Chapter VII - New Addition

LEVI'S POV

About an hour ago I finished cleaning the guest room for Mary since starting from that day it would be her bedroom. Next, I had to hide all of the weed and fags 'sette and I owned alongside our alcohol bottles by placing them in a locked cabinet in the kitchen to keep all of them out of sight and reach from the kid. Cosette and I talked the other night and agreed that if Mary were to come live with us, we had to baby-proof our house by not leaving any of our fucking contraband-like things out in the open for the little girl. The last thing we wanted was for Mary to start acting like us, so my sister and I had to be on our best behaviour. Anyway, Marybelle's belongings from her old house would be shipped off to us in about a few days via post but Cosette and I would still be buying her new things, considering the kid mentioned that ever since her mother moved away, her father hasn't been buying her anything new. Hell, even the clothes she always wore looked too small for her; I'd be damned if I left her in that under my care.

While I was cleaning my bedroom, I found a photograph of my parents inside my walk-in wardrobe. I felt a wave of memories wash over me as I stood there, staring blankly at the picture. They had always coddled me and treated me as their perfect little boy all my life but if they saw how their precious son came to be, would they still love me? I constantly asked myself that but I never had the answer. Even if I knew they loved me more than the rest of my sisters, Mother and Father were still rather cold even towards me.

I had one core memory of seeing my father smoking in his office and even though I had seen him do it several other times, that one instance he said to me, "Sometimes the things that kill you take the weight off the day, Vivi." My parents called me by a silly nickname when they were still alive, Vivi; they took the last two letters of my real name and repeated it twice. I always thought the name was quite stupid but fortunately, all my sisters only called me Levi and never Vivi. With my mother, my favourite memory of her was when we got into our car and our chauffeur drove us for two hours from London all the way to Birmingham out of spite to get away from our family because Mother was furious at all of them. I couldn't remember exactly why she chose Birmingham or why she took me with her, perhaps she just wanted to get as far away as possible and make her husband as angry as she could get him. However, the best part was that thirteen-year-old Vivi had much fun in Birmingham and enjoyed his time there.

A few tears escaped my eyes as I thought back on all the times my parents made me smile and how untimely their death was. "Damn, no point for tears now is there, Mother and Father?" I took off my glasses, wiped away my warm tears, and sniffled before standing up straight. "I don't have the time for this. Cosette and Mary will be arriving very soon,"

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MARYBELLE'S POV

"Thank you, Cosette!" I thanked the kind woman after she placed the tray containing one Big Mac, a glass of Coca-Cola, and chips along with tomato sauce. "You're welcome, dear," she smiled at me and I immediately dug into my food. "You know, Levi and I have never been here or to any fast food place," Cosette admitted, shocking me a little. "Really? Why not?" I questioned. "Well, growing up, I've always only ever eaten at posh and expensive restaurants due to my family's status and standards, in general. So, my brother and I are always a tad bit sceptical about eating at places like this. A habit, so to speak," answered Cosette. We had a moment of peace, giving me time to enjoy my food and Cosette had been texting someone on her phone the entire time, probably her partner because she was giggling a lot. "Are you sure it was alright to buy me all of this?" I asked, pointing at the bags containing my newly-bought belongings such as toys, clothes, and whatnot. There were so many of them and whenever I said I wanted something, Cosette never failed to get it for me no matter how expensive it was.

"Of course it is, darling, and this isn't going to happen every day anyway. I want you to be as happy as possible when you are under my care!" Cosette beamed. Her smile was so tender and sweet that there was no way any man could not fall for her beauty; she was like a goddess. I've felt something I haven't felt before. What was it? After a moment, I realized what it was; I felt loved and cared for. Not only that, but I was the luckiest girl in all of London at that moment! "Thank you, Cosette," I smiled. "You and Levi have no idea how much this means to me. I never experienced this much care in the past and I always had to take care of myself after Mummy moved away. Daddy never loved me, so this is a pleasant change," Cosette placed a hand over mine and gently said, "Hey, you deserve all of this just as any child would especially after everything you went through. You deserve to be a happy and normal little girl, so, as long as you are under my and my brother's care, we will do whatever we can for you,"

I couldn't help but tear up at how kind Cosette was to me, making her worry because I just suddenly started to cry. "Hey! Is there something wrong?" she asked, concerned. "No, everything is perfect, Cosette, and I don't deserve any of this from you both!"

