The Bell Chimes Rose’s Nocturne [Closed]

It took a moment for everything to register in Cheshire's brain. He recalled why he was here soon enough but it took longer for it to register that he was being referred to as "papa". Cheshire face reddened slightly and he nodded.

"Y-Yes I... had a good sleep," Cheshire muttered, petting Bell's head warmly. "You uh... you look nice in an apron Liseran. Like a real house wife."

Cheshire had no idea why he said that and the moment he realized he did, he averted his gaze nervously.

"Papa?" Liseran said as she tilted her head, but she decided to let it pass as Bell looked extremely happy. Hearing Cheshire's comment, she flinched a bit and immediately looked away. Her face turned bright red.

"Y-you think so?" she said nervously. "I um...well...th-thank you. Oh, my the eggs!"

Liseran whirled around to catch the eggs in the pan before they decided to burn. Bell giggled as she hugged Cheshire and then let go to take his hand.

"Let's eat now, Papa," the little girl said as she led him to the table.

"I learned from Lena that you arrived," Liseran told Cheshire as she served breakfast.

There was a basket of hot rolls, a platter of bacon and eggs. A pitcher of chilled orange juice stood next to three glasses.

"There you go," Liseran said as she placed down toasted bread and jam before finally sitting down. Bell sat in between her and Cheshire.

"Yummy~" Bell muttered as she looked at her food. Liseran turned to Cheshire and smiled.

"I'm sorry you had to come all the way out here," she said. "I hope it wasn't too much of a bother. And thank you for watching Bell."

"It wasn't a problem at all," Cheshire murmured as he nervously scratched the back of his head.

Liseran felt herself blush and she looked away for a bit.

"Well, if you say so," she said bashfully. Bell looked like the only one there who didn't feel awkward about the situation and she was eating hastily and getting food all over her face and clothes.

"It's yummy, Mama!" Bell beamed at Liseran. Liseran forgot her nervousness momentarily and smiled, wiping the little girl's face.

"Don't eat so fast," Liseran said. "You'll choke."

"Okay, Mama," Bell said. She then turned over to Cheshire. "Papa, eat now. Your food is getting cold."

Upon hearing the word "Papa" Liseran's eyes widened again and she looked at Cheshire and smiled sheepishly.

"It looks like Bell's taken a liking to you," Liseran said.

"Cheshy is Papa," Bell said as if reciting a school lesson.

"I guess I ended up in the same position as you," Cheshire smiled sheepishly, eating the breakfast neatly and cleanly. "I mean... it's not like I mind.... I've always wanted a daughter and all..." Cheshire cleared his throat. "I just sort of suspected it wouldn't happen until after I was married..."

The blush of Liseran's cheeks spread to her entire face as she lowered her head, slightly embarrassed.

"W-well, of course no one would suspect it before..." Liseran said nervously laughing. She lifted her head to look at Bell who was now chomping a piece of bacon at a rapid rate. Liseran couldn't help but smile and then petted her head. "However...I think Bell deserves people to take care of her. I just couldn't say no to that."

Bell lifted her eyes to Liseran and smiled, her dark eyes shimmering.

"I love you, Mama," she beamed. And then, turning to Cheshire. "I love you, Papa."

Before the two could reply, Bell got off her seat and hurried out of the kitchen area. "Bathroom," she said as she ran on her bare feet.

As Bell left, Liseran remained silent for a moment and then sighed. Her hands were twiddling fingers again, as she did when she was nervous or anxious.

"I was really worried about what was going to happen to her," Liseran explained to Cheshire. "No parents, no clues to where she came from...no memory...she looked so alone."

Liseran hand came to her chest and she clutched the cloth of her apron a bit.

"I didn't want her to experience that," she said softly. "What I felt as a girl when my parents were gone."

Liseran wasn't touching her food anymore and seemed to just be staring at a wall. The memories of the family quarters being so empty. No one to talk to, no one to be with. She then heard Bell's voice echoing from the bathroom, humming the Big Dumpling Family song. She  smiled and closed her eyes.

"But now that Bell's here, she seems so happy," she said. "And even I'm having a hard time thinking she'd never been part of my life. She grows on you, that way."

Liseran then leaned over to Cheshire, smiling affectionately as a hand caressed his cheek.

"You make her happy, too," Liseran said. "So I want to thank you for that as well. I think you mean a lot to her, now. And you, well, being 'father'..."

Liseran blushed a bit more and looked off to the side before kissing Cheshire on the cheek.

