20. Single Parents

Robin is ready to swear of amusement parks forever; she can always stay sequestered in her home or her library for the rest of her life. She keeps building on those promises, ready to never step outdoors if she has to… Provided that she can just find Morgan.

It was just a moment that she took her eyes off her son, telling him to wait a moment while she got some sort of strange violet-pink sugary cloud candy for them to share. And when she looked back, he'd vanished. She still isn't sure how she's kept a hold on the treat; maybe in the desperate hope that she'll find him in another breath, that he'll remember he wanted a snack and dart back to her side.

She scans the crowd, looking for her son, hoping she'll see him around knee or hip height. But there's no sign of Morgan's dark hair, or his favorite violet hoodie.

"Come on…" She whispers, still desperately looking. And trying not to panic, as the moments stretch out. The setting sun shines in her eyes, dazzling her vision and making things all the harder to see.

When someone bumps into her hip, she almost drops the candy, as she jolts to the figure. They only come up to her waist, and for a second she's certain she's found Morgan and can breathe easy again-

But she realizes quick enough that Morgan never grew his hair out to the length. Or opted for so much blue in his appearance. However, she does recognize the child at her side. Robin has seen her often enough at work, and has memorized the name on the child's library card.

"L-Lucina-?" She finds herself saying, right as the girl stares up at Robin. The girl places her face as well and loses some of the panic in her eyes.

"You're… The librarian lady." Lucina says, matter of fact and with a touch of relief. "Dad keeps going to you when he needs help finding a book for me."

Robin nods at that , even with the urgency of the situation. Lucina gives a quick smile, and it's enough to make her heart melt a little; she remembers seeing the girl in her library, often once a week. Always ready for new books to read, always asking if Robin has any new stories about knights and dragons. The girl is an avid reader, something Robin finds herself respecting. But that memory also makes her scan the crowds, looking for her father.

And yet, in the crowds of people, she can't find a familiar blue-haired head, or any strong features. And with the man's height, he should be easy to pick out in a crowd. Lucina doesn't have any luck either, glancing around, and shivering up against Robin's side.

"Wait… Are you lost?" Robin finds herself asking, when she fails to find a familiar blue haired head. Lucina gives a quick nod, her eyes downcast, and for the first time Robin notices that they're red and puffy at the edges; a sign she's been crying.

Lucina tries to put on a brave face… But Robin can tell that there's some fear behind her eyes. The poor girl has lost her father in the chaos, and Robin isn't about to leave her alone in a crowd of strangers. She still worries for Morgan… But there is another child in front of her right now, needing help.

"Well… Maybe we can find him." If he's anything like Robin, her father is likely going half crazy from worry.

-o-o-o-

Chrom is about to lose his mind, if he can't find his daughter. His heart hammers a fast beat, urging Chrom to hurry and shove his way through the crowds, ignoring any dirty looks he gets. He dodges in and out of the long shadows formed by the rides and stalls, hoping he'll spot a glimpse of blue hair.

"Luci!?" He calls out, but with no response. Just moments ago his daughter had been running on ahead, seeing something and getting lost in the crowd.

'Coming here might have been a mistake.' He has time to think, as he desperately searches. And with each breath, he's more convinced this whole thing is a bad idea. Even if Lucina HAD been a ball of energy and smiles, eager to go to her first amusement park.

But in another breath he sees someone around her height, slumped against one of the benches. Chrom goes running for them, hoping he's found Lucina-

He finds himself staring down at a young boy, head buried in his hands and trying to take deep breaths. The child jolts up with a start, as Chrom draws close… And there's something familiar to the boy's face.

"M-Morgan?" A name gets blurted out, as Chrom recognizes the face; he's seen it in his classes often enough, alongside his daughter.

"Mister Chrom?" Morgan blinked at him in confusion. Looking almost like he'd found a fish swimming above water.

"Guess you weren't expecting to see me here." Chrom tries, seeing if he can get Morgan to open up a little. Or at least keep him from slipping back into sobs; whatever got this child into such a fit, he isn't sure. The boy's mother has always been sweet natured, whenever they've met. And the father-

'…Right. She said that she was a single parent.' Much like him, in that regard.

"I-I thought teachers didn't go to amusement parks. That they just sat at their desks really still until we came back." Chrom coughs out a laugh at that.

"No, sometimes we need to have a little bit of fun… Through right now, I'm trying to find my daughter." He gestures to the crowds around him.

