"Leopold Alexis Elijah Walker Gareth Thomas Mountbatten, there had
better be some logical explanation for dragging me out on a Saturday
afternoon, completely blindfolded, with no clue as to where I am," Kate
threatened from beneath a tie dyed blindfold.
Charlie's eyes widened, and he clapped a hand over his mouth. "Leopold, that's your name?" he asked incredulously. Leopold cast a sideways, amused glance at Charlie. "I mean, I know you're a peculiar guy and all, but…" his voice trailed off, and he grinned impishly.
"Hey, you have a problem with my husband's name, you take it up with me, ok?" Kate mumbled irritably. "He is your brother in law after all." Despite her covered eyes, Charlie could see her nose crinkling in anger. women.. Charlie mumbled to himself. especially pregnant women who are also closely related.
"Kate, please, "Leopold began. "Don't verbally attack your brother like that." He touched her blond head gently, and Kate, despite herself, relaxed. Leopold shifted in his seat and turned to Stuart. "Are we about there?" he said, lowering his voice.
"Nope," Stuart replied, and when he saw Leopold's face crease in exasperation. "we are there," Stuart said triumphantly. Charlie's face lit up.
"C—" he started to exclaim, but Stuart shook his head to silence him, nodding at Kate. Charlie grinned knowingly. Leopold got out of the Taxi, and opened Kate's door, helping her out. Kate stumbled slightly, from being unable to see. Leopold slowly removed her blindfold. Kate blinked.
"It is much different than from what I remember," Leopold said slowly.
"Coney Island," Kate remarked, the image of the Cyclone and its broken down tracks burrowing into her mind. "Wow, Leopold. How did you know about Coney Island?" she turned an interested expression to her husband.
Leopold chuckled lightly. "I suppose 100 years is nothing for such a place, my Kate," Leopold said fondly. His face became serious. "Though it seems like something. Last I was here, there was but the Coney Island Railroad," his eyes warmed at the memory. " thirty five cents to ride." His eyes scanned to the great Ferris Wheel, then to the Cyclone. "As for that seemingly large, rickety railroad…I don't believe I've seen one so high."
Stuart, feeling slightly left out, butted in. "That's a roller coaster, Leopold. Or it was, at least. People sat in cars and were zipped along those tracks faster than you could clock!" he grinned at Leopold's shocked expression.
"Why don't people ride it now?" Leopold asked curiously.
"Leo, if people tried riding that old thing now," Charlie said, laughing, but amused how the word "old" sounded so ironic. "They'd go crashing through the tracks." Leopold smiled, but Charlie noticed his eyes were focused on Kate, whose head was tilted in a curious fashion.
"There's more to this, isn't there, Leopold," Kate stated. "You wouldn't take me over the bridge to Coney Island for no apparent reason." Leopold took her hands and looked straight into her eyes. Kate couldn't help but notice how, when his eyes were on her, they were always so trusting, open, and warm. No lies, all honesty. There was also the spark of innocence, which took place whenever he came into present-day…or what was present now, NYC.
" Awhile back, a young woman told me, that though she lived in one place for a decade, she never did cross to the other side. I thought," Leopold's eyes sparkled mischievously. "I thought that if this woman would give up her life in one century, to live with me in another, I owed her enough to give her that one request." He glanced back at Charlie and Stuart, who were watching him. "I would give the woman the world, and all of the universe, so why not a simple trek across a bridge."
"I seriously need a hot dog," Charlie announced suddenly. Stuart nodded his agreement, and the two hurried off to the Nathan's stand.
"Kate?" Leopold questioned, worriedly. His wife was awfully quiet. Leopold's handsome face creased into a worried frown. Why was it that Kate always got teary and quiet when he spoke his heart to her? Brought into royalty, no training had prepared him for what to do when a woman, especially one he loved, cried. Only his natural compassion held through with that.
Kate swept her hair back and swallowed the lump in her throat, opened her mouth to talk, but Charlie beat her to it. "I dunno, Leo," he swallowed his hot dog. "But before this all happened… and I doubt I have to emphasize what I'm talking about…my sister was, um, tough stuff. No offense, Leo, but now…" his words faded.
Leopold's face dropped. " I apologize for changing the person that Kate may have been. I meant no harm." Stuart had already flagged down a taxi, and was helping Kate in. Charlie glanced briefly in apology to Leopold, and stuck out his hand.
"Truce?" Charlie offered, then took in Leopold's confused expression. "Meaning, everything is ok," he explained, as he got into the taxi. Leopold got in on the other side, and turned to speak with Kate. Stuart shook his head and motioned to Kate, whose head was slumped against the window, eyes half closed. It was obvious that now that word of Kate's pregnancy was in the open, she had no restrictions as to displaying the effects.