"Makes things feel a little more...complete."

Cheshire averted his eyes embarrassingly. "Sh-She's a good kid," he stammered, "I still want to find out where she came from... but..." Cheshire slowly looked at Liseran, a slight tinge of red on his cheeks. "Well... it's not like it would be.... terrible to have a family like this... with you..."

"We'll do our best to find out who her real parents are, I promise. And..." Liseran's voice trailed off for a moment before she looked at Cheshire again to smile warmly. "And I wouldn't mind having a family like this, too, for the meantime."

With that, she finally sat back into her chair, just around the same time Bell came from the bathroom.

"All done," Bell said in a sing-song voice as she returned to the table. She hugged Liseran before sitting down again. Liseran giggled as Bell tried to scoop up the last remains of her egg with her fork.

"Alright, who's ready for sandwiches?"

***

Breakfast had gone on with no problems and in fact, had been delightful for Liseran. Bell was full of chatter, telling Liseran and Cheshire the books she read while they had been gone, talking about where she'd like to go in the Archives today. Liseran listened patiently, nodding and smiling. Finally, once the meal was done, Liseran looked at her watch to see it was seven o' clock. Her eyebrows suddenly furrowed.

"It looks like I should get ready," Liseran said standing up.

"No!" Bell said abruptly. Her face was filled with panic. "Mama, please don't go back into the dungeon!"

Bell stood up to hug Liseran again, her eyes imploring her to stay.

"I'm sorry, Bell," Liseran said sincerely apologetic. "I...I really have to. It's important."

Bell's mouth quivered and she turned to Cheshire.

"Papa, please make Mama stay," she begged.

Bell didn't need to tell Cheshire twice. The faunus had already shot up from his chair and grabbed Liseran's arm, looking at her sternly.

"You just came back last night and you were beyond exhausted," Cheshire stated firmly, "Rest. I know this is important but it can wait a day or two while you recover. Don't just charge in head first into a wall repetitively hoping it'll break down eventually."

"Cheshire..." Liseran murmured. "It's important I do this. I can't waste time-"

"Mama, please?" Bell pleaded. "Please stay with me and Papa...just for today."

Bell's eyes began to fill with tears and Liseran sighed with a smile, scooping Bell up to hug her closer.

"Okay, okay," she said trying to cheer Bell up. "I'll not go. Just for today."

Bell beamed and hugged Liseran tighter before letting go and tugging Cheshire and hugging him.

"Thank you, Papa," Bell smiled. "Mama's staying today."

Liseran crossed her arms and sighed in exasperation.

"Well, Head Mistress said I needed a day off..." Liseran said thoughtfully. She walked closer to the two. "So what do you want to do now? We can go around the Archives for a tour, but the day's pretty nice for a stroll on the shore of the bay."

"Papa, let's have a picnic!" Bell urged. "Let's, please?"

The little girl looked at Cheshire as if he had all the answers. As if he just needed to say something and it was going to happen. She waited patiently as Liseran watched form where she was, admiring the little scene.

"Well, okay," Cheshire smiled warmly, rubbing Bell's little head. "If that's what you want then let's go have a picnic. Anything you want to eat in particular?"

"Lots of things," Bell smiled as she cuddled up to him. "Chicken and pie and cakes and sammiches. Fruits and cookies and stuff! Oh yes, and dumplings! We can't forget dumplings! And..."

Liseran giggled a bit as the girl listed off what she wanted. She moved closer towards them.

“Alright, we’ll head to the bay shore for a picnic after I tidy up here,” Liseran said once things were decided. "I can handle preparing the food and all."

And then, looking at Bell, she stroked the girl’s hair. “But you need a shower first, young lady.”

Bell nodded obediently.

“Okay, Mama,” she said.

Liseran smiled and looked at Cheshire. “I’m just going to bathe her for a bit and get her ready,” she said. “Before we go, we’ll drop by Head Mistress Stay’s study. I need to ask her about something.”

“Mama,” Bell said. “I want to shower so I smell like raspberries!”

The little girl was tugging playfully on Liseran’s dress and she couldn’t help but giggle. “Alright, alright,” she said. “Cheshire, you can get ready yourself, too. The bay’s a little sandy, so I’m not sure if you want to be wearing anything too fancy. Oh, we'll need a big umbrella and a blanket. You'll find those in the spare room.”

With that, Bell dragged Liseran away and left Cheshire alone in the living area. Around the same time, he would receive a phone call from Vixen. Once he answered, she’d speak.

