Hello! Thanks for being so patient, lovely readers! :) It's hard finding time to write while having to work during a pandemic. (Hats off to all the fellow workers out there!)

This slice-of-life chapter was lots of fun to write. It still ended up pretty long, but I edited it down as much as I could. We have Randall and Rex returning home with an unconventional memorial for Sam, a bit of Ghost Suzie trying to work up a way to speak to her sister, Randall's birthday with a trip out to the swamplands, and plenty of the Randall/OC pairing! (I'm keeping them both in character, so it works well.) Also, another thank you to Scaridise for naming it 'Randecca.' I even included it in this chapter for a fun moment. Enjoy reading! :)

Chapter Thirty-Two: Coming Home to Interruptions

"Do you think she'll notice?" Rex asked innocently while gazing out the window. He had been keeping his eyes peeled for Naomi, who was strolling up towards the house.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure that's a big 'yes.'" Randall nodded; the bandage on his side was a dead giveaway. Since Naomi lived within walking distance of the Boggs' house, it was a normal routine for her to casually come through the backyard. They were all heading to Bernard's for breakfast this morning, with Rex in tow, of course. Randall got up to unlock the kitchen door, wincing slightly when he moved. Most of the pain had ebbed off, but his side still stung a little.

It was bright and early in Monstropolis. They had arrived home late last night, but both uncle and nephew were alert and awake this morning. Sunshine streamed in through the windows, greeting the day. The weekend at Zach's was over and it had certainly been an eventful one. After the stargazing, movie nights, family dinners, and overall wholesomeness of the visit, Randall had given in to his father's unconventional idea. (Samuel had encouraged the entire time, popping in and out of sight for the duration of the visit.) Getting a tattoo in memorial of his brother wasn't what Randall had expected from Zach. He had been a bit hesitant at first, but the idea grew on him quickly.

Rex's boundless excitement had helped cement the decision as well. Having his father immortalized in a permanent piece of art sounded great! The little orange monster hopped off the kitchen windowseat, beating his uncle to the door. He pulled it open before Naomi even reached it, allowing the cool early-spring air drift in. "Hi, Miss Naomi! We're back!" He called as she approached. "Proceed forward and step inside our humble abode!"

"Nice to see you too, Rex." Naomi giggled at the boy's fondness of big words. She came in, her lavender hair perfectly styled and pink jacket tidily pressed. "Morning, Randall! So, how did the visit go? I know you're not the closest with your dad, so how—" she gasped upon noticing the opaque white bandage on Randall's left side. Her three blue eyes widened in panic. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, what happened?!"

"Before you lose your head," Randall raised his hands as she ran over in concern. "Don't worry. But I only got it done yesterday, so no touching, got it?" The bandage was between his upper and lower sets of arms on the left side, above the scar tissue from the old gunshot wound. Now that Naomi was closer, she saw more bandages winding onto his upper left arm, too. Her confusion was obvious. She glanced from the smug Randall to the overly cheery Rex, her silence speaking volumes while waiting for an explanation. "My father took me to a tattoo parlor yesterday," Randall leaned against the table, amused by her jaw-hitting-the-floor reaction. "You know, it's amazing that my hometown still has one, given how small the community is."

"They wouldn't let me come to watch! 'No kids allowed.' Humph." Rex pouted. "I had to stay at Grandpa's house with a babysitter. She wanted to play boring games like checkers, so I kept hiding from her."

"And I bet she'll never babysit again. That poor girl called Dad in panic many times while we were out. She kept thinking Rex had vanished off the face of the world! Dad calmed her down, but I thought it was pretty funny. Say, Naomi, whenever you or Bernard watch Rex, does he ever pull those crazy disappearing acts?"

"Wait, wait, both of you rewind and freeze!" Naomi held up her claws. "Let me get this straight: Your astronomer, science-obsessed, strict and never-impressed father took you to a tattoo shop yesterday?"

"You've seen the ink on my dad's back. There's a rebellious side, too. He just never shows it." Randall chuckled. He pointed at the bandage. "This was all his idea. All for my brother. 'Course, I was somewhat encouraged by—" He held his tongue before he could say 'Sam,' and quickly thought of a good recovery. "—my nephew, who was all-too enthusiastic. C'mon. Let's head over to Bernard's. I'll explain everything over there."

Naomi still wore a baffled expression. She waited for Randall and Rex to fetch their heated jackets—it was still a bit cold outside—and the three of them were ready to go. Rex practically skipped into the early-morning sunshine, for it felt good to be home to stay. By then, Naomi's initial shock had worn off. "I sure didn't expect this," she remarked as Randall locked the door behind them. "You go away for a custody hearing and come back with ink!...Wait until your girlfriend sees this!" she teased as they followed Rex around the house.

Randall almost responded angrily but ended up rolling his eyes with an amused chuff. Naomi always was a bit of a teaser. And it was kind of true, he supposed…that much he could not deny. Hm. That does have a nice ring to it.

…

The three of them conversed all the way to the Brennen's house, deciding to walk there instead of riding the bus. Naomi was in a good mood, so she was super-talkative. After three whole days, there was much to say about the weekend. She rambled at full-speed, describing the fishing trip Bernard had taken them on, and how Becca frequently brought Randall up in conversation. (Who was both surprised and pleased to hear that.) And about her own cooking experiments that had been mostly successful, even without his instruction.

"…so after the fifteenth catch, Bernard finally got one of those tiny little sharks. The kind with five eyes, you know? I was expecting them to be a whole lot bigger. Why Becca challenged him to try and catch a shark, I'll never know. I thought she just wanted to punch it or something, but turns out she only wanted to see one up close. Bernard let it go, though not before the thing tried to bite me! Some of its teeth broke off on the railing. Look, I even got one!" She pulled out a golf-ball-sized shark tooth from her pocket.

