Hello :P It is Wednesday and I am back with a new chapter. I am back with the introduction of a new character. I don't believe I've really mentioned him in any stories before, let alone written about him. And if he has been mentioned, then it's probably in passing. So yes, hence the name of this chapter, this is about a man called Rupert. Rupert Morgan who is James' Pop Pop (Noah, I've named him) from the anime's twin brother. He passes away at some point and joins the group through James - although in circumstances that will be mentioned here. But this story takes place before that. And it's a flashback one. I hope you enjoy!
Lynne (Past): 22
Rupert: (Past): 49
Daisy: (Past): 9 Months Old
Disclaimer: I own the story and the OCs mentioned!
I didn't know it until I was aware that I was dreaming, but I had fallen asleep in the back of the car with James and Lynne after the lavender haired male had been for a counselling session with his deep and curly haired uncle. I seemed to reach dreamland quickly. I got there fast, my eyelids twitching as I curled up on the back seat. And I began to see things. Things that I knew had happened. And things that I wanted to find out more about.
A younger version of Lynne glided down the halls of a building that were unfamiliar to me yet familiar at the same time. If I focused hard as I slept and studied the walls, I had to guess that they were a school of some kind because there were photos of children in uniform and all sorts of accolades and posters. But needless to say, most of my attention was caught up with watching the younger, orange haired female. I smiled as I slept. She still looked the same. She still appeared the same. She still waltzed the same.
She continued making her way down the hallway, her pretty blue dress swaying around her ankles as she walked and her hand tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She looked in a daze. She looked in her own world. But at the same time, she was focused. She seemed to know what she was doing. She seemed to know where she was heading. And she did.
You see, the thing is with the Lynne that I knew, though she very much waltzed to her own tune, she was quick to do anything for anyone when they asked her of it, too. She had been asked to do a very important job that day. And naturally, she was going to get it done in the calm and appreciative and enthusiastic way that she did everything in life.
The younger version of Lynne got to the end of the hall and reached what appeared to be an office of some sort. That part of the building was open and made of glass. But that wasn't what interested me. What interested me most of all was the person sitting, waiting on the seats outside. It was yet another person most familiar to me. But it was a person that I wasn't expecting at all. I absolutely didn't suspect that they'd have known each other before. But I was delighted to see it. I was delighted to see him. I was delighted to see a younger version of the curly haired man.
"Hi. Hello there. I think you're expecting me. At least, I'm expecting you to expect me." Lynne began and as she started to explain herself vaguely yet sincerely, she almost curtsied in front of the man sitting down. She looked down at him. He stopped reading his book to pass time and looked up at her. She continued, holding her hand out. "You must be Rupert. I am Lynne."
"I am Rupert. I am. Hi. Hello." He responded and in his hurry to put his book down and on the chair next to his, it dropped on the floor. He did his best to ignore this. He stood up, pushing his chin length curly locks out of his face before reaching to shake her hand back. He nodded. "Rupert Morgan. It's nice to meet you."
And so it was Rupert Morgan indeed. Many years from when my dream was taking place, I knew that man through his great-nephew, James Morgan. He had sought him out intentionally when he needed some therapy and soon after that, discovered that they were related. It was a wonderful thing! Rupert was a likeable man. And I had a feeling that I would like him even further upon getting to see some of his earlier days.
Lynne had a genuine smile back for the man at the receiving end of her hand shake. She found it easy to ignore the book that had dropped on the floor. Her hand lingered on his for a good few seconds as they became acquainted and then she pulled away. She moved away also, her dress shimmying around her ankles once more. She grinned in a friendly way.
"Shall we get started then? Shall I show you to your office? You're probably very excited to get to know this place." She spoke to him in an airy tone but because her face was so permanently glowing with enthusiasm and this paired with her beginning to walk back down the hall, Rupert was left mildly surprised by her eagerness. He had to quickly pick his book up and follow after her and push his hair from his eyes once more before he got left behind. He hurried after her, stumbling slightly.
"Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, I'm very excited to get to know this place." Rupert mumbled to her in response but his tone of voice came out in a way that wasn't laced with the same ardour as hers was. He was blinking slightly. He was blinking as he tried to keep up with her, his long grey coat moving around his own knees.