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MARYBELLE'S POV

Once Cosette and I finished our shopping spree, we came back to the house when it was already past ten. The first time I've ever been to Levi's and Cosette's home, I was expecting it to be this massive and regal mansion but instead, I was met with a comfy and medium-sized house on top of a hill and had a beautiful forest as its backyard. And I liked it better than a mansion. "Levi, we're back!" I entered the house and saw Levi sitting on the couch with a beer in his hand. "Oh, welcome back. Where is Cosette?" he searched for his sister. "Still back at the car and she said she needed you to help her carry all the things we bought,"

"Alright, wait here for us, okay?" Levi got up from his seat, left the beer on the coffee table, before exiting the house. I looked at the alcohol and wondered what it tasted like. Daddy always drank and he seemed to enjoy it, so, it must be good, right? After giving it some thought, I grabbed the can, held it to my mouth and consumed a small portion of the liquid. Immediately, I coughed in disgust and set the can back down. It tasted awful! So bitter and foul to the tongue. Just how could anyone enjoy crap like that? "Ew, never will I drink when I am older..." I promised myself as I wiped my mouth with my sleeve. "Mary, hold the door open, darling!" I heard Cosette from outside and I immediately rushed out to help her. Before Cosette and I started to decorate my room (Levi couldn't help because he was cooking lunch in the kitchen), she gave me some new clothes of her own choice and requested that I put them on. The outfit consisted of a ruffled, white, dress shirt and a poofy pink skirt along with loafers that were a light beige colour. Everything was comfortable and I found the style itself very cute. After getting dressed, Cosette and I started on my room and decorated it in shades of pink and red, my two favourite colours.

We kept my new clothes in my oddly large walk-in wardrobe and all my toys safely inside the toy cabinets. My bedroom was fairly big but relatively small in comparison to each of the siblings' room but it was still a hundred times better than my old room back home. Nonetheless, everything was going smoothly and Cosette and I made pleasant conversation the entire time. It was apparent that she wanted to get to know me better, which made me very happy! Cosette also told me a lot about herself; like how she was still in school and her number one goal in life was to graduate in order to become a psychiatrist. Such a passionate woman! I deeply admired her.

"What do you wish to be when you grow up, Mary?" Cosette had asked me back at my room.

"I'm not quite certain yet. I haven't given it much thought,"

"Well, what is the one thing you love to do?"

"Hmm...I love reading and literature a lot. I taught myself how to read recently and I practice by reading loads of books! And I've read so many good ones these past few months,"

"You're a self-taught reader? Now, that is impressive! I bet you'd be an excellent writer if you apply every story you've read into one book,"

After the two of us finished setting up my room, it was just about lunchtime and Levi finished cooking. "You know, Mary, by the time kids turn five, they should already be enrolled in school by now, and you're turning six," said Levi. We were seated at the table, eating Teriyaki chicken with egg fried rice and some vegetables. "Daddy said that I didn't deserve an education or else he'd just be wasting money on me," I explained. "That's just awful and it isn't true," Levi sighed. "Your father is a lying scoundrel, Mary, nothing that comes out of his foul mouth is the truth,"

"Do you want to experience going to school, Mary?" asked Cosette. "I guess I wouldn't mind," I shrugged, picking at my vegetables. "However, I do get nervous around new people, especially adults, so I've never been too thrilled about the thought of school," Cosette drank her wine before turning to her brother. "The good news is that Mary here taught herself how to read, so she already has a jumpstart in her education," said she. "You taught yourself how to read? How?" Levi asked me, rather impressed. "All I did was study the alphabet and pay attention to how my daddy pronounced certain letters," I answered.

