FIC: Dear Book Part 2 (1/3)

BY: Sully

SERIES: Steppin’ Up (1/5)

RATED: PG-ish for now

SUMMARY: I’s takes th’ next step.

* * * * * * * * *

Dear Book,

‘s been a while since I’s ‘ad anythin’ ta tell ya ‘bout.

That’s not ta say that thin’s ‘aven’t ‘appened since th’ last time I’s wrote, but nothin’… staggerin’ in its importance, if’n ya sees th’ distinction, mate, an’ I’s sure ya does.

Well.

Guess that kinda begs th’ question of what’s ‘appened ta make me pull ya from yer ‘idin’ place an’ set m’pen ta ya again, right? Right.

See, ‘s like this, book.

Wait.

Needs ta give ya th’ background first.

So there we was, me, m’petal, m’pepper an’ the rest of th’ fam’ly.

We was ‘angin’ about after th’ ‘alloween party, ‘avin’ a last drink an’ such ta celebrate, as it were.

Th’ party ‘ad been a bloody good time, what with Amy an’ ‘er Conner an’ Rella an’ ‘er One comin’, ‘long with Vamps, Obie an’ th’ rest of th’ fam’. There was drinks an’ games an’ even some dancin’.

An’ I’s got th’ most shrunken ‘eads! Traded ‘em fer a bleedin’ cute little fuzzy stuffed spider fer m’petal, I did. Seemed ta like it a good bit, seein’ as she spent th’ rest of th’ night with it perched on ‘er shoulder.

So’s we’d ‘ad some dancin’, some party games, even a bit of fun scarin’ th’ chits an’ blokes who’d gone through th’ ‘aunted ‘ouse.

But that was over then. It was th’ quiet an’ ‘appy part of th’ evenin’ when everythin’ was done an’ we was jus’ standin’ ‘round knowin’ everythin’ ‘ad gone even better than we’d thunk ‘t would.

Petal was ‘avin’ ‘erself one of them ‘ard lemonade’s she likes so much whilst me an’ Obie was sharin’ a Slaver’s Punch. ‘ave ta say, Dev makes ‘em even better than they does at the place we likes so much near ‘ome.

Pepper an’ ‘er Duke was chattin’ with th’ Pup, alla them sharin’ a glass of somethin’ purple an’ sweet-smellin’ while Punkin-‘ead an’ th’ big red ponce were all lip-locked in th’ corner. Can’t blame ‘em, rightly. They’d done a right good job with their part of th’ decoratin’, after all.

Th’ stunnin’ little winged chit an’ th’ evil bit was still dancin’ ta th’ music that was playin’ over th’ PA system, an’ Pepper, Rear an’ th’ Pup were laughin’ even more as Angel-pet an’ th’ Dog-bloke joined ‘em.

Right, then, book. Everyone was all settled an’ ‘avin’ a bloody good self-congratulatory moment, an’…

That’s when I’s looked over ta m’petal again, an’… ‘t was time. Time ta step up an’ be a man.

Didn’t matter that I was a bot an’ not anythin’ ‘uman. Didn’t matter that it was long past time ta do what I was plannin’ ta do.

Th’ only thing that mattered right then was… it was time. Past time.

‘t was past time, but somehow fittin’ that it be that night. Th’ night when th’ walls between th’ worlds was thinnest. When th’ lines between th’ livin’ an’ not was at their most blurred.

Might not make sense ta ya, book, but it made sense ta me. Still does, ta be ‘onest.

I ‘ates ta admit it, even ta ya, mate, but… I’s was nervous.

Knew me an’ Petal ‘ad talked ‘bout this. Knew we’d even spoken of th’ date. But… there she was, ‘avin’ such a bloody good time, an’… I’s was almost afraid she’d be reluctant ta leave th’ family.

Took a good ten more minutes ta work m’self up ta leanin’ ta ‘er ear an’ whisperin’ soft and low.

“Thin’ ‘s time t’ ge’ outta ‘ere, petal-mine,” I’s told ‘er, my ‘and slippin’ up ‘er arm ta m’ mark on ‘er neck.

‘t wasn’t til ‘er shinin’ eyes met mine that I knew I’d been a bloody fool. Petal’d been waitin’ just as much as I ‘ad all night an’… if’n I ‘ad a real, ‘uman ‘eart, it woulda stopped right then.

Good thing I don’t, though, b’cuz I wouldn’t be tellin’ ya alla this right now, would I? An’… I wouldn’t ‘ave known th’ sorta bliss I knows now.

“Just let me say good night to Luc and everyone else and I’ll be ready to go, Tigger,” she said, smilin’ that bloody wonderful smile of ‘ers an’ once again I’s was ‘appy ta be non-‘uman. Woulda died just from th’ look on ‘er face.

Almost felt bad sayin’ g’night ta Obie, but what we was goin’ ta do wasn’t somethin’ I wanted ta invite ‘im inta, no matter ‘ow much I might care fer th’ bloke. Nah, this time… this time was goin’ ta be just me an’ m’petal.

So’s I kissed ‘im g’night, book. Kissed m’ mates. Passed out ‘ugs ta th’ rest before kissin’ Obie again.

An’ then… I took m’petal’s ‘and as she finished ‘er own round of g’nights, an’… we was off.

I’s didn’t tell ‘er where we was goin’, book. Wanted ta surprise ‘er, an’ I think I’s did.

Pepper winked at me when she saw we was ready, an’… next thing we’s knew, me an’ petal was there in th’ castle.

Yer a book, bloke, so I’s pretty sure ya an’ th’ others of yer kind talk in some way we non-book folk don’t understand. That bein’ th’ case, ya knows th’ castle I’s talkin’ about. An’ if not, I’s sure one of yer friends can tell ya.

‘s th’ one in Bavaria.

Bloody ‘ell, book. I’s just looked at th’ clock.

Need ta be gettin’ ta work, I does, so’s I’ll tell ya more later.

Thanks fer listenin’, mate.

Yer friend,

Sully