"I don't blame you. It's a wonderful place to work." Lynne replied to the curly haired male with sincerity as she looked back over her shoulder at him before he actually caught up with her and was able to walk by her side. He tried to hide the fact that he was a little out of breath. He tried to hide the fact that he was fumbling a small amount. He just smiled in response. And I knew that I was smiling in my sleep.
Pokémon Tech. I could see clear as day that that was the building that Lynne was in the further that she and Rupert walked down the halls together. And it made perfect sense. She had been a teacher there before Misty was born and a little bit after too. She enjoyed it so very much. I got to know it because I visited it there long, long ago with Ash and Brock and Misty too. It was an academy for trainers to learn instead of travelling and earning gym badges instead. I knew I much preferred my chosen path but it was nice that there was another option. And I knew that Lynne had fond memories there. I didn't know that Rupert might as well.
The orange haired female was a young woman that could chat to just about anyone. She was often found speaking with complete strangers and making friends with them and making their day. But that day, while I dreamt, I noticed that she wasn't making conversation as much as she normally would have done. Perhaps she was noticing herself that Rupert was a shy person, even a little awkward. Or maybe it was because of her own age. It could have been a number of things. For once, I didn't overthink it. I just watched.
And as I made a note to do that, after smiling to each other as they continued walking in polite silence down the halls, Lynne spoke once more.
"You know… It's really funny that I've been asked to show you around. Flattering." She began and though she continued smiling at the older man, you could almost tell that everything was brand new to her as well. She slowed down her pace when he started to fall behind again. She giggled a little bit, tucking that loose strand behind her ear once more. "Normally the head of the school shows around new members. But they're busy and I've been asked."
"You must be very reliable and popular, then." Rupert replied honestly and he wasn't trying to flatter Lynne even more. But it seemed to work. She ducked her head and then smiled all the more. She started to feel more at ease. She wrinkled her nose as the curly haired man asked, then taking the opportunity to put his book back in his messenger bag. "Have you been here long?"
"Me?" Lynne asked out of habit, though of course, there weren't any other people around! Only the odd few children and Pokémon passing them by for various reasons including heading to the nurses office. Rupert ignored her innocence like she ignored his clumsiness. He just nodded. She smiled, smoothing down her dress as they walked. "Oh, I've not been here long. Not long at all. That's why it's funny they asked me!"
Rupert's mouth looked as though it wanted to utter something along the lines of 'at least we'll be newbies together' but it didn't manage to do so. He chose to smile instead, briefly becoming occupied with looking around at the posters and photos and achievements on the walls. I kept my eyes peeled for anything that I recognised but I didn't.
So I went back to looking at the younger version of Lynne instead. And noticed that she studied Rupert while he was studying the walls. To her, he seemed almost familiar in an unfamiliar sort of way. He appeared to be approachable yet reticent at the same time. There was something about him. There was something about him that made her want to know more. Her thinking the same thing as him – that they were both newbies – made it easy for her to come out with it.
"So what brings you here?" she asked him while they walked and right away, he stopped studying all the words on the walls so hard. He looked right at her, moving some of his scarf away from his neck when it got uncomfortably caught up in his jacket. Rupert tilted his head just a fraction. Lynne clarified, gesturing to him. "Well, I understand that you're to be the new guidance counsellor. But where have you come from before that?"
"Oh." The curly haired male replied to her in an introverted voice right away but he took another few minutes to answer her properly, even though he nodded. Lynne stopped her walking to listen fully to him and he took this opportunity to untangle his scarf diligently. He only replied to her when he had unknotted it completely. "I've been travelling quite extensively these last few years but I decided to call it a day and finally dedicate myself to work once again. You're right that I'm the new guidance counsellor. I'm doing this for experience while I get my psychology degree."
Lynne seemed truly fascinated by all this. But to tell you the truth, she would've been fascinated by anything that he said! She was interested by people, plain and simple, and how or however they lived their lives. She nodded her head. She smiled. She studied him some more and then she asked another question.
"Where are you from? Your accent is hard to place." She commented and it was only then in my dream that I realised that that was one thing that I myself had noticed in the version of Rupert that I knew. He had a different one from his twin brother and James' grandfather – Noah. It was far less Southern. It was a lot softer, and not just in the tones he spoke in.
It was a different accent altogether. Perhaps one coloured by his travels. He smiled. But unlike Lynne, he was still just as shy as time passed.
