THE FAMILY BUSINESS
About this little story - I just wanted to try to find out a bit about Rebecca Cunningham - what maker her tick, why she is the person she is. I also wanted to try to find out what drives her relationship with everyone's favorite daring young bearcub, Kit Cloudkicker. I sure as Hell didn't know when I started writing this thing - I hope you like the answers I found.
Prologue
The large window looked out over the bay, and on this bright day it showed a massive cruise ship majestically steaming into the channel, filled with passengers from around the world, all bound for the splendor and dazzling wealth that was Winger City. Overheard a large Zeppelin slowly made it's way across the sky, temporarily blotting out the setting sun, bound on a journey of luxury to some exotic locale.
A large mahogany desk sat in front of the window, the centerpiece of the opulent office. Like the rest of the furniture it was grand - oversized, dramatic and polished to a dazzling sheen. Those words would not have been out of place in describing the large brown bear that sat behind the desk, fiercely concentrating on a sheaf of papers before him. He wore a well-fitting blue suit and stylish silk necktie, as well as a stern expression.
A startlingly beautiful woman entered the office, a black bear of perhaps thirty years. She had a cub in tow, a smartly dressed girl who appeared to be about seven years old. "Hi Daddy!" the cub shouted.
The imposing bear behind the desk looked up, momentarily startled, then smiled at the girl. "Hello, Sweetie. Hello Kayla. I didn't expect to see you here."
The woman sat on a chair across from the desk and pulled the cub onto her lap. "Greg, it's nearly seven o'clock! You know we were supposed to go to the symphony tonight." she sighed, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
The brown bear looked at his pocketwatch and frowned. "I'm sorry Kayla. This is important - we have a meeting with Stearns tomorrow and these figures have to be done tonight. You'll just have to go without me."
The cub frowned. "Daddy! You said that last time! You _promised_ we'd all go tonight!"
The bear smiled and reached across the desk to tweak the cub's nose. "Now sweetie - you know Daddy's a very important man. A lot of people depend on me to do my job. We'll all do something tomorrow night, I promise."
"I've heard that line before." the woman muttered, shaking her head, prompting a scowl from the man.
"That's OK Daddy, I understand. Business is business!" the little cub said solemnly. The little girl crawled on top of the desk and looked down at the papers in front of her father. "You got that wrong, Daddy. You didn't calculate the depreciation for the last fiscal year." she said, pointing to one of the pages.
"Honey!" her mother laughed, grabbing the cub and pulling her onto her lap again.
The man looked down at the paper and a smile slowly crept across his face. He reached across and ruffled the girl's hair. "You're right Pumpkin! Amazing! You're going to some businesswoman someday."
"Honey, don't fill her head with nonsense!" the mother admonished. "Imagine, a woman running a business. Ridiculous."
The man and the girl shared a sly smile. "You're a whiz, Cupcake!" he said, playfully yanking on the cub's ear. "All this will be yours, someday......"
PART I
"Doobie-doobie-doo-wah-ba-da-ba-da-ba-doo-bop!" Baloo sang gleefully, twirling the Sea Duck's keys around his finger as he walked across the office at Higher for Hire. "Man, that's got a real beat, Becky!" he said to Rebecca Cunningham, seated behind her desk looking slightly annoyed. "What is it?"
She looked upstairs with a tired expression. "That's Kit - he's got some kind of new music he's listening to. He says it helps him practice." A new sound, somewhat less harmonious, joined the swinging beat of the music wafting downstairs.
Baloo smiled and dashed up the stairs to the bedroom, where Kit sat cross-legged on the bed, playing a tarnished gold trumpet as he listened to the record spinning on the old gramophone. The boy turned as Baloo entered, and set the trumpet down. "Hey, Papa Bear!" he smiled, turning the volume down.
The gray bear sat on the bed and grinned at the cub. "Hey, L'il Britches - whatcha listenin' to? She's got a real nice beat. Babba-dabba-doobie...."
"It's Lenny Goodfellow, Papa Bear, and his big band. It's called swing music. D'ya like it?"
Baloo closed his eyes and snapped his fingers to the music. "Man, that's a catchy tune! It ain't boogie-woogie but it moves real good! Whadya say this guy's name was?"
Kit reached over and grabbed a stack of records. "Lenny Goodfellow. I've got Louis Legstrong, Count Wellington, Duke Facie...There's this nice guy at the record store, he said I could borrow these, see which ones I liked. See, I was having a little trouble in my music class - the stuff we're playing is so _boring_, you know? So I just figured I'd try to listen to some of the
- you know - newer stuff."
"This what the kids are listenin' to today, L'il Britches?" Baloo asked, looking over the albums.
"Some of 'em. Some of them like other stuff....but there's this girl, in my class....and she really likes jazz..." the boy blushed.
