"Change of Pace"
Author's Note: I will be updating "Darien" soon, but when discovered a story I had written a rough draft for about three years ago I just had to get it typed up! There won't be any waiting for new chapters this time around, because despite the incomplete-looking ending, this is a one-shot. I haven't done one of these in a long time! Soulful Heart Fox doesn't play a huge part here, but he is mentioned a couple times, and is the property of NebulaBelt. All other customs are mine, but I don't own the Care Bears.
Patient Heart Liger was somewhat unusual, even for a Care Bear Cousin; for one thing he, along with his brother and sisters, was a mix of lion and tiger. Even among his siblings, though, he was a little unusual. Like Chance, he had a short, striped mane. Unlike Chance, he kept his unruly 'hair' in a tidy ponytail at the nape of his neck. He was of average height and build, if there was such a thing among them, but he was so quiet that he usually went unnoticed.
Pace wasn't the most social member of the Family. Rather like his father, Stellar Heart, he liked to keep a low profile. Unlike his father, his reasons had nothing to do with shyness. No, Patient Heart's reasons for being withdrawn were altogether different. He found that he absorbed more information by simply standing back and observing, and it could be rather unnerving the way he would come up with the solution to a problem when he didn't even seem to be paying attention. Once, when he was feeling rather bored and tired while being tutored by Bright Heart, he had put his head down on his arms. Bright Heart Raccoon, thinking that he had dozed off, asked him a surprise question. Pace, not missing a beat, had lifted his head and given the correct answer before putting his head back down again.
If the saying 'still waters run deep' applied to anyone in the Family, it applied to him. He was always thinking about something, and he found it much easier to do so when he was alone. This sometimes worried his parents, who would have liked him to be more involved, but since he seemed to be a productive member of the Family they overlooked this quirk of his.
What none of them knew was that Patient Heart was becoming increasingly restless. His knack for blending in had a tendency to backfire when those who were talking about him didn't seem to register his presence. He knew they meant nothing by it, but the words 'oddball', 'strange', and 'creepy' had a way of chipping away at his self esteem. He had long since given up trying to act 'normal' and conform because it just felt so unnatural to him, as if he was constantly telling a lie. Moreover, his efforts weren't very convincing, so he had finally just decided to be his own quiet self. Perhaps this was one of his main reasons for having a feeling of kinship with Soulful Heart Fox, another anti-social member of the Family, though their methods were wildly different.
Pace was good with children, of course, but he somehow felt that he wasn't actually helping them. He had convinced reluctant children to be more open to help from their parents and guidance councilors, but in the long run it wasn't actually he who had made a difference in their lives. He felt, in a word, inadequate; it was daunting when a child's pet was more responsive than the child!
This was another thing that bothered him. He always tried to laugh it off when a child's pet cat insisted on sitting beside him or on his lap during a Mission, but he couldn't deny it that the animals seem to attach themselves to him.
One Friday evening as Patient Heart was pondering these matters, his father came in with a new board game under his arm. No one else was home yet, and Stellar knew that Pace was usually taking an evening walk at this time. So it was hardly surprising that he did a double-take and nearly dropped the game.
"Oh, Pace, you're home. How was your day?" he asked, sitting down across from Pace at the kitchen table.
Pace looked up and, judging by the way his glazed eyes blinked and oriented on the tiger, he was being jolted back into reality. "Huh? Sorry, I didn't catch that." he gave an embarrassed smile.
Stellar obligingly repeated the question, and his son shrugged.
"Not bad, not bad."
This was the standard reply, so Stellar didn't notice anything at first. "Hey, I just bought a new game. Care to try it out with me?" he grinned widely and held out the heavy, square box.
Pace glanced at it once, then smiled. "Dad, 'Trivial Pursuit' isn't a new game..."
"Well, no," Stellar admitted, "but we didn't have it. Wanna play?"
Patient Heart nodded, feeling like he could use a distraction. The truth was, he was feeling anything but patient, and he was becoming frustrated with the direction his life was taking...and he wasn't even sure why.
The two of them sat there for some time, and it was only after they had been playing for a while that Stellar began to notice that something wasn't right. Not only was his youngest son frowning a lot, he had also moved the wrong piece more than once. Finally, when Pace reached for a card out of turn, Stellar took it from him and called a halt to the game.
"What's bothering you, Pace?" he asked, concerned.
The liger sighed, resting his chin on his fist. "I don't know..."
"Bad day?" continued Stellar, trying to guess.
"Mmm, no..." Pace shook his head. All things considered, it should have been a good day. "Dad..."
"Hm?"
"Do you...think I'm cut out to be a Care Bear Cousin?" Pace asked, hesitantly.
Stellar felt a wave of deja vu sweep over him, and he gave his son a little half-smile. "There was once a time when I asked myself the same question. Oh, about me, not you." he added, seeing Pace's face fall.