Rex was enthralled by the story and the large tooth. "Wow! If that's a small tooth, what was a big one supposed to look like?"

They reached Bernard's four-story mansion and strolled up the path that led around to the backyard. The park-like yard was showing signs of coming back to life after the winter. The trees down at the garden's far end were already budding.

Rex ran over to the sliding patio door that led into the Brennen's kitchen. There was a happy cry as Penny rushed over to give him a big hug. The strong little girl had inherited a lot of physical traits from her father and grandfather: gorilla-like strength, and the same fearsome angler-fish teeth. She practically crushed Rex with her strong yellow arms.

"I can't wait to see their reactions to that," Naomi said, pointing to Randall's side, which was hidden under the jacket. "What sort of tattoo did you get, anyway?"

Randall smirked smugly, preferring to show everyone at once. One reason he'd kept the bandage on was to do a grand reveal to all his friends.

Indeed, they were all helping with the making of a huge breakfast of fried green rotten eggs on burnt toast. The smell would have turned any human's nose, but for monsters, it was wonderfully enticing. Nicholas Brennen—the spitting image of his father, but with orange skin—was busy at the stove with Lucy Brennen helping. Her slender yellow figure moved gracefully as she multitasked, pushing back her spiky hair coolly. She waved to the new arrivals as they came in, before getting right back to the cooking spree.

"Good to see you again, Randall! You too, Rex." Nicholas greeted, flipping eggs. "Dad, they're here!"

"So you're back!" Bernard's colorful feather crest popped around the corner as he came in. "Congratulations on the custody! Zach told me it all went smoothly. You'll have to tell us all about the rest of the trip as soon as Becca joins—" He stopped and stuttered. For Randall had unzipped his jacket, freeing all four arms to reveal his bandaged side. It was still a bit tender, so he cringed slightly from the task. Such a sight threw Bernard for a loop. "Geez, what happened now?!" Over at the counter, Nick and Lucy were also shocked. "Trust you to stay out of trouble and yet another accident happens! Seems typical by now."

Rex was whispering into Penny's ear and she giggled at knowing the truth while all the grown-ups were clueless. At that moment, Becca strolled into the lavish kitchen. The smell of the fried rotten eggs had lured her out of her room, several floors above. The joyous look in her eyes upon seeing Randall immediately changed to incredulous upon noticing his condition. "What the hell did you do now?"

"OK, that's enough putting it off," Naomi nudged Randall to prompt him. "Go ahead and show us!"

He stifled his amused laughter. "To answer your question, Becca, I agreed to get this done. And no, this wasn't an accident, Bernard." He carefully peeled off the taped edges of the bandages. What a relief it was to finally be rid of them.

Rex had not even seen the inkwork yet and explained to everyone, "Grandpa wanted to memorialize my dad somehow, and since dad liked tattoos, Uncle Randy and Grandpa decided to get some, too! Neat, isn't it?"

"The idea grew on me the more I thought about it." Randall confirmed, holding up his upper left arm so as to better show off what was now etched into his scales. The tattoo was an artistic abstract design wrapping around his left side, sort of in the shape of a sunburst, made up of lots of geometric patterns. The center was full of little details, with tendrils of the pattern spreading out, some of which intertwined with the scar tissue from the old gunshot wound. One tendril wrapped around his upper left arm in a half-sleeve. The geometricity was different from Sam's own inkwork, but still gave a nod to it.

"I didn't want it to be too similar to my brother's," Randall explained, moving his arm around to see it from all angles. "After all, I'm not him. But this part has him in mind. I think he'd like it." Out of the corner of his eye, the apparition of Sam briefly appeared. His brother's ghostly form smiled with appreciation and a happy thumbs-up. He disappeared on Randall's next blink. Rex and Penny stood close to better see, and Randall was suddenly self-conscious of everyone's stares. "So, what do you think?"

Bernard was wide-eyed with surprise, along with Nicholas, who ended up burning a few eggs. Lucy was the first to respond. "Oh, that's such a good idea! Some of my friends have tattoos like that, to remember other monsters by. The work is very good; you got that done in one day?"

Randall nodded, less tense. "The monster who did it had six arms. A good multitasker, that one. He's the same guy who gave Sam and my Dad theirs, so I guess it runs in the family, now." He forced a chuckle to break the silence. "My father got some partial sleeves done yesterday, to add on to what he has now."

"Yikes! That must've been a painful couple of hours." Naomi wondered. She held up Randall's upper-left arm to better see the patterns.

"No touching! It's stinging like crazy." Randall warned.

"You know what? I love it! And you can still see the scar tissue, too. That's two memorials, right there." Naomi proclaimed quite happily. Indeed, Randall had purposefully left the scarring alone. That wound had been atrociously terrible—it had nearly killed him. But Suzie had been the one to nurse him back to health. So those scars were all for her, in a way. "It's kind of funny that your father came up with this," Naomi continued, dishing up a plate of eggs-on-toast for herself. "Usually it's the rebellious kid who asks the parent about stuff like this."

Bernard laughed at that comment. Turning towards Randall, he remarked, "You're just full of surprises, sometimes. In all seriousness, though, I think you're right. Sam would have absolutely liked it." He nodded in approval. "Now, how about some breakfast? It's piping hot and ready…" He and Lucy rounded up the five-year-olds for their plates, for Naomi was already digging into the food hungrily.

