The Bravest There Ever Was
By: Verin Mystal
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the original ideas/characters of this story.
Summary: When Lord Kirkland came to Mary's door looking for someone to look after his young charge for the day, she knew it to be the perfect opportunity to prove her worth to the man, who might even one day employ her in his large estate. Besides, how hard could it be looking after a spoiled rich boy? If only she knew.

A/n: Lame title is lame, but I couldn't help it. Hope it makes sense, as it's late. This occurred to me after reminiscing about my years spent suffering/babysitting a variety of children I came to loathe/love. Most of the, uh, incidents in this actually happened. D: Hope you enjoy it?

"His supper is to be served at six o'clock. Not a moment earlier or later. If served too late he can't sleep. Ensure he eats everything on the plate, not just the meat."

"Yes, Lord Kirkland."

"His bath is to be taken at 8 o'clock. Make sure he cleans properly. After the bath, there will be an hour of studying his letters, and then you read to him."

"Yes, Lord Kirkland."

"He is not to go outside at all, for any reason. Don't listen to any of his excuses, even if he claims to be dying. Understand?"

"Yes, Lord Kirkland."

"Do not let him out of your sight. Keep him busy. Never let him dawdle."

"Yes, Lord Kirkland."

Arthur stared at the young woman, his thick eyebrows knitting together.

Mary shrank under the man's intense gaze, a quivering shiver filled her chest, but she held strong.

Only a single generation passed since her family had left England for a better way of life. The hopes and promises they read and heard about lured them to pack everything and brave the treacherous journey across the Atlantic. Mary was the eldest of four children, her younger siblings all boys and very active around the farm her father ran, growing wheat, barley and other staple crops. Normally she helped around the farm, spinning yarn from wool, practicing her knitting, making candles, soap, and churning butter were just a few of the day to day chores she fulfilled around their home. However, Lord Kirkland himself came to their door one day in need of a new housekeeper, her father leaped at the chance and offered her for the job to help support the family.

The two stood in the entryway of the door that led into Lord Kirkland's home. Mary felt like a poor bum compared to the Lord and his clean, fancy clothes. Mary's own dress was homemade, down to the thread she spun years ago. Her mother dyed the fabric blue using the blue petals of cornflowers. It was a rather plain dress, but very conservative, the sleeves reaching her wrists, the neckline encircling her neck where it joined to her shoulders, and the bottom of the dress just touching the ground, leaving her old leather shoes just barely visible. Her long black hair was pulled and tied at the nape of her neck.

"Well then, I think I've told you everything I can remember. I must be going, as I fear I am already late-"

"No!" A young boy, looking to be only five or six years of age, suddenly appeared from around the around the corner and barreled into the older man.

"Oof!" Arthur gasped, trying and failing to pry the boy's arms from around him. "Alfred, really, I already went over this with you-"

"You always have to go to meet the governor!" The boy yelled with an indignant scowl. "I want to come too! Why can't I ever come?"

"-Because you are still too young." Arthur knelt before Alfred and cupped his hand around the boy's head. "I will take care of it until you are able to join me."

Mary watched the two with a smile, choosing to remain silent in their tender moment.

"You must stay here for now." Arthur ruffled the boy's hair, threading his fingers through the wheat-colored locks. "…Remember our talk we had?"

Alfred's sad expression wilted in annoyance, his eyes rolling to the sky and back to the ground. "Yeah, I remember."

"I'm serious, Alfred. If you break the rules, there will be consequences. Understand?"

"Yes, I know."

Arthur narrowed his eyes at him, studying his face for a moment before wrapped his arms around the boy's shoulders and drawing him in for a hug.

"I only do this for you own good."

"I know." Alfred grumbled, his unhappiness melting at the warm affection he was receiving.

Arthur finally stood and gripped the leather satchel containing various documents regarding local trade and other proceedings.

"I will return late, so please do not wait up for me."

Mary nodded, putting on a confident smile.

"Don't worry Lord Kirkland, everything will be fine!"

Arthur hefted himself up onto his horse, putting the leather satchel in one of the saddle bags on the left flank of his chestnut stallion. He glanced to the young girl, his gaze wary.