"When?" Pace blinked, disbelieving. His father was sometimes as timid as a kitten, but he was also a great asset to the Family; he was a wonderful father, and he was fiercely protective of those who couldn't protect themselves. Patient Heart had always admired him for it. And, though he hardly admitted it to himself, he envied him for it.
Stellar folded his paws on the table, somewhat reluctant to delve into that aspect of his past, and replied, "Before you were born. Well before, in fact. It was when I first came here."
When Stellar fell silent, Pace continued to look intently at his face, as if trying to peer into the inner workings of his mind. This tended to unnerve those who didn't know him well, but as usual he was unaware that he was doing it. Pace and his siblings knew little of their father's life before he had joined the Care Bear Family, except for the fact that he had been an abused circus tiger, and that he and Darien had remembered each other none too fondly. Now Pace wanted to know more.
When the silence between them became long and uncomfortable, at least for the tiger, Stellar Heart relented. "This isn't easy for me to talk about, son...but if you really need to know, I'll tell you." he saw Pace nod, and got to his feet. "Lemme wet my whistle first."
So saying, Stellar got a glass out of the cupboard and poured himself some milk. "Want some?"
"Mm-mmm." Pace shook his head.
Stellar took a long swig from his glass, and sat down. "Okay...you want to know why I didn't think I was cut out for this. I'll tell you, but then I'd like you to tell me why you feel this way, and give me a chance to help. All right?"
"Fair enough." said Pace.
"Well, when I first came here, things weren't so good for me. I was pretty skinny, and I had a lot of issues with trust. I didn't trust humans at all, and I disliked them almost as much as I distrusted them. I knew what I was supposed to do, and I knew what my job was...but the thought of even looking at a human made me sick to my stomach. How could I be a part of this Family if I couldn't even do my job?" he fell silent, looking pensively into his cup.
Pace nodded mutely; he could see his father's point, even if it didn't quite seem accurate now.
"So, I went and told Noble Heart about the nightmares I was having, about how I viewed humans, and about my doubts in general. I figured he'd agree with me." said Stellar.
"Did he?" asked Pace.
The tiger chuffed softly, and shook his head. "Actually, he did the opposite. He said that my...experiences...would mean that I could relate to some of the children we see. Not that I wanted to relate to them at the time, I'm sorry to say. I might have left it at that, but...well, he gave me some unwanted advice, and I lost my temper."
His son's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Didn't hit him, did you?"
Stellar glanced over at him, startled that he would consider such a thing. "Of course not." then he had to admit, "Though I guess a small part of me wanted to." He lowered his eyes, not liking the shame those memories brought back. "See...he said that I could either move on with my life, or I could continue to dwell in the past. It basically sounded like he was telling me that my suffering didn't matter."
"I don't think he meant it like that..." his son told him.
"I know it..."
"And you got mad." Pace prodded, wanting to hear more.
"Oh yes...At the time, I was very angry. I took it completely the wrong way. I don't remember exactly what I said to him, but it was something like 'what do you know about it', and such like. And I left the room. I might have left the Family entirely, but...well, even back then, I was very attached to your mother..." he smiled a little. "I didn't know what to do, and it would have broken my heart to leave her."
There was another long pause as Stellar thought about how to continue. "So, to make a long story short...well, I suppose it's too late for that..." he chuckled, speaking more easily now that the hard part was over, "Several days later, your mom brought me along on a Caring Mission, and I spent some time with a little girl named Jenny."
"And it went well." Pace deduced.
"Right." Stellar nodded, sitting back and draining his cup. "She was only about four or five, so it didn't take long for me to know she wasn't a threat. She was upset because her puppy got out, and while Regal went to look for him I stayed with Jenny. Seeing how much she cared for that little dog, I think that's when I began to realize that my opinion of humans was based on the treatment I got from just a handful of them. And I learned that I was wrong to assume that all humans were bad. Now..." he leaned forward and wiped a little milk mustache from his muzzle, smiling at his son, "it's your turn to spill."
Fair was fair, but in truth Pace had forgotten that he had agreed to give his own reasons for doubting his role in the Care Bear Family. He cleared his throat twice, rubbed the back of his neck, and stood up. "Actually, I could use a glass of milk."
Stellar Heart laughed quietly, and said, "You know where it's kept." Pace was stalling, but Stellar had done the same thing when it was his turn.
When Pace sat down again, he sighed and said, "I'm not even sure how to start. It's not one big thing, it's a lot of little things..."
"Start wherever you want." Stellar suggested, "Tell me the first 'little thing' that comes to mind, then go from there."
So, the liger did just that. "Well, I have no problem going on Caring Missions, but I'm just not sure I'm doing much good. Like yesterday, I went down to help out a really shy kid, but we just spent an hour playing with his cat."
Stellar raised an eyebrow. "Son, you were there to help him, not play with his cat..."
