A/N: So many half finished stories, so little time!
Maya opened the door to her suite and trudged inside. She yawned tiredly, covering her mouth with the back of her hand as she fumbled on the wall for the light switch. Unable to find it, she grumbled to herself and reached into the pocket of her robes to find her cell phone.
The illumination from the small object was enough light for her to be able to locate the dresser by the window. Making her way across the room, she placed her door card and phone down, glancing quickly at the time before exhaling heavily. It was later than she had thought.
These receptions and functions she had to attend as part of her duties as Master were growing exponentially irritating. All the pleasantries, smiles and idle conversation felt forced and faked. Of course, those smiles were most likely as fake as the people wielding them but no matter how many boring stories she heard and how many hands she shook, there still always seemed to be a long line of people who were just dying to meet her. She could have sworn that she had already met half of the people that she was introduced to tonight, but maybe they were just all starting to look the same.
Lately it seemed like she had been spending more time away from the village than back home in Kurain. She felt a new level of respect for her mother for having put up with this kind of thing for so long.
Forcing the memory of the boring evening she had just endured from her mind, she moved to the window, pulling the flimsy curtain aside. A soft smile spread across her lips as her gaze settled on the familiar office block across the street. The lights were all out, but surely he wouldn't mind if she dropped in.
After all, it wasn't often that they held functions like these at the Gatewater.
"C'mon Trucy." Phoenix said firmly, crossing his arms. "I'm not going to tell you again. Off to bed. Now."
"But Daddy…!" the small girl whined.
"But Daddy nothing." Phoenix stated. "If you don't go to sleep the tooth fairy won't come and you won't get a single dime for that tooth you lost."
"How does she know that I lost my tooth Daddy? It only fell out an hour ago. What if it was too late? What if she's already left!" Trucy complained.
"She knows about your tooth. I already phoned her and told her to come and collect it." Phoenix reasoned. "Now bed! Scoot!"
"Are you sure, Daddy?" Trucy pouted. "The tooth fairy has missed me before. I'd be real sad if she missed me again."
Phoenix kneeled down, bringing himself to eye level with his eight year old daughter. He ruffled her hair affectionately, frowning to himself when he thought about all that this little girl had already had to endure in her short life. Shadi Enigmar had to be the worst Dad on the planet. He was getting used to the whole "dad" thing, and he couldn't believe how Shadi had got it so wrong. Especially with a doll like Trucy.
"I promise you, kiddo, that the tooth fairy will never, ever, miss you again."
Trucy grinned, flinging her arms around her father's neck.
"I love you, Daddy!"
"I love you too honey, now off to bed!" Phoenix said, giving Trucy a quick hug before ushering her up the hallway and through the door of her bedroom.
Guilt flooded through him at the twinge of sadness that he still felt every time he put Trucy to bed in this room. Although it was now littered with toys and magic props, this room had once belonged to Maya. He really, really missed her. But the absence of the former owner of this bedroom was not the fault of the little girl that lived here now. As much as it hurt not having Maya around, Phoenix knew that he had to suck it up and be the best Dad that he could be. That was what was most important right now.
Trucy scrambled up into bed, tilting her head slightly when she noticed her father still standing in the doorway looking somewhat sad.
"What's wrong Daddy?"
His daughter's squeaky voice snapped Phoenix from his thoughts. He beamed down at the little girl, moving across the room to tuck her in.
"Nothing, honey," he said, planting a kiss on her forehead as he tucked the blanket in around the little girl.
"Kiss for Mr Hat?" she exclaimed, holding her beloved wooden prop puppet up for Phoenix.
"I'm not kissing Mr Hat." Phoenix said flatly.
"But Daddy…" Trucy grumbled.
"I'll shake his hand," Phoenix compromised, taking the puppet's hand. This offer seemed to placate Trucy somewhat.
"Goodnight Mr Hat," Phoenix said in a mock serious tone as he shook the puppet's hand vigorously. "I have confidence that your sleep will be both comfortable and restful."
Trucy giggled at her father's silliness as he tucked the puppet in beside her.
"Okay, everyone is tucked in, everyone has said goodnight. Sleep now?" Phoenix asked.
"My tooth! Where is it Daddy?" Trucy cried, sitting up in her bed.
"It's on the nightstand honey, in a glass of water." Phoenix answered. "If you don't sleep the tooth fairy won't leave you any money. I'm afraid that's one of her conditions."
Trucy peered across the room to where her missing tooth sat on the nightstand. Satisfied that all was as it should be, she sank back against her pillow.