"I've been all over to tell you the truth. Born in Sinnoh. Moved to Kanto to study. Then headed to Johto. Spent a lot of time in Johto." He paused, beginning to walk with Lynne when she slowly started to walk down the halls over again. But she looked at him. He looked at her. He played with a curl of his hair. "Alto Mare. Do you know it?"
And after walking for not much more time at all, Lynne stopped in her tracks. From dreaming, I watched the younger version of Lynne stop in her tracks, spin around in her sandals and positively beam at Rupert. We could both tell that she was trying to dull her expression and swallow it back but she just couldn't help it. She ducked her head apologetically and explained while the curly haired male looked fascinated by her reaction.
"Do I know it?" she repeated his words bashfully but enthusiastically. Rupert nodded, still looking intrigued. Lynne then nodded back, grinning all the more. She seemed to curtsy once more before going back to walking - walking backwards to still converse. "That's my neck of the woods. That's not too far from where I was born at all."
I listened as they exchanged pleasantries about the Johto region and it bought back so many fond memories travelling with good friends of mine. It was so long ago but it felt like just yesterday. The smell of that particular region. The hospitality. The good company. The new adventures. It was reliving those kind of memories that kept me going. And because I had so many wonderful memories, older and newer, sometimes I felt like those would keep me going forever.
Rupert scratched his head while he and Lynne walked and continued chatting about the people, the food, the Pokémon and the culture of Johto. He asked the orange haired female a question back. They didn't seem to be getting much admin done!
"So you know Alto Mare? Have you ever been there?" he asked and his hand stopped scratching his hair and played with his mouth instead. Lynne shook her head. She was still walking backwards to keep talking to him. She smoothed her dress down once more.
"Of course I know it. Beautiful, beautiful city." She commented with a smile. Rupert smiled back but his eyes were filled with more intrigue and he knew that she was going to add more words. Of course he was right. "But no, never been. We couldn't afford it. My Jordan and I couldn't afford it. Well, we couldn't back when we lived there. Maybe we could now. But I don't think he'd want to go back to that region."
And this needless to say most definitely intrigued the deep curly haired male. Lynne slowed down her walking after she said these words and gradually came to a halt. Rupert stopped with her. He got ready to listen, his head tilted softly on one side. His eyes were intrigued, it was true. But they showed something far more than that. They showed an acceptance and an openness and a sincerity that Lynne's own ocean orbs possessed. She sighed. For this reason she found it easy to explain to him. And so Rupert began to hear the tale of why she and her Jordan had both left Johto.
It was a new beginning for them both. Away from their families. Lynne with her single parent manipulative mother and Jordan with his belittling mother, dismissive father, tormenting younger brother and violent older brother. They had heard about a new gym opening in the Kanto region and because of Jordan's vast knowledge for water Pokémon and all things nautical and sea related; he had won the position and won the right to turn it into a Water Type Gym. It was a brand new opportunity. It was a brand new start. It was a brand new opportunity and start to which they seized with both hands.
They sailed from Johto to Kanto on The Valentine – Jordan's beloved ship which he had spent years fixing up. Lynne had told him that she was pregnant with their first daughter on the journey over. They had made it to Kanto and set up their family home alongside the gym. It was their little happily ever after. And I knew at that point in their lives, they were happy. But Rupert didn't know this. He found himself asking, suddenly almost protective after getting invested in the tale of strangers.
"But you're happy now?" Rupert asked slowly as they walked together all over again, his hands moving into his pockets. I observed that he almost didn't want to hear that they weren't! He was concerned. Thankfully, before he even heard a proper answer, he soon got an indication of what it was going to be. Lynne nodded her head and she beamed softly.
"Oh, we're so happy now, thank you. Jordan has his gym and I help out with that when I can. And we have our lovely little girl, Daisy. We have a small family and we only really have each other but that's enough. In fact, that is all I've ever wanted."
Rupert nodded his head and listened. And though he had often smiled politely many times before that moment, that time when he chose to smile, it was like he finally meant it. Though of course they were sincere all the while, that one had an added bit of relief and maybe even wistfulness too that made it so noticeable.
But out of everything and in between smiling back at the gladness of her new acquaintance, Lynne's eyes and mind took hold of the wistfulness. And because of this paired with her natural flair of curiosity and passion for romance, she asked Rupert. She began to almost twirl as she walked. When she was with him, she had more confidence because she was no longer the newest person there, I believed.
