A/N: So here is chapter 21...it was still a bit of a wait, but no where near as long of one as last time. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter :)
Disclaimer: I do not own any familiar material, merely the original characters Avalon, Emily and Castiel.
"Aunt Avalon! Aunt Avalon! Aunt Avalon!" chanted a voice that was much too perky for seven thirty on a Saturday morning. The pitter patter of bare feet on hard wood resonated throughout the apartment and moments later there was a thump as Emily made impact with the side of Avalon's mattress, bouncing off of it before launching herself to stand atop it. "Uncle Kelly is at the door, can I buzz him up?"
Groaning as her head appeared over the lip of her comforter bed-head first Avalon squinted against the light streaming through her curtains. "What was that Em?" Staying up on the phone until one a.m was hardly advantageous anymore.
Dark hair lifted as Emily huffed. "I said that Uncle Kelly is at the door, can I go buzz him in?" Apparently feeling sassier than usual Emily repeated the words slowly, pausing between each one.
Only recognizing the words "Can…I…Buzz…Kelly," Avalon agreed, figuring that Emily was going to call Kelly like usual and once her niece left her bedroom with a shriek she groaned once more, heaving to an upright position and just hanging there for a moment, swinging her legs over the edge of the mattress and stretching her back. Reaching for her cell phone and checking for any new text messages she grinned sleepily as she saw a single message from after she'd fallen asleep. Listed as from Kelly it simply read "Sweet dreams, babe." Babe; she was his babe. Running a hand through her chaotic hair she reached for a claw clip that was attached to her bedside lamp, twirling her hair into it and cursing as it pinched her scalp.
Shuffling her feet around to blindly search for the turtle shaped slippers that were usually lined up against her nightstand, Avalon swore as she stubbed her pinkie toe and pouted as she stood with a slight limp. Moving slowly she threw the robe from the back of her desk chair over the Avenger's comic strip boyshorts and plain black tank top that she had worn to bed, humming along to the song that had been stuck in her head for the past few days. Letting herself into the bathroom to do what she had to, she emerged moments later to the sound of Emily chattering on and Castiel yipping around the apartment.
"Hey Em, what are you going to want for…" Avalon trailed off, stopping short in the entry to the living room at the sight of Kelly lounging on the couch,
Emily curled up half asleep into his side. Unconsciously she reached to secure the sash of her robe and silently thanked the heavens that she had shaved her legs the night before. "Hi."
There was a shiver that passed along her spine as blue eyes trailed over her, leaving a heated path in their wake. "Good Morning Av," Kelly grinned, resting one arm along the back of the couch and causing his biceps to flex.
"Have either of you eaten?" she asked, casually propping herself beside him on the couch and relaxing back into the cushion, leaving a few inches between them but close enough that his fingers could play with the ends of her hair. Fighting the urge to purr at the feel of calloused fingers roaming the length of the back of her neck she closed her eyes, completely content to fall back asleep.
Both Emily and Kelly shook their heads.
"Okay, do either of you want me to make you anything besides the pot of coffee that is going on?"
Emily poked her head around Kelly's torso, resting her cheek on his chest. "Pancakes? With sausage please."
Peering up at Kelly though her lashes Avalon caught her bottom lip between her teeth unconsciously. "Is that okay with you?"
"Sounds good." As she stood he reached out and caught her hand, fingers threaded together. "Do you want some help?"
"I might need some help getting stuff out of the higher cabinets but I can call you in when I need it," Avalon grinned, running her thumb along his palm as she pulled away. Stepping into the kitchen she automatically went to the small radio she had on the counter, turning it on and humming to Brantley Gilbert's "One Hell of an Amen" as she began pulling out a skillet for the sausage and a griddle for the pancakes. Setting out the measuring cups and platters for the completed goods she opened the double, sliding doors on the cupboard and was for once thankful that she had placed the Bisquick mix on the uppermost shelf. Calling for Kelly over her shoulder she waited patiently, fidgeting with the hem of her tank top.
"What am I getting?" he asked with a grin as he popped up behind her, extending a steadying hand as she jumped and turned in his direction. "Easy babe."
