Okay, before we get into a possible heated argument in the reviews about what Cooking Cat's gender is, I'll state why I'm sticking with Cookie being female: my Finding Home fic. I basically established Cooking Cat as female in it. Whenever I'm writing fics for this game now, I try to adapt to what I have already written in my first HiT fic. Continuity and such. And to be fair, a large amount of people in the fanbase believed the same thing. xD Apologies if this upsets you, but I'm sticking with it. So, with the elephant in the room addressed, let us get started on this lovely holiday. :)
Edit: Well I just found out in the new DLC that they say Cookie's a girl. I'll still keep the clarification above though, just to be on the safe side. Thanks to ProfessorCatPro for pointing that out. xD Also this takes place after the Arctic Cruise event.
.
.
.
"Bye-bye, Cookie! Good luck with the Mafia banquet!" Hat Kid waved to Cooking Cat as she headed for the hatch with a spare umbrella from DJ Grooves' Hat Kid merchandise set. This one was orange.
"Goodbye, dearie! Thank you!" She opened up the hatch and hopped down, preparing her umbrella for a safe landing in Mafia Town.
Hat Kid smiled a little and headed back to the kitchen for a quick snack before bed. Cooking Cat came by for the day and made her dumplings for dinner. They were delicious, just like every dish she makes!
Grabbing a chocolate chip cookie from the cookie jar on the countertop, she munched on it and thought, "Man, if I never came to this planet, I wouldn't have gotten to eaten some amazing foreign food like what they got."
Hat Kid likes a few of the dishes that she concocted by herself, especially her watermelon drink, but Cooking Cat never ceased to amaze her with her cooking skills.
As Hat Kid headed to her room while finishing her cookie, she grabbed her pajamas and glanced at her calendar. She had gotten a new one recently since the one she held onto was from last year, which was when the...incident happened.
She shook her head, not wishing to dwell on that today. She's in a better place now anyway. No use in looking back at the past that much.
Once dressed, she took a second glance when she spotted a holiday coming up in two days. Mother's Day.
Hat Kid frowned for a moment. Next to Father's Day, Mother's Day usually didn't matter. If anything, it mainly brought up foul memories. Her mother would treat it like any other day, which involved work.
Hat Kid recalled trying to celebrate it before with her...but it never usually worked out.
"They're doing this mom-daughter event thing at the park today. Can we go?"
"Heather, quit pestering me, I'm trying to work."
Hat Kid would frown and quietly nod, crumbling up the flyer for the Mother-Daughter picnic and tossing it in the trash bin. She didn't want to go last year. Guess Hat Kid should've thought better.
Not even gifts would please her. When she once drew this picture of her and her mother on a flower field, her mom actually took it and put it beside her. To Hat Kid, that seemed like progress. That is, until she saw it in the trash the next day.
Hat Kid rubbed her misty eyes, telling herself to stop. As she said, she wasn't going to look back on the past tonight. Besides, there is nothing to really worry about now. She's not with her anymore. She's with her new friends and/or family.
That's when Hat Kid had a thought. If this was her new home and her new friends were basically her family now...who would be the mother? An odd question, but it had an immediate answer: Cooking Cat.
Come to think of it, Cookie did act like a mom. She would make her food, tuck her in bed sometimes, make sure she was cleaned up, and treat her wounds. Hat Kid hasn't had a sort of motherly treatment since Bow's mom. Sometimes whenever she came over for a sleepover, she would care for Hat Kid just as she would care for Bow.
Hat Kid hummed, thinking over this new train of thought. If Mother's Day was coming up, does this planet really celebrate it too? If they did, how do they celebrate it? Everything Hat Kid tried before with her mother would fail to please her. Should she try with Cooking Cat? What if she didn't like the idea of being her mom? Or at least...mother-like.