"So what about you? Do you have a special someone you share your life with? Do you have a special someone that owns your heart?" she asked in such an innocent and endearing way that I wondered if it was this that caused Rupert to wince. But it wasn't for long and it wasn't really in his expression; it was more in his eyes. I heavily noticed the way that he swallowed and smiled all the more and subtly changed the subject.
"So you've got your happy ending then. And you like it here? You like teaching here?" Rupert asked. Lynne furrowed her brow. She could've sworn that she asked him something so in turn was expecting an answer, rather than a question. But she was easy-going. She was almost as easy going as the flow of the ocean that Jordan adored so much. She blinked but then she shrugged.
"Of course I do. It's a wonderful place to work." Lynne repeated her prior words and even though she said them with honesty and gratitude, she couldn't stop her brow from furrowing while they walked. No, she was absolutely sure she was expecting an answer from him. And he had asked her more questions instead. Even so, she nattered on about how her job was to give the children extra tuition and sometimes she covered other teacher's classes. And she occasionally worked in the Pokémon side of the school but it was mainly in the academic one. Rupert had another question after that.
"And you like the kids? The kids are nice. You get along with them?" Rupert questioned curiously, his hands coming out of his pockets once more and one of them lulling by the side of his long grey coat and the other holding onto the strap of his messenger bag. Lynne nodded her head.
"Yes, the kids are nice. The kids are lovely…" the orange haired female tried to tell him but she started to frown all the more. She had completely forgotten trying to remind herself that she had asked him a question. She was too busy listening to the one that he had asked her and noticing that, for once, she didn't really know what to say.
Naturally, Rupert caught onto this as well. He tilted his head on one side at her as they walked, his fingers stroking the buckle of his bag lightly. He asked in a soft voice. He asked softly and in a way that reminded me so much of not only his great-nephew but Justin too. He observed that her mouth hadn't said 'it's just that…' at the end of her words, but her hesitance had done that for her.
"It's just that…?" Rupert questioned and Lynne tried to wave her hand and brush it off but after not much convincing at all – just a look, just an open look – she gave in. She breathed in and though she smiled, she answered truthfully and a little vulnerably too.
"The kids are lovely. I just haven't found any that I've truly bonded with yet. And I don't know. Some of them seem to just be here to make their parents happy. And that makes me sad. Shouldn't you only do something because it makes you happy?"
"Unfortunately…" Rupert began and he and Lynne stopped walking for good because they finally reached the door to another room which I assumed would be the curly haired male's office from that day forward. He smiled at her, playing with said curly locks. "Unfortunately other people's happiness it very important to everyone. Even very small children." He answered her and he did so in such a way that it was no wonder that he graduated top of his glass. And it was no wonder that he went on to be such a kind and patient and wise therapist, especially to his great-nephew. Rupert continued once more with a sincere twinkle in his eye. "You'll find your people though, I'm sure. We're all new at one stage."
"Yes…" Lynne breathed out and her eyes flickered in a way that showed she was truly absorbing the older male's words. The way that she held a hand over her heart proved that she really was doing this. But soon enough, she flashed him a smile. And she even offered him words that couldn't escape his own lips. She wrinkled her nose. "But at least we're newbies together. Anyway, your office is right through here. So I suppose I should show you that instead of nattering away to you!"
It was Rupert's turn to duck his head and look down at his shoes. But he soon looked back at her and continued smiling. He nodded his head and reached to turn the circular door knob and opened it, gesturing for her to head in first. And I was left thinking to myself – thinking in my dream – for a few moments before I joined them.
But it was good that they were nattering away to each other. Yes, they were to be teachers and members of the same establishment passing each other every so often but in the future, they were to be joined with the love of the same man. And I don't mean just James Morgan. So maybe that was why, though they were both quite shy in different ways, it was natural for them to talk to each other. It wasn't just natural. It was necessary. But they didn't know that their paths would cross once again and far in the future.
From sleeping and being carried back into the house by James and Lynne, I joined the younger version of Lynne and Rupert in his new office with them. The orange haired female shut the door behind them. Rupert walked in. he looked around. As he took in the sights of his new surroundings, his hands went back into his pocket for comfort but he nodded his head. He looked at the pictures on the walls. He looked at the lava lamps decorating the desk and the chest of drawers. He moved to look out the window too. The orange sun hit his face. He squinted. He smiled. He turned back to look at Lynne. He nodded all over.
