MATERIALS FOR LIFE

An Enchanted Fanfic

Chapter One: Instructions

Note: This first chapter will probably include a lot of summary, and that bothers me, but I felt like I needed to fill in some of the gaps, and it would be weird for Morgan not to know what happened. On with the story – hope you enjoy!

It had been an hour since Robert's life had changed forever. He was now sitting on a cold and rainy roof, knowing that at any moment he could go tumbling from its edge. But something made a sort of serenity be cast over him, and he had a feeling that this was coming from the radiant beauty of the girl next to him.

"Giselle," he said softly, gently shaking her awake. "The chopper's going to be here any moment to get us."

The redhead woke slowly, as if from a dream. "My goodness, this has been quite the night, hasn't it?"

Robert nodded in agreement and looked up, shielding his eyes from the bright glare of an approaching light with his hand.

"Here it comes right now."

"What's coming?" Giselle asked.

"The helicopter. It's going to get us down from here."

"Oh my," she said softly. "We're awfully high up. Will they be able to come up this high?"

Chuckling, Robert squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "I hope so."

Giselle's eyes widened with fright.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sure we'll be just fine."

After a moment, the harsh sound of rotating blades hummed in the air above them, and Giselle and Robert were about to be pulled, in turn, up the ladder to get into the helicopter. Giselle would go first, at Robert's insistence, but she trembled at the prospect of climbing into such a strange machine by herself – and at leaving Robert. Her bravery at facing the dragon Narissa had transformed into had seemingly left her as she was reluctantly pulled from Robert's arms.

"We'll get him in a minute, miss. Please just remain calm," her rescuer was instructing her. "Don't struggle. Just hold still and we'll be there in a minute."

Giselle shivered involuntarily.

"You must have been cold up there," the man said politely, trying to distract her from the fact that they were getting farther and farther away from Robert as they climbed.

"Not really," Giselle replied with a cheerful smile. "I had Robert to keep me warm."

"Ain't that nice," the rescuer said, settling her into the seat as they entered the helicopter. "Now just wait a minute and we'll be back with your beau."

"I wasn't wearing a bow," Giselle called after him in confusion as he climbed back down the ladder.

"My name is Giselle," she said to the pilot. "What's yours?"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Daddy!" Morgan cried, as her father opened the door. "I missed you! How was the ball? I couldn't sleep without you here…"

A million thoughts and words were flowing from her mouth and Robert shushed her quickly. "Let's get the baby sitter home. I'm sorry for staying out so long," he said. "But I brought you a surprise."

The baby sitter shoved out the door quickly and Robert opened it wider.

"Ta-dah!"

"Giselle!" Morgan squealed, throwing herself into the woman's arms. "I thought you were going to leave for good this time! What happened to your prince?"

"I'm not sure what happened to Edward," she said slowly, her face taking on a thoughtful expression. "But so many wonderful and frightening things happened that I just can't wait to tell you!"

"But first," Robert interrupted, "somebody needs to go get their pajamas on and get ready for bed."

"Okay," Giselle replied. "I just need to find some…"

"Not you," Morgan laughed, taking her by the hand and showing her to her bedroom. "Now start the story!"

Robert shook his head, smiling, and went to his room. He was pretty tired himself, but if he listened closely, he could hear the strains of the storytelling from his bed.

"Well," Giselle said, sitting cross-legged on Morgan's bed, "after I told you good-bye and the baby sitter came, I went out on another date with Edward. Or I guess it was still part of the date. But anyway, we went to the ball together, and then we saw Robert, and I danced with him and he danced with Nancy. I mean, Edward danced with Nancy. And it was all so wonderful," she sighed.

"But then," she said, her eyes widening, "a terrible old hag came into the ballroom. She was the very same one that pushed me into the well!" She paused for effect and took a breath. "She offered me an apple and told me that if I took a bite, I would forget all about my time here in New York City and could have a happily ever after. I was so confused and scared that I… I took a bite."

Morgan gasped.

"Then what happened?"

"I don't know. I fell into a deep sleep filled with horrible dreams," she said softly. "It seemed like such a very long time. But then, I woke up, and your father was kneeling over me. He had woken me up from my sleep with true love's kiss."

"Cool!" Morgan cried.

"Then, the old hag and Edward and Nancy and Nathaniel and everybody were all talking very loud," Giselle recalled. "Then all of a sudden I realized that the old hag was Edward's mean stepmother Narissa, and she transformed into a dragon! Then she took Robert!!" She exhaled again, as if reliving it all over again. "He was oh so very brave. I got Edward's sword and I chased her, and we went higher and higher and higher up a big shiny building. Then there was a storm, and after some scary moments, Narissa fell off, all thanks to Pip."

"That was the chipmunk," Morgan remembered. "What happened to him?"

Giselle frowned, realizing she didn't know. He had probably gone with Edward. Maybe back to Andalasia? She blinked and decided to continue her story.

"We – Robert and I – slid a long way. It was very frightening. But when we came to a stop, we were safe, and then we kissed in the rain."

"Like in a fairy tale," Morgan decided, smiling.

"A happily ever after," Giselle agreed happily.

"Is Dad asleep now?" Morgan asked, getting up from the bed to hunt for her favorite pajamas.

"I think so," Giselle guessed.

"We should have a sleepover."

Giselle cocked her head. This word was unfamiliar.

"Sleep-over?"

"You know, where all your friends get together and have a party."

"I like parties," she grinned.

"And then you stay up all night…"

"All night?" Giselle gasped.

"All night," Morgan confirmed. "And you watch movies and eat popcorn and play games."

Giselle fell back onto the bed, exhausted. "I can't believe I'm really staying here," she sighed, smoothing down the comforters around her. "I wish I knew what I was doing. I only know that I'm very happy here."

"You don't need any instructions," Morgan guffawed. "But… you will need some new dresses."

"You're right," Giselle agreed. "I'll start tomorrow! We'll need to get lots of things. Do you think we could use the card again? I don't think you trade things here the way they do in Andalasia."

Morgan yawned and crawled into bed. "I think I'm going to sleep now."

"Okay," Giselle said softly, heading to her now-familiar spot on the couch. She leaned down to kiss Morgan's forehead. "Sleep well."

The little girl stretched and nestled deeper into her bed.

"Now that you're here I will."