"You alright, John, dear?" Eglantine asked her husband.
"Yes... Just thinking..." John nearly murmured, he really believed in his dreams, but knew his wife didn't like it, so he did his best not to talk about it.
Becky started to eat. Oh my, this was delicious! She ate quickly, but with okay table manners. Eglantine and John spoke to each other, trying not to result in an argument. Chris did her best to use her table manners, she was always a bit of a picky eater and prone to being more like a boy than a girl which deeply upset her mother. She kept any questions, comments, or concerns to herself in the best way she could. Becky finished before the others and looked full already.
Eglantine smiled, then went to collect their plates and wash them. "I'll take care of the dishes tonight, Miss Becky." she told the woman and went to the sink to wash up the plates.
"You okay, Daddy?" Chris dropped the proper word for her father once her mother was out of earshot.
"Yes, I'm fine, I just had those dreams again..." John said. "I know your mother doesn't like me talking about them or talking with your aunt, but I still feel like those stories really happened when we were younger with your Uncle Michael."
Becky looked at him, interested.
John caught her glimpse. "Evening, Miss Becky."
"Ev'ning, sir." Becky smiles a little.
"I trust you enjoyed my wife's cooking?" John smiled to her to look friendly and not overbearing like most men.
Becky nodded, smiling "Yessir." she says.
"She is a lovely little cook," John smiled. "Do you cook?"
"Yessir." Becky informs. She cooked almost all the time at her home.
"Perhaps tomorrow evening, you could cook for us." John gave a nod.
"Daddy, can I be excused?" Chris asked, feeling agitated.
"'May I'," Her father corrected before letting her go. "Yes, you may."
Chris pushed herself out of her chair and wandered upstairs to her bedroom. Becky nodded, she looked unsure about Chris going alone when her job was to look after her.
"Be sure Chris has washed her face and brushed her teeth before bed." John seemed to be the only family member to call his daughter by her preferred nickname over her full embarrassing name.
"Yessir." Becky nods, standing up. She curtsied and left to do so.
John smiled, then went to join his wife.
Chris somehow found a way out of her fluffy dress and was dressed in her school uniform, a dark blue jacket with a white blouse, a checkered skirt, but she also had on a beret hat as she had one of her pillow cases and was stuffing items into it, such as her teddy bear and some clothes. She kept the door shut and the lights out to make it appear she had gone to bed, when she wasn't doing anything of the sort. Becky knocked on her door.
Chris blinked, then hid her pillowcase under her bed, removed her hat, got into her bed and pulled the blankets and sheets over top of herself. "Come in!" she chirped, trying to sound casual and welcoming of any company.
Becky came in. "Are you okay, little Missus?" She asks, softly.
"Oh, yes, Miss Becky..." Chris told her properly as she kept herself nearly strapped into her bed. "Are you?"
"Yes... Miss?" She says, the title a little unsure.
"You can just call me 'Chris', easy on that 'Chrysanthemum' stuff when it's just you and me." the tomboy replied quietly.
"Yes... Chris." Becky smiles.
Chris smiled back, then didn't mean to ignore Becky, but found herself glancing out her window. She saw one of the stars shining brighter than all the other ones into the night. She heard her aunt's words in her head as she decided to recite them herself. "Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning..." she murmured to herself, reminiscent of the woman in her family who was not her mother.
Becky blinked, surprised. "Y'know that rhyme, Chris?" She asks.
Chris turned over. "Well... Yeah, my aunt taught me it..."
Becky smiled happily. "I knew that rhyme." she smiles.
Chris looked fully back in interest. "How?"
"I 'ad a friend who knew it, plus I dreamed 'bout it." Becky smiles.
"Really?" Chris was wondering if she was serious or just playing along with her wild imagination now.
"Yes, Neverland." Becky smiles.
"Never Land?" Chris wondered how she knew about that place. "Have you ever been there...?"
"Well Mother said I were dreamin', but I was sure I did." Becky informs.
Chris knew exactly how that felt. "Mother always said that about Aunt Wendy's stories... Did you know her?"
"Wendy?" Becky asks, tilting her head. "I know my friend Jane's mother, Wendy." she then says.
"My cousin's name is Jane!" Chris beamed then, feeling maybe they weren't so distant than they thought they once were.
Becky smiled happily.
Chris was still wondering if this was coincidence or truth. "Wait, did Wendy have a husband named Edward?"
Becky looked thoughtful a moment. "Yes." she says, remembering that name.
Chris smiled, huddling under her covers. "So you did know Aunt Wendy..."
Becky smiled and straightened the covers over Chris. Chris felt a little suffocated due to her wearing her day clothes under her covers, trying to keep Becky from seeing them. She would be in a lot of trouble then for sure. She smiled to Becky though and seemed to had grown to like her already despite really not looking forward to meeting her before due to previous times with mentors/babysitters.
Becky made sure everything was okay for Chris. "If yer need anythin', you know where I am." she informs the girl.
"Yes, ma'am, have a good night..." Chris nodded as she bundled under the covers with a smile.
Becky smiled sweetly. Her looks looked younger than her actual age of 15. Chris forgot about what she was doing earlier before Becky came in and appeared to fall asleep already.
Eglantine was now in her and John's bedroom and sorting some old nightclothes for Becky to borrow. Becky headed into her room and made up the bed.
Eglantine came with an armful of nightclothes as she entered Becky's new room. "I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to let you have some of my older clothes... They should be suitable for someone to be a guest in this home."
"Oh, my, thank you, Missus." Becky says, sounding shocked.
"Of course, dear." Eglantine gave a polite smile.
Becky looked at the clothes in awe.
"Anything you may need to get you through the night?" Eglantine prompted, putting her dainty and graceful hands behind her back.
"Ar'll be fine, thank you, Missus." Becky curtsied.
"You're very welcome," Eglantine nodded. "Well, good night then..." she smiled, then decided to get some rest herself and retire to the bed with John.
Becky sorted out the clothes, then got into a nightgown. She did a quick prayer before bed and climbed in.
The new Darling family slept pleasantly. Except for Chris. One of her brown eyes opened as she pulled back her covers and took her pillow case out from under her bed. She opened her bedroom window which had a ladder by it in case of a fire. She was about to run away from home, then looked back to her door with a pout. She was thinking of Becky now and how close they had just gotten in this one night tonight. She felt lost over what to do for now... Maybe she could stay at least one more night at home. She then decided to get into her night clothes and actually get some sleep tonight and clutched her teddy bear which once belonged to her Uncle Michael.
Becky slept peacefully, dreaming about the adventure of Neverland. For once, it seemed like everyone in the Darling house could sleep well at night. Except for John, having another dream. No matter how many times his wife said it, he refused to believe his dreams are only fantasies that he's obsessed with. He knows Never Land really happened, but no one would believe him except for his brother and sister. If only someone else would side with him... Becky would if he needed her too. She slept peacefully enough through the night, but due to being in an unfamiliar bed, woke up later than she meant to.
