Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Late 2007

[We see Robert, Giselle, and 6 year old Morgan are sitting at their dinner table. Robert is busy with paperwork, Giselle is sketching new design ideas, and Morgan is engrossed in reading the book of historical women Robert bought for her in the first movie.]

Robert: I was thinking of changing my practice.

Giselle: Really, whatever do you mean?

Robert: I was thinking of changing my job practice from Divorce attorney to mediator.

Giselle: Why would you want to stop doing the job you have right now?

[That question makes Robert blink in surprise at Giselle, and then he closes his eyes as he takes a deep breath before reopening them.]

Robert, whispers at first but returns to a normal tone after the first sentence: A good question. When I saw you unintentionally help Mr. and Mrs. Banks rekindle their relationship. It’s had me thinking, “What if it doesn’t always have to end in divorce?” What if their relationship can still be saved?” Since you managed to help them both find a way to reconcile, maybe someone like me could try it too… and I’d be helping out both sides.

[Robert finishes sharing his lengthy reason and then looks back to see both Giselle and Morgan smiling back at him. Giselle appears to be on the tears of joy.]

Robert, stammering at first: S-sorry that’s exactly why I’m switching to that prac-

[Suddenly Giselle gently places her hand on his shoulder, maintaining her glad expression once Robert stops stammering and calms down looking into her warm, kind eyes.]

Giselle: Robert, it’s okay. I think it’s wonderful that you also want to help couples stay together and keep their true love long lasting. So of course you should do it. I’m all for trying new things too!

[She finishes her approval and gestures to the paperwork for Manhattan University Adult Education program.]

Robert, fondly smiling at his lover: Thanks Honey.

[That’s when they both share a hug and a kiss, while Morgan smiles at the heart warming moment and continues reading with a grin.]

Morgan: You two were right, this book really is helpful!

[Giselle and Robert smile at Morgan’s satisfied reaction.]

Giselle, smiling while looking at the cover of influential historical women: Yes, it really was.

Summer of 2008

DONG! DONG! DONG!

[Robert and Giselle are seen leaving the Church to their ride, a sleek silver corvette with dancing shoes and tin cans tied at the end for tradition. Giselle is dressed in a simple yet stunning white trumpet silhouette wedding gown. Robert is in a nicely pressed Black tux. As the couple heads towards the car, Robert’s relatives, Nathaniel, Pip, Edward, Nancy and Morgan, in a blue dress all wave and cheer to the newlyweds. Morgan(Age: 7) is excitedly holding up a small velvet pillow with freshly made ring creases as she waves with both of her arms held high.]

Chapter Text

2009, that same year

[Back inside the Philips’ apartment, we see Giselle grinning from ear to ear as she allows Robert to carefully cover her eyes as he shares her same emotion. Morgan (Age: 8) returns to the living room, carrying a small rectangular present box. As she looks up to her dad, he gives a quick enthusiastic nod, and she grins in return, standing in front of both parents. Robert removes his hands from Giselle’s eyes.]

Robert: Happy Anniversary Giselle!

Giselle, extremely delighted: Oh! Is that for me?

Morgan, grinning while holding the present to Giselle: Yeah!

Giselle, thrilled and curious as she opens the box: What could it be? What could it be?

[As she finishes opening, Giselle’s eyes widen at finding a small black handheld and early model of an iPhone 3GS.]

Giselle: Oh my goodness! Is this one of those new phones I’ve been hearing everyone talk about in class and my shop?

Robert, nodding: Yes it is dear.

Morgan, shyly grinning at them both: Dad let me pick it out.

Robert: That’s right. Now you won’t have to keep using the home phone.

[Overjoyed, Giselle gives Robert a sweet and quick peck on the lip and goes to embrace Morgan.]

Giselle, embracing Morgan and looking back at Robert: Thank you both! Now I’ll get to call you during school and work!

Robert, now hugging Giselle and Morgan: You’re welcome honey.

[While Giselle and Robert are embracing each other, Morgan runs off to her room and returns with a piece of paper in her hands.]

Morgan, looking up at the couple: Here, I worked on this during Story Scribbles.

[Giselle takes the paper from Morgan and holds it up for her and Robert to look. On the paper reveals three stick drawn figures, the first has orange hair and in a purple dress, who is holding hands with a smaller figure with brown hair wearing a sky blue dress and finally on the far right is a figure with black hair and in a navel blue suit. Morgan’s messy writing at the bottom spells, ‘The Fairytale of my life.’]

Giselle, astonished at Morgan’s art: Oh my goodness!