Charlie broke the silence with the simple, yet heartbreaking words that tore at Leopold's heart. "Leo? I'm gonna miss my sister," he said quietly, all goofy pretenses dropped. "I'm gonna miss her."
Charlie's eyes widened, and he clapped a hand over his mouth. "Leopold, that's your name?" he asked incredulously. Leopold cast a sideways, amused glance at Charlie. "I mean, I know you're a peculiar guy and all, but…" his voice trailed off, and he grinned impishly.
"Hey, you have a problem with my husband's name, you take it up with me, ok?" Kate mumbled irritably. "He is your brother in law after all." Despite her covered eyes, Charlie could see her nose crinkling in anger. women.. Charlie mumbled to himself. especially pregnant women who are also closely related.
"Kate, please, "Leopold began. "Don't verbally attack your brother like that." He touched her blond head gently, and Kate, despite herself, relaxed. Leopold shifted in his seat and turned to Stuart. "Are we about there?" he said, lowering his voice.
"Nope," Stuart replied, and when he saw Leopold's face crease in exasperation. "we are there," Stuart said triumphantly. Charlie's face lit up.
"C—" he started to exclaim, but Stuart shook his head to silence him, nodding at Kate. Charlie grinned knowingly. Leopold got out of the Taxi, and opened Kate's door, helping her out. Kate stumbled slightly, from being unable to see. Leopold slowly removed her blindfold. Kate blinked.
"It is much different than from what I remember," Leopold said slowly.
"Coney Island," Kate remarked, the image of the Cyclone and its broken down tracks burrowing into her mind. "Wow, Leopold. How did you know about Coney Island?" she turned an interested expression to her husband.
Leopold chuckled lightly. "I suppose 100 years is nothing for such a place, my Kate," Leopold said fondly. His face became serious. "Though it seems like something. Last I was here, there was but the Coney Island Railroad," his eyes warmed at the memory. " thirty five cents to ride." His eyes scanned to the great Ferris Wheel, then to the Cyclone. "As for that seemingly large, rickety railroad…I don't believe I've seen one so high."
Stuart, feeling slightly left out, butted in. "That's a roller coaster, Leopold. Or it was, at least. People sat in cars and were zipped along those tracks faster than you could clock!" he grinned at Leopold's shocked expression.
"Why don't people ride it now?" Leopold asked curiously.
"Leo, if people tried riding that old thing now," Charlie said, laughing, but amused how the word "old" sounded so ironic. "They'd go crashing through the tracks." Leopold smiled, but Charlie noticed his eyes were focused on Kate, whose head was tilted in a curious fashion.
"There's more to this, isn't there, Leopold," Kate stated. "You wouldn't take me over the bridge to Coney Island for no apparent reason." Leopold took her hands and looked straight into her eyes. Kate couldn't help but notice how, when his eyes were on her, they were always so trusting, open, and warm. No lies, all honesty. There was also the spark of innocence, which took place whenever he came into present-day…or what was present now, NYC.
" Awhile back, a young woman told me, that though she lived in one place for a decade, she never did cross to the other side. I thought," Leopold's eyes sparkled mischievously. "I thought that if this woman would give up her life in one century, to live with me in another, I owed her enough to give her that one request." He glanced back at Charlie and Stuart, who were watching him. "I would give the woman the world, and all of the universe, so why not a simple trek across a bridge."
"I seriously need a hot dog," Charlie announced suddenly. Stuart nodded his agreement, and the two hurried off to the Nathan's stand.
"Kate?" Leopold questioned, worriedly. His wife was awfully quiet. Leopold's handsome face creased into a worried frown. Why was it that Kate always got teary and quiet when he spoke his heart to her? Brought into royalty, no training had prepared him for what to do when a woman, especially one he loved, cried. Only his natural compassion held through with that.
Kate swept her hair back and swallowed the lump in her throat, opened her mouth to talk, but Charlie beat her to it. "I dunno, Leo," he swallowed his hot dog. "But before this all happened… and I doubt I have to emphasize what I'm talking about…my sister was, um, tough stuff. No offense, Leo, but now…" his words faded.
Leopold's face dropped. " I apologize for changing the person that Kate may have been. I meant no harm." Stuart had already flagged down a taxi, and was helping Kate in. Charlie glanced briefly in apology to Leopold, and stuck out his hand.
"Truce?" Charlie offered, then took in Leopold's confused expression. "Meaning, everything is ok," he explained, as he got into the taxi. Leopold got in on the other side, and turned to speak with Kate. Stuart shook his head and motioned to Kate, whose head was slumped against the window, eyes half closed. It was obvious that now that word of Kate's pregnancy was in the open, she had no restrictions as to displaying the effects.
Charlie broke the silence with the simple, yet heartbreaking words that tore at Leopold's heart. "Leo? I'm gonna miss my sister," he said quietly, all goofy pretenses dropped. "I'm gonna miss her."
