LaGuardia Airport, New York
December 16 , 2010 7:31 AM EST

Ainsley McMahon, daughter of wealthy businessman Mr. McMahon and beautiful opportunist Ms. Lippencott, stood alone in the middle of one of the busiest airports in the country with less than a week before Christmas. It was no surprise that Ainsley found herself unable to move from her spot as she was surrounded by adults who passed her nonchalantly in rows while they continued on with their busy lives. She felt helpless as she stood there, clinging to white plush bunny she dubbed Octavian Oswald, to cover her distraught face.

The week day had been so busy for a nine year old. As Ainsley thought about it, she thought about how her mother had sent her away to live with her father not even two weeks before Christmas, a man who she had never had a chance to even meet previously. She wanted to spend Christmas with her mother like she had the year before and the year before that and that, but the chance to meet her father was just too exciting to pass up and she really didn't have a choice in the matter. It was one of the most exciting things Ainsley ever had the chance to do and she was not disappointed. At least, not until he had told her he thought it would be better for her to go stay with her sister. A sister Ainsley didn't even know she had!

She had so many questions, and so little time to ask them. So many questions had gone unanswered. All these questions continued to bounce around in the small child's head and none of these thoughts really made her expressions any better because in the end she was still lost in a huge airport without her mother or father or even her sister! Of course, at the moment the only one of those three who could possibly be there was her father, even if it was more likely her sister would suddenly show up in a city she didn't live in and appear in front of Ainsley to take her home.

"Where did papa go?" She wailed, rubbing her teary face into Octavian Oswald.

A voice from behind the waves of adults called out Ainsley's name. She could not tell if the voice was a man or a woman from all the other sounds all around her and so Ainsley looked up and all around with a small hint of excitement.

"Papa?" She called back, streaks of tears sliding down her porcelain face.

But it was not papa who pushed their way through the rows of adults, but an older woman. Bearing a kind expression on her face, she lowered her position to that of Ainsley's and with a smile she said, "I'm sorry dear, but Mr. McMahon has a meeting to attend and cannot see you off," as she held out what appeared to be a travel bag in her hands. She thought this would cheer the child up, but it didn't, and Ainsley's face looked like she was about to start crying again, the woman did what women do: lied through her teeth.

"He packed it just for you, I believe there is a letter inside for you as well."

The only truth to the statement was that there was in fact a letter inside of the pocket of the travel bag, but the truth didn't always make the world go around and Ainsley believed her. Her face immediately lit up.

"Really?" Ainsley asked. "Really really?"

The woman nodded very slowly. "Really."

Wiping off the tears with the corner of her hand, Ainsley took the travel bag from the woman and strapped it over one arm and then the other arm until it was snugly fit against her back. She looked at the older woman and smiled softly as she said, "Thank you!"

Pleased with herself, the older woman stood up from her lower position, arching her back forward with her hands until a small crack could be heard. The sound made Ainsley go to cover her ears, but before she could the older woman began directing Ainsley to the loading area, making sure she was following beside her until they stopped at the small booth. This was where the older woman pushed Ainsley gently towards a flight attendant.

She went with the flight attendant, but Ainsley couldn't help but look over her shoulder hoping to see her father one more time. She didn't thought, and the flight attendant was being very pushy as she tried to get the child onto the plane. Before the flight attendant could get her onto the plane, Ainsley waved goodbye once last time to the nice older woman and disappeared onto the plane with the flight attendant.

Once she was inside, she was assisted with her bag being tucked safely away into the storage compartment and then buckled into her seat. She was thinking about just how Santa would find her now and it didn't take long before Ainsley fell into a deep sleep with Octavian Oswald tightly against her chest, dreaming of what was to come. She didn't wake up even once throughout the entire flight, even when a flight attendant offered her strawberry pudding.


Destiny City Airport
December 16th, 2010 9:52 AM

The plane landed, and Ainsley finally woke up with a soft yawn. The first thing she did was straighten out Octavian Oswald's bow tie which was off to one side and not very gentleman like. In a new city, it would be very important for him to look his best and make new friends! After a flight attendant came around and unbuckled her seat beat, Ainsley stood up and grabbed her bag from the seat that the flight attendant had put it onto.

The airport wasn't as crowded as the one in New York, and for that she was glad. She was able to see more than a hand in front of her, and quickly found herself a bench to sit on. She hadn't once looked in the bag since she had been given it, but now that she was in a new city... she had no idea where to go! She didn't know where her sister lived, or even what she looked like.

She opened the bag almost like it was a Christmas gift, looking to find that one thing she had been dreaming of. Instead of dreams, inside she found a letter in the side pocket. She shouldn't have been surprised, that woman had told her it was there. A letter from her father? She looked carefully at both side of the envelope. The front had the loving word Daughter" written on it. Carefully, Ainsley opened the envelope.

She pulled out a piece of paper and when she unfolded it, a small slip of paper fell out and onto her lap. It didn't seem to say much on it, just her name, and a bunch of numbers. Not sure what it was, she slipped it back into the envelope and look a look at the letter. She wasn't sure what kind of letter it was, it unfolded into a large piece of paper and had lots of lines and directions on it, as well as a big red circle. It wasn't a letter at all, it was a map!

"Octavian," she said. "Can you read this?"

Ainsley giggled softly.

"You can? That's wonderful. Let's go!"

Making sure she had everything, Ainsley looked for the exit and after about ten minutes she finally found... someone who could tell her where it was. They tried to explain to her where it was, but she didn't know, and finally after another ten minutes they just showed her where it was located.

Happily, she waved goodbye to the kind person and looked at the map for a long, long moment before she looked up to the sky. It was a beautiful day, even if it was a little bit nippy out. She was glad she had a scarf on, and every once and awhile she would put Octavian Oswald between her and her scarf as well so he wouldn't get cold either.

It was a funny sight indeed, a small child walking down the sidewalk with a scarf on... and two bunny ears sticking out of the top and legs from the bottom. It would have been okay if that was all, but every so often Ainsley would stop and ask directions or ask an adult to hold her hand so she could cross the street and people would have to try their hardest not to laugh at the child as the bunny ears flopped back and forth in her face as she spoke to them. Needless to say, it took her a very long time to get to her destination.


Downtown Destiny City - Belladonna McMahon's Residence
December 16th, 2010 12:08 PM

She had finally made it to her destination, or at least she thought she did. She was standing outside of a old looking house with a small little porch and a roof over it. It was a cute house, and Ainsley found herself giggling. And then giggling more because Octavian Oswald was still in her scarf and tickling her. Promptly, she tried to remove him from her scarf and putting him back in her arms.

She walked up the few stairs to knock on the door, but then she stopped and walked back down to the sidewalk. First she adjusted Octavian Oswald's bow tie again, and then she adjusted her scarf around her neck, pulling her hair out from under it and brushing her fingers through it. She tucked the plush bunny back under her arm and then she slowly moved back up the stairs. Deep breath.

Ainsley knocked on the door.