"Do you know how to count? Or more importantly, do you know how to do basic maths?" questioned Levi. "Sure, I can probably count up to about a hundred and I know simple primary school-level maths like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, etc. Books are an amazing way to practice, plus they have entertaining stories!" The two siblings looked at each other weirdly before turning back to me. "Maybe we can enrol you in a nice primary school tomorrow," Cosette smiled at me. "And if you manage to pass a few tests, you can probably be put into a class with older kids,"

"What sorts of tests?" I asked curiously. "Tests to determine whether or not you're fit to be in more advanced classes for your age," answered Levi. "If I pass those tests, would that be a good thing?" I asked. "Sure it would," answered Cosette. "Not only would it show that you are a very bright little girl but it would save you a few extra years in your education," I hummed and said, "That doesn't sound bad," Levi looked over at my plate, noticing I was eating everything but the vegetables. "Mary, eat your vegetables please," he requested. "But I don't like vegetables," I expressed. "I don't like them either but I still eat them because they're good for us," said Levi. "Maybe you think that way because you're old," I teased boldly. Cosette snickered at my comment as Levi stared at me, his expression mixed with shock and hurt. "Kid, I am but a young twenty-year-old man!" Levi announced, making me giggle to myself. "And if you do not eat those damn greens, then you aren't having any dessert," he threatened, making me almost drop my utensils. I loved sweets! And I just had to have them, so I gave in and practically inhaled each veggie into my mouth.

The day went by smoothly. Cosette played with me the entire time while Levi got some work done in his room. I was having so much fun that I hadn't even noticed the time. When the clock had struck 8 PM, the two siblings agreed that it was best for me to go to bed. Cosette was the one trying to escort me to my room but I said I wanted Levi, to which he agreed shyly.

"You're a very good cook, Levi," I complimented Levi as he tucked me into my new comfy bed. "Really? How about Cosette?" he asked back. "She's okay but I like your cooking much more!" I answered. "Don't tell her, though," Levi nodded, asking, "I see. What is your favourite meal?" I didn't need to think twice about it. "Oh, Fish and Chips, definitely," I answered with a smile. "I remember well that it was the last thing Mummy made for me before she left, so, the meal brings back a lot of memories," Levi gave me an obscure smile. "Alright, then," said he. "How about we cook that up for lunch tomorrow?" My eyes glimmered and I immediately plastered a bright smile on my face. "Yes, please!" I beamed. "I'd love that! I haven't had it in so long,"

"Alright then. Fish and Chips for lunch tomorrow," said Levi. "Thank you, Levi, for everything, I really mean it! You and your sister are doing so much for me and I don't even deserve any of this!" I thanked him from the bottom of my heart. "Though, I do wish Mummy was here, then, maybe we'd all get along!" The smile on the handsome man's face disappeared suddenly after mentioning my mother. "Well, very soon, you two will get to be together," said he before standing up. "Get some sleep, kiddo. You had a long day,"

"Could I get a goodnight kiss?" I requested, making Levi's face turn from stoic to shocked. "Um..." he paused. "Perhaps...maybe...another night, Mary," Levi seemed uncomfortable, so I didn't push it. "Alright! Good night!" I smiled, turning my body to the other side. "Good night, kid," he patted my head. I heard Levi's soft footsteps grow fainter and fainter through the room before he finally left.

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LEVI'S POV

I took one last glance at Mary before closing the door. I heaved a heavy sigh, resting my back against the door. "Goodnight kiss? I think I've just about reached my limit today..." I chuckled to myself. All day long I've felt this...odd feeling. I've never taken care of a child before or even so much as a fish. I wasn't sure whether that feeling was pleasant or not. Though, I was happy about having the wonderful "honour" of putting Mary to bed. I think...I enjoyed today and I felt glad when she complimented my cooking. I just wished it weren't so hard to make her eat her vegetables. Anyway, I hurried into the living room to spend the evening with my sister. Maybe we could take advantage of our alone time to get high or something. I entered the living room and sure enough, my sister was there seated on the couch, watching the telly. "Did Mary make a fuss?" asked Cosette as I sat next to her. "Not at all," I answered. "She even asked me to kiss her goodnight,"

'Sette giggled at me. "Did you give her one?" asked she. "Of course not. I just told her I'd give her one some other night," I answered, making myself comfortable next to her. Cosette sighed before speaking once more, "You know, Mother and Father never kissed me or our two sisters," I shrugged in response. "They never kissed me either," I said. My sister turned her head over to me slowly, surprised at what I said. "What?" she questioned. "You, Levi Andrew Churchill, the one and only favourite child, are telling me that our two parents never once gave you so much as a peck?"

