Chapter Text
For as long as Ophelia could remember, her life had been perfect.
Her earliest memory was the day she powered on for the first time. Her Papa had been the first person she saw, his face a mask of shock when he realized that he had accidentally created a living baby. He had instantly picked her up, though, cradling her close to his chest in a way where she could feel the comforting thrum of his core running.
Despite the fact that she was small, and quite new to the world, she instantly knew that this was where she belonged.
She met her Daddy next, who had come running as soon as he heard her papa’s shrieks of confusion and delight. While he had taken a bit longer to warm up to her- talking in quiet murmurs to her papa before actually looking at her again- he didn’t hesitate to pick her up when she held out her tiny arms to him. The sound of his core was stronger, humming in a way that made her doze off almost instantly.
The last thing she had heard was a quiet, gruff voice saying “We did talk ‘bout the name Ophelia…”
Ophelia. That’s me.
When she woke up, her parents were still there, with her dad holding her close as a giant pink blob with eyes stared at her suspiciously. She had instantly tried to grab it, managing to snatch part of his goopy body and unintentionally solidifying herself as the blob’s number one threat in the house. While she didn’t know why the blob ran away from her, the laughter rumbling from her parents told her that she must’ve done something right. They continued to hold her close, pressing staticky kisses all over her little boxy head.
That had been the start of her life, a happy accident born into the loving arms of two criminals unexpectedly thrown into parenthood. Of course, she didn’t know about the criminal part, but that didn’t matter to her. Even as a baby, she could feel how loved and secure she was, less than legal past or no. Nothing would ever change that.
The next few years passed in a happy blur. She barely touched the ground the first week of her life, her dads too busy passing her back and forth to hold her close. Once she did get her own little floor mat, they still hovered close. She remembered the ecstatic cheers from her papa when she managed to roll over on her own for the first time, and she remembered the way her parents had cried tears of happiness when she finally stood up and took her first steps towards them.
Her childhood wasn’t conventional by any means- she was the child of felons, after all. In fact, given her dad’s occupation as an assassin, she spent so much time watching him train and clean his weaponry that her first word ended up being ‘gun’.
(She also remembered how scandalized her papa had looked when she had said it. Her dad was happier, cackling with mad delight as he picked her up and twirled her around before Papa indignantly zapped him.)
Despite the fact that both of her parents were wanted criminals, she still had plenty of aspects of her life that were similar to any other child's. Her next word had been ‘Dada’, resulting in her dad hugging her and bawling for hours (the first and only time she saw him crying that hard). Her papa spent days after that trying to get her to say his name, crying just as much and hugging her proudly when she finally did. Seeing how happy it made them, she started saying their names as much as possible, giggling happily when they picked her up and gave her kisses as a reward.
Once she finally found her feet, she was free to travel wherever she wanted in the house, but she still chose to stay close to her family. She alternated between sitting on her dad’s lap as he cleaned his weapons, cuddling her papa as he worked on his scripts, and chasing Uncle Toomp around the house to try and give him stickers.
(She never understood why he didn’t want her stickers. They were AWESOME! Stars, flowers, butterflies, all sorts of cool, sparkly stuff that would look great on Toomp! If only he would stop RUNNING so she could STICK THEM ON.)
For three years, she got taller, stronger, and faster. She graduated from toddling around the house to running, then from running to jumping- from couch to couch, on her bed, on her parent’s bed at 3 AM when she wanted attention. Her dad taught her a few special moves, patting her on the back proudly when she successfully did her first summersault and cartwheel. Her papa always made sure she was dressed fashionably, giving her a lovely blue bow that she was never again seen without. Uncle Toomp (unwillingly) played along with her, pretending to be the cat when she played house or helping to take down pretend enemies when she played Assassins.
It was just the four of them, and life was good. She was the star of her Papa’s show, the light of her Dad’s life, and Toomp actually tolerated her once she learned to say his name properly.
Then something shifted.
It started small, with her parents whispering to each other in bed, then stopping when they realized Ophelia was there waiting for cuddles. The conversations became more frequent, but she never caught more than a few words before one of her dads realized she was there and signaled for the other to keep quiet. They might have thought they were being sneaky, but Ophelia knew better. They were planning something. And given that Uncle Toomp wouldn’t (or couldn’t) tell her anything, she knew she’d have to figure it out on her own.
So she decided to pull a page out of her dad’s book. She snuck into their closet, pulling the door shut and sitting down. Boredom hit almost instantly, but she remembered what her dad had told her- ya gotta be patient sometimes. The target doesn’t always show up immediately. Pull the trigger too soon, or lose your focus, and the whole mission’s botched.
Channeling every ounce of patience her little three-year-old body could muster, she waited.
And waited.
Thankfully, her waiting paid off, as she was soon rewarded with the sound of her parent’s walking in. Her papa was talking, his voice tense. It automatically set Ophelia on edge, and she leaned close to the door to listen.
“-won’t possibly be easy for her to adjust to having someone else in the house,” Puzzles said, and Ophelia could hear the familiar sound of him pacing. “I don’t regret having her, not at all, but are we ready for what another child would entail? Is she? Neither of us ever had siblings, I don’t know what we’d do if they ended up fighting or hating each other-”
“Shakespeare,” WPNZ’s voice cut in, sounding unusually patient. “We don’t have to have siblings to have another kid. That’s not how that works.” Ophelia heard heavy footsteps padding across the carpet, then pausing. Her Papa’s footsteps stopped as well. “If ya don’t feel ready to have another kid, that’s fine. We can wait until Ophee’s older, or until ya feel comfortable. Pressure’s off. This is about what we think would be best for our family, and if it won’t be good for you, then it won’t be good for the rest of us.”
Another kid? Ophelia felt her stomach twist at the thought. She’d never had any friends before besides Uncle Toomp. It had always been just the four of them, and she was happy that way. What would another kid mean? A little brother or sister being in the house? Would they like her?
…Would she like them?
