Disclaimer: I do not own Steamboy or anything related to Steamboy

Steamboy: The Rancour

Chapter 3: Awoken

The morning sun gleamed through the window, casting Ray's shadow onto the opposite wall. He had been sitting here since breakfast waiting for Lily to wake up. He wanted to know more about the pair of amazing people he and his Grandfather had stumbled on. He wasn't going to get any answers from the small child although she was in her way beginning to trust them.

The child could also not tell him how the blueprints worked. He had asked her and she had earnestly told him that she did not know. She was not an inventor, she did not understand science.

A quiet knock on the door woke him from his thoughts. He turned to find Emma and the youngest of the boys holding her skirt come in. The boy came over and peered at the girl.

'She's pretty. She also pretty dirty,' he exclaimed and ran out of the room giggling at his own joke.

Ray sighed at the boy and stood up to offer his chair to Emma; she took it with gracious thanks. He went into the next room and found another chair. Placing it next to Emma's he sat down again.

'You've been here all morning, Ray. Do you think the girl might stop breathing in her sleep?' she laughed at this, 'Why have you really been here?'

'Lily's blueprints are amazing but I do not think the second one will work. I need to talk to her about them. I also want to know more about her and her sister; did you know that we found Lily working at the station yard?' Ray looked at Emma and back to Lily.

'So her names Lily; isn't it a tad disrespectful to call her by first name Ray. What a dreadful name to give to a girl who acts like a boy. The clothes she came in were awful; dressing up like a man. It's not right. I'll give her some of mine,' Emma hoped he wouldn't defend the girl.

'It's actually quite a nice name, Emma, and I don't know her last name. And what's wrong if she has to dress as a man to work? Please do not be spiteful towards her because she is in your bed, Emma. You said you slept well in my bed, and I didn't mind the floor,' Ray pleaded with her. If Lily woke up to an angry Emma it wasn't going to be a pretty sight.

Why was Emma acting like this? She was usually the most kind, caring young lady that ever was. He was as fond of her as if she was his sister. Why did she dislike this girl? Ray pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind but they resurfaced to trouble him many times.

There was a ruffle of sheets and a painful moan; both looked at the bed. The girl moved her arms and legs slowly as if she were in deep pain.

'She's waking up,' Emma whispered.

'Well you would think so wouldn't you?' Ray didn't like being told the obvious, especially by girls.

Lily suddenly sat up, took one look around her and screamed.

'Whoa, whoa, oh no!' Ray lost his balance with shock and fell backwards off his chair, legs kicking in the air.

Emma looked into the bright blue eyes which were so frightened and heard the rough voice, much lower than her own screaming over and over. This shocked her so much she screamed too without noticing and ran out of the room, without even so much as a glance at Ray, to find Mrs. Steam.

When Ray opened his eyes once more he noticed that the screams had eventually stopped and a hand reached out to help him up. Once up he looked again at this wild girl, her hair all over the place now. A nightgown, probably Emma's, was to short ending just below her knees.

'I don't mean to be rude but is Kira alright?' urgency surrounded her question.

'Yes she is fine. Please,' he gestured at the bed, 'Sit down, I think Emma went to fetch Mother.'

She sat in silence taking in every little thing about the room, 'Where are we?'

Ray righted the chair and sat down, 'My father's house.'

Lily leaned back against the wall but quickly righted herself with a yelp of pain.

'How is your back?' the boy sounded concerned.

Lily bit her lip to stop herself from crying, 'Its okay, thank you. And no offence, Sir, but are you Ray Steam or am I seeing things?'

He smiled and his dark brown eyes lit up, 'No, I'm Ray Steam. The walls would be purple if you were seeing things, believe me.'

'I'm sorry about the scream before….' she started but never finished.

They both looked up at the sound in the corridor, footsteps. The room suddenly filled with the scent of herbs that always hung around people after they had been cooking.

'You're awake, my dear! Wonderful! How is your back?' a motherly looking figure came bursting in with a girl and two boys behind her.

'It is better than before, I thank you very much for your kind hospitality,' Lily tried to sound as appreciative as she could with her back absolutely killing her. From experience she knew it would hurt like this for about an hour, and then the pain would ease into a dull pain in the background.

'That's good. Now let's get you some clothes so you can eat breakfast,' she could not tell if this lady was doing all this of her own goodwill or if the elder Dr Steam had forced her.

'I'm sorry about the scream before, everything was hazy and I didn't know where I was.'

'That's okay dear, you must be very frightened. Emma please go and fetch your largest dress, I think this young lady might be taller than you,' the mothers gaze now landed on Ray, 'Are you going to introduce me or do you not the lady's name either?'

'Mother this is Lily….' He looked at her for a moment and raised his eyebrows.

'Thatcher, Sir,' he rolled his eyes at the last word and Lily had to try hard to stop herself from laughing.

'Mother this is Lily Thatcher. Lily this is my mother, Mrs. Steam,' Ray was not sure he had ever known his mothers name; it was always just mother or Mrs. Steam if they were really bad.

'It is nice to meet you Lily; I hear you're quite the inventor. I've already met your sister; polite young girl,' at this moment Emma came rushing back with a cream dress with a dark blue apron.

'Ray, please go and put some breakfast on the table and wait there for us. Emma, please fetch some water to wash with while I get acquainted with Lily,' and with that Emma and Ray were ushered out of the room.

A/N: A short chapter compared to the rest; the next is longer. And please if you think this story is going nowhere it does go somewhere. Please R&R. Next chapter up soon.