“My vision told me things are sorted out for now regarding the little girl,” Vixen said. “How’s Liseran doing after last night?”

"She seems well," Cheshire answered, "Still too stubborn for her own good though. She wanted to go again today. Luckily, Bell and I talked her out of it. We're going on a picnic today but it looks like Liseran is set on going tomorrow."

"Hmm..." Vixen said thoughtfully. "I'm glad to hear she's okay. But you won't be able to stop her from going for too long. I have a feeling that Rose's weapon means a lot to Liseran. But just keep an eye for her. A picnic, eh? Hopefully that will let her relax. I'll have to go now, I have customers to take tend to. Thanks for everything."

***

It wasn't too long before Liseran had Bell out of the bathroom and rushed her to the bedroom to get changed into a yellow summer dress. After that, Liseran moved on to doing chores. Like a real housewife, Liseran set to work with tidying things up. It had been a week already and she felt it only right to clean the family quarters. Tying her hair back with a kerchief and keeping her navy blue apron on, she vacuumed, wiped surfaces and dusted, Bell trying to be a good little helper along the way. Both of the girls insisting Cheshire just sit down and relax.

Once that was done, Liseran moved on to packing things for the picnic. Everyone was still full at the moment, but later on they were probably going to want to eat a lot. In a large basket, she placed an assortment of sandwiches. Sandwiches with meat, some with jams and peanut butter, deviled ham ones, too. She also placed a chicken pie she had cooked the other die after pre-warming it in the oven. Bell made her way to put in the oatmeal cookies and the dumplings (which she had painted eyes on). After that and placing the beverages they were all set to go. Liseran dropped by Head Mistress' Stay's office, but it wasn't for long.

Since the Vale Archives was isolated, the sandy shore stretched on miles and miles without anyone in sight. The sun was bright, but not scorching and there was a light breeze in the air that was just enough to gently push the waves onto the shore. Bell held Cheshire and Liseran's hands as she walked between them, Liseran wearing her own summer dress and a wide brim hat.

They found a soft just a few meters from the water and everything was laid down on a nice checkered blanket.

"Isn't this nice, Papa?" Bell asked cheerily. "I wish I had seen this, then I wouldn't have been so scared last night."

"It is nice, isn't it?' Cheshire said, petting Bell's little head. Cheshire wore a black hoodie and black cargo shorts, wearing opened toe sandals and black fingerless gloves. It was literally the closest thing he had to beach clothes. "Why don't you go play for a while? Be sure to stay where we can see you, okay?"

When Bell would run off, Cheshire would murmur to Liseran, "She has your semblance..."

"Okay, Papa," Bell smiled. "I'm going find seashells!"

"Don't go too near the water," Liseran said as the girl ran off. "You'll get your dress wet!"

Liseran turned to Cheshire and looked a bit surprised at the remark.

"She does?" Liseran said tilting her head. "Are...are you sure? Because when she was with me she was able to perform a Remembrance. She said she 'saw' how lonely I was before. And she was successful in determining a brief past for Head Mistress Stay. That's the entire reason they really let her stay. Because she had that semblance."

Liseran looked at Bell unsurely.

"It's not possible for a person to have two semblances, right?"

"It's unheard of," Cheshire murmured. "Maybe... it's not the kind of semblance we thought it was... It could be something else that just seemed similar..."

Cheshire looked down in thought, his ears twitching restlessly. "But it still leaves me uneasy. She looks just like you other then the black hair and her semblance is a lot like yours too..."

The last statement made Liseran feel a little sad. She sighed and hugged her knees as she looked at Bell who was looking at seashells from afar.

"It's strange, I know," Liseran said, a hint of melancholy in her voice. "You're not the only one that's said that regarding how she looks."

She lowered her head a bit.

"It's physically impossible for her to be my daughter," Liseran said. "I've been in the Archives all my life...and I spent it alone. I also don't understand why she refers to me as her mother. Could it be possible someone happens to look like me? It is, but you're right about the semblance. Grandmere (Vixen) told me she had no siblings and that father had no siblings. So unless someone else happens to have The Sight, I can't make of what Bell is."

Bell's giggle echoed from where she was, when the two looked, she would be seen getting near the waves and then running away from it as it clashed back onto the shore.

"But I did feel a connection," Liseran admitted. "Like I was supposed to be her mother. It's crazy, yes, but...that's really the main reason I took her in."

Liseran lifted her head and leaned a bit to Cheshire, her eyes looking at him nervously.

