Ok, this is really random, and doesn't even feel like a one shot, but it is! This is all I'm writing!
That being said, anyone else wants to write more... Just credit me, k?
This is set after the movie, I think, seeing as a certain OC is not in the movie (no duh Gwen) but no real mention of the movie in it. Just a mini adventure Wibur manages to get himself into, resulting in... a sister? What?
Still, I promise, not your normal, angsty beautiful teen OC. Cross my heart, hope to die. In fact, I think you will be pleasantly surprised...
Well, with all that said, on to the fic! Enjoy!
Wilbur didn't even completely know what had made him go down that alley in the first place. Then again, Wilbur didn't truly understand half the things he did, so this wasn't exactly a surprise. Random and Spontaneous was just the sort of person he was, and today, his gut were telling him, "take another route home", so he did.
There wasn't anything really interesting about the alley, but, it was something new, and that was a plus. Wilbur just hoped he could get home before his parents sent Carl after him again. Seriously, he loved the bot like a goofy older brother, but sometimes enough was enough. How was he supposed to find adventure and excitement if the big lug was always tagging along? Speaking of which…
Wilber should hear voices from father down the alley. Hard toned instinct taking over, he ducked behind a trashcan before he could be spotted.
"Give it back!" Hmmmmm… sounds pretty young, Wilbur mused, A little girl? What would a little girl be doing down here?
"Ah, ah, ah. Where are your manners? Surely your mother taught you to say please?"
"Please?" Ok, I'm hearing tears there, Wilbur thought to himself, taking the initiative to peek around his hiding spot.
Sure enough, it was a little girl, what, four or five maybe? Looking tearfully at an older man in rags as he held something up high. Come to think of it, the girl's clothing wasn't in that great of shape either…
"It's not as if it belongs to you," the man said, "Anything found in the trash in public property, which means sharing, especially with your esteemed elders."
What a jerk! Wilbur thought to himself. How old was this guy, 40, 50? And he still felt the need to pick on five-year-old girls? Wilbur was under the impression that people were supposed to out grow things like that.
"Please!" The little girl begged, "I'm hungry! And I looked and looked and looked…"
"And looked and looked," the older man mocked, "Spare me. You live on the streets, you go hungry kid, rule number one. Now be a good dear and go play with some imaginary friend would you? Uncle Ollie needs to finish his lunch."
Wilbur decided enough was enough and climbed out from behind his hiding spot. "Hey dirt bag!" he called, getting the older man's attention, "Leave her alone!"
"You wanna rethink that, my young friend?"
"Heh, heh… now that you mention it…" Wilbur gulped nervously. Now that he was standing up, he could see the half eaten chicken leg in the man's left hand. He could also spot the blade sitting comfortably in the right one. His eyes drifted over to the little girl and stopped there. She was grungy, small, and her clothes looked like they belonged to ten different people of various shapes and sizes, all of whom had used them for dishrags before passing them on. She also looked at Wilbur with the brightest, most hopeful looking eyes he'd ever seen. How could he back down now?
"She's not worth it boy," The man said, as if he could read Wilbur's mind, "Just another scrawny little orphan who won't live past the winter. Now you, on the other hand," the man said, gesturing to Wilber as if he were a great piece of art, "You seem like a man who's on his way to great things, yes? Bright shining future? Would your parents appreciate you throwing it all away on a silly little thing like this?"
Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho, the man had just said the wrong thing. If anything, Wilbur knew only to well the look of disappointment that would be on their faces if he walked away now. Oh, they'd be happy he was safe, but proud? No. And Wilbur wouldn't be either. On the other hand… no need to antagonize the guy.
"You know, you have a sharp mind," Wilbur complimented, almost gagging as he did, "I like that. Shows character."
"Why thank you," the man said with a smile.
"I mean, why fight you over something as silly as this right? So how about you just send the girl on over here, and we'll be on our way."