Well, Hat Kid had an extra day tomorrow to think it over. Maybe she can ask her friends to see what they think. With a firm nod on that plan, she clapped twice, having the lights turn off in her room. She smiled up to the glow-in-the-dark star stickers she recently put in. It was a nice gift from DJ Grooves.
She then climbed into bed, bundling up in her blanket. Tomorrow's going to be a busy day. She had a new mission ahead of her.
Next morning, Hat Kid yawned as she exited her room in her purple pajamas, rubbing her eyes. She then blinked in mild surprise when she spotted Mu asleep on the burger cushion.
Since Mu didn't have a proper place to stay, Hat Kid would offer up her place for the night until they can rebuild her home in Mafia Town or find a better place. Maybe they can build a beach house.
Hat Kid smiled a little and tucked the blanket over Mu's shoulders, resulting in her snuggling into it as she continued resting. She then headed into the kitchen to make butter toast for her and Mu.
As she waited for the toaster to pop and reveal its toasted bread, she hummed in thought. Tomorrow's Mother's Day. What was she really going to do for it? Should she still go with her plan on trying to celebrate it with Cooking Cat? What would she do for her?
The toaster popped and Hat Kid caught the now toasted bread onto two different plates. She then slathered on the butter for each slice and went to the fridge to grab her favorite watermelon drink. Just as she sat down, the door opened, revealing a sleepy Mu. Her hair was messy and her clothes were wrinkled.
"Morning, Mu!"
"Morning, kid." She offered a sleepy smile as she sat down beside Hat Kid, already munching on her toast. It was like morning routine.
"Any news from yesterday?"
"Nah. Just the usual: beaten up a couple Mafioso. Y'know, I was also thinking about the whole home ordeal. I at least want to get my old house fixed. I don't know if I...want to live there again after what happened. But I at least want it repaired."
Hat Kid nodded in understanding. "I was almost thinking we could build you a beach house."
"Not a bad idea, but there isn't much room on the beaches for that. There's only one large part of the beach and that's just crawling with Mafia. The other part is my cave...which is just my hide-out. I don't want that to be my new home spot."
Hat Kid nodded once more. Guess a little more thought will need to be put in. For now though, she did have one major question for Mu. She just quietly hoped she'll take it well.
"...Mother's Day is coming up."
Mu blinked and stopped munching on her toast, looking down. "...Right."
"...I hope it's not mean if I ask...but what did you do for your mom on Mother's Day?"
Mu was silent for two solid minutes and Hat Kid worried she offended or upset her. But Mu took a breath and finally looked up at her, setting down her slice of toast.
"My mum would basically take the time to hang out with me. We would go to the beach to swim, grab lunch, and do a bit of shopping. Then at the end of the day, she would make me hot cocoa and we'd both drink some together, watching a movie."
She had a sad smile as she told Hat Kid this. Meanwhile, Hat Kid looked astonished. Her mom sounds really nice...especially compared to her old one. She can hardly ever recall a night where she ever spent any quality time with her mom.
Mu then looked down once more with a defeated sigh as she finished her toast. "Of course...this year's not gonna be like before."
Hat Kid frowned and hopped down from her chair, going up to Mu and hugging her. "I'm sorry."
Mu blinked. She is going to have to get used to Hat Kid hugging her in comfort. She normally never got one ever since her parents vanished. She figured she had to be the tough one and not show weakness by showing sad emotions. But, Hat Kid was slowly teaching her that it was okay...at least around her.
Mu sighed and hugged back with a tiny smile. "It's fine, kid. It was an honest question. Although, why the question exactly? Curiosity?"
Hat Kid unhugged and glanced down. She felt shy saying her plans to Mu, but she did manage to say, "I want to celebrate Mother's Day with Cookie...if that'll work."
"The cat that cooks for us?" She did act a bit motherly towards the girls every now and then. Mu now can't grab a cookie before dinner whenever she's around. No matter how sneaky, Cookie would always catch her. The thought made her smile a little nostalgically as she looked down.
