February 8th, 1897

It was easy to tell when Elizabeth was annoyed. Though she didn't say anything most of the time, her big eyes showed her true emotions clearly. Right now, she was very annoyed with Rosalind.

"Tell me your name," Rosalind said gently. Elizabeth looked up at her briefly before looking over at Robert. He was not paying any attention to the 2 of them and instead was focused on his newest project.

"Elizabeth," Rosalind sighed, "Answer me." Her voice was stern and Elizabeth knew better than to disobey. At least she usually did, this time she crossed her arms and whined.

"Stop that," Rosalind was growing irritated now, "This will be the last time we do this. It'll be over with quickly if you just answer me."

"Isn't that what you said before breakfast?" Robert asked. Rosalind looked over at him but his face was still in his book.

"This time it's true," Rosalind said, "Because I won't have time to go through it again." She turned her attention back to Elizabeth and wondered when the child had grown so disobedient. Rosalind liked to believe that she was not too strict when it came to Elizabeth. She allowed her to speak her mind but reminded her that she and Robert were in charge. With most things, she didn't have to ask Elizabeth more than once.

"Lizzie," Robert called, "Please do it one more time."

"Okay…" Elizabeth sighed and dropped her arms, "Just one more time, okay?"

"One more time," Rosalind agreed, "Tell me your name."

"Elizabeth Anna Lutece," Elizabeth answered.

"And how old are you?"

"4,"

"You are not 4," Rosalind said, "You're 5 years old now."

"But I don't feel like I'm 5," Elizabeth said, "So I think I might still be 4."

"What exactly does it feel like to be 5 years old?" Robert asked. Elizabeth shrugged and began to pull at her dress.

"Stop that, please." Rosalind said, "Just remember that you're 5 years old."

"Can I wear a different dress?" Elizabeth asked.

"No," Rosalind shook her head.

"I like the green one that Robbie got for me," Elizabeth said, "The one that I wore before."

"You can't wear that one today," Rosalind said, "Let's continue, where do you live?"

"Here," Elizabeth said proudly.

"Is that what you'll tell someone if you're lost?" Rosalind asked.

"Don't I live here?" Elizabeth asked.

"You must tell them that you live in the Lutece Labs in Emporia," Rosalind said, "They won't know to bring you back here if you don't tell them that." Of course, everyone knew who Elizabeth was at this point so it wasn't likely that she would even have to tell them where she lived.

"Okay," Elizabeth nodded.

"Now if you happen to get lost, what will you do?" Rosalind asked.

"Um… well you said to find someone but I don't really think I could be lost," Elizabeth said.

"But if you do get lost," Rosalind asked.

"Rosie," Elizabeth leaned in, "I'm not going to get lost. I promise."

"Elizabeth

"The police?" Elizabeth asked. How had she forgotten all the answers in the short amount of time since they'd last gone over it?

"Any adult will do but the police will work as well," Rosalind readjusted Elizabeth's pinafore.

"Are we done yet?" Elizabeth asked impatiently.

"One last question," Rosalind said, "What will you do about your tears

"I won't open any!" Elizabeth said, "And I can pretend really well if one does open anyway. Look!" Elizabeth put her hands to her cheeks and put on a surprised face, "Wow! What is that!"

Robert laughed and Rosalind smiled, "I don't believe you need to be that animated but that will do."

"Are we done now?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes," Rosalind said.

"Can I have more toast and jam?" Elizabeth looked at the table where they'd had breakfast.

"No," Rosalind said, "I told you to finish your breakfast before I put the pinafore on." The white pinafore was like an empty canvas. It was just waiting to be ruined and Rosalind hated the idea of having to clean it every day after Elizabeth inevitably ruined it.

But as Mary had said, "Cleanliness is next to godliness!"

Apparently, it would be considered taboo if a 5-year-old had even one stain on her uniform when she arrived at the schoolhouse. Rosalind would not let it be said that she couldn't keep her child clean.

"But I'm still hungry…" Elizabeth mumbled.

"No, you aren't." Rosalind said, "You've had 2 bowls of oatmeal and 3 slices of toast. Don't be greedy." Elizabeth would be able to wait until snack time.

"Robbie…" Elizabeth looked at him.

"You heard what she said," Robert said absently.

