Ready for bed (Cobie and Char)

Cobalt opened the door in his office that didn't lead out into the classroom, revealing his rather large bedroom. The bed was a large, double, bed that had several fluffy pillows and soft white sheets. He smiled as he led his tired daughter into the room and closed the door behind them. Stretching a little bit, he yawned a bit,

"Yeah... maybe I'm tired too..." he joked, "Well you want to get ready for bed then Char-kitty? Shower in the en suite if you want to shower before bed."

Charlotte walked into the bedroom and dashed to the bed, bouncing on it as she jumped onto the covers, giggling happily she lay down in the middle and looked up at the ceiling, she realised that there was only a very rare handful of times that she had actually been into Cobie's room here, and it was like it was brand new to her.

Rolling onto her tummy, Charlotte blinked her eyes up at Cobie and pouted her lip out at him, she had a request and she wanted to make sure that she got it, so she pulled out all of the stops straight away.

"Cobieeeeee, I don't want a shower but there is something that I do want." she said in a singsong voice, batting her eyelashes in an exaggerated manner.

Cobalt watched as his daughter launched herself across the room to snuggle up on top of his bed covers, as if this was the best thing she could ever imagine. He chuckled a little bit as he tapped the door, activating the thirteen locks that he'd made and charmed himself. He undid his shoes, sitting on the end of the bed, so when he turned to see what Charlotte was saying he caught the puppy dog eyes head on,

"So you don't want a shower..." he blinked a few times before smiling, "What do you want then Char-kitty?"

Charlotte was glad when Cobie was beginning to give her what she wanted, it was very rare that she would use the power of her cute look against her father but she really wanted what it was that she had her eye set on and nothing would do for her until she had it in her hands, or her mouth.

"What I would really like..." she said with a large happy smile "Is a hot smore?"

Pouting even more Charlotte tugged at her fathers arm and she hugged it to her chest with a small widening of the eyes, if that was even possible. She had unfortunately spent lots of time practising this so that she could ask Cobie when the time came.

"Please!"

Cobalt chuckled a little bit as his daughter continued to use her cuteness to try and influence him. He was aware that he was being influenced but in all honesty, Cobalt cared very little. If his daughter was happy then it was alright by him after all,

"You want a hot smore?" he asked, to make sure he'd heard right before smirking, "Like we're camping out in my room?"

The cute pout made Cobalt's resolve falter a little bit but he closed his eyes for a second to break the effect of the cuteness. However, when he opened his eyes again she was looking even cuter, with slightly larger eyes, and Cobalt could do nothing but nod,

"Alright Char-kitty, we can have smores." he waved his wand and conjured a bag of marshmellows and a chocolate bar, "Ready?"

Charlotte squeaked happily when she found out that there was going to be smores, it was like they were camping out in the room and it reminded her of the first night that they had met each other really, it was something that she would never forget, and it was a beautiful moment.

It was the moment that changed her life and more.

"Yay for smores! Thank you Cobie thank you!" she squealed and jumped around a little, before remembering to calm down when a small palpitation ran through her heart, so, sitting down on the bed Charlotte grabbed the bag of marshmallows and snaffled a few marshmallows before they went in the smores.

"I think that they are my comfort food Papa, they always remind me of good things that have happened to me, and maybe we can have more of those good memories now?" she smiled softly and waited for the smores to be made and heated.

Cobalt chuckled happily at Charlotte's happy little squeak. The nosie was a cute little thing that he had mentally reserved only belonging to Charlotte and he liked it that way. Cobalt liked smores well enough but right now he was so happy because he was having them with Charlotte, not because he was having them,

"Ah don't worry about it Char-kitty!" he told her with a wide grin as he scratched her head where her cat ears normally appeared, "Anything for you after all!"

When she told him that smores were her comfort food, as they were now cooking the smores against the fire that the room had, Cobalt smiled as he remembered when they'd first met. He gave his daughter a one-armed hug,

"Yeah I know what you mean Charlotte." he ruffled her hair in an affectionate fatherly way, "I will always remember some of the happiest times in my life happened with some smores in there too. Of course we can have many more good memories like this."

Even though Charlotte's cat ears weren't there at the moment she still smiled and purred lightly when she was scratched, purely because it was something that she had gotten into the habit of and she wasn't about to quit any time soon, not when it had almost become part of her personality.