"Just like you, mum…"
She sighed and looked back up at Hat Kid, who was timidly waiting for Mu's response. She smiled a little and patted her back. "Well, don't let me stop you then. If you wanna celebrate Mother's Day with her, you gotta make it special for her! Make it a day she'll look back on and cherish for the rest of her nine lives!"
A little pressuring, but that's Mu for her. Hat Kid nodded in understanding. Mu then grabbed a cookie from the cookie jar. "Heading back to town. The Mafia isn't gonna beat themselves up. ...Huh, that's actually not a bad idea to try."
She showed a mischievous smile at the thought, then looked to Hat Kid and waved as she exited. Hat Kid waved back, then grabbed her toast to finish it.
"Make the day special...but how am I gonna do that?"
She finished her toast and softly gasped. "Maybe the Conductor and Grooves would know! They gotta have moms too, right?"
Wiping the crumbs from her face, she jumped over the railing and headed to the hatch. She checked to make sure she had a Time Piece on hand then looked to Rumbi. "Watch the ship, Rumbi! I'll be back soon!"
Rumbi beeped and hopped in understanding as Hat Kid jumped down to Dead Bird Studios.
"Take number 4,065...action!" The Conductor leaned against his winged-hand as he sat in his director's chair, exhausted and frustrated. Why can't his owls do this one pecking scene right?
It was simple: a shot of a bandit owl on a cardboard horse, riding by a cardboard set that looked like his train. He would use his actual train, but it's still being repaired for the time being. Besides, the owls can't even pull it off on a non-moving set.
And to his disappointment, the bandit owl actor made the same mistake as he did the last thousand times: he fell off the horse. It wasn't even rocking that hard!
He let out a groan as he shouted, "CUT! What the peck is wrong with you owls?! All I ask is fer one good take! ONE! And ye can't even ride a cardboard cut-out of a horse properly!"
He felt something tug his conductor coat tail and he immediately looked down while yelling, "WHAT NOW, YE–" But he immediately stopped when he saw who was getting his attention.
Hat Kid was looking up at him a bit nervously as her eyes were wide. "Is uh...is this a bad time…?"
The Conductor calmed himself down, knowing the lass didn't like it when he got...steamed, to say the least. After their dispute, he's been trying to control his temper around her. He didn't want to hurt the lass again.
He spoke in a less angry tone as he cleared his throat and said, "O-oh, no, lassie. Ye just caught me on me break actually. Cod knows I need it now…" He rubbed his head as if he had a headache, then looked to the owls. They were all looking at the Conductor, a little confused.
"Well, what are ye peck necks doing looking at me fer?! Take five then we'll start back up again!" The owls jumped, taking it as a command, and scattered about, heading to their designated break areas.
The Conductor sighed and hopped down from his chair. "Sorry, lassie. Rough recording session today…"
"It's alright." Hat Kid offered a reassuring smile. "If you want, I can star in this one and help."
The Conductor showed an amused smile as he tousled her hair, making her pout, while saying, "If I could, lass, I'd do it in a heartbeat. But the cast is already set and I don't want ye to star as a wee bandit in this movie."
Seems fair. When she starred in their movies, she played an important role in every single one. Being a side character would feel like a demotion.
"So what brings yer here anyway?" Hat Kid readjusted her top hat as she looked up at him.
"I kinda wanted to ask you about tomorrow. But I also wanna ask DJ Grooves...i-if that's alright…" She twiddled her fingers, hoping the Conductor isn't going to squawk. They've had their friendly moments, but they're still rivals.
The Conductor showed a small scowl for a moment, but then sighed. He knew the lass didn't favor DJ Peck Neck more she favored the Conductor or vice versa. Whatever she may have on mind, she may need both views on the issue.
He crossed his arms and sighed. "I suppose I can put up with DJ Peck Neck's company fer a few."
Hat Kid immediately smiled with his response and hugged while saying, "Thanks, Conductor!"
