Chapter 11 ½ - the babysitter

Lucy kicked her feet and held Mr Bubble-gum in her lap. "How long do ya think she'll take before she gets here?" she curiously asked the stuffed monkey.

The monkey's eyes sparkled as the rising sun's rays shot through the blinds and refracted off his eyes but he did not reply: at least not in any manner an adult knew of.

"Yeah, I give her five minutes too!"

Aashi was out because her client had requested the information directly from her and Arthur was out on another hit, so that left Lucy by herself with Mr Bubble-gum. Whilst Lucy was a very independent child, Aashi still decided to call the babysitter, though she would later question why she decided to call the girl that was in a woman's body to look after the girl who she shared the same mental age with.

The five rhythmic raps followed by the last two raps informed Lucy that her sitter was finally there. She rushed to open the door and hopped in her spot trying to reach the door handle. She huffed and glared at the handle like it had purposefully positioned itself out of her reach.

"One sec!" she roared before she ran off for the plastic stool. Finally, once she reached the handle she stepped away and pulled the door open.

Asilia's face brightened with a large smile when her eyes landed on Lucy, "Hello, mon petit chou"

"Hi Asilly!" Lucy beamed back an equally bright smile.

Asilia chuckled lightly and stepped in. Lucy was already babbling to her about how speedily her parents took off in the morning, making such a ruckus on the way, while Asilia took off her pea coat and hung it and took off her black ankle boots.

Lucy paused and examined Asilia's attire. Black skinnies with a baggy mustard sweater which reached a little past her hips. Lucy smiled politely and remarked exactly what she thought. "I really like that colour. It suits you really well."

Asilia blinked at Lucy in surprise.

"What?" Lucy held Mr Bubble-gum closer, fearful she had said something wrong.

Asilia's mouth moved slightly like she had little control of it. "That's exactly what Aashi said."

Lucy's fear fled and in place a completive mood came in. She held her chin and looked at her feet. "That's because Mummy doesn't, uhm, follow today's fashion." Lucy's eyebrows scrunched together, "At least that's what daddy says."

Lucy noticed how Asilia's smile wasn't as bright before at the mention of Arthur. Lucy felt guilt begin to fill her heart and tried to change the mood. "Do- do you like what I'm wearing? Mummy got it for me recently! Do you think it's pretty?"

It was a butterscotch apron dress and upon its arrival it was a great surprise to everyone since all knew of Aashi's distaste for dresses as she deemed them too 'girly'.

An audacious smile stretched over Asilia's face, "That must have been difficult for Aashi to get."

The hints of amusement on Asilia's face told Lucy her plan had worked. "Oh yeah! Mummy wasn't happy when she gave it to me. But when she saw how much I liked it, I think I saw her smile a little."

"Oh, you're good. Use that to your advantage! I like that!" Asilia chortled and Lucy joined her.

"Even Mr Bubble-gum was surprised and nothing surprises him!"

Asilia cocked her head, "Mr Bubble-gum? Is that your little friend there?" she pointed to the monkey in Lucy's arms.

"Yeah, he's my best friend. Mummy got him for me!" Lucy held him above her head much like the baboon did with Simba.

"Yeah? When?" Asilia moved them to the sofa and got comfortable.

"When me and mummy went to Amusement Mile! It was an amazing day!" a faraway look came into Lucy's eyes.

Again. Lucy's breath was stolen from her as she was met by the epic view of the city again. She stared at the flickering bright lights of the city in the calming inky darkness of the night. She flipped over to Aashi to comment on something but the words died in her mouth when she looked over at the woman.

Aashi was gazing at the city on the other side of the carriage and was absentmindedly doing up her hair again.

Aashi lips were moving slowly, barely so, like she was singing but Lucy couldn't hear anything.

Her eyes, just like her naturally jet-black hair, were curled as a touching and warm-hearted look encompassed her ever glowing face. Bits of her face were darkened as the shadows encased her sharp features and yet Lucy could still see the halo shining brightly above her head.

Lucy realised there, watching Aashi that this woman had done so much for her.

Lucy sputtered and quickly hugged Aashi's waist.

"Thanks… mummy!"

"You're quite welcome, daughter mine".

"I'll never forget that day…" her eyes trailed over to Asilia. "That was the day I found my real mummy" her voice caught in her throat.

It dawned on Asilia in that moment just how big of an impact Aashi really had on the girl. She leaned back in consideration, "Yeah" she said softly. "She has that sort of effect on people. She helps the lost be found."

