* * * * *
Mike was just dozing off after cleaning up the kitchen when Sulley finally opened the bathroom door and stepped out. Mike jolted awake from the sound and turned around. One look at what emerged had Mike rolling on the floor with laughter.
Sulley was dripping wet from head to toe. His fur stuck out at odd angles and where it didn't stick out, it was hanging down or stuck to his skin. Boo peeked her head out from around the door, she was wrapped in towels.
"I'm not sure which one of you was actually in the tub, but it looks like you both got clean." Mike managed to say between giggles. He got up off the floor and led Boo to his bedroom where he had set up some clothes for her. "You stay put," he advised Sulley as he passed him. He returned a few minutes later.
He grabbed a few dry towels out of the hall closet and walked to Sulley. "Now it's your turn." Mike handed one towel to Sulley and used the other to help dry the dripping fur. Sulley worked on the front and the legs while Mike toweled off his back and tail. "What happened in there? Did you fall in?" Mike asked as he dragged his chair over to better reach Sulley's head.
"No, she just splashed a lot." Sulley answered. "You should see the bathroom floor."
"I don't think I want to." Mike finished up and took the towels. He dropped them in a pile in front of the bathroom door, then went to Sulley's room to get his brush. When he came back, he began detangling Sulley's fur. He had often brushed Sulley down before especially after sudden rainstorms. "I thought you detested water," Mike remarked casually as he worked on Sulley's back.
"She is so much fun to be around, Mike, that before you realize it, you are doing things you never thought you would do before." He smiled at a memory. "I'm learning so much from her." His smile turned to a wince of pain as Mike pulled on a tangled patch of fur. "I'm going to miss her when she's gone."
"Are you still planning on letting her parents see you?" Mike worked his way around Sulley's body, smoothing the fur he had just finished with. He wanted to get Sulley done before Boo came out. He had to look nice for what Mike had planned.
"Yes, I am. That is, if I can find them. Every time I go there, the place is deserted. I've tried morning and night. They never seem to go home anymore." He sighed as Mike finally finished and put the brush down. He glanced in the hallway mirror and was glad to see he looked like his old self. "You did a good job, Mike," he complimented. "Will you support my decision this time?"
"Yes, I will. Even if it means banishment, I'll stand beside you." Mike shrugged at Sulley's surprised look. "Hey, can't a guy change his mind?"
"Sure. It means a lot to me, Mike." Sulley turned around as Mike's bedroom door opened and Boo stepped out. She had dressed, and to Sulley's eyes, she looked like a princess. She was wearing a pink dress, with white and gold trim. There were small pink shoes on her feet and gold ribbons in her hair. She looked like she had stepped right out of a fairy tale.
Sulley's jaw dropped open. "Mike... did you?" He spoke in a hushed whisper as if he was afraid of breaking the spell before him.
Mike nodded. "I sure did. It cost me a week's salary, plus I had to call in a bunch of favors to get it made for her, but I think the end result is worth it." He looked over at Sulley. "Yep, the look on your face is priceless."
Tears filled Sulley's eyes as Boo stepped forward and asked to be picked up by raising her arms. Sulley let her climb into his good arm. She hugged him close. "I love you, Kitty."
Those words, spoken in that innocent voice, broke the dam that Sulley had erected around himself for the past week. Mike had to lead him to his chair as the larger monster was now weeping openly. All the frustration, humiliation, pain, and heartbreak he had been repressing now came pouring out. Boo looked at him with a quizzical expression. "No cry, Kitty."
Sulley couldn't help it. He knew that his time with his Boo was going to be up soon. It was only a matter of time before they found her parents and he would have to say goodbye again. She looked so precious right now.
Mike had gone into the kitchen and came back out with a box of tissues. He pulled a few out, climbed the arm of the chair, and proceeded to wipe away the fat tears rolling down Sulley's face. "I didn't mean to make you cry, Sul."
It took a few minutes for Sulley to regain his sense of composure. Slowly his sobs abated. He took a few shuddering breaths before he put Boo down to take some of the tissues Mike was offering him. He blew his nose and sighed tiredly. "It wasn't you, Mike. It was just a combination of things."
Boo climbed back into Sulley's arm when it was free again. "Kitty okay?" She asked worriedly.
He hugged her close. "Yes, Boo. Kitty is okay now."
"Good." She yawned once and rubbed at her eyes, then snuggled close against him. "No like to see Kitty sad."
"Me either." Mike said as he put the tissue box down. He caught Sulley's attention, "Feel better now?"
Sulley took another shuddering breath. "Somewhat." He looked down at Boo, resting comfortably in his embrace. "I want to try her house again today while work is empty."
