It had only been five days since Ricky left and it already felt empty around the sanctuary without him there. Like how you cut something out of your daily routine and there's a void in which it feels something is missing in your life. That's how Lillian, Grayson and Ava felt
The kids missed their uncle but weren't too upset as the adults, except for Venus. Ricky was her favorite uncle. He always made her feel confident about herself and now that he was gone, the young hen was in a slump. Why did he have to go?
She trudged along across the bridge that laid over a small creek to the main hut, staring at the ground with every step she took. Her sister and cousins have been beckoning her to stop sitting around at home and doing nothing
"Hey Venus. Wanna play a game of chicken, chicken, duck?" Eleanor asked her cousin upon seeing her enter the hut
Venus shook her head and went over to one of the back corners, sitting down on the cold floor
"Did you get in trouble?" Daisy approaches her sister
Venus shook her head no
"Then why are you sad?" Theo asked
"I miss uncle Ricky." Venus sniffled, her beak quivering
"It's ok. We all miss him, but you'll learn to move on and it will all be forgotten about." Leo said
"But I can't forget about him! He said he won't forget us!" Venus looks at everyone. It was unthinkable to forget about her favorite uncle!
"He's not going to come back so what does it matter?" Leo shrugs
Venus didn't see a point in arguing with the egg head so she kept her beak shut. Perhaps she could ask her parents about seeing Ricky or at least try to get him to come back. There was only one tiny problem. Where was he? Venus hurried back home with her older sister as fast as her feet could carry her
Ava and Uncas were putting their son down for a nap when they felt something collide against their bodies, looking down to see Daisy and Venus
"Can we go visit uncle Ricky?" Venus pleads
"Sweetheart, we don't know where he is." Ava said
"But- but I miss him." Venus slouches, tears filling her eyes
"We all do. It's just...we can't visit if we don't know where he is. It could take us a very long time until we do find him." Uncas tells his little girl
Venus felt defeated at this. If no one was going to help her then she was going to have to do this on her own
"Maybe we should check on your uncle. I have been pretty worried about him and your aunt and uncle are the same...come on. Uncas, will you be ok with watching Milo until we get back?" Ava holds her daughter's wings and headed for the door
"You bet. Stay safe, girls." Uncas waves
Ava sets out with her daughters as they travel across the countryside in search of one Ricky Rhodes and family. They had come across a few farms but none of the farms chickens had seen Ricky so they moved on. Ava hoped her brother didn't go too far considering how far she was with her kids from the sanctuary. She decided to try one more farm before heading back home before this 'visit' turned out to be a long trip. The farm they arrived at was absolutely jaw dropping gorgeous. A nice little brick house and barn shrouded with trees and shrubs, a very homey feel to the place. There was also a pasture that housed two horses and oh it was a sight. The beautiful English countryside beyond the pasture with its sloping hills and eye opening buildings dotted on the hillside with several more trees and shrubbery
"It's pretty." Daisy takes in the new sight
"Do you think he'll be here, mommy?" Venus looks up at the brown eyed hen
"I don't know, darling." Ava smiles softly at her little ones
They checked the barn for the residents since there didn't seem to be a chicken hut on the property. Ava sighed in relief when she saw the farm hens and roosters, walking up to them with her chicks. "Hello, I'm sorry to interrupt but I'm looking for my brother."
"What does he look like?" A tall white feathered hen asked
"He has brown feathers on his body and orange ones from his hackles and up. He also wears a green bandanna with polka dots." Ava describes her older brother to the chickens
"Green tail feathers outlined in dark blue and a bit of brown near the base of them?" one of the farm roosters rubs his comb in thought
"That's right." Ava nods
"He's by the stairs to the hayloft and he's with a hen and two younglings." A medium height brown feathered hen tells her, pointing to the right
Ava thanks them and hurried along with her daughters. Those chickens were right. Ricky and Rosemary were laying on a soft pile of hay as they watched their two kids play with an old leather ball. They seemed to be enjoying themselves from what she could tell
"Ricky?" She asked, getting his attention
"Ava? I- is it really you?" Ricky sits up. He couldn't believe it
"Uncle Ricky!" Venus giggles as she ran to him, jumping into the roosters wings. She was beyond happy to see her uncle again
"How have you been, beautiful?" Ricky holds the chick close
"I miss you, uncle Ricky." Venus rubs her head against his feathers, heat radiating off of him. She felt too comfortable to move
"I miss you too, sweetheart." Ricky kisses the top of her head
"How have things been here?" Ava walked over with Daisy
"Pretty good. The kids weren't too sure at first but now they love it. It's like paradise here." Rosemary smiles
Daisy hugged her aunt as Nicky and Vicky came over from playing their game. "Hey aunt Ava."
"I hope you're both being good for your parents." Ava hugs her niece and nephew. It was good to see them again
"Mom might yell at us here or there." Nicky laughs a bit
"It's a lot more peaceful here." Vicky rests her head against her aunt
"I bet it is. I know we just arrived but we should be heading home before it gets dark." Ava rubs Vicky's back
"Why don't you stay? It's already sunset so it won't be long until it is night. You can go back in the morning since it'll be easier." Ricky lays back down on the hay and gets comfortable
"I'm worried about Uncas and Milo." Ava nervously messes with her necklace
"They'll be fine." Rosemary assures her
Ava knew she was right, that she would return to the sanctuary with her daughter's in the morning. Uncas could handle taking care of their son until then. She nestled down on a pile of hay in the corner, Daisy joining her mother while Venus stayed by Ricky, already dozing off from being comfortable. Nicky and Vicky nestled down a few feet away from their parents as to give the adults a little bit of space
"Uncle Ricky? Can you tell me a story?" Venus yawns
"I can try." Ricky thinks for a moment. He tells the chick a story about a goose who wanted to prove to his family that he could make the right decisions on his own without anyone thinking he'll be unsuccessful at it and flys south to avoid dealing with his family since they thought of him as the one who never took things seriously and messed everything up
"Will the goose ever return to his family?" Venus looks up at the cockerel
Ricky felt his heart sink as he looks his niece in the eyes, taking a shaky breath. "No...no he won't."
"Oh. I wish he did because maybe his family still loves him no matter what they might think of him." Venus moves closer to her uncle for warmth
Ricky couldn't help but smile at the chick, gently kissing the top of her head
Vicky started to get jealous and stood up. She approached her dad and sat down on the other side of him, nuzzling into his feathers
Ricky looks at his daughter and gives her a kiss as well. "You may not always listen to me or your mother but that doesn't mean we don't love you any less. You'll always be my little girl."
"I love you too, dad." Vicky said
Ricky puts his wings around Venus and Vicky, both hens relaxing at his comfort
Ava watched them from where she was. She couldn't help but feel guilty that herself, Lillian and Grayson were the reason that Ricky left the sanctuary in the first place. How could she have been so blind as to take no notice of how they were treating him or made him feel? It didn't seem like there was an option for making him change his mind about returning home to the chicken sanctuary. Not after what she learned
So the truth is revealed! Also, can we just die of cuteness overload with Venus and her relationship with Ricky? He deserves a best uncle reward. Keep your eyes peeled for the next chapter