Charlotte felt her happiness grow when Cobie said that he would do anything for her, after all, there weren't many people in her past who would.

"Just as long as you know that when you need me I will always do what I need to to make sure that you're safe, just like you make me safe by doing all you can." she said with a happy little smile.

Waiting in anticipation for the first smore, Charlotte was glad that Cobie remembered the first time that they had met and she wondered if he thought of it with the same fondness that she did, the answer to that was probably a yes.

"Maybe we can have some more tonight? We haven't played questions in a while." she angled.

Chuckling when he noticed that she was purring even though her cat ears were not out, Cobalt continued to scratch her head lightly to make her happy and contented. He had to admit that the purring had been odd at first, when he'd first met her, but now it was so much a part of him that it had become one of the many parts of his daughter's personality that he loved her for. He grinned happily at Charlotte,

"We'll both keep each other safe for ever won't we?" he asked with a happy smile, "I'll always be there for you... you might not be my daughter by blood but you're a part of me Charlotte. You might as well be my own daughter because I love you as if you were my own."

Cobalt wrapped an arm around his daughter and held her close, making sure not to pressure her chest. He chuckled at the not so subtle hint about playing questions. He thought of one and smiled softly,

"Are you happy Charlotte?" he asked her, slightly self-conscious, "Are you happy with me being your daddy? I mean... I'm not too harsh am I?"

There had always been a part of Charlotte that had thought that she was lesser in Cobie's eyes because she wasn't his blood child, and even though she was enternally grateful for what he did for her, she was a little scared that he would somehow leave her if he ever got another biological baby.

"Thank you Papa, I have always thought that...maybe..one day you might get another baby that's yours and that you will love it more than you will love me." she said in a small voice.

Charlotte happily snuggled against Cobie and was content in the way that he was holding her, after all it made her feel loved and distracted her from the small ache that was still present in her chest.

Raising her eyebrows in shock at the question, Charlotte turned to look at Cobie in surprise;

"Of course I'm happy Papa! You've given me everything that I could possibly want, and you let me do almost anything that I want, that's amazing."

Thinking of her own question, Charlotte asked; "What happened with...you know your wife and your...you don't have to answer if you don't want to though."

Cobalt could tell that there had been the doubt in Charlotte's mind and he had felt it his duty and his honor to try and dispel it. After all, Charlotte was his daughter, no matter what anyone else said about the matter, blood be damned,

"I could never love you any less." he told her quietly with a smile, "You're my daughter Charlotte and I'll always love you. Nothing can ever change that."

He snuggled with her happily for a few minutes until he asked his question, when he suddenly felt very vulnerable for a few seconds. When she told him that she was happy he grinned and hugged her tightly,

"I'm so glad that you're happy Charlotte..." He smiled, "I really do try my best for you Char-kitty."

When she asked him about his wife and son he paused for a few seconds,

"You deserve the answer." he told her with a weak smile, "My wife was kidnapped and they tried to get me to give them a very powerful artifact for her safe return. I... I couldn't give it to them so they killed her. As for my son... he was also kidnapped but I was too far away. I couldn't save him either."

He was quiet for a few seconds before pushing the thoughts away and smiling at Charlotte,

"How does it feel when you shift your form?"

Charlotte just smiled lightly when Cobalt hugged her to him, she loved being close to her Papa it was one of the best things in the world and she was glad that she managed to make him happy after everything he had been through himself.

"I know you do Papa and I can tell that you try really hard to make sure that im happy and that's all that I could ever want from anybody, that we can be happy."

Still unable to get the smile from her lips, Charlotte felt it dimming as Cobie told her about what had happened to his wife and his son and she felt a cold creeping sense of fear.

What if that happened to her? Cobie wouldn't give the artifact up...and shed die.

"Oh I see, that's...that's a horrible thing to have happened, I'm sorry Papa I won't talk about it again."

Changing the subject Charlotte smiled lightly and said: "It feels like I'm plunging either into a warm or cold bath of water, depending on if I want to transform or not. What was your favourite class at school?"

Cobalt had realised quite awhile ago now that Charlotte was his whole reason for living. He didn't think he'd live long if she wasn't there anymore. If she wasn't with him anymore than he would have no reason to live. He held her close to him happily,

"Awwww I'm glad you can see how hard I try to make you happy." he smiled happily, "You're my Charlotte and I'll do anything for you."

