Notes: Done for ygodrabble. Set pre-canon. A few years back I wanted to write a longer fic dealing with Rebecca's past, but I don't think that's going to happen now, so I wanted to use it as the subject for this drabble.
In his long life Arthur Hopkins has spent more time around ancient relics than he had human beings, and he wasn't intending that as an insult to any of his friends either. One thing he knew for definite was that when people who were close to you died it was followed by an immense amount of grief.
Certainly, he cried for hours when the news reached him. But he was a grown man and he had a definite responsibility to deal with first.
Arthur's son and his wife had a daughter.
When they passed away, unexpectedly and tragically, they had left that daughter without parents to raise her. Knowing that he didn't want his granddaughter to be fostered off to someone he knew nothing about Arthur had come back as soon as he could from his recent dig to find her.
As he reached the house he expected a certain amount of grief from little Rebecca. She was just a child and she'd lost her closest family. He'd prepared himself for all the words of comfort he could say to her in his head, though what he hadn't prepared himself for was seeing her standing outside of the house, holding a suitcase, ready and waiting for him. Like a mature adult.
There were no tears.
"Rebecca, my darling, I hope they've been treating you well…" he started, getting out of the car. He'd been told she'd been cared for by the neighbours for the few days since the incident.
She nodded, and he realised that it was taking all of her effort not to cry. She was… a very unique girl, she had been blessed with intelligence far beyond her years, but under it she was still a very emotional individual.
As she wouldn't run to him crying, as most children would, he reached down, putting his arms around her and rocking her softly. He could hear the faint sobs she began to make into his shoulder.
Arthur Hopkins was not very good with people, but for his granddaughter he would become the only family she would need.