Fic: Big Sister
Dec. 5th, 2024 04:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
badly_knittedTitle: Big Sister
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Meriel, Ianto, Jack, Nosy, Twins, Rosie, Flufflets.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Meriel waited a long time to be a big sister, and although having them around hasn’t always been fun, she loves her siblings.
Word Count: 1792
Written For: Prompt 206 – Siblings at
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fandomweekly.Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters. They belong to the BBC.
Meriel had been an only child for the first seven and a half years of her life, and while she’d loved having her parents’ attention all to herself, that hadn’t prevented her from asking her daddies why she didn’t have any brothers or sisters the way most of her friends did.
They’d explained that as she was their first, they’d wanted time to enjoy being her daddies and watching her grow up without having to share her.
“But you share me with each other, and with all my aunties and uncles, and with Nosy,” she’d pointed out, with all the unassailable logic of a five-year-old, but they’d assured her that was different, even though they hadn’t explained exactly how. It wasn’t until the twins came along that she finally realised what they’d really meant was that they hadn’t wanted her to have to share THEM with a noisy, smelly baby that demanded most of their time and attention.
Still, even when the twins were little and seemed to spend most of their time taking turns to sleep so that at least one of them was usually crying, Meriel was thrilled to be a big sister, and she helped with her new siblings as much as her parents would allow. She enjoyed feeding her sister and brother, watching them suck hungrily at their bottles of warm milk. She loved helping to bathe them, and dressing them in their tiny little clothes, but she left nappy changing to her daddies because that was stinky and gross.
It wasn’t wonderful all the time, the babies didn’t do much at first, apart from crying, and needing to be fed and changed umpteen times a day, but it was fun watching them grow and develop, learning new things. The worst part in those first few months was having to share Nosy, who had spent every night with her from the moment she was born. Once the twins came along, Nosy took to staying with Meriel until she fell asleep, then it would slither up to the nursery to watch over the babies, waking her daddies whenever the little ones needed anything.
Everything got a lot better once Gareth and Jenna were a few months old. Nosy grew them a Flufflet each so they’d both have a playmate to grow up with. That meant Meriel’s bestest friend in the whole wide world could give her its undivided attention again, at least some of the time.
The twins were getting more interesting by then too, starting to sit up by themselves, and then learning to crawl. They were curious about everything, it was all new to them, so Meriel started trying to teach them some of the things she knew. She talked to them, read them her favourite stories from when she was little, and sang them lullabies, but she still spent most of her time with Nosy, playing games, or with her parents, while Nosy and the Flufflets kept their eyes on the babies.
Sharing was hard though, and sometimes Meriel got a bit cross because her daddies were busy with the twins when she wanted something, and they told her she’d have to wait a bit. It made her glad she’d been an only child for so long, because even as babies, the twins had to share everything except their Flufflets. How lucky she’d been! She used to have whole days when she had her Daddy, her Taddy, and Nosy, all to herself, and the twins never got that. One might have Daddy, while the other had Taddy, and Nosy went back and forth between them, but they never had all three at the same time. It made her feel a little bit sorry for them, but she supposed they couldn’t really miss something they’d never had.
The older the twins got, the more fun Meriel could have with them, and the more mischief they could get into. She loved them, most of the time, but she soon learned she had to be careful not to let them get into her bedroom, especially when she wasn’t there, because they’d make a mess, and break her things. Maybe they didn’t really mean to, sometimes it was hard to be sure, but it was best not to give them the opportunity. They could be little monsters when they wanted to be.
To Meriel’s disappointment, neither her sister nor her brother was interested in playing with dolls, or dressing up in pretty things the way she liked to. Still, there were other things all three of them liked to do, playing with Lego, drawing, colouring, doing jigsaw puzzles, and digging in the garden, so that was okay.
Then, when the twins were five and Meriel was twelve, her daddies had another baby, and this time Nosy made sure to grow a Flufflet right away, so Rhosyn had Daisy with her day and night, right from the moment she was born. That worked out much better, and with only one baby to care for, Daddy and Taddy managed to find plenty of time for each of their children, even while still taking turns going to work.