When he told her his tale he could tell that she was scared, about what would happen to here. He shook his head a little and held his hand out for her to take,

"You don't ever have to worry about it Charlotte." he told her quietly, "You will always be safe. I said I'll do anything for you and I mean it. You are much more important to me than anything else, even the artifact."

Cobalt smiled slightly more,

"Ah now that sounds like an experience." he paused before chuckling, "Probably charms if I'm honest. It was my best subject. Alright, my turn... mmm... where would you like to go on holiday next summer?"

Charlotte was still a little shell shocked and thinking about what could happen to her if she wasn't careful, and she hoped that it wouldn't come to things like that although she wasn't sure, people had come after her because of her father before after all.

When Cobie said that she meant more to him than this artifact Charlotte was hard pushed to believe her Papa, after all she was pretty sure he had loved his son as much as her and look what happened to him.

"Well...if you say so Cobie..." she said quietly and took Cobies hand in her own as if shaking it on the point "Let's just hope it never comes to that, but if it does...I'm going to die anyway so...so maybe you should just keep it."

With a slight giggle Charlotte shook her head: "I don't know any charms, I didn't take the class, and, I think that I would like to go to China next year, if you think that'll be good? My turn! What is the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?"

Cobalt was almost beginning to regret telling Charlotte as much as he'd told her but he couldn't bring himself to regret something that she had the right to know. She had the right to know about his life before he'd met her, he was her father now after all, and that just so happened to be a large part of it,

"I told you I'd do anything Charlotte. You are more important than anything in this world to me Charlotte." he gave her hand a light squeeze, "More important to me than the artifact, than even my own life. I will keep you safe."

Cobalt grinned a little bit at her little giggle,

"Well I never took transfiguration at all so I can't do any of that. You've got me beat in that area!" he joked lightly before nodding with a smile, "We can go to the great wall. Good choice."

He thought about it for a few seconds before ruffling her hair,

"You kiddo. My beautiful daughter, so cute and amazing. The love is instant and unconditional." he smiled for a little bit before sticking his tongue out at her, "You got a crush on anyone?"

When Cobalt told her that she was more important than the artifact again then that made her believe that her father was telling the truth to her, he had never lied to her before and she just hoped that this wasn't the first time as he first father...well...

"Okay okay Cobie," she said with a large smile "I believe you no need to look so sad okay?"

Charlotte poked her fingers into the sides of Cobies cheeks and drew them up in a small smile, she hugged her Papa tightly, because she was glad to have someone who actually cared.

When he said she was the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen, Charlotte shook her head with a smile;

"You think so Papa? Well, I guess I could be anyone I wanted so I have the potential to be pretty..."

Charlotte shook her head with a smile; "Not unless you count Airen, but Older Char has a crush, what about you, no mummies on the horizon?" she asked warily.

Cobalt was glad that he had won his daughter back to some semblence of happiness. And he had been telling the truth. If the worst ever came and he had to choose he would choose to save Charlotte in a heartbeat. She meant so much more to him than anything else in existance,

"I'm glad you do believe me darling." he kissed her on the forehead and smiled happily, "No more sad daddy... gotcha."

Cobalt chuckled a little bit when his daughter tried to make him smile more with her fingers and obliged, making a bigger but slightly weirder looking, smile. He hugged her tightly to him as well, careful to hug her by her shoulders to avoud pressuring her heart. He smiled happily,

"I know so Charlotte." he told her happily, "Not the shifting you, the real you Charlotte. You're the most beautiful person in this world to me Charlotte, never doubt that for a second."

Cobalt raised an eyebrow with an amused expression,

"Airen eh? Well saw that one coming. But who's Older Char's? You can tell your papa." he joked lightly before shaking his head, "No there's no mommy on the horizen. Tell me... do you want to be the only little woman in my life?"

Charlotte giggled slightly at the effect that her forced smile had on Cobies cheeks, she let go of them and wondered for a moment about why he thought she was the most beautiful person around, and she decided that would be her next question to him.

When she was asked who Older Chars crush was, Charlotte giggled slightly and leant in close to whisper in Cobies ears, grinning wildly as she did so, for she slightly agreed with her older self;

"Older Char has a crush on Viktor, and she wants to 'smex him up' but she can't because he has a lovely girlfriend."