"And I'm trying to find my mother." Morgan glances away, a guilty look flashing across his face; it's something Chrom is well familiar with. He's seen that same expression on Lucina, when she tries to raise turtles in the bathtub, or uses a baseball bat like a sword indoors. "I… Sorta saw a ride close by, and I wanted to take a look at it. I lost sight of my mom-"

He hiccups at that. And Chrom knows he can't turn his back on the boy.

"Well, where's the last spot you saw her?"

"Near the cotton candy stall?" Morgan offers, and Chrom reaches out his hand to Morgan.

"Come on then; two pairs of eyes are better than one." Chrom encourages him, and manages to get Morgan off of the bench. Maybe it's just that he's already a teacher, and an authority figure, but he's relieved Morgan trusts him well enough. He's also surprisingly calm, sticking close to Chrom as they move away from the bench.

-o-o-o-

Lucina makes for a restless child, pulling Robin by the arm from place to place, telling Robin about how she's seen Chrom at the places before. Robin has the feeling that he's already frantically looking for his daughter, and isn't about to stay in one place.

That might be dawning on Lucina, with how she gets more and more desperate. She runs from a rollercoaster ride to a hotdog stand and then to almost yanks Robin's arm out, as she dashes to a set of picnic tables. Through it all Robin can hear a sob in her breath as she desperately retraces her steps. All without ever finding her father.

Robin can imagine her own son, red cheeked and sniffling, in a similar state. It sends a stab through her… But Robin still forces herself to focus on the child she DOES have nearby.

'One problem at a time.'

"Is there anywhere that he told you to meet him, maybe-?" Robin tries.

Lucina rubs at her eyes in response, trying to choke back her whimpers long enough to speak.

"The… The carousel? Lucina tries, looking around for the attraction. Robin, thanks to the height advantage, can pick it out the striped, spinning tent top more easily. She turns Lucina around… And wonders at the way child readily latches onto her coat.

It makes her heart sink a little, that she's the most familiar thing Lucina has.

'She never seems to have a mother around.' Her memory reminds Robin.

She forces herself to move, hoping that maybe Chrom will be at the carousel, and Lucina can stop trying to put on a brave face. They draw closer, and Robin catches hints of chiming music.

The carousel boasts all sorts of fantastical creatures; pegasi, wyverns, even gryphons bob up and down, brilliantly painted. Lucina even risks a glance up at them, gasping a little at the sight.

"…Dad was going to take me on this." Lucina mutters into Robin's coat. And then, "Do you… Do you think that maybe we could…?"

She hates seeing that hopeful look, and knowing she needs to be practical. It's not like they're going to find Chrom onboard the carousel.

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea…" She starts to say, already hating the prospect of saying no.

A part of her insists that they should keep looking for Chrom, and for Morgan. But another part of her wants to keep Lucina from crying any further. Robin finds herself helpless, when Lucina gives her a hopeful look. She tries to avoid looking at the girl when telling her 'no.' Instead she glances up to the carousel-

And for a split second, thinks she sees Morgan on it. Robin pulls Lucina towards the ride, and the girl quickly falls into step, almost racing her. Among the fantastical creatures, Robin almost catches sight of her own child; his dark hair and violet hood slip behind the leafy wings of a carved dragon, and the carousel lurches to a start.

She almost loses her balance, and Lucina crashes into her. Thinking fast, Robin grabs Lucina and hoists her onto something she can cling onto. Missing the urgency of the situation, Lucina giggles the entire time, clinging onto a pastel barded pegasus.

Robin just keeps her hand on the carousel ride, desperately searching for Morgan. And when her eyes find the carved dragon again, her heart sinks. Because the child on it isn't Morgan, just a boy with lighter hair and dark clothing.

She slumps against the ride with a frustrated sigh, looking over the carved horse. Lucina bounces up and down the saddle witch excitement.

'Well, at least one person is happy.' Robin thinks, as she runs her fingers over the carved mane. She can't help but notice she accidentally picked out the ride with a unicorn horn, and Lucina grins when she sees that as well.

"She's the magic one." Lucina says, matter of fact. After a moment of thought, Robin takes the pegasus alongside Lucina, one surprisingly jet black compared to many of the others. Lucina grins in response, enjoying the contrast. For her part, Robin doesn't want to fall over as she gets a full circle scan of the crowd.

The ride picks up the pace, Lucina laughing and swinging her legs. Robin tries to watch the crowd as they ride… But her eyes keeps going back to Lucina, half worried the child might vanish as well. Though Robin wonders if it's also because Lucina's smile has a way of being captivating, and lifting Robin's own spirits. Small wonder her father spoils her so.

