(The Lorax and The Once-ler do not belong to me. They're Dr. Seuss' and Illumination's. Same goes for the other characters. You should be able to identify them! Only Marie, Chloe and Natalie are only mine.) Thank you I'maThinkingCap for the fave and alert!Thanks BadLuckCat for the story alert! Please excuse me for anyone being OOC! Get your Kleenex! I listened to thousands of Father, Daughter songs to write this!
Chapter 25
Like Father, Like Daughter
"Now that's a bed fit for a girl," said The Once-ler with his hands behind his back as he examined the hard work he did.
After The Lorax went back to Ted, he had been busy. He had made an area for Chloe with his old mattress, the same one he had floated down river on. He had cleaned up his old bed cover and fluffed up a spare pillow. He didn't have much girly stuff; he'd have to make do with drawings. Once-ler spent half of the day drawing flowers on blueprint paper and pinning them to the wall for a fancy touch. He tidied the Lurkim and made pancake batter to cook later. He wanted everything perfect for when Chloe came.
Once-ler was worried a little about what this girl he had never met would say. He didn't know if she knew about his past and if she knew how would she react? He had to trust Marie's words in the letter that children loved unconditionally.
For weeks he had wondered about his daughters and now he was meeting one of them. Not only that, she was a child. How old? He didn't know. He secretly hoped she was a size he could pick up. That was something he wanted to do with the girls. He wanted to lift them up like a father would. If he couldn't hold his twins as babies, then at least he could try carrying them as children. Just as long as they weren't too heavy for him. Of course, weight had never been an issue for him when he thought of how he could drag a Truffula Tree away.
He went to sleep that night wanting happy dreams. Dreams of Marie developed in his mind. They continued from the one he had of them in the mist and fog. This time, they were happy.
Marie stroked her babies' faces before she left them for the night. She turned off the light in their nursery and came to their room. He was lying in their bed, waiting for her. He was still dressed, but felt comfortable enough. Marie came in wearing a white nightdress. She playfully lifted his green jacket from the bedside and slipped it on. The hem ran on the floor and she had to pull the sleeves up. She crawled next to him and kissed his head.
"They're sleeping peacefully," Marie said as she propped her face in her hand. "It only took five lullabies."
"They'll sleep all night though right?" Once-ler asked. He massaged her back with one hand as the other ran through her hair.
"They're heavy sleepers and guess who they got that from?" said Marie caressing his face. She gave a peck to his smirking lips.
"Well, they can only learn from the best," he smiled. "But I'd say they're gorgeous and there's only one they got that from." Once-ler nuzzled his face into hers. "None other than you Beautiful." With that he kissed her hard and gripped her thick waist to pull her on him.
Marie ran her fingertips to his neck, the sensation making him tremble. He could smell her hair as it fell about her face. The taste of her lips colliding into his…he had missed it. He wanted more. If there was any greed in him it was only for her to be his. Only his. Forever his.
Marie rocked to the side, begging to switch places. She had always liked the comfort of the bed on one side and him above her. Once-ler obliged as he pressed a hand to the small of her back. He could feel his breathing become ragged as their mouths locked more with passion.
"Once…" Marie whispered. Her was voice longing for him like he longed for her. She needed him. The feeling was mutual as he went lower down to her neck leaving warm kisses. Now she trembled from his touch. She wrapped her arms around his neck. Her legs coiled around his skinny waist…
It was the first time in a while he had a good dream. The only thing that would make it better was if Marie was in his king sized bed. He was pleased he had moved some things out of the factory before that lightning storm hit and brought the building down. He was even more pleased and relieved now that he had been spared. He didn't feel self-hatred like he had when reading the letter. He had a new life again with a better purpose.
Once-ler spent the morning adding extra touches to his home. He groomed himself and wondered if he should dress up in his green outfit or not. It was a special occasion and he didn't have any other suits.
"Best to be casual," he finally thought. Once-ler wore his old outfit of a vest and striped jeans. He waited anxiously by the window for her. By the time it was twelve in the afternoon, Pipsqueak dragged him outside for a walk. Perhaps the bar-ba-loot wanted some attention or thought Once-ler was cooped up too much.
