GT one shots

🌳 pt. 2

Written by DatZeldaFanGurl

Audrey paused a moment, then entered the warehouse. Men smoking were everywhere, with cages and cases of rare, illegally poached animals strewn about. It smelled like beer and urine, and the men eyed her eerily. Taking a deep breath, she walked down the warehouse's floor, heels clicking against the chipped concrete. The outfit she had chosen to wear was supposed to convey authority, but now she felt it just made her look foolish. A tight turtleneck, jeans, and heels didn't look very convincing.

Nearing the back, she paused, then swiveled. In a second, all the solemness melted from her face, and she pushed her clunky black glasses higher onto her nose, walking over to the object of her interest. A small cage barely the size of a tissue box rested on a wooden crate. The man near it looked over, smiling.

"Hey there beautiful. Whatcha up to?"

Audrey ignored him.

"Is that a wood sprite?!"

He nodded.

"Yep, caught him recently. Name's Matthew."

Audrey took in a sharp breath. She leaned in closer to the cage, taking in his small, trembling form, the bloody cloth wrapped around his torso.

"Where's his wings?!"

"Eh, cut em off. What's the matter? You some sort of do-gooder?"

"How much for him?"

"Hmm? Oh, let's say.... Hundred bucks. I'll make it fifty for a kiss."

Without hesitation, Audrey pulled out a single, fresh, crisp one hundred dollar bill. Smiling, she reached for the cage, gently picking it up. Handing the bill to him, she asked,

"Is that all?"

He nodded wordlessly, and Audrey left the disgusting building, hopping into her little blue beetle. Driving home, she went into the backyard, setting the cage down on a stump.

"Hey sweetie..."

The boy trembled, backpedaling to the furthest corner of the cage. Audrey sighed with sadness.

"Sweetie, I'm nice. You can come out."

He shook his head.

"T-that's what Matthew s-said."

"He the guy who sold you?"

The little guy nods, starting to cry.

"H-he said he w-wouldn't h-hurt me and th-then he cut o-off my wings" he wails.

Audrey growls.

"That was a dick move. I'd kill him if I could. Who would hurt a cutie like you?"

He looks up, miniscule blue eyes filling with even more tears.

"Y-you won't hurt me?"

She shakes her head, smiling softly.

"Of course not!"

Sobbing, he lurches from the box, rushing into her hands. Gripping the thumb, he cries. Gently scooping him up, Audrey brings him to her chest, running an index finger up and down his back, making reassuring noises.

After a bit, he pulled away, still sniffling. She set him on the stump, ruffling his shaggy blond hair with the tip of her pinkie. He pulled away, but then leaned into her touch.

"Oh! I never gave you my name. I'm Audrey. Audrey the human."

He smiles softly.

"I-I'm Jude. Jude the wood sprite. "

Audrey winks at him, letting out a light, easy laugh.

"That's a cute name. C'mon, let's get your injuries cleaned up."

Nodding, the little fairy lets himself be picked up, and then carried inside. Walking to the bathroom, Audrey sets him on the cool tile counter. Gently pulling off the rough, blood-soaked bandaging, she clucks her tongue with sympathy.

"You poor baby...."

He bit his lip, shaking slightly from the pain. At her cool finger's touch, he flinches, and then stops, taking quick, sharp breaths in. Opening the cupboard, the young woman pulls out anti-infection spray, and soft gauze with some medicinal tape. Jude watched her curiously. She seemed nice, but then again, so had Matthew.

Finishing the gathering of supplies, Audrey crouches down in front of the counter.

"Sweetie, this might hurt, okay? But that's just the medicine. Don't worry, I won't hurt you."

Nodding, Jude stiffened as the spray soaked q-tip touches his back, probing the cuts. Letting out a whimper, he clenches his fists, miniscule fingers whitening. The sting is almost unbearable, but he held strong. Soon it's over, and Audrey wraps the gauze around his wings stumps and torso, securing it in with medical tape.

Turning his head slightly, he watches her blue eyes filling with tears at his discomfort. He manages to crack a small smile.

"T-thank you."

Nodding, Audrey put the supplies away, and turned back to the wood sprite.

"Hey."

He turned his head, startled at her tone.

"I want you to know, as long as you're with me, you're an equal. Not a pet, not a slave. Not a toy. You're my equal. Okay?"

Jude nods, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

"W-why are you being so nice?"

She smiled.

"Us humans have screwed up the planet enough. I figure it's my job to fix our mistakes."

He nods again, smiling truly for the first time since he went into the net. Maybe humans were okay, even if it was only this one.

________

A big thanks to DatZeldaFanGurl her continuation of this story! 🙏👌