Baloo chuckled. "I gotcha! That's how it is, huh? I been there, L'il Britches."
Kit smiled "But you know what? I started listening to it - and I really like the music! I think it's even helping me play better."
Baloo clapped his shoulder warmly. "So play me somethin'!"
The boy picked up the old trumpet. "OK.. This tune they're playing is called 'Take the B Train', I'll play along with that." The cub waited for a moment, then when the horn section joined in he began playing, cheeks puffing out comically as he did.
Baloo winced slightly, then forced a smile to his face. The boy _did_ actually sound a little better than he had before. Besides, this was almost like Baloo's music - almost - and at least it wasn't that boring classical stuff Becky listened to. And a father should always be encouraging to his son... "That's great, Kiddo!" he said, clapping the boy on the back. "Real good. Keep up yer practicin' and you'll be a reg'lar Bunny Hareigan in no time! I gotta go... help Becky with her reports... she needed me to - run down our fuel expenditures fer the last month. See ya later!" Kit smiled around the mouthpiece and waved, still playing.
Rebbeca had her head in her hands when Baloo came down the stairs. "I don't suppose you could ask him to practice outside? Outside the city limits, maybe?" she asked hopefully.
Baloo plopped down in the easy chair. "Sorry, Becky - kid needs encouragement... _and_ practice - but I guess you knew that. Besides, at least it's got a beat!"
Rebecca buried her face in her hands again. "I've got two of them to deal with now...." she muttered.
The great brown bear sat at the mahogany desk, strumming his fingers along it's surface impatiently. There were several stacks of papers piled on the desk, partially blocking the man from view. Behind him, a full moon was rising over the bay as a long stream of sailboats made their way into the harbor for the night.
A rhinoceros in a baggy white suit came into the office, holding yet another pile of papers. "I'm sorry to bother you, G.C., but these are for the Morgan acquisition, their people want to meet with us tomorrow, and these all need to be personally approved by you tonight. If you'll just-"
The bear pounded his fist on the desk. "Dammit, man! You know I'm going to Alabastra with my wife for the weekend tomorrow! Why the devil would you allow that meeting to be scheduled for then?"
The rhino shuffled nervously. ""S-s-sir, I'm sorry, but they were adamant, they want to close the deal before the end of-"
The bear held up his hand for silence. "Very well, Jenkins. Very well. You may go." he said, eyes closed. Nervously the rhino set the papers on the desk and shuffled out of the office.
With a sigh, the bear picked up the phone and dialed. After two rings, his wife answered. "Hello, Kayla. I'm afraid there's been a change of plans - the Morgan meeting has been moved up to tomorrow. I'm-"
"Naturally!" the woman answered in a loud voice. "I've been hearing the same excuses for thirty years, so why should now be any different?"
Grimacing, the bear rubbed the graying fur on his temple absently. "I'm sorry, Kayla, but business is business, you know how it is."
"Business has been business for thirty years, Greg. What good is it if doesn't get you anywhere? You work more now than you did thirty years ago. We may as well not be married for all we spend any time together."
"Now listen, Kayla - "the bear started to retort, but there was a click on the line. The woman had hung up. The bear slammed the phone back into it's cradle in frustration. Angrily he shoved a stack of papers off his desk and onto the floor.
His eyes fell on a photograph that had been hidden behind the stack of documents. He picked it up and stared at it for a moment. It showed himself, smiling and standing framed between two women - an elegant and graceful black bear in her late 40's, and a smiling young light brown bearess in a cap and gown. College graduation. 1925. He continued to stare at the photo for a time, a small, fond smile creeping across his face. He set the frame down and bent to pick up the papers from the floor.
"Yes... the weekend of the 13th, yes, that will be fine. Certainly, I'll be happy to... Of course. Thank you." Rebecca Cunningham hung up the phone and opened her appointment book. She made a notation inside it and frowned.
"What's the matter, Miz Cunningham?" Kit asked, running down the stairs, model plane in hand. Deftly he leaped over Molly, who sat on the floor playing with her Danger Woman doll.
"Oh, nothing Kit, it's just - that weekend of the 13th, this conference in Winger City... I have to attend. It's a tremendous business opportunity - every cargo executive in Usland will be there. It's just that Molly has her ballet recital that Saturday."
"I'm a swan!" Molly said proudly.
"Winger City, huh?" Baloo asked, swallowing a handful of grapes. He sat on the easy chair, his leg draped over the arm luxuriantly. "That's where the Aviation Museum is, y'know. Kit's been wantin' to go there since as long as I can remember."
"We could all go!" Kit said excitedly, sitting on the desk.
Rebecca smiled at him. "No, Sweetie - Baloo has that delivery, the shipment of fresh fish for the Wasabia Sushi Society dinner that night. And the fish has to be delivered fresh, the same day. And there's Molly..."