It was a lovely day outside. The sweet sunshine beamed down from the sky. There was a faint breeze. Pipsqueak stayed close to his human's heels. They stayed near the river bank and went upwards to the hills. Once-ler found himself almost going down the same path as he used to take when trying to sell his Thneed. He had to stop a moment and stare. Down that path was Thneedville and in Thneedville was Chloe.
Chloe.
A name that he had always liked had become extra personal to him. Hearing what Chloe was like made him nervous. She loved nature and diving off of waterfalls. She sounded so different to what he pictured. Once-ler imagined Chloe being a shy girl who liked being indoors, playing guitar and knitting. He didn't know anyone who liked jumping from great heights for the fun of it. He always thought deep down all people hated heights. It seemed false hearing about Chloe. If that was Chloe then what about her sister? What about Natalie?
Natalie? She was the firstborn and where was she? What was she like? Was she like Chloe? Talk about double trouble! It seemed bizarre for twins to not be near each other. Brett and Chet were always close; there wasn't a moment that Once-ler remembered that they were far apart. Looking back, it didn't seem too amazing to think that he had his own twins. How many twins did he have in his family? A lot! It seemed clear that he'd have a pair too.
Didn't Marie mention she had a set in her family? That had been a fluke. Curly hair and a pear shaped figure for the women was what ran in her family. He knew at least one thing was true. The curly hair from Marie was real. He was reminded of it every day when he saw their photographs.
He wondered little details about them that Marie hadn't mentioned. Were they tone-deaf like Marie? He didn't mind that she had been, but what of her did they have? What of him?
Once-ler hadn't realized that he had stood still for some time because Pipsqueak pawed his ankle. He looked down at him with a smile. The tiny bundle of fluff lifted up his arms. Pipsqueak was getting tired. Gladly, Once-ler lifted him up and carried him. Pipsqueak had his own ideas and crawled up to sit on his shoulder. He felt tall sitting on his human's shoulders. He held gently to Once-ler's neck to not fall.
"Ever think really hard about your future?" said Once-ler half to himself. Pipsqueak still listened. They both glanced out at the view of pathway. "Like you know something big will happen, but you wonder how you'll handle it?"
Pipsqueak cocked his head to one side. He fiddled with the fedora pushing it down over his friend's eyes. Once-ler smirked at the action. Pipsqueak didn't understand human thoughts completely. He only knew so much.
"Never mind," chuckled Once-ler as he turned to go back. Pipsqueak climbed up higher until he was hidden under the fedora. He was in a climbing mood today! Once-ler took a marshmallow out of his pocket and held it up. Pipsqueak took it with delight.
Meanwhile, Chloe woke up late and was queasy. She lingered in Ted's bed hoping her sickness would wear off. This was not how she wanted to start her day! However, Chloe's body wasn't ready for all the food she had eaten out of gluttony.
"I'd still like to go," she said meekly when Ted prepared some cereal for her. It was hopefully something she could hold down.
"Best to let you recover Creek," said The Lorax. "There's always tomorrow. You don't want to upchuck when you meet your dad."
"No, but I hoped it would be today," Chloe pouted. She hated herself for eating too much. She had always had that problem. The issue of not eating in a long time and then stuffing one's self resulted in a bad stomach ache.
"Are you going back to the valley today?" she asked.
"Yeah, but I'll be there when you show up," The Lorax said genuinely. "I'll go later tonight until I'm sure you're better. I think your old man needs some easing. He's probably as nervous as you are."
"I'm not nervous," mumbled Chloe. She turned over in the bed and yanked the covers over her head.
"Really?" muttered The Lorax. He cleared his throat and smiled. "Well, I'll let him know you're coming soon. I'll tell Pipsqueak you're okay."
"Pipsqueak?" Chloe bolted up. "He's here too?"
"Sure, he used to tag around your dad. They nearly drowned together. That's my fault though."