"Ah, clever boy," the man smiled catching on, "Save the girl, avoid being sliced, oh yes clever indeed, but there's a small problem with your plan, you see, I need her. She's the little piglet to my metaphorical truffles and I enjoy a full stomach, so if you'd just turn and walk away, we'll all be just fine."
Wilbur's eyes drifted over to the girl once more, and his eyes narrowed in anger as he saw her visibly deflate. This guy used her. She found food for him, and he ate it. How long had it been since she'd gotten anything to eat? Wilbur knew he had to get her away from the old guy with the knife, but how? In an instant, his brain already had a plan. A stupid plan mind you, but still...
"Ok, ok," he conceded, backing up a couple steps, "I see your point, I'll be moving along, just let me-
In one swift motion, Wilbur grabbed the trashcan next to him and hurled it at the knife guy. "Give you that!" he yelled as he sprinted down the alley past the now flattened knife guy, swooping up the little girl under one arm as he went. She was surprisingly light, Wilbur mused to himself as he ran, and she looked rather surprised at the turn of events.
"Get back here with my girl!" the guy screeched at them, but Wilbur didn't even look back. He just ran, and didn't stop until they were several miles away.
Quite a bit later, Wilbur finally slowed to a halt, setting the girl down as he did so and lowering his head between his knees as he tried to catch his breath.
"There…" he gasped, "I think… we lost… the knife guy." He almost toppled over as a small, but very strong force seized him around the middle. "Aw-aaahhh!"
He looked down to see that it was only the little street urchin, hugging him with all her might. He waited to see if she'd say anything, but, no such luck.
"Um… your welcome?" he ventured.
"You're the best person in the whole wide world," she said confidently, still hugging him tightly around the middle.
"Well, heh, I try," he said, trying to figure out how to detach himself from his new fan, "You uh, got a name?"
"Annabelle."
"Well, Annabelle, nice to meet you. How about we let go of me," he suggested, prying her arms off him and taking a step back, "There we go." She stood there, blinking up at him.
"Well, uh, I'm Wilbur, and we should um… hmmm…" he studied her for a moment. What was he going to do with some scrawny little five-year-old? He could take her home for dinner he supposed, lord knows she needed it, but then what? She was still staring at him with those shiny eyes. Was she even blinking anymore?
"Ah, what the heck," he said, finally deciding it just wasn't worth it, "Let's go to my house." A large grin seized the little girl's face and she seemed about to-
"But let's cut back on the hugging, ok?" he said quickly, not wanting to be toppled again. She nodded obediently. "And could you cut out the staring? It's creeping me out." Again, she nodded, though she also looked a bit disappointed. He sighed. He wracked his brain for a moment, then smiled.
"You know," he said, "It's kinda a long way. I might just have to give you a piggy back."
"Really?"
"Hop on," he said, crouching down. Annabelle squealed with delight and climbed on. Again, Wilbur took note of how light she was. Annabelle snuggled into his back.
"I love you," she said. Wilbur stopped still for a moment, visibly surprised, but continued on his way, smiling a little.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here," he warned, "I mean the family will probably think you're cuter then pie, but it's not like I'll get to keep you."
"Ok," she said with a yawn, a little sleepily. Apparently it was time for her nap. Wilber smiled, then frowned. What was he going to tell his parents?
"Oh, she's adorable!" Wilbur stood on the front step, the sun setting behind him, Annabelle sound asleep on his back. At the sound of his enthusiastic grandmother, the little girl began to wake, yawning and rubbing her eyes.
"You ok back there, sleepyhead?" he asked. She nodded.
"Oh isn't she as cute as a quadratic formula?" Lucille said with a beaming smile, then, noticing they were still outside, she ushered them in. "Oh, come in, come in! Everyone, come see the piece of adorable that just came in with Wilbur!" Wilbur just rolled his eyes as he stepping inside.
"See? What I tell ya?" Annabelle giggled happily.
"Finally found yourself a girl did ya?" Annabelle started at the new voice, and looked up to see… a man with his clothes on backwards?
"Not quite Gramps," Wilbur said, used to his Grandfather's antics by now, "This is Annabelle."