"No, I didn't mean...We didn't literally play with her; the boy was too shy to talk to me, so he told his problems to his cat while I was there. And I had to give his cat my answers, or the kid wouldn't listen to me." he rolled his eyes, "And I'm there trying to talk to this boy through Cupcake, and then ol' Cupcake decided to 'make her bed' on my lap--don't laugh, those claws really hurt when they do that kneading thing..."
"Hehe, sorry...ahem, go ahead, sorry about that." The tiger did his best to wipe the smile from his face.
Pace glowered, but only for a moment; he was only succeeding in making his father laugh again. "Anyway...Uncle Brave Heart helps kids get over their fears. Birthday Bear remembers peoples' birthdays when everyone else forgets. True Heart teaches children how important it is to tell the truth. Everyone has a 'special job', some sort of niche, and all I seem to be able to do with any degree of success is amuse kids by being a pet magnet. Last week, a little girl's parakeet pooped on my head--stop laughing!" Patient Heart scowled as Stellar rocked back in his chair and emitted a loud guffaw. "Do you want me to talk, or not?"
Stellar forced his laughter under control, and shook his head. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's just that you were completely deadpan when you said that..." Pace looked away, and Stellar saw that he had hurt his son's feelings without meaning to. "Hey, I'm sorry I laughed. Really."
Pace sighed. "I guess I'm just getting frustrated by all this. I do my best, but..."
"But what?"
"I know our job is to help humans, and I love humans...but I don't really connect with them. I..." he shook his head. He had been turning this idea over in his head for months now, but he wasn't sure how his family would react to it. He knew, with good reason, that his father would probably support him, but...
Stellar frowned and said softly, "Pace, you know you can tell me anything...but if you don't tell me what's really bothering you, I can't help. Are...are you thinking about leaving?"
"No, I just don't know if I'm doing any good when I try to help humans." he took a deep breath, "I have much better luck with animals. I was...I've been thinking about this for a long time, and...well...I want to study veterinary medicine on Earth."
Stellar Heart was surprised, to say the least, and at first he could only stare at his son, almost uncomprehending. Pace was looking him in the eye, his expression earnest and fearful, and Stellar's eyes softened. "How long have you wanted this, Pace?"
"Months." Pace admitted, relieved that his father wasn't upset. "I wanted to be sure before I said anything, and I'm sure I'd do more good there."
"Now, hold on a second." Stellar held up a paw, "I understand where you're coming from. I do. But our purpose was given to us by the Great Wishing Star...And our purpose is to help humans. If you do this, there are some who would disagree with you."
Patient Heart's face fell as he heard his father's pronouncement. "I thought you, out of everyone else, would understand. I really think...no, I know this is what I have to do."
"Pacie, I do understand..." Stellar told him with absolute sincerity, "And I'm not telling you that you can't do this. You're an adult now, after all. But you're a young adult, and you need to understand that this won't be easy. Others will give you a hard time, and you'll need a good argument to back this up. They'll want reasons, and you'll have to give them. And even if you do, they might not be satisfied with them. Also, it'll be a stressful job, even more stressful than normal Missions."
"How do you figure that?" Pace asked.
"Well...if you get a patient that's too sick or injured to recover, you'll probably have to...put it to sleep." Stellar replied, looking a little sad. It was a harsh reality, but it was a reality. "And it's a very demanding line of work."
"I know, Dad, I've looked into it. But I'm sort of an animal myself...wouldn't they make an exception, and not force me to put animals down?" he asked, hopefully.
Stellar gave his head an uncertain shake. "If you want to have equal treatment among your coworkers, you may be expected to..."
The liger turned this over in his head, then pushed it away, naively hoping that he would be able to get out of that if he did become a vet. "I'm not giving up on humans, Dad...I still want to help them, but I really want to give this a try."
Stellar gave a thoughtful nod, considering everything his son had told him. He could understand Pace's confusion and restlessness; after all, when his other older cubs had reached adulthood they were constantly trying new things to see what they were good at. Stellar knew that Pace would never make such a big decision lightly, and he trusted his judgment. He wanted his son to be happy, whatever path he chose in life. And, truthfully, he was proud that his son wanted to help animals. This was, perhaps, a biased opinion.
"Well..." Stellar sighed, "If you want to do this...if you're sure...then I'm behind you."
Pace felt as if a great weight had just rolled off his shoulders, and he impulsively went over and hugged his father. "Thanks, Dad...thank you!"
"Don't thank me yet." Stellar said dryly, "I think your life is about to get rather complicated, and I still have to talk to your mother about this."
"It's okay, I've got a good feeling about this!" Pace beamed.
"He wants to do what?" demanded Regal Heart, looking more confused than upset.
"He wants to work with animals down on Earth." Stellar repeated patiently, "I know it's unusual, but he really wants this, Regs."
"It is unusual." She agreed, then paused before speaking again. "Honey...I know it's been years since either of us mentioned this, but does this have anything to do with your past?"