"Like me," she said softly. Chloe smiled upon learning that the bar-ba-loot had been a connection to her father. Then there was suspicion. "Drowned? You-never mind. I'll take my dad's word for it when he tells me his story. Give Pip a hug for me. And if you're okay with it, my dad too."
"I don't know about your dad, but Pip I can do."
Chloe snuggled back under the covers. She wished she had her purple Thneed or old stuffed rabbit to cuddle with. Pipsqueak would be great too. She slept a little longer for the day and ate lightly. After taking some painkillers she felt better.
Of course Once-ler, wasn't too thrilled about waiting. He got even more annoyed that The Lorax wouldn't let him go see her. He waited another whole day, anxious and impatient. Doubt ran in his mind.
"What if I fail this too?" Once-ler asked Marie's picture that night. "I can't fail again." The fear of failing his family came back. He didn't want to do it again. He couldn't do it again. If he failed to take care of his own heirs, then he failed at everything! However, he was not a failure like other family members who had let him down. He wouldn't let these two down!
Chloe did make time catching up on her old TV shows. She had missed watching TV almost as much as she had missed nature. She preferred to stay inside then go outside. She didn't like Thneedville much. It seemed too strange and clashing with the world. While the design was interesting it didn't feel like home. Home to her had always been some place far from people. Home was where the main colors were blue, green and brown with sweet, earthy fragrances. She hoped her dad wouldn't want to move into the city. Come to think of it, she never liked cities. Not even Palmer, the only redeeming quality it had was the frozen pond in winter to skate on. What had happened to Palmer since she last saw it? It seemed forever ago!
She sorted through her new clothes and packed them in a duffel bag she had gotten from Audrey. Maybe later, she could get a skateboard and electric guitar. She missed having those. She wondered what happened to her cabin. She wouldn't have been surprised if it had been destroyed over the years. She didn't miss it too much. She had only been there for a couple of years. It wasn't like she grew-up there. She really missed the cottage that she was born in. She wouldn't have minded if she went back there. It was extra special to her.
Ted joined Chloe at the TV and tried to watch the shows on a channel he rarely watched. It was the kind of channel that had shows that were over fifty years old. Some shows were in black-and-white and had bad visual effects. He couldn't believe it was popular back then. It seemed like a strong contrast to see something old on the big flat screen.
Even though he didn't like the shows, he liked spending time with Chloe. She was like the little sister anyone would like to have. Ted, being an only child, had always wanted a little sibling, preferably a brother, but his father died when he was a toddler. He had few, but special memories of him. How was it to be Chloe or her sister? It had to be drepressing to not have one memory of him.
Chloe talked in between commercials about her life. She had great stories to tell. She liked talking about her old home, in a town called Geisel. She went on about how green the grass was, the creek that ran, the trees to climb, and all the tiny flowers. Ted had never heard of towns outside of Thneedville. Everything in Thneedville had been about O'Hare, never its original founder. The original founder was…Chloe's father. Chloe had mentioned during one of their talks that she knew about her father. She had to know about the city. Why she never came to it…well it had been blocked up and she never came to it. Nothing could get inside or out.
"I don't care how I feel tomorrow," said Chloe. "I must see my dad and the sooner the better."
"Aren't you nervous," asked Ted. "I mean, I would be if I was meeting my dad for the first time."
"I'm not nervous," said Chloe confidently as she shook her head hard. Her ponytail bounced behind. She adjusted her black tank for a pajama top. "I'm excited! And I must say I like these pajamas out of all the clothes from this generation. I've never had pants this soft!" She stretched her legs out showing off her grey, Capri length pants. The material was ridiculously comfy for her.
Chloe could hardly sleep as she thought about the next day, but it was late in the morning that she felt a new feeling. Perhaps it really sank in of what was happening. She was meeting someone new, that someone being part of her own flesh and blood. She washed and dressed slowly, choosing to wear her new favorite outfit. The daisy tee, denim skirt, vest and grey tights were becoming popular for her. She pulled her hair in a half ponytail. She chose a dark purple holder, her favorite color. The duffel bag had her clothes and some toiletries. The moment she got a toothbrush she had cleaned her teeth for almost an hour.
