I only had FOUR tricker treaters last night! That's what I get for living in Old-Folk town USA. UGH

Let me know what you think!

This one was fun to write!

R&R


Brennan entered her apartment at eight o'clock that night. It had started to snow and she was tired of trudging through the city avoiding crowds and large bags full of Christmas presents. Exhausted, she plopped down on her couch and shed her coat from her arms then pulling it out from underneath her and slinging it on the arm of the couch. She slid down into a supine position and lolled her head to the side.

She never realized how exhausting it was to simply walk around the city. Despite it appearing relatively flat, there were a number of inclines that she had been unaware of previously and it had taken a lot out of her; not to mention the intense winds that would pick up every so often that made it difficult to walk, especially when walking into the wind rather than away. Within moments she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Temperance woke with a start. She was on her couch with a crick in her neck which she massaged with her hand as she sat up. Rubbing sleep from her eyes she yawned and stretched out the kinks in her body she heard the small voice singing somewhere in her apartment.

She rolled her eyes and stood up following the voice into her guest bedroom. There, she found a beautiful young girl playing with a doll and singing to herself.

"Mares eadoats and doeseatdotes and liddlelambs eadivey. A kidle eadivy too, wouldn't you?"

Temperance laughed at the sight of the charming little girl. She had pigtails in her hair and donned a pink and white gingham dress. She had brown wavy hair and large piercing blue eyes focused on her dolly, brushing her hair with a plastic pink brush. When she heard Temperance giggle she looked up at her with a brilliant smile, "Hi." She said excitedly.

When the girl's vibrant blue eyes directed their attention on her, she was suddenly filled with feelings of love and admiration that she couldn't place. Tears came to her eyes and she couldn't comprehend the sudden attachment that she had to the little girl, "Hi." She choked out, walking into the room and sitting next to the little girl on the floor.

The girl picked up the doll and handed it to Temperance and presenting the brush to her, "Do you want to brush her hair too?" she asked.

Temperance nodded and took the brush from the little girl's small hand, "Thank you." She said, then resuming the care of the doll's locks that the little girl had started, "What's her name?" she asked.

"Her name is Delia." The little girl responded, "She's my favorite."

"What is this outfit she's wearing?" Temperance asked, noting the doll was dressed in a uniform.

"Oh, she's a scientist." The girl informed excitedly, "She's really smart." The girl nodded.

Temperance smiled, "Do you want to be a scientist too?"

The girl nodded vigorously, "I am very smart too. It's genetic." She said, smiling.

Temperance suddenly locked eyes with the little girl, "This is another dream, isn't it?"

The little girl smiled widely in a way that suggested a certain worldly wisdom that children do not normally possess. She giggled and arranged herself to sit in front of Temperance, "No. This is not a dream; this is a reality."

Temperance cocked her head to the side as her hand mindlessly continued brushing the doll's hair gently, "A reality?" she asked.

The little girl nodded, "Think about it." She said, "On the first night was your father, the second yourself and now…" she said letting Temperance connect the dots herself. Temperance thought for a moment and looked at the girl with confusion and understanding in her eyes, "See, you're a genius too. I knew you would understand."

Temperance nodded, "Past, present and potential future." She said.

The girl smiled and nodded, "That's right. I could be your future, mommy." The girl said. Temperance slapped her hand over her mouth to avoid sobbing out loud. Tears were now streaming down her cheeks as she looked at the little girl in front of her. The little girl placed her hand on Temperance's cheek to wipe away the tears and shifted closer, "Don't be sad, mommy. Don't you want me?" she asked genuinely.

Temperance removed her hand from her mouth, "Oh sweetheart, I'm not sad." She said scooping the girl into her arms, "Of course I want you. You're so precious; perfect." She cried rocking the girl in her arms.

"So why won't you listen, mommy. We just want you to be happy." The little girl cried in her arms.

"I don't know how." Temperance responded, "If you could just… stay with me. Just please, stay with me. Please, don't leave." Temperance begged the little girl.

"I can't." she said, "I'm not alive yet, but I could be if you just do what we've been asking you to do." She begged.

Temperance sobbed into the little girl's shoulder, holding her tightly in her arms afraid that if she let her go, the dream would be over and she would never see her again, "I don't know what to do. I don't know how to start." She gasped into the girl's dress.

The girl pulled away and looked at her straight in the eyes, "You calm down, and adapt. Don't second guess yourself, mommy. Listen to your heart." Temperance automatically quirked an eyebrow at the comment and the girl picked up on it instantly, "You know what I'm talking about." She said accusingly with a sense of attitude that one would see Angela having.

Temperance laughed slightly and relinquished her grasp on the girl to wipe the moisture from her cheeks and the girl scooped her doll into her arms and placed the plastic pink brush into a pocket sewn onto her dress, "Am I at least allowed to ask you some questions?" she asked.

The girl stood up and walked towards the door, "Depends on what kinds of questions they are." She said, "And you'll have to hurry because my time is almost up."

"Who is your father?" Temperance asked hurriedly.

The girl giggled, "You know that I can't tell you that. It's something you have to figure out for yourself."

Temperance laughed as well, "Okay, you're right." She said. The girl turned and started out the door, "Wait!" Temperance called after her, "What is your name?" she asked.

The girl looked over her shoulder and smiled, "Frankie." She stated, before turning the corner. Temperance stood up immediately and ran after her, but she was gone. Drained, she plopped down on the couch again and quickly nodded off.