Sometimes...its the little things that count (Open)

[Captain Tyle]

Tyle's eyes seemed to almost brighten for a second.

"I'll be damned..."

Beneath him, his finger rested on the menu, on his choice.

"Bacon cheeseburger. Loaded."

The waitress may or may not have given him a funny look, as she busied away with his order. He didn't care. Of course, the best bacon cheeseburgers in the galaxy were Corellian. The cheese was aged and spiced, the patty of bantha meat was thick, and the bacon was crisp, and hung out of the bun on every side. He'd only had one, of course, but he'd always remembered Corellian bacon cheeseburgers. There were probably better ones out there, but it seemed that these things in life were few and far between. Recently, at least. But when you spend your days humping 10 clicks a day on cross-country patrols, and warming E-rations over heat packs, its the little things in life that become magnified.

[Emma Harvan]

She may not have been a joy sometimes but Emma was certainly among the little things in life. The golden haired child was feeling, as little girls often get, in the mood for a serious chat. She had been watching the waitress and wondering why a lot of the big boys watched her when she noticed that one of them was just looking at the little books that were on all the tables. She wondered if maybe he was having trouble reading it. She couldn’t read yet and could understand the man’s distress. Her previous thoughts vanished now, Emma sauntered over to his table and without hesitation clambered up onto the chair opposite him. She waved one of her little hands.

“Are y’ stuck on a big w’rd?”

[Captain Tyle]

"No, I..."

Tyle glanced down to the menu, still in his hands, and smiled a little.

"...I'm just getting a bite to eat, is all."

With a soft laugh, he slid the menu away.

[Emma Harvan]

"Oh."

Emma looked slightly dissapointed. It seemed that he could read and that left her alone in her illiteracy for the time being. Sighing, the tiny tot rested her head on her hand, tilted in a chit-chattey way and drew invisible circles on the tabletop with her other.

"M'mama says tha' y' canna beat healthy food but I dun't like it. D' y' like it?"

Emma didn't wait for a reply.

"Y're real big! Can y' tie y're own shoes?"

This was a feat that she could not master, no matter how hard she tried and had always found it amazing to watch others pull the bunny from his hole and make a bow.

[Captain Tyle]

"You listen to your mama. Food like that'll make you big."

Tyle glanced to the side of the table, and down to his boots. The shiny, black leather reached mid-calf, to where his trousers bloused and tucked inside. Per usual, they were laced tight, and immaculate. Immediately opposite were Emma's shoes, with the laces laying to either side, like a basset hound's ears. With a smile, Tyle stooped down, and drew the laces of Emma's left shoe tight.

"First thing I learned when I was your age...next to blowing bubbles in my gum."

[Emma Harvan]

The ability to blow bubbles in his gum kicked Captain Tyle's standings up a notch. Emma watched intently as he tied her dusty running shoes.

"I'm not 'llowed gum 'cause I swallow it. But y' wanna hear a sacret?"

She leaned forward, hand clasped over her mouth in glee.

"When m'Mama goes t' bed, I tek it sometimes!"

Laughing as if it were the best joke she'd ever heard, Emma fiddled idly with her newly tied laces. They always seemed to be undone and it was a mystery to her just how they did it. Suddenly she leaned forward and lowered her voice.

"Can y' read everything?"

[Captain Tyle]

On cue, Tyle picked the menu up, and scoured it over.

"Mostly. But...I'll never know what Filet Mignon means."

Giving the little girl a smile, Tyle lowered the menu, just as his lunch arrived.

[Emma Harvan]

Emma didn't know what it meant either but she was too busy searching the pocket of her jumper.

"I did somethin' bad. I stoled."

Finally finding what she was looking for, the child pushed Tyle's plate aside in a businesslike manner and unfolded a crumpled piece of newsprint. The story was small and most likely would not have been printed had it not been pertaining to a recent and hot case that the police were investigating. Emma pointed at the two small photographs above the print.

"Tha's my Mama and tha's my Da!"

Directly below the pictures in bold type was the headline:

LATEST VICTIMS IN MURRAY GANG MURDERS FOUND

She looked at Tyle hopefully.

