Waul bent down and picked Tanya up bringing her close to his face. " Is anything amiss my Diva? "
Tanya puffed slightly and shook her head " No. I just wanted to know what was going on."
Waul ran through the events of things that had happened and his suspicions on Tar hoping to warn her off. When he was done she sat very quietly in the middle of his hand.
He smiled rather sadly " Ah you don't believe me do you? You think I'm just trying isolate you. I assure you my dear if you talk to your mother she'll back me up on the character of warf rats."
Tanya twisted her dress briefly in her hands not meeting his eyes. " Couldn't he be like you? Couldn't he be an exception to the norm? "
Waul found himself chuckling " Is that what I am my dear? ' An exception from the norm? '"
Tanya didn't meet his eyes. She was staring at her hands.
Waul sighed. " M'dear I can't tell you who to associate with anymore than I can tell you who you should and should not trust but if you insist on ignoring your mother and me I do hope you'll take what we say with a grain of salt and be careful."
" Oh I will be." Tanya said smiling up at him. " Do you want me to you know, come with you and sing? "
Waul hesitated the Baron was off hunting and his wife was visiting neighbors for tea. Alice was home with her babysitter. He grinned and decided to see what Tanya made of her. " Indeed I do there's something I've been dying to share with someone! "
Waul slipped in through the cat door and made his way up the steps carefully. He had tucked Tanya into his collar and was trying to make sure the baby sitter didn't see her. The woman was old and gray and tended to have the vapors at the slightest hint of a crises. She had actually mistook Waul's tail for a snake once or twice. Waul had concluded the old bat had to be blind to mistake his furry tail for a snake but on these occasions she had screamed a shrill old lady scream and passed out with all the grace of a beached wale. Alice had found her smelling salts and revived her and explained to the old woman that there was nothing she need be concerned about.
Waul had found the old biddy to be annoying as most humans were. Luckily she was sleeping in a chair in the lounge but he still stayed silent as possible until he got to Alice's room. She had left the door cracked and wondered in. Alice was cheerfully sitting at a small table with her stuffed toys playing with a beautiful glass tea set.
She quickly moved one of her toys out of a chair when she saw Waul.
" Oh! Sir Wauld! Please join us! The princess was just telling us about a beautiful ball she went to! "
Waul sighed as Tanya twittered into his neck. He stood up and picked Tanya up holding her out for Alice's inspection.
Tanya shivered in shock and cringed. It had been drummed into her to never get to close to humans and this was as close as she had been with one actually looking at her.
" Might we have a another spot? I've got a visitor." Waul asked. Tanya turned a questioning gaze to him.
" Oh! Isn't she pretty!" Alice leaned down slightly and waved at Tanya " Hi little mousy do you want to join us for tea? I have cakes and cookies!"
Tanya found her mouth dropping open in shock. She closed it quickly. " Yes please." She said softly.
While Alice cheerfully set a spot up on the table Tanya turned to stare at Waul who gave her a smug smile.
" Yes I was rather shocked myself. This little...angel..." Waul rolled his eyes briefly " Has been listening to me for a long time without giving me a hint that she could understand my musings. Unfortunately for her she slipped up one night."
He placed Tanya on the table and she cautiously moved to the spot where Alice had set up a cup and saucer much to big for Tanya to pick up and a small place with a bite of cake on it bigger that Tanya was tall. She stared at the little girl.
" Uh...is it just us? " Tanya asked taking a a piece of the large cake and nibbling it.
Waul shook his head pretending to sip tea his finger up his movements relaxed and graceful. " No apparently she's able to communicate with every animal. She appears very intelligent that's the only thing I can think of as I've never found a human to speak to before."
He suddenly shrugged self consciously " Well of course I've never spent much time around human children either perhaps..."
Waul grunted as his top hat was whipped off and a paper crown was put on his head. He continued after adjusting the ' crown'.
" Perhaps all children have this ability and and they outgrow it."
Alice gave him a solemn look " You're a prince now, she's a princess, and I'm a fairy godmother! "
Waul looked for a moment like someone had stuffed a lemon in his mouth.
She picked up her cup while Tanya giggled softly remembering he own tea parties and how her sister was starting to enjoy pretending games. Alice waved around a wand.
" And poof! Everyone's cup is full! "
Waul carefully set down his cup and leaned toward Alice rising his monocle to his eye. Tanya was amused to see that he spoke to her the way humans usually talked to their dogs and cats.
" Little Alice? Sweetie? This is Tanya! Tanya's a good friend of mine!"
Alice paused looking at the mouse on her table thoughtfully. She smiled at her. " That's a pretty name. Princess Tanya! "
She turned and frowned at the door" If Mrs. Downey sees her she'll be really mad and she'll tell mommy and daddy."
Waul nodded then grimaced as his ' crown' fell in front of his eyes. He pushed it back with on finger.
" Yes well we mustn't let Mrs. Downey or your mother and father know. It'll be our little secret yes? "
Alice clapped her hands in delight. " I love secrets! You're not eating your cake."
" oh...err please forgive me Alice..."
" Fairy godmother."