There came an elated feeling upon Randall. Bernard's praise was a big relief, for the big red monster had always been the surrogate leader and advice-giver of their group. Having his approval with anything was a big deal. Not just him, though. Before going over to join the breakfast party, Randall glanced at Becca to try and read her thoughts, for she had been quiet this whole time.

She was smiling, shaking her fin-covered head with feelers swaying, and hands on her hips in a purely bemused way. A good sign. "Still coming up with crazy ideas, even after all this time." She said with a hint of admiration. "Don't look so stressed out, Genius. This decision was one of your better ones." She admired the intricate work up close. Then, in a rare, bold move, wrapped an arm around his neck for a quick hug. "Glad to have you back. Three days isn't long, but we missed you—some of us more than others."

Randall chuckled at the subtle attempt at flirting. The softer side of Becca didn't make itself known very often, but he loved it just as much as the bold, confident side. Her scaly gold-speckled hand lingered on his neck for several seconds longer, and he suddenly realized how close they were…there came a sudden urge to lean forward—but there were half a dozen other monsters in the room. Becca grasped the situation, too, and they broke apart reluctantly. Naomi noticed the interaction, but wisely kept silent after Becca's evil-eye warning glare.

The breakfast party went on as normal as could be. Randall and Rex took turns telling the others all about their busy weekend. Every now and then, Naomi's lavender smile would light up mischievously—probably from spying on the subtle signs from earlier—to which Becca and Randall would roll their eyes. Really, her school-girlish ways could be a drag, sometimes. But still, the light-hearted feeling remained. And the formally stoic and hard-hearted lizard didn't mind it at all. Over the weekend, Randall had had a talk with Zack regarding his newfound relationship and of what would happen next. Now that Rex was sorted out, there was nothing else to lose. The thought was quite elating…as if nothing could go wrong from here on out. So long as Naomi refrained from making a big deal out of it.

The gang moved outside down to the bottom of the garden to talk amongst themselves, while Nick, Lucy and the kids stayed indoors. (Rex almost tagged along but decided to let his uncle have time alone with his friends instead.) The sunlight cast lovely early-morning shadows throughout the garden. None of the trees had full leaves yet, but the feeling of spring was still here. There was a pleasant dew on the lush grass which Becca promptly rolled around in. Her scales glistened with hydration afterwards—Bernard couldn't help but laugh at the sight. She was usually a lot more serious than that.

"Now that you've finished being silly," Naomi giggled, "It's time to make some plans!"

"What plans?" Randall asked, finishing a last bite of toast as Becca sat down next to him.

"Your birthday is next month, right? We should go someplace fun! After all, there's a lot to celebrate. Rex could come with us, too, if he wants."

"Not a bad idea, Princess." Becca approved. She turned to Randall. "What do you think? It's your birthday, so you get the final word. And given your new guardian status, it's fine with us if Rex comes along. We already talked about it while you guys were away."

"Of course," said Bernard. "Can't be shirking the responsibility right off the bat now, can you?"

"Very funny." Randall rolled his eyes. "A trip somewhere sounds nice. And to expand on that comment, Bernard, I'll have you know I'm putting Rex in school this week. Just thought you should know I'm as far away as can be from 'shirking my responsibility.'"

There was a flurry of exclamations from the others. "What? No way!" "About time Rex had someplace to put his smarts to good use." "Was that Zachariah's idea?"

Randall shrugged. "The kid's more than ready for school. But to tell the truth, I'm nervous about letting him join forces with a whole bunch of other little monsters his own age. It seems like a terrible idea."

Naomi whistled. "Woo boy, I shudder at what kind of trouble the little guy will get into." She laughed suddenly. "And whatever teacher has to keep searching for him on a daily basis!"

Randall had already discussed the matter with Sam. (But of course that particular detail about seeing ghosts was left out.) "At least my nephew won't be wandering around the factory corridors anymore—unless he finds other ways to get into mischief…" Shaking the thought aside while his friends laughed, he tried not to worry about it too much. Learning to be a good guardian was a learning process too, after all.

…

There was a bit of a stir when Randall Boggs showed up at the factory sporting such a large tattoo on his scales. Despite being reformed, he still maintained the tough, impatient reputation, so not many monsters approached him directly. But there were obvious stares following him around for days. Many guessed as to why he had gone and done such a thing. Fungus found it to be a nice touch, honoring Samuel Boggs in this way. Even Mike Wazowski voiced a similar opinion, striking up a conversation about it in the cafeteria. He and Randall were on good terms these days, ever since the big interview with the press. Being able to talk to each other so normally felt a lot like their old college roommate days.

Randall was glad of the aftermath regarding the inkwork. Sam had been the company counsellor, meaning most of the factory had known him, and was still sorely missed after these several months of being gone…It was comforting to know that his memory would live on, no matter what else happened.

Early spring creeped up in Monstropolis over the next few weeks. All over the city, parks came back to life with new, budding greenery. Any city-planted trees on the sidewalks began to show signs of growing again. Many birds—of the monstrous, two-headed, fire-breathing variety—reappeared in the city from their winter down south. The weather became warmer every day, and the feel of change was like a new, fresh start. Even the old tree in the Boggs' backyard woke up from winter's bite. It was finally warm enough for Randall to sneak out and have a quick snooze up there. Sleeping in trees still felt completely normal; he'd grown all-too used to it in the Human World. It was quiet up in the branches where he could take some time to relax or simply be alone with his thoughts.

Knowing that Rex was here to stay was a lot to take in. That meant thinking more about the long-term future. He often voiced thoughts and fears to Sam whilst lounging up in the tree branches. His brother was always ready to listen and eager to give good advice. It was in his nature to be a good listener, trying to help monsters however he could. Sam heartily approved of Rex attending kindergarten. Although the boy was more then ready for first grade, thanks to all the study sessions with his uncle, there wasn't much time left in the school year. It made sense for him to have a bit socializing before jumping into the serious stuff.