He jolted, a little surprise by the sudden action, but smiled a little and patted her back. "I swear, this lass is gonna melt me heart one day."
Then taking the Conductor by the hand, they headed over to DJ Grooves' side of the studio.
"Darling, what are you doing? Get out of the set, please!" DJ Grooves sighed as he leaned back in his director's chair. How hard is it for his Moon Penguins to get this choreography down?
The Conductor and Hat Kid approached DJ Grooves as Hat Kid whispered, "Sounds like you're not the only one having a bad day."
The Conductor quietly nodded with a smirk. It was oddly comforting to know that even Grooves has his off-days. Well, time to see if by being here, he'll make it worse.
"OI! DJ PECK NECK!" DJ Grooves jolted and physically cringed. Oh how he hated that "nickname." And there's only one that would give him that title.
He turned to the source with a scowl, which soon vanished as he saw Hat Kid waving to him with a bright smile. "Hiya, DJ Grooves!"
His mood immediately brightened seeing his shining star. "Darling! So glad to see you again!" He turned back to the set and said, "Penguins, take five."
He hopped down from his chair and approached the two. "What brings you both on the set?"
"The little lass wanted to talk about something and wanted the two of us together for it." That sounded a bit concerning to DJ Grooves. He looked down at Hat Kid.
"Darling, is there something troubling you?"
"No. Or at least...nothing really bad. Can we talk it over cookies though?" Grooves eventually figured out the kid had a heck of a sweet tooth. Sometimes he'd spoil her with cookies or ice cream whenever she visited the studio.
"Of course, darling! Let's go to the lounge room." The Conductor sighed as Hat Kid skipped beside DJ Grooves, both making their way to DJ Grooves' side of the lounge area.
Within the lounge area, there were tables with stools all around like a cafeteria and tables set up with various treats and drinks. A couple couches were sitting against the walls too. A nice place to relax after a busy movie-making day.
"So, you wanted to know what we did when we celebrated Mother's Day?" Hat Kid nodded at DJ Grooves' question.
"I wanna celebrate with Cooking Cat, but I don't know how to do it. I was hoping you guys could provide some ideas?"
The Conductor sipped on his coffee as he listened to the lass. If he had to be honest, he hardly celebrated the holiday anymore with his parents. He hasn't talked to his mum in a long time. Especially not after getting famous for his movies.
DJ Grooves, unfortunately, had a similar story. One main difference is that he wasn't as successful as the Conductor.
The two looked at each other, then to Hat Kid. DJ Grooves decided to start. "Well, darling...I'll be honest, I...haven't spoken to my mom in a long time. After I left the house to achieve my dream, I've gotten a few comments from her...but nothing more."
The Conductor sighed, setting down his empty cup. "Aye, I guess I can say the same. I may have called her up a few times at the start, but afterwards, I was more focused on me movies."
Hat Kid frowned. Have these two really not taken the time to at least give their moms a phone call? She questioned this outloud and both directors looked to the side, a little shamefully.
DJ could never admit this outloud in front of the Conductor, but he was scared to call his mom. For all he knew, she could just talk down to him, especially after yet another loss. She wasn't always like that; he knew she was just trying to convince him that he can do better. But not even all these past losses are going to stop his dream.
The Conductor also couldn't admit the same thing. Only his reason for being afraid to call his ma was because of how long it has been. Would she even be happy to hear from him after a long time? Especially after knowing what he did to the family train?
Hat Kid sighed and looked up to the two. "You should at least give them a call tomorrow. I'm sure no matter what you did…" She looked to the Conductor. "Or what you're doing…" She then looked at Grooves. "They'll be really happy to hear from you guys."
The Conductor and DJ Grooves looked at each other, then managed to smile. They looked back to Hat Kid with the same smiles.
"You're right, darling!"
"Yeah...thank ye, lassie."
Hat Kid nodded with a warm smile. "Anyway, do you at least remember what you used to do for your mom before you became famous movie directors?"
