Chapter 14: We're Family

In the late night, the peach flew above the clouds and Centipede was standing at the stem looking at the compass and made sure the compass is pointing east. Centipede was starting to yarn and was about to doze off.

"Oh boy, what I wouldn't do for a cup of coffee," he said to himself as he nearly dozed off, he jiggled his head and hit himself in the face to keep himself awake and muttered, "A cup of joe."

The hole opened and Mr. Grasshopper came out with a chair made from a match holder and a blanket.

"I say, old sport, came to relieve you of your duties."

"I said I'd steer the peach," Centipede yawned. "Have to steer the peach."

Centipede yawned as Mr. Grasshopper placed the chair down and laid Centipede down onto the chair.

"Can't quit… now," muttered Centipede.

"Good show, old boy," said Mr. Grasshopper as he covered Centipede with the blanket.

"Thanks… Mr. Grasshopper," Centipede muttered as he fell into a deep sleep. Mr. Grasshopper took out his violin and played soft music.

James, Penelope and Jaelle sat on the fence pathway. Penelope looked at the stars and James looked into his travel book as the goat rested on her mistress's lap.

"We must be getting close," the Romani said to James. Suddenly, her gut didn't feel right. "James, Jaelle, I can't shake the feeling that something horrible could happen to us and our friends."

The redheaded boy looked up from his travel book and looked at the raven-haired girl.

"Oh Penelope, don't worry," he said. "What we went through was scary, but amazing. I feel more courageous every minute. If only we could stand up to Sponge and Spiker."

"I know James. Someday we will stand up to them. Besides we escaped from Sponge and Spiker and the hill, we floated in the Atlantic Ocean, defeated a Robot shark and fought against skeleton pirates. We even had amazing moments." Penelope smiled at James and they continued to look through the travel book.

"God will watch over us Penelope, no matter what, we have each other," he said.

All of a sudden beautiful violin music was playing softly, James and Penelope thought about it and they walked up the fence pathway and the girl thought to herself, "Who could be playing that beautiful music? It sounds so familiar."

As the children and goat reached the top, they saw Mr. Grasshopper playing his violin as Centipede was still sleeping.

"That music!" James and Penelope cried at the same time.

Mr. Grasshopper jumped up and he realized it was the children.

"Oh sir James! Penelope! Jaelle! Did…did I disturb you three? So sorry, I'll… I'll put this away."

Mr. Grasshopper was about to put his violin away in his case and Penelope cried out, "Oh no, please don't!"

"No, no!" the boy cried. "We like it! We used to hear it at my aunt's house before we went to sleep."

"You're pretty smart young James and young Penelope."

They both gasped.

"So that was you, wasn't it?" Playing that music or do all grasshoppers play music?" Asked James.

"Do they really make their own music?" Penelope asked.

"All grasshoppers…try." Mr. Grasshopper said to them. "I'm sure you've heard this."

He lied on his back and rubbed his legs together and made a sound just like crickets, James, Penelope, and Jaelle nodded as they remembered hearing the sound at night.

"We hear that sometimes," Penelope said to Mr. Grasshopper.

"Ghastly isn't it? Cricket stuff," said Mr. Grasshopper. "Music should be the voice of the soul."

James and Penelope raised an eyebrow. Jaelle bleated in confusion as she raised her eyebrow.

"What does that mean?" Asked James.

"It means when I'm happy, my music sounds like this." Mr. Grasshopper played his music in a joyful sound making James, Penelope, and Jaelle smile and nod their heads to the song and after finishing his song, they clapped.

"Fascinating," the girl said.

"When I'm sad, it's like this…"

He played a slow, but a classical tune like a song at a funeral. The children both frowned and Penelope felt her eyes filled with tears.

"When I was sad, I used to climb in bed with my mum and dad," James said as his eyes were filled with tears and he quickly dried them away. "But that was a long time ago."

"When I had a nightmare and couldn't sleep, my Mama and Papa would light a candle and sing a soothing lullaby to comfort me and Jaelle too," Penelope said as she used her handkerchief to wipe away her tears. "I lost them a long time ago, and I lost my second parents too. I loved both of them so much."

Mr. Grasshopper placed a hand on James's shoulder and his other hand on Penelope's shoulder too.

"I'm sure they'd be very proud of you, James and Penelope. I know we are."

He hopped up on the stem and started to play a song on his violin in an upbeat tune and the others inside the peach woke up. Mr. Grasshopper began to sing and dance

(Mr. Grasshopper)
"Take a little time,
Just look at where we are,
We've come very, very, far together.
And if I might say so."

Mr. Grasshopper leaned towards them as Centipede woke up, throwing the blanket off and joined the elderly insect.

(Centipede)
"And if I might say so too."

