Victoria rolled over on the moth eaten sheets and sat up, bleary eyed. She threw off the covers and picked up the mobile phone that sat on the bed side table. "Four in the morning, you're kidding right?" she whispered to herself.
The girls had eventually gotten to sleep at three o'clock. After Victoria had successfully kicked Briar and Ally off of her the two had advanced upon Sophie to 'cheer her up' as Victoria had gone through the bed clothes in the drawers, and she picked out the ones she believed to be best suited for her friends. There was a pair of light blue trousers and a matching shirt for Ally, a pair of silky, pink pyjamas for Sophie and a short, dark purple night dress for Briar. As she dug through the doors for herself she discovered a long, white Victorian style night gown, it was beautiful and perfect for her.
"Kitty?" Victoria quietly called out to the darkness that engulfed the room. "You awake?"
"Yeah…" Briar yawned sitting up. "You couldn't sleep either huh?"
"It's too damned cold here at night!" Victoria complained as she untangled her legs from the long white gown that reached down to her ankles.
"How do think I was?" Briar smoothed out the short night dress that reached to only above her knee.
"Good point, so do you wanna go get a caffeinated beverage?" Victoria asked shaking out her untidy plait, which left her hair wavy.
Briar shrugged, "Why not? Any time is coffee time!" She stood and walked out the door as Victoria followed and the two made their way to the small kitchen.
They had been walking for a while before the two girls came up upon the familiar door of the kitchen, the door was slightly ajar and the dim lights were on.
Cautiously Briar and Victoria put their ears to the door as two familiar voices sounded from the other side of it.
"Those young girls must think me such a perverted idiot," Jervis' voice was sad.
"There, there Tetch," Jonathan answered in a voice that the girls couldn't identify as sarcasm or pity.
"Aw poor Jervis," Briar sighed to herself. "They must've bothered him about you ending up in his lap last night."
Victoria blushed at the memory. "Oh my, then this is my entire fault, I don't think him a perverted idiot, I think he's simply sweet and friendly, he only blushed because he must get uncomfortable about those sorts of things like me."
"Well I don't think he is either, though your reason seems more honest, why don't you tell him," Briar whispered back.
"What?" Victoria exclaimed suddenly. "No, that would embarrass him and me! And you want me to be embarrassed don't you?"
Briar nodded a sly smile on her face as she walked behind Victoria and sharply shoved her through the door. The young girl tumbled into the room, tripped over the hem of her night dress and landed in a heap of auburn and white.
"I really hate you," She glared over and Briar who came casually walking through the door.
Briar stuck out her tongue and walked over the coffee pot, "You don't mind if I take a mug." She asked Jonathan.
He shook his head, "No go ahead and there is tea in the pot for Tori."
"Gee thanks," Victoria smiled as she clambered to her feet. "And thanks for the help Kitty you are such a great best friend!"
"Glad to be one," Briar winked as she handed Victoria a mug of steamy tea and took a sip of her black coffee. "So Tori there was something you wanted to tell Jervis." Briar smiled, Victoria could see she wasn't making fun right now but being an honest friend.
Victoria took a sip of tea before taking a deep breath; she could already feel herself blushing before she said it. "I don't think you're some perverted idiot, I think your just simply rather sweet and very friendly for an insane criminal, also I think you probably just blushed because you were uncomfortable last night, like I was." She finished looking at her shoes.
"Yeah," Briar grinned sleepily, "None of us think you are some perverted creep, but we just know how Victoria has a little crush on Jervis, so it is nothing serious." Briar threw a friendly arm around Victoria who was glaring at her. "So can we sit?"
Jonathan nodded and lifted his mug to his lips.
Briar strode over one of the spare chair beside Jonathan and made herself comfortable beside the Master of Fear, slowly Victoria took the only spare seat remaining around the small table, between Jonathan and Jervis. Calmly she sat down and took another small sip. She rested her head on her hand as she quietly sipped at her tea and looked over to her friend on the other side of the table. "Kitty?" Victoria spoke up suddenly, cutting through the silence. "Your hair wants cutting." Her stomach growled loudly.
"Would you like some breakfast my dear?" Jervis smiled at Victoria. "We have eggs and some bread, how about I make you three some French toast for breakfast?"
"It's too earlier to eat," Briar mumbled into her coffee.
"I'm not very hungry Tetch." Jonathan continued drinking his coffee.
Jervis smiled down at Victoria, "I suppose you will want some?"
She nodded, "I would love some."
"Grand, French toast for two then!" Jervis grinned and walked to the other side of the small kitchen and began shuffling around for the ingredients.
"Just so long as it isn't anything else French…" Briar smirked; Victoria scowled and sharply kicked her friend under the table "Ouch!" she growled.
"Don't you dare ask me what was that for," Victoria glared as Jervis whisked eggs.
"So you two couldn't sleep?" Jonathan tried to start a conversation.
"Nope," Victoria shook her head.
"It was too cold," Briar shrugged. "Though how Tori was cold in that dress I'll never know."
"The sheets were thin and so is the fabric of this night dress." Victoria explained. "And what's wrong with this dress? I think it's pretty."
"It suits you." Jonathan nodded a small smile on his face. "And that suits you Briar. Perhaps we should consider purple for your outfit." He stroked his chin in thought.