"Let's get going," said Ted when he grabbed his helmet. It was late at noon when he finally got Chloe ready. "I think you'll love the scooter!"
"Actually can we walk?" asked Chloe quietly. "I like walking."
"We'll get there faster if we go by scooter," said Ted taking her duffel bag. He didn't think she was strong enough to carry it. Sure enough, Chloe had dragged it since she got it.
"I know, but I'd like to walk." Chloe clicked her heels together in her grey converses. "If that's okay with you."
"Okay," shrugged Ted. He was too used to using his scooter for transportation. After locking the door, he and Chloe left. He kept forgetting she had been around longer than him. She seemed like she had been born after him. The walk would take longer than an hour since they were deep in Thneedville.
Out of Thneedville, much to Chloe relief, she saw the Truffula Tree saplings. Ted had said that after the wall broke down they started slowly growing. Apparently there had been more seeds, but they had been too deep in the earth. Once-ler had dug madly looking for seeds and only found one, perhaps for good reason. Only one was needed to change a city. There had to have been a higher power that only let him find one. Chloe had liked hearing the story from Ted's point of view when she had rested in bed with a pained stomach. She especially loved the part where Ted went flying fifty feet in the air from the doorbell. She wanted to try it! Ted had only told his perspective; he would let Once-ler tell his own. No doubt she had things to tell him too.
As they walked, at some point Chloe laced her hand into Ted's. He noticed she was sweating. Maybe she was nervous after all. Ted didn't push her away. He felt a little protective of her as they kept their pace.
"You ready for this?" he asked grinning.
"I've waited my whole life for this," Chloe said slowly. She took a lip-gloss out of her pocket to apply a shine on her thin lips. The cotton candy taste did nothing to soothe. "So why am I scared?"
"It's okay to be scared," Ted reassured her. He took her hand back in his to squeeze it. He felt like he had bonded with her over the past two days, from the rescue to that moment.
"I just-what if my dad doesn't like who I am? Mom talked about him, but still."
"He was upset finding out her missed a hundred years of your life," Ted said. "I think he loves you already."
"Hey, I'm not that old!" said Chloe smiling slyly. She shoved him to the side playfully.
While Chloe's thoughts wrestled she milked in all the sights. She had never seen Truffula Trees in her life. They were only myths before! The little bridge that had a stream running underneath was tempting to splash in. The billboard with Truffula Trees painted on it replaced the horrifying image of the Thneed advertisement. Ted was glad that was gone! That picture had disturbed him. The air smelled clean and familiar to Chloe. It was that country scent. They kept getting closer. They passed the signs that warned to keep out. Once-ler still liked his privacy and it kept away salesmen.
"Quit pacing Beanpole you're gonna make a whole in the floor," said The Lorax nibbling on a marshmallow. The human had been doing it for an hour by far.
Once-ler didn't answer. He kept going up and down the kitchen area, checking the window, pacing again, grab a marshmallow, check the window and repeat. He felt restless. He hardly slept that night from all the cooking. It felt reminiscent to when he waited for Marie to show up for their honeymoon. He had cooked and baked enough for a week. Once-ler made a new pancake batter to save, baked cookies, made a stew and laid out marshmallows in a huge bowl. It was only half full because of his and The Lorax's sneaks. It had to be perfect!
"This is it," sighed Once-ler. After all these years, he was seeing one of his daughters. It seemed like a dream, but he had a twinge of fear in him. "What exactly do I do?"
"With Creek?" asked The Lorax taking another marshmallow. "Just talk with her. You don't need to put on a talent show for her."
"No, I don't know anything about having a daughter. What am I supposed to do as her father?"
"Protect her from boys? Ground her when she throws a fit? Spoil her with candy?" The Lorax took the best guesses he could think of. He sighed and leaned back on the table he sat on. "All you have to do is love her Beanpole. That's all she needs."
"You're right," breathed Once-ler. "That's all they need. I have twin-Mustache! Get off the table! I just cleaned it!" He shooed him off and swiped the table top again.
