xx.

"Mary! I'm home!" Eleanor yelled as she walked into her home.

"I'm in here! Theres someone I wish for you to meet." Mary's voice echoed down the hall, along with the hushed whispers of a man.

Eleanor slipped off her coat before gently hanging it up and hurrying into the kitchen. She jumped slightly when she noticed a man sitting at the kitchen table, he resembled Mary in many ways. They had the same nose, same complexion, and the same crooked smile.

"Uh...hello." Eleanor said awkwardly as she swayed from left to right.

"Eleanor, this is my son...Elijah." Mary grinned ear to ear.

"It's lovely to meet you Miss Eleanor, Mary here has told me plenty about you and your infamous cooking." Elijah winked as he placed a soft kiss to the top of her hand.

"Oh...thank you." Eleanor gave him a soft smile before she heard the cry of Delphine.

"I'll get her." Mary smiled before hurrying off into the other room.

Eleanor watched as Mary left the room before turning back to Elijah, he had a look of shock written on his face.

"Look who's here Delly, it's your big brother." Mary cooed as she gently bounced the baby, bringing it over to Elijah.

"Would you like to hold her?" Mary asked as she started to give the baby to him, but he quickly backed away and shook his head.

"I'm home!" Bash smiled as he came walking in the through the back door, tracking in mud.

"Bash! I've told you about the boots." Eleanor chuckled as she grabbed one of the cleaning rags and tossed it to him.

"My apologies Eleanor, I was just excited to see my girls." Bash grinned as he noticed Mary holding Delphine, his eyes narrowed slightly at Elijah.

"How you been keeping Bash?" Elijah asked as he shook Bash's hand.

"Been hoping to see you out here Elijah." Bash nodded.

"Well I guess it was about high time I came down here to visit, I just never expected to see so many faces all at once I suppose." He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yep, since we moved into Gilbert and Eleanor's home, it's been a little busy." Mary giggled.

Elijah nodded his head before sneaking a quick glance to Eleanor who was staring daggers at him as he tried to give him a soft smile.

"Mary, would you like me to take Delphine and change her?" Eleanor asked as she gently grabbed the baby.

"Thank you Elle, I'll be getting lunch ready." Mary smiled.

Eleanor quickly and swiftly walked from the room and into Mary and Bash's room where Delphine stays. She gently unbuttoned Delphine's bottoms while humming a soft tune to relax the sleepy baby girl.

"You've got a voice like silk you know, I think Delphine agrees with me." Elijah's voice made Eleanor jump slightly.

She muttered a quick "thanks" before trying to return back to changing Delphine.

Delphine let out a small cry as Eleanor put her little pants back on, Eleanor was quick to pick the baby up and jump her gently.

"Would you like to hold her?" Eleanor asked as she noticed Elijah staring at the baby.

"I'm filthy from travels, wouldn't want to dirty up the shiny new baby." Elijah scoffed.

Eleanor narrowed her eyes at the boy before starting for the kitchen, she could feel Elijah's judge eyes staring at her before she turned the corner.

"I'm going to put so much farm fresh food into my boy he won't fit through the front door!" Mary squealed as she started cooking.

Bash took Delphine from Eleanor as Elijah stood and watched in the doorway of the kitchen. Eleanor shoved past him before going to her and Gilbert's room and slamming the door shut.

She didn't know why she was so angry, she just couldn't shake the feeling that Elijah was up to no good.

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"Get any sleep?" Mary asked as she jumped baby Delphine.

"Hardly, aren't mothers supposed to have this magical touch to caring for baby's? What's she crying for anyways?" Elijah asked as he gently stumbled into the kitchen.

Eleanor glanced up from where she was cutting the potatoes, she stopped for a moment as she watched Elijah get all up in Delphine and Mary's face.

"You've got everything Delphine, a house....a daddy...you even got yourself a fancy white daddy too." Elijah scoffed as he stumbled back before catching himself on a chair.

Eleanor stood up and gently took Delphine from Mary as she could see the woman about to get angry. She bounced the baby before placing it into her woven cradle basket and gently rocked it before going back to cutting potatoes.

"Got something you'd like to say?" Elijah raised an eyebrow as he stared at his mother.

"There are plenty of things I would like to say." Eleanor mumbled under her breath.

Elijah shot her a glare before Mary finally spoke up.

"I want you here so much Elijah, but I do not want you drinking around this baby you hear that?" Mary's "mother" voice was set into action as she turned to do something to help with preparing dinner.

"I see how it is, it's the do-over. You wouldn't want your new baby getting corrupted but he one that came out ruined, ain't that right?"

Mary shook her head gently to shake the thought of that off as she cut up some other vegetables.

Eleanor watched as Elijah knocked over a tin kettle, it clanged on the floor as Mary let out a groan of pain.

"Mary!" Bash yelled as he came running over to her.

"Elijah! I saw what you just did." Eleanor hissed.

"Oh I see how it is, we've got the big papa hero, can I call you that? Papa? Then we got the little snitch over here." Elijah winked.

"I only cut myself a little I'm fine." Mary waved Bash's worried looks off.

"See the thing is, I was the one she didn't want...she wanted you. She was just too stupid to keep her skirt down." Elijah grinned as he stared at Delphine.