The Boggs' brothers plan was put into action soon after. Randall took his nephew to Frighton Elementary's kindergarten class every weekday morning and picked him up in the afternoon. His own days at Monsters, Inc. were equally interesting, since he was busy with the maintenance team and the brand-new, high-tech door stations. Rex quickly adapted to the routine—although he was woeful about not being able to roam the factory at his leisure anymore. But the fact that Penny Brennen was in the same class was a huge joy. It was nice to have one friend in the middle of all these big changes.

It was also a relief for Randall to know that his mischievous nephew wasn't getting into trouble. Unless he's doing the same thing at that school by wandering around the hallways…No. I don't want to know. He shook the thought away. Trials and troubles arose daily with Rex. The kid was a handful enough already.

With learning this new parental role, and all sorts of engineering jobs with the maintenance team, he was glad whenever there was extra time to spare. The daily adventures with his friends may not be as thrilling as when they'd lived in the Human World, but their time together was still full of fun. One sanctuary was out on Bernard's yacht, just the four of them on the water without a care in the world. The secret excursions into the Human World often became afternoon trips—the highlands of Iceland were a coveted spot for the entire gang. Even the bug-paranoid Naomi found the place beautiful in the early springtime, with its endless open sky and rolling hills. (Rex never came along on such excursions, instead being left with Nick and Lucy.)

Randall also worked on his now steady relationship with Becca. It felt so natural being around her that it was getting hard to separate their personal life from the professional one. Of course they kept their status under-wraps while at work in the factory, but were together so often that monsters began referring to them as 'The Domineering Duo.' The only exception was Jeffery Fungus. Unbeknownst to anyone, the stammering red monster grew ever suspicious of something more than mere friendship between the two.

"Maybe I outta ask one of them what's going on…" Fungus considered, watching from a distance as Randall and Becca walked across the foyer one day. Whatever they were discussing must've been good; both were actually smiling! Looking happy! It was weird. Fungus adjusted his three-lensed glasses, shuddering at the thought of their respective tempers and ways of dealing with other monsters. "On second thought, I'll just mind my own business."

…

With life going on smoothly, and Rex keeping busy at Frighton Elementary, spring arrived in full before anyone realized. It was like a breath of fresh air, welcoming the new season. Despite the positive changes, Randall had noticed Becca's short fuse had been even shorter than usual lately. The signs were all there: during a normal conversation, she would suddenly lose her temper at the smallest insignificance and grow frustrated at seemingly everything. It was obvious that something was bothering her. Randall waited to see if she would confess whatever was wrong, but she was the sort of monster who only confessed problems when confronted about them. Once her bad mood had gone on for a week, his patience grew thin. I'd ask Suzie for help, but she hasn't been around much the last few days…He had a strong notion that the girl had something to do with Becca's testiness.

It wasn't until a rainy-day weekend when the mystery was discovered.

The gang was getting together later for a game night, so Randall and Becca decided to have a casual lunch together at the Boggs' house. The rain outside practically thundered in a torrential downpour; the prospect of going someplace in a rainstorm didn't sound very appealing. So they stayed in, just hanging out and enjoying each other's company. They had a game of arguing over the simplest of subjects. Today it was all about a monster in Becca's scare-coaching class whom she suspected of cheating.

"…I'm telling you, Randall, Penski is trying to make the other scarers worse just so he can boost his own numbers! I'm sure of it, the way he talks to the rest of the class so degradingly…kind of how you used to do." Becca declared. She lay on the sofa with her feet and long eels' tail draped over the arm rest.

Randall voiced his own opinion. "You have no proof that he's doing it on purpose. He's new, right? Talking down to the others could just be his personality. Unless you catch him tampering with the door stations—which is impossible with my new design—there's nothing to accuse him of. Ever think of that?" He brought over a plate of freshly baked cupcakes for dessert. "Why are we still arguing about this?"

"'Cause I needed to vent. And 'cause you're fun and actually argue back." She took a bite of a cupcake. "Mm. OK, I feel better, now. Naomi may be taking lessons from you, but your baking will always be the best."

Randall shrugged with gratitude at the compliment. They sat next to each other on the sofa, listening to the pounding of the rain on the living room windows. They were distracted enough by the sound, but still noticed one of the cupcakes rising off the plate. It started floating away…Becca held back her laugher. Floating deserts was a new sight to see. The cake quickly dropped, flying back to its spot on the plate.

Randall smirked. Two could play at this game. He blended away into thin air and picked up the rest of the cakes in several of his hands, holding them up high and out of reach in perfect formation. This time Becca's pent-up laughter escaped. It was only then when Rex's concentration broke, and he reappeared. "Aw, no fair!" He pouted, gazing longingly at the cupcakes his uncle held high.

Randall tossed one to his nephew. "Here. I'm just joking around. But no more then two, got it? Or else you'll be bouncing off the walls for hours."

Rex immediately took two and carried them off down the hall. He was spending much of the day up in his room, for the pounding of the rain was extra-loud on the roof of the loft and fun to listen to.

"He'll probably sneak a few more, anyway. You know that, right?" Becca reminded of the boy's sneaky nature. "Probably gets it from you."

"All the more reason to eat our share." Randall settled back on the sofa.

For a while, the two monsters were quiet, eating cupcakes and watching TV with the rainstorm in the background. Their relationship became more and more comfortable as time went on. They still didn't show any sort of affection in front of anyone, though. In the privacy of the living room and with Rex upstairs and out of the way, it was deemed safe enough to let their guard down. Randall was taken by surprise when Becca shyly cuddled up to him on the sofa…But he wasn't complaining. She commented on the movie they were watching, and he even plucked up the courage to put an arm around her; she didn't complain, either, and they both relaxed.