(Centipede and Mr. Grasshopper)
"We wouldn't have got anywhere,
If it weren't for you, boy and girl."

Mr. Grasshopper and Centipede both bowed to the children and the goat. James and Penelope pointed to themselves and looked at each other. They grinned as they pointed at each other, and noticed Mrs. Ladybug, Earthworm, Dragonfly, and Miss Spider appeared from the hole and sang gentle verses.

(Mrs. Ladybug)
"Love is the sweetest thing."

(Earthworm)
"Love never comes just when you think it will."

(Dragonfly)
"Love is like an open door."

(Miss Spider)
"Love is the way we feel for you."

(Mr. Grasshopper)
"We're family."

(Centipede, Dragonfly, and Mr. Grasshopper)
"We're family."

(The Bugs)

"We're family!"

(Miss Spider)
"All of us."

(Mr. Grasshopper)
"And you!"

Mr. Grasshopper hopped up high in the air, and above the seagulls were two acrobats swinging on trapeze bars and when they let go of the bar, they grabbed their hands, flipped and grabbed the trapeze bars.

"Think of where we'd be if we were on our own…" Centipede sang as he was upside down.

"We'd be dead!" cried Earthworm.

(Mrs. Ladybug)
"You're what holds us all together."

"We are?" James, and Penelope asked at the same time.

"Exactly," Dragonfly said.

(Centipede)
"And if I might say so."

(Mr. Grasshopper and Mrs. Ladybug)
"And if we might say so too."

(Mr. Grasshopper)
"We never could love anyone as much as…"

(The Bugs)
"We love you!"

All the adult bugs gathered around the children and hugged them. They looked over to see Glowworm emerging from the hole.

(Glowworm)
"Love!"

(Centipede and Miss Spider)
"Is the strangest thing!"

(Glowworm)
"Love!"

(Mr. Grasshopper and Mrs. Ladybug)
"Does exactly what it wants to do!"

(Glowworm)
"Love!"

Centipede, Dragonfly, and Mr. Grasshopper walked towards Glowworm, helping her out and spun her around.

(Centipede and Dragonfly)
"Boy, ya know it's true!" Both of the incests and Mr. Grasshopper set Glowworm down.

(Bugs)
"We're family!
We're family!
We're family!"

Everyone danced around the peach and gestured to the children and goat.

(Mr. Grasshopper)
"Me!"

(Centipede)
"Me!"

(Dragonfly)
"Me!"

(Earthworm)
"Me!"

(Mrs. Ladybug)
"Me!"

(Glowworm)
"Me!"

(Bugs)
"And you!"

(Miss Spider)
"Ashes to ashes and dust to dust!"

Miss Spider walked gracefully as a dust figure beat a drum,and the drummer poured glitter on the arachnid.

(Bugs)
"Without you there'd be no of us,"

Mr. Grasshopper picked up James and placed him on the stem, and Dragonfly picked up Penelope and placed her on the stem as the others gathered around them in a circle.

(Bugs)
"Love… is the sweetest thing.
Love… does exactly what it wants to do!
Love… is the way we feel for you!
We're family. We're family."

(James and Penelope)
"We're family.
Me."

(All)
"And…You!"

Mr. Grasshopper, Dragonfly, and Centipede helped them down to the peach, feeling more happier as the children were both brought in their lives. Centipede took Miss Spider's hand and they danced slowly to the sweet violin music. The tall insect took off his hat and like a gentleman kissed the arc's hand.

"They are definitely in love," Penelope giggled and whispered to James.

The music ended, as everyone stood in joy and content, almost reaching towards their destination. The girl was feeling calm and relaxed around more loving adults.

"We'll always be together, won't we?" the boy asked.

"Will it always be forever and always?" the Gypsy added.

"Kid, you're stuck with us for life," Centipede took off his hat and placed it on James's head, he smiled at Penelope. "Even you, honey."

"Especially Jaelle," Dragonfly stroked the goat and she bleated.

A foghorn startled them and everyone looked over the side and saw the most beautiful sight. There were bright lights, Penelope felt her heart beat faster, it's New York City!

"Look everybody! We made it!" James cried.

"This is it!" Penelope cried out and was filled with ecstasy as she saw the city with her very own eyes.

"We did?" Asked Centipede.

"New York City!" Miss Spider cried.

"Breathtaking!" Mr. Grasshopper exclaimed.

"Extraordinary!" Dragonfly cried.

"Stunning!" Earthworm cried.

"Glorious," said Mrs. Ladybug.

"Look at the park," said James as he pointed downwards.

"It's so beautiful!" Penelope cried with her heart filled with joy.

"It's fabulous!" said Centipede.

"We have made it!" said Miss Spider as she hugged Penelope, Jaelle, and Mrs. Ladybug, and tears came out of their eyes.

