Chapter 3

"No, you're not gonna put it in the back of the van," Ortensia said, putting her hands on her hips as she looked at her husband working on putting the seats in the van into the floor through the open back hatch.

Oswald looked up after putting down another chair and looked at her. "What's wrong?"

"It's gonna be wet when you take it home," Ortensia pointed out.

"Oh…" Oswald looked passed her to the boat still on two saw horses, realizing he had skipped over that. "Right."

Ortensia dropped her hands to her side as she let out a laugh. She pulled out her cellphone from her pocket as she said, "I think Mickey's got a trailer. You want me to ask him if we can use it?"

"He's at a shoot," Oswald reminded as he started pulling back up the seats. "They would've made him turn his phone off at least."

"Shoot." Ortensia turned to look at the boat.

"We'll tell him when he gets back that we used it," Oswald said.

"You sure he'll be fine with that?" Ortensia asked, looking back at Oswald.

"If he was here, he'd let us use it," Oswald tried. "Once I get the seats all back up, I'll run over and get it."

"I'll go check on Ragnar and the group," Ortensia said, throwing a thumb over her shoulder at the house. "26 might use this as an excuse to ruin his Sunday best again."

Oswald let out a laugh as his wife went through the garage to the house. "26 sure is a piece of work," he mumbled. He made quick work of the remaining seats and closed up the back hatch to drive the van down the street. He backed into Mickey's driveway and jumped out of the driver seat. He walked around to the back door, quickly finding the hidden key, and let himself in. A strange nostalgia hit him as he closed the door behind himself. The kitchen was lit only by the sunlight streaming in through the windows, letting Oswald see into the living room where the curtains were drawn. He felt like he was back in Wasteland, once again sneaking into the house recreated for Mickey now that the Mad Doctor had left it. The thoughts of tearing down the eyesore out of Oztown since there didn't seem like there was any hope now of America's icon ever falling to Wasteland reappeared in his mind.

Oswald shook the thoughts away and headed to the garage door. He pulled open the door and flicked on the lights, last remembering the small trailer hanging on the wall at the back with the mouse's washer and dryer. He looked up and found it hanging wheels out, showing the chipping paint the road had taken away after years of use. Oswald grabbed for the short ladder and managed to get the small trailer down. Without thinking, he startled whistling while he opened the garage door and hooked the trailer to the van. He double checked the empty house was locked up and headed home to find two mice and two bunnies sitting on the front step. They rose to their feet, 102 stepping back inside, as Oswald carefully backed the trailer into the driveway.

Oswald got out of the van as Ortensia stepped out of the garage with 102 at her heals.

"So how do you lot plan on getting get it into there?" Ortensia asked.

"Don't worry about that, Aunt Ortensia!" Ferdie said as the three made it into the garage, going between the couple.

"We'll lift it," Morty said.

The four children picked a corner and together lifted the small boat. Oswald quickly got out of the way as they made their way to the trailer. They carefully put the boat in the trailer, tipping it sideways so it rested in the thin metal.

"Guess I'll go get the mast," Oswald said, surprised the four were so well organized. "Where's the sail and paddles?"

"We'll get them," 26 called out, leading the three back inside the house.

"What's he gonna do now that this project of his is over?" Ortensia asked as she walked with Oswald to where the mast still laid on newspapers.

"Hopefully the woodworking class he's got in school will help," Oswald said. He stopped beside the mast and looked over at Ortensia to check, "He did get put in a wood working class, right?"

"It's not just wood at the school he's going to, but yeah, he did," Ortensia said with a nod.

"Good." Oswald leaned down and picked up the mast, carefully finding its middle in weight before he asked, "Could you open the side door?"

"Wishing for more hands?" Ortensia asked with a laugh as she stepped ahead of him. She pulled at the handle, letting the door open itself as she looked back at her husband.

"I mean, more hands would come in handy," Oswald admitted, stepping passed the door so he could slide in the base of the mast first.

"Just means more for the kids to take," Ortensia said.

"How come they don't do things like that to you?" Oswald asked, stepping in to the van to get the top of the mast behind the first row of seats.

"They know I won't take it."

"In other words, you ground them and I don't."

"I've never had to ground anyone for even trying," Ortensia defended. "They don't even try."

"Here's the oars," 26 said, turning the two to see two mice with him holding onto six paddles.

"Why is there six?" Ortensia asked as they passed them to Oswald so he could put them into the van.

"Extra one just in case," Ferdie explained. "Junior woodchucks are always prepared!"

"Oh no, not this again," Morty whined. "You sound like Huey."

"And this fall at regionals, we'll beat him," Ferdie said.

"Didn't you used to be in the same troop?" Ortensia asked.

"Together, undefeated. Apart, we are enemies," Ferdie exclaimed.

"Oh boy, he's doing it again," Morty mumbled.

"I heard that eye roll," Oswald said, sticking his head out of the door to get the last oar. He found Morty quickly and gave him a look.

"Sorry Uncle Oswald."

"What's taking 102 so long?" 26 asked.

"Sorry, needed to find a bag big enough," 102 said as he ran out of the door to the garage. Slung over his shoulder, and almost the same size as he was, was a green shopping bag with the maroon sale cloth poking out of the top. Ortensia came to him and took the bag off his shoulder, carrying it the rest of the way to the van.