Both bird directors thought it over for a minute. Then the Conductor went first. "Well, I would help me ma with the chores just to have it be a bit easier fer her. And sometimes, I would use me toy train set to show something nice to her. Like I once made a track that was shaped like a heart. The train could run well on it too." The Conductor smiled at the memory.
"Well, my mother was usually a busy penguin, but she did like the gifts I would make. I think her favorite was this one I did where I charted out some stars and made my own constellation that said a message. Something like 'I love you.' She was so pleased that she framed it and put it on the wall in our house." DJ Grooves smiled nostalgically as he looked down. "Wonder if she still has it hung…"
These were pretty good suggestions. But still not entirely clear on what she can do for Cookie. Maybe she can ask Snatcher. Surely before he died, he had a mom, right?
She finished her cookies and nodded. "That all sounds really sweet. Thank you, guys!" She then hopped down from her chair.
"Yer leaving already, lass?"
"Mhm, gotta make plans. Good luck with the movies, guys!" With a quick wave, she took off, ready to head to Subcon Forest. The two directors watched her go, then looked at each other.
The Conductor cleared his throat. "A-anyways, peck neck, I've got movies to record."
"As do I, darling. Good day." The two turned their backs to each other and shouted to their crew members, demanding for them to get back to work. As they did, however, they thought over their conversation with Hat Kid.
"...Maybe I should call her tomorrow."
"So let me get this straight, kid. You barged back into my forest just to ask me about Mother's Day?"
Hat Kid shuffled her feet, standing in front of Snatcher. He was sitting in his recliner, reading a book as usual. But now that book was set down as he looked down at the kid with an annoyed expression.
"...Yes?"
Snatcher sighed. "Kid, I'm a soul-stealing ghost. You think there's a Mrs. Snatcher roaming this forest?" He laughed at the very thought.
"Well, no, not like that. But maybe...since you're a ghost, you would've been alive once, right?" Snatcher stopped laughing immediately and looked down at the kid.
"...What would you know about my past?" He suddenly seemed serious. Hat Kid had to watch her wording on this.
"N-nothing, it's just...I assumed that ghosts come from the dead…" Snatcher seemed to relax a little from her explanation. That's right, the kid wouldn't know. How could she know? She doesn't need to know.
He sighed and picked the kid up by the cape. He then set her on his recliner chair's arm and stated, "Look, kiddo. Even if that was true, I wouldn't be able to remember. All I know about myself is that I steal souls and protect my forest from trespassers."
Come to think of it though...why couldn't he remember his mother? For a moment he tried looking back in his memories, just to know for sure. But no...her face...her name...why couldn't he remember?!
"Snatcher…?" He looked tensed up as he was gripping the ends of the recliner's arms, talons showing, and a panicked expression showing. Hat Kid frowned with worry. What if he was recalling his past and reliving what happened to him?
She immediately hugged Snatcher, in hope of stopping that train of thought and/or comforting him. She felt him jolt, but slowly relax as his grip on the recliner's arms was released.
She saw from the corner of her eye one of his hands raised up, talons still showing. She loosened her hug, figuring he was going to pull her away and drop her onto the floor, complaining about hugs.
But to her surprise...his talons retract and he hugged her back. Hat Kid's eyes were wide with shock. Was he...accepting her hug this time? She looked up at Snatcher, still hugging. He did look less panicked as he focused his gaze ahead in thought.
He sighed and looked down at the kid. "Thanks, kid…" Hat Kid smiled brightly and continued hugging. "But know this is the one time I'm okay with this." She giggled and nodded. That doesn't mean she won't stop trying though.
She then had a sad smile showing as she said, "I know it's hard...trying to look back on some bad things in the past. It can...scare you. But I don't want you to be alone on that."
Snatcher blinked in shock. Was she referring to him or…?
He pulled her away a bit to look at the kid, with a concerned expression. "...Kid? What have you gone through?"