"Well ain't you as cute as a cucumber," he commented, looking her over. "Can't wait till others see you."
"Can't wait till we see what, Bud? Oh!" Franny had walked into the front hall to spot her son and his passenger. Wilbur winced.
"Now Mom, I know what you're thinking and-
"She is so adorable!" Franny cried as she rushed over, "Needs some cleaning up though. I think someone needs a bubble bath…" she sang.
The girl in question giggled with delight and allowed Fran to pick her up.
"So, you have a name sweetheart?" she asked.
"Annabelle."
"Well Annabelle, we'll have to take you right upstairs and get you cleaned up," Franny said, already walking away with Annabelle in her arms.
"And don't think you're off the hook young man," she called back, killing Wilbur's sense of relief, "I expect a full explanation before dinner."
"Yes Mom…"
Later, Wilbur sat at the dinner table with not only his Mother, but also his father, whom had just gotten back from the office. His only prayer was that they might take it easy, seeing as little Annabelle was sitting right next to him. Despite the dread filling his heart, he had to smile. She cleaned up well. She wore one of his mother's shirts belted around the middle, and a pink bow in her soft brown hair. The rest of the family was still cooing over how cute she was, which perhaps is what had delayed the dreaded meeting. Annabelle seemed to be enjoying the attention, though Wilbur thought she might be enjoying the beef and mashed potatoes even more. How big her eyes had gotten when Carl placed the plate in front of her!
"Here button, let me clean that off for you," Aunt Billie offered, reaching over to wipe some potatoes off Annabelle's face. Joe, sitting next to Annabelle, also smiled and patted the little girl's hand. Wilbur blinked. It was odd to see Uncle Joe do anything other then eat and watch TV. He didn't often notice people besides Aunt Billie.
"So who is she?" Franny asked, causing Wilbur to jump. Taking a big breath, he steadied himself.
"It's kinda complicated-
"He saved me from Ollie," Annabelle put in, surprising the entire table. Seeming not to notice, she continued to eat her food as enthusiastically as possible.
"Who's Ollie?" Wilbur's Father, Cornelius asked in confusion.
"Trust me," Wilbur said firmly, "you don't want to know."
"I was his piglet," Annabelle cut in again, causing Wilbur to face palm.
"Come again?"
"He…" Wilbur was hesitant to explain. Part of him still couldn't believe it. He knew there were bad people out there in the world, but still…
"He made her dig through the trash for him," he said quietly, "Then he'd take whatever food she could find. He called her the piglet to his metaphorical truffles. Seriously, I think the guy was something of a nutcase." Cornelius said nothing, simply watching his son look on their little guest with concern and righteous anger. Wilbur seemed to realize everyone was staring at him and cleared his throat.
"So, yeah, kinda found her in a back alley on the way home from school. I know we can't keep her or anything, but I mean, we can't let her go back to that, right?" Wilbur asked. Cries of agreement rang around.
"Speaking of which, how did you get her away from Ollie?" Franny asked, making Wilbur gulp.
"Well, I kinda snatched her and ran," he said. Annabelle nodded in agreement.
"He ran really fast," she said, looking up at him with admiration.
"Uh, thanks."
"You did the right thing Son," Cornelius assured him, placing a hand on his son's shoulder, "True, I would rather you didn't go around risking life and limb, but I'm still very proud of you. You saved someone's life today."
"Well," Wilbur said blushing, "I wouldn't go that far…"
"But you were really brave," Annabelle insisted, tugging on Wilbur's arm.
"We-hel…"
"Ollie had a knife all the time," she told the group, "It was this big!" She added, holding her hands wide apart. Wilbur pulled her hands down.
"Don't little kids just have the biggest imaginations…"
"Wilbur!" he winced at the sound of his mother's voice. "You challenged a man with a knife? You could have been hurt!"
"But, she needed me!" Wilbur insisted, "Besides, I knocked him down with a garbage can first, then I ran. See? No fighting involved."
"Franny," Cornelius placed a hand on his wife's shoulder to calm her. She sighed.