This was nice…a lazy afternoon was a wonderful change of pace. The mood was calm and casual, so he decided to ask about what had been bothering her lately. "You're in a better mood today. Even after that little rant about Penski."

"Humph. That obvious, huh?" She trailed off, tracing the patterns of his tattoo. She noticed Randall's raised-brow-gaze, a silent way of asking if there was anything wrong. She caved. "OK, I admit I've been a bit tense all week. It's nothing, really. Just a lot of bad dreams…"

"Nightmares?" He wondered. It couldn't have anything to do with Suzie, could it?

"Well, not nightmares, exactly. But all week I keep having dreams about Suzie, over and over again. It's nothing scary, but they're all the same! All of them involve talking to her again and hearing those awful jokes she liked she much. As corny as those were, it's kind of sad to know I'll never hear them again…The nightmares, dreams, whatever they are, used to be just once in a while, but they're getting more frequent."

Randall stiffened. Now he was even more curious…He asked questions regarding these dreams, and they did indeed all sound the same: Becca would 'wake up' to find her sister in the room, as if she'd never been gone, and the two would talk joyfully for a while before Becca 'fell asleep' again. The summed-up description confirmed his suspicions. Suzie must be trying to talk to her sister in a different way.

"…maybe it's because we visit Iceland so often. It was the place where Suzie died…" Becca decided.

"Yes…" he trailed off, distracted. There came a flicker of royal-blue scales nearby—the monster whom they belonged to made wild gestures for him to follow out of the room. The image disappeared on his next blink. Oh boy. What is she up to, now?

Randall was wonderfully comfortable on the sofa with an arm wrapped around Becca as she practically reclined on him. Having to get up was annoying, but he used the excuse of getting something to drink, leaving Becca alone in the living room. Across the hall, he found Suzie and Sam sitting in the kitchen windowseat. The girl looked worried while Sam spoke to her softly in an effort to reassure her. She made eye contact with Randall, not knowing how to explain her latest escapade.

Randall was peeved at finding the both of them. "Do you two really have to be here? Now, of all times?"

"Sorry, bro. Didn't mean to interrupt your little date, but when you started asking Becca those questions—"

Randall raised a hand to silence his brother and said to Suzie, "You've been letting her see you, haven't you? But she thinks you're just a dream?"

With a nervous shrug, Suzie nodded. "Yes…In the middle of the night I'll wake her up and we'll talk for a bit before she goes back to sleep…should I stop?" she then explained in a rush, "Becca doesn't believe in ghosts, Randall! I can't follow her around like with you and Rex. She'd never acknowledge my presence in broad daylight. Letting her think I'm a dream is the next best thing."

Sam considered the situation. "Maybe cut back on these visits. They're only making your sister very snappy with everyone. Even dreams can make monsters act in very unexpected ways, especially if the subject is of a lost one…"

While the apparitions talked, Randall went about making warm tea for himself and Becca. It was a chilly, rainy spring day outside, and hot drinks sounded great right about now. Personally, he thought Suzie's solution was a clever idea. "Sam, it's actually not a bad idea." He interrupted their chat. "If Becca doesn't believe in ghosts, then this lets the girls talk to each other without causing a ruckus. Maybe you should try the same thing if you don't let Rex see you soon. You're healed up enough that you won't scare the kid by the mere sight of you."

The pewter grey lizard was nervous at the thought. True, all that was left of his injuries was bruising and several breaks in his tale. But he still wavered at the idea. An orphaned kid seeing his ghostly father who had died months ago in a wreck they'd both been in? It was upsetting. "I don't know—"

"Just think about it, Sam. He knows I can see you, so why not him? He's keeping his patience in check, but mine is running out." Randall carried the mugs off, now full of steaming hot tea. "And guys," he turned back. "Could you not barge in again?"

The ghosts grinned sheepishly before blinking out of sight, leaving Randall quite relieved. Whatever they decided regarding whom could see them, he would be supportive. Back at the sofa, he voiced his own opinion about Becca's 'dreams.' "Let's not call them nightmares. Talking to Suzie again sounds like a happy thing to me. Why not look at it that way?"

"Hm. That's a good way of looking at it." she reconsidered the earlier confession and the words used. She thought for several long minutes, taking sips of tea in contemplation. "Some monsters might tell me that they're just dreams, and to forget about them, but now I'm not sure I want to…"

"Then don't." Randall said simply.

Becca resumed the reclined position, content with that response. Having someone to talk to about such a personal problem was a nice change. "What would I do without you?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed Suzie coming to spy on them. Randall frowned At least Sam has the decency to give me some privacy. With a free hand and without Becca noticing, he shooed the ghost girl away as he settled back on the sofa. Suzie pouted but disappeared to leave them alone. With the serious talk over, he and Becca got comfortable again, wanting to relax and enjoy their movie. Randall was very aware of how close together their heads were; but he never got the chance to act on such a convenient situation.

Rex couldn't seem to take a hint and leave. He popped into the room to interrupt several times, and more than two cupcakes went missing from the plate. It was not as if Randall didn't like his nephew's company—Becca didn't mind, either—but did he have to pester them now, of all times?

…

"Ugh! You've got to be joking!" Naomi whined while mixing a bowl full of frosting.

"No, I'm not joking!" Becca argued back. "Why the hell would I joke about it? The place is great once you get used to it."

"Don't remind me of that terrible place!" the lavender monster turned her chin up haughtily.

