardly recognized himself. The drugs and the fighting, the girls coming an going. He wondered if he would even be alive today if it hadn't been for the little girl falling quickly to sleep on his shoulder.
"Daddy can you tell us one more story?" Rachel asked with a yawn drowning out half her sentence. But Alec understood.
"Pick one?"
"The princess and the soldier," She requested. Alec looked down at her, it was always that one. Not that he didn't mind, but that seemed to be her favorite.
It had been Max's idea to turn what Rachel needed to know into a story, her sister Jondy used to tell her son Case something similar. It worked, and he was grateful. He wanted Rachel to know, but in a way a five year old would understand. The story was created when she was three, after the locket arrived. Berrisford had it pre-mailed it so it would arrive on her birthday. He remembered Normal tossing the small package at him. His eyes widening at the return address.
"Once upon a time."
So what do you guys think. Leave a review and I'll try and get the next chapter posted soon. I just wanted to get this out so you guys wouldn't think I forgot. Wednesday should bring you guys the new chapter but don't hold me to that..