It took days to clean up the destroyed remains of Ambrose's lab. Shredded books, scorched notes and broken furniture were swept up and sifted through by both Cain and Glitch for anything worth salvaging.
A small, broken picture frame caught Cain's attention and he bent down to carefully pick up the fragile picture from within its cage of glass shards and wooden frame slivers. The smiling face of a little girl, with dark hair and deep brown eyes, looked back at him.
Standing up and holding it out to Glitch, he asked, "You know who this is?"
Glitch took the offered paper, brow crinkled in confusion. "I - no, I'm afraid not. She's cute, though," he smiled and gave a little head tilt as he studied the frozen face. "Perhaps Locasta would remember."
"Maybe," Cain replied, picking up his broom again to get back to work, only to have it pulled from his grasp again.
"I don't think this can wait," Glitch said softly, oddly focused. "Come on."
They found the Queen in her expansive office, picking up the shattered bits of a previous reign. Her daughters were with her, floating around the room with trash bags and brooms.
"Pardon the intrusion, Majesty, but Cain found something curious in my lab," Glitch announced as he strode across the room. He held up the picture for Locasta to see. "Do you know who this girl is?"
Gasping sharply, the Queen dropped the handful of papers she had gathered. "Oh, by the gods, Ambrose," she whispered harshly, staring at her former advisor. "Tell me you remember your own daughter."
Cain barely managed to reach Glitch as his legs suddenly refused to support him. Glitch stared at the picture in his hand, dazed, as Cain and DG knelt on either side of where he was sitting on the floor amid the debris. "Daughter? No, no, that can't be possible," Glitch mumbled under his breath, not really addressing anyone. "I can't have forgotten having a child."
Locasta crouched down next to her best friend, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry to have told you so abruptly," she said softly. "It was a shock to see that picture. I'm afraid I'm guilty of forgetting all about her; after...well, I've not seen nor heard from her in all these annuals."
"Do you think she's still out there?" Glitch asked in a tremulous voice, finally looking up.
"I suppose it's possible," she gave him a sad smile. "We'll start the search immediately."
Glitch nodded, looking terribly lost. He leaned against Cain's warm, familiar bulk, resting his head against a strong shoulder. "Will you help me? She must be nearly twenty annuals by now, I have no idea where to even begin."
Cain pulled his friend close, resting his chin on top of the zipper. His hand smoothed over Glitch's back while he thought of his own awkward reunion with his son. He and Jeb at least had clear memories of each other. Glitch was hoping to find a daughter he had absolutely no memory of. Cain could not imagine what would happen should they find her.
But he knew they had to try. It was something Glitch needed, another piece of his lost past that had to be put back in place. Exchanging a look with the Queen, Cain promised, "Of course I'll help you."
** - "Locasta" was the name given to the Good Witch of the North, who I'm assuming is the same as the Queen, by Baum in his stage version.
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Date: 2008-04-20 02:53 am (UTC)A small, broken picture frame caught Cain's attention and he bent down to carefully pick up the fragile picture from within its cage of glass shards and wooden frame slivers. The smiling face of a little girl, with dark hair and deep brown eyes, looked back at him.
Standing up and holding it out to Glitch, he asked, "You know who this is?"
Glitch took the offered paper, brow crinkled in confusion. "I - no, I'm afraid not. She's cute, though," he smiled and gave a little head tilt as he studied the frozen face. "Perhaps Locasta would remember."
"Maybe," Cain replied, picking up his broom again to get back to work, only to have it pulled from his grasp again.
"I don't think this can wait," Glitch said softly, oddly focused. "Come on."
They found the Queen in her expansive office, picking up the shattered bits of a previous reign. Her daughters were with her, floating around the room with trash bags and brooms.
"Pardon the intrusion, Majesty, but Cain found something curious in my lab," Glitch announced as he strode across the room. He held up the picture for Locasta to see. "Do you know who this girl is?"
Gasping sharply, the Queen dropped the handful of papers she had gathered. "Oh, by the gods, Ambrose," she whispered harshly, staring at her former advisor. "Tell me you remember your own daughter."
Cain barely managed to reach Glitch as his legs suddenly refused to support him. Glitch stared at the picture in his hand, dazed, as Cain and DG knelt on either side of where he was sitting on the floor amid the debris. "Daughter? No, no, that can't be possible," Glitch mumbled under his breath, not really addressing anyone. "I can't have forgotten having a child."
Locasta crouched down next to her best friend, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry to have told you so abruptly," she said softly. "It was a shock to see that picture. I'm afraid I'm guilty of forgetting all about her; after...well, I've not seen nor heard from her in all these annuals."
"Do you think she's still out there?" Glitch asked in a tremulous voice, finally looking up.
"I suppose it's possible," she gave him a sad smile. "We'll start the search immediately."
Glitch nodded, looking terribly lost. He leaned against Cain's warm, familiar bulk, resting his head against a strong shoulder. "Will you help me? She must be nearly twenty annuals by now, I have no idea where to even begin."
Cain pulled his friend close, resting his chin on top of the zipper. His hand smoothed over Glitch's back while he thought of his own awkward reunion with his son. He and Jeb at least had clear memories of each other. Glitch was hoping to find a daughter he had absolutely no memory of. Cain could not imagine what would happen should they find her.
But he knew they had to try. It was something Glitch needed, another piece of his lost past that had to be put back in place. Exchanging a look with the Queen, Cain promised, "Of course I'll help you."
**
- "Locasta" was the name given to the Good Witch of the North, who I'm assuming is the same as the Queen, by Baum in his stage version.