Veronica

"Put that down, Jimmy, you'll poke your other eye out!" Veronica yelled across the room at a small child holding a fireplace poker.  She ran a hand though her long black hair as she grabbed for the poker, but the kid was faster and ran off toward the other side of the room.

As she turned to chase after him, her eyes fell upon Nigel, standing just inside the door of the Toddler Room. They stood, silently staring at each other, for what felt like an eternity. Eventually, Nigel spoke first.

"Hey, Vee, long time. Looks like you've got all your hands full in here." He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down at the ground, sheepishly.

"Yeah, you know, the usual toddler chaos. What are you doing here?" She got straight to the point, not wanting to linger in this awkward moment any longer. She turned and grabbed a little boy by the back of his shirt, pulling him down from the wall he had been climbing. Taking a quick glance at her outfit, she smoothed her red velour dress and turned back to Nigel.

"Well, actually, I'm here on official business. I was hoping you could do a quick head-count for me, just make sure they're all accounted for" he muttered as his tail began to swish back and forth, unable to contain his excitement at seeing this sexy vixen again.

"Um, sure, hold on a sec. Braden, get down!" She grabbed the same boy by his shirt once more, removing him from the ceiling where he had been crawling upside down. She raised a finger and began silently counting heads. As she did, Nigel couldn't help but stare at the woman he hoped to spend the rest of eternity with. She was gorgeous, after all. Twice his height, with piercing blue pupil-less eyes, six arms, and the seductive voice of a siren.

"36. Yep, they're all accounted for. Why do you ask?" She wondered, as she pulled another child out from the hole he had been digging in the floor.

"Okay, great. I'm just working on a top secret mission for the Big Guy, you know, because I'm so important. He trusted me to get the job done. Thanks for all your help, Vee. I miss—" He began, but she cut him off before he could finish.

"Well, if that's all you needed, then I'll see you around" she turned and started walking away, hoping he would get the hint and leave.

"Oh, alright, bye, then." Nigel hung his head as he turned to leave the Toddler Room. "OUCH!" he bellowed as one of the children sank their teeth into the tip of his tail. He kicked out at the child, snatching his tail in his hands and holding it close to his body. Clearly, none of these little devils could be trusted.

 He was no closer to figuring out where the mystery child had come from, but at least he got to see Vee again. He would do anything for them to be together again, but she had made herself clear, and Nigel had to respect that the lady knew what she wanted.

He walked back through the doors of the Toddler Room, into the hall. Taking a deep breath, he decided there was no point in wallowing. If he succeeded in this mission from Abaddon, he may get some kind of accolade. Maybe then, Veronica would see his worth and come running back into his tiny reptilian arms. It was worth a try, he thought to himself as he rounded the corner.