Disclaimer, I do not own the movie's franchises, etc.
Dorothy walked down the stairs and in the direction of the parlor. When she entered she found that her uncle was yelling at the man who walked in to the room earlier. Dorothy set down Toto and put a halt to it.
"What's going on here?" Dorothy asked looking at her aunt and uncle curiously.
"This man says that in that man's will you were to receive custody of his granddaughter, but you are far too young." Henry said referring to the little girl.
"Uncle Henry please just sit down and let me explain something." Dorothy said.
Her uncle looked at her, his face drained of color he sat down quickly and listened.
"miss gale, before we begin I would like to inform you that my client Mr. Diggs asked that I personally hand you this letter and request that you not open in till you are back home." He said pulling out a small green envelope and handing it to Dorothy.
Dorothy took it, looked it over for a minute and then pocketed it.
"Now, the man, Mr. Diggs." Dorothy started to say before her aunt cut her off.
"Yes, him who is he?" her aunt asked.
"He was, to put it lightly an old friend." Dorothy said tearing up a bit.
"He was my grandfather." Aislynn said through tears.
"I met him once a very long time ago, or at least it feels like that now." Dorothy said pausing to sit down, "he asked me to take care of his granddaughter, because she was the only family he had left, I was the only one he could turn to that he knew would do it right." She added looking at Ellie who was trying to comfort the girl.
"But you can plainly see that Dorothy is only a child." The sheriff said the man.
"Yes, I do, he explained this to me, I myself found it odd but I wasn't going to go against his wishes." He said wiping his brow.
"But what about expenses?" Henry asked looking at the girl.
"The girl has been left just about everything, including this house, the exception being a hot air balloon and a key to a deposit box at the bank in your town, which are to go to Miss gale here." The man said handing henry an official document.
Her aunt and uncle read through the document carefully, the maid brought in tea and small sandwiches to eat while they waited. The man then handed Dorothy's aunt and uncle the small stack of papers which they read through carefully. Dorothy had gotten up and sat on the floor next to Ellie, who was trying to engage in conversation with Aislynn. To no avail did this work, Aislynn was shy and not really out going, and she was still crying a bit.
After a while her aunt and uncle set down the documents and looked at the man.
"So, the girl is legal custody of our niece?" henry asked.
"That appears to be the case." The man said.
The maid then came up to Dorothy, Ellie, and Aislynn. She kneeled down at so she could face them.
"Hey ace, why don't you show these girls your room? You know while the adults are talking?" she asked.
"Sure Jess." Aislynn said getting up.
Dorothy and Ellie followed Aislynn out of the room and up the stairs Toto following at their heels. When they got to the top they walked in the opposite direction of her grandfather's room. Dorothy looked behind her and sighed. They then arrived at her room. She opened the door and walked in, Dorothy and Ellie looked at each other and then followed. What they saw was rather amazing. Throughout the entire room it was almost like a library, there were books everywhere. Stacks upon stacks piled throughout the room.
"Wow, you could open a small library with this many books." Ellie said.
"Ellie that's just comparing it to the emerald city's library a small library would be about the size of a church." Dorothy said, Toto barked in agreement.
"I like reading, my grandfather would always get me some books whenever he had time." Aislynn said looking at them.
"That's good, have you ever been to a library?" Dorothy asked glad that Aislynn was talking.
"Once, it was in the next town over, after I had read a book or two my grandfather told me to go listen to someone who was telling stories in the children's section, I went over but I found that reading was much for exciting." She replied.
"How long ago was this?" Dorothy asked.
"Maybe a few months ago, I don't remember really." She said looking at Dorothy.
"I think that might have been me that he was telling you to go listen to." Dorothy said looking at her smiling, Toto barked in agreement.
"Could be, I don't know I wasn't paying attention." Aislynn said sighing and sitting down on her bed.
They sat there in silence for a few minutes before another maid came and looked at Aislynn.
"The coroner is here, would you two like to your goodbyes?" the woman asked looking at them.
"Has he been moved?" Aislynn asked.
"They were about to, but Jessica stopped them." The woman said
"Please." Aislynn said getting up off the bed and looking at Dorothy, "you want to come? He invited you here." She added.
Dorothy nodded and got up, followed by Toto and Ellie. The walked back to the room. As they entered in they found the coroner from Dorothy's town and the priest. They saw Dorothy and looked at her sadly.