Bash started charging for Elijah but Mary placed a soft hand to his chest, Eleanor had rose from her seat and was starting for him as well.

"It's time you take your leave." Bash demanded.

"Eleanor, Bash." Mary said softly, Eleanor turned to look at the woman as she shook her head.

Eleanor backed down softly as she walked over and stood beside Bash, the two glaring at the boy.

"Go lie down, and sober up." Mary growled.

Elijah shrugged before turning and walking down the hallway, once the click of a door was heard Mary took a few deep breaths. Bash reached out to touch her but she flinched away, shaking her head before walking back over to the potatoes.

"I'll go talk to him." Eleanor gave Bash a soft smile as he sunk down on the kitchen bench with a sigh and a nod.

Eleanor gently knocked on the door that she seen Elijah walk into, which just so happened to be the room right beside her and Gilbert's.

"I don't do very well with discipline, so if you try to wash my mouth out with soap I'm going to disagree." Elijah smirked as he tossed the top hat he tried on, onto the bed.

"THere's not enough soap in the world for that." Eleanor grumbled as she crossed her arms.

Elijah chuckled softly before shaking his head and flopping down onto the bed, the two stared at each other before Eleanor spoke.

"You must be tired, coming all the way here, finding out your mom had another baby. It's a lot I understand-"

"Do you? You my friend?" Elijah asked as he hopped up from the bed and got all in her face.

"I'm not your friend, and you're not mine. We're living in the same house, we have to get along somehow. At least do it for Mary."

"I'll do nothing for that whore-"

SLAP

Eleanor glared at Elijah as he grabbed onto his face, a red hand print now lingering his cheek as he laughed.

"You've got some spice to you, maybe that's why Mary and Bash are keeping you around. For laughs."

"We're a family, you would understand that if you took your head from your ass and tried to communicate." Eleanor hissed before turning to walk out.

Elijah grabbed firmly onto her wrist, making her spin back around and stare at him.

"You will never be my family, and neither will Bash." he snapped.

"Fine by me." Eleanor hissed before pulling her hand away and slamming the door.

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Eleanor sat in her room later that night as she stared at the picture on her nightstand. It was a picture of her childhood, her, her mother, Alvin, Harvey, and her father were all smiling and laughing in New York.

Water droplets started dripping down the picture frame as she tried her best to blink back the tears.

A soft knock on the door made her wipe her face and sniffle, with a quick deep breath she spoke.

"Come in." her voice broke softly as she mentally kicked herself.

"Eleanor..." Gilbert's voice made her ball her fist slightly.

"What." she snapped.

Gilbert stepped back slightly before taking a deep breath and walking to sit beside her, he placed a hand over her balled fist before she pulled it away.

"You told me you were going to come home early and we could go see them." Eleanor sighed as her fist fell open.

"I-I know...I got caught up at the doctors office."

"Doing what? Talking to Winifred?" Eleanor mumbled as she shoved the picture back into her nightstand drawer and slamming it shut.

"I-I didn't...I don't know what you're talking about." Gilbert stated.

"Oh don't play coy with me Gilbert, I hear the way you talk about her to Moody and Thomas." Eleanor yelled as she blinked back tears, finally looking down to look at him.

He immediately jumped up and tried to reach for her but she shoved him away, he stumbled back before falling back onto the bed. A small purple flower floated down out of his jacket, along with a small sugar packet saying "Charlottetown Tea".

Eleanor felt her heart shatter, he had went to tea with Winifred.

"Eleanor it's not what it looks like-" he started but she shook her head.

"Save it Gilbert, I've known about this for a while. ." she sighed before grabbing out her trunk.

Gilbert watched in horror as she packed a few of her favorite dresses and hairbrushes into the trunk before slamming it shut and pulling it off the bed.

"I need some time to think." she sniffled before turning towards the door.

"Eleanor please...it didn't mean anything." Gilbert begged as he grabbed her wrist.

Her eyes darted towards her hand, three different boys had grabbed her wrist in the past year and a half and it was getting on her nerves.

Gilbert immediately let go as he remembered Billy Andrews the first day Eleanor came to school.

"I'm leaving, I'll come back when I feel ready to talk. Or maybe I won't." Eleanor sighed before turning and walking towards the front door.

"Eleanor? Where are you going?" Mary asked as she looked up from her book.

"I-I have to go for now Mary...it's not your or Bash's fault." Eleanor stated, tears forming in her eyes.

"Eleanor please just listen to me." Gilbert begged, tears now forming in his eyes.

"Was it Elijah? I'll tell him to go I will-" Mary started towards her but Eleanor shook her head.

"I-I'm sorry Mary...I'll see you." Eleanor smiled before opening the front door.

Bash and Mary were now staring at her with worry in their eyes, their hands clasped together. Delphine soft snored made Eleanor smile slightly before she shook her head. She turned back around and stared at the scene infront of her.

Gilbert was clasping the purple flower he had in his jacket pocket, the petals were falling slowly to the ground as he blinked away tears. Elijah was standing in the doorway to the kitchen as he watched all of them.

With one last sigh, Eleanor turned around and started back for her home.

Her other home.

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Winifred always starting drama.

words:2054