I wanted so much more from the bedtime scene. I know very well this would have drastically changed the rest of the movie, but I do not care at this point. This is just wish fulfillment.

The doorknob to Sherman's bedroom was cold in Peabody's paw as he held it. He hesitated to enter. Sherman had bit someone despite all his instructions over the years not to. His current impression was that Sherman had bit her unprovoked. That was completely unlike him. He had raised Sherman better than that. Hadn't he? He had always pushed his more troublesome canine instincts down, but now he was worried they had somehow bubbled to the surface even without his knowing it and Sherman, being of course an impressionable child, had taken them to heart.

After leaving the principals office the day had gone on as normal. Until he picked Sherman up from school. Sherman was quiet all evening, and Peabody had been hesitant to talk to him about it. But he knew it would have to be dealt with, and soon.

He opened the door and he saw Sherman lying in bed as he was supposed to be, in his pajamas and clutching his dinosaur toy.

He slowly walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it. For a very brief moment there was silence as Peabody stared at the letters over Sherman's bed, and Sherman stared at some point in the darkness across his room. Finally, Sherman couldn't take the silence anymore and spoke.

"I'm sorry I bit her, Mr. Peabody, I won't do it again..."

"You're darn tooting you won't do it again, this kind of wanton violence is totally unacceptable! And rather uncharacteristic given how you feel about Mr. Gandhi. What on Earth provoked it?" Peabody regretted the tone in which he said the words as soon as he said them. He saw Sherman flinch ever so slightly as he spoke.

Sherman shrugged his shoulders as a sigh escaped his lips. "She called me a dog."

Peabody felt like he had hit a brick wall. He was confused and disoriented. This was new information to him. The school had given him every impression that Sherman was the aggressor and the instigator. But, one thing at a time. Start at the beginning.

"Well...why did she call you a dog?" he asked.

"I dunno! She just walked up to me and started being mean!" Peabody could hear the frustration in Sherman's voice.

"What exactly happened, Sherman?"

Sherman took a deep breath. "I was eating lunch with my new friends- Oh! can we have them over!? Mason wants to bring his hydrogen atom model and-"

"Perhaps, we can talk about it later, stay focused, Sherman..."

Sherman continued, his words quickly tumbling out of his mouth. "Ok, then Penny comes over and asks me if I have kibbles or bits for lunch, then she says I'm a dog and throws my sandwich across the room and tells me to fetch it." As he spoke, his eyes began to water as he remembered the embarrassment and he began to hiccup.

Peabody's could feel his heart breaking as he hesitantly put a paw on Sherman's shoulder, trying to comfort him.

"The-hic-n she takes my whistle out of m-hic-y pocket and wouldnt give it back... Then she starts choking me... that's w-hic-hen I bit her..."

Peabody felt a growl rising in his throat. "That was not the story I was told by the school... and I'm more inclined to believe the word of my own son than the school."

Sherman looked up at his father in utter adoration at being listened to and believed as tears streamed down his cheeks.

Peabody continued. "I suppose I should tell you what happened in the principal's office... Due to the schools story, an agent from the Bureau of Child Safety and Protection named Ms. Grunion was called and she is going to be coming over tomorrow evening to investigate us..."

Sherman frowned, becoming visibly scared. "Why does she have to investigate us?"

Peabody sighed sadly. "Because they think that you learned to bite from me..."

Sherman quickly sat straight up. All sadness was gone. "No, I didn't! You always tell me to never bite anyone, and I've never seen you bite anyone! What else was I supposed to do!? I-" he said angrily.

Peabody put both of his paws on both of Sherman's shoulders. "Sherman, Sherman calm down... I am not mad at you anymore... While I do not approve of the fact you had to bite at all, I am still so proud of you for using violence only as a last resort like I've taught you..." He smiled fondly. "But... if the worker finds any reason to take you away from me, she will..."

Sherman whimpered in terror. "No! I don't want to be taken away from you, Mr. Peabody!" He threw his arms around Peabody in a tight hug.

Peabody awkwardly put his arms around Sherman and patted his back. "I do not want you taken away from me either, Sherman. Which is why I am telling you now to prepare you for what we are going to do..."

Sherman broke the hug and looked at him. "What are we going to do?"

"I've invited Penny and her family over-"

Sherman shot his father the biggest look of betrayal. "Why would you invite her over here?! I dont want her in our house!"

"Sherman, don't interrupt, let me continue. I've invited the Petersons over for dinner tomorrow night to mend the relations between us. Penny's father did not sound too happy when I spoke to her mother about it earlier today, but, if you and I work together, we can prove to both Penny and her family and Ms. Grunion that you and I are a normal family like any other..."

Sherman frowned. Clearly, he was uncertain about the plan.

"Please trust me, Sherman. This will work." Peabody said.

Sherman sighed. "Ok... I trust you." He looked at Peabody and hugged him again "I love you, Mr. Peabody."

Peabody hugged back awkwardly and smiled "I... have a very deep regard for you as well, Sherman."

He broke the hug and hopped off the bed.

"Now get some sleep, you will need it for tomorrow."

Sherman nodded as he lied down. "Goodnight Mr. Peabody."

"Goodnight Sherman. Sweet dreams." He said as he turned the light off and shut the door.