Big Sister

"Big Sister" is an Extended Universe thread written on January 2, 2016. 
== Summary ==
== Full Text ==
Grey Bergman: Lady Grey Bergman of the United Revolutionaries looked up from some reports King Haddock needed her to look over before their next meeting when she heard laughing from the far side of the room. Sure enough, it was Asha and her boyfriend, Ander, playing with their daughter Siri. The Lady couldn’t help but smile at the happy couple and the little girl. However, she quickly remembered something very important. Asha had told her about her difficult past with her abusive mother and the fact that she became pregnant by someone out of wedlock.
She couldn’t stand the idea of what would happen if Ander ended up hurting Asha, Grey’s adoptive little sister as well, especially now that Asha had a little girl. She slowly stood up and looked at Ander. Greg and Warren were away on a date, and her mother had a patient. So she needed to do this on her own, which was possibly going to make this easier. 
“Ander,” the Lady finally said, “can I see you outside for a moment?”
Ander: “Uh, yeah.” Ander replied, looking at bit confused. He glanced at Asha, who shrugged, before kissing the side of her head and standing up. Siri reached up to him and babbled. He smoothed back the little girl’s hair. “I’ll be right back, squirt.” Ander followed Grey outside.
Grey Bergman: The Lady led the boy outside of the house so that Asha and Siri were out of earshot. The last thing she needed was Asha getting angry at her for interrogating her boyfriend. It was night now, so everyone was pretty much at home.
“So…” the Lady finally asked casually, “what do you think of Haligan Island so far? Are you enjoying your stay?”Sound casual first…then interrogate!
Ander: “It’s a beautiful island!” He responded honestly, though it was a little odd to pull him from the room to ask such a normal question. “It seems like a wonderful place. Asha says she loves it here and I can see why. You’re all very kind. I can’t thank you enough for allowing me to visit, Lady Grey. I missed Asha more than I can say.”
Grey Bergman: “I’m glad to hear you say that,” the Lady replied happily. “Asha was really excited when you first got here, and I do hope that you continue to enjoy your stay. However, there is something I wish to discuss with you. I would like to know how much you know about Asha’s pregnancy with Siri. She told me herself that she was on your island when it happened.”
Ander: Ander visibly tensed. The whole topic left him feeling uncomfortable. If he only could’ve protected her… He started the story with a shaky breath. “Asha… she made friends with a few girls on my island and had been at one of their houses and was coming home. I should’ve came and got her, I should’ve, but she had made it home safe before, so I didn’t think anything of it. My mom was making dinner and I was reading. We were both so sidetracked that it took Moonbeam whining at the door to realize Asha was late. The girls were afraid of Moonbeam, so she never went. We went out to find her and-and…” he took a deep breath. “If I had known, I could’ve done something! Anything! But she was hurt and I’ve never seen anyone so scared… she left not too long after that. I didn’t- I didn’t know about Siri until she wrote me…”
Grey Bergman: The Lady Grey nodded as she listened to Ander’s story trying not to let him see her tense as well. She remembered when Asha told her that she wasn’t even sure who Siri’s father was, and it clearly wasn’t Ander.
“I’m glad you told me,” Grey finally said after a brief moment of silence. “To be honest, the reason you probably never heard of Siri was because Asha herself didn’t know until Greg, Warren, and I became aware of her symptoms. She was pretty shocked when we figured it out.”
Ander: “I imagine she was…” The moment he had read her letter, it felt like he had been punched in the stomach. That night had left a far bigger impact than was good for anyome, but especially a girl like his Asha. looked at Grey, still feeling uneasy, and dropped his voice. “… did you think I was the one to do that to her? Is that why you asked me to come out here?”
Grey Bergman: “Sort of,” Grey replied cringing. “I had some suspicions when Asha first told me what happened, and I needed to confirm them. Please understand that I’m trying to do what’s best for her and Siri. Asha is like my little sister, and I need to do what’s best for her and her daughter. I believe your story, and it’s easy to see that you are in fact trustworthy.”
Ander: Ander felt relieved. Asha would do whatever Grey asked her, she admired her that much, and Ander could imagine that a negative word in his direction by the Lady would wind up with him loosing Asha and Siri forever. “Believe me when I say I could never hurt Asha. I love her too much. She’s an amazing girl. She and Siri mean the world to me.”
Grey Bergman: Grey smiled at the boy sensing the sincerity in his words. He was definitely a keeper. “I’m glad to hear you say that,” the Lady replied, “because it brings me to my next question. What exactly are your intentions for Asha and Siri?”
Ander: Ander took a deep breath. “I want to ask Asha to marry me so the three of us can be a family.”
Grey Bergman: Lady Grey raised her eyebrows clearly not expecting Ander to say that. Nevertheless, she was excited to hear that Ander had some plans for him, Asha, and Siri. She nodded. “Then I suppose this means you plan to accept Siri as your own daughter as well?” she asked. 
Ander: “Of course!” He promised, surprised she would even ask such a thing. “Siri means just as much to me as Asha does. She’s a sweetheart.”