"Yeesh," The Lorax snapped. "No need to get huffy!" He stepped outside and then smiled. "Oh! Look whose coming!" Once-ler's ear pricked up and his eyes went big.
Chloë looked up to see an iron fence with gates leading up a hill where a funny looking house stood. The stairs outside looked like they had once been attached to a building. The signpost stood, but there were no crows. There were Swomee-Swans perched and cleaning themselves. Chloe had been amazed to the see the animals, but she hadn't seen Pipsqueak yet.
"Here we are," said Ted pushing the gate open. "You want to wait here for a second?"
Chloe nodded. Ted went ahead to let his friends know they had arrived. Chloe did wait until something caught her eye. The pile of rocks that said "Unless" beckoned her. She stared at it and then sat down. She picked at the small tufts of grass that had grown.
"We're here!" announced Ted as he stepped inside the Lurkim.
"Come on Beanpole. Go already! No! Quit worrying about refilling the bowl! She's waiting for you!" she recognized The Lorax's voice.
"Hey! Don't push me!" A voice she had never heard before. "Don't push me you furry meatloaf!"
Chloe stood up and clasped her arms in front of her. Once-ler nearly tripped out of his doorstep. He huffed, adjusted his fedora and looked out. Two sets of cerulean eyes locked. Mouths parted a little in awe. A few timid steps. Eyes still didn't move. Once-ler looked down to see a girl about the height of his waist staring up at him. Chloe looked up to see a tall, young man gazing down to her.
After so many years of never knowing…she was there. After a lifetime of never seeing him…he was there. They had known what appearances would be, but now it wasn't looking at a picture or newspaper clipping. Two figures with round, baby faces, light freckles, button noses, identical smiles, lanky frames and ink black hair stood still. No one else existed. The world went still.
Chloe felt tears prickle her eyes. Her lips wobbled and she clamped her mouth. This was her father, The Once-ler. She didn't know what to do exactly, but she didn't feel so afraid. Her mother was right; he did have eyes as blue as the sky! She had tried so many times the past two days to picture him in a new form, but now he looked better than she imagined.
Once-ler slowly took off his fedora, almost like a courtesy. He could see Marie's features. She was more beautiful in person. He wasn't as ready as he thought his mind would be when he saw her. Though he didn't know what to do, he found his own reflexes take control.
He sank down to his knees, eye level with her. A hand slowly reached out. Then gently, as if she was porcelain, touched her cheek bone. He could see tears trying to break free from her eyelashes and sapphire eyes…Marie's eyes.
"Chloe," Once-ler whispered and managed a smile of wonder.
Chloe could no longer bear it and her heart reacted. With a grateful sob she threw her arms around his neck and let tears fall into his vest. She couldn't get her arms tight enough around him with how glad she was. Once-ler didn't hesitate to hold her back; pressing her close to him as if it would be his last hug. Tears fell into her raven curls. They weren't sad. They were the best tears to shed.
"You're here," she said with a lump in her throat.
Never had a love like this had flowed into Once-ler's heart. The love a father had for his child. A love he never experienced or remembered. A love that all parents should feel, but his mother never honestly had. He wouldn't be his mother. A scent of rain and wood graced his nose as he realized it was Chloe's hair.
Chloe felt secure in a way she had never felt. A type of safety she had prayed to feel. Her father wasn't some distant figure, a figment of her imagination, he was there. She could feel him around her. She smelled mint, cotton and grass. He smelled like nature! So much better than the spicy and gagging scents she knew men to wear. He was in the same outfit like the one photo her mother had had of him.
Ted watched the scene from the doorway. The Lorax tugged at his hand and motioned for him to follow. The pre-teen obeyed and they two walked off to leave the father and daughter alone.
Chloe suddenly felt herself being lifted up. She opened her eyes which had been closed from crying. She realized that he was crying too. Then in a new way the world seemed small to her. She was seeing the world from his view.
Once-ler smiled to himself as he lifted her up. She was light and small enough to carry. He couldn't ask for more! He nestled his face into her head and kissed it softly. She was really his!
The tender moment lasted a long time and it felt like the best moment ever for two renewed lives.