The body count came to 31…including Debby Vertrude.

Nobody else in her family had been in the house with her. No one in Gwen, Lucy or Gretch's families got hurt. Lily Sue was alive. Most damage had been done to the town. A total of 11 bombs had struck Tesserone. Eight of them were fatal.

All the girls did for a week was attend funerals and memorial services. Monica locked herself in her room while her friends stayed with their families. The Star Fox Team quietly worked on their ships.

Now everyone knew: Andross had found them again.

At the end of the week, Slippy announced that he had fixed the G-diffuser.

"We'll be out of here in no time!" he said triumphantly, crawling out from under his Arwing.

Fox frowned. "Guys, we can't just leave. Andross knows where Tesserone is now. Everyone here is in danger."

Slippy said, "Well, what can we do?"

Fox thought for a minute. Finally he said, "When our transmissions are working again, and General Pepper arrives, I say we have him meet with Baron Harte to make peace and promise to protect Tesserone since they have no military."

Peppy surprisingly shook his head. "Fox, we can't be worrying ourselves over this planet. We've got enough on our hands."

Fox ogled at him. "You mean to tell me after everything these girls have done for us we're just going to let them sit here and die?"

Falco nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's wouldn't be good citizenship, huh, Peppy?"

Narrowing his eyes, Peppy said, "That won't be enough for the general. He'll want something in return…like help."

The guys nodded, but said no more; they all knew Peppy was right.

….

From underneath her opened window, Monica sat on the wooden floor of her bedroom, listening to the guys talk. Her face was sticky from dried tears. She kept on sniffling until her nose became congested.

Sighing helplessly, she got up from her spot and wandered out of her room into Lucy's down the hall, where her two friends, having decided to get out of their families' houses, were laying on Lucy's bed.

Monica joined them, helping herself to a box of tissues the girls were sharing.

"Guys," she said, her voice shaky. "I was listening to the boys outside…they were talking about Tesserone's protection and how their general may help us…but only in exchange for some contribution from us."

"So?" sniffed Gwen.

Monica hesitated before saying, "Maybe we should go."

"Go where?" croaked Lucy.

"With them," Monica said. "To their planet…Corneria. We could help them win the war."

Lucy and Gwen's red puffy eyes stared at her.

Monica's own eyes narrowed. "It was just a suggestion."

She got up and headed toward the door. Her hand was on the knob when Gwen suddenly called, "Why?"

Monica looked back them. "Why what?"

Gwen squirmed uncomfortably. "Well, no offense, Mon, but…I think I know why you would want to go…"

Monica raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Gwen said sympathetically, "Well, see…Lucy and I have families and that makes a little difficult to go and…you just…I mean…"

"I just want to get away from it all?" Monica guessed.

Gwen looked apologetic. "Yeah…maybe…"

Monica looked almost angry. Searching for better words to say, Gwen said, "I know that's not your fault, Monica, I'd want to leave too…but come on…you know Lucy and I don't much of a reason to go…only you."

Monica swallowed hard. She suddenly felt her face grow hot. It became hard to breathe. The lump in her throat was swelling painfully. Her eyes shone with fresh tears.

With her hand resting on the doorknob, she finally said, "I'm not telling you to go, Gwen…my reason was aiming more at the fact that…we're all in the same boat now. Why shouldn't we help?" Monica's voice cracked as she said, "But, sure…I guess me not having a family anymore does give me an extra reason, huh?"

She opened the door and left, going straight to Lily Sue's cottage.

….

The old record player was playing when Monica opened her godmother's front door. Lily Sue was knitting in her rocking chair, and looked up at Monica through her rectangular specs as she entered the living room.

Lily Sue removed the needle on her record player to cease the music. "Music always makes me feel better – just like it does for you."

Monica flopped onto the couch. "No song could possibly make me feel better now."

Lily Sue said, "This will get better, Monnie. You just have to keep on being brave."

Monica glanced at her godmother. "I don't know how much longer I can do that. Everything's just gone from bad to worse." She hopelessly shook her head. "Gwen was right…the only reason I want to go to Corneria is to get away from everything."