"Mr. Diggs had plans for his funeral in the event of his death, it will be prepared in a few days." The coroner said pulling out a list.
Dorothy walked up to the body along with Aislynn, she placed a hand on her grandfathers and began to cry.
"I'll miss you." She said kissing him on the cheek.
Dorothy walked up to Aislynn and placed a hand her shoulder.
"Thanks, Mr. Diggs, for everything." Dorothy said as tears began to roll down her cheeks.
After a few minutes Jessica came in and placed a hand on Dorothy's shoulder.
"Mr. Diggs attorney wants to speak to you, along with your aunt and uncle." She said leading Dorothy out of the room.
Dorothy looked at Ellie who nodded and walked over to Aislynn. Dorothy followed Jessica down the stairs and back into the parlor. Toto followed closely at her heels. When they got into the parlor they all looked at her.
"Miss gale, as the will is written to direct everything to you, your aunt and uncle can only stand witness." The man said.
"Oh, wow, auntie Em, Uncle Henry?" Dorothy asked.
"Dorothy it's your choice, you can sign the papers and Aislynn become your responsibility or you can sign her away to a foster home." Her uncle henry said.
Dorothy nodded and the man offered her a pen, she took it and read through the document, signed the bottom the best that she could. She then turned around to see that they were carting off Mr. Diggs to the morgue. When Dorothy had signed all the papers she handed them off to the sheriff to sign as well. He sighed and signed them, handing them back to the attorney who handed her two keys.
"One of those is to Mr. Diggs's deposit box and the other is to be back shed where you'll find his hot air balloon." He said reading off a piece of paper.
"Thank you Mr. um." Dorothy said looking at him.
"Greene." He said finishing the sentence.
Dorothy looked out the window as the large white truck drove off.
"His funeral will be in a few days, Aislynn is now legally in your custody." The sheriff said.
"That is correct officer." Mr. Greene said nodding.
"Dorothy, are you sure you want to do this?" Auntie Em asked.
"I made him a promise auntie Em, I will not break it." Dorothy said looking at her aunt determined.
"According to Mr. Diggs will however, Aislynn is allowed to stay here with the maids until after the funeral if she so chooses." Mr. Greene said packing up his stuff.
"Since she's in my custody do I have to stay here with her?" Dorothy asked looking at her aunt and uncle.
"If you so choose." Came the voice of Jessica from the door.
They all turned around and looked at her, she smiled and waved.
"Well Miss Jessica here is quite right, Dorothy can stay with the girl if she so chooses." Mr. Green said.
"Dorothy, do you want to stay the night here with her? We can come get you in the morning?" auntie Em and uncle henry asked.
"I think I should let Aislynn decide herself." Dorothy said looking out the window.
"I think that's fair enough." Jessica said walking out to retrieve Aislynn and Ellie.
After a few minutes Jessica returned, followed by Aislynn and Ellie. Toto barked at Ellie a few times and ran up to her. Ellie picked him up and walked over to a chair sitting down in it she looked at Dorothy.
"Aislynn, you can either go with the gales tonight, or you can stay here till after the funeral with the maids, but you can also decide if whether or not Dorothy, as your legal guardian stays with you during that time if you decide to stay." Mr. Greene said.
Aislynn looked at Dorothy, then at her maid, she then looked at the people in the room.
"Dorothy, come back tomorrow." Aislynn said weakly looking at her.
"Okay, Aislynn." Dorothy said.
"Thank you." She said nodding.
"Well then that's settled, shall we leave?" The sheriff asked.
Aislynn nodded at the sheriff. Jessica came back into the room carrying Dorothy's flats, she walked over and handed them to Dorothy. She thanked her and slid them on. They all got up and began to walk out as they were leaving Jessica stopped Dorothy.
"Miss Gale, I must warn you, ace isn't a very social person, she doesn't tend to get along with others." Jessica said frowning.
Dorothy nodded and walked out of the house. She looked back at it and waved at Aislynn is was looking at her through the window. Dorothy sighed knowing this could lead to some problems. She felt inside her pockets and found the little green envelope she was going to need to read it when she got to the house. She sighed and got into the sheriff's truck. Ellie and Toto got in the back, Ellie pulled off her dress shoes and surrendered them to Toto. The three of them laughed at this for a minute before they drove off.