Author's Note: Sorry I've been away for awhile. I just finished my semester.
"What do you wanna watch?" Heather asked Grace. Jefferson had been sent upstairs for the night and he wasn't allowed to come down and interrupt them unless it was an emergency.
"Can we watch Tangled?"
"Of course!" Heather threw a bag of popcorn in the microwave and started it up. As it started popping Heather pulled out the small box she had that was full of different colored nail polish bottles. She didn't know why she had so many given she never painted her nails—both under the curse and since it had been broken—but she did and she just kind of ran with it. "Now what color do you want?" She lined them all up so Grace could see how many she had. They were in their pajamas and both had just gotten out of a shower so their hair was wet.
Grace stared for a moment before picking a really dark purple one. "This one for my toes and… this one for my fingers!" she decided, also pointing at a vibrant pink one. Heather smiled and set up the movie and got out the popcorn when it was done and started another bag so they'd each have their own.
"This is the story of how I died," the movie started as Heather bent over Grace's small toes and started to carefully paint them. When the first foot was done she got out the other popcorn bag and emptied it into a bowl.
They giggled and sang through the movie, smiling. Heather hadn't felt so young in years and she wasn't even that old.
It was around ten-thirty when Grace got tired and fell asleep on Heather's shoulder. The movie was long-over. They'd just been talking and Heather had been doing her own nails when Grace fell asleep. Heather grinned and scooped her niece gently up into her arms, holding the eleven-year-old girl like a baby. She took Grace upstairs and tucked her in bed. Her niece unconsciously snuggled in as Heather set her rabbit in the crook of her elbow.
Heather went downstairs and started cleaning up.
"Have a fun girls' night?" Jefferson asked quietly, leaned against the wall with his arms folded. Heather jumped and almost dropped the popcorn bowl. She turned to him and smiled.
"Yeah. Thanks for not coming down," she replied. He smiled.
"No problem."
"I'm taking her to Granny's in the morning for breakfast, whenever she wakes up, by the way. As if she were having a sleepover at my apartment." Jefferson smiled wider. "Because everyone knows Granny makes the best hot chocolate in the entire town," Heather added with a grin as she plunged her hands into the soapy water to wash the popcorn bowls. Jefferson watched her with a grin.
"Really?" he asked curiously.
"You've never had Granny's hot chocolate?" Heather demanded incredulously.
"Can't say I have. I'm more of a tea man."
Heather smirked with half of her mouth. Mad Hatter, she thought with amusement.
"Then it looks like I'll be treating you both to breakfast at Granny's tomorrow," she commented.
Jefferson grimaced. "How about I treat you to breakfast for being so good to my daughter?" he suggested.
"No. No. It's fine. I couldn't ask you to do that," Heather dismissed with a wave of her soapy hand.
"I insist," Jefferson pushed. "For being so good to Grace. Just let me do something small for you and we'll call it even. You're giving Grace something she needs but won't admit she needs—a mother figure." He shrugged. "As much as I might have resisted the notion when you brought it up, Grace does need a woman in her life." Heather could tell he didn't like admitting it. With her back to him she smiled and rinsed out the bowl.
"Okay then. Breakfast tomorrow morning. Your treat. After that, if I want to treat you and Grace to something, you let me."
Jefferson shrugged. "Alright." There was amusement in his voice. "Good night, Heather."
"Good night Jefferson."
He went back upstairs and went to bed.
When he woke up the next morning, he found Grace and Heather's beds were empty and neatly made. He went downstairs to see Grace sitting at the breakfast bar in the kitchen with Heather standing behind her, French braiding her niece's hair. They were both fully dressed and there was a small braid near Heather's face, but the rest was hanging loose around her torso to her hips. It was longer than Rosemary's and thicker, but the same color. They were smiling and whispering.
"Jefferson!" Heather exclaimed when she saw him. Grace moved to look around, Heather shuffling to keep braiding her hair.
"Morning Papa!" Grace greeted.
"Good morning, my sweet Grace," he replied. Heather licked her lower lip to hide her smile and went back to braiding.
"Aunt Heather said we're going to Granny's for breakfast!"
"That we are. As soon as I get dressed."
The girls smiled at him excitedly and waved as he retreated back up the stairs to go get dressed.
He did so quickly. His usual black trousers, boots, button-up shirt with a vest, and scarf wrapped around the scar on his neck where his head had been reattached. He'd grab his overcoat on the way out the door. When he went back down into the kitchen, he tugged on Heather's little braid which was tucked behind her ear to get her attention and kissed the top of Grace's head as her aunt finished the French braid. They both greeted him brightly—and for a second he saw Rosemary's smile when Heather turned to look at him. He shook his head. When he looked back he saw his sister-in-law, who looked similar but not identical to his late wife.
"Ready to go?" he asked.
"Just about," Heather replied as she stooped just enough to see where she was tying Grace's braid. "There we go!" Grace gave her aunt a hug—which was tightly returned with a grin. "Let's go, kid!" she said excitedly. Grace, bubbly and bright as always, grabbed her aunt and her father's hands and rushed for the door. Heather gave Jefferson a bright smile, her little braid flying around with her movement. Jefferson chuckled as Grace pulled them out the front door.
End Note: Thanks to all who reviewed! I'll try to PM you your review responses later!