꧁ To family ꧂

Brooke's eyes snapped wide open. She was breathing heavily, as if she had been running. She was clammy cold with sweat. Her body was still trembling.
"Just another nightmare." She thought, trying to steady her breathing. She slowly sat up from under the soaked sheets, running a hand into her messy hair. Her gaze focused on the still warm ashes of the fireplace in front of the bed. They looked like tiny bright red stars in a dark galaxy; as beautiful to see as painful to touch.
A high-pitched sound from her computer called her back to reality.
She took another long breath, rose up from her bed, and made herself presentable before going downstairs. What she needed now, was a good breakfast.

"Good morning." She said with a smile, entering the living room.

"Oh, good morning." Oswald greeted her, raising his head from the book he was reading.

"How did you sleep?" She asked politely, as she went to sit on the couch opposite to the one he was on.

"Very well, thank you." He replied. "The bed is very soft." He then added shyly.

Brooke chuckled at his childish attitude. She was starting to doubt that the man in front of her was the same person everyone talked about.
She quickly glanced the pendulum clock in the corner of the room. It was almost 10.00am. "You've already had breakfast, I suppose?" She asked, looking back at Oswald.

"Yes." He answered, a little confused by the question. Then realization hit him: she had not. "But please, by all means, eat. Do you want some company or should I-"

"I'd love your company, Oswald." She chuckled, standing up from the couch. "So, have you met the family, yet?" She suddenly inquired.

"Oh, yes, this morning." He replied, looking up at her. "They were all so kind to me. I feel so lucky. So grateful."

"I'm glad to hear it." She told him, giving him the best smile she could manage. "I'll be right back." She then added, heading towards the kitchen.

She came back shortly after, a full plate in in her hands.

"Eggs and bacon. Good choice." Oswald chuckled, watching her sit cross-legged in her spot on the couch and put the plate on the armrest.

"Yep." She simply replied, starting to eat. "All right. I'll confess. I'm not really able to cook much else. But don't you dare tell anyone. It's a secret. Understand?" She added, faking an angry voice and pointing the fork she was using towards him.

"You're threatening me with a fork." He muttered, giving her a confused look.

"Yes, I am." She stated.

They both burst into laughter.

"All right, all right. I'll keep my mouth shut. I promise." He said, raising his hands in surrender.

"So," she spoke again, "what were you reading?" She asked, nodding to the book that Oswald had placed on the coffee table between the two sofas.

"Oh, it's a book Elijah gave me." He replied. "It's a ghost story, apparently. But it's not a scary one. It's-"

"The Canterville Ghost." She simply stated.

"Yes." He confirmed, a sunned look on his face. "How-How did you know?"

"I know the books of this house. I've probably already read them all." She told him. "And also I like Oscar Wilde." She added, grinning.

Oswald was not too surprised by her words. He felt that she was a reader. However, that reminded him of how she was forced to live locked up in that house, a wonderful house of course, and with a loving family, but it still had to be hard to never be able to go outside.

He looked at her with sad eyes. "I'm sorry about your," he had to stop, not really knowing how to address the question, "situation." He eventually said.

"My situation?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows at him.

"Elijah and Grace told me about your health's problem." He explained calmly.

If looks could kill, Oswald knew he would be dead. He saw pure rage in the girl's eyes, and a darkness that he never expected to find there. He was petrified.

She lowered her head for a moment. Then she looked back to him, with a grin on her lips. "Yes. Right. That." She blurted out.

Once again, Grace lied, used her as a toy in her game, and Brooke did nothing to stop her.

"I am so sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I shouldn't have said-" Oswald try to apologize.

His voice sounded almost like a whisper. He seemed truly scare by her changed behavior, which made Brooke realize that she had turned her anger to the wrong person.

"Oswald, relax. It's fine, really. It's all right."  She interrupted him, giving him a small smile.

"So, you're not mad at me?" He muttered.

She shook her head, her smile becoming bigger. "Why would I be? It's not your fault." She told him. And she meant it.

·  ♛  ·

Brooke had spent all the day with Oswald, and she hadn't laughed that much in years. It took the man a while to unwind and open up to her, but eventually he must have realized that she was not a threat.

