This chapter is fun. It's quite adorable. Got some precious moments with Junior in here. At least, that's what I think. I hope you think so, too! :)

May 9, 1601
Afternoon

Junior blinked open his eyes, his mouth stretching open in a yawn. He was curled up in a strange rectangular-shaped bed, and he pushed himself up. He rubbed his bleary eyes. The blankets were caught on his shell, ripped in a few places from his spikes. He stretched his arms forward, his posture almost catlike.

He shook himself off, his eyes traveling around the room. It was simple and small, with a dresser spanning the wall across from the bed's foot. Doors barred the sides of it, both ajar and revealing the way to a bathroom and a closet. The room was windowless, with a short ceiling; his papa would not be able to stand up in it. The door that led to the hall was on his right, along with a small nightstand. A tiny television rested on a stand next to the door, a little plush chair seated four feet away.

Mama must've put me here. He let out a sigh. So much for not taking a nap. After the tennis game, Peach and him had gone to watch Dragon's Ascent (one of Junior's favourite movies). Junior had fallen asleep during the first fifteen minutes. His shoulders slouched. He'd hoped to wake up in Peach's lap, or at the very least on her bed. Not stuck in some random room with a wrecked bed. He was more important than that.

Mama! Junior had to find her. He could ask her why she'd put him here. He hopped out of bed, exiting the room and rushing down the hall. Through means of persuasion, he was able to get the Toads to tell him where Peach was. She apparently was outside in the garden.

Junior found his mother deep in the hedge maze. She was sitting on a bench, his flower still in her hair (he had put it in after the tennis match). Sitting next to her was… A spark ignited in his chest. He rushed towards Mario, leaping at him with a gritty little roar. "Get away from my Mama!"

"Junior, no!" Peach cried.

The little Koopa gripped Mario's shoulders. Mario could only stare, wide eyed as Junior thrust his face inches from the plumber. A growl rumbled in his throat. "Stay away from Mama Peach. She's Papa's. She's mine."

"Junior, get off him!" Hands slipped under Junior's arms, pulling him away from Mario. Peach didn't seem to have the strength to lift him, and Junior hit the ground with a thud and a yelp. Peach released him and moved in front of Mario, glaring down at the Dragon-Koopa. The look was unnatural on her, and Junior shrank back. "No! Don't attack Mario. That is very bad. Junior, I'm disappointed in you. Very disappointed."

"He was trying to steal you, Mama Peach." Tears rose in Junior's eyes. "He wants to take you away from Papa! From your family!" Why couldn't she just see that Mario was a thief and a meanie?

Mario sucked in a breath, his eyes widening. Junior shot him a glare. Yeah! You better feel guilty!

"Mario's not trying to take me. Nobody's trying to take me." Peach's glare softened, but she did not smile. "And Junior, I don't really belong to your family. I'm my own person, and I really should get a choice in who I want to be with."

Junior blinked. "But you're my mama. You have to be with Papa."

Peach sighed, shaking her head. "Never mind." A hint of a smile rose to her face. "Would you like to bake that cake? If we start it now, it'll be ready before dinner. We can have it as dessert."

"Chocolate cake!" Junior bounced to his feet, keep his face serious as he pointed a finger into the air. "It has to be chocolate! No if ands or buts! Chocolate cake is the best kind of cake! And there's gotta be lots of it!" Junior spread his arms to emphasis.

Peach giggled. "As you wish, Junior." She took his hand, leading him away from the dreaded bench. "I haven't made a chocolate cake in a while."

Junior didn't miss the glance she shot back at Mario. He didn't like the look on her face; lips parted and downturned, forehead creased. She doesn't want to be with him. He makes her unhappy. He puts that look on her face. He shot a glare at the plumber, just barely holding back a growl. One day, they'd destroy that awful jerk. One day, Junior's family could finally come together.

"Just remember," Peach began as they entered the castle through a small door, "that I am quite good at making cakes. I know my way around the baking room very well, and all I ask is for you to do what I say."