A sigh from Puzzles drew her thoughts back to reality. “It’s not that I wouldn’t love to have another child,” he said, shifting slightly. “I really would. I’m just worried about Ophelia. How would she adjust to having another child around, taking up our time? It’s always been just her and us. Surely it’d take some time for her to get used to that.”
“It’d take some time, yeah, but she would adjust. She’s our kid, you know she’s resilient,” WPNZ said. “I think havin’ another kid around would be good for her. Give her someone to spend time with that ain’t just us. Besides, wasn’t she complainin’ the other day when we were workin’ about not having enough people to play house with?”
Huh. I did say that, didn’t I, Ophelia thought. If there was another kid… they could play with me! We could play House and Assassins and put on shows for Daddy and Papa- that’d be great!
“I suppose you’re right,” Puzzles said, laughing a little. Ophelia felt the corners of her digital mouth quirk up. She always loved hearing Papa laugh. It made her feel happy inside. “We’ll talk to her about it tonight, ask if she would be comfortable with it.”
“Sounds like a plan, Jigsaw,” WPNZ said. Ophelia heard the telltale buzz of static that happened when they kissed each other, and she silently mimed throwing up. She waited for them to finish, to leave the room, but… they didn’t. The static occasionally broke, and she heard giggles from her dad and papa alike, but they weren’t leaving.
Wait.
If they don’t leave, how am I supposed to get out?
Uh oh.
It was at that moment that she remembered one of her dad’s tips. “The best tool you can have as an assassin ain’t a tommygun or sniper, it’s a solid escape plan. It doesn’t matter how good you are, if somethin’ happens that you can’t handle, getting away unnoticed is essential.”
Whoops.
Now she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Did she wait for her parents to leave the room (which it certainly didn’t sound like they were doing anytime soon- she was pretty sure she heard them move to cuddle on the bed), or did she try to sneak out and hope they didn’t notice her?
She thought back to what Dad had said about patience, about not pulling the trigger too quickly. If she tried to sneak out now, then she most definitely would be caught and the whole mission would be botched. The smart thing to do would be to hunker down and wait for them to leave.
But she really didn’t want to have to spend that waiting time listening to her parents get all kissy and mushy.
It was an easy choice.
Slowly, so slowly that it was painful, she pushed the closet door open. It didn’t creak, thanks to her papa’s insistence on making sure all the door hinges in the house were properly oiled. The kissing sounds didn’t stop either, so she figured she’d be pretty safe. She silently slid out of the closet, pressing herself against the wall. As expected, her parents were sitting on the bed, little sparks flying from Puzzles’ head as WPNZ kissed him.
She grimaced, then slowly began creeping across the room, sticking close to the wall. They hadn’t turned the lights on, and the walls were painted a dark navy. Hopefully if she moved quiet enough, they wouldn’t notice her moving since she was dressed in a dark blue dress-
“Ophee,” WPNZ’s stern voice cut through her hopeful thoughts, causing her to freeze in place. “Where do ya think you’re going?”
Sheepishly, she turned around to face her parents. Puzzles had moved to sit next to WPNZ, a bright ECG blush line on his face. WPNZ was looking at her with one eyebrow raised and his arms crossed, and she immediately knew she was in for it. He held out a hand, gesturing for her to come closer.
“I’m not mad, I just wanna know what you’re doing and why you’re sneakin’ away,” he said as she walked up. She paused just out of their reach, looking down at the ground guiltily. “How’d ya get in our room without us noticing? Didja need something?”
Ophelia shuffled her feet, fiddling with the edge of her dress. “I… I was…” Her mind was scrambling, trying to come up with an excuse that didn’t involve confessing that she was spying.
“Look at me, my star,” Puzzles said, snapping her out of her thoughts. She looked up and was met with her papa kneeling in front of her, a reassuring smile on his face. She hadn’t even heard him move. “I promise we won’t be upset. If something is bothering you, you can always tell us. We’re here to help you, not judge you,” he said gently, reaching out to rest a hand on the side of her face.
His words helped sooth Ophelia’s nerves, and she leaned into the touch. “I’m sorry, Papa,” she said, guilt getting the better of her. “I jus’ wanted to know what you and Daddy kept talking about, so I snuck in to spy on you guys.”
“You snuck in?” WPNZ said from his position on the bed. He slid down, moving to kneel in front of Ophelia as well. “When? I woulda heard ya if you were followin’ us.”
“I snuck in a while ago,” she said, looking down. She didn’t want to see their reactions. “You told me that thing ‘bout waiting for the right moment, so I hid in your closet until you came in.”
Surprisingly, WPNZ let out a bark of laughter. “No way! Really? Ya snuck in here jus’ to spy on us?” He sounded proud, not angry, and the shift in tone was enough to make Ophelia look up at him again. She nodded, then giggled when she was swept off her feet into a hug.
“That’s my little spy! I didn’t even notice you slip out of the closet! Just you wait, a few more lessons and you’ll be the slipperiest little snake on this side of the country!” he said proudly, giving her a quick series of kisses all over her face. Her giggles pitched up into a shriek of laughter as he blew a raspberry on her neck, her feet kicking happily.
“DADDY! That tickles!” she said, dissolving into another stream of laughter when he started mercilessly tickling her sides.
“Alright, you two,” Puzzles said from behind them. “Enough. We need to actually talk about what Ophee heard.”
WPNZ pulled away, looking a lot more serious. “Oh, yeah. You’re right, Broadway,” he said, moving to sit on the floor next to Puzzles. He kept holding Ophelia close against his chest, and she couldn’t help the nervousness that shot through her when her papa scooted forward.
“What exactly did you hear, Phee?” he asked, his tone gentle. No anger, nothing that would betray him being upset with her. It made her feel a little better about getting caught.
“I heard you and Daddy talking about getting a new kid. You wanted to ask me first, but you said you both wanted one,” she said. She pressed herself further into WPNZ’s embrace, suddenly feeling scared. “Are you getting a new kid because you don’t want me?”