Glancing through the kitchen to make sure that Emily was occupied Avalon reached a hand up and cupped Kelly's scruffy jaw, drawing his face down to hers and placing her lips against his for a moment. Attempting to pull back she was drawn even closer- hip to hip, chest to chest, lip to lip- as he continued the kiss until it felt like she would swoon from a lack of oxygen. Inhaling and exhaling until the lightheadedness she had felt disappeared, Avalon pointed above her head at the familiar yellow and blue box.
"Pancake mix please."
Feeling Kelly's body vibrate with laughter as he raised an arm to bring down the box, she relished the feel of the hand he kept at her lower back, his thumb rubbing through her robe. Reaching up to take the box from him Avalon tipped her head back and placed a kiss on his chin which was the only place she could reach without heels or standing on her tip toes. Slipping out from in front of him she automatically got to work on measuring out the ingredients for breakfast, trying to ignore the heat of his gaze on her as Kelly started the coffee machine.
Hearing the sound of movement in the living room, both Ava and Kelly glanced up from their separate tasks as Emily came in with Castiel at her heels. "Do you want me to set the table?" Emily asked, looking at the half dozen pancakes that had just come off the griddle and the sausage that simmered in the pan.
"Please. Paper plates though, and the new bottle of syrup is in the cupboard." Hissing as a little bit of grease hopped in the pan and met her forearm, Avalon flipped the remaining six pancakes onto the platter and turned off the griddle and stove top.
"I'll drain the sausage," offered Kelly, slipping around her and carefully reaching for the skillet after checking her arm quickly.
Once the table was set and the coffee was poured, Emily took a moment to dart into the living room and turn the television off before returning, diving headlong into breakfast. Cautioning her niece against choking, Avalon savored her first cup of coffee as she ate at a more sedate pace, smirking at the matching puffed out chipmunk cheeks of Kelly and Emily as they both devoured their fourth pancake. Their brief verbal silence was broken when Emily awkwardly cleared her throat, twirling the remainder of orange juice that was in her glass.
"So my school is having its first dance soon," Emily tried to casually mention. "It's next Friday in the gym."
Avalon grinned as she set her fork aside, legs crossing as she leaned forward in her chair. "That sounds nice. Did the school send home some sort of permission slip or flyer?" It excited her to hear that her niece was interested in possibly socializing, especially where she still hadn't made too many friends and they had been living in the area for nearly four months.
"It's in my backpack but…" Emily nibbled her lower lip. "It's a father daughter dance and since I don't have a dad, I was wondering if Uncle Kelly could maybe bring me."
Avalon's jaw dropped and she briefly registered that somewhere to her right, Kelly was making a choking sound as he coughed around the mouthful of food he had been chewing. A flush of color covered freckled cheeks as Emily refused to make eye contact, pushing her food around with her fork. Her eyes slightly wide, Avalon turned to Kelly, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to form words. Large hands scraped along stubble clad cheeks and Kelly pursed his lips briefly.
"I can try," he started. "I'm scheduled to work but if I can find someone willing to take or trade shifts with me we can try to go. I can't make any promises but…" Kelly trailed off.
Emily's shoulders slumped and she nodded, stuffing the last bit of her breakfast into her mouth and chewing it quickly. "It's okay Uncle Kelly, I was just curious. I didn't want to go anyways," Emily sighed, finishing her juice. Wiping her mouth she turned to Ava. "Can I be excused please?"
Reluctantly nodding her head Avalon watched Emily disappear behind the closed door of her bedroom sadly. Turning to Kelly she plucked at her napkin and sighed. "I can take her, or have Jase take her if she changes her mind Kelly. I'm sorry she ambushed you like that."
Dark brows furrowing, Kelly nudged a sausage link with his fork. "I just wish I had known ahead of time so I could have taken her. I wasn't kidding about trying to get the night off but I really can't make any promises, especially where the other Squad lieutenant's wife is eight and a half months pregnant and ready to pop at virtually any time." He pouted momentarily. "And I really would have liked to go to something like that."