Lucy's eyes widened at the thought of finding out more about Asilia and Aashi. She really loved these two woman, especially Aashi, but she knew so little of them, and her curiosity got the best of her. "What do you mean?"

It was Asilia's time to be dragged to the past while her mobile body lay on Aashi's sofa next to Lucy. Asilia toyed with her hands but suddenly looked at Lucy, "I- really needed help a few years ago. You see when- when I younger I got in a lot of trouble." A pained look crossed her soft face, "I didn't know what to do with my life and then… and then Aashi came. Out of nowhere" she laughed dryly. "And she saved me."

Asilia's eyes twinkled, "and she told me I was beautiful and I knew then… I knew what I wanted to do. What I had to do."

Asilia looked to her left. "That's what I love about that woman. She's something else. She can act like she doesn't care but she really does. She is a very strong woman and… Life has been hard to her but she still has so much…" she searched for the right words. "She has so much life in her and it is infectious."

Lucy nodded, understanding, "That's what I love about Mummy. She can look really mean sometimes… and she can say weird things but she is actually very nice. It's like you said when we first met."

Asilia frowned ad tried to recall their first meeting.

Asilia leaned towards Lucy ad revealed the biggest secret ever. "She may look big, mean and tough but once you get to know her, she's a big softie"

Asilia's face brightened again. "Ah yes. See, I was right!" she nodded.

Lucy snorted, "I thought mummy was a monster but she was just a carrot!" she fell on her back and lost herself in a fit of laughter.

;-;-;-;-;

A few miles away, Aashi stifled a sneeze. Then another. Then finally she sneezed the third time.

"Are you ok, Miss Patil?" the lawyer, her client, asked.

"Yes, I am." Aashi shuffled a few files and slapped the piece of paper in front of her client. "These are the pigs he made a few dealings with but most probably failed to mention to you."

He smoothed his brunet hair back and leaned forward in the leather coach to take a better look.

As he skimmed over it Aashi absentmindedly thought to herself, 'Someone must be thinking about me. Maybe its Asilia or Arthur… he can't be up to any good.'

Then after a moment her face darkened as another thought came to her, "Or someone has turned me into a carrot!" Knowing full well there was only one person, or rather a child, who would dare do that.

"Excuse me?" the man questioned, perplexed.

She shot her client a dark look, "Do you want that or not?"

The man choked on his own spit.

;-;-;-;-;

"Don't ever say that to her, mon chou, she-"

"Oh I already did" Lucy suddenly told her. After a silent pause they began to giggle again.

When they calmed down, out of the blue, Lucy then inquired. "Hey, Asilly. You said you love my mummy, right?"

Asilia's eyes softened. "Of course."

Lucy sat closer and her wide eyes stared right into Asilia's which made her uncomfortable. Asilia shifted in her seat and popped her lips as she waited.

There was a strange look in Lucy's eyes. Her eyes were wide, and strangely calculating. Where had Asilia seen this look before? Lucy's eyes creased ever so slightly and her pupils shrunk as if she had finalised something and was steeling herself to do something brave.

Then it hit her. The look in Lucy's eyes was an infantile version of the look Aashi had when she was illuminated to a new revelation.

Finally, Lucy opened her mouth but Asilia was not prepared. "What is my mummy to you? I know she's special to you but is she like your sister or more like your wife?"

Asilia felt her blood freeze. She didn't know how much Lucy knew but one could tell Lucy knew that their relationship was definitely a taboo and unconventional.

Her words failed her, "she- uhm. Uh."

Lucy's brows rose at her reaction but she did not judge. Asilia made her mind then: if this was Aashi's daughter then she would most certainly not judge. She would tell her the truth.

Asilia cleared her throat, "No, she is not my sister, but she is not my wife. We are not married. Aashi has never been married and doesn't want to marry, ever."

"Yeah, but you don't have to marry someone for them to be your wife. It's …" Lucy was frustrated herself as she didn't know how to convey herself. "It's a feeling not a thing."

A cordial smile etched her face. "In that case, you could say she like my wife then."

"Oh" Lucy whispered something to Mr Bubble-gum and pretended to listen to him. She then looked at Asilia with a bit of mirth in her voice, "Does that mean you're my mummy too?"

An awkward atmosphere dropped on Asilia, "I'm… not too sure."