Puzzles’ expression flashed to one of shock, and he quickly leaned forward to wrap his arms around Ophelia and WPNZ. “Of course not! You’ll always be my little spark. Nothing will ever stop me from loving you, you hear me?” he said seriously. Ophelia nodded, leaning into the hug.
“We ain’t getting a new kid to replace you, Ophee. We were thinking of havin’ another kid so that you have someone to spend time with,” WPNZ said, his core rumbling soothingly as he spoke. “Me, yer papa an’ Uncle Toomp won’t always be able to spend time with you. We got jobs, and we don’t want ya to feel alone when we’re out doing them.”
“...When would they come?” Ophelia asked, timidly fidgeting with her hands.
“That’s hard to say. See, we have to actually build them, and that could take weeks to months depending on what we choose to do,” Puzzles said, rubbing gentle circles into her back. “We wanted to make sure that it was alright with you before we began looking into the parts and materials that we’ll need, so it’s safe to say that it’ll be a little while.”
A little while. Okay. She could live with that. Having her parents just to herself for a bit longer was just fine with her.
“There’s another thing,” WPNZ said, nudging her to get her to look up at them. “We were wonderin’ whether you’d want a little brother or little sister. It’s your house, too, so you’ve got a say in that.”
Ophelia rubbed her metaphorical chin, looking up at the ceiling. A brother or sister… which one would I want? I’d be way outnumbered if I asked for a little brother, but if I get a little sister, then I won’t be Papa’s only little girl anymore…
“Can I have some time to think about it?” she asked, leaning back against her dad’s chest. Her parents nodded, and Puzzles reached out to pull her out of WPNZ’s arms and into his own lap.
“Take all the time you need, my little star. This is a pretty big decision, after all, and we wouldn’t want you to be unhappy,” he said comfortingly. Ophelia nodded, sinking into the embrace as WPNZ wrapped his arms around the two of them. She always loved when she got wrapped up in a group hug like this- it made her feel safe and secure.
Would our hugs still feel the same if I got a little sibling?
The rest of her evening was filled with similar thoughts. At dinner, during movie night, and while she was getting ready for bed, she couldn’t help but wonder how a new child would change the routine they currently had. But a part of her couldn’t deny the allure of having someone new to play with, someone she could call a friend and companion for life. Dad was right- it was lonely when all the adults in the house were working. Even if her papa worked from home, he still had to actually focus on his work, and often got too drawn in to really pay attention if she tried to play when he did.
A little sibling would change all of that. They could play all the time, she’d be able to tell them any deep, dark secrets that she wouldn’t even want her parents to know, and maybe they’d be able to help her when she got into wrestling matches with Dad. That was a fight that she had yet to win, but hey, if she got a little sibling, their combined forces surely stood a chance!
As her papa tucked her in, she knew she had made her choice.
Just as Puzzles was standing up, having tucked the blankets up to her chin and placed a staticky kiss to her forehead, she reached out and grabbed his hand. “Papa?” she whispered, working her courage up as he turned to look at her.
“Yes, my star?”
It took a moment for the words to come out, but Ophelia got them out nonetheless. “I do want a little sibling,” she said, squeezing his hand. “I think… it’d be kinda nice to have a little brother.”
Puzzles’ face lit up- quite literally, since the room was suddenly much brighter than it had been before- as he reached down to wrap his arms around her. “Thank you so much for telling me,” he said, his vents puffing out warm gusts of air that tickled her. “We can talk more about this in the morning with your dad, but I’m glad to know your thoughts on the matter. You’re going to be a wonderful big sister, I already know it.”
Ophelia hugged him back, giggling slightly when he gave her another smattering of kisses. Just like that, he was sweeping out the door, gently shutting it behind him as he bid her a soft “Good night, Ophelia,” before he was gone.
For a long while, she stared up at the ceiling, thinking the day’s events over. The glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling stared back at her, their soft glow helping calm her racing thoughts. I wonder if the new kid will like stars as much as I do…
She tried to fall asleep, she really did. She closed her eyes, tossed and turned to find a comfortable sleeping position, and even tried counting sheep- which was stupid, because now she was even more awake trying to keep track of all the sheep she was imagining. Eventually, she rolled out of bed with a huff, marching determinedly down the hall towards her parents room.
Using the technique her dad had taught her, she opened the door silently. Puzzles was already in sleep mode, the little Puzzlevision icon bouncing off the walls of his screen. WPNZ, on the other hand, stirred as she approached the bed, lifting his head to blink at her wearily.
“Phee?” he grumbled, his voice gravelly with sleep. “You’re supposed to be in bed. Somethin’ wrong, kid?”
Ophelia hesitated, then looked up at him with pleading eyes. “Can I sleep with you?” she asked timidly.
If her dad had been planning on protesting, those puppy-dog eyes instantly took his resolve out back and shot it. He let out a sigh, a soft smile creeping onto his face. “C’mere, kid,” he said, beckoning for her to come to his side of the bed. “Let’s get you settled.”
Silently, she padded towards her dad, giggling slightly when he effortlessly lifted her up and settled her on the bed between himself and Puzzles. He tucked her in, one of his arms wrapping around her and resting on her papa’s side. “You’re a clingy little thing, y’know that?” he said, a smirk on his face as he booped her screen. She giggled, tucking herself further against his chest.
For a few moments, it was silent. The room was a lot darker now that her dad’s eyes had drifted shut again, the yellow glow from them noticeably absent. Ophelia shifted slightly, the hum of her dad’s internal mechanics creating a soothing white noise that threatened to lull her to sleep. Before she could fully drift off, though, she had to ask one last question.
“Daddy?”
“Hm?” The response was immediate, if not a little slurred. WPNZ didn’t open his eyes, but Ophelia knew he was listening.
“Are you gonna love the new kid more than me?”
