"Reunion"
Carl and David had found their father! They had saved the day, what else could ask for. But there was much more for them to do. But before they could worry about that, they first reunited with their father.
"Dad, I'd like you to meet Marian, and her parents: the Mayor and Matriarch. And this, Dad, is 26." Said Carl, putting around the introductions.
"Your pet?" asked Carl's dad.
"Pet? Dad! She's my daughter! That means that you are a grandfather." Carl added with a little smirk. "Don't faint on me Dad!"
Then his father added with a smile, "I leave you two alone together for just a few months, and you grow up on me."
Then Marian cut in, "Why don't we finish this conversation with a little dinner, I think that we can pull something together. Zippo, can we use your kitchen."
"Certainly, I would certainly like to observe how fathers and sons of mammals interact" Zippo agreed with a bid dinosaur grin.
When They got to Zippo's place, Carl and David told their father all about their adventures in Dinotopia. Everything from, falling off a waterfall and racing crocodiles to their adventures in the school in Waterfall City.
"You two have done a lot, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to fit in as well as you have." Frank sighed.
David cut in, "Dad, I don't know if you've noticed, but we don't fit in, we've already been arrested, remember! I think that before you question your own ability to become a Dinatopian, you should first try the course that we took when we first came here. I'll give you help if you need it in the Footprint Language."
"Footprint language?" their dad cut in.
"Yeah, it's footprints in different directions to make letters. You'll have to learn that along with other things to become a citizen. Don't worry about it." David answered.
"WAHHHH," 26 started crying, so Carl picked her up, rocking and bouncing her.
"Shhhh."
Frank, Carl and David's father, looked at Carl, realizing how much he had changed being a father. He had always pictured David becoming a father. Here was his two boys, Carl a father, and David a military-like man. He turned to Carl, wanting some bonding time with his new grand-daughter. "Here, let me take her, she should get to know her grandfather," then talking to 26, "Yes, that's who I am, your Grandpa." At that 26 laid her head against her Grandpa's chest, feeling safe.
The rest of the room smiled, glad that he loved this child, despite the fact that she wasn't human. Frank put 26 back to bed feeling the joy of being a grandfather.
. . .
The next morning, the entire household: Carl, David, Frank, and Zippo, were awakened by 26. She had gotten into the pots and pans in the kitchen making a horrible racket. "26! What in the World!" Carl exclaimed running into the kitchen in his pajamas. He was giggling, but trying to be stern. "No, 26, no!" he said again, while still laughing.
In came David, Frank, and lastly, Zippo, all looking rather annoyed, but once they saw 26, they all cracked a smile.
"Looks like you have a 'terrible two' on your hands!" Frank said with amusement, "Only you got it sooner than with a baby human!"
Zippo then added his politically correct opinion, "Actually she is not 2 years old yet, more like 2 months."
"Yes, we know that Zippo," David said, taking the baby dinosaur from his brother so that he could clean up. "It looks like this tiny terror has grown out of her crib."
"I know, I put in an order for a bed yesterday after we got back."
At that there was a hard knock on the door. When they opened it, they saw Marian in tears. "My Father had a heart attack, he's dying." At that the group got dressed and went with Marian to visit her father.
When they saw the Mayor, they saw that he was, indeed, dying. He had one thing that he wanted to tell them, "explore the world beneath, take whomever you need…" At that he went unconscious, and everyone knew that he would never wake up.
The next morning, it was announced that the Mayor had died. Marion had stayed by his side all day and night, and since she wouldn't leave him, David and Carl sat with her while 26 were home with Zippo and Frank.
There was a grand funeral procession, and all of Waterfall City attended, with Marion in front with her friends supporting her. After it was all over, Marian talked to Carl and David. "My father wanted us to explore the World Beneath, so that is what we will do. Now, we have to get together a team, any suggestions?"
"Well, when we went down there before, I was the navigator, Carl was the engineer, we need Zippo for intelligence, and I think that we could use Romana, you remember her, she's a Skybax rider cadet. She's very brave, and she could be of some use." David put in.
"Yeah, and don't forget Dad, he knows how to get around down there better than anyone else," put in Carl. "Will your sister, Samantha, be willing to look after 26 when we go, it would be way too dangerous down there for her."