Stellar tilted his head to one side as he thought about the question, then he sighed and lowered his chin to his chest. "I guess maybe it does...partly. But I see nothing wrong with letting him try it. I didn't put the idea into his head, if that's what you're thinking, and he might decide he doesn't like it. But what kind of father would I be if I looked him in the eye and shot his dreams down?"
"I see...And you do have a point." she said. She may have questioned his reasons for giving his consent without talking it over with her first, but she could see that he meant well.
"So, you're not against it?" Stellar asked.
"I didn't say that." said Regal, heading for her dresser and taking a nightshirt out of one of the drawers. "I think it's possible that this is a mistake, but you've already cautioned him. And the more we forbid him, the more he'll resist. I mean, it's by no means etched in stone that he'll stay with it, but if that is his calling, then this would be a good thing."
"Yes...Now the only thing that worries me is all the flack he'll have to take from some of the others." he confided, frowning as he felt a dull pain beginning to form in the back of his neck. He hoped he wasn't getting another tension headache; the state of the world these days had more than one member of the Family regularly visiting Take Care for migraine medication.
Regal nodded in wholehearted agreement, wondering why Stellar had consented to let Pace do this if it could cause such a problem. As if he could read her thoughts, Stellar turned his back and sat down on the edge of their bed.
"Stellar..."
"I know..." he replied, rubbing the back of his neck with a deep sigh. "But you know something? It's so rare that he actually wants something so badly, and it's even more rare when he shows such enthusiasm."
Regal Heart saw him flinch as his neck locked up, and went over to help. "Move your paw, hun."
"Thank you." he breathed a sigh of relief as she began kneading the tension from his neck muscles. "Anyway...something's been a bit 'off' with Pace for a little while now, and he just isn't happy. On one hand he's young, doesn't know exactly what he's best at, and he wants to find out. He has a purpose, one that he was born to, but he seems to feel inadequate. On the other hand, I want to protect him from making a big mistake. And I know I can't, because in the end it's really up to him to decide; sometimes they have to make mistakes in order to learn, or they'll never think for themselves--ouch!" He tensed up, then relaxed as she worked out a serious kink in his neck. The pain was gone now.
Now Regal believed she understood him. "There was always something different about Pace, honey. Good different, mind you; he's very intelligent. But maybe he feels that brains aren't enough without direction. He should be allowed to give it a try, as long as he doesn't forget about humans in his desire to help animals."
Stellar looked at her over his shoulder, turning his head carefully so that his neck muscles wouldn't cramp again, and said, "Tell me the truth...do you think I was wrong?"
The lioness smiled lovingly, and shook her head. "No...I'll tell you what I think. I think that out of all our cubs, he's the one who's most like you...and I think you see yourself in him more than in the others."
"I love all our children equally, Regal." Stellar said firmly.
"I know, what I'm getting at is, I think it's also the other way around. He knows who he takes after, and he wants to do something he knows you'll approve of. He's like you, but he's also different in many ways...and if he feels like that much of an outsider, why not let him do this, if it could help him?" she said.
"So you don't think I'm wrong?" he persisted, and she felt a laugh beginning to form in her belly.
"No, I don't. If he wants this badly enough, he'll make it happen. He knows what to expect. Now, quit being such a worrywart!"
Stellar smiled, kissing her. "I'll try."
The next day, Pace made his intentions known to the rest of the Care Bear Family during a meeting at the Hall of Hearts. At first, he was met with astonished silence, then a low murmuring began as his friends whispered to one another. Finally, Brave Heart Lion stood up, cleared his throat, and addressed his nephew's parents.
"Do you two already know about this?"
"Yes." They replied in unison, and Regal went on, "It was a surprise for us too, but..."
"But what?" asked Brave Heart. Without waiting for an answer, he turned to his nephew, who was a bit nettled that his uncle had addressed his parents first instead of him. "Are you serious?"
"Perfectly serious." said Pace, not breaking eye contact with his uncle.
"Listen, Pace..." Brave Heart began in what he thought were reasonable tones, "I think it's great that you wanna help animals too, but our job is to help humans. You can't do both."
"Why not?" asked Pace, who had expected this, but was hoping to avoid it if he could.
"What Brave Heart means," Tender Heart interjected, "is that we're spread thinly enough as it is. Our main focus from the beginning was meant to be humans. Now, what we can do is help people be more caring towards animals, show them the proper way to treat them. But I'm not sure we can put the needs of animals above the needs of humans..."
Stellar felt himself growing angry. A tightness began to close over his ribs, then the sensation travelled down to his gut, where it simmered somewhere between lukewarm and boiling.
"But I'm not." insisted Pace, "When it comes to handling Caring Missions, I'm mediocre at best. I don't connect with the children the way the rest of you do, but their pets follow me around like I'm wearing treats or something." He didn't mention that he felt out of place for other reasons.
"You haven't given yourself enough time to find out what you're best at. Every one of us has a specialty, you just haven't found yours yet." insisted Brave Heart.
