The Little Street Girl (Book ONE)

Exploding Penguins

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Callie:

"Ow, ow, ow!" I cried as dad started to wipe at the wounds on my side, getting rid of the excess blood and sand still in there, before spraying it with an antiseptic and sewed it back up. "So much for this thing not hurting." 

Dad slapped my hand away as I went to touch it, and put another plain white bandage over it. "You were in shock, and you were not focussing on it. Trust me, Callie, this will hurt as it heals, which is why, dear daughter, you are going to curl up on the sofa, with some food, and watch TV."

"Dad, I'm fine." I tried to protest, but he just ushered me into the living room and put me on the sofa, before bundling me into a big ball of blankets and cushions. "OK, I have become a marshmallow. Oh my God, do we have marshmallows?"

He laughed a little, shaking his head as he went to a wall panel, typing something into the screen before the panel opened and there was a massive load of marshmallows, and other junk food that I had previously hated, either because it was gross, or because of the animal fat. I liked meat now, but yeah. "Eat, you're good now. Food isn't a problem with you now."

Yeah, I knew that. Trust me, I was hungry all the time, I just didn't feel comfortable eating around anyone but dad. "Fine. So, are you going to sit with me the whole time to make sure I don't wander off to the music room or something?"

"Something like that, Cal." He sighed, sitting down next to me on the sofa. "How you feeling, love? I mean, there's no Rose, no Mickey. You've never been with just me this long, didn't know if you still approve of who your dad was."

"Why wouldn't I? You're just the same as you were before I left, if a little off. But you lost a lot, you lost Rose, Donna, even Martha. Loss is difficult." I told him, nibbling a marshmallow, not looking him in the eye. "Trust me, I know. Lost mum, dad, Katie, then lost them all again when I found out I was adopted. Lost my family twice in different ways."

Dad shook his head, wrapping his arms around me. "No, you didn't. Well, you did lose them once, but that happens. I lost my parents young too. It even happens to Time Lords, Callie. But they were still your family, even though you were adopted."

I rested into him, leaning on the side that wasn't currently a colander, several holes in my side from where I had safety glass embedded in there. So much for it not being able to pierce skin. "I know, dad. I just... You're my dad, my biological father, but why would you give me up? You and your partner at the time, whoever she's going to be,  you gave me up, and, part of me wonders why you'd do that, what possible reason you could have?"

"I don't know." He admitted, kissing my long hair, tucking it behind my ear. "I know you, you're just scared of being abandoned, which isn't going to happen. I won't leave you, Calliope. When we at long last meet your mother, we'll work it out, OK, Cal?"

Nodding, I sighed, eating another marshmallow as dad did too, before frowning. "Ever done exploding penguins?"

With that, he carefully got up again, making sure my side was OK, before typing more things into the monitor, and took out two mugs of hot chocolate, as well as a few bars of chocolate. "Right, bite alternative ends." He demonstrated, biting opposite corners. "Then use it as a straw, getting a small mouthful, before shoving the whole thing into your mouth." Which he did, and got chocolate all around his mouth, and it dripped on his shirt.

"You are so, so messy." I laughed, copying his movements, and taking a small mouthful of the drink, before putting it all in my mouth, managing to not get any, anywhere. And then the chocolate fell apart into a warm, gooey mess in my mouth. "Wow... That's good, really good. How did you discover that?" I asked him, wiping my mouth carefully, just in case there was chocolate.