Baby steps - A TNS Fanfiction

Injured

Richelle's house

"Say 'bubbles' in an angry voice," Finn coaxed his daughter whilst rubbing her back soothingly. Just like her mother, rubbing her back tended to calm her down instantly, and when she was a baby she would even fall asleep.

Grace sniffled, before quietly whispering it to herself.

"Go on, say it in an angrier way," He smiled as she tried again, and giggled slightly.

"Bubbles!" She growled, before erupting into peals of high pitched laughter.

Meanwhile, Piper was still helping Richelle sort the bookcase out.

After Grace had managed to bring the whole thing down (breaking one of the shelves by climbing on it although she managed to leap off and avoid getting crushed) there had been a lot of ornaments to repair.

Whereas Richelle was busy trying to find a new home for the books and (few remaining) intact ornaments, Piper was attempting to fix one of the broken ones.

It was a small china bear, painted a soft brown with its paw in a beehive. Not a good idea for anyone, let alone a bear. However, the brunette was still trying to reattach the paw and beehive to the bear, armed with a tube of super glue.

Unfortunately, most of the ornaments had been broken beyond repair, although they had freed some photos from smashed photo frames. One photo depicted A-troupe winning Regionals, another of them at Michelle's leaving party. Richelle, Noah and Jacquie had previously occupied another frame, with the two girls either side laughing at Noah in the middle, who was attempting to look cool for the photo.

Richelle came over, and her eyes lingered over the Regionals photo.

"Why did you do it, Piper?"

Came a voice from over Piper's shoulder, and she turned around to see Richelle standing behind her.

"Do what?"

"Leave. Leave your family, Finn, Grace, everyone."

The brunette sighed, and the blonde pulled out the chair next to her, perching on it.

"I didn't feel like I had any other choice," She whispered, a solitary tear tracing a line down her cheek. "I wish I hadn't. But then some days I don't regret it, and then others I feel like the worst person in the world. The most horrible part is that no matter what happens now, is that I've got to live with the fact that I did it. I ran off because everything reminded me of..."

"What?"

"I don't know!" She cried, startling both of them, and the laughter ceased from the other room. Richelle felt a twinge of guilt for pushing her for answers, although she couldn't help but feel seven years should have been enough for her to wrap her head around it.

Finn turned the corner, Grace clinging onto his hand half obscured behind him.

"I think I'm going to take Grace back to the hotel now, so: Bye!"

Richelle got up to hug them both goodbye, and also ask about the next day, to which Finn replied that it depended on what Piper was doing. The brunette followed Richelle uncertainly, not sure whether she should go with Finn, or stay and help.

"Do you want me to stay or..."

"I think I'll be fine on my own - I can handle a few broken ornaments." The blonde smiled, and Grace chose that moment to apologise.

"I'm sorry for breaking the bookcase Rich Shell," She mumbled, staring very hard at the floor and feeling ashamed that she'd caused so much trouble.