::Leo enters the room with Melinda, who is currently in her adult form. He pauses once he's just in the doorway and lets her take the room in. It's decorated strangely; the walls are pale yellow and there's a box of toys at the foot of the bed... but the box is an adult, ornate chest carved with beautiful imagery and symbols. The room is a strange mix of adult and child; an amalgamation of the in-between, where you couldn't really place how old the person living there was. It's taken a while to decorate like this, but Leo hopes it means that, no matter how old Melinda feels, she'll always feel at home in here.::

"It's your room."

::Melinda's face shows no sign of expression as she drinks in all of the new stuff to look at. Some things appeal to her more than others, but there's every chance that those 'others' will have their moment in the future. She nods to herself, then hums as she thinks a few words but not strongly enough for them to voice out loud. She turns to her father and smiles.::

"Yey!"

::It's almost ironic-sounding. Sorta. He probably won't be able to tell if she's being genuine or not.::

::Which is why he asks for clarification.::

"Do you like it?"

"Yes, daddy."

::Melinda walks over to her father and kisses him on the cheek.::

"I love it."

::She moves back and beams at him, then takes a flying leap onto the bed. She lands facedown and bouncebouncebounce as the mattress contends with its new acquisition.::

::Leo grins broadly.::

(Wait til I tell Paige.)

"Your mom's gonna be really happy you said that."

"I like mommy."

::Melinda flips over and sits up, dangling her legs off the side.::

::The whitelighter's smile widens.::

"You know what?"

::He sits down beside Melinda and puts his arm around her shoulders.::

"Me too."

::His free hand darts into the witch's side and jabs at her weak spot.::

::Melinda shrieks and you'd think she could actually fly from the way she moves away from Leo.::

"NO tickling!"

"Me?"

::Leo holds his hands to his chest.::

"I was just touching you. You're the one that made it ticklish!"

::On her feet now, Melinda puts both hands on her hips and leans forward, shaking her head.::

"Noooo."

::She's only barely concealing a huge grin.::

"It's you!"

::Leo keeps up the innocent act.::

"Would I? Melinda! I'm your father! I wouldn't do such a thing like that!"

(She is so cute.)

::Melinda keeps smiling, but has run out of things to say in argument.::

::Unable to resist any longer, Leo laughs and jumps up, arms out.::

"Come here, you!"

::He makes a grab for his daughter.::

::Melinda squeals again, darting out of the way. She transforms back into a child and runs around to the other side of the bed.::

"I'm telling mommy on you!"

::Quite used to seeing the transformation, Leo doesn't even seem to notice it.::

"Huh!"

::He gasps.::

"You wouldn't."

::Melinda nods.::

"I would too."

"You'd do that to me?"

::Leo puts his hands up again. His poor, bruised heart.::

"To your old dad who loves you?"

::Chest swelling with mirth, Melinda grins and nods emphatically.::

::Leo inhales loudly for ages; this is the extent of his shock. After a while, he stops and shrugs.::

"Fine."

::He sits on the bed.::

"Want me to read to you?"

"Can I go to bed?"

"Mmhm."

::Leo smiles, glad he's going to have an easy time of it tonight. In the past, it's not been this simple to get her to go to bed. Especially what with all the moving around of Paige and Azura.::

(In her own room she'll have a lot more space and freedom.)

::It seems bizarre to give a 0 year old a room of her own, but... Melinda's different. Very different. Sometimes it's incredibly hard to cope with. New parents have it rough, but one thing they don't realise is how the slow progression of years as their baby grows up actually prepares them for a heck of a lot more than skipping various stages does. Leo and Paige are completely at a loose end when it comes with knowing what to do with their daughter.::

(She's perfect, though.)

"Get your jammies and brush your teeth. You have five minutes or there'll be trouble."

::Smiling more, Melinda runs to Paige's room.::

::While he waits, Leo walks over to the book shelf and selects a book. He pages through it slowly, sighing, then walks back over to the bed and sits down again.::

::Melinda squeals into the room like a car on fire, the door slamming behind her. She gets a fright at the loud noise and barrels onto her bed, bouncing for a while before jumping under the covers and snuggling up - to the max. Once she's done, she looks at her father expectantly.::

(Crazy child.)

::Leo smiles and switches on the bedside lamp. Paige had wanted to get eight or so, but he'd managed to argue her down to just two. One here, and one at the desk over there.::

(She really needs to see someone about that lamp thing.)

::But he's been living with Paige's obsession for so long that it's almost an endearing quality of her character.::

(Yeah. Almost.)

::The whitelighter gets up and turns the main light off, then returns to the bed.::

"This was my favourite book when I was a boy."

::He shows her the cover.::

::Melinda's eyes scan uselessly over the words.::

"Cinderella."

::Leo chuckles.::

"Treasure Island."

::He sits down.::

"It's about pirates and treasure and adventure."

::He pauses.::

"I think you'll like it."

"Is there a princess?"

"Maybe."

(Psh.)

::With an enigmatic smile, Leo settles back down and opens to the first page. He begins to read.::

"Chapter one. The Old Sea Dog at the 'Admiral Benbow'. Squire Trelawney, Dr. Livesay, and the rest of these fine gentlemen having asked me to write down the whole particulars about Treasure Island, from the beginning to the end, keeping nothing back but the bearings of the island, and that only because there is still treasure not yet lifted, I take up my pen..."

::And so it goes.::

::After a while, Leo looks up and sees that Melinda has definitely fallen asleep. Her enthusiasm for the story had gratified him; though it's probably too old for her. She's only tiny. But it made him feel good about his acting - he knows a good story's in the telling. Quietly, the whitelighter tucks Melinda in. He switches the light off then orbs to the hallway of the manor to see if Paige is awake.::

::Outside the window, the assassin sits in a convenient tree that allows him to look inside. He can see her clearly, sleeping. Silently, the assassin snaps off a twig from the tree. He extends it through the magical barrier he cannot yet cross and begins tapping on the glass.::

::Melinda, being the alert type, awakens and glances over at the window.::

::Tappa tappa.::

::Melly gets up and heads over to the window, opening it. Little tyke really has no sense of fear. She sees the assassin and smiles.::

"Come in."

::The assassin clambers in through the window. He is not the first 'evil' being ever to have entered the magic school; he's neutral. That moment is yet to come.::

"Does Simon want to see me?"

::Melinda looks up at the assassin's masked face. She thinks it's his skin.::

::The assassin bows.::

"Is my way faster?"

::The assassin's face remains floorwards.::

"Okay."

::Melinda reaches out for the assassin's arm. She orbs both herself and him to the Source's lair.::