While Jenna was a tomboy who hated wearing dresses, and preferred playing with cars and model spaceships, Rosie turned out to be more like Meriel. Her favourite colour was pink, and she got to wear all the pretty things Meriel had worn when she was little. Even though Meriel was a teenager by then, she still found time to play with her brother and sisters. She loved them all, and if Rosie was her favourite, well, she kept that to herself. She didn’t want anyone’s feelings getting hurt.
Try as she might, however, she couldn’t protect her siblings from everything. When Meriel was seventeen and the twins were ten, she found Jenna sitting alone on the swings in the roof garden one afternoon, not swinging, just staring gloomily at the ground as she kicked at it with one foot. Wandering over, Meriel sat on the other swing, gently rocking back and forth, and enjoying the warm sunshine.
“What’re you doing out here all alone?”
Jenna shrugged. “Nothing. Just sitting.”
“How come?”
“Because I want to.” Jenna didn’t look up.
“Okay, what’s wrong?”
“Why would anything be wrong?”
“Because this isn’t like you. I’ve known you since you were a tiny baby, and you never just sit doing nothing. You’re like Taddy, you always have to be busy with something.” Meriel reached for her sister’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Come on, Jen, I’m your big sister; you know you can’t hide anything from me, so talk to me. Maybe I can help.”
Jenna sighed. “A boy at school’s being mean to me. He says I don’t look like a girl, and that no boy will ever like me. Not the way they like other girls.”
“Do you want boys to like you that way? I mean, you’re only ten, that’s a little young to be thinking about boys.”
“I don’t know. I guess not the way your boyfriend likes you, with all the holding hands and the kissing and stuff. Not yet anyway. Maybe when I’m a bit older I will, but what if he’s right? What if no boy ever wants to go out with me?” Jenna turned to look at her big sister, biting at her bottom lip. “Gwynne says they won’t because I’m so ugly.” Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears.
“Well, don’t you listen to him. That boy obviously needs glasses, because you’re beautiful. So what if you don’t like dressing the way other girls do? You wear what makes you feel comfortable, and you keep your hair short because that’s how you like it. There’s nothing wrong with being who you are, Jen; everyone’s different, and you should never change yourself to suit someone else. Anyone who can’t see how special you are, doesn’t deserve you, and you shouldn’t waste your time listening to them. You’re brave, and kind, and clever, and someday, when you’re older, you’re going to meet someone wonderful who loves you exactly the way you are.”
“You really think so? You’re not just saying that because you’re my sister?”
“I would never lie to you, Jen, I promise. Believe in yourself. You’ve still got a lot of growing to do, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if someday this Gwynne boy regrets being so mean to you, when he finally sees just how lovely you are.”
“You mean after he gets glasses?” Jen managed a faint smile.
“Exactly, and then he’ll feel really stupid.”
“But I won’t go out with him even if he asks me to,” Jen said firmly.
“I should think not! Any boy who can be so mean doesn’t deserve you. Besides, when you’re older, you might not even want to date boys, you might prefer girls, or you might like both.”
“Is that allowed? Liking both, I mean.”
“Of course it is. Both Taddy and Dad had girlfriends and boyfriends when they were younger, although probably not at the same time. Then one day they met each other and fell in love, so they just weren’t interested in anyone else anymore. And what about my friend Bethany? She had a boyfriend last year, but now she’s dating Tess.” Meriel squeezed Jenna’s hand again. “It’s not like you have to decide right away. You’ll figure all that out when you’re ready to, but it’s important to know you have choices, and that we’ll always love you no matter what. We just want you to be happy. Okay?”
“Okay.” Jenna frowned. “But what if I never want to date anyone at all?”
“You do whatever feels right to you and makes you happy. That’s really all that matters. Taddy and Dad would tell you the same thing if you asked them. Being happy is the most important thing.” Meriel smiled at her sister. “Feel better now?”
“Much better. Thanks, Meri.”
“What else is a big sister for if not to know everything and give the best advice?” Meriel said with a wink. “Come on, I think there should be ice cream in the freezer. After an important talk like the one we’ve just had, I think we could both do with some. And Jen? If this boy keeps being mean to you, tell your teachers, and if they won’t do anything, tell Taddy or Dad and ask them to talk to someone at the school. Bullying shouldn’t be allowed. Just don’t tell Gareth. He’d try to beat this Gwynne boy up, and the last thing our brother needs is to get in trouble again.”