Morgan, now concerned: Huh! You don’t like what I drew?

Giselle, noticing Morgan’s worried expression and quickly comforts her: What? Sweetie no! No of course not! You’ve just drawn all of us!

Robert, also cheering up his daughter: Hey, the handsome guy in this drawing has the same hair as me!

Giselle: Morgan, your drawing is really good. Robert and I absolutely love it!

Robert: Giselle’s right, we love what you just drew.

[Both parents embrace their daughter in a big hug.]

Giselle: I think you’ll become a great artist when you grow up.

[That compliment has Morgan’s eyes water and grin as she returns their embrace.]

2010

[In the same living room, we see Giselle and Robert standing in front of Morgan (Age: 9) fondly smiling at her. Giselle gently guides Morgan’s hands on top of her now growing belly. Once Morgan’s hands are placed upon it, some seconds pass before she senses a quick push and looks up in surprise at her parents. Still smiling, Robert and Giselle carefully pull Morgan into a warm and tender embrace with Morgan’s arms wrapped around Giselle’s bulging stomach.]

Giselle, whispering: You’re going to be a wonderful big sister Morgan.

[After hearing that sentence, Morgan’s eyes widen as she hides her anxious expression while tightening her hug around Giselle.]

Morgan, whispering: I’ll try…

Chapter Text

2011 Early January

[We see Morgan (10 yrs old) sitting inside a hospital waiting room, holding a chapter book and paper sketch pad as she stares down the hallway. After some minutes, Robert and a nurse walks towards her.]

Nurse: Morgan Philip?
Morgan, now alert: Y-yes?
Robert, placing a hand on his daughter’s shoulder: Hey hon, we survived the operation (well mostly Giselle did) would you like to meet your new sibling?
Morgan, now surprise giving a quiet gasp: Ok!

[Robert and Morgan carefully enter the room Giselle is in. After closing the door, Giselle is seen resting on a hospital bed. Red hair unkempt and a with a tired expression, but lovingly cradling her first born, who has tufts of brown hair resting in a light pastel pink swaddle. Robert guides Morgan to sit in the chair right next to Giselle to get a good look at her new sibling.]

Giselle, exhausted but nonetheless elated: Hi Morgan, your father and I have been waiting all day to show you your new baby sister.
Morgan, nervously sitting: Well, and it must’ve been very painful for you, since you’re resting right now.
Giselle, understanding: Oh you’re not wrong at all, sweetie.
Robert: And we made it through alright.
Giselle: Yes darling. Morgan, now that you’re finally here, would you like to hold your baby sister?
Morgan, now surprised and anxiousness increased: Wha? N-no! I shouldn’t! You’ve just had her and she’s asleep I might drop her!
Giselle, still understanding Morgan’s worries and still reassuring: Morgan, honey, it’s alright. I’ve held her for almost half an hour and it wasn’t so hard for me. Luckily, Robert and I are here to help you out.
Robert, agreeing: She’s right. You know, we’ve faced arguing couples, ruthless dragons, and due dates, I think you’ll be fine with cradling your baby sister, the important thing is to be gentle the whole time.

[Robert helps Morgan sit close to her mother and newborn sister and when she is, Giselle carefully transfers her daughter to the arms of Morgan, with Robert guiding her as well. Once Morgan is properly cradling her baby sister, her expression shifts from anxious to wonder when she sees the baby open her eyes and softly breathes before sleep takes over again. Robert and Giselle are both proud seeing how Morgan is supporting her new sibling with no faults.]

Morgan, still whispering: H-have you named her?
Giselle, surprised: Oh! No we haven’t.
Robert: It wouldn’t hurt to name her right now.
Morgan: Can I start suggesting the first name?
Giselle: Yes of course Morgan, go ahead.

[After a few more seconds pass, Morgan begins to propose a good name.]

Morgan: So..Sofia…
Giselle, smiling at the interesting name: Sofia…
Morgan, giving a small smile to her parents: ‘Sofie’ for short!
Giselle, now realizing: From Howl’s Moving Castle!
Morgan, satisfied: I… think it’d be perfect for a girl who never gives up in her story.
Robert smiling at his family: Sofia, I think it has a nice ring to it.
Giselle, happily agreeing: A great ring to it. Morgan, I hope you’ll help us both take care and be kind to her from this moment on…
Morgan, gently cradling Sofie: I will, I promise…

2012 May

DING! DANG! DONG! DONG! DONG!