"Sure. Hey Sul, are you going to be able to handle it when she leaves? The way you fell apart just now has me a bit worried."
"Do I have any other choice? She doesn't belong here with us. Yet having her here has made me realize what I've been missing out on by not getting married and having kids of my own." He bent down and placed a kiss on her freshly washed hair. "However, no child here could ever compare to Boo." He sighed again, a sorrow filled sound. "I guess I'll have to let her go again."
"Maybe you will get lucky and her parents will allow you to see her again." Mike tried to comfort his friend.
"I'm lucky to have this time with her now." Sulley noticed that her breathing had evened out into soft snores. The big breakfast, warm bath and comforting embrace had put her to sleep. "She really is special, you know."
"Yes, she is," Mike agreed. He moved off into the other room.
Sulley sniffed a few times and realized his nose was running. He also realized that he had no hand with which to blow it. "Mike?"
"Yeah, Sul?" Mike called from Sulley's bedroom.
*Sniff* "Can you come here for a second?"
Mike came back into the room carrying a blanket and pillow. "Sure."
"I, uh," *Sniff* "Need some help here." *Sniff*
"Help?" Mike looked confused.
*SNIFF* "Uh, yeah." Sulley looked toward the box of tissues hopefully. "If you don't mind, that is."
"Oh." Mike still looked lost. Then suddenly, "Oohhhhhhh," as comprehension dawned. He put down the blanket and pillow, and took out a few of the tissues from the box. He climbed back up the arm of the chair and held the tissues in front of Sulley's nose. "Blow."
It took a couple of tries before he had his nose clear enough to be able to take a deep breath without sniffing. "Thanks, Mike."
Mike disposed of the used tissues. "That's what friends are for." He came back and picked up the blanket. He covered Sulley and Boo. "Why don't you take a nap while she's sleeping? We can't go anywhere until she awakens." He placed the pillow under Sulley's head.
Sulley yawned. "I shouldn't..."
"You should. I heard you last night, moaning and whimpering in pain. You must have gotten a whole hour of sleep, if even that. You should get some rest while you can." Mike huffed.
Sulley relented. "Okay, okay. I hope I didn't keep you up as well." He snuggled into the pillow. "Just for a little bit."
The last thing he was aware of as he slid into sleep was Boo's soft snores in the one place she felt perfectly safe - Sulley's arm. He relaxed and fell into a deep sleep.
* * * * *
Mike was just dozing off after cleaning up the kitchen when Sulley finally opened the bathroom door and stepped out. Mike jolted awake from the sound and turned around. One look at what emerged had Mike rolling on the floor with laughter.
Sulley was dripping wet from head to toe. His fur stuck out at odd angles and where it didn't stick out, it was hanging down or stuck to his skin. Boo peeked her head out from around the door, she was wrapped in towels.
"I'm not sure which one of you was actually in the tub, but it looks like you both got clean." Mike managed to say between giggles. He got up off the floor and led Boo to his bedroom where he had set up some clothes for her. "You stay put," he advised Sulley as he passed him. He returned a few minutes later.
He grabbed a few dry towels out of the hall closet and walked to Sulley. "Now it's your turn." Mike handed one towel to Sulley and used the other to help dry the dripping fur. Sulley worked on the front and the legs while Mike toweled off his back and tail. "What happened in there? Did you fall in?" Mike asked as he dragged his chair over to better reach Sulley's head.
"No, she just splashed a lot." Sulley answered. "You should see the bathroom floor."
"I don't think I want to." Mike finished up and took the towels. He dropped them in a pile in front of the bathroom door, then went to Sulley's room to get his brush. When he came back, he began detangling Sulley's fur. He had often brushed Sulley down before especially after sudden rainstorms. "I thought you detested water," Mike remarked casually as he worked on Sulley's back.
"She is so much fun to be around, Mike, that before you realize it, you are doing things you never thought you would do before." He smiled at a memory. "I'm learning so much from her." His smile turned to a wince of pain as Mike pulled on a tangled patch of fur. "I'm going to miss her when she's gone."
"Are you still planning on letting her parents see you?" Mike worked his way around Sulley's body, smoothing the fur he had just finished with. He wanted to get Sulley done before Boo came out. He had to look nice for what Mike had planned.
"Yes, I am. That is, if I can find them. Every time I go there, the place is deserted. I've tried morning and night. They never seem to go home anymore." He sighed as Mike finally finished and put the brush down. He glanced in the hallway mirror and was glad to see he looked like his old self. "You did a good job, Mike," he complimented. "Will you support my decision this time?"
"Yes, I will. Even if it means banishment, I'll stand beside you." Mike shrugged at Sulley's surprised look. "Hey, can't a guy change his mind?"