"Glad you're enjoying yourself." Robin can't help but say, and Lucina eagerly nods.

"It's like in the story my dad always reads me."

"The Falcon Knight." Robin names the book in a heartbeat. It makes sense, as she's certain Chrom checks it out every other week; why he bothers to keep getting the book from her library instead of buying a copy, she isn't sure. But it does make for another constant. "The one about the princess and the… Whatever you call that."

"Alicorn." Lucina says sagely, and only slightly put out that Robin doesn't know the proper name.

"Ah, right. Alicorn." With how Lucina smiles, she can imagine that reading that book is likely a weekly ritual between the two. Lucina softly hums along to the carousel melody, petting her horse's main, and even leaning forward in the saddle to tap on the horn. At Robin's inquisitive look, Lucina shakes her head; like what she's doing SHOULD be common knowledge.

"You make a wish, if you stay on one of these the entire ride." She explains, in perfect child-logic.

"Can I ask what you wished for?"

"N-not exactly, or it won't come true. But… I made a wish for you." Lucina gives Robin a careful look, and Robin finds herself nodding. When the ride finally slows, Robin helps Lucina back down from the saddle. She gives the unicorn a discreet pat as well, and makes a wish of her own that she can find the girl's father, before the day is finished.

-o-o-o-

Any searches for parents and children are cut short, when Morgan's stomach starts growling. Morgan gives a mumbled apology, but there's still a pleading in his eyes, asking if they can stop for something to eat. Chrom's answer is steering Morgan the corndog stand.

He has a hard time keeping up with Morgan, who inhales his snack in record time.

"Healthy appetite." He says.

"Mom and I get these once a week. Usually at… 'leven, I think." Remarkably precise of her, Chrom thinks. But it's not a bad thing to be a stickler when it comes to feeding a child. Morgan starts to wipe his mouth off using his hand, stops midmotion, and then turns to stretch out his fingers to Chrom, pointing to the napkins. Chrom quickly obliges, and even bends down to wipe Morgan's face off for good measure; it also means cleaning off some of those tears and a slightly runny nose, as well.

"Feeling better?" He asks, and Morgan gives a shy nod.

"…You think Mom's going to be angry?"

"If she's anything like me, she'll be relieved that you're safe." Chrom tells him. "Though she might keep you tied to her hip for a few days afterwards."

Morgan makes a face at that, and Chrom can't help but laugh. It eases some of his own tension out of his chest.

"Don't worry; when we find her, I'll put in a good word for you. That you were on your best behavior, and kept looking for her… With just a small break." With that he raises his head and scans the crowd again, only to frown. He's seen Robin a dozen times in the library. Even among the mazelike corridors of books, her white hair is easy enough to pick out.

But he's not about to give up, or call off the search. There's also one last meeting place they can try. He only hopes Lucina remembers his instructions, on what to do if she got lost and couldn't find him. So he takes Morgan by the hand, and guides him towards one last attraction.

-o-o-o-

'Gods, but I hope he's okay. That he's just hiding in a fun house, or…' Robin tries not to think about the other possibilities, the countless ways Morgan could be hurt or in trouble. And she feels like kicking herself, for not reiterating their contingency plan when they go to parks.

"What about the Ferris wheel?" Lucina cuts into Robin's thoughts. She glances over to the girl; Lucina seems to have gotten an extra burst of energy after splitting the cotton candy, and it sends her tugging against Robin and fixing her eyes to a new landmark.

The Ferris wheel is a riot of color, and in the fading light, a beacon of glowing bulbs.

Robin wants to appreciate it… But she also worries at the dimming of the sunlight. Her task to find Morgan is going to be a lot harder.

'If you're lucky, maybe he'll go for the wheel as well.' It WAS the largest and brightest thing in the park, after all. And Robin kicks herself a little for not thinking of that, or for making little more than a small meet up plan if they got separated.

'Telling him to head for the nearest landmark wasn't the best plan.' She berates herself, considering how many attractions there are; from what she'd read, she always thought carnivals were supposed to be smaller things-

"Come on, come on!" Lucina pulls at her, before Robin can get too caught up in her thoughts. "I know they'll be there!"

Secret or not, Robin keeps getting a clearer idea on the details behind Lucina's wish. She lets the girl guide her through the crowds, straight for the entrance of the wheel… And has to watch Lucina's face fall, as she glances around. Robin feels a similar heaviness build in her heart, and forces herself to take a deep breath. She'll do Lucina no good, if she starts crying in frustration.