Elizabeth sighed loudly, "This is… Rosie, you're being very mean to me."

"I'm not," Rosalind shook her head, "I've told you several times now that you have to keep your uniform clean."

"I can be clean," Elizabeth insisted, "I'm always clean." But even now she still had jam on her face.

"Let me brush your hair please," Rosalind said, "Do you want a blue ribbon or a white ribbon?"

"Blue," Elizabeth said reluctantly. She turned around and Rosalind picked up the brush. She had been told that Elizabeth's hair needed to be in a bun. She had done Elizabeth's hair when they first woke but it seemed as if she hadn't touched it at all. She only needed Elizabeth to look presentable when she arrived at school.

"Why do I have to leave?" Elizabeth asked after a moment of silence.

"It's only temporary," Rosalind said. Today would be Elizabeth's first day of school and though she had been very excited the night before, she now seemed to be reluctant to go through with the plan.

"Can't I stay here with you?"

"You can't," Rosalind fixed Elizabeth's hair and stepped back, "There."

"Stop fretting so much," Robert finally came to sit next to them, "Why suggest this if you were going to be so nervous?"

"Am I nervous?" Rosalind asked. She was certainly irritated.

"The fact that you've fixed her hair 4 times since breakfast says that you are," Robert pointed out, "I thought we weren't giving her a ribbon today."

"I changed my mind. I wouldn't have to fix her hair if she would stop ruining it," Rosalind stopped Elizabeth as she reached up to scratch her head, "Is your head itchy?"

"No," Elizabeth shook her head, "But I don't like when my hair is like this."

"Neither do I," Robert said.

"Robert," Rosalind glared at him, "It's not like we have a choice.

"With her hair?" Robert asked.

"With school," Rosalind clarified. Robert was correct when he said she was nervous. Elizabeth had grown a lot in the last 3 years and Rosalind hadn't expected to feel this way. She almost didn't want to send her to school at all. She was still young and she didn't seem to fully understand the consequences of opening a tear. What if she grew bored and opened one? Would the school be enough to keep her distracted?

Rosalind had considered homeschooling her but in the end, it had been decided that if she didn't start school now, she would not be able to stay in the same grade as Constance. Rosalind didn't want her to lose friends and she already spent so much time alone at home.

"What will you do while I'm gone?" Elizabeth turned to her, "Will you have hot cocoa?"

"Not without you," Rosalind promised. Elizabeth was relieved and Rosalind held back a laugh. Elizabeth worried about the smallest things.

"Rosalind and I would be working," Robert said, "We have a lot to catch up on."

"It sounds like you'll just be reading," Elizabeth said.

"That's part of our work," Rosalind said. Usually, she told Elizabeth she was working whenever she wanted to read by herself but now there would be an actual reason for her reading. On top of that, she and Robert would both be going into the Science Authority today.

They had spent the last 3 years switching back and forth every 3 months but now she was ready to go back to working full time. At least she thought she was ready… When she looked at Elizabeth in her uniform, she could only think that she needed to wait one more year.

"You know, Constance's mom doesn't go to work ever. She says that women don't have to because their husbands will take care of them. I told her that you don't have a husband and neither does Robbie. She said that men don't have husbands and you don't have one because you aren't a traditional woman. She said I shouldn't really follow your lead but don't worry, I let her know that you always know which way to go so we could follow you and not get lost," Elizabeth stopped to take a breath, "Don't you want a husband?"

Rosalind didn't answer, she didn't really like explaining to Elizabeth why she wasn't like the other women. And it wasn't as if she wasn't like other women. She was just like them, she simply had a degree and a job. Getting married wasn't her priority but she was not against it.

"Rosalind doesn't need a husband to work for her," Robert said, "She's more than capable of taking care of herself."

"Well," Elizabeth looked at her, "You need a husband to have a baby, I know that."

"I've already had a baby," Rosalind said, "You've lived here since you were a baby."

"But… I'm not your baby," Elizabeth said, "I think I came from an egg. Like the chickens! Or a duck!"

"You aren't my baby," Rosalind said, "Not in a traditional sense but Robert and I have raised you and I have no desire to do so with another child."

"But Rosie," Elizabeth sighed, "Whose baby am I?"