Kit stuck out his tongue in disgust. "Eee-yuck! Raw fish! You'd hafta be crazy to eat that. Well... I could fly you there in the Blue Eagle!" he said with a grin.
"Not hardly, Kid!" Baloo said. "Don't make me read ya the fine print on yer permit again, L'il Britches..."
"Aw, I was just kiddin' anyway, Papa Bear!" Kit said, sliding off the desk and making another circuit of the room with his model.
Baloo rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Y'know, Kiddo, that does give me an idea though..."
"I thought I smelled smoke!" Rebecca muttered, under her breath.
"Very funny. Y'know, just 'cause I gotta work, no reason Kit shouldn't have some fun. I know how bad he wants ta go ta Winger City. Why don't you take him with ya, Becky?"
"Take him with me? I could do that..."
"Papa Bear!" Kit said, stopping in his tracks. "I don't wanna go to the museum without you!"
Baloo grinned. "Aw!. I been there, Kid - you haven't. You're Mr. Adult all the time - yer always tellin' me how hard it is to make time to get to Winger City, it's six hours an' all. Well, Beckers is goin' anyways, and I gotta work - so go! Have fun."
Rebecca smiled at the cub. "It's fine with me, Kit - I'd enjoy the company, it'd be nice to talk to someone other than those boring cargo executives all weekend. You could even meet my parents, they live in Winger City."
Baloo and Kit perked up their ears at Rebecca's mention of her parents, the first one either could remember. Kit frowned. "Well...I really _would_ like to go... Baloo, you sure you wouldn't mind? And I don't wanna be a lot of trouble, Rebecca-"
"No sweat, Kid!" Baloo said, slurping in another mouthful of grapes.
Rebecca waved her hand dissmisively. "It's no bother at all - it'll be fun! But what about Molly? And her recital?" Rebecca asked.
"Oops." Baloo said. "Fergot about that... What time's yer recital, Button-nose?"
"Seven-thirty on-the-dot!" she answered proudly.
Baloo grinned. "So no problem! I'll take the kid with me ta Wasabia, be home in plenty o' time and take her to the recital! We'll have a fun weekend, right Pigtails?"
"Fun!" she screamed, jumping onto his lap, prompting a loud "Oof!" from the gray bear.
"Yer getting too big fer that, Kiddo!" he puffed.
Rebecca shook her head. "I dunno, Baloo - leave Molly with you for a whole weekend?"
"Thanks a lot!" Baloo said, offended. "The state said I'm a good enough parent to take care o' Kit - but you don't trust me with yer kid fer two measly days?"
"Kit is a responsible young man. Molly is a six year-old girl. Now if I were leaving her with Kit for the weekend it'd be a different story..."
"Yer a reg'lar riot, Beckers!" Baloo huffed.
"Aw, Becky. Baloo can handle Molly for two days!" Kit offered. "Besides, what else can you do? Hire a baby-sitter?"
"Yeah, Baloo can handa me for two days!" Molly said helpfully.
"Well..." Rebecca wavered.
Wildcat burst through the door, greasy wrench in hand. "Hi you guys. Uh, Kit, I just finished the tuneup on yer new plane, Man."
Kit sped across the room to face the mechanic. "Yeah? How's she look?" he asked excitedly.
"Real good, man. Like, the engines were all in good shape, and the oil was changed, I hardly needed to do anything at all Man. She's purrin' like silk and smooth as a little kitten!"
"Great!" Kit exclaimed, slapping the mechanic on the back. "Baloo - she's ready! When can we take her out? Can we go today?"
Baloo laughed. "Easy kid, easy! Ya wanna fly ye new plane in the dark? Let's wait til' tomorrow, nice an' early. And don't get all worked up and go too fast here. Ya know you've only ever really flown the Sea Duck. Every plane feels different - ya don't know that yet, but you'll find out. You can't just strap in and fly her all over the place. We gotta learn that plane slowly."
"Yeah, yeah..." the boy said. "I know - but we can fly her tomorrow?"
"Sure L'il Britches."
Kit rushed over to Rebecca's desk. "Becky - you gotta fly with us! The first flight - you _hafta_ be there!"
"I wouldn't miss it!" she grinned.
He reached over the desk and hugged her. "I can't believe it. My Mom's plane - I'm gonna fly my Mom's plane! Wow..."
"So what about Winger City, Beckers? We squared on that?" Baloo called.
"I suppose. But you'd better be careful with Molly..."
"You knew me, Beckers!"
"And your point is?"
Sunday morning dawned cool and bright over Cape Suzette, a few puffy white clouds sprinkled across the blue sky. Baloo stumbled out of bed at eight o'clock, only to find Kit's bed empty. He found the cub outside, polishing the windows on the Blue Eagle.