Marian nodded, "Yes Carl, I'm sure that Samantha would be more than happy to watch 26, she loves babies, and she's so good with them. And I think that your ideas, David, were wonderful for a team."
"I'll send Romana a postal bird first thing in the morning." David told them. He did like Romana, a lot. Maybe thee was something there, but he wouldn't know until he asked her.
Just then someone knocked on the door. It was Romana, "Speak of the Devil," said Carl.
"Hello, Carl, David, I was sent to tell you that you're needed to report with the squadron."
"Actually. We were just talking about you," said Carl, interrupting her.
"Yes, we were setting up an expedition to the world beneath, one that Marion's father told us to do before he died, and your name came up." Put in David, wanting her to stay.
"Me? Why me?"
Then Marion stepped in as the diplomatic type. "You are a hard worker who is not afraid and has an open mind, we could use as many of those people as possible. Not to mention the fact that David recommended you. Would you be interested in joining us?"
"I don't know if any rider could be spared."
"This is an expedition to acquire new sunstones that my father approved of, surly he will approve of that." Said Zippo, "Carl, I think 26 needs you." Just then 26 came running in making a huge racket. "She's up."
"Oh, this is 26. I remember hearing her in David's room after graduation, you certainly are a handful, aren't you." When Romana started talking to 26, she ran behind her daddy's leggs.
"She's a little shy," Said David, stating the obvious, "And is supposed to be in bed. Look, you can think about it, we have to arrange some things before we can go anywhere. Can I walk you to your Skybax, old tradition."
"Sure." They walked down to the square, where Romana's Skybax was waiting.
"You know, where I come from, if a guy likes a girl, he asks her out on a date, would you be interested?"
"I don't know, what do you do on a date?" Asked Romana, flirting.
"Well, sometimes people go out to dinner, or have coffee, or just go to a party." He explained, remembering that he never had a very active social life back home.
"I'd love to, and I'll send you a postal bird when I get a chance to ask Oloo." She was about to call for her Skybax, when David did something he never thought he would get the nerve to do, he kissed her. It was the last thing that she had expected.
"That's also what people do on dates," David said as he walked back toward the house.
Carl and David had found their father! They had saved the day, what else could ask for. But there was much more for them to do. But before they could worry about that, they first reunited with their father.
"Dad, I'd like you to meet Marian, and her parents: the Mayor and Matriarch. And this, Dad, is 26." Said Carl, putting around the introductions.
"Your pet?" asked Carl's dad.
"Pet? Dad! She's my daughter! That means that you are a grandfather." Carl added with a little smirk. "Don't faint on me Dad!"
Then his father added with a smile, "I leave you two alone together for just a few months, and you grow up on me."
Then Marian cut in, "Why don't we finish this conversation with a little dinner, I think that we can pull something together. Zippo, can we use your kitchen."
"Certainly, I would certainly like to observe how fathers and sons of mammals interact" Zippo agreed with a bid dinosaur grin.
When They got to Zippo's place, Carl and David told their father all about their adventures in Dinotopia. Everything from, falling off a waterfall and racing crocodiles to their adventures in the school in Waterfall City.
"You two have done a lot, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to fit in as well as you have." Frank sighed.
David cut in, "Dad, I don't know if you've noticed, but we don't fit in, we've already been arrested, remember! I think that before you question your own ability to become a Dinatopian, you should first try the course that we took when we first came here. I'll give you help if you need it in the Footprint Language."
"Footprint language?" their dad cut in.
"Yeah, it's footprints in different directions to make letters. You'll have to learn that along with other things to become a citizen. Don't worry about it." David answered.
"WAHHHH," 26 started crying, so Carl picked her up, rocking and bouncing her.
"Shhhh."
Frank, Carl and David's father, looked at Carl, realizing how much he had changed being a father. He had always pictured David becoming a father. Here was his two boys, Carl a father, and David a military-like man. He turned to Carl, wanting some bonding time with his new grand-daughter. "Here, let me take her, she should get to know her grandfather," then talking to 26, "Yes, that's who I am, your Grandpa." At that 26 laid her head against her Grandpa's chest, feeling safe.
The rest of the room smiled, glad that he loved this child, despite the fact that she wasn't human. Frank put 26 back to bed feeling the joy of being a grandfather.