Stellar got slowly to his feet, his face showing an ominous frown. "Let me remind you, Brave Heart, that you and I, and every one of us except for those who were born here, were all once normal animals. You were lucky enough to be raised here, but a couple of us weren't so lucky. I know from experience what some humans are capable of, and people like them can't be persuaded to treat animals nicely. For all we know, we were hand-picked by the Great Wishing Star, but what about those who were born here? They weren't given the choice to stay, and now that one of them isn't happy and wants to try something else you're shooting every one of his arguments down."
A collective gasp of surprise went up from the others, and amid the muttering that followed Brave Heart began to lose his temper. "Yeah, because they're wrong!"
Stellar Heart, who could sometimes be very defensive at any slight, real or imagined, that was directed at his cubs or belittled his past experience, felt his ire beginning to build to a dangerously high level. "So you say, but where was the Care Bear Family when Darien and I were being starved half to death? Where was the Care Bear Family when Savage hit my brother in the face with a tent peg hammer, sending bone from his nose up into his brain?! Helping humans, that's where! No." he said to Regal, who had put her paw on his arm to silence him. "I had to watch him die, Brave Heart, die in convulsions. Now, I'm not blaming anyone but the man who did it, but do I think it's wrong for one of us to want to help animals? Absolutely not!"
"You're out of line..." Brave Heart growled, "Just because you're living in the past doesn't mean your son should get special treatment!"
Now Regal was on her feet. "Watch it!"
Brave Heart turned a surprised face to his sister, and said, "Didn't you hear what he said to me?"
"Yes, and I heard what you said to him. You're both being--"
"Oh, come on!" scoffed Brave Heart as his sister glared at him with the anger of an affronted wife and mother.
"Stop it..." Pace pleaded, but nobody was listening.
"I do not live in the past, but I will never forget it! And this isn't even about me!" yelled Stellar Heart, and Grumpy Bear, who was sitting at the tiger's left side, slowly edged his chair away.
"Of course it is, or you would have told him no!" roared Brave Heart, clenching his fists.
"Now, settle down--" Noble Heart began, having heard enough, but Stellar Heart shouted over him.
"He's an adult, you pea-brained lummox! I can't send him to his room for a time-out!"
"Stellar!" Regal cried reproachfully.
Patient Heart was through being patient. Drawing in a deep breath, he roared at the top of his lungs; his roar had a lionish sound to it at the beginning, but it trailed off into a tiger's hoarse rumble. All shouting immediately ceased, and the liger seemed both sad and determined.
"If I'd known you were going to fight about this, I would have kept my mouth shut! But since I didn't, I'll go on to say this, then I'll say no more. The Star gave us a job, but he also gave us something else; free will! I make such a hash out of the Missions I go on that you're better off without me. You can all say and think whatever you like, but I think every family needs an oddball or three, don't you?"
Several of them dropped their eyes guiltily, realizing that they hadn't been as discreet as they had thought, and Soulful's expression bordered on heartbroken as he learned that they shared the uncharitable nickname that he himself had often been called behind his back. To know that Pace was subject to even a miniscule amount of the same treatment, whether they meant it maliciously or not, brought on a surge of protective anger in the fox.
"Now, I'm going through with this, whether you approve or not. Anyone who doesn't like it can lump it." He began to leave, then as an afterthought he turned and said, "One more thing...If this fighting continues, I am gone."
And with that, Patient Heart left the Hall of Hearts, which erupted into chaos. Pace's brother and sisters ran out after him, presumably to talk him out of it, and Stellar Heart proceeded to give Brave Heart the tirade of a lifetime. Regal Heart, who had gone very pale, sat down in her chair as if the life had been sucked out of her.
Noble Heart, scowling darkly, sent a Cousin Call first at Brave Heart, then at Stellar Heart; both felines were forced down into their chairs with twin grunts as the air was knocked out of their lungs. The purple horse's face was as serious as anyone had ever seen it. "You two..." he said in low, deliberate tones, "should be absolutely ashamed of yourselves. We are a family, and as such we have an obligation to hear each other out and compromise, not try to out-do each other in an argument. Name-calling..." here he looked at Stellar, who flinched and lowered his eyes, "...shouting over each other, and accusing each other in anger..." here he looked sternly at Brave Heart, who also bowed his head in shame, "...are not acceptable! You're grown Care Bear Cousins, and you're engaging in some of the very activities we're trying to put an end to on Earth. Shame on you."
Regal Heart stared down at her folded paws, tears running silently down her cheeks. Stellar Heart couldn't bring himself to look at her.
"You've achieved the very opposite of your intentions, Brave Heart." Noble Heart was saying, "Not only is Pace now determined to go through with this, he's also threatening to leave home. Congratulations, both of you. I hope you're proud of yourselves."
Brave Heart looked at Stellar, but when their eyes met it was apparent that the tiger was still very angry. He met Brave Heart's gaze, then pointedly looked away.
"But Noble Heart," Funshine said, "what can we do to change his mind?"
