"Oh, the poor things..."

"Losing their parents so young..."

"What's going to happen to them?"

"I don't know..."

The rain couldn't cover their whispered thoughts. The crowd of people in black all had their eyes on the children standing before two graves. Sympathy laced their voices and it struck her heart like tiny pinpricks of ice. These were words she didn't want to hear. She wanted to hear her parents, laughing and holding her close, saying it was a joke and that they were fine.

This was a wish that would never come true.

Mistel hugged her neck with his chubby arms. He fussed and buried his face into her hair. Adults were saying that he was too young to understand what was going on, but Iris knew he did. No matter how young or old a child was, they knew when their parents were gone. Mistel was no exception and she knew that he was a smart child. Of course he knew that his parents have died and weren't coming back.

The group of humanized crows dispersed as the minutes flew by. All that remained were Iris, Mistel... and another couple.

They approached the children and Iris could feel an air of resentment. It made her feel worse than before. The way they looked at them with eyes that could stop a tiger from wanting to pounce.

This couple would be their new caretakers.

"Come, children. We should be getting home now," the woman mentioned, holding her hand out for Iris to take. "You both could use a good washing to get this terrible day over with."

Iris didn't like how she said that. She may be young, but she felt like she deserved to have some time to mourn her parents passing. What kind of monster would want to make her move on so fast? If it was a sign of things to come, Iris should bolt right now and hide out somewhere. Perhaps in a museum. There was one nearby and she could make it there in no time.

Mistel fussed in her arms, threatening to cry out at any moment. There wouldn't be any time to run away. With so many essentials needed, it would be impossible. She would need to return in a matter of hours if she did. And her arms were getting tired from holding Mistel.

With a heavy heart, she reached out for the woman's hand and grasped it in her own. The man took Mistel from her, which made him cry out and fuss immediately. She dared a quick look at their new caretakers faces and found them scrunched up in disgust. If they didn't like children, why did they volunteer to take them in? Did they feel obligated after their parents deaths?

Her parents wouldn't have wanted her to judge by character like this. Perhaps they were just tired from today's events and they would be warmer to them in the morning.

This is what she told herself as they got into their car and drove away from the cemetery.

Some time during the drive, Iris fell asleep. Her new caretakers shook her awake, hardly gentle at all. Mistel was already in the older woman's arms as they climbed the steps to the building. Something clicked within her, a feeling that made it unbearable to see him away from her. Her limbs felt heavy as she climbed out of the car and tried to run after them. They refused to move fast, making her appear sluggish and ready to fall over from exhaustion. Climbing up the stairs proved to be the more difficult than she had hoped. Luckily, the woman and Mistel, who was fussing in her arms, hadn't moved from their place at the top of the stairs.

"I can... I can take him from you, if you would like..." Iris spoke, holding her arms out for Mistel. Please give him to me. You don't want to hold him anyway... she thought to herself, hoping that it didn't read on her face.

"You're much too tired to hold him yourself," the woman replied, staring down at her. "Although, I do expect you to bathe him. Are you too tired to do that?"

"No, ma'am. I can do that just fine."

"Hm."

Her husband climbed up the steps and unlocked the door for them. Iris wasn't sure what to expect from their living quarters. She saw the long winding stairs that lead to the upper floors and prayed that she wouldn't have to climb them. Her prayers were short lived as the couple started to ascend the daunting staircase. Iris followed them, her feet hurting with every step she took.

With each flight, she hoped that they reached the destined floor but they kept climbing. By the time they reached the top, Iris was exhausted. Mistel's cries of distress were louder than before. When she looked at the woman, she could see she was uncomfortable with holding him now. In any moment, she would expect the woman to hand Mistel over to her. She hoped that she would.

The husband opened the only door on the floor and led their noisy group into the flat. Iris remembered her old home. How her parents filled it with flowers and books with walls the color of the sky on a cloudless day. This flat was bland with white walls and decorated with gray painted furniture. Flowers decorated a table near the door, but Iris realized they were fake as she passed them. The living area was just as bland with it's white walls and gray couch. Even the rug in front of the TV, the only piece of color in the room, was white.

It was so clean and neat, Iris wasn't sure how they expected two children to live here. Especially Mistel, who could be a messy little boy at times.

"Are you hungry?" the woman asked over Mistel's screaming. Iris wasn't sure if she was talking to her or to her brother.

"Would you like me to feed him, ma'am?" she asked, her arms once again waiting for Mistel to drop in them. The woman didn't hesitate plopping him in her arms then straightening out her own dress. Once Mistel realized who was holding him, he quieted down to just soft sounds. He looked up at his sister with big eyes that resembled their mothers so well.

"I'll cook you up something, then. Before that, you two should take a bath," the woman said, smoothing the last of the wrinkles of her dress. Her heels clicked on the hard wood floor as she walked down a hallway, not bothering to see if Iris followed. She did, not wanting to anger the woman who may just as well be her new mother. She opened the second door to their left, revealing a white bathroom. "You'll find all you need under the sink. My husband bought some... bubble bath for you two. Try not to make a mess."

