Rosie giggled, a real giggle- soft and sweet like she used to. She moved to gently rest her forehead on Ellie's, eyes closing as she let out a breath.
"I've missed you," she admitted softly. Even when she thought it was all a dream, her imagination, she had missed being able to forget the world as listen to Ellie's stories, to talk with her friend and feel better just because of that. She pulled the stuffed elephant into a much more gentle hug, eyes still closed. Was it wrong to have missed Ellie, even though she had been there the entire time? She felt guilty… She was tempted to apologize again, but she held it back for now.
Ellie seemed to only smile. She was happy to have her old Rosie back. Well, she was never not Rosie, just… she had a lot more in her life now. The plush nuzzled into the embrace and let out a soft hum.
"I've missed you a lot too. I know I've said it already, but I'm proud of how you've grown. It's good to have you smile again," she replied.
"It's… good to be able to." Rosie rested her head on Ellie's, relaxing more as they sat there. She let out a soft breath, arms relaxing some as well. She pulled her legs up a bit more, turning her feet in just like she used to. She hummed, hand on the back of Ellie's head. She didn't have to worry about her father, or her mother, or hell, even the charred blankets that were still on her bed.
Ellie simply let Rosie take everything in, not minding the almost silence. She looked up, seeing a bit of the underside of the woman's chin. It felt so good to be welcomed back into her arms. The stuffed toy seemed content to be held. Ellie glanced over at the bed, suddenly remembering that the house had nearly just burnt down. She let out a small sigh as well, thankful they were both okay.
Rosie stayed like that, holding Ellie, for a few more minutes as she calmed down and let everything soak into her mind.
"Are you okay?" Rosie asked, finally pulling away some to look down at Ellie. "Did you get burnt?" She knew Ellie had been on the bed, and from what she'd seen of the fire it had gotten very, very close to her before Ellie had gotten her attention.
"And I am sorry you got knocked off the bed."
Ellie felt touched at the concern the girl felt. That was one thing that hadn't changed. She was always so considerate…
"I'm fine. Somehow, I didn't even get singed, though I probably smell like smoke," she replied, sounding a bit sheepish at the end. The smell was often nice were it a candle or a campfire, but not just after your house nearly burnt down.
The toy somehow didn't see what the concern was for letting the fire get so close. It was a last resort to speak, so she didn't see any reason as to why it was that big of an issue.
Rosie let out a breath, her small smile returning.
"I'm glad you're okay…" She didn't know how she would have felt if Ellie had gotten burned. Sadness? Horror?
…Relief? No. Not now, not after coming to terms with Ellie being alive.
The woman rested her head on Ellie a moment, smile still there. She moved to stand after a moment, Ellie still held securely in her arm as she surveyed the damage. She pulled the fire blanket off the bed, sighing deeply. The blanket was ruined, as well as the sheets underneath. They would be lucky if the mattress wasn't ruined too.
Ellie smiled again, still letting Rosie do as she wished. When the woman stood, she caught sight of the blackened mess of the top of the bed. Her smile fell, not liking the looks of things. "I'm sorry everything didn't make it," she said. It was the type of apology that everyone said, the kind without taking blame. Though, at the same time, the toy felt it might have been less damage had she have warned Rosie sooner. But seeing as she couldn't see the future, she couldn't have known Rosie would have acted positively.
"These are things that can be replaced easily enough." Rosie moved to the side of the bed, setting Ellie carefully down on the table before grabbing the blankets and the sheets, pulling them off. She put them in a pile to the side, looking over to the damage to the mattress. It was singed, but it wasn't bad enough to have to replace. Moving over to the closet, she pulled new sheets and blankets down, remaking the bed.
