The Price Tag On Enchantment

Summary: One-shot Giselle makes breakfast; Robert finds out about when Morgan used his credit card for her so called emergency.

A/N: Came up with this while reading posts on an Enchanted discussion board. All I know is, if I used my mom's credit card to buy my friend a make over, I'd be in major trouble. And I'm nineteen.

Stumbling into the kitchen of his apartment, Robert Philip tried to keep himself awake long enough to make coffee. It was three days after his…well…adventure at the ball, and he hadn't quite recuperated from the excitement. But, work was work, and after two sick days he knew he was pushing his limits "'Morning," Robert mumbled in a general greeting, firing up the coffee maker at the counter. In a now common scene, Giselle stood at the table serving Morgan breakfast.

Of course, Giselle wouldn't be staying forever. Yes, she was in a bizarre predicament, but if she and him had any hope of dating, she needed a place of her own. After five years with Nancy, he hadn't even let her stay more than a night, tops – letting her live here and going out would be way too awkward, even if they were destined for true love. Until the day that love came to be, Giselle was sleeping on the couch. When she got a job, and earned enough money from that job, she'd be moving to whatever apartment she could find.

Although, he couldn't help but feel at least a little guilty. After all, he was the reason she was staying in New York, away from friends and presumably family, in a world she had only begun to know. He couldn't just leave her hanging. So the deal was, she would be living there as his roommate, and only his roommate. Once she got on her feet, they'd see where the relationship went.

Where it went, Robert thought, smirking. When they had that kiss, they both know they were "meant to be." But the practical, doubting side of Robert couldn't let him suspend every last cynicism he'd been keeping inside for so long.

Pouring bottled syrup on Morgan's plate, Giselle said, "Good morning, Robert."

"Good morning, Daddy," Morgan added, pointing to her plate. It was full of pancakes that looked like they had green and red specks in them. "Look! Giselle made pancakes! Without the stuff in the box!"

Kissing Morgan on the forehead, Robert stood up and raised an eyebrow at the delicious looking breakfast. Unable to help himself, he directed the look at Giselle, who seemed itching to know what he would think of it. Clearing his throat, he said, in the nicest tone possible, "Giselle, this is very nice, but…last week, you didn't know how the water came out of the shower. How'd you possibly use a stove?"

"Morgan told me," Giselle answered with a giggle. "Boy, was I surprised when flames came out! It's amazing how there can be fire without wood!"

Shaking his head, Robert sat down at the breakfast table. He was dressed and ready for work, and he could see that Morgan was ready for school, so he allowed himself the luxury of a full meal before heading off. "Yeah, amazing…so what are these?"

"Mint and raspberry pancakes. I used to make them all the time at home. Pip always did love to help me gather herbs in the forest," Giselle explained, a hint of wistfulness in her words.

Robert frowned, remembering that Giselle had mentioned her chipmunk friend. Since there was nothing he could do about it, Robert continued on with the subject of food. "Where'd you get the ingredients for this? Morgan said you didn't use the store mix."

Perking up instantly, Giselle said, "Well, you had most of them – I just borrowed some mint from your neighbor, who was growing it in a box…she called it an 'herb garden.' Anyway, I hope you don't mind, but I used the last of your flour that you had in that back cupboard."

Robert exchanged a confused look with Morgan, then answered, "We had flour?"

"We have a cupboard?" Morgan echoed.

"You two are so silly!" Giselle answered, giggling again.

Cutting a small piece of pancake, Robert replied, "Well, thanks for breakfast – you really didn't have to."

"It wasn't any trouble at all," Giselle assured him. "I did have help."

Robert's hand froze midway to his mouth, the fork unmoving. Please tell me she didn't use her little rat friends to make these, Robert thought, forcing a pained smile. "H-help? What kind of…help, exactly?"

"It was so cool!" Morgan exclaimed before Giselle could answer, grinning at him. "Pigeons came in and stirred the batter all by themselves!"

Putting down his fork, Robert gulped and replied, "That's great, honey. I-I don't think I'm that hungry."

Morgan then burst out laughing. "Gotcha! She meant me, Dad. I was the one who helped her."

"That's not funny, Morgan," Robert chided, reluctantly picking up his fork again. Still, he couldn't get the image of bird droppings in his breakfast out of his mind. Noting that Giselle appeared very confused at Morgan's joke, Robert reminded himself to explain to the previous friend to all woodland creatures what it meant to be hygienic in New York City. "So, Giselle, what do you have planned for…'

"Oh! Robert, a messenger came for you this morning!" Giselle interrupted, as if suddenly remembering.

With a sidelong glance at his daughter, Robert repeated, "A messenger?"

"Mailman, Dad," Morgan clarified. "She means the mail. It's in the usual spot."

Understanding, Robert nodded and got up from his seat. "Thanks. I'll be right back."

As he left the room, he heard Giselle ask Morgan, "A messenger comes to your door all the time? How exciting!"

How can anyone be so full of wonder, Robert thought, shaking his head on the way to the living room. It just didn't seem possible…yet every time Robert thought she was adjusting the "surprises" of modern-day Manhattan, something else made Giselle shout from amazement. Today the stove, yesterday the television, the day before the phone…

He arrived at the living room coffee table, on the way noticing that there were no messages on the answering machine on the end table next to the couch. Vaguely he thought it odd that he hadn't heard from Nancy at all since that night. He'd called her office a couple times to talk and make sure she was okay…but each time the receptionist said that Nancy would be out of town for "an extended period of time." Whatever that meant. Robert couldn't help but think that Nancy was just understandably avoiding him.