"What if you don't add enough chocolate?" Junior asked.

Peach glanced down at him, a smirk dancing on her lips. "Junior, knowing you, there will never be enough chocolate."

"That's not true! I'm just worried you'll put too little on! I want it to be nice and chocolaty!"

"How about we add a little more chocolate than the recipe calls for. Does that sounds right?"

"Double the chocolate! And icing! With caramel lines!" He tilted his head. "Do you have the good icing?"

"Good icing?"

"Uh-huh. There's good icing and bad icing. Good icing is yummy and kinda thick— not too thick! That's bad icing. Bad icing can also be too… thin, I guess. Sometimes it doesn't have real flavour, or it tastes bad. Blech!"

"Um… I think I make good icing. It's homemade buttercream." Peach tapped Junior's nose. "You'll have to be my little judge."

"Yeah!" Junior puffed his chest out. "I'm the icing critack!"

Peach giggled. "I think critic is the word you're looking for."

"Cri-tic. Critic! I'm the icing critic!"

The two reached the bakery room, which was a small, square-shaped area with an island in the centre. A large white oven was tucked in the back left corner. A sink counter took up the middle of the back wall, with a large refrigerator to its right. Cabinets lined the far left wall, stopping only two feet from the oven. The whole floor was decked out in pink-and-white checkered tiles.

"Wow! Mama Peach! Is this where you make ALL your cakes?" Junior padded into the room, his eyes sweeping across the walls. The lower half of the enclosures were white, the upper part a soft purple.

"Uh-huh," Peach confirmed, closing the door to a crack behind her.

Junior turned back to face her. His eyes traveled to the wall besides the door, which was covered in sheets upon sheets of paper. They were held in place by tacks.

"Those are all the different cake recipes I've tried, or want to try." She approached the wall, her finger trailing over the papers as she assumably searched for the chocolate cake directions. "I recently found a key lime recipe that I'm going to make in a few days." She took a paper off the wall, turning and showcasing it to Junior. "And here's the chocolate cake!"

"Yay!" Junior squealed, his face nearly splitting with a beam. He clapped his hands, rushing over to the island and leaping atop it. "C'mon, we gotta start! Hurry! I want the cake now!"

"In a moment, first we need to wash our hands. That's the first thing you always do before baking." Peach went over to the sink, running her hands through soup and water.

"Do I have to?" Junior whined, hopping to the floor. Peach raised an eyebrow at him. Junior sighed. "Okay, Mama Peach."

While Junior washed his hands, Peach went over to the cabinets. He hopped back to the island when he was done, watching as Peach took out a large bowl and several measuring cups. Junior's tail started to wag as she brought them over, organising the items on the table.

He picked up a large cup, peering inside it. He pointed it towards Peach. Junior put on his best pirate voice, making it gruff as he announced, "Arr! I spy the best mama in the world!"

Peach caught his eye, glancing up from the recipe. She giggled. "You're so sweet." She took the cup from him and set it back on the table. "Don't touch anything unless I tell you to, okay?"

Don't touch! Junior stuck his lip out in a pout. The measuring cups were just dying for him to pick them up. His eyes skimmed to the bowl, then to the… Where's the spoon? He saw a weird little light bulb thing made of wires, but no spoon. He spotted a jar of spoons on the sink's counter. He took a running leap over, ignoring Peach's gasp. He grabbed a spoon and jumped back, putting it in the bowl. "There!"

"Thank you, Junior." Peach's shoulders relaxed. "But next time, could you ask me before you get anything? And don't jump between the counters. You could hurt yourself, or break something."

Junior waved a hand. "It's fine, Mama Peach! I'm good at jumping." She shot him a look over the paper, eyebrows raised. "Okay, I won't."

Peach turned her eyes back to the recipe. After a few moments, she met his eyes. "Junior, can you get me the eggs and buttermilk from the fridge?"