Briar smiled coolly at Jonathan's comment. Victoria drained her tea cup and got up to get more.
Then Briar spoke up in a seductive sounding voice, loud enough for everyone in the small kitchen to hear, "Actually," Her eyes slowly moved up and down Jonathan's thin body. "There is one thing I might like for breakfast."
Jonathan gagged on his coffee and looked to Jervis for help. "Tetch do you need any help over there?" He spluttered becoming very aware of Briar's drifting eyes.
"Uh not particularly Jonathan," Jervis smiled cheekily. "I'm fine over here."
Jonathan glared at his friend and shifted uncomfortably in his seat trying to forget about the young girl's eyes that looked over him.
"She really has no shame," Victoria rolled her eyes and poured herself more tea. She placed the mug on the counter top before turning around and jumping up to sit beside it.
"You two seem to be good friends," Jervis began to fry the egg soaked bread.
"Yeah," Victoria smiled softly looking over to her best friend as she made the Lord of Despair uncomfortable. "She's like my sister, I've known her for ten years, and she's been my closest friend for ten years."
Jervis nodded slowly, "She seems quite a frisky young thing doesn't she, while you on the other had are quite reserved in that area."
She laughed, "I suppose I am, but it's just those sort of things make me extremely uncomfortable, men in general make me uncomfortable. But it's because of the differences that we work so well together. For example, she is rather sane but I'm completely nuts."
"You don't look nuts." Jervis said simply as he continued frying. "How many pieces do you want?"
"Oh two please, and you don't look insane either, but according to society we both are. Some more so than others but those who are insane, I believe, are simply misunderstood. They are simply people who dare to think differently than all the others and that means they are branded weird or a nut." She finished with a smile. "But I like being weird. If I wasn't weird I wouldn't be me." Victoria took a gulp of tea.
"Well I do suppose those sort of things define us from the rest of the herd." Jervis began frying a third piece of egg soaked bread. "Who calls you strange?"
"Oh people in my school, actually most of my school. Well those who know me in my school any way. I have no friends in my own year at school, they all seemed to be frightened of me," Victoria gazed sadly into her mug of tea. "I have quite a violent temper, and they know how to push my buttons. And then I quote things allowed and I talk to myself in class, which isn't exactly the best image to have when you are trying to convince people that you're fine because I'm fine, I'm always fine."
Jervis nodded solemnly, "Are you sure?"
"Yes," Victoria looked over again to Briar who was edging closer to Jonathan. "I have to be, for my friends."
"So you're not always fine?" Jervis put in the final slice of bread.
Victoria took a sip of tea before replying, "I have answered three questions and that is enough."
Jervis grinned broadly, "Of coarse, so you like Lewis Carroll?"
Victoria nodded, "Yep, I love it, Briar likes it too but I'm more likely to quote it in everyday conversation."
"I see," Jervis chuckled lightly. "Well my dear, your breakfast is ready. I believe it is time to go to Jonathan's aid, do you not?"
"I do believe it is," Victoria giggled as she watched Briar begin to run her foot up Jonathan's leg as he looked over to his with pleading eyes looking for help.
Victoria hopped down from the counter and picked up her mug of tea again.
"Sugar?" Jervis asked her. "On your French toast I mean."
"Oh yes please!" Victoria grinned and took her plate before her and Jervis returned to the table. While passing Briar's chair Victoria wrapped her foot around one of the legs and pulled it out sharply making Briar tumble to the ground.
"What was that for?" Briar picked herself of the ground and dusted off her night dress.
Victoria took a bit of French toast and grinned, "I was just trying to help out a friend is all. This is really good Jervis." She took another bite.
"It's no problem Miss Victoria," Jervis smiled proudly.
"Please call me Victoria or Tori," Victoria took a sip of tea. "All my friends do."
Briar and Jonathan exchanged a glance before their eyes turned back to Jervis and Victoria.
"So!" Briar said suddenly, "What time do things usually start around here."
"Around about eight, when some of the others start to wake up." Jonathan arose from his seat to get more coffee.
"Oh alright," Victoria glanced up to the clock on the wall. "So we have to wait around three hours then."
"It would seem that way, yes," Jervis ate some more French toast. "But what was all that commotion last night? We heard some people giggling and someone else shrieking."
"Oh right well," Briar looked away from Jervis' eyes and small grin on her face. "That was us; we were tickling Victoria and Sophie."
"After what happened last night, they were teasing me and I lost my temper and scared poor Sophie half to death," Victoria quickly explained as she noticed the confused look on Jervis and Jonathan's faces. "So to cheer us both up they decided that tickling us was in fact the only option. I was the one shrieking with laughter and that is why I hate being tickled."
"Ah I see," Jonathan sat down again with his now full mug of coffee. "We thought somebody was being killed or something like that."
"Would you like to hear me shriek Jonathan?" Briar winked and earned herself another short jab under the table, but after a while these were failing to work.
Jonathan shifted backwards and Briar began to giggle, "I kinda deserved that kick didn't I?"
"Yes you did," Victoria continued eating. "How do I live with you?"
"I don't know but you do." Briar grinned, drinking more coffee.
For the next three hours these four people would sit around that small table and there conversation would generally follow that same pattern only with different topics. Soon enough the sun would rise on Gotham City and the rest of the city would rise with it, bringing on a whole new experience for the five children who owned the magic spoon.