Sifting through the mail, he sighed when he came across one of his credit card bills. He frowned noting that it was for his emergency card. Why would I get this? He thought. I haven't touched that card in months. That company must've made a mistake. He put down the rest of his mail and opened the envelope with his thumb. Robert took out the official-looking paper and his gaze went down to its usual place at the bottom.

Monthly Total: 1,500

Robert stared at the number in horror, feeling the blood rush from his head and the room start to spin. Putting a shaking hand on the couch armrest, he lowered himself down on the couch. Otherwise he thought for sure that he would faint.

Somebody stole my identity, Robert thought with conviction. After hearing so many stories of credit card fraud, it made sense that the possibility could happen to him. He glanced up as Morgan came into the living room. Trying to mask his concern, he asked, "What's the matter, honey?"

"Giselle wanted to know if you wanted your pancakes heated up," Morgan answered, then added, "I told her how to use the microwave too. Andalasia is a really weird place."

Managing a laugh, Robert replied, "No kidding. Uh, tell her that I'm going to have to take a rain check on breakfast. I need to call the credit card company and straighten something out for now, then we'll have to leave."

"Straighten out what?" Morgan asked, looking at the piece of paper in her father's hand.

Robert raised an eyebrow at his daughter. "They're…they're making me pay for something I didn't buy," he said, attempting to explain the concept of identity fraud to a six-year-old.

Before he could say anything, Morgan ran into the hallway. She came back two minutes later with his credit card in her hand. "Well, you didn't buy something. Me and Giselle did," Morgan answered, handing it back to him. Her matter-of-fact tone turned to panic when she saw the mixture of anger, disappointment, and confusion on his face. At that point, it was clear that she understood she'd done something wrong. "It was an emergency!" Morgan rushed to add. "And you said I could use it in case of emergencies!"

"How could you have a fifteen-hundred dollar emergency?" Robert yelled, jumping up from the couch in surprise. Seeing Morgan try to hold back tears, he took a few deep breaths and asked, "W-What was the emergency?"

Attempting to keep her six-year-old pride intact, Morgan stood up straight and looked up at him. "Giselle needed help! She needed a fairy godmother, and this was the next best thing!"

"A fairy godmother? What the…" Robert trailed off, using all his strength to keep his temper in check. He was saved the trouble of calling for their latest houseguest in when Giselle wandered into the living room, staring at them with concern.

"What's going on?" Giselle asked. "Robert, why are you so…so…" She paused, trying to think of the word. "Angry, that's it! And why are you raising your voice like that? It's scaring me!"

Taking several more deep, calming breaths, Robert explained, "It's called 'yelling.' It's what people do when they're angry, usually directed at the person who made them angry in the first place."

"I don't like this emotion," Giselle said, frowning in distaste.

Also frowning, Morgan agreed, "Neither do I."

Okay, calm down, Robert thought to himself. Losing your temper won't do anything other than scare your daughter. Not to mention make yourself look like a monster in front of the girl you hope to date. Reminding himself to see their side, he asked, "What was the emergency that you needed to use my credit card? Giselle, Morgan said you needed a fairy godmother, but I'm a little unclear on what situation constitutes needing one and which ones don't."

"Of course I needed a fairy godmother for this situation!" Giselle exclaimed, as if it should've been obvious. "There was a ball! How else was I supposed to get a dress, and shoes, and my hair done…"

"You got a make over? A fifteen-hundred dollar make over?" Robert shouted, startling the two girls.

While Morgan looked as if she might cry, Giselle argued, "But I had to. Prince Edward was taking me on this fancy date, and I couldn't go to a ball with what I was wearing! Don't you see?"

"Yeah, I see," Robert grumbled. I see that I'm picking up the tab for a date Giselle had with another guy, he thought, his rational yet jealous side taking over.

But then he thought about it. If Morgan hadn't taken Giselle shopping, Giselle would have never come to the ball. She and him never would have gotten to dance. Then Robert wouldn't have been able to kiss her and find out she was his true love. Then she wouldn't have left Edward and saved him from the magical dragon.

Come to think of it, Robert was probably the one who owed Morgan. Big time.

But that didn't change the fact that she used his credit card to spend over a thousand dollars without asking him. Letting out a deep sigh, he glanced at his daughter, who had stayed quiet…probably wondering how he was going to punish her. Giving her a weak smile, Robert said, "Alright, Morgan. Since you did it because Giselle needed your help, and were with Giselle…you're not in too much trouble. But since you snuck out when the babysitter was watching you, and you didn't call to ask me for permission to use the card…you're in a ten-minute time out every day after school this week. Got it?"

"Yes, Daddy," Morgan answered, somewhat relieved. "I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted. Remind me to explain to you the meaning of an emergency," Robert replied, then checked his watch. "We have to get going. Have a good day, Giselle."

"Wait, Robert!" Giselle called.

Almost not wanting to know, he turned and said, "What is it?"

"What is a 'time out'?" Giselle asked, brimming with honest curiosity.

Trying not to appear too bemused, Robert just gave her a weak, reassuring look and opened the door. "I'll explain it to you when I get home."

A/N: Two points here:

1) The number 1,500 was somewhat random. I had no idea how much Giselle and Morgan could've spent, but given the prices in Manhattan, they could've easily spent that much. In fact, I'm wondering if that's a little too low.

2) It's been pointed out to me that Morgan appeared to be home alone in the scene where Giselle comes to her for help. I heard that in the novelization it explains that they snuck out while Morgan was being watched by a babysitter, so I just used that explanation in here.

Thanks for reading!