WPNZ’s eyes cracked open at that, looking at her with a combination of surprise and sympathy. “‘Course not, Phee,” he said, moving his arm to rub her back comfortingly. “We’re gonna love both of ya just as much as the other. But don’t forget that you’ve got a special place in our hearts. You’re our first kid, our daughter, an’ that’s somethin’ real special that nobody’s gonna ever replace.”
The words soothed the anxiety building in Ophelia’s chest, and she finally felt herself relaxing. “Thanks, Dad,” she said, already feeling her sleep mode creep up on her as she listened to the comforting drone of mechanics smoothly whirring.
“Anytime, kid.”
She finally drifted off, content to rest in the arms of her parents. She didn’t have time to even wonder if this gentle moment would be changed by the new kid, sleep mode claiming her for the night before she could think about it.
—
The day had finally come.
After at least seven months of waiting, of helping her parents and Toomp set up a nursery in the spare room, of sitting next to her Papa as he ruminated over blueprints and mechanics, of arguing with her parents that they should totally name the baby after her, it was finally time to meet her new sibling.
Her dad and papa were in the workshop, finishing up the final touches on her new brother’s physical frame before uploading digital parts of their core to his. The resulting surge of energy should activate her little brother’s core, bringing him to life and ensuring that he would be able to develop mentally and emotionally the same as any other child. While Ophelia was nervous, she couldn’t help but be terribly excited as well.
Despite her best efforts, she hadn’t yet figured out what her new brother’s name was going to be. Her parents had insisted on keeping it a surprise, though she suspected they had told her that because they hadn’t picked one yet. She had tried to sneak into the room again to catch them talking about it, but her dad had very quickly wisened up and began checking every corner of the room before they got into a private discussion.
It was annoying, to say the least, but Ophelia was determined to find a hiding place that neither of them would think to look at. That she had failed the last eight times was insignificant.
Nonetheless, Ophelia couldn’t help but pace their living room anxiously. It had been agony, waiting for her little brother to finally be done. She had watched and waited the entire time he was being built, but she couldn’t join them when he was finally being activated? It didn’t make any sense to her, but her papa had spouted off some nonsense about interfering signals and unexpected power surges being dangerous, so she was stuck waiting and pouting.
The noises in the other room didn’t give her any idea what was going on, either. She could hear parents muttering to each other, but it wasn’t loud enough for her to pick up actual words. There was the occasional clunk of machinery, and the buzzing of electricity that made her antenna stand on end, but she was clueless as to what those signs meant. All she could do was sit on the couch, slumped over Toomp.
“Uncle Toomp,” she whined, plopping her head down on his squishy body. Shockingly, Toomp didn’t protest, just sank slightly under her weight. “How long is this going to take? I wanna actually meet my new brother before I die of old age.”
Toomp just let out a squishy sigh, a hand morphing out of his body to give her a pat on the back. Clearly, he wasn’t in the mood to argue with her.
She was about to say something again to at least try and provoke Toomp into giving her attention, but a particularly loud buzz made her pause. It went on for a while, a drone that sent little waves of static through her antennae. She glanced up, a spark of worry igniting in her heart as the house lights flickered. All that electricity… it didn’t take nearly that much to activate me.
Just as soon as it had begun, it stopped.
Ophelia could feel the confusion radiating off of her uncle, and she hesitantly leaned back to give him space to move. He waddled towards the workshop, pressing the side of his face to the door to listen. After a moment, he squished himself down into a puddle and slithered beneath the door.
That left Ophelia alone, sitting in the living room as she waited to find out what had happened.
Behind the door, she could hear her papa’s voice, high-pitched and tense with worry. Her dad’s voice cut in soon after, and even if it was still low, she could hear the undercurrents of despair in it. That only made her anxiety get worse. What happened to make them so upset? Did they get hurt? Did the new baby get hurt?
…Why hasn’t he started crying?
Even if she was young, she had seen enough medical dramas with her papa to know that a baby not crying was a bad sign. Her nerves shot up as she crept towards the door, desperate to hear any sort of news that might tell her what was going on.
She really hoped she would hear the baby crying soon, but as the seconds ticked by, there was nothing.
Without warning, the electrical buzzing returned once again, sounding much stronger this time. The lights flickered once again, even powering off completely for a few seconds as all energy in the house was diverted towards whatever was happening behind the door. She froze a few feet away from the door, not wanting to risk interrupting whatever was happening.
Static filled the air, making her antenna buzz unpleasantly. The lights flickered again, and she could hear the sound of something metal landing on the floor in the workshop. The sensations quickly grew overwhelming, and she staggered back towards the couch to hide in the cushions in an attempt to get it to stop.
But just like before, the sensations suddenly cut off. The lights returned to normal. The static disappeared, causing Ophelia’s antenna to slump with relief. She hesitantly peeked out from beneath the pillow she was hiding under, ready to duck back should the noise begin again.
For a moment, all was silent.
Then, finally, the sound of tiny lungs wailing.
Relief flooded through Ophelia, and she quickly threw herself off the couch. She landed with a roll, then bolted towards the door as fast as she could. Pressed against it, she could hear the relieved voices of her parents, barely audible beneath the shrill cries coming from the new baby. She jumped up, trying to reach the doorknob, but she was just short enough that her fingertips only grazed the metal.
She huffed. She had not spent ages waiting to meet her new brother only to be stopped by some stupid door.
After a pause, she grabbed a pillow from the couch and dragged it over to the door. Standing on top of it, she could latch onto the doorknob, but she was still too short to turn it. Her hands just slipped off of the metal each time she tried. Undeterred, she ran and grabbed another pillow, stacking it on top of the first in order to successfully reach and turn the knob.
Right when she was about to grab the knob again, though, the door opened.
WPNZ glanced down at her, clearly not expecting to see her so close. “Ophee? What’re you doing?” he asked, taking in the sight of her balancing on the pillows. Realization flashed in his eyes, and he gave her a soft smile. “Jus’ couldn’t wait to meet your new brother, huh?”
