MOGTOBER2020

Day 11-Favourite AU-Promises

Jupiter slumped down into a couch by the fire, holding the four-year-old toddler close to his chest. He played the events of the night through his mind.

It was the middle of winter and the temperature was painfully cold. As Jupiter ventured into the night, the frost bit at his face, turning the tip of his nose and cheeks pink. Once he made it to Crow Manor, he was utterly relieved to be back in the warmth, however when he had seen the young girl, she was in the corner of the room, shivering, dressed in a short sleeved black dress. He asked if she had any other warmer clothes and her father just shrugged. Jupiter took it upon himself to find her room and dress her in more appropriate clothing.

Once he found her room, he was utterly disappointed. In one corner of the room, a small bed stood with a thin sheet and a small pillow thrown on top. Beside it, sat a small bag. Jupiter thought it must have been the girls belongings and he was surprised at how little she owned.

Before he could get any more mad at the parenting of Corvus Crow, he checked the small dresser to make sure there were no other clothes.

The drawers were empty.

That little bag held all that the girl owned.
He picked it up and placed it on the bed before unzipping it. All he found inside were two other black dresses similar to the one she was wearing and a pair of tiny black shoes. He made a mental note to go shopping for her as soon as he got the chance.

He zipped the bag closed and slung it over his shoulder before exiting the room. He walked into the sitting room where he found Corvus Crow sipping from a glass of wine. The young girl sat on the couch on the other side of the room. Jupiter walked over to her.

"Good evening, young lady. Is it all right if I have a chat with you?"

The young girl nodded and Jupiter grabbed her hand and led her into the empty dining room. He pulled out a chair for her and helped her get situated before pulling out a chair for himself and sitting across from her.

"Well, I'm Jupiter North."

"Morrigan."

"Lovely to meet you, Morrigan. I have a question for you. How do you like living here?"
Morrigan seemed to think about this for a while. Jupiter thought that she seemed very intelligent for a toddler.

"I don't like it."

Jupiter blinked in surprise. "Oh? Why not?"
"It's boring. I don't have friends, but Father does. Will you be my friend?"

Jupiter felt a smile grow on his lips. "Of course, Morrigan. Is there anything else wrong about living here?"

"Father doesn't let me eat with him. He makes me eat in my room. It makes me sad."

Jupiter nodded, comprehending the pain in young Morrigan's voice.

"Oh...another thing. I'm cursed."

Jupiter wasn't surprised. He had a feeling her father would have drilled that into her mind since birth.

"Erm...yes...I've, uh, heard about your little situation."

"And you still want to be friends?"

Jupiter couldn't miss the hopeful glimmer in her eye. "I actually have another question for you, Morrigan. How would you feel if I took you away from here? To my home?"

"Where?"

"It's a magical place called Nevermoor. And I live in the best hotel there is. The Hotel Deucalion. We've got amazing staff, and residents, and a giant cat—"

"A giant cat? I want to go, I want to go right now!"

Jupiter smiled. "Once you're old enough, you'll compete in trials to join the best school in Nevermoor. You see this pin?" Jupiter tapped his W pin on his lapel. "Once you finish the trials, and you are accepted into the Wundrous Society, you'll get one just like it."

Morrigan's eyes lit up.

Jupiter's smile faltered. "Your Father wouldn't be coming with us. He would stay here, but he can come and visit you whenever he likes. Is that okay with you?"

Morrigan seemed to argue with herself for a moment and Jupiter could see the cogs turning in her brain. At last, she spoke with a note of guilt in her voice.

"I'm okay with that. I'll go."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Jupiter nodded. "Alright, let's go say our goodbyes and leave."

Morrigan hopped off her chair and led the way back to the sitting room and walked over to her father. Jupiter instantly noticed the straight back, and the clasped hands and the cloud of nervousness surrounding her.

"Father? I'm going to leave with Mr North...if that's alright with you." Her voice was shaky and she looked down to her shoes once she finished talking.

Corvus looked at her as if only just noticing she was there. "Oh, yeah. Perfectly fine. One less thing I need to worry about."

"Will you come visit me?"

Corvus thought about it. "Probably not. I have my own life. I don't need to stress over visiting some child I never wanted to raise in the first place."

Jupiter furrowed his brow. "Excuse me, that is no way to be speaking to your child."

"She's not my problem anymore. She's yours. And watch out. She's cursed."

Jupiter laughed. "She was born on an unlucky day. That doesn't mean she is cursed."

"Well she sure as hell was a curse on me."

Jupiter noticed Morrigan clutching on his shirt sleeve, trying to get as far away from her father as possible. He looked down at her and saw the tears pooling in her eyes.

"She is a four-year-old child. She is not a curse on anyone. If you didn't want a child, maybe you shouldn't have had one."

With that final statement, Jupiter picked up Morrigan and sat her on his hip and began walking out of the Manor. He was silent until he got outside.

"I'm sorry, Morrigan. You shouldn't have had to see that. You are not a curse on anyone. You weren't a curse on your father and you will never be a curse on me. I promise to look after you and give you everything you need. Okay?"

Morrigan had rested her head on his shoulder and nodded against it. Jupiter could tell she was shivering.

"Just a little bit longer."

Once they got to the arachnipod, Jupiter found an old jacket and put it on her. It was much too big for her, but it did the job.

They were silent for the ride to Nevermoor and Jupiter was surprised when he turned around to find her asleep. Once they arrived at the Deucalion, Jupiter picked her up for the second time that night and brought her into his study.

He stared into the fire, watching the way it danced. Jupiter started thinking out loud.
"Morrigan...Morrigan. Morrie...Morro...No. Mos. Mozza. Mozzie? Mor...Mog. Mog! Mog is a great nickname! Mog. Moggers. The Mogster. It's so versatile!"

He looked down at the sleeping child.

"How do you feel about that, Mog?" Jupiter sighed. "It's all going to be okay. If anyone hurts you, I'll be here. I won't neglect you. I will love you as my own. You will come first. Always. I promise."

Jupiter closed his eyes and let his breathing even out. He slipped down, down into the darkness letting sleep over come his exhausted body, not once letting go of Morrigan's sleeping form.

1260 words

i did not write the part where jupiter was picking a nickname for morrigan. i took that from nevermoor. that is jessica townsend's not mine.