Respect the Uniform
by Tanya Reed
Note: This story takes place in the same timeline as "Cuddle" and "The Dance". It's also the first time I've used an OC as a focus in a long, long time. It was written for kalijean, who's been having a very rough week.
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"Stop."
The word spoken so firmly and forcefully brought Meg out of her office and into the room facing the street. The tone of her daughter's voice, usually so shy and timid, was enough to make her curious.
Hope was standing on the front step, her little body in front of Constable Turnbull, who was standing sentry duty. The man behind her, still as a statue, loomed over her, making her look like a little doll. Compared to most adults, the Constable was large, but compared to a small child of seven, he seemed a giant.
In front of Hope, three older children were sneering. One of them had folded arms, and another of them had a cruel face. Meg was tempted to go out there, even though she trusted Turnbull to let no harm come to her daughter, sentry duty or no sentry duty. Still, she often wished that her daughter would fight her fear of people, and she didn't want to interrupt it now that it was happening.
"What are you, his bodyguard?" The mean faced kid asked.
The third child, plain and almost inconsequential compared to her colorful friends, started to reload her straw.
"You will *not* shoot my Uncle Ren," Hope said calmly, her hands clenched beside her body.
"Yeah? What are you going to do about it?"
"I'll stop you. Do you see that uniform he's wearing? It means that Uncle Ren is a Mountie. That's a policeman from Canada. My Mom says that you have to respect policemen because they help you. If you were in danger, my Uncle Ren would protect you. You won't spit at him. You won't."
"Sure, kid," the girl with the folded arms unfolded them and raised her own straw.
Meg saw Renfield twitch, but it was only slightly, and she doubted any of the kids facing noticed, as intent on their little adversary as they were.
Hope just looked at them, not saying any more. Meg couldn't see the expression on her face, but she wished she could. All three girls raised their straws, working their jaws. Then, they stopped.
"Geez, kid, lighten up," The mean faced kid said suddenly, dropping her straw. "C'mon. We've got better things to do."
The other two nodded, and the three of them wandered off down the street.
Hope turned and wrapped her arms around Constable Turnbull's leg. "I'll never let anyone hurt you, Uncle Ren."
The Mountie's large hand moved for just a second to rest on the little girl's head. Before Meg could even blink, it was back at his side and he was as still as stone.
Meg let the curtain fall and moved away, not wanting her charges to know she was there. She went back to work knowing both of them were quite safe with each other.