"Is it important?" Rosalind asked.

"Am I Robbie's baby?" Elizabeth went on. Rosalind didn't think Elizabeth truly understood anything about what it meant to have parents but Rosalind didn't want to approach the subject yet. She wasn't even sure how to explain the circumstances.

"You aren't a baby at all, "Robert said, "You're a little girl."

"Oh?" Elizabeth frowned.

"Don't sound so disappointed," Robert laughed.

"But yesterday you said that I was a big girl," Elizabeth said, "Did I become littler?"

"No," Robert said, "You didn't become smaller." The day before, Robert had measured her height and marked it on the wall in the kitchen. Elizabeth was now 95 centimeters tall and Robert had made a big deal of it.

"Then wouldn't you say that I'm still a big girl?" Elizabeth asked, "Because I'm a little taller than Constance is and she's older than me. Older people are supposed to be taller."

"That's not always true," Rosalind returned to Elizabeth and looked over her uniform once more.

"I think it is," Elizabeth said, "Because Robbie is older than you and he's taller."

"Robert and I are the same age," Rosalind said.

"But he's your brother," Elizabeth reminded.

"Yes, he is…" Rosalind said, "We're twins."

"What?" Elizabeth tilted her head to the side, "I don't get it."

"You don't have to," Robert said, "Now, as much as I'd like to talk with you. Rosalind must take you to school now."

"Me?" Rosalind looked at him. Why was she the one who had to do it? This was all hard enough as it was.

"It would be strange if her mother didn't bring her to school."

"Robert," she glared at him. She didn't like to be called Elizabeth's mother and he knew it. She didn't want Elizabeth to start calling her 'mommy' again.

"Do you have your lunch bag?" Robert asked

"I have it, but why can't I eat here?" Elizabeth picked up her lunch bag and looked inside.

"Because we won't be here," Robert said, "And you'll have so much fun at school that you won't want to."

"I don't think that's true," Elizabeth said quietly, "I don't want to go."

"Your friend Constance will be there," Rosalind walked towards the door and found Elizabeth's jacket.

"But… I like being here," Elizabeth said, "I can stay here while you work…"

"Well, maybe…" Rosalind thought for a moment. Elizabeth wasn't a baby anymore so perhaps she could be left alone...

"How things have changed, "Robert laughed, "We're sorry Lizzie, but this isn't something we can change. Remember how you said you're a big girl?"

"Well, maybe I'm not so big…" Elizabeth said.

"You are," Robert said, "And big girls go to school."

"But why?" Elizabeth asked. Rosalind could tell that Elizabeth would start crying soon. Her cheeks were red and her lip quivered.

"There are things that Rosalind and I can't teach you," Robert put his hands on Elizabeth's shoulders and smiled, "Can you promise to tell us what you learned when we come to get you?"

"I can," Elizabeth nodded. While they were more than capable of teaching Elizabeth, Rosalind knew that she couldn't spend another year at home like this.

In the 3 years that had passed, her colleagues had all passed her by. There had been miracles of medicine, agriculture, and science but all she had to show was the outline of an idea. Even Fink had begun to produce projects and he wasn't even a scientist!

She couldn't allow herself to grow stagnant and because of that, Elizabeth had to go to school.

"You'll enjoy it," Rosalind said, "Let's go."

"But-"

"No more," Rosalind said, "We don't have time."

"I don't want to go!" Elizabeth whined and stomped her feet.

"That's enough," Rosalind held out Elizabeth's jacket, "If you don't stop crying, you'll have to walk to school by yourself."

"No!" Elizabeth, who was not actually crying, straightened immediately, "I'll be good." Rosalind helped her put her jacket on and they said goodbye to Robert before leaving.

The schoolhouse was a short distance away but Elizabeth made sure to walk as slow as possible.

"Why did we have to change things?" Elizabeth squeezed her hand and the anxiousness Rosalind was feeling was replaced with guilt. They were forcing her into school early because it benefited them but perhaps Elizabeth wasn't ready yet… She spoke well for her age but that didn't actually mean anything. What if she had a terrible time?

"Change is necessary," Rosalind said, "And you'll enjoy school. You'll meet new people and you'll be able to play with Constance more."

