Let me Help!

Chapter 9- go easy on her.

She smiles softly then turns around when hearing a door open. She looks back at the sound, and slowly makes her way to go stand behind me. I don't think she realizes this though. Moments later a sleep written Claire enters, rubbing her eyes. She looked sad and I tried to hide my concern.

"Good morning, dear. Is something the matter?" I ask her, not sure if my concern is hidden well enough anymore. I feel y/n now stepping to the side of me.

"I had a nightmare." The little girl says, tears dwelling in her eyes.

"Oh sweetie" I say going to pick her up. I look at her before telling her the usual. She often has nightmares.

"Well, that was just a bad dream, you're here now" I say smiling. Normally she would've smiled back and agreed. But to my surprise another tear fell.

"But Miss P, it felt so real" at this point anyone would've been able to tell that I was deeply surprised by this...

-Y/n's POV-

I watch the interactions carefully, not being all that scared of the little girl. Claire, Alma had called her. But when Alma's attempt at comforting her fails, and the woman in that moment stood shocked, my instincts took over, and I stepped closer, taking the girl from the older woman's arms.

"Claire, isn't it?" I ask in a soft and kind voice. She nods wiping away a tear.

"Can I tell you a secret?" I ask leaning in closer to the girl in my arms. She seemed intrigued, and nodded once again.

"I get nightmares too." I say, and her eyes widen.

"Yeah" I say offering her an even softer smile than before.

"But you know what? Miss Peregrine here, gives a really great hug!" I say turning to look at the absolutely and utterly stunned Ymbryne. I smile at the girl and set her down. She runs over, Alma reacting and kneeling down to hug her. I hadn't been around long, but I knew Alma was a perfectionist. She made no mistakes if she could avoid it, and she certainly didn't show weakness of emotion in front of her children... well her wards. Same shit. That meaning most of them probably hadn't even hugged her. I zone back in just as a now happy Claire went to wake the others.

"What was that?" she says getting up. I smiled.

"You've never hugged them, have you?"

"Not really anyways" I asked with a playful grin. She opened her mouth to say something, but broke off when not knowing what exactly to say to this. She scoffed and turned around to make the breakfast. I laughed a little.

"Did you know-" I say while slowly making my way towards her.

"That hugging, releases happy endorphins." I say finishing my sentence, wrapping my arms around her body.

"I can't let them know that I have human emotions!" she says stunned. I laughed at this.

"They can't think I am too weak to protect them." She says, and I realize that she is quite serious. I turn her around seeing a tear in the corner of her eye.

"Feeling doesn't make you weak! In fact, I would say it makes you stronger!" I say taking her by the shoulders, and she smiles a tear trolling down her cheek. She hugs me and I help her set the table for breakfast. And introductions.

____________

"Children!" I heard Alma say with a clap of her hands. I was standing in the kitchen, waiting for everyone to fill in at the table, then the woman would call me in.

"Since this didn't go all that well, last time, we'll just..." she said, then came a sigh.

"Try again!" she said, trying to be enthusiastic.