A/N Will everything work out for Josh? Will Ralph and the others be able to handle Josh? Let's find out!

Part of the family

Josh's mouth hangs open, as he tries registering what Ralph had just told him. "Home? Your home?" Josh says, though barely audible. Vanellope nods, rapidly, with the biggest grin on her face. Josh's heart fills with hope, and something he hasn't felt in a long time, happiness.
"Well? Are you coming or not?" Ralph asks, eagerly, waving the two down. Vanellope begins jumping down the branches, halfway down, she looks up at Josh. Waving him down, Josh grins at Vanellope, and quickly follows her down.

As soon as they're at the bottom, Billy is on Josh, wrapping his arms around him. "Let go of him! He's with us now!" Ralph yells, waving the paper around. Billy yanks the paper out of Ralph's hand, and looks it over. Scowling, Billy let's go of Josh, and gives the paper back to Ralph. Josh sticks his tongue out at Billy, runs behind Ralph.

Ralph puts his arm behind Josh's head, and they all walk backwards. Felix watches them take a couple steps, before following them.

The four run back to find Calhoun, and go home. They find her in the backyard, harassing several kids at once. Asking if they've seen Josh.

"Tammy! We found Josh!" Felix says, running over to save the kids, that are currently running away from Calhoun. She stops chasing the kids, to look at Josh.

"Kid." Calhoun says, nodding. Josh nods back, still grinning like an idiot. She follows the three, while Felix hangs back for a second to apologize, to the kids.

The four wait for Felix, in the van. Josh looks out the window, at the orphanage, his smile disappears. Betty wraps her arms around her back. Josh squints his eyes, he sees Betty smiling, creepily, at him, not at the van, not the others, him directly. "Creepy." Vanellope says, looking over Josh's shoulder. Josh nods. "Yeah. Very." He says, before chuckling, nervously. Vanellope pats him on the shoulder, jumps into the seat next to him, and hands him the game-boy.

Josh happily takes it. Felix jumps into the van.
"Alright let's get the heck outta here." Calhoun says, starting the van, and ripping out of the driveway.

Josh turns his entire body, to watch the orphanage, slowly disappear, out of his life, forever, hopefully.

"So. Why did you guys come back?" Josh asks, extremely curious. Ralph turns his head.
"Vanellope told us about the 'magic' marks." He says, looking at Josh.

Josh bites his lip. "Why didn't you tell us?" Ralph asks. Josh shrugs. "You never asked." "We shouldn't have needed to." Calhoun says, looking at Josh through the mirror. Josh shakes his head.
"I was handling my self. I would have gotten away, my first escape, if you guys didn't bring me back." He says, making Ralph and Calhoun look away, knowing he's right.

"Well. If you told us, we wouldn't have taken you back." Felix says. Josh crosses his arms.
"That's the only reason? What am I, not good enough for this family?" He asks. Felix opens his mouth. Ralph looks at him.
"It's not like that. It's just...well, we don't know why, but we just had to." Ralph says. Josh sighs, and starts playing the game-boy.

They drive down the road. Calhoun pulls into the parking lot of the restaurant.

Soon they're in the restaurant eating dinner, talking small talk. Josh puts down the fork, just realizing, that he's free, he never has to go back. Suddenly he's smiling again. "Thank you." He says, not looking up from his plate. Ralph looks at Josh, confused.
"For what?" He asks.
"Getting me out of there." Josh says, before taking another handful of fries from his plate, and shoving it in his mouth. Ralph smiles, and shakes his head.
"No problem kid. Anytime."

They finish eating, get back in the van, and drive home.

Calhoun pulls into the driveway, looks at the clock on the van dashboard. "Almost midnight." She says. They all go into the house, Felix and Calhoun go to their room. Ralph brings Josh up to Vanellope's room. Josh tilts his head as the three enter.
"Why are you bringing me in here?" Josh asks, wondering why he's not being brought into the guest room.
"Well you can't stay in the guest room, if you're not a guest." Ralph says, pushing the clothes from the top bunk, into a basket on the floor.

Vanellope crawls onto the bottom bunk, instantly, she falls asleep, snoring. Ralph lifts Josh up onto the top bunk, tucks him in, says good night, and goes to bed. Josh shifts around, under the blankets, not feeling...right.

Josh thinks for a moment.
"Too comfy." He mutters. Kicking the blankets off, the cold air, making him shiver. He hugs himself. "Much better." He says, through chattering teeth. Soon he's asleep, cold, and has never been happier.

Next morning

Vanellope jumps onto the top bunk, not waking Josh up, but still making him flip over. Vanellope rolls her eyes, sits down next to Josh. She waits for him to wake up. After an hour of watching him sleep, she gets fed up, and starts shaking him. Josh flips onto his stomach, grunts, and tries going back to sleep. Vanellope keeps pushing his shoulder.
"Come on! Wake up!" She orders. Josh rolls onto his back, accidentally rolling onto Vanellope. She pushes on him, trying to push him off, but he just muffles her, using the pillow, and goes back to sleep.

"Augh! Just...fine." Vanellope says through the pillow, closing her eyes as well.

Downstairs, Felix cooks everyone breakfast, while Ralph reads the newspaper, and Calhoun sits at her laptop. "You know, school starts in a couple weeks." She says. "Yeah so?" Ralph asks.
"You should think about enrolling Josh in one of the schools around here. If he's gonna be staying here."
"How old is he? What grade is he in?"
"I remember him saying he was ten at Dairy queen." Felix says.

Ralph puts the newspaper down. "So grade five? I guess." He says. Calhoun shrugs.
"I guess. Good enough." She says.
"Which school should we put him in?" Ralph asks. Felix brings two plates of food over, for Ralph, and Calhoun.

"What about the one little ladies in?" Felix asks.
"Rushington elementary?" Ralph asks. Felix nods his head. Calhoun starts laughing.
"He wouldn't last one day there!" She says.
"Better than nothing." Ralph says, shrugging.
"Okay! Rushington it is then!" Felix says, happily.

"Ralphhhhh! Josh won't wake up!" Vanellope yells down the stairs. Ralph rolls his eyes, stands up and heads up stairs.

He enters the room, looking at the bottom bunk, expecting to see Vanellope hanging off the railing, but instead is greeted by Josh, laying on the top bunk, asleep, no Vanellope in sight. "Vanellope?"
"Under here!" Vanellope grunts, popping her head, from under Josh's back.

Ralph walks over, lifts Josh up, allowing Vanellope to get out. Ralph picks Josh up, and brings Josh to the bathroom. Vanellope follows them.
"What are you doing?" Vanellope asks. Ralph doesn't respond. He place Josh in the tub, and turns the shower on.

Josh jumps out of the tub screaming. He runs out of the bathroom, down the stairs, out the front door, down the street. "Uhhh. What just happened?" Calhoun asks, as the two run down the stairs.
"I don't know. I turned the shower on Josh, and he just ran away!" Ralph says. Calhoun bolts out the door, and chases Josh.

She returns several minutes later, with a kicking Josh. She puts him down on the couch. "Calm down!" Calhoun yells. Josh opens his eyes, looks around, and instantly calms down. He takes a couple deep breaths, before slowly laying down on the couch.

Vanellope walks in front of Josh.
"What the heck was that about?" She asks. Josh opens his eyes, and looks at her.
"Nothing. Just...nothing." He says, closing his eyes again. Ralph walks over.
"Don't go back to sleep. We have to go shopping." Ralph says. Josh sits up quickly.
"Shopping? For what?"
"Your school clothes!

A/N Yay! Josh has a family! He's going to be going to school! He's getting new clothes! He's afraid of water!