"I suppose he did save her life," she conceded. "And he did run."
"Running, being the right choice there son," Cornelius added.
"I know," Wilbur said, "why did you think I did it?"
"And such a little angel you saved," Aunt Billie put in, cooing over Annabelle.
"She is rather sweet, isn't she?" Aunt Petunia said, coming over as well.
"Way to go Wilbur!" Lazlo said.
"You saved the damsel in distress." uncle Art put in.
"And we are all very proud of you," Cornelius added.
"Thanks Dad." The rest of the table put in their agreement, cheering for Wilbur, who of course, taking his praise graciously, stood up and bowed.
"Thank you, thank you."
Later, in the front hall, Wilbur watched as Aunt Billie and Franny took the young girl upstairs to bed, concern still in his eyes. Noticing, Cornelius placed an arm over his son's shoulder and waited for him to speak.
"She's so small…" Wilbur said, almost to himself. Cornelius had to agree with him, the girl was clearly undernourished.
"I don't get it Dad. I thought… I thought things were better now. Why would she be living on the streets?" Wilbur asked. Cornelius sighed.
"I ask myself the same thing," he said, "It seems no matter how many inventions I make, I can't help everyone. The numbers have certainly gone down, but the hungry and homeless still exist."
"You do your best Dad," Wilbur assured him, making Cornelius smile.
"Dad?" Wilbur turned to look at his Father.
"Yeah?"
"We are going to help her, right?"
"Of course," Cornelius assured him, "We're Robinsons after all. It's what we do."
"We can't let her go back to that Dad," Wilbur said firmly, turning to look back at the spot where the little girl had disappeared up the stairs, "We just can't. I- I won't let someone do that to her again." Cornelius beamed as pride for his son filled his chest.
"We won't," he assured Wilbur with a one armed hug, "We won't."
Wilbur was awoken by a small, hesitant hand.
"Wah?" He opened his eyes to see what could only be Annabelle by his bed.
"Can I sleep with you?" she asked. Wilbur blinked the sleep from his eyes as he tried to grasp what she was saying.
"What's wrong," he paused to yawn, "What's wrong with the room Mom gave you?"
"It's so big," she said in an awed whisper.
"You sleep out doors and your scared of a big room?"
"Please?"
"Hang on." Wilbur climbed out of bed and went to his closet. It should be here somewhere… ah. He pulled out an old cot he sometimes used for sleepovers and set it up next to his bed, placing a fluffy sleeping bag and blanket on it as well.
"Can I sleep there?" Annabelle asked as she watched him.
"Sleep where?"
"There," she said, pointing to the cot.
"Well I was goon take it, but if you want it-
"Thank you!" She said as she climbed up. Giving her an odd look, Wilbur searched out a pillow for her, finding his old bear in the process.
"Huh, haven't seen you in a while," he commented, "Hey Annabelle, you wanna sleep with Mr. Fluffy?" he said, holding out the Bear to her. She nodded, and he passed it over along with a pillow.
Finally, he thought as he climbed into his nice warm bed.
"Sweet dreams Wilbur."
"Night Annabelle."
As he snuggled in and began to drift off, he almost missed the small hand closing around his own. He opened one eye to see Annabelle drifting off to sleep, her hand and his clasped just over the edge of his bed.
"Sweet dreams."
Ok, ok, so there was some angst where my OC was involved, but it needed parol! Besides, isn't she just so adorable? And yes, the Robinsons went over the top, but really when don't they?
On the whole, despite the fact that I feel oddly compelled to write a chap fic on this one (must resist! Involving all those family members in this first chapter was hard enough!) I'm rather proud of this one. It brings up so many points. Wilbur, actually feeling responsible for someone/thing, Cornelius, feeling a bit down about how little he can actually do, Franny, being over protective and motherly... yeah... I'll stop the bragging now... sorry...
Anyhoo, what do you all feel about it? Good? Bad? Thoughts? Concerns? Needs more? Or is it weird enough as is?
As always, thanks for reading!