"Not much, I'm afraid." sighed the horse, "We may not like it or deem it appropriate, but we all have a choice. Those who join the Family are given the option of refusing. If one of the Family is unhappy...then he or she has the right to leave."
A few of them were reminded of Perfect and Polite Panda, who had joined the Family for a short time. The pair had left because they missed Paradise Valley, and because they were dismayed and embarrassed about not being able to control their Tummy Symbols. It had actually been a blessing in disguise, because the Valley was in the grips of a deep winter storm. Without the influence of the twin pandas, the bad weather had been able to take over. By now, Good Luck Bear had married Polite Panda, and she was able to leave the Valley for a short time if her brother remained, and vice versa. Though they didn't live in the Kingdom of Caring, they were definitely still considered to be members of the Care Bear Family. This was different; Pace had threatened to leave because of the fight he had inadvertently caused.
Without a word, Regal stood up and turned to leave.
"Regal..." Stellar half-rose from his seat, but a look from his wife caused him to freeze.
"I'm going to talk to him." she answered emotionlessly.
Brave Heart, who was already angry at himself, got up and tried to follow. "Sis, I..."
Regal Heart pivoted around at the sound of his voice, and glared at him with tear-filled eyes. "Don't you dare talk to me!" Turning to Stellar, she added, "And do me a favor, don't follow me, Tiger!"
Stellar went wide-eyed. "But..."
"No!" she shouted, whipping back around and stalking out the door. Stellar Heart didn't heed her; he followed her out the door, his expression one of shame and regret.
Darien, who had been silent throughout the entire exchange, averted his eyes and gave a low whistle. "Whew..."
Noble Heart closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead, feeling a migraine coming on. It was bad enough that Stellar and Brave Heart had just had it out right there in the Hall of Hearts, but Pace feeling like he had to leave because of it made things much worse. Regal was terrified of losing her younger son because of this, and was upset with both her brother and her husband. This was, to say the least, one of their worst meetings to date.
"Noble Heart?" asked True Heart, who had been quiet up until then, "Are you all right?"
"Well, I could use an Advil." he snorted, cracking a mirthless smile.
"Regal, please," Stellar pleaded as he fell into step beside his wife, "Please, talk to me."
"You just had to lose your temper, didn't you?" she said without looking at him, "And with Brave Heart, of all people!"
"He wasn't blameless." the tiger said stoutly.
Regal finally looked at him. "You were both wrong! He had no business saying what he did, but you should have been smart enough not to rile him up even worse. Now if Pace leaves, what're we supposed to do? He's our son!"
"He won't leave." Stellar told her, willing that to be the truth, "We'll talk him out of it, if he decides to. This is his home, the only home he's ever known..."
"But...what if we can't?" she whispered.
"We will." he insisted, pulling her close and hugging her, "I promise you, I'll fix this."
"Connie, you're being ridiculous. Let me into my room, please." Pace said to his sister, who was standing in the doorway of his room with her arms spread wide to block him.
"Sure, I'll move...if you can make me." she replied calmly.
"You know I can, but I'd really rather not." he said, "Now, stand aside."
"No." she shook her head, "You didn't use the magic word."
"I said 'please'! Come on..." he frowned, annoyed.
Chance, who was standing behind Pace, interrupted the exchange. "Look, Pace, you don't have to do this. Just give Dad and Unc a chance to cool off a bit, huh?"
"Move, Connie!"
"No!" she snapped, narrowing her eyes.
"Omigosh, she's got Mom's glare..." Chance muttered, moving to stand between them. "Pace, listen to reason. You might be mad at Dad right now, but if you leave you're gonna crush Mom."
Pace turned away and ran a paw through his bangs, chuffing softly through his nose. "I'm not mad, I'm just disgusted. I didn't know this would be such a problem. I knew some of them wouldn't approve, but I didn't expect Uncle Brave Heart to be so...so..."
"Pig-headed?" supplied Connie.
"There ya go." Pace agreed, cocking an index finger in her direction. "I didn't mean to start a fight, and now...well, I probably got Dad in trouble..." he looked down.
Hope laid a paw on her brother's shoulder, and said sympathetically, "Pacie, you had no idea things would get so out of hand, and I doubt Dad's in too much trouble. You don't have to leave. Please..."
Pace looked at Connie, who stood immovably in his path, and sighed. He went back to the den, and sat down on the couch. Faith, who was an adult at this point, sat down beside him as the others seated themselves around him.
"I just...This is just something I feel I have to do, but...if it means disappointing my family, I don't know if I can stay here and take the looks." Pace said, staring morosely at the floor.
"I'm not disappointed." Faith told him.
"Well, thank you, Faith." he said, a trifle dryly.
"I don't know if it makes a difference," she continued, "but I'm behind you all the way."
He finally looked over and smiled. "Of course it makes a difference, Faith. Thanks." he hugged her, then got to his feet. Connie jumped up as well, but he held up his paws as if in surrender. "Don't worry, Con, I'm not off to pack my bags. I'm just going to get a few things in order."