Waul grimaced again " Oh really must I do this? "
Alice crossed her arms and gave him a dour look. Tanya laughed softly at him. " Come on Waul! What will it hurt? "
" Ugh if anyone sees this...ahem...I just ate fairy godmother please forgive me uh my royal tummy is quite full."
Alice smiled pleased " Very well. Princess won't you sing for us? "
Waul perked up " Yes Tanya...err I mean your highness...she was a princess right? ...please sing for us. It will certainly make this pretend tea go down much more smoothly and quickly.
Tanya stood up and cleared her throat. She was truly curious as to what this little girl would think of her singing. Tanya found that she was getting excited at the very thought. She felt like she had Waul had found something amazing and found herself wondering if anyone would believe her when she told them about this amazing little girl.
She began singing a children's song she had sung while jumping rope as a child. Alice sat clasping her hands together and grinning. Waul was again holding the cup of imaginary tea up smiling slightly while one of his ears twitched in time to the song.
The door creaked behind them " Alice...?"
To her credit Alice didn't panic. Instead she grabbed Waul's top hat off the floor and slammed it over Tanya knocking her saucer and cup off. Waul had already dropped his cup and was sitting straight as a board his eyes wide.
Mrs. Downy frowned " Did I...did I just see a mouse? "
" I'm just playing with my toys Mrs. Downy and Waul's having tea with me see? He's PRINCE Waul."
Tanya found herself practically stuffing her hands in her mouth to keep from laughing out loud at the strained meow Waul let out sounded like someone was choking him.
" Oh...well come along it's time for lunch I made you a nice sandwich."
Alice jumped up as she rarely moved slowly. There was just too much in the world to see and do and she wanted to make sure she saw and did everything. She was out the door and then quickly popped her head back in " Bye prince Wail! Buy Princes Tanya come back for tea soon! "
Waul sighed and then carefully picked his hat up. " Are you alright? I'm so sorry Alice is a bit impetuous..."
" I love her!" Tanya said enthusiastically " Maybe when my sister is older I can bring her and we can all have tea."
Waul didn't look very enthused by this and simply shrugged. A shrill scream made him sigh and he grabbed Tanya up and looked out the door his ears perked up curiously. Alice sat at the bottom of the steps screaming. Mrs. Downy hurried over to her.
" Dear what happened? "
" I fell down the last step and hurt my knee! It hurts! It huurrrts!"
Mrs. Downy peered at her then straightened up suddenly " Oh dear...there's blood...ohh ohhhh dear..."
" Oh no." Waul mumbled nearly dropping Tanya while he went to cover his eyes in exasperation.
Tanya watched shocked as the big woman fainted. Even Alice stopped screaming for a moment to stare at the big woman on the floor then she commenced to howling in pain.
" Alice stop that! You'll bring the whole bloody house down! " Waul snapped annoyed.
" But it HUUUURRRTS!" Alice screamed louder.
" Oh for the love of...let me see..." Waul grumbled some very unkind things under his breath while he investigated the screaming child. " Alice your knee barely has a scratch on it..."
" It's bleeding!" Alice howled.
" You'll stop that caterwauling this instant or I'll smack you! " Waul threatened.
" Cat!" Tanya said shocked.
" Well she's being quite unreasonable she hasn't lost a bloody leg it's a scratch it's already stopped bleeding for crying out loud!"
"Go get a wet cloth and a bandage." Tanya ordered shaking her head. She jumped down to the step he was standing on then walked over to Alice's tear streaked face. She gently used her dress to dry some of Alice's tears " There there it's ok sweet heart Waul will clean it up and make it better..."
" You're going to make ME play nursemaid?!" Waul looked scandalized by the thought.
Tanya gave him a look and he rubbed his face hard before stomping off. To make himself feel better he stomped over the unconscious Mrs. Downy who merely moaned.
He came back with a wet rag a bottle of medicine and a bandage. Alice had been quieting down but she began to scream again when she saw what he had.
" Not the stingy stuff! I don't want the stingy stuff! "
Waul simply ignored her and slapped the wet rag over her small knee once or twice. Tanya tried hard to calm Alice down while Waul doctored her up. When he rubbed some of the medicine one her the little girl went off again.
" OWOWOWOWOW! SHIT!"
"Alice!" Waul said glaring at her " Stop that language at once! It's not befitting a lady!"
" Shit!" Alice said again defiantly glaring at him.
" Fairy godmother's don't say that sweetie they say bippty boppty BOO!" Tanya said wiping A few more errant tears.
Waul rolled his eyes while Alice seemed to contemplate that a moment. He placed the bandage over her knee and taped it down.
" There. All done. I don't think anyone will have to cut off your leg. It really was a mild injury."
" Cut off my leg?!" Alice's eyes went wide.
Tanya glared at him " Stop that Waul! It's not funny! Really! You're fine sweetheart Waul was just joking."
"Oh...uh oh..." Alice said her red rimmed eyes going past Waul. He cringed already realizing what the problem was.
" Oh...Oh My GOD It's a MOUSE! Ohhhh!" Mrs Downy flopped back down to the floor having spotted Tanya sitting peacefully on Alice's shoulder.
" Well shit!" Waul said sourly.