"Nice. It's nice here. I think I'll be able to do good work here." He mumbled and that was the first time that I'd seem him being remotely confident in himself. He hid it well if he hadn't meant for that to slip out by going over to his desk chair and testing it out. The leather made a bit of a squeak but Lynne managed to ignore that too!
And that time, it wasn't out of politeness. It was because she had gone back into her own world. She often did that because she was easily-distracted and dreamy. But that time, she wasn't thinking about herself or far off things. She was thinking about Rupert. She knew that he had avoided one of her questions. She knew that it was the right thing to let that go but, like he often found himself doing, she couldn't stop herself from studying the curly haired man.
He continued sitting in his new office chair, even having a few subtle spins in it, before facing her from the desk. She sat down in the chair opposite. She fiddled with the hem of her dress. Rupert put his hands on his desk. He looked at her and he smiled, his eyes twinkling in a non-condescending kind of way.
"You look as though you might need to be my first client." He spoke to her of her thoughtful expression and body language too. She just looked up at him, not catching on. He smiled a bit more before that died down. However, his eyes still heavily reflected the light from the room. Rupert clarified, sitting back in his chair. "Do you want to talk?"
"No, no I don't want to talk." Lynne responded oddly quickly but her tone came out soft and somehow all the more thoughtful. She played with her hair. Rupert did too. She clarified her words also, looking over at him. "I don't want to talk; I want to listen. I feel like I don't know anything about you."
The curly haired male just had to chuckle upon hearing this. His hand moved from his desk space and rubbed his own beard, smoothing his goatee at the front before moving to massage the patches along his jawline. Lynne furrowed her brow, not understanding all over again. Rupert explained, showing off a bit of an introverted shake of the head.
"You know plenty, Lynne." He told her and before she could disagree with these words with a shake of her head, he continued. He gestured his hands, his fingers spreading out. "You know I'm from Sinnoh and moved to Kanto and then Johto. You know I'm studying psychology and I'm this school's new guidance counsellor. But is that not enough? If that's not enough, I can try and think of more. I have a twin brother who I don't really see anymore. My hair is curly, you see that? I don't know where I got that from. I-"
From dreaming, I somewhat liked seeing Rupert a bit more extroverted and point-proving but I understood why Lynne interrupted him.
"I want to know if you have a special someone." The orange haired female just came out with bravely before shaking her head when she saw Rupert's mouth just slam shut. It pressed into a firm line before the corners drooped down; making him appear younger than he assumedly was at that point. She ducked her head apologetically but she had to clarify. She picked at a thread on her dress. "Or at least… I want to know why you changed the subject. I know it's not my place. I know it's not my place at all. It might be inappropriate seeing as we might be working together. I just… I just… Curiosity." Lynne finally found the right word but she didn't see Rupert already beginning to slowly nod. She added just one more thing in case she offended him. "I felt like there was something there."
As I slept, what I believed happened between those two members of the past was a moment of understanding. Most definitely from Rupert's standing. He nodded his head more openly. He sighed but he nodded his head. Lynne was still looking at her lap and didn't see but his eyes were filled with understanding.
He couldn't be annoyed; for he was often like that many times. Seeing as he was embarking on a career that helped people and dug deeper into their lives, he knew what it felt like to spot indescribable traits in people that lead him to believe there was something deeper under the surface that they were not letting on. He related to it. He understood it. And on top of that, he respected it.
Rupert let out a sigh and smoothed down his beard all over but as Lynne finally looked up from her lap, she saw him nodding his head. She breathed out when she knew that it was okay. His dark hazel green eyes were looking back at hers. They were almost giving her permission. And they were almost asking her to ask him all over. So she did. She did in a different way.
"What happened to your special someone?" she asked and subtly and very slowly, she rolled forward on her chair. Her own palms found their way to pressing on his desk as she got ready to listen openly. Rupert got ready to answer truthfully. And then he did.
"It… It didn't work out. She's back in Alto Mare. So maybe I relate to Jordan. Maybe I couldn't go back there either." He admitted with a smile but vulnerability took over his eyes. Lynne of course noticed this. She liked him. She really liked him. She felt as though he was as interesting to fathom as the people he was going to try and do that with.
She didn't offer her sympathy with words. Instead, she offered them with those ocean blue eyes of his. He nodded his head in return. And then he shook it. He was okay. He was having a bit of a new beginning himself. Lynne tried something else instead.