[Outside New York University’s campus, Giselle is seen in Graduation attire, receiving her diploma. After the ceremony concludes, she returns to the lawn waving to her family and friends. Throughout the whole ceremony, Pomp and Circumstance was played. Robert in a dress suit, carrying Sofie (1 year old) wearing a carnation pink dress in a baby harness and Morgan (Age: 11) in a knee length sky blue dress all cheer once Giselle reunites with them. The ceremony now concludes while the Philips family gets their picture taken together on the lawn.]

Chapter Text

2013
[Inside the Philips’ apartment, Morgan now 12 years old is in her room with her 2 year old sister Sofie. One empty medium sized cardboard box is wide open on top of her bed in front of the older daughter’s strategic look.]

Morgan: Alright, first things fits, we’ll sort through my books and toys. Sound good with you Sofie?

[Sofie is sitting on the bed giggling and clapping at her big sister. That giggling has Morgan smile back at her.]

Morgan: I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.

[First, Morgan starts off with her bookshelf. Sorting out any story she’s finished with or still needs. Then Morgan diligently filled the first box up to the brim with a lot of used books.]

Morgan: Perfect! Now onto toys and clothes!

[Morgan wastes no time again filling up another empty box with dolls and plush animals she’s finished playing with. After she filled the next one, Morgan then notices Sofie eagerly playing with an old princess doll dressed in a baby blue gown with brown hair and eyes. Giving a soft chuckle, Morgan strokes her younger sister’s back and planed a forehead kiss. That affection made Sofie giggle again.]

Morgan: Great find Sof, now she’s yours. Let’s just keep a few stuffed animals and we’re good.

[Sofie clutches her gifted doll and gave a happy chirp.]

Sofie: Yeah!

[Morgan then gets to sorting through every drawer of her wardrobe starting with briefs and working all the way down to shorts and pants. By the time she’s halfway done, Giselle and Robert have now entered her room astonished at the filled boxes.]

Giselle: What’s all this?
Robert: You both have been here for quite some time it was concerning the both of us.

[Giselle also notices Sofie playing with her new doll and beams at the sight.]
Giselle: And Sofie made a new friend.
Morgan: Yeah? I wasn’t playing with the doll anymore so I thought Sofie would like her, and she already does. I’m almost done with excessive everything in my room.

Robert: Oh right! It’s that time of the year!
Giselle: Well don’t excess everything…

Morgan: I won’t, I even wanted to make room for what I got on Thursday!

[Morgan then picks up a large rolled scroll of paper on her desk. She smooths it out and holds it up to Robert and Giselle. Both parents then see that the poster shows a stack of books on a shelf, but in front of it is an open book with a setting of a puppet walking with a fawn, a headless horseman charging on his steed, a boy climbing down a tall beanstalk, a blonde girl talking to a grinning cat. All characters on walking on the open pages of a fantasy setting with a castle on a mountain as the background. Giselle and Robert are in awe of the unique graphic design.]

Robert: That’s some reading poster.
Giselle: Morgan it looks wonderful! I’ve always known that you love reading!
Morgan: Yeah, I got it as a present from the Librarian at school, so did my classmates. If I’m lucky, I could get another one before winter break…
Giselle: Well don’t get too many posters! You’re gonna lose the walls in your room!
Morgan: I won’t! Or I could change my mind down the line…
Giselle: I just said-!
Morgan: I’m kidding Giselle!

[Then Robert, Giselle and Morgan all laugh at that joke. All while Giselle then takes Sofie in her arms who’s holding her princess doll tight.]

2014 the same year

[Morgan(Age: 13) is holding onto her little sister Sofie(Age: 3) who is combing her new doll’s brown hair with a small brush. They are facing their father who is holding a stack of written paper and carefully reading the last with his spectacled blue eyes. Once finished he fondly smiles to Morgan who grins at his reaction. Then father and eldest daughter both swap writing and younger daughter between themselves. Then all 3 of them hear a familiar tune and turn to find Giselle near an open window of the living room and singing an all too familiar harmony. Once she sang, pigeons, rats, squirrels, and insects all rushed to the window. That made Sofie’s eyes light up, Morgan gasped in surprise, and Robert gave an uneasy look knowing that it would involve NY pest control. From in front of them, Giselle’s expressions are obscured as she’s facing the critters at the window. As the bug swarm begins to leave, Giselle’s arms frantically wave around. Then the rodents all leave and then Giselle reaches out of the window. As she does, the pigeons all fly away even the white feathered one, and that causes Giselle’s upper half to deflate while going back in and closing the window shut. Then Giselle turns to her family with wide eyes and keeping herself from frowning and tearing up. Her distraught look shocks the family as Robert reaches out to his wife.]