Junior raised his hand in a salute. "Yes, Mama Peach! You can count on me!" He hopped off the counter, opening up the fridge. The buttermilk was in the door's bottom shelf, but the eggs were up on the top shelf (of the main part). He had to climb inside to reach, and he was shivering as he got out. He grabbed the buttermilk's carton and staggered over to Peach, the weight and and size of his load threatening his balance. "Here you go!"

"Thank you." Peach took them and set them on the counter. Junior hopped up besides her. "Can you measure out one and a half cups of buttermilk? I'm going to get the rest of the ingredients." She pushed the cup Junior had used as a spyglass towards him.

"Okay! I can do that!" Junior unscrewed the buttermilk's cap as Peach went back to the cabinets. He picked up the cup, tiling his head. One and a half cups? Wasn't a cup a full glass? Yes, so he'd need a full glass and a half. Junior filled the cup to the rim, dumping it into the large bowl. He added another half to the mix, setting them down and puffing out his chest.

I can do more than that! He turned his attention to the ingredients. He skimmed down the list, stopping at where it mentioned eggs. Four… it needs four eggs! Junior took them out of the carton and dropped them inside. He beamed. "Mama Peach! I put them both in!"

"That's nice, Junior." Peach was currently reaching for a large tub. Her arm was nearly overloaded with all sorts of different ingredients, stored in bags and containers.

"I can help!" Junior hopped down and scurried to her side. He held his hands up. "I can carry something!" Peach heaved the the tub off the shelf. "I can carry that!"

"It's kind of heavy," she warned. "Are you—?"

"I'm strong! I can lift a lot of weight!" He couldn't remember the exact number, but he knew that his Papa had told him it was impressive for his age.

"Okay…" Peach eased the container into Junior's arms. He gasped. It was heavier than he'd expected, though it wasn't too bad. The only thing about it was that it was awkward to hold. The tub was just a little smaller than his torso.

Peach set the ingredients on the island. She glanced inside the bowl and gasped. "Junior! What did…?" She let out a long sigh.

Junior's tail dropped. Did I do it wrong?

"Never mind." Peach picked up the bowl, slowly walking over and dumping it out in the sink.

A pit fell in Junior's stomach, and he hung his head. I really did it wrong… I hope Mama Peach isn't too upset… Maybe she wouldn't let him help anymore. He cringed at the thought.

"How about this," Peach returned to the island, putting the bowl back down on the counter, "I measure, and you pass me the ingredients. Does that sound good to you?"

Junior nodded. "I'm sorry, Mama Peach," he mumbled.

"It's alright." She rested her arms on the counter, leaning closer. "Can I tell you a secret?"Junior nodded. "I did the exact same thing when I was your age."

His eyes widened. "You did?"

"Mm-hmm. My mother was the one who really got me into baking. She would bring me in here sometimes, just like I'm doing with you, and we'd make all sorts of pastries. We often surprised my father with them." Peach let out a sigh, dabbing at her eyes, yet a small smile remained on her face.

"Mama Peach?" Junior inched closer.

Peach swiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry, I can't help but get a little emotional. My parents passed away, did I tell you that?"

"Oh…" Junior blinked, his tail drooping. Poor Mama… What did you say to someone who'd lost their mama and papa? Junior had never met his real mama, but at least he had a papa. Mama Peach doesn't have a mama or papa. Still not sure what to say, he decided the best thing to do would be to give her a big hug. She returned it, holding him close to her chest. He closed his eyes and breathed in her scent. After a few moments, he murmured, "I wish your mama and papa were still alive."

"I do, too, Junior. I do, too."

After a few more moments, Junior pulled back. He grabbed the buttermilk carton. "I think you should do it."

Peach took it with a smile. "I think I should, too. Pass me the measuring cup?"

Under Peach's instruction, the two put the required ingredients in the bowl. Junior acted at the 'fetcher', while Peach measured and poured them in the bowl. Junior got to crack the eggs (his first try was a disaster), and Peach showed him how to properly measure out the buttermilk. He also added the coco power, which they added two cups of (the normal amount was only a cup and a half). They took turns stirring, churning the ingredients into a fine paste. Peach got out a large pan, and, together, they poured the batter into it. Some of it spilled, but it was hardly a loss. Peach put the cake in the oven, setting the temperature.