Reaching over and squeezing one of his hands between hers Avalon offered a weak smile. "I know Kelly, I know."
"Are you sure you don't want to find something nice to wear just in case you change your mind about Uncle Jase taking you tonight?" Avalon asked the night of the dance, thumbing through Emily's closet and angling different articles into the light. Finding a black shirt dress she held it up: "What about this?"
Emily huffed from where she was reclined against her headboard, hugging the purple hippo that Kelly had won her against her chest. "I don't want to go Aunt Ava. I thought it might have been fun but I was wrong, and besides, Uncle Jase is bringing Sarah and Taylor- I would just be a fourth wheel."
"Well what if you and I did something instead? We could go to the movies and then out for ice cream, or we could go ice skating…"
Rolling to her side to look at her aunt who was fiddling with her wardrobe Emily shook her head. "It's okay Aunt Ava. I think I'm gonna get ready for bed early and then watch the new episode of Hawaii Five-0 after Girl Meets World. Can I have some of that cherry frozen yogurt after dinner?" She hardly blinked when it appeared as if her aunt physically deflated.
"I guess so, if you're sure." Avalon opened her mouth to say more but was stopped by the sound of the buzzer going off in the main room. Muttering to herself as the buzzer continued to sound she called down asking who it was but did not receive a reply. Repeating the process she huffed and moved to the window that overlooked the entrance, peering out and chuckling when she saw who it was. Buzzing Kelly in, she pecked him on the cheek, nodding when he held a finger to his lips.
When he motioned towards Emily's room she allowed excitement to electrocute her from the inside out as she called her niece into the room. Hands clasped in front of her mouth she bounced on the balls of her bare feet as she watched Emily shuffle out and jolt to a stop, eyes widening as she took in the sight of Kelly standing beside Ava wearing an ironed navy blue button up and black slacks, a small bouquet of purple calla lilies in hand.
"Uncle Kelly?!" Emily exclaimed, nudging Castiel from where he bounced at her heels. "I thought you had to work?"
A slow smile crossed tan features. "I switched with another Squad lieutenant and took his shift last night and he took mine tonight. So if you still want to go, I can take you to the school dance."
Emily shrieked and threw herself at him, arms winding around his torso. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" This was the most emotion she had shown in nearly a week. After a moment she paused and turned to Ava. "Can you help me get ready?"
"I would be delighted," Ava grinned, taking Emily by the hand and leading her towards her bedroom only stopping to pick the dress up from where she had left it on Emily's bed.
Scuffing the toe of one black Converse shoe against the linoleum floor as she stood at the gymnasium entrance of Walker Elementary, Emily glanced up at Kelly and cocked her head, allowing her newly curled hair to tumble around her face like a halo. "Uncle Kelly, is it okay to be nervous?"
Glancing over the crowd of preteen students- daughters with their fathers, sons with their mothers- Kelly let out a puff of air. "Being nervous seems pretty normal about now. Do you want to get some punch before we go take our first dance?"
Emily nodded. "Punch is good." Grinning when he made her take a seat at an empty table and kissed her forehead, she waved as he went to get them drinks. In a cloud of happiness, she had barely noticed that someone had approached her until they spoke.
"Aw if it isn't Little Orphan Emily," taunted a prepubescent male voice over the music. Following the pseudo taunt was the sound of a titter coming from a trio of mused boys.
Turning in her seat and crossing her arms, Emily raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "What do you want Donald?"
Blonde haired and freckled Donald Watson was weasel faced and walked around with a holier-than-thou attitude and a trio of brainless followers. Lips curling into a sneer he spoke once more. "Well, it's just that we all know that you don't have any parents and we wanted to know how much it cost you to rent a dad for the night."
"He's my uncle dumb-nuts," Emily responded, eyes roaming the crowd of students.
"Seriously, how much?" Kyle, one of Donald's lackeys, questioned.
"You guys can tease me all you want about not having a dad but that's okay, because I know that when he was alive he loved me and now I have something just as good, if not better. I have an Uncle Kelly."
A/N: As always, let me know what you think :)