Lucy held her chin in one hand, "I wonder what Daddy would think about having too mummies?"

Asilia's eyes nearly bugged out. "Wha- what do you mean?"

Lucy kicked her feet as she spoke in a casual tone. "Daddy can be a bit weird with people. Like when he first met Mummy he didn't like her, but now he really loves her. I can tell."

Asilia bit her tongue to the point where she almost drew blood. Aashi had been very open about her, thus far, friendly relationship with Arthur. She did show some interest and Asilia had even given her consent to be with Arthur but Asilia didn't like it.

Aashi liked her polygamous relationships and though Aashi always strived to please Asilia who was her main lover, Asilia felt bad for wanting to deny her that pleasure of free and casual multiple relationships. However, she could not deny that over the years Asilia was starting to lean more towards monogamy when it came to Aashi.

She was very curious about this Arthur character.

Asilia cocked her head and a green look filled her eyes but it went unnoticed by Lucy. "What's he like?"

"What? Daddy?" Lucy exclaimed with an incredulous tone. "He's smelly, and hairy. He can be very loud when he's happy. He likes to dance a lot. He has a lot of good jokes. He's really funny, my Daddy" she sounded so proud.

;-;-;-;-;

The smoke billowed and danced in swirls as it escaped the barrel of his dessert eagle.

Arthur appraised his work with a critical eye. Licking his scar he spoke to himself, "Stupid bum, did he really think he could-"

He was interrupted by a large sneeze. Then he sneezed a second time. Then a third.

He licked his lips and scar in irritation before a peculiar look set on his face. "Someone is, uh, thinkin' 'bout me." He smirked, "Is Ai swooning about me?'

He laughed to himself. 'No, 'course not. My woman doesn't swoon."

He took one last look before he left the rest to the 'garbage' man. As an afterthought he told himself, "Ai is such a pervert. She's probably thinkin' about how I look naked, ain't she?"

;-;-;-;-;

"He has cold hands but warm hugs. Sometimes he looks so sad but then when Mummy comes he's so happy. Daddy is really nice to me and Mummy. And Daddy is only nice to me and Mummy. He wasn't even nice to Harley – he used to hit her when she made him mad."

This caught Asilia's attention. He was abusive to woman. She pried more even though she shouldn't have tried to gain info through a child, but she loved Aashi too much and she was alarmed by what Lucy had just told her. "And how is he 'nice' to Mummy?"

Lucy frowned and looked at Asilia like she was an idiot. Like it was so obvious what she meant. "Uh, Daddy gives Mummy hugs even when she doesn't want them. He always gives her company when she looks lonely. He tries to do everything with me and Mummy. He likes to hold her hand a lot. You know, stuff like that. I've never seen Daddy angry at Mummy. He's always smiling with her but with Harley he was always mad."

"Has he ever… hit mummy like he hit Harley?"

Lucy's eyes widened and she shook her head like Asilia was some blasphemer, "Oh no! No! Daddy would never do that!"

Asilia appraised her and cautiously mentioned, "Yes but… how do you know?"

"Because I know my Daddy" Lucy clutched Mr Bubble-gum closer to her torso. "Daddy really loves Mummy. I can see it. When Daddy is with Mummy, he's different. Daddy would never hurt her. It would be like Daddy would be hurting himself if he hurt her."

If a child could come to this conclusion then what was the true nature of their relationship? Asilia perused her lips in deep conflict. What was Aashi to Arthur then? A lover or… an obsession?

A tug of her sleeve brought her back to reality.

Lucy let go of her sleeve once she got her attention, "By the way, what does Mummy do? Where is she? Is she fighting?"

"Huh? Oh no, Aashi doesn't just box. She's into computers and stuff" Asilia blindly answered.

"Like the one in the library?"

"Uh, yeah. Sort of. She's a hacker. So, she can find things on the internet and-"

Lucy's cocked her head, "What's the internet?"

Asilia was stumped. She didn't know how to answer that after all it was new technology and all. "Uh, let's just say that Aashi finds things for people on the computer."

"Oh" Lucy didn't really understand but she was satisfied. Her eyes caught one of her latest favourites of the Disney film! And was she going to torture Asilia with it. She scrambled to get the disks and almost caused Asilia to have a heart attack.

"Hey, do you wanna watch Emperor's New Groove and Mulan?!"

Much to Lucy's surprise Asilia sprung to her feet instantly with a smile reaching from ear to ear, "Of course I do!"

