Note: I'm just gonna make up the ages of Danger Mouse, Penfold and Professor Squawkencluck for now until CBBC gives us their exact ages in the show!
Also, I don't own the song "It Changes" from the "Snoopy, Come Home" movie.
"A bride?" Penfold squeaked.
Inside the assistant's head, we see the headquarters of his emotions - Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Anger and Fear, Inside said headquarters, all five of Penfold's emotions were shocked when Aunt Doreen informed Penfold that he was to get married as soon as he gets the fortune.
"This can't be happening!" Penfold's Fear cried in, you guessed it, fear. "Penfold's only 20! He's too young to get married."
"What was she thinking?" Penfold's Disgust cried. "What kind of idiot would outright tell someone that he's going to get married without giving him much of a choice?"
"She doesn't care about him at all." Penfold's sadness cried in despair. "Poor Penfold. Poor Squawkencluck."
And about a billion thoughts swam through the assistant's head as we go back to the real world. Had his aunt really just said that to him earlier? Was he really going to get married as soon as he inherit the Penfold fortune? If so, to whom? He turns around to look at Professor Squawkencluck whose beak had dropped the floor.
She looked confused, but also looked hurt at the same time, like Penfold getting married affected her too. Inside Professor Squawkencluck's head, her emotions are also shocked at the news.
"I could just strangle that snobby witch if I wanted to!" Professor Squawkencluck's Anger yelled in, you guessed it, anger.
"No, Anger." Professor Squawkencluck's Joy replied. "That would just piss Penfold's aunt off even more. Let's just try to calm down and see where this is going."
And we're back into the real world.
Penfold was sorta glad Danger Mouse wasn't here to know about this. Otherwise, he'd be just as shocked and hurt as the professor was.
Professor Squawkencluck helps Penfold pack his things in a single suitcase. "Does you relatives get married off at a young age so often?"
"Most of us don't follow that tradition anymore," Penfold explained. "My folks didn't want me to be married off young, but there's nothing they could do to talk Aunt Doreen out of this. Aunt Doreen explained that a Penfold must live up to their roots. No ifs, ands or buts about it."
Even though she had only met Penfold's Aunt Doreen once, the professor could easily tell that Aunt Doreen was not a pleasant woman, after hearing many stories about her from Penfold. Aunt Doreen had always been one to follow rules and traditions, not just within the Penfold family, but tried to enforce rules and traditions to other people as well, usually against their wills. She had been the one to disapprove of Penfold wanting to take the job as Danger Mouse's assistant in the British Secret Services as it was a commoner's job she would often point out, but his parents managed to talk her into letting Penfold get the job, even though the job itself sounded dangerous to begin with.
Penfold sighs sadly. "To be honest, I don't like the idea of getting married so soon. Especially if the woman I'm going to spend the rest of my life with is some bitter, old rich woman whose vocabulary doesn't have the words fun, friendship, and love in it! Cor, she might even make me get rid of poor Teddy!"
"Penfold ..." The professor tried to speak, but no words come out from her.
Penfold didn't say anymore as he continues packing his stuff in silence. Should he defy his aunt? Should he try to escape from getting married young? Should he convince his parents to give the Penfold empire to his sister, Bambi instead? Or should he just accept this stupid tradition and go home?
His parents promised him that he would never be forced into marriage or take over the family business, but his father is losing to cancer, and his mother couldn't talk Aunt Doreen out of something on her own.
"Ernest, stop daydreaming and get a move on!" Aunt Doreen's voice yelled from outside his room. "We're running late!"
"Coming, Auntie!" Penfold cried as he finally finished packing.
In his mind, he wanted the believe that this was a nightmare and that any second, he would wake up in his bed. But it's really happening to him. He opens the door to leave his room with Professor Squawkencluck following him. She swore she could see Aunt Doreen giving her daggers.
"I know this is all happening very sudden, Ernest. Please keep your chin up and stop slouching! You're a proud Penfold, not some dirty janitor from a public school!" Aunt Doreen said in her usual haughty manner while glaring at Professor Squawkencluck. "You can invite whatever friends you have here to your wedding, but afterwards all ties you have with these ... commoners must be cut."
Then Aunt Doreen takes the lift and waited outside the main room, leaving Penfold and Professor Squawkencluck to stand in silence yet again.
"What are you going to do, Penfold?" Professor Squawkencluck asked Penfold.
Penfold thought for a moment. One one hand, he could go back home to America, marry a wealthy woman, and take over the Penfold empire. But did he really want to take over his father's empire? Was it really worth it?
No.
He'd lose both Danger Mouse and Professor Squawkencluck.
But his aunt is waiting outside, her patience running thin within minutes.
"I'm going back to America with my aunt." Penfold told Professor Squawkencluck.
Inside Professor Squawkencluck's head, her anger is screaming with anger.
"You idiot! Don't you realized you're never going to see us and DM ever again?" Professor Squawkencluck's Anger yelled at Penfold.
Professor Squawkencluck's Joy tries calming Professor Squawkencluck's Anger down. "Anger, calm down. Take a couple of breaths for a moment."
Professor Squawkencluck's Anger looks at her after she manages to calm down a bit.
"Can I say that curse word right about now?"
Okay, back to the real world, Professor Squawkencluck was taken aback by Penfold's answer. "You're going back to America with your aunt?"
"It's something I needed to do, professor." Penfold replied as Professor Squawkencluck crouches down and gives the hamster a hug.
"We're all going to miss you." Professor Squawkencluck muffled. "Danger Mouse, Colonel K, everyone at HQ are going to miss you."
"Hopefully. I could convince my folks to give the fortune to Bambi instead of me." Penfold replied. "She's more experience in the business department that I ever was."
The two pull themselves apart from their hug. Penfold was about to leave the main room and join his aunt when he stops and looks at Professor Squawkencluck once more. "Er ... professor?"
"Yes?" Professor Squawkencluck replied.
"If Danger Mouse comes back and finds me gone, tell him I'm staying in America with my aunt for a while." Penfold said to the professor. "I'd rather not let him know about this and be just as shocked as we are."
"Good point."
Penfold and Professor Squawkencluck exchange another hug which lasts about a few long minutes before breaking apart again. Professor Squawkencluck could only watch as Penfold finally takes the lift and joins Aunt Doreen on the way back to America.
As soon as Penfold and his aunt are gone, the professor sheds a tear.
It's only Sunday and it's not even noon when Penfold had to go to America with his aunt.
Just when you think that you know where you stand
You've got the world in your hand
Just when you're sure of a dream that you planned
That's when the scenery changes
It changes.
Just when you think that you know all the facts
You hold the whole ball of wax
You've got it made, you can start to relax
That;s when your world rearranges
And changes.
Someone that you really cared about
Someone that you couldn't live without
Severs the ties.
All at once you're all alone and scared
All the happy hellos that you shared
Change to goodbyes.
Why must we pay for hellos that we say?
Pay when we sigh an adieu?
Just when you're sure, and you're safe and secure
That's when it happens to you
It changes.
Why can't we get all the people together in London that we really like, and then just stay together forever?
"Someone would leave," Professor Squawkencluck told the narrator. "Someone always leaves."
She lowers her head. "And then we'd have to say goodbye."
Oh, how I hate goodbyes.
"You and me both."
Why must we pay for hellos that we say?
Pay when we sigh an adieu?
Just when you're sure, and you're safe and secure
That's when it happens to you
It changes.
Why on why?
You know what you need, professor?
"What?" Professor Squawkencluck asked.
You need more hellos.