. . .
The next morning, the entire household: Carl, David, Frank, and Zippo, were awakened by 26. She had gotten into the pots and pans in the kitchen making a horrible racket. "26! What in the World!" Carl exclaimed running into the kitchen in his pajamas. He was giggling, but trying to be stern. "No, 26, no!" he said again, while still laughing.
In came David, Frank, and lastly, Zippo, all looking rather annoyed, but once they saw 26, they all cracked a smile.
"Looks like you have a 'terrible two' on your hands!" Frank said with amusement, "Only you got it sooner than with a baby human!"
Zippo then added his politically correct opinion, "Actually she is not 2 years old yet, more like 2 months."
"Yes, we know that Zippo," David said, taking the baby dinosaur from his brother so that he could clean up. "It looks like this tiny terror has grown out of her crib."
"I know, I put in an order for a bed yesterday after we got back."
At that there was a hard knock on the door. When they opened it, they saw Marian in tears. "My Father had a heart attack, he's dying." At that the group got dressed and went with Marian to visit her father.
When they saw the Mayor, they saw that he was, indeed, dying. He had one thing that he wanted to tell them, "explore the world beneath, take whomever you need…" At that he went unconscious, and everyone knew that he would never wake up.
The next morning, it was announced that the Mayor had died. Marion had stayed by his side all day and night, and since she wouldn't leave him, David and Carl sat with her while 26 were home with Zippo and Frank.
There was a grand funeral procession, and all of Waterfall City attended, with Marion in front with her friends supporting her. After it was all over, Marian talked to Carl and David. "My father wanted us to explore the World Beneath, so that is what we will do. Now, we have to get together a team, any suggestions?"
"Well, when we went down there before, I was the navigator, Carl was the engineer, we need Zippo for intelligence, and I think that we could use Romana, you remember her, she's a Skybax rider cadet. She's very brave, and she could be of some use." David put in.
"Yeah, and don't forget Dad, he knows how to get around down there better than anyone else," put in Carl. "Will your sister, Samantha, be willing to look after 26 when we go, it would be way too dangerous down there for her."
Marian nodded, "Yes Carl, I'm sure that Samantha would be more than happy to watch 26, she loves babies, and she's so good with them. And I think that your ideas, David, were wonderful for a team."
"I'll send Romana a postal bird first thing in the morning." David told them. He did like Romana, a lot. Maybe thee was something there, but he wouldn't know until he asked her.
Just then someone knocked on the door. It was Romana, "Speak of the Devil," said Carl.
"Hello, Carl, David, I was sent to tell you that you're needed to report with the squadron."
"Actually. We were just talking about you," said Carl, interrupting her.
"Yes, we were setting up an expedition to the world beneath, one that Marion's father told us to do before he died, and your name came up." Put in David, wanting her to stay.
"Me? Why me?"
Then Marion stepped in as the diplomatic type. "You are a hard worker who is not afraid and has an open mind, we could use as many of those people as possible. Not to mention the fact that David recommended you. Would you be interested in joining us?"
"I don't know if any rider could be spared."
"This is an expedition to acquire new sunstones that my father approved of, surly he will approve of that." Said Zippo, "Carl, I think 26 needs you." Just then 26 came running in making a huge racket. "She's up."
"Oh, this is 26. I remember hearing her in David's room after graduation, you certainly are a handful, aren't you." When Romana started talking to 26, she ran behind her daddy's leggs.
"She's a little shy," Said David, stating the obvious, "And is supposed to be in bed. Look, you can think about it, we have to arrange some things before we can go anywhere. Can I walk you to your Skybax, old tradition."
"Sure." They walked down to the square, where Romana's Skybax was waiting.
"You know, where I come from, if a guy likes a girl, he asks her out on a date, would you be interested?"
"I don't know, what do you do on a date?" Asked Romana, flirting.
"Well, sometimes people go out to dinner, or have coffee, or just go to a party." He explained, remembering that he never had a very active social life back home.
"I'd love to, and I'll send you a postal bird when I get a chance to ask Oloo." She was about to call for her Skybax, when David did something he never thought he would get the nerve to do, he kissed her. It was the last thing that she had expected.
"That's also what people do on dates," David said as he walked back toward the house.