"I bet it says if they won or lost! Can y' read it t' me? Please?

[Captain Tyle]

He took the paper up, glancing through the article, and back to Emma.

"Well..."

Tyle rubbed at his face, sighing a bit.

"...that's a bit more than I've learned to read, so far."

His jawline clenched a little, as his eyes narrowed at the article. Eventually, he folded it back up, and lay it upon the table. For a few seconds, he was silent.

"What's your name?"

[Emma Harvan]

Emma didn't say anything while he looked over the article but her face showed dissapointment at his answer. She sighed and cupped her face in her hand, propped up with her elbows. Intently she watched him, wondering if maybe he was tired. She pulled the piece of paper over and scrumpled it back up again before ansering his question.

"Emma. Well achully,"

Emma rolled her eyes and sighed again.

"It's really, really, really Emmalyne but I dun't like tha'."

[Captain Tyle]

"Emma's just fine."

Tyle smiled.

"My name's Captain Tyle. You like cheeseburgers, Emma?"

[Emma Harvan]

She nodded enthusiastically.

"They're m' favorite!"

Suddenly her brow wrinkled and she looked at 'Cap'n Tyle'. Lowering her voice to a loud whisper Emma looked around suspiciously.

"Wha' are they?"

[Captain Tyle]

There were no utensils to be found. After all...it was a cheeseburger. But Tyle improvised, drawing his bayonet from his equipment belt, and partitioning the thick burger by a third. He drew a napkin from a dispenser, and placed the smaller portion onto it, sliding it to Emma's side of the table. As she watched, he drew another napkin, cleaning the length of his blade as he slid it back into its scabbard.

"That...is a cheeseburger."

The corner of his mouth turned up slightly.

"Don't worry...its not too healthy. But, the finest food this side of the galaxy, if I may say so."

It was disproportionately tall, compared with the girl's little mouth. Seeing the problem, Tyle mashed it down a bit, compressing it into a more manageable height.

[Emma Harvan]

"Ohhhh!"

Emma's eyes widened at the sight of the blade and she cautiously reached towards it, index finger extended. Thinking better of it as the Captain cut the cheeseburger she jerked back, putting the finger to her lips and biting the nail absently. She stared at the sandwich uncertainly as he slid it towards her and leaned back as Tyle compressed the burger. Emma raised her eyebrows and looked at him,

"Tha's a chee... tha's wha' it is?"

She leaned forward for a closer look and sniffed it cautiously. It smelled good. Slowly she picked it up and took a tiny bite from the corner. Her eyes lit up as she chewed and the child immediatly took a bigger bite.

"Mmff'scood!"

Swallowing the mouthful, Emma smiled and began swinging her feet.

"Cap'n Tyle...How come y' got a knife?"

She pointed to the scabbard and narrowed her eyes.

"Are y' one o' the bad mans?

[Captain Tyle]

"No, I'm not one of the bad men. Never know when I'll have to share a cheeseburger, I guess."

[Emma Harvan]

"Oh."

The child took his word for it and continued eating, slowly. It seemed that before a bite of food could get to her mouth something more intriguing would steal her attention-- her distorted reflection in a spoon, a bug on the wall, dust floating in the light. This went on for some time until Emma spoke again, as if no silence had passed.

"Cap'n Tyle, y' know wha'? I got a owie on m' leg from the win'ow. M' Da were's fixin' it and I walked ov'r and the broked glass jes' jummed up and bit me! Wanna see?"

Before he could say anything, Emma climed onto the table and began pushing the leg of her jumper up. She pointed to a Bandaid on her right knee, looking intensly interested by it.

"See? Tha's where it bit me!"

She began to peel the bandage off, making exaggerated gasps of pain as the glue pulled at her skin. When it finally came off Emma flung the Bandaid to the floor carelessly. The cut was nearly healed now and was barely visible but she grimaced anyway.

"D' y' ever get owies Cap'n Tyle? I betcha d' with tha' knife. M' Mama says tha' knifes give y' owies."