The Babysitter

Dinner

Lime's PoV:

Chocolate sat with me at dinner, not with the rest of the children who were all eating together in a circle on the floor, like some sort of picnic.
Oh, and Emerald...

Chocolate eventually decided to talk to Lapis, and I took this as my chance to quickly sneak off and find Emerald.

I ended up searching the whole ship before ending up back in the cafeteria, sprinting through the crowded room, past Red who was running... from something, apparently... and that's when I saw him, on the balcony. Watering this tiny little plant that had two small leaves sprouting out of it.

"Oh, there you are Emerald!" I exclaim, still panting from racing through the entirety of Mira HQ.

"Hi Lime" he smiles. "Look, I found it in medbay..." His voice trails off, tears threatening to fall down his face.

Aw- that's so sweet I'm going to explodeeee
And please don't cry otherwise I will too

Somehow, I managed to ask "you hungry?"

"Yea but I wanna stay here" he declares

I smile, holding out a bowl of noodles, which I know to be his favourite. "Good, because I brought you some here"

"Wow, thank you!" He removes his helmet and grins, eagerly gobbling them down.

"So, where are you going to sleep tonight?" I ask him as he eats.

"Uh" he mumbles through a particularly large mouthful, "just in my old room, I guess?"

There were 12 rooms, each with two beds; one adult size, and one small one. Even mine, which just highlighted my loneliness every night.

"Are you going to be okay on your own?" I ask

"Yup!" He smiles, nodding vigorously. "I'm a big boy!"

"Okay Emerald" I laugh. "Enjoy your food"

"Hey, Lime?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you close to finding out who did it?"

"Not yet" I admit

"Be safe" he tells me. "Stay alive please, and find the imposter so they don't hurt anyone else!"

I'll try Emerald... I'll try. For you, and for Chocolate.

Back in the cafeteria, a very relieved looking Chocolate flies straight into my arms before I could even register what was happening. "I thought you were g-gone l-like my m-mommy" he tells me, wiping his tears on my shoulder, his breaths deep and shaky.

"It's okay, I'm here" I assure him, "I promise I'll protect you".

"Hey, Lime" someone says from behind me.

Ugh, I know THAT voice.

"Yeah?" I answer in as happy of a tone as I could muster as Chocolate went back to play with the rest of the group.

"Could you-"

"Watch your daughter?" I interrupt, only just turning around to face Pink.

"Ooo, someone moody, much?" He patronisingly waggles a finger in my face, right in front of my eyes.

"Just, I don't know if I can" I grumble.

"Aww no," Pink says in mock sadness. "Oh what a terrible shame!"

I scowl and his voice suddenly turns back to his usual snobbish one. "Yes you can do it. And you will"

"But, I just-" I protest, thinking back to last time. "Well, before she kinda... she doesn't really like me and..." I trail off