How Emmy got her camera. Roughly fourteen years before Last Specter.
Author's note: Me and The Mocking J were chatting in the AO3 comments for the previous chapter, and I started thinking about what Bronev's flashback could have been like in AL if they had used it to show more of his relationship with little!Emmy, and how they could easily have done that and still suggested how Rachel's death affected Bronev, and then a few other headcanons clicked into place and I stayed up till 4 AM writing this. Woo!
The door of Bronev's study bangs open, scattering his papers. "Uncle Leon! Say cheese!"
He scowls. Click.
"Uncle, you have to say 'cheese'!" His eight-year-old niece/ward/constant irritation frowns at the disposable camera. "Now I'm out of film again."
"Emmeline. How many times have I told you not to interrupt me while I'm working?"
Emmeline droops. Bronev tries to ignore a sudden pang of guilt.
"I forgot, Uncle Leon," she mumbles. "I wanted to take your picture."
"You are supposed to be at your studies, and you've taken my picture already." Numerous times, in fact.
She nods. "I'm sorry. I'll try to remember."
"Try harder." He glances at his now-scrambled notes. "But since you're already here, hand that thing over and sit down. There's something I've been meaning to give you."
She sets the camera on his desk, hoisting herself into the too-tall extra chair. Bronev stands to retrieve a small box from his shelves. "You're ready for this now. I'm expecting you to take good care of it."
Emmeline rips the box open. "Oh!" Face shining like a candle, she lifts out a vintage SLR.
"That belonged to your aunt Rachel," he says, careful not to let his voice shake on Rachel's name. "Your namesake. She was a professional photographer."
"Wow! Really?"
"Mmm." He motions for her to turn the camera over; she runs a finger over the R.E. Altava scratched into the bottom. "Before she died… when we used to go on expeditions together, she would document every step of our progress. She'd say we were on the verge of great discoveries."
"Like the one about the Azran?"
"That very one. I've devoted myself to finding it, to seeing her dream fulfilled."
Emmeline peers through the viewfinder. "Can I help?"
"Emmeline, my star. What do you think I've been teaching you for?"
She breaks into a gap-toothed grin.
"You are invaluable to our cause," he says as she lowers the camera. "If you're willing to work as hard as I do, that is."
Emmeline nods enthusiastically.
"Good." He returns the smile. "Then consider this your first training mission: familiarize yourself with that camera, and do your blasted schoolwork!"
She has the sense to look sheepish. "Okay, Uncle Leon. I'll go do it now."
"That's my girl. Now shoo. I want to finish this before your karate lesson."
Emmeline hops up. She pauses in the doorway.
"Uncle Leon? Would Aunt Rachel have liked me?"
He looks at her: curls sticking out in every direction, camera cradled in her arms like a teddy bear.
"She would have loved you, Emmeline."