"Alright you three little piggies, what are you giggling about now?" Taffy looked up at her Mother with a mischievous look in her eyes. Sweet Treat knew her daughter loved to stir up trouble. Candy and Pepper Jack had looks of complete innocence on their faces. "What is your sister up to now, Pepper Jack? If you tell me you won't be a tattle tale. Mommies have a right to know what their little ones are getting into."
Pepper Jack laughed. "Taffy said she saw Uncle Messy and Aunt Treat Heart rubbing noses under The Caring Tree. She said it looks funny when a Piggy rubs her snout on a Bear's nose." Sweet Treat had to laugh in spite of herself. "Rubbing noses is how Care Bears and Care Cousins show their love for each other. Just because your Aunt is a Pig and your Uncle is a Bear doesn't mean they can't love one another. They love each other very much. They also love their little nieces and nephew even when they are naughty little piggies."
Taffy hung her head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make fun of Aunt Treat Heart and Uncle Messy." "We will be good" said Candy. "Aunt Treat Heart and Uncle Messy always have a cupboard full of cookies and candy. If we make them mad they won't give us any goodies!" "No goodies!" said Pepper Jack in a horrified tone. "That would be awful!"
Sweet Treat giggled. "Alright you three, go outside on the porch and behave yourselves while I get supper ready. Your Aunt and Uncle will be arriving home soon. So will your Father. We adults have some plans for tonight." "Okay, Mommy" the three little piglets shouted as they ran out the door.
Sweet Treat soon heard her sister and brother in law as they made their way up the outside stairs to their apartment. Having her sister and her Mate living so close sure came in handy. They were the perfect baby sitters for her and Beastly's rambunctious piglets. Suddenly the door swung open. "Daddy's home" yelled Taffy as she ran inside ahead of her siblings and father. Candy was holding Beastly's hoof as he shuffled inside. "I was good little piggy today, Daddy. Honest." Beastly laughed. "I will see what your Mother has to say about that." Sweet Treat gave Beastly a peck on the cheek. "Well our little boar was good boy today. One of our little sows was a good girl. The other one was up to her usual mischievous ways."
Beastly looked at Taffy. "I tried to be good Daddy." Beastly laughed. "I know you try to be good. Getting in trouble is in your genes." "Aunt Treat Heart said I am just like you were when you were a little boar." Taffy's eyes gleamed as she said it. "Except you are a little sow" said Beastly as he lifted his daughter onto his lap. "And a really cute one at that!" Taffy laughed with delight as she snuggled up to her daddy. Beastly sighed as he held her. He could never get mad for long or punish his daughter. She was a Daddy's girl. Her Daddy was never good at punishing her, Candy, or Pepper Jack.
Beastly was putting his leg brace back on as Sweet Treat walked out of the piglets' bedroom. "Are you sure you feel up to having company tonight?" Sweet Treat had a look of love in her eyes as she watched her Mate get ready. "Sure" said Beastly. "I know how much you and your sister love to gossip when we play cards. Plus we kept losing to Treat Heart and Messy last time. Tonight it's our turn to win." Sweet Treat smiled. She felt like a winner every time she looked at the Boar who was her Mate, the Boar who had overcome so much to become a great Father.
Messy Bear and Treat Heart Pig arrived on time for the appointed card game. As snacks were passed around Messy Bear and the Pigs kept spilling drinks and food. "If we keep spilling things your home will soon look like a pig sty" Messy Bear said jokingly. Beastly laughed. "Our home is dirty enough to be happy and clean enough to be healthy."
"Hey sis" Sweet Treat said as she dealt cards. "Taffy was blabbing to her sister and brother about seeing you and Messy rubbing noses. I explained about how we do that to show love for one another. That little brat of a piglet will probably soon be rubbing snouts with some little boar." "Or some little bear if she takes after her aunt" said Messy Bear with a grin.