“I promise. Meriel? I’m really glad you’re my big sister.”
Meriel hugged her sister. “So am I, Jen.”
The End
They’d explained that as she was their first, they’d wanted time to enjoy being her daddies and watching her grow up without having to share her.
“But you share me with each other, and with all my aunties and uncles, and with Nosy,” she’d pointed out, with all the unassailable logic of a five-year-old, but they’d assured her that was different, even though they hadn’t explained exactly how. It wasn’t until the twins came along that she finally realised what they’d really meant was that they hadn’t wanted her to have to share THEM with a noisy, smelly baby that demanded most of their time and attention.
Still, even when the twins were little and seemed to spend most of their time taking turns to sleep so that at least one of them was usually crying, Meriel was thrilled to be a big sister, and she helped with her new siblings as much as her parents would allow. She enjoyed feeding her sister and brother, watching them suck hungrily at their bottles of warm milk. She loved helping to bathe them, and dressing them in their tiny little clothes, but she left nappy changing to her daddies because that was stinky and gross.
It wasn’t wonderful all the time, the babies didn’t do much at first, apart from crying, and needing to be fed and changed umpteen times a day, but it was fun watching them grow and develop, learning new things. The worst part in those first few months was having to share Nosy, who had spent every night with her from the moment she was born. Once the twins came along, Nosy took to staying with Meriel until she fell asleep, then it would slither up to the nursery to watch over the babies, waking her daddies whenever the little ones needed anything.
Everything got a lot better once Gareth and Jenna were a few months old. Nosy grew them a Flufflet each so they’d both have a playmate to grow up with. That meant Meriel’s bestest friend in the whole wide world could give her its undivided attention again, at least some of the time.
The twins were getting more interesting by then too, starting to sit up by themselves, and then learning to crawl. They were curious about everything, it was all new to them, so Meriel started trying to teach them some of the things she knew. She talked to them, read them her favourite stories from when she was little, and sang them lullabies, but she still spent most of her time with Nosy, playing games, or with her parents, while Nosy and the Flufflets kept their eyes on the babies.
Sharing was hard though, and sometimes Meriel got a bit cross because her daddies were busy with the twins when she wanted something, and they told her she’d have to wait a bit. It made her glad she’d been an only child for so long, because even as babies, the twins had to share everything except their Flufflets. How lucky she’d been! She used to have whole days when she had her Daddy, her Taddy, and Nosy, all to herself, and the twins never got that. One might have Daddy, while the other had Taddy, and Nosy went back and forth between them, but they never had all three at the same time. It made her feel a little bit sorry for them, but she supposed they couldn’t really miss something they’d never had.
The older the twins got, the more fun Meriel could have with them, and the more mischief they could get into. She loved them, most of the time, but she soon learned she had to be careful not to let them get into her bedroom, especially when she wasn’t there, because they’d make a mess, and break her things. Maybe they didn’t really mean to, sometimes it was hard to be sure, but it was best not to give them the opportunity. They could be little monsters when they wanted to be.
To Meriel’s disappointment, neither her sister nor her brother was interested in playing with dolls, or dressing up in pretty things the way she liked to. Still, there were other things all three of them liked to do, playing with Lego, drawing, colouring, doing jigsaw puzzles, and digging in the garden, so that was okay.
Then, when the twins were five and Meriel was twelve, her daddies had another baby, and this time Nosy made sure to grow a Flufflet right away, so Rhosyn had Daisy with her day and night, right from the moment she was born. That worked out much better, and with only one baby to care for, Daddy and Taddy managed to find plenty of time for each of their children, even while still taking turns going to work.
While Jenna was a tomboy who hated wearing dresses, and preferred playing with cars and model spaceships, Rosie turned out to be more like Meriel. Her favourite colour was pink, and she got to wear all the pretty things Meriel had worn when she was little. Even though Meriel was a teenager by then, she still found time to play with her brother and sisters. She loved them all, and if Rosie was her favourite, well, she kept that to herself. She didn’t want anyone’s feelings getting hurt.