She liked him. She liked his childish manner, his genuine curiosity about her, his innocence, his kindness. However, Brooke could not help but wonder where all these good manners came from: she had read and heard many stories about him, but the character depicted in those stories was totally the opposite of the man she was beginning to know. Liar, manipulator, ruthless, brutal were just some of the adjectives that had always characterized the Penguin, but the woman believed that none of them were suitable to describe their guest.

With those thoughts in mind, she put on one of the several black dresses that occupied her wardrobe. It was a simple, sheath-dress, with long sleeves and a v-neck. She matched it with her mother's necklace. It was a simple jewel, a little bright diamond attached to a white gold chain. Brooke was very fond of it; it was rare not to see it around her neck. She then slipped on a pair of black heels, checked her hair and makeup one last time and went downstairs.

The woman had never understood the reason for so much formality at dinner. She hated having to dress to the nines every night. And the shoes hurt. For that reason, she often used the excuse of the health issue, which her dear stepmother so kindly had provided her, and she enjoyed her dinner in her pajamas, sitting on the soft mattress of her bed.
But that evening she had no escape, Elijah had personally asked her to be present to welcome Oswald into the family. And she certainly could not leave her only friend to the harpies. So Brooke forced a smile on her face and entered the living room.

From the disapproving look that Grace gave her the moment she saw her, it seemed like she was the last to arrive. Brooke gulped heavily, greeted the guest of honor and made her way to the corner of the room, so as to avoid the glances and unpleasant comments of his family.

Resting on a side table there was a tray richly decorated, with a prestigious bottle of champagne and glasses on top.
Grace poured the wine into the glasses and each took one. Brooke also went to get her own, and then returned to her secluded spot.

Elijah lifted up his glass, folding his lips into a big smile. "A toast." He announced. "I want to thank you all for your generosity. You have welcomed Oswald into our family with open arms and open hearts, and for that I am Truly blessed." He said, turning his gaze to each of those present.

Oswald chuckled softly, trying to hide the embarrassment. "To family." He said, raising the glass in turn. "Uh, you guys have made me the happiest man on the planet. I am so Grateful. I love you all." He confessed. His red cheeks and shining eyes were a sign that those words came from his heart.

"Family." Grace smiled from Elijah's side, bringing her glass to touch Oswald's.

"To family." He echoed her, together with Sasha and Charles.

Among the five there was a ticking of glasses and an exchange of smiles. Sasha even kissed Oswald's cheek, who trembled with embarrassment, and Charles shook his hand.

Oswald was unable to contain the joy he was feeling, but he suddenly realized that someone was missing. His worried look quickly scanned the room in search of Brooke. He found her in the corner of the room. She smiled at him and slightly raised the glass, nodding before drinking the contents in one breath. He shook his head and smiled back, before his attention was again called by Grace.

From her isolated spot, Brooke watched the scene with apprehension. Her lips were bent in a grimace resembling a smile. Her eyes were sad. Oswald really seemed to be a good person, fragile and in need of affection. From the glitter in his eyes, Brooke could've tell that the man believed he had finally found what he had been looking for. A house, a family, a bit of love. But little did he know that concept was foreign to Grace and her children.

Not long after, Brooke's attention was called back by Elijah, who placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Let's move to the dining room, my dear." He told her with a smiled.

She nodded in response and started to walk beside him.

"Is everything all right, my dear?" He asked her, looking down at her with frowned eyebrows. She seemed to be surprised by his question, so he chuckled. "You're hungry, aren't you?" He assumed.

"Starving." She lied, keeping a smile on her lips.

Once they entered the dining room, Elijah went to take his place at the head of the table. Brooke, on the other hand, approached the chair next to Oswald.

"And so it begins." She thought, sitting down.

·  ♛  ·

Nearly a month after Oswald's arrival, Brooke's life had improved more than she ever thought possible.

The woman, who had always been used to spending her days locked in her room, so as to avoid having contact with Grace, Charles or Sasha if not when strictly necessary, had begun to be seen outside more often. She had rediscovered her love for the library, where it was easier to find her, but she no longer had any problem staying in the living room or dining room, getting on the nerves of the lady of the house, who hated even the idea of her presence.
The addition of Oswald to the family had restored Brooke's confidence. His company was comfortable and fun, and the woman found herself looking for him more and more often. The two became close very quickly, which did not go unnoticed by the other family members. And if Elijah watched their relationship grow with a heart full of love, joy and pride, Grace was terrified. And fear always brings out the worst of people.