"Don't… Don't you have kids? Don't you have kids together? Don't you have kids with someone else? Another reason to go back there?" she asked him and asked him simply for the reason of judging by his age, it was fairly normal to be a parent at that time in one's life. But I couldn't help but wonder if it was something deeper. I also couldn't help but wonder if she was destined for psychology also!
"I don't have kids at all." Rupert answered her in a level tone and then his eyes glittered a little more. He paused. He played with his beard. He chuckled. He chuckled shyly. He chuckled vulnerably. "This isn't really something that you tell someone you just met, let alone someone you're about to work with." The curly haired male uttered to Lynne but from the way he was leaning forward on his chair, you could tell that he was about to tell her. The orange haired female leaned further forward on her chair also. She listened.
"I can't have kids. I'm so happy for you that you have one. But I can't. I wasn't one of the people blessed with the capability to even choose to have one. But it's okay. I'm okay. I've made my peace with it. Mostly."
In my dreams, I held my breath. It was something that I knew about James' curly haired great-uncle but it was hard to hear all over again. It was hard to know that someone so sincere and generous and a humanitarian weren't given an opportunity that people sometimes took for granted.
The younger version of Lynne of course didn't know this about him, though she sensed something lingering underneath him. While his eyes filled with more vulnerability and almost release, the orange haired female's eyes, for once, didn't change. Her lips didn't utter sympathy. Her eyes didn't either. She listened. She nodded her head. She knew that she could sit and think – or rather, her curiosity could sit and think – why he couldn't have children. But after looking at him for just a second longer, she knew that she didn't care to know. She just was touched by his honesty. And she wanted to know just a little bit more.
"Do you like them? Do you like children?" she asked him softly and from the way that Rupert leaned back in his chair and chuckled in a way that from sleeping I assumed was relief, he really wasn't expecting that question. But he answered her. He answered her with the same sincerity and honesty.
"Yes. Yes, of course I do. I love them." He replied and I tried not to think too much about how another child he adored as his own had been taken from him too, as well as the opportunity to even have kids of his own. But it was no surprise as to why Rupert was as kind as he was. It was always the people who had been damaged the most that loved the most softly, carefully, thoughtfully and yet fully also.
I didn't suspect that Lynne was going to spring up in her seat after Rupert spoke to her but she did exactly that. She ducked her head apologetically when she made him jump as her knee whacked against the wood of his desk but she grinned, still somewhat certain of her actions.
"Well… Well, my little girl – Daisy – is in the crèche here. She sometimes comes with me when I work here and when her daddy is doing too intense work." She told him and for once, he didn't gather the information lying underneath. He just nodded his head and smiled bravely, assuming they were going back to exchanging pleasantries. Lynne giggled shyly as she explained. "Would you like to come and meet her? I was planning on checking her after we were done but you might like to come as well."
Rupert was an introverted, laid-back and observant male; I had gotten to know him as such during a different part of his life. He always insisted that other people had had it far worse, but his life had been rather difficult at times. So in spite of this or perhaps because of this, he knew when to seize an opportunity when it came to him.
He stood up as well and though he smiled warmly, he didn't spring up with the same gusto as Lynne. He nodded his head and he played with his beard. Lynne knew the answer before he had clarified it. She moved away from the desk. He uttered the words anyway. He nodded his head all the more.
"I would very much like to meet her. I would very much like to meet Daisy." He told her with a cheek showing smile and just one more nod of the head and then he and the orange haired female headed off. They headed off to see the small and not even one year old older sister of Misty.
Once more, I was given time to think as I dreamt while those two wandered down a different part of the halls together. On the quiet, they had both had difficult lives. And they would go on to have even more challenges. But despite all of this and some of the distances they would go on to have to face, they remained some of the most soft-hearted, accepting, selfless and helpful people that I knew. They were both the prime example of people dealing with challenges of life but never losing their gentleness. And I knew that I was lucky to know them both and to learn from them too.
Together, Rupert and Lynne entered the crèche where Daisy was being looked after when her orange haired mother was working. Sweetly, she knew as soon as the older female entered and her little head turned and her face lit up. Her green orbs sparkled. She didn't hesitate to crawl on her knees towards her mother and gurgle from behind her pacifier. In turn, Lynne didn't hesitate to crouch down to scoop her up.