Try as she might, however, she couldn’t protect her siblings from everything. When Meriel was seventeen and the twins were ten, she found Jenna sitting alone on the swings in the roof garden one afternoon, not swinging, just staring gloomily at the ground as she kicked at it with one foot. Wandering over, Meriel sat on the other swing, gently rocking back and forth, and enjoying the warm sunshine.
“What’re you doing out here all alone?”
Jenna shrugged. “Nothing. Just sitting.”
“How come?”
“Because I want to.” Jenna didn’t look up.
“Okay, what’s wrong?”
“Why would anything be wrong?”
“Because this isn’t like you. I’ve known you since you were a tiny baby, and you never just sit doing nothing. You’re like Taddy, you always have to be busy with something.” Meriel reached for her sister’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Come on, Jen, I’m your big sister; you know you can’t hide anything from me, so talk to me. Maybe I can help.”
Jenna sighed. “A boy at school’s being mean to me. He says I don’t look like a girl, and that no boy will ever like me. Not the way they like other girls.”
“Do you want boys to like you that way? I mean, you’re only ten, that’s a little young to be thinking about boys.”
“I don’t know. I guess not the way your boyfriend likes you, with all the holding hands and the kissing and stuff. Not yet anyway. Maybe when I’m a bit older I will, but what if he’s right? What if no boy ever wants to go out with me?” Jenna turned to look at her big sister, biting at her bottom lip. “Gwynne says they won’t because I’m so ugly.” Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears.
“Well, don’t you listen to him. That boy obviously needs glasses, because you’re beautiful. So what if you don’t like dressing the way other girls do? You wear what makes you feel comfortable, and you keep your hair short because that’s how you like it. There’s nothing wrong with being who you are, Jen; everyone’s different, and you should never change yourself to suit someone else. Anyone who can’t see how special you are, doesn’t deserve you, and you shouldn’t waste your time listening to them. You’re brave, and kind, and clever, and someday, when you’re older, you’re going to meet someone wonderful who loves you exactly the way you are.”
“You really think so? You’re not just saying that because you’re my sister?”
“I would never lie to you, Jen, I promise. Believe in yourself. You’ve still got a lot of growing to do, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if someday this Gwynne boy regrets being so mean to you, when he finally sees just how lovely you are.”
“You mean after he gets glasses?” Jen managed a faint smile.
“Exactly, and then he’ll feel really stupid.”
“But I won’t go out with him even if he asks me to,” Jen said firmly.
“I should think not! Any boy who can be so mean doesn’t deserve you. Besides, when you’re older, you might not even want to date boys, you might prefer girls, or you might like both.”
“Is that allowed? Liking both, I mean.”
“Of course it is. Both Taddy and Dad had girlfriends and boyfriends when they were younger, although probably not at the same time. Then one day they met each other and fell in love, so they just weren’t interested in anyone else anymore. And what about my friend Bethany? She had a boyfriend last year, but now she’s dating Tess.” Meriel squeezed Jenna’s hand again. “It’s not like you have to decide right away. You’ll figure all that out when you’re ready to, but it’s important to know you have choices, and that we’ll always love you no matter what. We just want you to be happy. Okay?”
“Okay.” Jenna frowned. “But what if I never want to date anyone at all?”
“You do whatever feels right to you and makes you happy. That’s really all that matters. Taddy and Dad would tell you the same thing if you asked them. Being happy is the most important thing.” Meriel smiled at her sister. “Feel better now?”
“Much better. Thanks, Meri.”
“What else is a big sister for if not to know everything and give the best advice?” Meriel said with a wink. “Come on, I think there should be ice cream in the freezer. After an important talk like the one we’ve just had, I think we could both do with some. And Jen? If this boy keeps being mean to you, tell your teachers, and if they won’t do anything, tell Taddy or Dad and ask them to talk to someone at the school. Bullying shouldn’t be allowed. Just don’t tell Gareth. He’d try to beat this Gwynne boy up, and the last thing our brother needs is to get in trouble again.”
“I promise. Meriel? I’m really glad you’re my big sister.”
Meriel hugged her sister. “So am I, Jen.”
The End