Pushing down her guilt at getting caught, Ophelia slid off of the pillows. “I thought since the buzzing and the noise stopped that I’d be able to see him now,” she said simply. WPNZ’s smile only grew larger, and he reached down to scoop her up into his arms and carry her into the room.
“Ya could’ve just knocked, you know,” he said, carrying her into the workshop. When they entered, she could see her papa sitting next to a padded workbench. She had spent hours sitting with him and WPNZ at that very table, watching the form of her baby brother take shape. Now, the table was empty.
Instead, a small bundle wrapped in a yellow blanket rested in her papa’s arms.
Puzzles smiled shakily at the two as they approached, already shifting to make room for Ophelia on the bench. “Hello, my little spark,” he said, reaching an arm out to her as WPNZ set her down. She happily climbed up, but hesitated just before she could glue herself to his side.
“Is he…? Is it okay if I…?” She hesitated before finishing each question, as if scared she might be told no. Luckily, she didn’t have to worry about that, because her papa gently wrapped his arm around her and drew her into a side hug.
“Ophelia,” he said solemnly, tilting the bundle towards her, “Meet your new brother… Charlie Armory Vision.”
Snuggled up in the blanket, snuffling softly, was the tiniest person Ophelia had ever seen.
He looked a lot like her dad, with shiny metal skin and tiny little gauntlets. He was dressed in a black onesie with a little hat reminiscent of their father’s cannons, and his tiny yellow teeth gnawed on his fist as he dozed. When Ophelia leaned over him, though, his eyes cracked open, looking up at her curiously. He had one yellow pupil, like their dad, and one black pupil, like their papa. The irises were surrounded by a sea of light blue, similar to their papa’s other eye- or my screen.
“Hi, Charlie,” she whispered, reaching out to gently tickle his chin. Charlie let out a happy little gurgle, his hand latching onto hers. She giggled, already feeling a rush of affection as he tried to draw her hand to his mouth. “Don’t eat me, please.”
Her papa laughed at that, shifting to face her. “Do you want to hold him?”
A storm of nerves immediately flared up in her- what if I drop him, what if he starts crying again, what if I accidentally hurt him- but it was quickly put to rest when WPNZ knelt in front of her. “Don’t worry, kid. I’ll be right here in case he slips,” he said, gently patting her shoulder.
Okay. She could work with that. She might not have trusted herself with the tiny creature wrapped up next to her, but she trusted her dad to be able to catch him with his giant hands should anything go wrong. She sat down firmly on the bench, then hesitantly held her arms out for her papa to put Charlie into them.
Ever so carefully, Charlie was shifted from her papa to her.
She wasn’t sure whether she was overheating or about to explode from how cute he was. Probably both.
Charlie was looking up at her with a curious expression, those big eyes boring into her soul. She slipped her arm beneath his head, holding it up, while the other hand reached out to him again. “I’m your big sister,” she said, beaming when he grabbed her hand again. “Are we gonna be friends? Do you like me?”
All she got in response to the questions was a stream of babbling, but Charlie had the biggest smile on his tiny little face, so she was pretty sure it was a yes.
“Okay, good,” she said, leaning forward to press a staticky kiss to his forehead. “I like you too.”
A sniff snapped her out of her stupor, and she glanced up to realize that Puzzles had digital tears streaming down his face. “Are you crying?” she said incredulously.
“No, no, don’t mind me, darling. This is just so sweet,” he said, hiccuping slightly. “Look at you, being so gentle… and he’s smiling at you…”
Ophelia barely registered the click of a camera shutter, too focused on looking at the tiny bundle in her arms. “We’re gonna be friends for sure,” she said, gently bouncing him up and down. Her dad slid onto the bench next to her, wrapping his arms around all three of them tenderly.
In that moment, holding this new life in her arms, her parents proudly looking down on them both, Ophelia couldn’t help but feel that everything was perfect.
—
The novelty of having a new baby in the house wore off real fast.
For one, Ophelia didn’t anticipate there being so much crying. Charlie would cry when he needed to be fed, cry when he needed a change, cry when he got left alone for too long, cry before he was going to sleep, and sometimes would just cry for no reason at all! The first few times Ophelia tried to stay close at first, gently patting his tummy as he sobbed until he calmed down. After a few days of that, though, she just shut herself in her room until he stopped.
It was even worse when it happened in the middle of the night. She would be woken up from sleep mode by Charlie screaming his tiny lungs out, and wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep until one of their parents came and took care of him. It was annoying, and she could feel herself getting more and more grumpy as her nights wore on with less and less sleep.
The worst part of it, though, was the fact that her parents weren’t as available.
Her papa was constantly hovering around the baby, his screen displaying an expression of blatant nervousness. It was like he was expecting something horrible to happen the moment he stepped away. He didn’t have time to play pretend with Ophelia, and when she asked him to read her a story, he was much more distracted. Nothing like the times when he’d act out every part of the tale with his usual dramatic flair, doing silly voices for each of the characters.
Things with her dad weren’t much better. He was still going off to work, and he was coming home much quicker than usual. While Ophelia would normally be thrilled that he was home early- she would have more time to play with him!- she found herself getting increasingly more annoyed when he would just go straight to Charlie’s side to check on him. He’d still wrestle with her, but just like with Puzzles, there was an air of distractedness around his actions.
A part of her felt bad for being upset with them. She could tell that they were just as tired as she was, if not moreso. After all, they were the ones who actually had to get up in the middle of the night to take care of Charlie when he got fussy. But the other, more selfish part of her was incredibly jealous. Why couldn’t they still spend time with her and the baby? Couldn’t they leave the baby alone for a few minutes? She was fine if she got left alone for a few minutes. Why wasn’t Charlie like that?
She couldn’t even cuddle with them anymore without Charlie messing that up too! She had tried crawling into her parents bed once after the whole debacle of Charlie’s arrival. They had welcomed her with open arms- well, her dad had. Her papa was passed out cold and didn’t even move when she approached the bed. But just as she had gotten comfortable, Charlie had started crying, and her dad had left her to go and make sure he was okay.