She rubbed her misty eyes as she took a breath, looking up at Snatcher. "I'll tell you my story when you tell me yours."
He paused for a moment, then let out a small sigh as he smirked to the kid. "Alright, kiddo." He tousled her hair, making her pout. Why do people like doing that? She's not three! ...Not that she hated it, but it makes her feel like a baby.
Snatcher chuckled a little at her reaction, then stated, "Well, if I had to think about your question from an outsider's perspective, just do something for her that will make her happy. You don't have to do anything spectacular or beyond your skill. Just show your appreciation for her. Even a simple 'Happy Mother's Day' goes a long way."
Hat Kid nodded in understanding. She then hopped down from Snatcher's "lap" and headed out of his tree. "Thanks, BFF!"
He gave a half-hearted wave as he stated, "Yeah yeah, now get the heck out of my forest." He didn't sound as upset or sincere on that statement as he usually did.
Hat Kid giggled and pulled out her Time Piece. She then flew right back up to her ship. As Snatcher felt her presence leave, he leaned back in his recliner with a sigh. "...Wonder if you would've liked the kid, mom."
Back on the ship, Hat Kid went to the kitchen to grab some leftover food from the fridge. Chicken and stuffing sounded good right about now. Cooking Cat wasn't here, so she figured her event ran long. Whenever that happened, Cookie would tell her to have whatever's left over in the fridge. She'd then come tomorrow morning to make breakfast and make up for it.
As Hat Kid used her stove to warm up her food, she thought over what to do for tomorrow. She got different opinions from everyone. Make it special for her, help with chores and do nice gifts, or just show appreciation.
Once her food was done warming up, she began eating and continued thinking. Which of those things should she do? What would be best for Cookie? Maybe she should try all of the ideas. But what to start with?
She glanced down at her food and softly gasped. "That's it!" She quickly finished eating and immediately got to work on her plan for tomorrow. After all, Mu did say that there always needs to be a good plan or it'll be a flop.
Cooking Cat yawned as she entered Hat Kid's ship the next morning. It was a busy day in Mafia Town yesterday. She even had to rest at her old station after all the work she put in through the night.
Soon as she entered though, she sniffed the air. Was someone cooking? It smelled...burnt. That might be a problem. She rushed to the kitchen and gasped at the sight. Hat Kid was at the stove on a step-stool, making bacon and scrambled eggs. Or at least, attempting to. They're looking a little too crispy and there were still a few egg shell bits in the eggs.
Hat Kid glanced back, seeing Cooking Cat. "Cookie! Hey! Uh, I haven't finished yet…but I think it's almost done." Cookie immediately went to her side, turning off the stovetop.
"Uh dear, I think these are cooked enough." She offered a sheepish smile as she set the pan aside. She was just quietly relieved to see Hat Kid with no injuries or anything.
"Oh...well, great! Let me grab some plates then." She hopped down from her step-stool and went to the cupboards. She grabbed two plates and sorted out the extra-crispy and crunchy scrambled eggs and extremely crispy bacon.
"You sure you don't want me to do it, sugarcube?"
"No, I got it! You just go to the table and relax," she replied with a bright smile. Cookie blinked in mild surprise and decided to comply. She sat down as Hat Kid went over to her, setting down her plate. She then set down her own plate and went to the sink.
"You're not going to eat?"
"No, I am. But I wanna help with the dishes this time." She grabbed a sponge and began scrubbing the dirty dishes. The pan was going to be a struggle. There was still a few burnt bits of egg on it as well as grease from the bacon.
Cookie quietly looked down at her plate and decided to try what the kid made. She plucked out a few of the egg shell bits from the scrambled eggs and took a bite. It wasn't bad, but she can taste a bit of a burnt aftertaste from it. Probably needed salt and pepper too.
She then tried the bacon as she asked, "What's the occasion, dear? It's not my birthday." As tried to bite the bacon, it felt like biting a brick. It was too much and was barely biteable.