Bernard sighed. This debate had been going on for a while. The Brennens' massive kitchen was dusted with flour, courtesy of Naomi's baking spree, and wafted with the smell of cake in the oven. Randall's thirtieth birthday was in two days, and they were trying to convince her to join in the trip. Bernard was washing dishes, growing weary of the arguing. "Shame Randall is missing this…" he mumbled. The lizard always found the girls' fighting a great source of entertainment. (At the moment, he was out picking up his nephew from kindergarten.)

Becca argued, "It's not your birthday, it's his! And he wants this trip to happen, so you're coming and that's that."

"Girls, don't make me break up a fight." Bernard groaned before Naomi could respond.

The lavender monster pouted, mixing the frosting with more vigor. Going back to that muddy, bug-filled, gator-infested swamp wasn't her first choice of an outing with her friends. But it was Randall's final decision…Goodness knows he deserved a mini-vacation after all he'd been through lately. So she relented. "…OK. I'll come. But expect lots of complaining! I only hope there aren't too many bugs."

"It's a swamp. The bugs are a package deal." Becca snickered. "So suck it up and lets go camping, already!"

"OK, OK! I will try to keep it together out there!"

"Girls—" Bernard began.

"She started it!" Naomi pointed.

"And I just finished it!" Becca crossed her arms. "The plan is all set." She sneaked a spoonful of frosting, tiring of going back and forth like this. "Mm. Not bad, Princess. You may just beat Randall when it comes to baking. Maybe. But I doubt it."

Naomi's eyes glowed red. She'd been working hard in her chef classes and it was paying off. Bernard tried some frosting, too, and expressed similar compliments. But that didn't really improve her foul mood. She set the bowl down, trying not to think about spending three whole days visiting a swampland…she sighed. "At least we can still eat cake and have a proper party today…"

…

Since Randall already had a wilderness door that led to this remote, wild area of the swamps, it was only a matter of taking Bernard and Naomi through the factory. Going into the Human World to visit various places in nature was a regular thing for them; their private door collection numbered in the several dozen by now, all leading to various places in the other dimension. Only this time the trip involved hauling backpacks of camping supplies along. The workshop was still a secret workshop—the only other monsters who knew about it were Fungus, Mike, and Sullivan—no one else knew of the gang's frequent trips out into the Human World. So there had been some sneaking around involved as Randall led his friends down the corridors.

The swamps were already lush with moss, overgrown plants, and all manner of greenery draped on the tree branches. The campsite was far enough away from the river that it was deemed safe from the local alligator population. But the water was still in sight, far off and peeking through the trees, as serene as could be. They had been camping in the wilderness for an entire day and night thus far. The friends had all been banished at different times and to different places, but the swamps of Louisiana was where Randall had joined the others. He had lived a banished life on his own for a year, so this place had become a strong attachment. It was an environment perfectly suited for a monster like him, much warmer than the city. The arrival of spring was rousing the insects; all sorts of buzzing was heard, rising and fading as dragonflies flew in and out of the clearing. Much to Naomi's dismay…

"Ugh, go away, bugs!" She shooed at the flies upon first exiting her tent that morning.

"Don't even think about ranting and raving like yesterday, Princess." Becca was already up, working on the campfire. "We've faced a hell of a lot worse than that."

"That's true…" Naomi tried to hold back complaints as a huge beetle zoomed close by her head. She was a tad over-dressed for camping, wearing a floral sundress that was a bit fancy considering where she was. She stretched to wake herself up while viewing the surroundings.

Just beyond another copse of mossy greenery, there stood the door that led back to the workshop. (Offline now, but Fungus was regularly checking in on them.) The wilderness door, built and tested to perfection by Randall, was built of wood with moss around the edges to blend in with the environment. Since the terrain to get to this part of the swamps was so thick and so infested with alligators, no humans would ever find the hidden door.

The gang had chosen a clearing to camp out in. There was an enormous old tree here, its branches so large that they formed a thick roof overhead to shelter them from any rain. But the clearing was exceedingly small with barely enough room for the tents. Bernard's took up the most space with his large gorilla-esque bulk, while the girls' tents ended up wedged between some tree roots. A much smaller-sized tent was here, too, for Rex had come along on this getaway as well. Bernard was most reluctant to allow such a thing to happen, but somehow it had, after Randall had reassured everyone that he would keep a close watch on the boy.

Naomi tripped on something and fell flat on her face. "Whoa! What the-?" She twisted around to see a string caught on her clawed foot. A rattle from a row of tin cans overhead rang out at the same time. It was some kind of sound alarm, set off by anything that triggered the tripwire.

"Another one! There are tons of those around." Becca observed. "I guess Randall had a lot of time on his hands when he lived alone out here."

Naomi untangled herself and the rusty tin cans quieted. "Pretty smart. So where is he? And Rex? And Bernard?"

"Out climbing trees, hanging with his uncle, and fishing for our breakfast." Becca answered all three respective questions. "Though I can't believe Genius actually allowed Rex to come!"

"Yeah. After the fiasco when he followed us to Iceland, Zachariah would have a fit! Just between us, I think Randall told a little white lie in order to bring his nephew along."

"Probably. But it's none of our business. Even if it is true." Becca pointed out. "Personally, I think he told his father that we went camping, but never said where. He's still got a lot of guile about him." Becca stoked the fire with an odd smile that could only be described as proud.

Naomi noticed the subtlety. She swatted at some more dragonflies and sat down by the little campfire, intending to pry Becca for some personal info. "Speaking of which, how are things going? Between you two, I mean?" There was a tense silence with a warning stare from her friend, but that didn't deter her. "C'mon, tell me! Pleeeease? I won't laugh if that's what you're afraid of."