"Okay Daddy. Can't break the tooth fairy's rules," she agreed, settling into her blankets.
"That's right." Phoenix said with a nod. "Goodnight Truce," he finished, backing out of the room and flicking off the switch. "Sleep tight."
"Nite Daddy," Trucy replied, her voice already heavy with sleep.
Phoenix smiled to himself as he pulled the door closed. Trucy was a handful at times, especially at bedtime, but he didn't know what he would do without her. Taking her in was probably the best decision he had made since losing his badge.
Yawning, he ran a hand through his hair and headed up the hall to his own bedroom. After chasing Trucy around all day he could use some sleep himself.
Maya slipped her key into the lock of the former Wright & Co law office, turning it gingerly. She heard the lock barrel click as the door unlocked, wondering silently to herself if it had always been so loud. She gently pushed the door open and slipped inside, closing the door softly behind her. She flipped the latch to lock it once she was inside, grimacing at the loud snap as the lock fell back into place.
She tiptoed across the darkened office towards the stairs. She had hoped that Phoenix would still be up watching TV, but no such luck.
She bit down hard on her lip to stifle a cry of pain when her knee collided with something hard. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she could see that it was a small wooden card table, and what she had just knocked over was a rather elaborate house of cards.
"Oops," she whispered to herself, rubbing her knee gently as she navigated around the mess. Stumbling as she balanced on one leg, she toppled a more familiar object against the wall with a much louder crash.
"Damn it!" Maya cursed under her breath as she righted the plant that her sister and now Phoenix so lovingly cared for.
"Sorry Charley," she whispered. "Don't wake everyone up okay?" she finished, bringing her finger to her lips, instructing the plant to be silent.
After a few more careful steps, she reached the stairs and began ascending them slowly. She didn't want to risk making anymore noise. It was a miracle that she hadn't woken Trucy already and she didn't want to have to explain to her what she was doing sneaking around in the middle of the night in her father's office. That would be one heck of a first meeting.
Trucy sat bolt upright in bed, roused from her sleep by a loud crash from the office below. A grin spread across her face as she realised who must have been responsible for the noise. Turning to her puppet friend, she could barely contain her excitement.
"She's here!" Trucy whispered happily, throwing back the covers and bounding across to her nightstand to retrieve the glass of water containing her tooth. Gripping the glass tightly, she opened her bedroom door and peered out into the hallway.
She glanced up at her father's room, sneaking out into the hall when she confirmed that his door was still closed. Clutching her glass in both hands, she turned and headed toward the kitchen.
She gasped, her eyes widening when her gaze settled on a woman with long dark hair in flowing purple satin at the end of the hall. The tooth fairy was so beautiful! Trucy could barely get her words out as she held the glass in front of her.
"Um, excuse me? Miss tooth fairy?"
Maya turned, freezing when she saw Trucy standing in the hallway, clutching a glass of water.
"Oh man," Maya thought to herself. "Why do I have to be so clumsy! How am I going to explain this one?"
"You're the tooth fairy, aren't you?" Trucy questioned. "My Daddy rang you and now you've come to get my tooth, right?"
Maya took a few steps toward the little girl, who peered up at her with big blue eyes.
"You're real pretty, Miss tooth fairy. I bet my Daddy would like you." Trucy whispered, still extending the glass for Maya to examine.
"Yes, I bet he would," Maya thought wryly.
Straightening herself, Maya realised that the only way out of this was to play along with the ruse. Trucy had presented her with an opportunity and she would be crazy not to take it. She kneeled down in front of the small girl, gently taking the glass from her hands.
"I am the tooth fairy," Maya confirmed with a nod. "But kids don't usually catch me when I'm coming to collect their teeth."
"Well you were pretty noisy," Trucy shrugged. "You should be more careful."
Maya blinked a few times, trying to figure out exactly how to respond to that. Trucy was one confident little girl. Nick sure had his hands full.
"It's been a long night. I've been out collecting lots of teeth," Maya reasoned.
"Can I see them?" Trucy whispered excitedly.
"Crap." Maya thought. "Quick, Maya, think!"
"I… err… I've actually just come from a drop off. My pockets were full so one of my worker fairies came and picked them up from me. She took them back to my… my treehouse." Maya explained quickly.
"You live in a treehouse!" Trucy gasped. "That's so cool!"
"Yes, very!" Maya agreed nervously. She had to get this kid back to bed somehow.
"You know, my Daddy told me that you wouldn't come if I didn't go to sleep but I know he was just trying to get me to go to bed." Trucy said implicitly.