"Yes, ma'am," Iris said, holding Mistel closer. The woman stayed in the bathroom, watching them; analyzing them. It made her feel uncomfortable and even Mistel started to fuss just a bit more.

The woman sniffed, tilting her head up. "I'll bring in some clean clothes for you two." With that, she walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

When it closed, Iris felt at ease and Mistel quieted down. She didn't think they were bad people, but she didn't believe that they wanted them around. It made her wonder why they took them in. What kind of relationship did they have with their parents? Now that Iris thought about it, she couldn't remember seeing them over for dinner or to speak to parents. There were so many other friends that her parents had who were warm and welcoming to them. They were always willing to play or give them a sweet every now and then. So who were they?

"Iris..."

Mistel hadn't talked in days since they told her about her parents death. It was so good to hear his cute voice. "It's going to be okay, Mistel," she cooed, plugging up the tub and turning the facets on. She set Mistel down, allowing him to stand on his own two feet with her support. "We're going to be fine." At this point, she wasn't sure if she was telling it for his benefit or her own.

They bathed in a rush, Iris putting only a few bubbles in for Mistel's benefit. When she pulled them both out, she found clothes resting on the lid of the toilet seat. When their caretaker brought it in, she didn't know. After she dressed them both, she picked Mistel up again and brought him out of the bathroom. Her feet made soft sounds as she went down the hallway to the adults. The smell of cooked food reached her and her stomach growled. Iris couldn't remember the last time she ate.

As she walked into the dining room, she noticed a high chair in the white room and a small plate of food waiting for her. The woman was at the sink, washing dishes. Iris took the time to put Mistel in the high chair, making sure the straps were secure. "Ma'am, do you want me to feed him?"

"I can handle it. I'm not comfortable with you calling me that all the time," she turned around, drying her hands on her apron. "I don't want you to call me 'mom', either... It's a bit too soon for that." She looked over to the side, a thoughtful look on her face. "Call me Margery for the time being. I don't believe that children should call adults by their first name but... I'll make an exception, just this once."

"Yes, Margery," Iris said. The words felt heavy and strange as they rolled off her tongue and out into the open air. She wasn't sure if this was something she would ever get use it.

"My husband said that you can call him Henry," Margery said as she rummaged through Mistel's baby bag. "So you don't need to fret about that." Pulling out a small container of baby food, she walked over to the table and took a seat near the high chair. "Well, you should go on ahead and eat. You must be hungry."

Iris sat down at the table and picked up a fork to start to eat. It was just spaghetti, but it just tasted off to her. For now, she chalked it up to the days events and how awkward she felt here in Margery and Henry's home. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Margery fed Mistel. Mistel was a bit fussy with the meal, but took it after a few tries. She waited for Margery to lose her patience, but she never did.

They finished eating and Margery was quick to clean up the plates. "Tomorrow, we will have to go to your home and bring your things here; both yours and Mistel. You don't mind sharing a room with him for now, do you?"

"Not at all."

"Good. We only have our office room left and we are going through the process of moving things around. It may be some time before you can get your own room."

"I'll be fine rooming with Mistel for as long as you want," Iris assured again, bowing her head.

Margery looked down at her, lifting her nose up. Did Iris say something wrong? Was she too polite? Then why was she looking at her like this? Margery didn't keep the eye contact for long. She grabbed a wet paper towel and started to clean both Mistel and the high chair up. After cleaning, she tossed the towel out and moved back to the sink.

"Your bedroom is the door after the bathroom. It's all set up for you both," Margery said, her back facing them.

Iris took Mistel out of the high chair and held him close. "Goodnight, Margery," she said, padding back down the hallway. She wasn't sure if Margery returned the farewell or not. Reaching the door, she opened it and stepped inside. Once again, the feeling of uneasiness passed. She felt safe.

Looking around the room, she found it to filled with at least a bit more color than the rest of the house. Some pastel greens and yellows. This must be the only happy place in the entire flat. Iris placed Mistel on the bed and wandered around, looking for extra sheets. When she found them, she rolled them up and placed it on one side of the bed, a few inches from the edge. It would keep from Mistel from rolling off the bed at night. She saw her mother do this a few times when she wanted to nap with him and keep him safe.

Iris jumped into the bed and took hold of Mistel, bringing him up to the pillow and tucking him in. She laid down beside him, feeling the days exhaustion envelop her like a warm blanket. Even Mistel yawned and buried his face in the pillow, ready to fall asleep with her.

And soon, she did.

Author's Notes: Here it is! This is the Mistel and Iris story that I had worked so hard on since April. I put my sweat, blood, and bones into this. And since this fic is at 21,783 words, I think you can see why. I absolutely adored working on it and its quite literally my baby. All the chapters are ready to be posted, but I'll be updating it once a week. I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own any mentioned character in this fic except for Margery, Henry, and the plot.