"Such as?"
"Such as looking for a place that'll take me on as a student. Maybe the school Take Care attended will be a good place to start looking." And so saying, he passed his bemused sister and went up to his room to boot up his computer.
"He's really going through with it..." Chance said, wonderingly.
"Well, duh, Einstein." drawled Connie, "If he wasn't serious, I doubt he would have mentioned it."
"Nyaa." Chance stuck out his tongue, and picked up his latest issue of 'Game Informer Magazine' to hide behind.
All four of them looked up as the front door opened, and before their parents could speak they said in unison, "He's staying."
The color surged back into Regal's face, and both she and her husband sat down in obvious relief.
"But he's looking up schools right now." added Hope.
"Well, we figured he would be." Stellar rested his paws on his knees, "Is he...um...approachable?"
"Yeah, I think so." said Chance, "Hey, check out this neat game; it's got--"
"Ask me if I give a hoot." laughed Connie, dodging a swat from her now-giggling brother.
"Well, it's nice to see that some people can find something to laugh at." the tiger stated, getting to his feet and heading up to see Pace.
Regal put her head in her paws with a deep sigh, and Chance set aside his magazine, laying a paw on her back. "Y'okay, Ma?" he asked solicitously.
"I think so..."
Stellar knocked on his son's bedroom door, and waited for a response.
"Come..." called Pace, sounding a bit preoccupied. He didn't look up as his father entered the room and sat down, but he did look up when the tiger cleared his throat.
"Son, I'm sorry...I'm sorry I lost my temper back there." Stellar said softly.
Patient Heart stared at him for a long moment, then asked, "Is it true?"
"Is what true?"
"That you had a brother, and...and that you saw him die?" Pace didn't look away, though he seemed reluctant to be bringing this up. Stellar found it difficult to give a verbal answer and simply nodded, and Pace continued, "I probably would have lost my temper too."
Stellar shook his head in a jerky, side-to-side motion. "That's still no excuse. I made a fool of myself, and I embarrassed you and your mother. For that, I'm sorry."
They looked at each other for a long moment, then they both looked away. There didn't seem to be much to say after that, and neither of them felt much like talking. Pace printed out a few pages, and Stellar picked them up to look through.
"Pace, how do you expect to pay for this? There's no way the Family's funds could cover this, I mean, that's a lot of zeroes!" the tiger tapped the paper with a forefinger.
"That's one thing I wanted to ask Take Care about. She somehow managed to get an education there, so maybe I'll be able to as well. At any rate, it can't hurt to ask."
Stellar's eyebrows raised so that his forehead crinkled, but he didn't argue. "I just didn't realize how complicated this whole matter was..."
Pace finished writing down a few phone numbers, and he turned to his father and asked, "Well, do you think it can work out...?"
"One never knows..." Stellar shrugged as he laid down the printouts. "But you won't know unless you try...and I can see how committed you are. Just promise me you'll research it thoroughly before you go down and make a commitment you might not be ready for."
Pace smiled. "I promise."
The next morning began with much tension as breakfast was served at the Hall of Hearts. Regal, Stellar, Connie and Hope showed up at around 7:30; Pace was busy looking for information on his computer, and Faith was to be shadowing Chance this afternoon as a form of Mission training. Regal was no longer angry with her husband; after all, he had only been defending his son. However, when she saw Brave Heart amble in with a mild case of pillow hair, her eyes narrowed. Lifting her chin a scant inch higher, she proceeded forward to the end of the queue.
Stellar saw Brave Heart out of the corner of his eye, but he was too ashamed of himself to give his usual greeting nod. Brave Heart had lost his temper, sure, but Stellar himself had overreacted a bit. An apology was in order, but he wasn't looking forward to making it.
Brave Heart had seen him, but instead of speaking to them right away he just waited for them to move ahead a bit. He had seen the look his sister had given him, and he really preferred to avoid holding up the line with an argument. He hung back, allowing Funshine and Lotsa Heart to cut in front of him before taking his place in line.
"Good morning." said a voice from directly behind Brave Heart.
"Oh, hi Noble Heart." mumbled the lion, "Listen, I know I was out of line yesterday, but--"
Noble Heart silenced him with a gesture as they took their meals and moved on. "Please, it's too early. I'm not angry, and I'm not the one who needs an apology."
Though his tone wasn't unkind, Brave Heart felt that he still needed to say something. "I know, but I'm sorry just the same."
"It's all right. But I really think the three of you need to talk." the horse replied, glancing significantly toward Regal and Stellar, who had just sat down at a table with Connie and Hope.
Brave Heart looked over in their direction, and when he noted his sister's poker-straight spine and the set of her ears, he felt a wave of cold wash over him. "I was gonna..."
Noble Heart, unexpectedly amused by the look on Brave Heart's face, chuckled quietly. "Oh, go on. She won't bite."