"Cheshire...you believe me, right?" she said. "I...I hate to ask, but do you believe me when I say Bell's not my biological daughter? I would never hide something like that from you."

Cheshire looked at her and kissed her on the forehead. "Of course I believe you. I could never doubt you."

Cheshire looked back at Bell almost with wonder. "Liseran... I did too," Cheshire murmured, "I don't know when it started but... I felt like I just had to protect her. I felt... a bond. As if I was truly her father... I don't know... but for some reason I see her as our daughter... And I can't bring myself to think anything else..."

Liseran felt her eyes water a bit and she let off a small chuckle as she leaned back and wiped them away, looking as Bell held a seashell up to the sun. Unconsciously, Liseran's hand squeezed Cheshire's affectionately.

"Our daughter..." she murmured.

They stayed quiet for a while and eventually Bell returned carrying a bunch of shells in the skirt of her dress.

"Mama, Papa," Bell said. "I have a lot of seashells!"

She laid them out near the blanket and then proceeded to hug her 'parents'.

"That's wonderful, Bell," Liseran said stroking the girl's back. "Are you hungry yet?"

Bell nodded.

"Let's eat, then."

"Oh, wait," Bell said.

"Hm?"

The little girl let go of Cheshire and Liseran and moved over to her collection of shells. She lifted up two necklaces made from the straw string of her hat. Each one had a petal-shaped shell dangling in the middle.

"I made these," the little girl said. "I punctured them with another shell then tied it. They're for you."

She handed the pink-tinted one to Liseran who could only smile and try to hold back a soft sheen of tears. Bell then handed the blue-tinted shell to Cheshire.

"For you, Papa."

Cheshire put on the necklace and rubbed Bell's head affectionately. "Well aren't you a clever little crafter?" Cheshire said, "It's wonderful. Thank you Bell."

Liseran put on her own and lifted it up to look at it, the topaz ring on the hand she was using glowing brightly.

"Such happy days..." she murmured to herself before looking at Cheshire and Bell affectionately.

Liseran set out the food. Bell ate as messily as ever and Liseran nibbled thoughtfully on a sandwich as the little girl showed her and Cheshire the kinds of shells she had gotten. After a small snack, Bell took from the basket an inflatable ball and began to blow into it. When she was done, she turned to Cheshire.

"Papa, let's play," she said.

"Alright, alright," Cheshire conceded, "But go easy on your old man. I am not as spry as I used to be."

Liseran laughed at Cheshire's statement.

"You two play while I watch the food," Liseran said.

"Okay, Mama," Bell said as she ran off into the distance, hoping Cheshire would follow her. When she was far enough, she lifted the ball into the air and put her arms together in order to give it a good volley serve. "Get it, Papa!" she cried out when she hit it and it came into the air.

The ball flew high and should have been in Cheshire's reach, but a strong wind blew and the light beach ball hovered over to a short distance to where Liseran and the food was.

"I'll get it," Liseran called out as she stood up.

Liseran smiled as she looked at the two and then focused to where the ball was. It had landed on the soft sand and Liseran stooped down to pick it up. Laughing, she decided to hand it back with her own serve.

"Heads up!" she said as she threw the ball into the air to hit it with her right hand. But her hand dropped as her she stiffened and her eyes widened. Her mouth drew open and there was a shocked expression on her face. The ball dropped onto the floor as Liseran fell to her knees and then collapsed onto the sand.

Cheshire immediately ran to Liseran's side and knelt down in front of her, holding her shoulders to steady her. "Liseran," Cheshire called out, "Are you having another vision? It's okay, please, just calm down. I'm here. We're here. It's okay Liseran. Please calm down."

As Cheshire held her up, her eyes stayed wide open, her mouth trying to say something, but choking on its words. Her entire body was stiff, so stiff it was rigidly trembling. Liseran's lips moved, but no sound came it. Finally, her eyes closed and her head dropped onto Cheshire's shoulder.

"Mama!" Bell said as she ran over to Cheshire and Liseran. Bell looked up to Cheshire. "Papa, what's wrong with her? Is she sick?"

The little girl had small tears in her eyes, but she looked like she was trying to hold them back. She tried stirring Liseran awake by pushing her arm.

"Mama?" Bell said. "Mama!"

Liseran was quiet and her skin looked incredibly pale, her chest barely rising and falling.

"We have to bring her back!" Bell urged.

Without another word, Cheshire lifted up Liseran, carrying her in a princess carry, and ran all the way back to the archives.