Treat Heart squealed with delight. "That first nose rub is so magical. Even though most of us end up with a different Bear or Cousin as our Mate we never forget that first rub. Do you think we should ever tell your piglets of our first times?" "That's a story they probably won't believe" said Sweet Treat. "What do you think Messy?" Messy's nose darkened as he blushed. "It is quite a story. It involves all four of us." Soon the room was full of chatter as the adults recounted their first real kiss.
Beastly always felt out of place in the home of No Heart and Shreeky. They were almost human. Beastly was born in the Forest of Feelings and captured by No Heart as a young piglet Wild Boar. No Heart had thought raising a Care Cousin to be evil would help in corrupting Care Cousins and Care Bears. That plan backfired. Beastly's ineptitude actually aided No Heart's enemies.
Shreeky and Beastly often acted like brother and sister. But Beastly found himself wondering about others like him. Shreeky may have been a little witch but she still had human traits. She looked every bit like a human. Beastly had some human traits, like his hands and feet. But his nose was like a piggy's snout and his ears also looked like a piggy's. He looked just as a cursed Wild Boar Care Cousin should.
It was the Care Bears and Care Cousins annual Friendship Picnic. Beastly decided it was a good time to spy on them. As the teen boar watched he saw two female piggies talking. He figured they must be sisters. He suddenly felt a strange feeling as he looked at the fattest pig. "Wow!" he thought to himself. "She is really cute. I don't care what No Heart thinks of Care Cousins. I could never hurt a girl like her."
Beastly tried to watch as the teens played a game of spin the bottle. He suddenly heard a male voice say "I will not kiss that fat pig! No way!" There was a sudden rustling of bushes as one of the piggies ran into the woods towards Beastly. Beastly froze as she plowed right into him. They went down in a heap. As they untangled themselves Beastly realized she was not the piggy he had been admiring. It was Treat Heart.
Beastly helped Treat Heart get back up on her hooves. She had tears in her eyes. Beastly could only stammer at first. Finally he was able to say "I hope you're alright. Please don't cry." Treat Heart sniffed back some tears. "You're the bad boar who works for No Heart. I've heard a lot about you. Are you really a bad boy or is that just a load of crap?"
Beastly looked bewildered. He really was at a lost for words. He was finally able to speak. "I'm good sometimes. I can't believe how mean another boy could be to a cute girl like you!" Without thinking he leaned forward and put his snout by hers. She giggled and rubbed snouts with him. As Beastly realized what they had done he said "oh no, No Heart will be really mad if he knew I kissed you!" The girl piggy laughed. "It will be our little secret. I could get in trouble if the Care Cousins knew I kissed you. Thanks for making me feel better. You're not so bad for a boy. You're actually kind of handsome. By the way my name is Treat Heart Pig." She giggled and made a sudden run for the clearing.
"Thanks again" she yelled back at him. "Maybe we will meet again." Beastly stared for a long time toward the clearing where she had made her exit. As he finally turned toward home he thought to himself "rubbing snouts with her was nice. How I wish I could someday have a girl friend like that!"
It is hard to keep a secret, especially from one's sister. "Listen sis, you were crying when you ran into the woods during the picnic. When you came out you were happy. We all thought we heard a boy's voice. What happened?" Sweet Treat sipped on a straw as she relished her chocolate milkshake. She stared into her sister's eyes trying to read Treat Heart's mind. "Shhh" Treat Heart whispered. "Every Bear and Cousin here in The Cafe will hear you. I ran into that boar that everyone says is bad, you know, Beastly. He felt sorry for me and put his snout up to mine. We rubbed snouts. It really made me feel a lot better about my self. I can't believe a bad boy could make me feel so much better, but he did. Just wait 'til you get a chance to rub snouts with a boy. It's nice. Uh oh, I got to go and get my homework done."