"Um...well, I wanted to do some nice things for you. That's all." Hat Kid timidly smiled. She can't know the surprise she had for her yet. She finished the dishes and dashed to the table, immediately eating. Though she didn't get far. She ate a bit of the scrambled eggs but didn't get to eat the bacon.
Hat Kid frowned. "Aww, I messed it up…"
Cookie waved her paws to her, not wishing for her to be upset. "No no, dear! You did really well for a first timer. Normally people who cook for the first time burn their food to black or start a fire." Hat Kid honestly did do well for the first time cooking. She felt a little proud she at least tried.
That seemed to cheer Hat Kid up a little. Cookie then suggested, "But some tips for the future: you could add a bit of salt and pepper to the eggs to give it more flavor, keep out the egg shells, and constantly mix them along the buttered pan so they can all cook evenly. As for the bacon, just don't leave it cooking for too long."
"Wasn't my fault the egg shells ended up in the eggs." Hat Kid crossed her arms with a small pout.
Cookie chuckled a little and patted her back. "It's alright. Like I said, you did a great job for your first time."
Hat Kid managed a small smile. "Oh! I got something else for you too! Wait here." She then hopped down from her chair and dashed to her room. Cookie smiled a little and waited. My, this child sure is active today.
Moments later, Hat Kid ran back into the kitchen, holding a sheet of paper. As she approached Cookie with it, she seemed...hesitant. Was this really a good gift idea?
"Whatcha got there, dear?" Hat Kid took a deep breath. No turning back now. She held it out to Cookie.
"H-here. I made this...f-for you." Cookie took the sheet of paper and softly gasped. It was a drawing of her and Hat Kid cooking together. For a child's drawing, it turned out pretty good.
"Oh my stars. This is lovely!" Hat Kid looked up at Cookie, mildly surprised.
"It is?"
"Indeed! And I know exactly where to put it." Cookie went over to one of the kitchen drawers, pulling out an office pin. She then went over to one of the kitchen walls and stuck the drawing right beside a portrait of Hat Kid's old planet.
"Now when I come in to cook, it'll be the first thing I see." Cookie seemed really proud. She actually liked Hat Kid's drawing?
Hat Kid rubbed her eyes, trying not to cry. She still had one more surprise for her. "I got one more thing to show. Come with me."
She took Cookie's paw and lead her out of the kitchen. They then took the elevator up to the attic and Cookie blinked in surprise at what she saw. Off to the side, there was a twin-sized bed with a light blue quilt and two pillows. It looked new and handmade.
"I had to find some blueprints to make the bed frame, but I made the quilt. I'm usually pretty good at stitching stuff together. My hats were a good practice."
"This...is for me?" Hat Kid nodded.
"That way now you can sleep in a real bed instead of just a pile of pillows in a random ship! So...do you like it?"
Cookie immediately hugged Hat Kid, purring and nuzzling her cheek against hers. "I love it, my dear! This is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me."
Hat Kid smiled brightly and hugged back. Cookie then spoke up, releasing her from the hug, "I will ask again though...why do all this?"
Hat Kid shuffled her feet, twiddling her fingers. She seemed really nervous. "Uh...um...well it's...Mother's Day today and…"
Cookie looked surprised. Was she saying what she thought she was saying?
"And you...have taken really good care of me...m-more than my old mom did and...I-I was hoping…"
Cookie held her hands to have her stop twiddling them. She then warmly smiled to Hat Kid and said, "If you wanna call me Ma, Mom, or whatever you prefer, I'd be more than happy to be your mother."
Hat Kid looked up at her, surprised. Cookie continued, "I admit, I was growing to see you as one of my own as well. How you needed to be cared for and everything. And I enjoyed cooking for you and making sure you were happy. I think I kind of became a mama cat before you started considering it."
