Clarisse McClellan's Daughter

This ficlet isn't finished yet. There are definitely at least a few more paragraphs to fill in before it's anywhere near done. But philomytha left such an excellent story hook at the end of her own ficlet, and between sholio starting it in the first place and an AO3 comment reply she made to me about Bertie being good with little kids, I... I had to.

Consider this a link, in progress, for the de-aging daisy chain.



"So I'd ducked out to buy milk for breakfast--" Algy gave him what was likely meant to be a full-strength withering look, by the expression it accompanied, though the intent of the thing didn't quite seem to match the execution for intensity, somehow, "and it was lucky I did do, what? I got the very last of it before the shop closed for the evening. Even the grocer agreed my timing couldn't have been better! And once that was taken care of, I'd nothing but the walk back and a rather pleasant night before me. And wouldn't you know, the one combined with the other and started me pondering over the current situation, if you see what I mean, and I was still nearly halfway to the flat before--"

"Bertie," this was a faintly impatient sounding Ginger, "that's all well and good but where in--where exactly did these two come from?" A slight pause. "The two with fur, just so we're clear on subject matter." Algy stifled a suspiciously amused sounding cough into his sleeve.

"Second cousin and his wife," Bertie replied cheerfully, as the narrower, almost golden blond dog's tail thumped the rug. For her part, the larger and fluffier mostly black creature was leaning gently on an awed-looking Erich, and appeared to be drowsing as the little boy ever so softly stroked her ears. "He's got a temporary posting in the city, something to do with waterways and maintenance, and she's been trained as a nurse ever since I've known her. On the way back here last night, I got to thinking over a thing or two, and knowing this particular pair of beasties to have been absolute dears with littl'uns every time the lot of us've got together at Chedcombe--well. Popped into a call box and rang up my cousin, quick as you like, explained we were going to have younger relatives of a couple of the fellows here a while, ahem, and wouldn't you know the whole lot of it worked out? They were delighted to lend me the dogs for the day. Turned out he was going to be in bally dreadfully dull meetings all today and much of tomorrow - his words rather than mine, chaps, I heard the lot down the telephone wire - and she's been scheduled for a frightfully busy week at hospital herself. So they were perfectly happy for me to watch 'em. Seems that's the reaction all the way around, doesn't it?"

The retriever chose that moment to lick tiny Biggles on the chin, tail still swish thudding the floor.

"She's had Matilda, the elder one--" a gesture toward the grey-muzzled shepherd mix still flopped , eyes half-closed in contentment, against a clearly enchanted Erich's almost comically tiny knee, "for a decade and more. The lass's always been excellent with children--er, the canine lass, that is. I wouldn't dream of speaking for Nell on that score; I do rather like my hide intact." This time it was Ginger's turn to stifle a badly-hidden laugh in his shirt cuff. "Mickey--yes you, old bean, I'm talking about you, and it's all good things--isn't that much past a pup himself, and he's been joyful about absolutely everything since the day I was first introduced. Fits my cousin, in that. Likely why the one picked the other, if you see what I mean."


This doesn't even get into it being Lissie's turn to read a bedtime story to tiny!friends next, since Algy already drew that particular mission and Ginger in my head is simultaneously laughing and hiding his face in his hands (if I know fandom folks' tendencies, you're not escaping this one either, bucko). Why do I get the idea he'd be quite good at the story thing, without overdoing it? Bertie, not Ginger, I mean? My biases are showing again. I'm a sucker for a fine voice for storytelling.

Yes, the younger dog is meant to be a yellow lab.