A pained wail tore through the once silent house, a long and drawn out sound of distress only an infant could be capable of.
Muffled bangs, clatters, and the rare stifled curse (courtesy of Enoch) all transited through the house at the unexpected sound. The slamming of feet on polished wood becoming novelty as the residents of the building, all awoken by their youngest charge, charged to the baby's nursing room.
Victor arrived at the door first, barreling inside and pushing past the furniture, rushing to the faintly shaking crib. Miss Peregrine not far behind him, hair hanging by her shoulders, not yet put up. Closely followed by a harried looking Olive; one glove on, one off and dressing gown inside out.
Walking forward briskly, Miss Peregrine stood behind Victor, and watched as he checked over the infant, turning him this way and that to see what was hurting him, hushing him as he cried and flailed.
The creak of floorboards announce the arrival of the other occupants of the house. As the two eldest of the house try to comfort the baby, whispers break out, sleepy yet concerned gazes all trained on the child thrashing around in their eldest brother's arms. As the braver few step closer to try and get a closer look at what was ailing the baby, a particularly loud cry shocks them enough to halt them in their tracks.
"What's wrong with him?" Enoch asked sharply "why's he crying like that?" With his questions, came more from the younger children. What's and why's flowing through the chaos of the room like smoke. The noise seemed to aggravate the child more, as just as he had started to calm he broke into a bout of screaming, voice hoarse with overuse.
Claire, clad in only a pink nightdress, let loose a small sound of distress, and hid behind Hugh; Bromwyn and Claire not looking too far behind her . Eyebrows crowded together in dismay, Miss Peregrine took the baby from a still Victor and looked at him, straight into his pain clouded eyes, and tried to understand what was hurting him.
A sigh from the back of the group took everyone's attention. Emma, in all her ruffled glory, strode forward and snatched the crying baby from Miss Peregrine's slack grip. Taking a moment to give the room at large a look of pure bad temper, she placed Jacob over her shoulder, not looking at his tear stained face, and delivers three sharp pats to the center of his back.
Gasps of shock and anger arise from the the room's occupants. All as one, the younger children; Hugh, Claire, Millard, Fiona, Bromwyn and Horace, all take steps forward. only to be held back from racing across the room by a loud belch. Sighing contentedly, the child started to babble happily, shocking everyone but the girl holding him.
Rolling her eyes, Emma turned the baby over to give him to Victor, when he leaned his head forward and, eyes bright, gave her a great, wet squelching kiss on her cheek. Leaning back, he clapped his hands and cooed at the mark he left. Reaching around, he was handed over to an eager Victor, swept into his arms to be checked over.
Looking forward wide eyed, Emma reached up to her face and trailed her finger faintly over the saliva left behind in the baby's over enthusiastic 'thank you'. Head slowly moving to the child, she steps forward her hands clenched, and after a moment of deliberation, takes a breath and gestures to be given the baby.
Looking to Miss Peregrine, Victor reluctantly handed over the infant. And watched with rapt attention as Emma seemed to just... wilt, as though her strings had been cut. Gathering the baby closer to her chest, she, like many before, her looked into he baby's eyes and was enraptured, blue eyes on blue eyes. If her body language hadn't eased Victor's mind, the way her face grew soft and thoughtful, did.
Someone clearing their throat snapped everyone from their gawping. Turning to the direction of the sound had everyone looking at an unimpressed Miss Peregrine. Reaching into her night dress, she brought out her pocket watch and pointedly gestured at the hands. Yawns broke out all around the room, the time of the night finally catching up to everyone.
"Off to bed now children, I wouldn't want anyone feeling tired in the morning" instructed the woman with a tired smile. Enoch gave a grunt and stalked off, legs clad in fluffy pink slippers. After a few more hesitant looks at Emma and the baby, the rest followed, some followed the others to make sure they got to bed, and some (Claire and Hugh) were carried to bed by a stumbling Bronwyn.
Leaving with a lingering look at Emma, Victor stomped back to his room, missing his bed. Groaning inwardly at the though of having to wake up early to feed the baby with even less sleep than usual.
Emma took no notice of Victor's inner turmoil, instead focusing all of her attention on the small human in her arms. Blue eyes open but crinkled at the edges in joy stare up at her, so similar yet so different to her love. Small fingers so like Julia's when she had been this age.
This wasn't a monster who had been the reason her Abe had been taken away, this was a victim, someone who's life had been changed so much in such a short time. He had no control of what had happened, or the fate his family had met.
Humming a tune, Emma started to twirl around the room, lulling the baby back to sleep, and comforting herself after coming to her conclusion.
Unnoticed in a dark corner of the nursery, a soft smile fraced Miss Peregrine's smooth face, shoulders relaxing in relief, she took one last look at the sight of her charge's dancing, one asleep and the other coming to terms with the new reality she had just realized Grinning, she sloped off back to her room, hopefully to get some fitfully undisturbed sleep.