"Of course…right. Farewell!"

Arthur kicked his horse into run and galloped down the road, making haste as he was already late for the meeting.

Mary watched him go, curious at Lord Kirkland's apprehension, but pushed her thoughts away after a moment and turned around, silently chiding herself for allowing such idle thought.

Alfred was gone.

Eyes widening, she glanced about and stepped into the home.

"Alfred? Alfred-?"

"Rah!" Alfred exploded from around a corner, his bare feet slapping against the wooden floor.

Mary gasped in surprise, and then frowned. "Alfred, that wasn't very nice!"

The boy laughed and pointed a finger at her.

"I scared ya!" Alfred continued to laugh, his blue eyes glittering in mirth. "You should've seen the look on your face!"

"Yes, you scared me." Mary raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm sure one day you may even be able to scare Arthur, too."

Alfred stopped laughing suddenly, his eyes serious.

"No one can scare Arthur."

"You think so?"

Alfred nodded. "I know so. Nothing could ever scare him, not thieves, criminals, ghosts, monsters… or even pirates!"

"Well it's a good thing he's helping the governor then." Mary stated with a smile. "I've heard of the Caribbean pirates terrorizing the harbor in town…"

"Really? They have?" Alfred's eyes widened suddenly. "Arthur never told me!"

Mary bit her tongue, fearing she'd said too much.

"Alfred," she started, her voice coaxing. "Why don't you show me around your house?"

The boy's eyes brightened, the threat of pirates forgotten, and lunged forward to grasp her hand. He launched into a loud voice, showing her the sitting room, the kitchen, the dining room, and took her upstairs to show her the rooms, all except for Arthur's bedroom. He was forbidden to enter, thanks to the accidents he's had before in regards to his unnatural strength.

"Well, it's nearing sunset and dinner must be started now if we are to serve it on time." Mary started down the stairs, pausing a moment to glance up to Alfred. "You can play outside."

She honestly didn't see why it would be so bad to let the boy outside. All boys needed to play, it was just something they did.

"...Really?" Alfred smiled, his eyes lighting up.

"Yes, really."

Mary continued down the stairs and into the kitchen, where she prepared the fire and took up the great cast-iron pot that hung from the spit, setting it on the table-top in the kitchen. She soon forgot about the boy, as she was busy preparing the salted pork and the dumpling mixture. After a while, Mary finally stepped outside into the garden to see what vegetables she might pick for the dinner when a sudden realization dawned upon her.

"Alfred?" Mary called after pulling two carrots. "Alfred?"

She carefully set the carrots into the pocket of her apron and cupped her hands around her mouth.

"Alfred~!"

"Over here! Hurry!" His voice answered back.

Relief flooded her and she stepped through the wild grasses to tall trees that lined the edge of the forest.

"Where are you?"

"Up here!"

She looked up.

There, in the highest branch of the tree was Alfred.

Her throat constricted in terror at the sight.

"What are you doing up there?" She shouted, her voice wavering. "Get down!"

It was now that she realized her error in going against Lord Kirkland's advice.

"I-…I can't!"

"Yes you can!" Mary refused to believe his words. "You climbed up there, you can climb down!"

"But-"

The branch snapped, and Alfred tumbled through the tree branches, several cracking and snapping at contact until he caught a branch in his hands. He hung there for a few tense moments.

"Are you okay?" Mary shivered in apprehension, she'd only let him leave her sight for a little while and already he was causing trouble. "Please tell me you're alright!"

"I'm fine." Alfred's confident, yet strained voice came. "But I can't get down."

"What?" Mary gaped at him. "But you can! I know you can! Just lift yourself up and-"

"My arm really, really hurts!" Alfred's voice was pained. "It's not working right."

Mary paled. "I…I…"

She didn't want to think about what his over-protective guardian might do to her when he returned to find his charge with a broken arm.

"Can you climb up and get me?"

"I..what?" Mary stared at him, her mouth dropping open for the second time in the past minute. "Climb up a…tree?"

"Yeah! I…I can't lift myself up!"