Maya chuckled. She could just imagine Phoenix bargaining with this feisty little bundle to get her to go to sleep each night.
"Well usually those are my conditions, but I think for you I can make an exception." Maya smiled.
"Oh good!" Trucy grinned. "It's a good tooth, right? From right here!" Trucy said, pointing to the gap in her teeth. "How much do you think it's worth?"
Maya stood, angling the glass and examining the tooth. She stroked her chin as she pondered the young girl's question.
"Hmm. Well how old are you?" Maya asked.
"I'm eight, nearly nine!" Trucy answered.
"And you brush your teeth every day?"
"Yep!" Trucy nodded. "Twice!"
Maya nodded, still examining the tooth. She reached into the pocket of her robes.
"Damn it, no coins!" she thought to herself. Fumbling around, she found a note. She pulled it out, silently praying that it wasn't a fifty. Thank goodness, only a fiver.
"I think this will do nicely," Maya said, kneeling down once more as she handed over the money.
"Five bucks!" Trucy exclaimed. "Thank you tooth fairy! Thank you!"
"You're welcome," Maya replied. "But you must get back to bed right now. You should never have met me," she finished seriously.
Trucy nodded as she hurried back up the hallway to her room. She turned back in Maya's direction when she reached the bedroom door.
"Miss tooth fairy?" Trucy asked.
"Yes Trucy?" Maya answered, praying that this wasn't going to be another difficult question.
"What happens to all the teeth you collect?"
Maya smiled as she moved closer. Leaning down, she whispered in the little girl's ear.
"I turn them into diamonds," she said softly, pleased when Trucy gasped happily in response.
Mia had once told her the same thing, and she in turn had told Pearl when she had asked what the tooth fairy did with all those teeth. She smiled as she noted the similarities between the two little girls. She was sure Phoenix would have noticed it too.
Trucy climbed back into bed, still clutching her five dollar note.
"Good night Miss tooth fairy, and thank you!" Trucy whispered.
"Good night, Trucy," Maya smiled.
Maya placed the glass of water with Trucy's tooth down on Phoenix's nightstand as she sat gently on the edge of the bed. Phoenix was asleep on his stomach, one arm tucked under his pillow. He was snoring lightly. It appeared that her little meeting in the hallway hadn't roused the sleeping dad.
Gently, she ran her fingertips over his ear, tucking a few stray strands of hair behind. His hair was getting long.
"Nick," she whispered. "Nick…"
Phoenix opened his eyes groggily, pulling himself up on to an elbow as his sight adjusted to the darkness.
"Maya? Maya is that you? Am I dreaming?"
"No, you're not dreaming, Nick," she smiled, leaning down to plant a quick kiss on his lips.
Phoenix pulled himself up to a sitting position, rubbing his face and shaking off the haziness of sleep.
"What are you doing here?" he mumbled through his hands as he rubbed his eyes again.
"I had a reception over at the Gatewater," Maya explained. "I didn't think it would go so late. I wanted to surprise you."
"Well I'm certainly surprised." Phoenix said.
"Well then at least something has gone the way I planned tonight," Maya sighed as she stood, working to untie the sash around her waist.
"Bad night?" Phoenix asked.
"You have no idea." Maya replied, shrugging out of the satin robes. "By the way, you owe me five bucks," she finished, grinning over her shoulder at Phoenix as her garment pooled around her feet, leaving her clad only in lacy purple underwear.
"What?" Phoenix frowned. "Why?"
Maya grinned as she turned around, climbing up on to the bed. Phoenix snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her against him.
"I kind of ran into Trucy in the hallway," Maya elaborated. "She thought I was the tooth fairy."
Phoenix could barely stifle his laughter. He didn't want to wake Trucy again. Especially now that he had the tooth fairy stripped down to her underwear.
"So you gave her five dollars for her tooth?" Phoenix finally managed, in between bouts of laughter.
"It was all I had!" Maya reasoned, unable to help from laughing herself. "What else was I supposed to do?"
Phoenix chuckled lightly as he stroked her hair.
"I'm not made of money you know. I'm going to have to call you in every time she loses a tooth from now on." Phoenix shrugged.
Maya giggled, nuzzling into the crook of Phoenix's neck.
"That's a pretty extensive tooth fairy service. I might have to charge you more than the five bucks I gave your daughter."
"And what if I can't pay?" Phoenix asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Who says I want your money?" Maya grinned, leaning in for a kiss.