"Just because I was their 'favourite' does not mean they lowered their pride even for me. They were still rather...cold and not once did they say the words, 'I love you' to me," I explained. My sister sat up straight, seemingly baffled. "So, you mean to tell me, that our parents treated you the same way they treated Colette, Eponine, and I?" she asked. I sighed before answering, "Not all the way, at least. I know I am still much more fortunate compared to you and our sisters," Cosette stared at me one last time and shook her head. "I don't believe you, Levi,"

"I am not asking you to, 'sette," I said. After that, we stayed silent as we both watched the television together, the voice of the reporter being the only sound that filled the void between us. "Do you want to get high?" my sister asked suddenly. I looked at her, smirking. "I thought we were trying to quit?" I reminded her, to which Cosette shrugged. "I suppose it is okay if we just smoke from time to time; once a month maybe. Mary is already fast asleep anyway," she answered. I didn't hate the suggestion. "Alright," I stood up. "We'll smoke on my balcony. You get us some alcohol while I grab our weed,"

Cosette and I did our specific tasks and twenty-five minutes into fagging, we were both slightly intoxicated from all the alcohol and high out of our minds as we sat on the floor of my balcony, staring absent-mindedly at the starless night sky but our visions were blocked by the smoke coming out of our joints and mouths. We felt the aftermath of the cannabis and my mind seemed as though it was floating mid-air, also incredibly numb. "Does Julia know you smoke something like this?" I asked my sister before chugging the bottle of tequila in my hand. "Of course she does," 'sette answered and took a slow drag from her joint. "But she doesn't mind as long as she doesn't see me in this sort of condition," Having not been smoking in a while, I was having more coughing fits than usual. "I think I regret doing this with you already..." I expressed, wiping my mouth. My sister rolled her eyes at me. "It isn't my fault you smoke more than you should,"

"Then I guess my dear older sister isn't looking out for her younger brother," I teased her. Cosette then gave me a look I knew well. "You are a grown man, Levi, you're responsible for your own decisions," she rolled her eyes. "Why don't you move out, then?" I asked before inhaling from my joint. "Because you'll miss me too much," my sister smiled at me, blowing some smoke into my face. "Rubbish," I declared. Cosette laughed and rested her head against the railings. "This is nice," said Cosette. "Earlier while I was watching the news, they caught on camera that we were leaving the court district with Mary with us," I coughed after I stopped inhaling from my joint due to the shock I felt. "Somebody took a photo of us during that?" I asked in disbelief. "How? Our case with Mary was never even made public to the media! They only know that I helped get her away from Adam!"

"Precisely, meaning somebody nosy outside the court district saw us there and thought that it would be good for shits and giggles if they were to share our personal business with the news for all of England to see," Cosette explained, reaching for the bottle in my hand. "Why would the subjects of this country even care for us Nobles?" I asked as I gave her the alcohol. "Everyone only thinks of us as aristocrats that are about to go extinct within a few years, leeching off of the power of royals as much as we can whilst bathing in money due to our lavish lifestyle," I answered, fanning the smoke out of my view with my hand. "It seems like you're the one who thinks that," Cosette answered before taking a slow sip from our tequila. "We aren't even inherently as bad as others make us to be. In history, we swore our allegiance to the royalty and we assisted them in many things. Even Nobles in this generation such as yourself are still working hard to help his majesty maintain this country,"

"You are a Noble as well, 'sette," I pointed out and she only laughed. "I know," Cosette answered. "It just feels odd to say it out loud," She then looked at me and asked, "Do you believe we can be good caretakers for that little girl?" I paused for a moment. "Well, let me see...the two of us are drunk, high, and smoking marijuana up here on my balcony. So, progress is still far but I'm certain we'll both be better," Cosette giggled loudly at my sentence. "Yes, let us do our best, brother,"