Just after Treat Heart left there was a sudden commotion. A boy bear who looked like her friend Grumpy slipped and fell. His milkshake flew into the air and then landed on him. As he got up off the floor he was a mess. The cafe echoed with laughter as the other diners got their kicks out of his misfortune. Sweet Treat felt sorry for him as he ran outside. She grabbed some napkins and went outside to see if she could find him.
She found him a short distance away in an alley. The poor guy looked like he wanted to cry. "Here" she said as she handed him the napkins. "It was too bad you lost your milkshake." "Thanks, my name is Messy Bear. I guess I was just living up to my name. My family is moving to the far reaches of The Forest of Feelings tomorrow. So I will most likely never see you again. How can I thank you?"
Sweet Treat was admiring his body. "He is one handsome Bear, even when he's messy" she thought to herself. Without thinking she blurted out "how about a kiss goodbye?" The boy Bear looked shocked at first, then he laughed. He leaned forward and put his Bear nose up against her Piggy snout. Both laughed when they were done.
"You're a real nice Piggy" he said. "You are a real nice Bear" she said. "Too bad you are moving away." "Maybe we will meet again when I'm a bit cleaner" said Messy as he headed for home. As the two waved goodbye Sweet Treat sighed. "Such a nice boy, too bad I won't get a chance to talk to him again."
Sweet Treat was suddenly snapped back to the present by her brother in law's voice. "Well you can talk to me now" said Messy Bear as he gathered the cards off the table. "That first kiss led me to become interested in Piggies. Later when I first laid eyes on Treat Heart I fell head over foot paws for her. It is hard to believe my first nose rub was with my future sister in law."
"It's the same for me" Beastly said with a big grin on his face. "Well Boys" said Treat Heart. "Me and my sister got our first snout rubs from our future brother in laws. I am so happy it was you two. I guess we were fated from the start to someday be a big happy family."
"Speaking of family I hear the sound of little hoof steps" said Treat Heart. "Are you three out of bed to see Me and your uncle?" "It's nice to see you Aunt Treat Heart. I got out of bed because I was hungry." Taffy's eyes had their usual mischievous look. "Pepper Jack is awake because he had to take a pee. Candy is awake because she wet the bed." Candy's face had a look of horror. "Hey, you don't have to tell the whole world about it!"
"Well Taffy" Treat Heart said as she reached into her purse. "I think I have a few snacks that little piggies like. Your Mommy has to okay it first." "Go ahead and give them some" Sweet Treat said. "Then you come with me Candy. I need to make sure you are clean. Then we need to remake your bed." Sweet Treat picked the little sow piggy up.
The little female pig had a small bag of snack crackers clutched tightly in her left hoof.
"Good night Uncle Messy and Aunt Treat Heart. Thanks for the snack." Candy was all smiles as her Mother carried her to the bathroom. "Goodnight Candy" Messy Bear and Treat Heart replied in unison. Soon it was Taffy's and Pepper Jack's turn to say good night as they were led back into their bedroom. As Sweet Treat re-entered the living room Messy and Treat Heart were preparing to leave. "What a great evening, Sis. Me and Messy had a great time as always. You and Beastly have such a cute bunch of piglets." Messy Bear laughed. "They are great entertainment. When they are teenagers I expect Taffy will be the life of the party."
Beastly grinned. "She will also be the reason me and Sweet Treat will soon have grey pig hair." The adults were still laughing as Messy Bear and Treat Heart made their way up the stairs to their home. After he had closed the outside door Beastly turned to Sweet Treat. "Do you want to relive our first snout rub together?" Sweet Treat smiled. "I can still picture you lying on Messy's and Treat Heart's guest bed. You were one sick boar. I guess that 'get well snout rub' really worked."
"It sure did. I survived polio and ended up with a big happy extended family. What more could a boar want!" "Oh Beastly" Sweet Treat said as they rubbed snouts. Above the piggies' home The Great Wishing Star shone brightly. Its services would not be needed tonight. The happy family inside had everything they could ever wish for.