Grey Bergman: The Lady smiled as Ander answered her question and couldn’t help but notice how surprised he sounded at the question directed at him. That was a good sign…a very good sign. However, that didn’t stop the Lady of the United Revolutionaries from getting to the main reason why she brought him out here.
“I’m glad you said that, Ander,” she said. “Siri is indeed a sweetheart…just like her mother. That being said, I just want to make sure you understand something.”
Ander: “And that something is?” He asked expectantly before he realized what he said. “Excuse me if that sounded rude, it wasn’t meant to be.”
Grey Bergman: “No, no, not at all,” Grey said holding her hand up. “Well, like I said before, Greg, Warren, and Asha are like my younger siblings. I’ve come to see Asha as my youngest sister and Siri as my little niece just as Greg and Warren do, and ever since Asha told me about her rough past, I’ve wanted nothing but the best for her.” She got extra close to Ander to make sure he understood the message. “So, listen and listen closely, I am the Lady of the United Revolutionaries, which puts me as King Haddock’s second-in-command, so if you do anything…and I mean anything to hurt Asha and/or Siri, I will have the King’s men hunt you down and tie you to a mast and ship you off.”
Ander: Ander’s eyes widened. He wouldn’t, but the threat was still scary. “I would never dream of hurting them. They’re-they’re the loves of my life. I want them to be happy and provided for and I am ready to take care of them.”
Grey Bergman: Grey tried her hardest not to laugh at Ander in the midst of being respectful and showing Ander that she meant business. “Well, then we shouldn’t have a problem then, Ander,” she said. 
Ander: Ander smiled. Good. He was glad that was over with. But, he did have something else to say. “I know Asha very well, but I don’t know how willing she’ll be to marry me right now. I don’t want to ask her if she’s unsure because I know if she says no, she’ll be upset with herself if she feels uncomfortable. Would you mind asking her somehow if she’d be alright with getting married, so I know? The last thing I want to do is make her feel pressured.”
Grey Bergman: “Well, I’ll see what I can do,” Grey replied. “Maybe I can at least put the idea in her head, but there’s no reason why you can’t talk to her about it either. I’m not saying you need to propose to her now, but ask her what she thinks of the idea of marriage.”
Ander: “Yeah…that’s a good idea. Thank you.” He smiled at the older girl. He felt like he’d be seeing a lot of her in the coming future. Especially if Asha was interested in marriage.
Grey Bergman: “You’re very welcome, Ander,” she said smiling, “and don’t worry. Asha is head over heels in love with you. I have no doubt in my mind she’ll want to marry you. Just don’t rush into anything, okay? Take it one day at a time.”
Ander: He nodded. “I’d wait forever if that’s what she wanted.”
Grey Bergman: The Lady couldn’t help but smile wider. “You know, Asha really is lucky to have you,” she said. “I have to ask though, how long are you planning on staying here?”
Ander: Ander smiled and shrugged. “I don’t know, to be honest. I guess that’s up to you, as I’ve been staying here. Though I really can’t stay too long, my mother’s all alone back home and she said I could stay however long I wanted, but I know she’s lonely.”
Grey Bergman: “Well, then I say the same thing,” Grey said. “Stay as long as you like for now. And if you ever want your mother to visit, I’ll be more than happy to make some arrangements with my mother and Chief Hroar.”
Ander: Ander could see why and how Asha trusted and loved her so much. Grey was truly wonderful. “Thank you so much for your kindness. I really appreciate it.”
Grey Bergman: “You’re very welcome,” Grey said smiling. “It’ll be great having you in the family.”
Ander: Ander smiled.“Thank you.”
Grey Bergman: The Lady couldn’t help but chuckle. “You already said that,” she said smiling. “Come on, let’s go back inside. I’m sure Asha is wondering where we are.”
Ander: Ander grinned a little sheepishly. “Okay,”
Grey Bergman: The Lady led her sister’s boyfriend back into the house, where they found Asha and baby Siri still inside waiting for them to return.
“Hey, you guys doing okay?” Grey asked Asha and Siri. 
Asha Stenberg: “Yeah,” Asha replied with a smile. Siri was in her lap and giggled happily when she saw Grey and Ander. 
Grey Bergman: Grey smiled upon seeing her little niece and knelt down to her and Asha’s level. “Hey, my little cutie,” she said gently tickling Siri’s tummy. “Did someone miss their Aunt Grey?” 
Ander: Siri’s little face broke into a huge grin and her giggling increased. Ander sat beside Asha on the ground and took her hand. “You’ve made a good choice of godparents, Asha.” “There’s no others I would’ve chosen.” Asha replied. “Grey, Warren, and Greg are my family.” 
Grey Bergman: “You bet we are,” Grey said as she placed a hand on Asha’s shoulder. “We’ll always be there for you guys…no matter what.” 
Asha Stenberg: Asha smiled. She felt so loved at that moment. It was nice. “Thank you, Grey.” 
Grey Bergman: “You’re very welcome, Asha,” the Lady said smiling.  
Category:Events
Category:Grey Bergman
Category:Asha Stenberg
Category:Ander Haralson
Category:Siri Haralson
Category:EU