"What a wonderful sight!" Mrs. Ladybug cried with tears of joy.

"There's Lady Liberty!" Glowworm pointed to the Statue of Liberty holding a bright torch.

"I can almost smell that lovely dirt." Earthworm sniffed something familiar to him and grinned"

James and Penelope both gasped as they saw the tallest building in the world.

"The Empire State Building!" the boy cried out as he pointed at it.

"Oh my! It's so beautiful and very tall!" the gypsy girl cried.

"See those lights!" Centipede chuckled and he grabbed Mr. Grasshopper's arm and spun him around startling the elderly incest. "Wa-hoo! Yipee!" Atta boy and girl, Jimmy and Penny!" Centipede cheered for them.

"Good show James, Penelope and Jaelle! The city awaits us!" Mr. Grasshopper said feeling proud of them.

Miss Spider walked over to the children and goat and took off Centipede's hat and handed it over to the insect.

"Now remember James and Penelope," the arachnid said to the children as she straightened the boy's tie and shirt, while straightening the girl's skirt and shirt and hair with her hand. "First impression is very important."

"We understand," Penelope said.

All of a sudden, the wind blew harder and storm clouds were growing. James and Penelope sprinted to the stem to steer the peach to make sure they didn't get blown off course and the others tried to protect themselves from getting blown away by the wind. As the children moved the stem, the wind picked up and the compass came off of the stem and fell downwards into the ocean.

"Oh no!" James cried and he tried to get the compass back, but he didn't grab it in time.

"The compass!" Penelope cried.

"We'll be blown off course!" cried Mr. Grasshopper as the wind kept picking up.

"We'll wind up in Jersey!" cried Centipede.

"Or the Arctic!" Dragonfly cried.

Lightning flashed and they heard a roar, everyone turned around and saw the cloud and glowing yellow eyes appeared. Penelope's heart dropped like a rock to the pit of her stomach. Her spine was frozen solid.

"Could it be?" Mr. Grasshopper asked as he stared at the cloud in shock.

"Is that the…?" Dragonfly muttered in fright.

"No, it couldn't be," Centipede said filled with fright.

The figure with the yellow eyes roared loudly.

"It's the rhino!" James and Penelope cried at the same time. Jaelle's brows deepened as she got into a position to attack, bleating angrily.

The rhino charged at them. James and Penelope looked at each other and they both knew that this time they have to help their friends avoid their fate with the rhino after what happened to James's mother and father and it's time to face their worst fear right now.

"Oh James! Oh Penelope! Do something!" cried Mrs. Ladybug trembling with fear.

"Everyone climb up into the rigging!" cried James. "Hurry!"

"Go! You'll be safer up there!" Penelope cried.

The others climbed onto the stings the seagulls were attached to and hung on for dear life. The others were scared when James, Penelope, and Jaelle both ran down on the fence pathway.

"James! Penelope! Jaelle!" Miss Spider called. "Are you not coming with us?"

"No!" James called to Miss Spider.

"Go on without us, we'll deal with him." Penelope called as they ran down the fence pathway to stand up to the rhino.

"It got my mum and dad! It won't get our friends!" James, Penelope, and Jaelle reached the fence pathway and they both glared at the Rhino.

"Come out and show your face, you stupid beast!" James shouted.

"Show yourself you hideous monster!" Penelope snapped.

The rhino roared angrily and charged out of the storm clouds. The bugs stared at the beast as lighting flashed from his horn.

"Good God Almighty!" Mr. Grasshopper cried as he stared at the monster in horror.

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!" Dragonfly yelled.

The rhino kept charging towards them and the children both cowered in fear.

"Remember what your parents said James and Penelope!" They heard Earthworm and looked up. "Try looking at it another way!"

Earthworm was right, they thought for a moment and turned back to the rhino.

"You're not even a real rhino!" James yelled. "You're just at lot of smoke and noise!"

"You are nothing at all!" Penelope yelled at him.

The rhino flinched back in fright, he growled at them and got closer.

"I'm not afraid of you!" James yelled.

"I am not afraid of you also!" Penelope yelled at him.

"We're not afraid of you!" James and Penelope yelled at him.

The rhino was ready to snap and he got nearer to them.

"We're not afraid of you!" they screamed at him one last time as rage exploded from them.

Now the rhino lost his temper and he charged towards them and he shot lightning from his horn and shocked the fence pathway the children and goat were standing on and flashed the strings the bugs were on with the seagulls. The others watched James, Penelope, and Jaelle fall inside the peach as it fell towards the ground.

"JAMES! PENELOPE! JAELLE!"

James, Penelope, and Jaelle fell into the peach stone and James's tie and travel book flew away from him and Penelope's pouch and dagger flew away as they kept falling.

"NOOOO!"

Then there was a thud!