The new baby had done a lot of things, but taking her cuddle time? That was the last straw.
“I don’t know why we still have you,” she grumbled, staring at Charlie. He was currently asleep in his crib, his tiny limbs sprawled out across the mattress. She resisted the urge to poke his chubby little cheek, instead pressing her screen against the wooden slats.
“Isn’t there a thing where people take back stuff they don’t want? Can we take you back? I don’t think I want you anymore,” she said, drumming her fingers on one of the bars. “I mean, all you do is cry and steal Papa and Daddy’s attention. And sleep. When are you not gonna be boring?”
Charlie snuffled in his sleep, his tiny legs kicking a bit as he shifted. Ophelia waited, then sighed. “I guess we didn’t get you from a store, so we can’t take you back,” she said disgruntledly. “Maybe another family will take you? If they want you? You’re cute, so you could trick them. I think Papa calls it e-mo-tion-al man-ip-u-la-tion,” she said, sounding out the phrase that she had heard thrown around by her parents oh so many times.
To absolutely no one’s surprise, Charlie stayed asleep. Ophelia sighed again, then pushed herself away from the crib and went to go find her parents. If Charlie was asleep, then maybe she could finally have some time with them without interruptions.
Right as she reached the doorway, though, she heard a gurgle behind her.
Dang it.
Despite her rising annoyance, she looked behind her. Charlie wasn’t asleep anymore, instead sitting up with his face pressed against the wooden slats of his crib. He let out a few more happy babbles, reaching through the bars towards her with a smile.
Even if all she wanted to do at that moment was find her parents, Ophelia couldn’t deny that the sight was adorable.
After a few moments of deliberation, she huffed, then made her way back over to the crib. She plopped to the ground, reaching out to poke at his hand. Instantly, he latched onto her finger, waving it around wildly.
It wasn’t cute. It wasn’t cute. It wasn’t cute. It wasn’t cute-
“Fiiiiiine,” she grumbled, her digital smile just barely lifting at the corners. “I guess you are pretty cute, even if you’re annoying and steal Papa and Daddy’s attention.”
Charlie giggled like she had just said the funniest joke in existence rather than insult him. She smiled back, even if she didn’t really want to.
Then, Charlie’s face scrunched, a look of distress replacing his amusement. Warning bells immediately went off in Ophelia’s mind, and she started to back away from the crib. “Daddy? Papa?” she called. She didn’t know what was about to happen, but she certainly didn’t want to be alone during it.
There was a gurgle from Charlie, but it wasn’t the laughing kind. He rolled onto his side, letting out a horrific retching noise as he threw up all over the blankets. Ophelia quickly yanked her hand away from his grip, thankfully not getting any of the fluid on her. The sudden movement certainly didn’t help Charlie’s panic, and he started screaming.
“DAD! PAPA!” she yelled. “CHARLIE THREW UP!”
Both of her parents were there within seconds, looking like they had just woken up. Puzzles immediately grabbed a towel from the nightstand, bending down to wipe off Charlie’s face and shirt before picking him up. Her little brother kept sobbing, even as he curled up against Puzzles’s chest.
“Phee? What happened?” WPNZ said, crouching down to her level. “Ya aren’t hurt, are ya?”
“No,” she said, feeling an odd sense of guilt. She was struck with the urge to defend herself. “I didn’t do anything! I was just standing there, and he was laughing, and then he just threw up!”
The look that WPNZ and Puzzles gave each other was hardly comforting. Ophelia didn’t know what it meant, but clearly something was wrong. Very wrong.
“I’m glad you’re alright, Ophelia,” Puzzles said, gently patting her head with the arm that wasn’t holding Charlie. “Good job calling us right away.”
“Is he okay?” she asked, nervously looking at the little figure shivering in her papa’s arms.
Again, Puzzles and WPNZ gave each other one of those looks. She hated when they did that, communicating in a way that didn’t tell her anything. “I don’t know, dear,” Puzzles finally said, sounding equal parts exhausted and fearful. “This sort of thing wasn’t meant to happen… I’m not sure what we did wrong…”
“We didn’t do anythin’ wrong, Boxhead,” WPNZ interjected firmly. “Kids get sick. It’s natural. We jus’ gotta find out what he’s got so we can help him get better.”
“Our children shouldn’t be able to get sick!” Puzzles cried, seemingly forgetting that Ophelia was in the room and listening to every word they said. “We’re robotic, for star's sake! It has to have been something we did wrong in development… maybe a virus in his code? Or did we miss something when creating his digestive tract that’s causing these problems?”
“Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out,” WPNZ said, resting a hand on Puzzles’s shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t forget that he’s our kid. He’s tough. He’ll get through this, jus’ like we’ve always gotten through everything that happens to us.”
Looking at the tiny, sniffling bundle in Puzzles’s arms, Ophelia couldn’t help but think that Charlie didn’t seem very tough. Would he really be okay after dealing with whatever was going on with him?
She suddenly felt a lot smaller. The idea that something was wrong with the baby shook her to her core. Just because she had said he was annoying and that they shouldn’t keep him doesn’t mean she wanted him gone. Well, maybe she did a little, but not if that meant Charlie got sick!
A tiny whimper escaped her speakers, drawing her parent’s attention back to her. “Ophee? What’s wrong, dearest?” Puzzles said, crouching to kneel beside her.
“You’re gonna fix him, right?” she asked, her voice uncharacteristically small. “He’s not gonna be sick anymore?”
Puzzles hesitated, which just made her fear grow even more. He always knew what to say, always had the right words- the fact that he was at a loss over a matter as important as this was a horrible sign. “I can’t say for sure,” he finally said, sounding just as worried as she felt. “We’re not sure what’s making him sick, but trust me, as soon as we discover that, we’ll do everything in our power to make it right.”
It wasn’t the answer she had wanted, but it was an answer she would take. As long as Charlie wasn’t sick anymore. “...Okay,” she finally said, leaning against her Papa. He slipped an arm around her, letting her press against him. She leaned closer to Charlie, whose eyes had already started to drift shut again.
“Get better, okay?” she whispered, gently poking his cheek. He gave her a sleepy grin despite his tears, showing off his tiny fangs. She couldn’t help but smile back.
She hoped that whatever happened to him, he was able to keep smiling like that in the future.
—
The next few weeks did not, in fact, result with many smiles.
Charlie stayed just as sick, throwing up constantly no matter what (or if) he ate. The diagnostics that their parents kept running certainly didn’t help his mood, and it wasn’t uncommon for screaming tantrums to echo from the workshop. Puzzles and WPNZ were both working tirelessly to try and figure out what was wrong, but to no avail.
Ophelia overheard one of their conversations about it while she hid under Charlie’s crib. She clearly wasn’t meant to hear, but it was their fault for not sweeping the room and making sure she wasn’t hiding in there. She had just been watching Charlie sleep to make sure he was okay. The fact that she just never left the room was irrelevant.
“Why can we not find anything?” Puzzles had ranted, his footsteps pacing agitatedly around the room. “We built him, for crying out loud! We should know his systems better than anyone else! How is it that we can’t find what’s hurting him?”
“I don’t know,” WPNZ had responded, his defeated tone feeling like a death knell. If he was close to giving up, then the situation was clearly bad. “Jus’ cause we’re mechanics doesn’t mean we know how to take care of a sick kid, Shakespeare. There’s a lot of things we might be overlookin’ just because we don’t know to even look for ‘em. I hate to say it, but… I think it’s time to consider a doctor.”
“I refuse to let a wack-job stranger near my son,” Puzzles hissed dangerously.
“It wouldn’t be a stranger,” WPNZ said, and Ophelia could see him walk towards Puzzles- likely touching his arm to steady him. “I have contacts, people who’ve patched me up in the past while still keepin’ quiet. None of ‘em would sell us out. Charlie would be in good hands, too, ‘cause they’ve fixed me up to damn near perfection and you know I don’t let just anyone mess with my body.”
Puzzles was quiet for a long time, clearly thinking it over. Ophelia was just starting to get antsy when he let out a sigh. “You really think they’ll be able to find what we can’t?” he said, voice small.
“I don’t know for sure. But if we wanna have a chance at helpin’ Charlie get better, then we need to consider it.”
“...Alright,” Puzzles finally said. “We’ll start looking into it tomorrow. You’re right about one thing- I don’t want Charlie to be suffering any longer than he already has.”
They had left after that, leaving Ophelia with an overwhelming sense of dread as she lay flat beneath the crib holding her sleeping brother. It hadn’t gone away by the next day when they took off, leaving Ophelia with Toomp while they took Charlie to whatever cyborg specialist her dad had commissioned to help.
That night, only Puzzles came home. One look at his face told him that it wasn’t good news.
“Charlie… needs a lot of medical help right now,” he explained, digital tears beading up in the corners of his eyes. Ophelia could tell he was trying to keep his cool for her, but he was failing miserably. She wrapped her little arms around him, hugging him as tight as she could. Maybe if she hugged him hard enough, all his sadness would be sapped away.
“The doctor is working to find out what’s going on, and from what it sounds like, it seems to be quite a lot. He’s going to be in the hospital for a bit, and… well, your father and I don’t want to leave him there alone, but we also don’t want you to be left alone either. I feel horrible for this, but I think it’d be better if you went and stayed with your Aunt Meggy and Uncle 4 while we’re gone,” Puzzles said.
“You’re sending me away?” Ophelia cried, jolting away from her papa. Betrayal, sadness and anger swirled in her gut, but it faded when she saw just how sad Puzzles looked. Clearly, he didn’t want this either.
“It’s only for a few days, until Charlie gets better. Toomp needs to go to work to keep bringing in money, especially with these upcoming medical bills, and we can’t just leave you here alone. It’ll be over before you notice, my star, I promise,” he said, gently rubbing her back.
To say she was upset was an understatement. She wanted to scream, to throw things, to yell about how it wasn’t fair and why couldn’t one of them just stay with her? But looking at her papa, the way tears were still gathered in his eyes, and thinking back to little Charlie being in the hospital despite being so young, she figured that that wasn’t very fair either.
“...Okay,” she said, her head and antennae drooping slightly. She felt slightly better when her papa gave her a big hug, along with a promise that they’d head out for the Showgrounds first thing in the morning.
That night, Ophelia couldn’t sleep. She tossed and turned, fear and worry keeping her up no matter what she did. What if something happens while I’m gone? What if Charlie doesn’t get better? Is he just going to be sick forever? Are Papa and Daddy going to have to stay close to him all the time?
…Are they not gonna have time for me anymore?
Eventually, like she normally did when she couldn’t fall asleep, she trotted down to her parent’s room. Puzzles had been asleep, his Puzzlevision logo bouncing off the sides of his screen, and he hadn’t woken up when Ophelia crawled under the covers next to him. She didn’t mind, though. All she cared about was being close. She flopped on top of him, her screen pressed to his chest. She could hear the sounds of his inner mechanisms humming. They weren’t as loud and soothing as her dad’s, but it was enough to help her drift off.
She woke up slightly when her papa’s phone started ringing on the nightstand. Puzzles grabbed it and answered it on the second ring, his other hand on her back to keep her in place on his chest.
“Is everything alright, dear?” he asked, his voice low. Ophelia guessed that he was trying to keep quiet in order to not wake her up. Well, he had failed, but she kept still to pretend like she hadn’t woken up immediately.
On the other end of the phone, she could hear her dad’s voice, gravelly and familiar. He didn’t sound happy, and judging by the way her papa’s face shifted from concern to sadness, it clearly wasn’t good news.