"I-I don't get it. My father said to meet him here…" Lucina whispers… And then a decisive light settles into her eyes, and she breaks away from Robin, racing straight for the wheel itself. One of the gondolas is swinging down, violet lights winking to life on it.

"LUCINA!" Robin raises her voice, but it does nothing to slow her. Robin has little choice but to give chase, cursing under her breath and ducking amongst those in line. She could feel her skin crawl with the glares she gets, jumping past the places.

"Sorry, sorry, look I NEED to catch her-" She says as she pushes her way through. But she can't quite reach Lucina, before the girl has slipped under the attendant. Robin had to blow past the poor staff member, throwing herself into the car after Lucina.

"Wh-what on earth are you doing!?" She demanded… And after the mad dash was done, Lucina flinches a little.

"I thought… Maybe I can find Dad and Morgan from up here." Robin sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. Lucina makes for a handful, and hard to keep up with; how Chrom manages it, she doesn't know.

"We're going to need to make a lot of apologies, you know. You can't just rush your way into a ride like this-" But right as she says that, someone else proves her wrong, and barrels into the car.

-o-o-o-

Chrom yanks his head up as they draw close to the Ferris wheel… Because he's just heard his daughter's name, shouted out. He looks up in time to see a familiar figure, darting past the adults and children in line towards the ride.

"Luci-!?" He chokes out. There's another figure running after her, yelling her name. And Morgan notices her too, giving a startled noise. Chrom gets just a moment to stare at the two… And then on the next moment, Chrom scoops Morgan up so he can run after both girls at full tilt. Morgan doesn't have time to give much more than a startled gasp, before Chrom slings him under his arm.

It's easy enough to chase after the two and follow their footsteps. He bulls through the gaps in the crowd, running for the Ferris Wheel. He gives a quick curse as Lucina darts into the first wheel cabin she can reach, and throws on one last burst of speed that makes his lungs burn. He all but throws himself into the gondola, as the door automatically slides shut and the ride starts up.

And once that happens, the best Chrom can do is let go of Morgan, and lay gasping on the floor.

"…F-Father!?" Lucina asks over his pounding heart. Chrom's answer is to roll over a little, staring up at his daughter.

"Wh-when I s-said wait at the Ferris Wheel, I really did mean WAIT. Just stay in one spot that isn't a ride." He wheezes out… But can't help but reach up and pat Lucina on the head. She gives a quick grin in answer.

"Well, it DID mean I found you." She points out, still a bit cheeky. Chrom manages a quick groan, tilting his head over to apologize to the other adult.

"Sorry about my daughter being such a handful-?" He says, and finds himself staring right up at a familiar face. "R-Robin?"

There's no mistaking that pale hair. Morgan has figured it out at the same time, clambering over Chrom's prone form as he latches onto her with a quick "Mom!"

Robin wraps her arms around Morgan, giving a shaky laugh.

"Were you with Chrom this entire time…?" She grasps the situation quick enough, as Morgan babbles about how he and his teacher stopped to get corndogs. Lucina takes that as a cue to do the same, telling Chrom about her time with Robin. Somehow, he manages to piece together a rough sequence of events as he pulls himself back up… With a little help from Robin, grabbing onto his hand and giving it a quick, grateful squeeze.

Chrom gives her a nervous smile, as he gets pulled into the seat. Below, he can see the fair stretching out below him. And a part of him thinks that while today might have been chaotic, it hadn't been too bad. He glances over to see Morgan and Lucina swapping stories now, like they're sharing secrets right before class.

"So… I'm guessing you had a full day with her?" He asks Robin. "Sorry if she was a handful."

"Not at all." Robin grins at him. "She had a lot to tell me about her favorite books, and making wishes."

"Likewise. Morgan was pretty sweet natured." He leans back against the seats, finally getting his breath back. Doing so leans him a little against Robin, but she doesn't seem to mind.

"Not a bad day, I hope?" Chrom asks.

"It ended pretty well." Robin says. "All things considered, we're both pretty lucky."

She looks at Morgan, looking half like she wants to scold him and scoop him up in a hug at the same time. Chrom can share that feeling. But as she watches the two children, Robin's expression softens.

"And… You know, I'm not opposed to trying to go to the fair again sometime. Maybe with someone else around to help wrangle Morgan…" She flushes a light pink in the flickering bulbs. "…And I wouldn't say no, to spending more time with you and Lucina."

Chrom grins a little as well, knowing he looks like a bit of a dope.

"I wouldn't mind either; and if today was any indicator, it might be a bit nice." Maybe better than nice, given how relaxed he feels, watching the fair below, and the two children settle in alongside him and Robin.