Hat Kid could hardly believe it. She figured she would accept it, but it still surprised her. She had a mom. She had a real mom.
Tears began to well up in her eyes as she was on the verge of crying. But at the same time, she had a shaky smile showing. All the stress and joy was ready to burst. Cookie cooed and hugged her once more, purring to comfort her. Hat Kid hugged back, sniffling and calming herself down, showing a bright warm smile.
"H-Happy Mother's Day, Mama Cookie."
Cookie smiled warmly at the title. Mama Cookie. ...She liked the sound of that.
Bonus:
Mu finished making her cup of hot cocoa and sat down on wooden plank patio outside her ruined home. She looked out at the ocean view with a small nostalgic smile. With a sigh, she said, "Mum...I hope wherever you and dad are, you're happy. It's...certainly better than being in this broken town. ...I miss you guys. Happy Mother's Day." Tipping her mug to the view, she began sipping her drink.
Meanwhile, off in a desert region, a knock was heard at the door of a small wooden house. The Conductor took a deep breath, taking off his hat. He took a break from shooting for a little while just to visit his mum. He jolted a little when the door opened. He was greeted by another bird-like creature that looked similar to the Conductor. She wore a pink flower dress with a white apron.
"Son?" He took a deep breath, wringing his hat in his hands nervously.
"H-hello, mum. I wanted to uh...stop by and say Happy Mother's Day and uh...give you something." He then knelt down and picked up his gift from behind him.
"Yer first place Annual Bird Movie Awards trophy?" The Conductor had plenty, but he shook his head a little. This trophy was a little different. It just had stars for the design instead of a movie camera with it. He then pointed at the plaque. It had "Best Movie Mum" engraved on it.
"This is yer trophy." The Conductor's mother looked on the verge of joyful tears as she set down the trophy and hugged her son.
"Och, dear. This is the sweetest thing yer ever done. Thank ye." The Conductor smiled a little sheepishly as he hugged back.
"Come inside. I'll make ye some tea. Ye can also help put up this trophy in a good place." She headed inside, carrying the trophy inside. The Conductor glanced back to where the studio was and shrugged. He can spare an hour with his mum. He headed inside, shutting the door behind him.
In another part of the region, DJ Grooves was doing the same thing as the Conductor did: visiting his mother. He quietly hoped she would at least answer the door.
The door opened, revealing a shorter penguin with curly black hair. She wore a low-shoulder long sleeve red top with gold sparkles along it. "Daniel?"
Right, she doesn't call him by the club name he went by ages ago. "Hello, mother dearest. I uh...thought I'd stop by to see you...for Mother's Day. If...that's alright with you, darling."
She looked at him straight into his small eyes through his star shades...then smiled. "Well, about time you came to visit. Come on inside. You want to help me on making some chocolate chunk cookies?"
DJ Grooves smiled brightly and nodded, heading in. "Oh and for cod's sake, take off those high-heeled shoes. You're gonna trip on the carpet."
"Yes, mother." As he took off his shoes, he looked up and showed a small warm smile. She really did keep the constellation message gift.
Finally, Snatcher sat atop his tree, looking at his forest around him. He thought over what the kid was talking about yesterday. The more he thought about it, the more bits and pieces of memory began to show.
He still couldn't remember her name or face...but he remembered that she was a sweet woman. Made bacon for breakfast every morning and encouraged him whenever he was striving for something. When he wanted to fly a kite, she gave him tips and watched him do it. When he wanted to be a lawyer, she recommended good schools for him to choose and helped him when he was struggling.
He sighed, looking up at the stars. "Wonder what she would think of me now…" One way or another, he was quietly wishing the best for her, wherever she was. He flew back down into his tree and grabbed his mailman hat. May as well surprise the minions with stolen packages. There's got to be a lot of them involving the holiday. With a small mischievous smile, he got to work.
.
.
.
Wow, this chapter is long. But I did have to cover a lot of ground. Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful mothers out there! :)