"I'm not afraid of anything." Becca's rough exterior slowly broke through its barrier and she allowed a smile to emerge. Having never been one about gossiping, she mostly kept all feelings buried deep. "But if you want to know that badly, fine." She admitted more honestly, "Things are going great. Randall is attentive but gives me plenty of space, we cool each other's tempers, and we talk about everything these days. He's really changed for the better…So I couldn't be happier."

"Aw! How wonderful!" Naomi cooed with a girlish squeal. "Can I start calling you two 'Randecca?' It totally works! The last thing I expected when we all returned home was for—"

"Oh, hell, no! Don't call us that!" Becca panicked. "I answered your question, but do you have to be so—" Just then, Bernard plodded into the clearing carrying several fish and a furry animal in his hands. Becca exhaled with relief. "Oh, thank goodness; saved by the mighty fisherman. What did you catch?"

"I bunch of these and some strange rodent thing. I think it's a water rat." He pulled a frying pan from the supply stash in case anyone wanted their portion cooked. "Where are Randall and Rex?"

"Climbing trees, somewhere. I wouldn't be surprised if they're at his original campsite. You know, that really big, overgrown tree he showed us yesterday? It's just around the corner." Becca informed. "Hey, Princess, why don't you head over there and check?" She and Bernard got to work on preparing breakfast.

Naomi grumbled and sulked at the thought of trudging through the fly-filled grove of trees. But today was Randall's birthday and she certainly didn't want to ruin things by bringing down everyone's good mood.

…

Rex climbed around the branches, fascinated. All over hung remnants of what was once a home. Strings of those tin-can sound alarms, rusty pots and pans, glass bottles, tools, utensils, and all kinds of old knickknacks. In the center of the tree where all the branches met at the truck was a wide flat hollow, big enough for an adult monster to live. There were signs of a former resident here, too. Moldy blankets, woven grass mats, and even a shiny shard of mirror propped up on one branch wall. The 'room' was full of leaves and dirt, courtesy of being abandoned for two years. "Did you live here all alone, Uncle Randy?"

"For a year." Randall stayed close to his nephew, making sure the kid didn't get too reckless while climbing. "I even had a garden in a lame attempt to grow extra food, but it looks like nature took it back. Anything else I needed I stole from the trailer park."

"You became a thief?" Rex gasped.

"Hey! Exceptions have to be made when one is banished." Randall explained of the desperation back then. When he joined the rest of the gang, he often led their supply raids, all of which involved breaking and entering. It had been an important skill when it came to surviving. "You can see the trailer park from the top of this tree. It's the only close-by sign of civilization, but we're not going there during this trip, got it?"

The boy nodded but was still curious. "Can we climb up to see it?"

"…Fine." Randall stooped for Rex to climb onto his back. This tree was very big and tall; it was vital to be extra-careful when it came to the kid's safety. They climbed all the way to the top. Many tally-marks were carved into the bark. Rex stared with interest at the row of marks that traversed all along one branch. His uncle must have been counting the number of days he spent here…

A fantastic view of the surrounding swamplands spread out below. The birdcalls echoed across the landscape of mossy trees and weeping willows, with rivers traversing through it all. All across the land was the strong smell of raw earth and rain. The sunrise was almost gone, but streaks of gold and orange remained along the horizon. Randall inhaled in reminiscence…he had forgotten how great this view was. Every day he had come up here, with nothing to do except wonder what his bleak future would be, stuck out here in eternal isolation. He'd never been more grateful for the way things had turned out in the end…"Ow! Watch it!" he cried out. For Rex was pulling on his fronds to better see.

Far off in the distance was the glint of metal. The early sunlight reflected off the rooftops of the trailer park. Randall told his nephew about the many, many supply raids he'd accomplished there, for that tiny community had been a lifeline out here in the middle of nowhere—and also a place where humans beat off alligators with shovels, an animal which he'd been mistaken for in his first five seconds of banishment. And subsequently later when he'd disguised himself as one at various times.

Rex found the stories hilarious. "You gotta teach me how to stay camouflaged like that. But did they really attack you with a shovel?"

"Let's not talk about that…" Randall grimaced at the humiliating memory. "I've got a scar to prove it."

A voice called from below the tree. "Hey, you guys! Are you up there?! Bernard caught some breakfast!"

"Oh boy! Breakfast! Let's have a gator-disguise lesson later, Uncle Randy." The boy promptly pulled on his uncle's fronds again as they began a descent back to the ground.

…

This was the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city. That day, during a hike through the brush, Naomi hopped over any mud puddles and combatted bugs by breathing jets of fire at them. Bernard quickly warned her to stop, lest she start a forest fire. At the many fishing spots along the way, the group had to take extra care not to run into danger. Since this was gator country, Rex had been ordered to stay visible at all times. It never hurt to be careful, despite the gang's vast experience living out here in the wilderness. Becca had smuggled her shotgun along; a few potshots into the water was enough to scare off any alligators that lurked nearby. With the rules laid out, Rex fully understood that the Human World was a dangerous place and kept close to the grown-ups; he'd learned a lesson the hard way the last time he was in this dimension.

In the afternoon, after another easy hike, they found a secluded pond full of lilypads, far from the river and completely gator-free. Rex came up with the idea of a frog-catching contest, since he had been longing to swim ever since arriving in the swamps. Not all the other monsters were keen on it but went along for his sake. The boy's orange scales were extra-bright with happiness as he pounced all around the water's edge. "Gah! They keep slipping!" he complained as a slimy frog popped out of his loose grip yet again.