With a small laugh Charlotte nodded her head and clung to her Papa's shoulders, hugging him tightly to her; "Yes Papa I want to be the only girl in your life because I'm scared that you won't love me any more...and you'll forget me if you fall in love." Charlotte said in a whisper.

Looking up at Cobie Charlotte asked; "Why do you think I'm the prettiest person?"

Cobalt smiled genuinely when she giggled, the sound was one that he'd cherish for a long time, even if she never giggled again, which was unlikely. When she leant in to tell him the secret he leant in as well, listening intently. He blinked a few times,

"Viktor huh?" he smiled a little bit but was mentally thinking about what he'd do to the man if he ever tried to get fresh with Older Char, "Well now that's a long distant crush. And his girlfriend would not appreciate it but you could have picked worse... you could have picked Richard."

He ended back with a smile and a jokey laugh. He hugged her tighter to him and kissed her lightly on the cheek but also ruffled her hair a little bit with a smirk,

"Well Char-kitty you can have the spot as the number one girl in my heart." he held her closer to him with a grin, "I could never forget you Charlotte. You are all that I live for."

He smiled and stroked her cheek gently with his thumb,

"I said you were the most beautiful person in the world Charlotte." he corrected her with a smile, "And it's because of who you are. Your personality is bright and loving. Your whole manner is warm and happy. You're also a very beautiful young lady Charlotte, especially in your original form. I think you're the most beautiful person because everything I know about you as a person is warm, brilliant and beautiful."

Thinking about it for a little bit, Cobalt smiled,

"Who is your idol?"

Charlotte grinned slightly at the look on Cobalt's face when she told him who Older Char was crushing on, she could tell that he really didn't like Viktor, but she did, and he wasn't going to stop her from being friends with him.

Even if he was German.

"Well it's not like she's actually going to DO anything, she's says that she's just 'admiring', I think she still likes someone else." Charlotte mused.

When she was told that she would always have the number one spot in Cobalt's heart Charlotte beamed and snuggled into him, after all, it was a relief to know that he would still be with her, and she would be the most important.

"Yay, that makes me feel better Cobie, to know that." she blushed slightly.

Charlotte smiled happily and felt her hair turn pink with the compliments that she was recieving from Cobalt, she had never been complimented so many times in one sentence before.

"My idol? I would have to say that there are two people, one of them is Auntie Briony, and one of them is you..." she blushed "What about you, who do you look up to?"

Cobalt took one look at the grin that Charlotte was sporting and knew that it wasn't going to be pretty if he decided to try and forbid her from seeing Viktor for whatever reason. Even if they were legitimate reasons, such as the fact that he'd almost killed her. Twice. But it was like she said, nothing was going to happen so he was fine with them meeting up,

"Just admiring the view then is she?" he chuckled a little bit, "Well I've got a few ideas about who she might be hung up on and if I'm right... he's still waiting for her."

Cobalt snuggled with his daughter as the two of them smiled. He was glad that being the number one in his heart meant that much to her, he really was,

"Well I'm glad Charlotte." he ruffled her hair slightly, "You'll always be in my heart, right there, forever after all. I wouldn't want you upset with me."

Seeing her hair turn pink, Cobalt assumed that she'd enjoyed the compliments he'd paid her. And each of them had been true,

"Mmm Briony I have to admit I saw coming but me?" he blushed a little bit too and scratched the back of his head. He paused for a second, thinking about his answer, "Probably you Charlotte. You've got a way of seeing and living in the world that is so unlike mine but so much better at the same time."

He grinned,

"Alright!" he smirked, "My turn. Let's see... If you had to pick one type of creature you'd like to be, what would you choose?"

Charlotte felt her heart, for whatever reason, give a little flutter when she was told that the person was still waiting for her, she had tried to block that memory from her younger selfs mind, although it was not forgotten.

Sucking at her lip piercing, Charlotte merely smiled and said quietly; "I think older Char is very happy to hear that."

Poking Cobalt's heart where he poked it, she smiled lightly and poked her own heart and she wondered just where she would be now without Cobie's help, and she didn't really like where that thought was taking her.

When he said that he didn't think that he was a role model to her Charlotte pouted slightly;

"Of course you are, every little girl looks up to her Papa, it's just the way it is, and I'm just lucky I have a really nice one." she smiled.

Humming lightly Charlotte thought for a moment and then said; "I would like to be a centaur, I think they're really strong and beautiful, and now a question for you, what is the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you?"