"Sure. It means a lot to me, Mike." Sulley turned around as Mike's bedroom door opened and Boo stepped out. She had dressed, and to Sulley's eyes, she looked like a princess. She was wearing a pink dress, with white and gold trim. There were small pink shoes on her feet and gold ribbons in her hair. She looked like she had stepped right out of a fairy tale.
Sulley's jaw dropped open. "Mike... did you?" He spoke in a hushed whisper as if he was afraid of breaking the spell before him.
Mike nodded. "I sure did. It cost me a week's salary, plus I had to call in a bunch of favors to get it made for her, but I think the end result is worth it." He looked over at Sulley. "Yep, the look on your face is priceless."
Tears filled Sulley's eyes as Boo stepped forward and asked to be picked up by raising her arms. Sulley let her climb into his good arm. She hugged him close. "I love you, Kitty."
Those words, spoken in that innocent voice, broke the dam that Sulley had erected around himself for the past week. Mike had to lead him to his chair as the larger monster was now weeping openly. All the frustration, humiliation, pain, and heartbreak he had been repressing now came pouring out. Boo looked at him with a quizzical expression. "No cry, Kitty."
Sulley couldn't help it. He knew that his time with his Boo was going to be up soon. It was only a matter of time before they found her parents and he would have to say goodbye again. She looked so precious right now.
Mike had gone into the kitchen and came back out with a box of tissues. He pulled a few out, climbed the arm of the chair, and proceeded to wipe away the fat tears rolling down Sulley's face. "I didn't mean to make you cry, Sul."
It took a few minutes for Sulley to regain his sense of composure. Slowly his sobs abated. He took a few shuddering breaths before he put Boo down to take some of the tissues Mike was offering him. He blew his nose and sighed tiredly. "It wasn't you, Mike. It was just a combination of things."
Boo climbed back into Sulley's arm when it was free again. "Kitty okay?" She asked worriedly.
He hugged her close. "Yes, Boo. Kitty is okay now."
"Good." She yawned once and rubbed at her eyes, then snuggled close against him. "No like to see Kitty sad."
"Me either." Mike said as he put the tissue box down. He caught Sulley's attention, "Feel better now?"
Sulley took another shuddering breath. "Somewhat." He looked down at Boo, resting comfortably in his embrace. "I want to try her house again today while work is empty."
"Sure. Hey Sul, are you going to be able to handle it when she leaves? The way you fell apart just now has me a bit worried."
"Do I have any other choice? She doesn't belong here with us. Yet having her here has made me realize what I've been missing out on by not getting married and having kids of my own." He bent down and placed a kiss on her freshly washed hair. "However, no child here could ever compare to Boo." He sighed again, a sorrow filled sound. "I guess I'll have to let her go again."
"Maybe you will get lucky and her parents will allow you to see her again." Mike tried to comfort his friend.
"I'm lucky to have this time with her now." Sulley noticed that her breathing had evened out into soft snores. The big breakfast, warm bath and comforting embrace had put her to sleep. "She really is special, you know."
"Yes, she is," Mike agreed. He moved off into the other room.
Sulley sniffed a few times and realized his nose was running. He also realized that he had no hand with which to blow it. "Mike?"
"Yeah, Sul?" Mike called from Sulley's bedroom.
*Sniff* "Can you come here for a second?"
Mike came back into the room carrying a blanket and pillow. "Sure."
"I, uh," *Sniff* "Need some help here." *Sniff*
"Help?" Mike looked confused.
*SNIFF* "Uh, yeah." Sulley looked toward the box of tissues hopefully. "If you don't mind, that is."
"Oh." Mike still looked lost. Then suddenly, "Oohhhhhhh," as comprehension dawned. He put down the blanket and pillow, and took out a few of the tissues from the box. He climbed back up the arm of the chair and held the tissues in front of Sulley's nose. "Blow."
It took a couple of tries before he had his nose clear enough to be able to take a deep breath without sniffing. "Thanks, Mike."
Mike disposed of the used tissues. "That's what friends are for." He came back and picked up the blanket. He covered Sulley and Boo. "Why don't you take a nap while she's sleeping? We can't go anywhere until she awakens." He placed the pillow under Sulley's head.
Sulley yawned. "I shouldn't..."
"You should. I heard you last night, moaning and whimpering in pain. You must have gotten a whole hour of sleep, if even that. You should get some rest while you can." Mike huffed.
Sulley relented. "Okay, okay. I hope I didn't keep you up as well." He snuggled into the pillow. "Just for a little bit."
The last thing he was aware of as he slid into sleep was Boo's soft snores in the one place she felt perfectly safe - Sulley's arm. He relaxed and fell into a deep sleep.
* * * * *