"Oh there's our little flower girl, and she has someone that has come to meet her." She spoke to Daisy and she planted a kiss to both of her cheeks before gently easing the pacifier out of her mouth. The yellow haired baby girl held onto her mother. Right away, she knew that someone else was with them. She locked eyes on him. Her green eyes locked onto him. Lynne nodded. "Yes, yes there he is, good girl. This is Rupert."
And with that, the orange haired female handed the yellow haired baby girl over to the curly haired male and he was left in a bit of a muddle, still having his messenger back over him and some of his hair in his face. But he moved his strands away from his mouth with a flick of the head and he held onto the child.
Truthfully, it had been years since he had been that close to an infant but he was still natural at it. He moved her onto his hip and instinctively began rocking. Lynne popped the dummy back into her mouth in case she got upset at that missing and being in the arms of the kind stranger but she seemed to be okay.
At first, she did look at him a bit warily but after Lynne continued positively beaming and reached out to stroke her daughter on the chubby cheek, she firmly relaxed. She started playing with her own hair while in Rupert's arms and babbled away to herself. The curly haired male positively softened. He smiled as Lynne made a fuss of her daughter while she was in his arms.
"Are you going to have any more? Are you and Jordan going to have any more?" he asked and from dreaming, I was the only one to hold my breath. I knew what the answer was going to be but it made me tingle even more so. From my point of view, one of the babies that she and Jordan would go on to have and my best friend as well was the reason that we had the family that we did.
The orange haired female firmly nodded her head and though she ducked it bashfully for a second after, she soon smiled all the more. Lynne reached out to pinch both of Daisy's cheeks. She then planted a kiss to the top of her head also.
"Of course. Of course that is the plan. We don't want her growing up alone." She replied to Rupert and these words were bitter sweet. But I decided to focus on the sweet instead. I think that I was smiling in my sleep. The curly haired male was smiling openly in the past.
He opened his mouth to say more words back to Lynne but something stopped him. All of a sudden, baby Daisy had warmed up to him very much. She spat her pacifier out on the floor and it landed on his shoe with a clink (and some drool). She decided that something else was much more fun to her instead. She let out a delighted squeal and suddenly reached both of her hands and tangled them in his beard, pulling at the hairs!
Lynne gasped. But Rupert just laughed. Rupert just laughed and laughed and his face lit up. In fact, I believed that it lit up more than it had done in years. The little girl laughed back and pulled even harder on his beard but he didn't seem to care. He didn't even wince. And perhaps because it was this reaction that he had, she soon stopped pulling so hard and snuggled it instead. He blushed. He spoke to Daisy's mother bashfully.
"Well…" he mumbled, his hands still holding onto the child and one of them reaching to pat her back every so often while he still swayed with her. He spoke through her hands snuggling at his goatee. "I think I've made friend."
And upon hearing this, Lynne just clasped both her hands together over her chest at the sheer sweetness of it all. She watched her little Daisy continuing to make a fuss of the bearded and curly haired male and she watched as in return, he didn't make a fuss at the hair pulling or the slobbery smooches.
And like he had done at the very beginning of when they first met, she thought some words but didn't say them aloud. Daisy wasn't the only one who made a friend. Rupert wasn't the only one who made a friend. Lynne had as well.
She made a good friend in Rupert and not just on that day. She had a good bond with him when they met all over again when they were both angels. And following that, they were made family by the same man.
And like I mentioned before, it wasn't because of James Morgan. It was because of her dad. Because he would go on to have a friend in Rupert also. He would love him so very much. Just like everybody else did. He was a well-respected member of our clan. And I respected him most of all for how happy he made my loved ones.
The End.
There you go! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed :3 So yeah, that is James' great-uncle Rupert. It's funny because even though I haven't written about him before, I've had him created for almost two years now and he is actually one of my favourite of my OCs! I have a real soft spot for him. I think he has a great humour and likability which contrasts to his twin brother, Noah, who sometimes can be serious! I'm sure I'll write one day as to why the two brothers drift apart. Rupert actually goes on to adopt some of the foster children of Georgina (James' aunt). So he's quite important in the lives of a lot of my characters :P I wonder if Daisy remembers Rupert at all? And if Lynne reminds her, then James will definitely have a laugh at her liking Rupert so much as a baby - it's a bit of a parallel of James and Katie! Thanks again for reading and I will be back next Wednesday so see you then :P
AmyBieberKetchum signing out!