"I play with her enough," Elizabeth said. Elizabeth's pace had slowed considerably and Rosalind stopped walking. She could see the schoolhouse now and they still had 10 minutes before they needed to be there.

"It's only for a moment," Rosalind said again. Elizabeth would enjoy school and if she didn't, it wouldn't matter. She would only be in school until noon, after that she would go to The Little Angels program.

The Little Angels was a group for young girls aged 5 to 12. They would teach the girls to sew, cook, and do whatever else it was that women were expected to do. Rosalind didn't care for traditional roles but she remembered that she had wanted to join the groups as a child because everyone else had. And the skills would help Elizabeth in the long run.

"Let's go," Rosalind squeezed her hand gently, "We'll be late."

"There are a lot of little children here," Elizabeth mumbled. Rosalind hadn't realized that there were so many kids in Columbia but perhaps that was because she spent most of her time in Emporia.

"Wouldn't you like to be friends with them?" Rosalind asked.

"Um, no," Elizabeth shook her head, "I have a friend already."

"You are allowed to have more than one," Rosalind said.

"How many friends do you have?" Elizabeth looked up at her and Rosalind looked away. She knew that Elizabeth didn't mean any harm but Rosalind couldn't answer. She didn't really have any friends. She had Mary, but she only spent time with her because she wanted Elizabeth to have friends and she knew that Mary only really spent time with her now because she could brag about it. Not everyone can say they were friends with Madame Lutece.

"I have enough," Rosalind said.

She saw Elizabeth's teacher standing near the door. She greeted each child as they walked through the door and she smiled when she spotted them.

"Madame Lutece!" she shouted. A few people looked up at her and Rosalind frowned. She didn't like how much attention the woman was drawing.

"She's noisy," Elizabeth said.

"She is," Rosalind nodded, "But let's keep that to ourselves." She kept her face straight as she walked over to the woman.

"Madame Lutece, I'm so glad you made it," the woman was Abigail Flowers. She was a young woman from Alabama who had been handpicked by Comstock to teach in the school. Rosalind was not confident in what that meant for the students but she would ignore it.

"Of course," Rosalind said, "It's her first day after all."

"First?" Elizabeth pulled her skirt, "I thought I would only do this one time…"

Miss Flowers laughed loudly and Rosalind fought the urge to roll her eyes, "All the children seem to think that but they forget as soon as class starts," she said, "Now Miss Elizabeth, why don't you say goodbye to your mother and come with me?"

"I'm not-"

"No!" Elizabeth moved behind her and hugged her leg, "Let's just go home!"

"Elizabeth," Rosalind pulled away from her, "We talked about this before we left."

"But..."

"I can handle this," Miss Flowers whispered to her before bending down beside Elizabeth, "Little miss, don't you know that your mother is an important lady?"

"I don't know my mother," Elizabeth sniffed.

"Madame Lutece is your mother, remember?" Miss Flowers was trying to be helpful but it would only confuse Elizabeth. Rosalind had spent the last 3 years reminding her that she was not her mother.

"I don't think she is," Elizabeth said.

"Um," Miss Flowers looked conflicted, "Miss Elizabeth, your mother keeps this city in the air. That's not an easy thing to do so she has to leave for a moment. I know you'll miss her but she'll be back before you know it!" Miss Flowers held out her hand.

Elizabeth looked up at her and Rosalind took a breath. Her eyes showed emotion clearly and Rosalind could tell she was afraid, "I'll be back soon," she nodded.

"Okay," Elizabeth took Miss Flower's hand, "Please come back, okay?"

"I've already said that I will," Rosalind offered her a rare smile, "Goodbye."

Miss Flowers winked at her as she led Elizabeth away. Rosalind watched them as the door closed before turning away. She had work to do and couldn't spend too much time here.

Note:

We have a time skip to bring in the second arc of the story and it's Lizzie's first day of school! Does anyone remember their first day of school? Because I don't.

I would have written about every day the Lutece's spent with Elizabeth for the last 3 years but that isn't reasonable. If I have time, I'll post some of the cut chapters as side stories.

A picture for reference:

What Elizabeth's uniform looks like: childhood-and-games-victorians/girl-s-school-uniform-victorian-replica/s67/a1044/#:~:text=They,did.

And some fanart that made me smile: