Civility | [Olivia]

[Violet Schultz]

Placing the last of the dishes into the cupboard, Violet wiped her hands with the towel. It was her shift in the safe house, since Will and Robin had other responsibilities to attend to. Unfortunately, there wasn't a whole lot to do during these shifts, other than keep watch. She was there in case something happened, and also in case Olivia or her daughter needed anything. That left a great deal of free time, and Violet didn't do well with boredom. Never one to watch TV, she had to keep herself busy in other ways. Chores weren't exactly preferable, but it was busywork. Folding the towel, she placed it on the counter and walked into the living room.

With a sigh, she picked up the book she had left on the side table, she delved into it. Les Trois Mousquetaires was one of her favorites, even if she had had a bit of difficulty acquiring it. The original French version was the best, in her opinion, but they were a bit scarce on this side of the Atlantic. She looked up from the pages as she heard Olivia coming down the stairs. From the sound of it, Ruby was with her, and she seemed happy enough. She hadn't heard much from either of them in the night, so she hoped that Ruby was over her bout of sickness.

"Hey, Olivia, Ruby" Violet greeted them, "How'd you sleep last night?"

[Olivia Levine]

Olivia had woken up on the later side. She had a long couple of nights, not liking how she had to sleep. It was hard with the cast and the broken collarbone, but she wasn't a complainer. Coming down the stairs, Olivia smiled, Ruby giggled, babbling about what she wanted to watch on TV. "Hi Violet" she said, placing Ruby down, her cast coming into veiw. She took the remote from the coffee table, and turned on PBS, where sesame street was just starting. Ruby turned back to her mother, her fingers in her mouth, sucking happily.

"How have you been feeling?" she asked, looking the brunette over. She smiled. She looked a lot better then the day she was laying on this very floor, having nightmares.

Ruby turned to Violet, sucking on her fingers and then waving with the wet digits. "Gross Rue" Olivia commented, a big smile on her face.

[Violet Schultz]

"I'm fine," Violet replied, glancing at the toddler with some warmth in her blue eyes. "How are your injuries healing up?"

Her eyes skated over Olivia's cast, not wanting to embarrass her. Violet had had her share of injuries over the years, and it was always embarrassing when people made a big fuss over it. Not that it had happened that way for her many times before. Yet those bleeding heart social workers had definitely been more of a nuisance because of their fussing over her. It was always the same when she got admitted to a hospital. No ID, no living relatives, underage until very recently. They either called in police or the social workers until they figured out what to do with her. By that point, she was usually gone.

She smiled at the toddler, remembering a few of the children she'd looked after in her life. Living in a place such as St. Louis, it was inevitable that some of the girls she had been friends with had gotten pregnant and had babies. She adored toddlers, especially little girls. She was good with children, despite her generally rough appearance.

[Olivia Levine]

Olivia pushed her hair back with her fiberglass encased hand "I'm fine, honestly" She said, taking the laundry that was hidden by the couch. She sat in one of the chairs, and started folding, one handed folding took a little bit longer, but she had gotten it down in a couple of days. "Do you want anything to eat?- I was going to make Blueberry pancakes, or something in a couple of minutes, i can do a few extra if you want." she offered. Olivia actually really enjoyed cooking. and even the home makery types of things.

Since she's been here, the furniture has gotten rearranged, and the entire house has been deep cleaned. She was becoming the housewife, who happened to only be seventeen, and would go, at night and strip, illegally at her guardians club. Her guardian, who was anything but, was also the father to the aforementioned child. And this home maker, was 'dating a teen titan. She led a 'normal' life... honestly. Moving a pile of Ruby's clothing over, Olivia kept folding. "So, what has been up?" she asked.

Ruby, however, was crawling over to the couch, pulling herself up once she got there. She wanted to play, and saw mommy was busy... There was one person left. Tugging on Violet's cargos- Ruby cooed, trying to get her attention. She wanted to play with the brunette.

[Violet Schultz]

"No, I already ate," Violet declined. "Thanks, though."

Truthfully, she hadn't eaten a lot since the orange juice incident, since the poison was doing some funky things with her digestion. She expected that she would be fine in a couple of days, but pancakes weren't a good idea. Not that she would complain to anyone. Tim hadn't said anything, but Violet suspected that she felt somehow responsible for what had happened. Which was ridiculous. Still, it was best not to bring it up at all, especially so soon after it had happened.

"Nothing out of the ordinary," she answered. "Patrols, training, the usual."

Watching Olivia go about making breakfast, she couldn't help but wonder about this beautiful teenager, about the same age as herself. Violet could see her inner strength in her eyes, but there was also the look of someone trapped by their situation, and Violet doubted it was the kitchen she felt trapped in. Her ponderings were interupted when she felt something touch her. She looked down to see Ruby tugging at her pant leg, and a smile touched her lips.

"Hi, sweetheart," Violet greeted her.

[Olivia Levine]

Olivia smiled, peering over to see Ruby begging for attention. She deserved to have more people in her life. More people who cared about her, who listened to her needs, and loved her, a family of sorts. Olivia turned back to the preparation, and concentrated, she couldn't burn these, like she normally did.

Ruby cooed and babbled, rasing one arm up, she tried to portray that she wanted to be up on the couch, while the other hand held herself up for dear life. "Bi!" she called, grasping at air as if it were a wring on a ladder,

[Violet Schultz]

"Alright, come on, Ruby-girl," Violet said, heaving the toddler up into her arms.

She rested Ruby on her hip like a practiced babysitter, walking over to the couch and plopping down. Setting the little girl own the couch next to her, she handed her one of the toys on the floor. It was a small stuffed rabbit, its ears soft and floppy. Prancing it around on Ruby's lap, she had the rabbit give her a peck on the cheek. She loved kids, but she was a little wary of how Olivia would take her playing with Ruby. After all, Violet's appearance was pretty much the opposite of what parents looked for in a babysitter. Even with the money that Tim alotted her, she looked pretty much like a street urchin.

"How old is she?" she asked Olivia, looking back at the young mother.

[Olivia Levine]

Olivia smiled, looking over her shoulder "Shes eleven months" Olivia beamed. She loved talking about Ruby, the happy things at least. Olivia could spend days and days talking about how advanced Ruby was, how happy she was, and how much she had grown from that five pound, two point five ounce infant she was at birth. Olivia couldn't talk about the harsh realities though. Like how she wished she could give Ruby a better life, how Ruby didn't ask to be born to a teenage stripper, who barely had enough money to keep herself a float. Olivia sighed, flipping the pancake and making sure it was just about done. Olivia had made 2 large ones, knowing Ruby will eat half, and Olivia would eat one and most likely the other half.

As Olivia put the pancakes on the plate, she looked over her shoulder again. It wasn't that Olivia was concerned with Violet playing with Ruby, it was more concern if Ruby was okay, she was somewhat manic when it came to the tot. And she knew it showed, Everything of Ruby's was always clean, Ruby was always clean, and the environment Ruby was in was hyper clean.

Ruby smiled brightly at the little bunny kissed her on the cheek. Ruby then took Violets hand, and drew a messy circle. then reached up, and intertwined her little fingers into Violet's raven locks, and pulled- hard.

[Violet Schultz]

"Oww!" Violet grunted. "Ruby, that hurts, babe."

Reaching up, she gently extricated her hair from the baby's fingers and brushed it behind her ear. Her other hand held Ruby's, rubbing her soft skin with her thumb before she picked up the rabbit again and handed it to her. She glanced at Olivia for a moment before standing up, and taking the book on the side table and replacing it on the shelf. It was foolish to leave things lying around when there was a baby that could get at them. It had been a while since she'd had to think about anything of the sort, but she had a lot of respect for Olivia, who had to think about it all of the time. She was half tempted to take over in the kitchen for Olivia, since her injuries were fairly severe, but she had the feeling that it might somehow insult her. Besides, she seemed to enjoy working in the kitchen.

"I don't know how you find time to do anything enjoyable," she commented. "Ruby's a full-time job already."

There was an affectionate tone in her voice as she spoke about the toddler.

[Olivia Levine]

Ruby watched Violet get up, a small pout on her face as she held her bunny. "maah" Ruby called, looking around for her mother. "Mahmah, me?" Ruby tossed the bunny in Violets general direction, as she turned on her belly to slide off the couch. Once off, she stood, looking around. This new found height was exciting, so with arms out, Ruby attempted to take her first steps. "mah?" Ruby called, still looking for her mother and her breakfast.

"Mommy's coming Rue" Olivia called, cutting the last of the small pancakes on a plate. She held a fork in hand as she walked twords the living room, where she hit the entrance just in time to catch Ruby's first step. The plate hit the floor, and Olivia screamed.

Ruby's butt plopped back down on the ground as if it never happened. Olivia ran over to her like she was on fire, picking up the tot and covering her in kisses. "Ruby! you were walking!Oh my goodness! she took her first steps! that was amazing!" Olivia held Ruby close, and kissed at her chubby cheeks.

[Violet Schultz]

Violet had just turned head when Olivia shrieked, and in a heartbeat, Violet's pulse was racing as adrenaline pumped through her system. She turned around, her toned muscles tense and ready to protect the baby and her mother. In the next heartbeat, she relaxed with a sigh as she realized what had happened. It was exciting for Olivia, to be sure, but it was a bad idea to scream when someone is on guard duty to watch them. Violet's nerves were a bit tense as it was, especially considered that Olivia was already injured and would have trouble escaping if something did happen.

Checking the windows and her sixth sense just in case, she headed over to the closet and pulled out a broom and dustpan to clean up the shattered plate. She hated to think that all of that work Olivia had just put into the pancakes had just gone down the drain. Still, she didn't say a word, just swept up the pieces of the plate. It was dangerous to leave any shards of it laying around when Ruby was in the house.

[Olivia Levine]

"Violet! did you see her!? my girl was walking! oh my goodness" Olivia placed Ruby down,standing her on her feet, and walking a couple steps away. "come to mama, Ruby" she extended her arms, smiling brightly, and trying to be welcoming. She wanted to see Ruby do it again. It was so crazy. Ruby was growing up so quickly, and it scared her a little, she wanted to keep her little girl forever and ever. And Ruby getting older meant her needing Olivia less and less. The elder blond wasn't sure if she could handle it. She needed Ruby possibly more then Ruby needed her.

Ruby took about two small steps before falling down, crawling back to the table then pulling herself up, and trying to walk back over to her mother. She liked the reaction her mother had, to her new advance in life. "Maaahma" she called, arms out as she marched like a drunken sailor over to her mother.

[Violet Schultz]

"She's growing up," Violet observed warmly. "You must be proud."

Dumping the last bits of the plate into the trashcan, she put the broom and the dust pan away before pulling a bowl of strawberries out of the refridgerator. Washing her hands, she cut them into quarters, tossing the leaves in the trash with the shards of the shattered plate. Rinsing them one more time, she brought the bowl over to Olivia and offered them, seeming uncharacteristically shy. Violet didn't spend a lot of time in this sort of setting, and she was a little socially awkward due to her "upbringing". She only hoped that Olivia would take the gesture the way it was intended. They were still a little unsettled around each other, as if they didn't really know how to respond to the other.

"I know it's not much, but since the pancakes aren't going to work out..." she trailed off, holding out the bowl to her.

[Olivia Levine]

Blinking once, Olivia gave Ruby a hug and a kiss, and lifted her up, accepting the small bowl of berries from Violet. She smiled, “Thanks” she responded, her voice light and happy. She looked to Ruby quickly, before turning to Violet and opening her mouth to say more. Ruby then threw her hand down onto the bowl, the bowl fell to the ground, strawberries going everywhere. “Yay! Goodness!!” Ruby clapped and threw her hands in the air. Olivia looked up to the ceiling. “Oh my god Rue” Olivia said. “Honestly?” Olivia bent at the knee, placed Ruby down, and started to pick up the berries and the bowl. The blonde sighed, as Ruby danced a little in a circle.

Olivia sighed, knocking her leg with her cast. “Ow” She said, frowning at the pain. She caught Ruby shaking her groove thing in the corner of her eye. She must have caught Olivia dropping the pancakes, and thought it was ok to drop food. “Ruby, we don’t throw food on the ground, Mommy made an accident before, no more” she sighed, Looking to Violet, Olivia kept pouting. “Third Time’s a charm I guess”

[Violet Schultz]

Violet chuckled softly at Olivia's words and then bent down to clean up the mess. The bowl, thankfully, hadn't broken, but there were strawberries everywhere. She didn't want Olivia to be doing more work than she had to, especially considering the broken bones and the fact that she had her hands full with Ruby as it was.

"I got it," Violet said, taking the ruined fruit with an amused smile. "Don't worry. Seriously, I don't know how you do it. I have my hands full just helping you watch her."

She took the bowl back into the kitchen and emptied the strawberries in the trash can before rinsing out the bowl and putting it into the dishwasher.

She really had a lot of respect for mothers. Her own mother had been an artist before she'd gotten pregnant, and she'd dropped her rising career to raise Violet. With her father being a doctor, money had never really been much of an issue, so her mother had been truly free to choose what she wanted to do, and she'd chosen to give up her passion to be a mother. Violet still treasured the memories she had of her mother, and there was very little in the world she wouldn't give up to have her back. Her dark eyes were distant as she thought of it, staring out the window.