;-;-;-;-;

Aashi was the first to return, just like she predicted, and had also knew she might have stumbled on the scene she did. She crossed her arms and leaned against the threshold taking it all in, calmly.

"KUZCOOOOO!"

Lucy had Mr Bubble-gum dangling in one arm and the TV remote control in the other, using it like a microphone, and Asilia was on the sofa with a banana in her hand as her substitute microphone. The pillows of the three seater were on the ground. Blankets had been thrown on the floor to make a pathway. The TV was at a strange diagonal angle. Strangely, there was toilet paper thrown everywhere and on the floor was an odd piece of clothing like a sock or a boxer brief.

Lucy froze in the middle of her bouncing and dropped the remote as she caught Aashi's eyes. Asilia quickly followed Lucy's gaze and when she faced Aashi she smiled much like Mulan did when the general caught her cheating in her archery and shooting the pomegranates.

Aashi stepped forward and stood in front of a rigid Asilia. The Kuzco song continued to play as white noise in the background. Asilia looked at her feet in shame but Aashi took her chin and raised it to her level. She have her a quick but heated kiss and then patted Lucy on the head.

"Let's clean this up before Arthur gets back."

;-;-;-;-;

Asilia had left long before Arthur had returned; she failed to ask Aashi about Arthur's abuse of Harley simply because she knew Aashi would not stand for it. Aashi would never let anyone, least of all a man, take advantage of her least of all stay in an abusive relationship.

Thankfully, Arthur didn't suspect a thing about Asilia being over. In fact, the first thing he did after removing his shoes was to go up to Aashi and asked with a smirk, "Did you think about me today?"

He leaned against the table and crossed his arms smugly. He licked his scar and waited knowing what her answer would be.

Aashi gave him a look over with faux suspicion just as she set Lucy's dinner in front of her, "Yeah, did you think of me?"

He wiggled his eyebrows, "Yeah."

Unbeknownst to each other the same sentence rung in their heads.

'Knew it!'

Arthur followed Aashi over to the stove where she took a huge bit of the pasta bake. When he just stared at her with his arms still folded and that same smug look, she took bowl out and held it to him, "Come on, join us instead of gawking at me."

He intentionally brushed his fingers against hers and stuck his chin out, "And what did you-ah think about me, hm?"

Aashi cocked a brow and joined Lucy at the table. When Aashi scrapped her chair out Lucy looked up with engrossed eyes from her bowl with a string of cheese hanging out of her mouth with a piece of pasta dangling at the end.

Aashi blew on her spoon before she retorted with a question of her own, "What were you thinking about me?"

There was a click and Aashi shut her eyes in irritation knowing Arthur had switched the radio to the Jazz station.

The sweet voice of Ella Fitzgerald filled the warm little apartment of theirs, followed by the soft chorus of the sax, drums, and then the deep tones of Louis Armstrong was introduced. Eventually, the voices coupled together and created a relaxing atmosphere.

Lucy bounced in her seat. "Oh I love this song! Dream a little dream of me!"

Arthur joined them soon after with a brazen look. "If you insist, Ai!"

He shovelled a whole spoon in his mouth and burned his mouth but showed little reaction. "So there I was" he gestured wildly, "just finishing up the, uh, job-ah. Then I got a real itch to sneeze so… I did!" he rose his eyebrows. "then I remembered you said" he pointed to Aashi, "That if you sneeze a lot someone might be thinkin' about ya."

He licked his lips insistently and nodded. "So I thought maybe ya would be thinking about me- swooning!" he giggled and for whatever reason so did Lucy with more cheese hanging out of her mouth.

Aashi sighed and leaned towards Lucy. She swiped at the cheese hanging from Lucy's mouth and then cleaned her mouth with a tissue. Lucy smiled in thanks and continued to shovel food in her mouth much like her father.

After a rather large gulp Arthur then continued, "But then I thought, not my Aashi" he stared at her with soft eyes "she wouldn't swoon."

Aashi's eyes trailed over to his face at a snail's pace and a tenderness came over her which she knew Arthur shared with her. Aashi's chest bounced as she chuckled lightly.

"I was in a similar situation" Aashi pushed food around her plate, "And I thought you were up to no good"

"You got that right!" Arthur displayed his teeth.

"But then I thought" Aashi peered at Lucy "that someone turned me into a carrot."

All eyes were on Lucy, who grinned with cheese hanging down to her chin again.

To be continued…