"Alright, what else do we need?" Oswald asked, putting the bag in a space by the oars.

"Maybe snacks?" Ortensia offered.

"Oh cool, Mom!" 102 exclaimed.

"Best Aunt ever," Ferdie added.

Oswald pulled himself out of the van to get handed a small cooler from his wife as she said, "Don't let your Aunt Minnie hear you say that."

"She's best Honorary Aunt," Ferdie explained.

"Okay, guess that counts," Ortensia said with a laugh. Her laugh fell as she asked, "You do have life jackets?"

"Five already in the van, got them first," Oswald threw over his shoulder as he stored the cooler.

"One more thing," Ortensia said, leaning down. Quickly she planted a kiss on each of the kids heads.

"Oh come on, Maw," 26 whined.

Oswald stood at the end of the line, waiting his kiss to receive one on the cheek.

"You boys have fun, alright," Ortensia wished.

"As long as it floats," 102 said, throwing a glance at the boat sitting sideways in the trailer.

"Don't say that, it will," 26 said.

"That's right," Oswald said with a nod. "Let's get going. Everybody in the van."

"You do have your phone charged?" Ortensia asked, eyeing Oswald.

Oswald reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, showing her the screen as he clicked it on.

"Put it on the charger on the way there," Ortensia ordered. "I don't want you to get shipwrecked and can't call for help."

"You think we're gonna wreck ourselves?" Oswald asked with mock offense.

"I never said that," Ortensia said with a smile. She gave him a wave as she stepped back towards the open garage.

Oswald gave her a smile, knowing she meant it in jest. He made his way around the van and jumped back into the driver seat, finding the keys where he had left them. Looking over his shoulder at the four behind him he asked, "Everyone ready?"

"Yap," Morty announced as 26 was the last to click his seatbelt in.

"Alright, let's go boating," Oswald said, turning back to reach for his own seatbelt.

-.-.-.-

Oswald gave one last push to get the boat in the canoe slide, holding onto it to look over at the boys.

"Don't you think we should test it before we get in?" Ferdie asked, throwing a glance at 102.

"No, I know it'll float," 26 defended. He stepped forward and raised up a leg to get in only to be stopped by Oswald.

"26, I'm proud of how much trust you've got in this boat, but maybe we should test it before we all get in it."

"But I know-" 26 cut himself off as Oswald stared him down. He slowly removed his foot and stepped back as he said, "Yes sir."

Oswald walked down the ramp, carefully lowering the boat into the water. He stepped down into the water, keeping a grip on the stern of the boat as it bobbed on the surface.

"See?" 26 said, crossing his arms.

"Would you rather be wet if it hadn't worked?" Ferdie asked as Oswald pulled the small boat back up the ramp.

"Boys," Oswald said in hopes to stop any arguing before it got too big for the boat.

"Sorry Paw," 26 said as Ferdie mumbled, "Sorry Uncle Oswald."

"Snap on your life vests and go ahead and jump in," Oswald said. He forced a smile, hoping his parenting wouldn't ruin their moods, as he said, "Heill skipför, minn kind."

26 froze again with a leg in the boat as all eyes looked at the older rabbit. "What was that supposed to be?" he asked as his brother nodded his head.

"It's supposed to mean 'good travels, my family' in old Norse," Oswald defended, his face heating up. "Did I say it wrong? I tried to learn it from some Youtuber this morning."

"I have no idea," 26 admitted. "Wait, there's Viking Youtubers?"

"Why is that not a surprise?" Morty mumbled, leaning to his brother.

"Yeah, I found some group that was really into everything Vikings," Oswald admitted. "I'll show you when we get home."

"Cool."

Oswald repositioned his grip on the boat as 26 and Ferdie sat in the front row and 102 and Morty took the second. He guessed the last bench-like plank fitted into the point of the stern was his seat as he carefully lowered the boat once more. Once his feet were in the water again he jumped in and sat down, picking up one of the paddles from under the benches.

"Raise the sail!" 26 ordered, taking hold of the rope that hung from the mast above.

Ferdie grabbed the other rope and together the two pulled up the burgundy sail, each tying off their ropes beside them on pegs built for that purpose.

"I don't think there's much wind," Morty said, looking up at the limp sail.

"That's why we brought oars," Oswald reminded. "If we all paddle, we can get to Horseshoe Island for our snack."

"So it's just a fancy looking canoe?" Morty asked, giving a look to 102 as he pulled up his paddle.

"But 26 made this," Ferdie said, looking over his shoulder. "How many people you know made a boat?"

"I mean, Uncle Mickey did," Morty pointed out.

"Guess that just adds more to it, we're family," Oswald said with a laugh. He put his oar into the water and ordered, "Alright, let's head to the right."

"Starboard," Ferdie corrected.

"Are you sure starboard is right?" 102 asked as the four put their oars in the water to start paddling.

"All starfish are right handed," Morty muttered, rolling his eyes.

"That makes no sense," 102 retorted.

"No, but that's how he learned it," Morty said, looking down at the water on his side as he paddled.

"It worked though," Ferdie reminded.

"How far down is Horseshoe Island?" 26 asked.

"Just a couple of miles," Oswald offered. "It shouldn't take us long to get there, this river's nice and calm."