"I…I…" Mary looked down at herself. She was in her older dress, complete with apron. "But…but Alfred I-"

"Don't worry about your dress!" His voice sounded flat, and if he was look at her, she would've seen his eye-roll. "Just climb up the tree and help me onto the branch below! It's real easy!"

"But…" Mary sucked in a deep breath. "…Alright."

She had to do everything she could to keep this job of looking after Alfred. Her family needed the money. Sighing in apprehension, she stepped up to the tree and eyed the trunk and the low-lying branch.

"So…what do I do?"

She'd never climbed a tree before. Her father would've tanned her hide if he caught her doing such a thing.

"Just put your foot on that first branch and climb up!" Alfred said this as if he were speaking to a two year old. "It's easy."

"Okay…" She lifted her foot up and place it onto the branch. To have her leg lifted so high and feel her dress lift up beyond her ankles…she shuddered in repulsion and tried shoving her dress back down.

"Don't worry about your dress!" Alfred laughed. "No one can see!"

"That's not the point!" Mary cried, her face slowly turning crimson. "I can't believe I'm doing such a thing…"

She stepped up to the first branch and grasped the second one, she tried lifting herself up but found she didn't quite have the strength.

"I can't," She sighed, shivering in fear. "I can't lift myself up!"

"Yes you can!" Alfred exclaimed, sounding hopeful. "Just pull yourself up!"

"Oh fine." She growled, her patience already wearing thin and with a sudden heave, pulled herself up and over the branch. She pulled her legs up and over, refusing to straddle the branch in such a lewd fashion, and stood up with quivering knees. She looked up and found Alfred still too high to reach.

Thirty minutes later, she finally reached the boy.

Alfred was still hanging from the tree branch, only now she could see him. His feet were not freely hanging, but were instead just touching another tree branch below. He could have easily leg go and crawled back down the tree in no time.

"What..I…" Mary gaped at the boy, feeling anger bubble up within her. "You fooled me!"

Alfred giggled and grinned widely. "didn't you have fun climbing up here?"

"No!" Mary exploded, her face turning crimson. "This is wrong! All of it!"

"What's wrong with climbing tree's?"

"No! Nothing's wrong with climbing trees but, you can't just-" Mary stopped suddenly and sniffed the air. Her eyes widened. "Oh no."

"What?"

"The food!" Mary climbed down that tree about ten times faster than she climbed up it, and ran into the kitchen. "Everything's burnt!"

Smoke flooded the room. She opened all the windows and used a kitchen cloth to wave the smoke out of the door. After airing the room, she finally pulled the meat and dumplings from the cooking surface and set them on the table with a sigh. Alfred came in a moment later.

"What happened?"

"Our dinner is ruined." Mary stated mournfully. "Everything will taste horrible."

Alfred peered at the black and crispy meat and the burnt-to-a-crisp dumplings.

"It isn't ruined!" Alfred exclaimed, picking up a burnt dumpling and putting a corner into his mouth, crunching the blackened mass loudly. "Hey this tastes good!"

Mary gaped at him.

"Honest!" Alfred grinned and popped the rest of the blackened thing into his mouth, crunching loudly, sounding as if he were mashing rocks together. "This is great! I wish En-…uh, Arthur's cooking was this good!"

"You're…not lying."

"Why would I lie?" Alfred frowned. "Arthur says 'One should always tell the truth.'"

"I…well of course. Yes." Mary allowed, at a total loss for words regarding the situation. "You… still want to eat?"

Alfred nodded with a huge grin.

Mary could only shove the plate of burnt meat and dumplings at the boy's place on the table.

Alfred sat down in his spot and dug into the food with relish. It was only after a moment that he paused to stare at her.

"Don't you want any?"

"Ah…I'm not really hungry." Mary lied with a fake smile. "You go ahead! Eat as much as you like."

Alfred grinned and continued his gorging.

Mary stared at the boy, her eyes wide and alarmed.

…Just how bad of a cook is Lord Kirkland?

Next Part: America throws a temper tantrum, gets a bloody nose, and alarming news comes from the town.