"Don't be so sure..." Brave Heart said sourly, ignoring Noble Heart's second chuckle as he approached his sister's table.
Stellar's left ear canted back, giving it away that the tiger heard him coming; Regal's posture became even straighter, though it hardly seemed possible.
"Ah, um, do you...mind if I sit here?" Brave Heart asked, and it was obvious that he expected a negative answer.
Regal Heart swallowed a mouthful of toast, wiped her lips with her napkin, and said coolly, "No, not at all."
Brave Heart was about to smile and thank her, but she picked up her tray and moved to another table without a backwards glance. The lion sighed, knowing better than to follow her, and sat down beside his brother-in-law. Connie mouthed the word 'whoa', and concentrated studiously on her scrambled eggs. It was only when Stellar shrugged his shoulders and gave a rueful half-smile that Brave Heart felt any hope at all that his relationship with them could be salvaged that day.
"Nice li'l mess we got ourselves into, huh Stellar?" he sighed, guiding a spoonful of cornflakes into his mouth and chewing thoughtfully.
"I'd say so, yes." Stellar replied, and he decided that he had better get it over with. "I said some things I shouldn't have. I still support Pace's decision, but I went a little nuts there for a minute."
"Yeah...I gotta tell ya, I still don't think it's the thing he should be doin', but...knowin' your past, I should have known better than to say some of the things I did. But I didn't know everything about your past, either." Brave Heart pointed out.
Stellar chuffed sharply, and replied, "Still don't. And I'd rather keep it that way."
Brave Heart looked at him, but Stellar's face plainly indicated that he should not ask. "Your call...Anyway, I'm sorry."
Stellar nodded, and shook the paw that Brave Heart offered. "Me too. Hey, listen, maybe you should try talking to Regal. Trust me, she usually doesn't stay mad for long."
Ignoring Contrary Heart's dry 'hah', Brave Heart smirked at Stellar. "Hey, whose sister is she?"
"Hey, whose wife is she?" countered Stellar before they both cracked up.
Noble Heart smiled at the sight, then grinned even more when he saw Regal begin to turn her head at the sound before stopping herself. "My, my, but she's stubborn!"
Brave Heart moved his tray to his sister's table, and before she had time to get up or even register his presence, he told her firmly, "You might as well stay put, Sis, because I'm gonna keep following you around until you hear me out."
"Like you heard Pace out?" was the catty reply.
"Okay, I deserved that..." he nodded.
"Like you heard Stellar out?"
Brave Heart wanted to avoid another fight, so he didn't take the bait. "That too. I already apologized to him, and now I'm apologizing to you."
"Do you know what it took for Pace to get up there and say what was on his mind, knowing full well that some of you would object? He's not abandoning humans. And what about Take Care? She doesn't even go down to Earth much."
"That's different..." Brave Heart shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"Why? Because she's a doctor and we need one? It's not that different. Pace looked to you for acceptance, and you humiliated him." she went on relentlessly.
"I know, Sis, I know. And I'm sorry." he told her.
"I'm not the one you should be saying 'sorry' to." she looked away, then jumped. Some time during their conversation, Stellar Heart had wandered over and was standing a bit behind her. She wasn't sure how much he had heard, but his expression told her he had heard enough.
"Honey, he said he was sorry." he chided her gently, though there was a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.
Regal stared at her husband in disbelief, then at her brother, then back again. "This...this is a male conspiracy!"
"Yup!" they grinned widely.
For a moment she seemed to be trying to stay angry, but she finally had to laugh when Stellar leaned his elbow on Brave Heart's shoulder and raised his eyebrows, still grinning.
"Okay, okay, I'll come back to the table." she chuckled, accepting a hug from her brother. They went back to finish breakfast with Connie and Hope, and it wasn't long before they were joined by Pace.
"What's that you've got there?" asked Stellar, pointing to the sheaf of papers his son was carrying.
"Well, I found a school that'll accept me...with Take Care's help, of course." he said guardedly, unsure what their reactions would be. Brave Heart, especially, worried him. But the lion's expression was neutral.
"Really?" asked Stellar, "Which one?"
"The same one Take Care went to. It's a definite." he couldn't hide his smile. "I'm going to college!"
Brave Heart stood up then, and even though he still had some misgivings he know realized that this wasn't his decision to make, and that it would be cruel to deny his nephew the moral support he deserved. "Well, then...in that case, we'll have to put you on an extended leave. Otherwise, you'll never find the time to study!" he ruffled his nephew's bangs, and the liger ducked to avoid it.
"Ack! Not the mane, not the mane!"
The End
Author's Note: It occurs to me that I portrayed Brave Heart in a way that made him look like...well...a jerk. I want to make it clear that I still love the character as much as I always have, and I'd also like to point out that no one's infallible. I've always thought that flawless characters were boring in the extreme. It might seem like I ended the story a bit abruptly, but that just seemed to me like a good place to end it. I hope I kept everyone in character, and I hope you enjoyed it!