“Oh. Oh… That’s what they said? And they’re sure?” Puzzles’s voice held a tone of despair, sounding utterly guilty. “Oh, no… And I… I’ve been… I’ve been feeding him all of that…”
Once again, her dad’s voice cut through the phone, harsh and loud. She couldn’t hear much, but she distinctly caught him telling her papa to not blame himself and that he didn’t know. Puzzles let out a sigh, and Ophelia could see tears brimming in his eyes again.
“Alright, alright. I’ll try. I’ll rush over there as soon as I drop Phee off at the Showgrounds tomorrow, I promise,” he said. Her dad said a few more things, then muttered something that sounded soft. Puzzles whispered a quick “Love you too” before hanging up, setting the phone back down on the nightstand.
For a while, it was quiet. Ophelia was left with her thoughts reeling. Apparently it was something Charlie had been eating that was making him sick. But that didn’t make any sense! He was just a baby. He barely ate anything, especially once he started getting sick.
Though, if it was eating that was making him sick, it made sense why he would refuse to do so.
A quiet sob caught her attention, and she looked up to see her papa crying quietly. His free hand was pressed to his screen, likely trying to hold back the waterworks despite his face being just a display. The sight sent a stab of sadness through her heart, and she tightened her grip on him.
Puzzles’s hand gently rubbed soothing circles on her back. She felt a little guilty, receiving that sort of comfort when her papa clearly needed it more, but she noticed that his breathing started to get a little less shaky as he held her. So maybe she was helping, in a way.
Even after her papa’s motions slowed and then stopped, even as his screen dimmed and he fell back asleep, Ophelia stayed awake. Fear for her brother swept through her, and she drummed her fingers nervously against her papa’s chest.
Is he gonna be able to eat at all? Are they gonna fix him so that he doesn’t get sick from eating anymore? Or is this something you can’t fix?
What’s it gonna be like if he can’t be fixed?
Despite how tired she felt, Ophelia didn’t fall asleep for a very long time.
—
In the morning, Ophelia deeply regretted not being able to fall asleep the night before. She could barely drag herself out of bed, resulting in her papa eventually just picking her up and carrying her to her room to get dressed. He had packed her overnight bag for her, including her favorite blanket (made from one of her dad’s old jackets!).
She nearly dozed off on the car ride there, her head snapping back up right as she was about to fall asleep. It was annoying, but she didn’t want to fall asleep and end up missing out on what little time she had left with her papa before he dropped her off. Despite her wanting to chat, though, the car ride was nearly silent, the only sound being Puzzles tapping his fingers nervously on the steering wheel. It seemed that nerves were taking a toll on everyone that morning.
The Showgrounds were a pretty decent way away- long enough that the occupants wouldn’t risk running into them unnecessarily, but close enough that they could get there quickly in case of an emergency. Puzzles slowed the car as they approached, taking in a shaky breath once he cut the engine. “We’ll come and pick you up once all of this is sorted out,” he said, turning back to look at Ophelia with the saddest, most apologetic expression she’d ever seen.
“We’ll be picking you up before you know it, my spark. I promise,” he said. Ophelia just nodded, suddenly feeling a lot more apprehensive about staying. Normally, she loved visiting the Showgrounds. There was always something new and weird going on, and she was certainly never bored when she hung out with her aunts and uncles. But now Charlie was in the hospital, and she wasn’t gonna get any updates on how he was doing…
She hated not knowing things. It’s not like she’d be able to sneak into a closet and listen for any updates here, either. Any and all information would have to come from someone’s phone. Maybe I could steal Aunt Meggy’s phone… Hopefully she doesn’t get too mad if I do.
Puzzles unbuckled her from her carseat, then grabbed her overnight bag and slung it over her shoulder before holding out a hand to her. “Come along, dearest,” he said, sounding exhausted. “They’re waiting for us.”
Clearly, there wasn’t going to be any more arguing. It had been decided that Ophelia was going to be left behind. The fact made her feel angry, but also a tiny bit sad. Why couldn’t she stay with them? She didn’t mind waiting! She could totally wait in the hospital!
In the doorway to the SMG4 castle, Aunt Meggy was leaning against the doorway with a worried expression. It faded into a smile when Ophelia and Puzzles approached hand in hand. “Hey, Puzzles,” she said, offering him a grin. Puzzles gave her a weary smile back, then handed off the bag.
Ophelia tuned him out while he talked about bedtimes and emergency contacts. She was more focused on figuring out how she might be able to sneak back into the car without her papa or Aunt Meggy noticing. Her hopes were dashed, though, when Aunt Meggy reached down and picked her up.
“We’ll be just fine, Puzzles. Don’t worry about us,” Meggy was saying, her free hand reaching out to rest on Puzzles’ arm. “Go be with Charlie. It sounds like he needs the support.”
If Charlie needed support, then that was all the more reason Ophelia should be there! She could be supportive! She began wiggling in Meggy’s grasp, but the former Inkling was well versed in keeping a firm grip on her. Ophelia was helpless as Puzzles leaned down and pressed a quick static kiss to her head, right between her antennae.
“I love you, Ophelia. We’ll be back soon,” he murmured before turning and quickly walking away. Ophelia started squirming even harder, kicking uselessly at Meggy’s sides.
“Lemme go! I gotta go with him! I gotta be with them!” she whined, wishing she had teeth so she could bite her Aunt Meggy into letting her go. As it was, Meggy just readjusted her grip, turning to carry her inside the castle.
“I know you want to go with him, Ophee, but right now they need to focus on making sure Charlie is okay,” Meggy said, walking away from the door and Ophelia’s hope of making a break for it. “Don’t worry, though! They shouldn’t be gone for more than a day or two. We’ll have so much fun that you won’t even notice the time.”
A day or two. To little Ophelia, that felt like an eternity. She twisted in Meggy’s arms one last time, just in time to watch her papa’s van drive away.
Without her.
Her heart sank.
Now that the van was gone, she didn’t have any reason to keep fighting. She slumped, defeated, and let Meggy carry her to the guest room. As they walked, one thought kept circling in Ophelia’s mind.
Having a little sibling has been no fun at all.