Junior turned his eyes to his claws, which were coated in the sticky batter. He glanced at Peach, noted that she wasn't watching, and licked it off. His eyes widened. The taste was sweet, and oh so chocolaty. He purred, licking as much as he could off his hands.

"I'm glad you like it!" Peach rubbed his head, and he turned his eyes up to her. She went over and picked up the bowl, titling it to show him the inside, where streaks of batter still clung. A grin was prominent on her face. "We still have all this to eat!"

"Really?!" Junior squeaked, rising up on his toes. He scrambled onto the counter, swiping his claws across the bowl's inside. He licked them clean, his wagging tail perking at the taste.

"You know what? I'll let you have the whole thing." Peach set the bowl down, taking a step back.

Junior's face lit up. He all but jumped into it, swiping batter off the sides and cleaning his claws with his tongue. He even licked the paste off the bowl. This is gonna be the best Mama's Day cake ever! Wait, it's Mama's Day… shouldn't Mama Peach have some of the better, too? "Mama Peach, do you want some?" Junior swiped a gob, holding it out to her.

Peach shook her head, holding up her hands. "Um… no thank you." She smirked. "I think I'll need to clean you up. You've got batter all over your face!"

Junior licked his muzzle's curve, tasting chocolate on his tongue. "Did I get it?"

"No. When you're finished, come over to the sink."

Junior didn't stop his indulge until the bowl was nearly clean. He leaped from the island to the counter again, making Peach gasp and put a hand on her chest.

"Stars, Junior! I told you not to—"

"I do stuff like that at home," Junior assured her, grinning. "I'm good at jumping!"

"Yes… yes you are," Peach conceded, turning the tap on. "Now, hold still." She wetted her hands and began rubbing his muzzle. Junior giggled, squirming a little at her touch, but he grew to relax as she kept rubbing. Water dripped from his snout as she cleaned off the chocolate, even taking a smudge off his nose. He closed his eyes, purring.

This is what mamas do. They're nice and they take care of you. He didn't want the moment to end. The only thing that would make it perfect would be if his father was holding him. The three of them together. Mother, father, and son. A family. Complete and whole.

"Why don't you just say yes?" Junior asked, his eyes flashing open.

Peach pulled back, her eyes widening. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"Why don't you say yes to Papa? He really loves you. I love you. You're a great mama." Junior swiped water off his muzzle. "You can be our mama. We'll all be happy forever."

"Junior… I… I'm not in love with your father. He's… um… not a bad Koopa, not in his heart, but I don't love him. I… um…" Her cheeks flushed pink. "I do like your father, but he's just… not for me. There's… someone else I'm interested in."

Junior's face collapsed. Someone else? She doesn't love Papa? How was Junior supposed to have a… wait… Mario! Papa says Mario's oppressing her! She did love his papa, she just didn't realise it because Mario was brainwashing her. "Okay," was all that he spoke aloud. His mama and papa would be together one day. He knew it.

Peach bit her lip, her eyebrows crossing slightly over her wide eyes. She made no further comment, resuming to clean off the last few bits of batter from Junior's muzzle. He shook his head, sending water flying and causing Peach to gasp. "Junior!"

"Sorry." Junior shrugged. "Do you wanna play some Mario Kart?" He smirked, hopping to the ground. "Unless you're scared I'll destroy you."

Peach shot him a playful smirk. "We'll just see about that."

I swear, I love Junior. He's so cute!

Funny fact, but I was reading this aloud to myself (it's my best method of catching errors), and I kept pronouncing 'island' as it was spelled. So, I was literally saying 'is-land' and not 'i-land'. Gosh, and I'm supposed to be the 'grammar police'. At least in my house.

Also, I legit looked up a chocolate cake recipe for this. Arrgh... it looked really good.

Questions? Comments? Critiques? Let me know in a review or PM! I aim to improve with every word!