The huge Bernard was knee-deep in water, dwarfing the little lizard. His prosthetic leg was off and he balanced shakily—which couldn't have be easy, given he weighed about five hundred pounds. "Try to get your whole hand around it, but don't squeeze or you'll hurt them. Try it like this." He dove in with a giant splash and emerged with three frogs in his hands.

"Cool! Gimme, gimme, gimme…" Rex reached out to hold one of the weird-looking creatures—so different from the frogs back home—but it again hopped out of his fingers. He whined in disappointment.

"You two are such an embarrassment! Look at you, covered in weeds, and mud, and frogs-know-what else…" Naomi was perched on a log that stretched out across the pond. She fussed with her hair and kept her clawed feet well away from the water's surface. "How could anyone even call this a game? Catching slimy little creatures just for the fun of it—Ah!"

Rex swam behind the log and pushed her right off.

When Naomi surfaced, sputtering, Bernard laughed his brains out. "And that's what happens when you decide to sit in the worst possible spot. Things attack you!"

Naomi was as mad as ever, her sundress and lavender hair soaked and ruined. She called towards shore, "I sure hope you appreciate this, Randall! This is the worst game ever and I'm enduring it for you!"

"My birthday, my rules!" He shrugged, watching the antics from a rock. He was taking a break, having been swimming for a while already. This being a wild place, someone had to keep a lookout for dangers, whether they be humans or predator animals. He was currently camouflaged in a mottled, mossy green as a precaution. During this process, he discovered he could change the color of his new tattoo to either match or contrast with the rest of his scales. That made sense, since the ink was a part of his skin, now. He experimented, making the abstract geometric patterns change to gold, to teal, to red, and back to its original black before blending it in with the rest of the mossy-green camouflage.

Becca popped up from underwater. She had been using her gills to her advantage, swimming around to search for frogs. "Seems like your nephew is picking up your sneaky habits. Why don't you go join the others?" She climbed onto the rock beside him, happy to take over. "You should be having fun on your birthday."

He was about to do just that, but he lingered…once again, their closeness was very apparent. And also once again, there came that same odd feeling…much like the day when he returned from visiting the countryside, or the rainy day when Becca got so close to him on the sofa. Randall found himself wanting another moment like that…With the rest of the gang busy chasing frogs, now seemed another prime opportunity. What's wrong with me? And why does this keep happening? With Becca's face close and half-smiling with expectation, he gave in and started to inch forward…There'd better not be an interruption this time…

But before he could get too close, the moment was ruined by Sam. The grey lizard blinked into view not ten feet away.

"Taking my son to the Human World and you didn't even tell me? Good grief, I bet you told some huge lie so Dad wouldn't find out. Don't you remember what happened last time—" Sam froze upon seeing his brother mere inches away from Becca. He quickly clued in as to what was going on. "Oh! I barged in on something. Sorry!—But just so you know, Randy," He quickly added, for Becca was staring at Randall's distracted eye with concern. "Since you all seem to know these parts will enough, I'm trusting you to keep Rex safe, alright? Sorry again!" Sam blinked away in an apologetic hurry.

"What is it?" Becca followed Randall's gaze only the see the thick vegetation of the swamp.

"Nothing, I think. Just a few birds; the shadows caught my eye." He lied.

"You outta wear your glasses more. So, are you going to join the game?" She dangled her feet in the water and reached for the shotgun to keep a vigilant watch. That trusty weapon never missed; she was always a perfect shot, so the group had nothing to fear when she was on duty.

"Thanks." Randall again hesitated to leave. But now Rex and Bernard were calling him over to join the frog-catching game. And with Naomi squealing about the slimy creatures jumping too close, there was a touch of chaos in the serene pond. Becca urged him to go, and he did, swimming like a snake through the water. Both were disappointed at not being able to steal just a few minutes alone.

On the log suspended over the pond, Sam and Suzie both materialized to watch the goings-on. The pewter-grey lizard waved to his brother awkwardly, very aware of what he had interrupted. "Boy, I sure messed that up, didn't I?"

"Kinda." Suzie agreed. She waved to Randall, too, and noted the extremely irritated frown he wore as he swam around trying to act normal. "Scratch that. You totally messed that up. Good job."

Sam, in order to recover from the unease, observed the game with amusement. "Coming out to the middle of nowhere where alligators reign supreme. You guys sure have strange ideas of fun…"

"Yeah! If you think this is cool, I should tell you all about the time we spent in Yellowstone Park," Suzie was ready to launch into a story. "That place was so huge, there was even an entire lake for us to camp out at…" she sighed wistfully. "Lots of spare time for reading, too, and I came up with some of my best one-liners. Want to hear some?"

"Do I have a choice?" Sam groaned, but listened to humor her.

Suzie seemed to have made herself invisible to Rex, for the orange lizard didn't even look at her, nor seemed to hear the story or barrage of corny jokes she began listing off to Sam. Randall tried to ignore the two apparitions, who were certainly determined to be here for his birthday, but it wasn't easy. He relaxed his frown and glanced back at Becca who sat rail-straight with the shotgun in her lap, keeping watch. She made eye-contact, too, thinking likewise about the predicament. So often were they interrupted or simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

And for Randall, having two ghosts following him everywhere made things a tad more difficult. The least those two could do is give me a bit more space. Is that so much to ask?

Countdown: 2 more chapters and an Epilogue! Up next: Rex has another run-in with his neglectful mother (remember her?) with Randall coming to the rescue. And Ghost Sam finally works up the courage to speak to Rex for a final goodbye.

I'll mostly be wrapping things up in the next few updates, so there'll be lots of slice-of-life/heartwarming moments. So stay tuned for more! :) Have an amazing day!