Lily Sue raised an eyebrow. "They invited you to go to their planet?"

"Not exactly," Monica said. "I was just suggesting it to my friends."

Lily Sue put down her knitting. "It shouldn't be up to them on whether you go or not."

"Yeah, well, I don't want to be the only human there," replied Monica.

Lily Sue stared hard at Monica. "Monica, I think you should go."

Monica gazed at her. "Why?"

"Not just for Tesserone," answered Lily Sue, "but for yourself…I know what you want – you want to do something for yourself."

Monica cocked her head from side to side. "Yeah, kinda…"

"Nothing's ever going to happen here," continued Lily Sue. "You've got to go where things happen."

Frowning, Monica said, "But who will take care of you? Cook for you? What if there is another attack? Maybe I shouldn't go."

Lily Sue shook her head. Her gray curls bobbed stubbornly. "You'll be miserable here…you'll make me miserable; you hate Tesserone."

"No, I don't!" Monica protested.

"This place reminds you of your family and now of Debby," Lily Sue went on. "So go away with Star Fox. Go and find your smile."

Monica sadly said, "What if I can't?"

Lily Sue smiled. "I'm never wrong about these things."

….

When Monica arrived at her cabin, she paused outside the door. She took a deep breath and walked inside.

Lucy and Gwen were reading magazines in the living room. They both looked up at her when she entered.

Monica shrugged and said, "I'm going."

At first, her friends said nothing. Lucy opened her mouth but nothing came out. Gwen finally said, "Mon, if this about what I said earlier –"

"It's okay, Gwen," Monica cut her off, trying to sound kind. "I know you weren't trying to be mean. It's just my decision."

Monica walked toward her bedroom, calling over her shoulder, "You guys are welcome to come with me."

Lucy called back in a reasoning tone, "Okay, there's no need to be rash, Monica, let's just talk –"

Slam.

"Or not…"

Gwen shook her head in disbelief. "I think she's acting ridiculous. I honestly don't know what we're doing wrong, Luc'. She's just not talking to us."

Lucy shook her head. "No, I think we're not listening. I don't think she needs to talk in order for us to understand."

Gwen threw her hands up in the air. "I really do want to understand, Lucy! What will going away solve?"

Lucy shrugged. "She can be miserable here, or she can be miserable on Corneria. I say she should go."

Staring at Lucy in shock, Gwen said, "Huh? Are you nuts? Do you want her to get killed, Lucille? She's not going there on vacation; she's going to help with the war effort."

"It'll get her mind off of everything here," Lucy pointed out.

Gwen groaned and got up from the armchair she had been sitting in. She paced across the rug. "Monica is driving me crazy! She can't go to an alien planet alone!"

Lucy nodded before saying matter-of-factly, "I agree, which is why I'm going with her."

"WHAT?" shrieked Gwen. "Ugh! You people are so screwed up!"

Lucy rolled her dark eyes and got up from her spot on the couch. "Quit being so dramatic, Gwenivere."

Gwen followed Lucy into the kitchen, fussing the whole way, "They haven't even told us if we are allowed to go or not. Plus, we've got families."

Lucy, having reached the kitchen sink, started scrubbing dishes. "So? One of the reasons we moved out was because we wanted to get out of their way and start our own lives. Why should they care? They're not even helping us pay off our fine for fighting with Triple-D."

Lucy's violet eyes suddenly went big with wonder.

"Uh oh…" Gwen said nervously, backing away from her friend. "You've got that look…"

"Gwen," said Lucy, "I just figured out how we're going to repay our debt."

Raising an eyebrow Gwen asked, "How?"

"We'll make a wager with the baron," Lucy explained. "If we go to help get rid of this wacko ape who destroyed our planet…he can release us of all charges."

Gwen squirmed. "I dunno…what if that doesn't work?"

Lucy shrugged. "What have we got to lose?"

Gwen said with exasperation, "Fine! I'll go!"

Lucy happily squealed, "Yay!" before throwing her arms around Gwen.

"Don't thank me yet," Gwen muttered. "They haven't told us we can go with them or not yet."