Rebecca and Molly arrived an hour or so later, and Kit was bouncing off the ceiling in anticipation by that time. It was all Baloo could do to keep the cub from running smack into a wall. Rebecca had stopped at the bakery and brought over a particularly delicious smelling bag of warm pastries, and had brewed a pot of coffee - one of Kit's new affectations, and one which Baloo didn't particularly approve of, but allowed the boy occasionally. But not even those delicious aromas could break Kit out of his nervous frenzy.
Finally, after Kit had jumped on and off of the couch and back over to look out the front window for the fifteenth time, Baloo physically lifted the boy up and sat him down at the table. "Eat!" he ordered, leaning over into the stunned cub's face as Rebecca and Molly giggled. He poured out a glass of orange juice and handed it to Kit. "And no coffee neither. If yer gonna fly you gotta get some food in yer stomach, and yer jumpin' around like a scared rabbit as it is. Relax, L'il Britches!"
"You're almost like a real Daddy, Baloo!" Molly giggled.
Rebecca laughed to see Baloo in one his infrequent 'responsible parent' episodes. "You're something else, Baloo! So sensible, logical... This is a big day for Kit you know!"
"He'll have lots of 'em." Baloo grumbled, swallowing a bear claw. "Flyin' a strange plane is serious business fer a new pilot. Kit needs to respect that. This ain't no game."
"Phah!" she said, taking a sip of coffee. "Don't you think you're being a bit of a wet blanket, Baloo? I mean, I know you're trying to be a good teacher and all, but this is Kit's plane - of course he'd be excited. Why, he-"
"I'm just tryin' to teach the boy how-"
"Excuse me! I am sitting right here!" Kit said, annoyed, around a mouthful of elephant's ear.
Rebecca chuckled. Baloo waggled a finger at her. "Now just you leave me to raise my kid as _I_ see fit, Becky! Now kid-" he said, turning to Kit, but the cub had wolfed down his breakfast and dashed back to the window, where he stared out at the plane. Rebecca laughed again, and Baloo scowled at her for a moment, then broke into a smile, in spite of himself.
The cockpit of the Blue Eagle was somewhat smaller than that of the Sea Duck, but Rebecca, Molly and Wildcat had managed to make themselves fairly comfortable on cushions behind the pilot and co-pilot's chairs. The yellow cub sat on her mother's lap, her doll Lucy in hers. Sensing the somewhat somber mood in the cabin, Molly was unusually quiet.
Baloo sat in the Pilot's seat, running over the last of the pre-flight checks. He glanced over at Kit, seated to his right, an odd, unreadable expression on the boy's face. He wondered if the cub was a little bothered, still, that Baloo was going to fly the take-off - they had agreed it would be wisest, but still... "Y'okay, Kid?" he asked gently.
"Yeah." Kit whispered, with a quick smile in Baloo's direction.
"Kiddo, y'know why we're doin' it this way, right? You ain't never flown-"
"No, I'm fine, Papa Bear. I understand all that. I'm just... thinking, about stuff, that's all." The cub ran his hand softly over the controls.
Baloo smiled reassuringly and clasped Kit's shoulder gently. "So where to, L'il Britches? She's your plane! Where's the first test drive to?"
Kit thought for a moment. "Well... Lake Flaccid, maybe? That's a nice spot for a Sunday spin. Becky, you guys up for that?" he asked, turning to face Rebecca and tweaking the giggling Molly's nose.
"Sure Kit." Rebecca smiled. "That's perfect."
Yeah, man" Wildcat chimed in. "Just as long as there's no Martians there, cause, like, we didn't bring any guacamole!"
Kit grinned over at Baloo. "OK then - Lake Flaccid, Papa Bear!"
Baloo clasped Kit's hand. "Start 'er up, Kid." he said softly.
The boy closed his eyes, took a deep breath and started the engines. With a purr, they sprang to life.
"Sounds real smooth, kid! You ready?"
Kit grinned. "Thanks, Wildcat, great job! Ok... Pull chocks!"
Baloo backed the plane into open harbor, taxied her along the water and was airborne. He flew a few wide loops around the harbor and buzzed the city, getting a feel for the controls. Kit looked on, in awe, watching the scenery beneath them a look of sadness and joy in his eyes. After a few moments, the big gray bear guided the blue and gold seaplane towards the cliffs and open water.
"OK, Kiddo, listen up now. Remember, this little lady's a lot lighter than the Sea Duck. Your directional controls are gonna respond a little more quickly - don't take as much to get this gal turned, you hear me? And her engines are a little smaller... boy, get Superflight 100's on here and she'd be faster'n one o' Buzz's jet packs! It's gonna take a little longer to increase yer speed. Got me kid?"
Kit nodded, looking over the controls. "Roger Skipper. Easy on the stick, longer to ramp up the speed. Got it."
Baloo looked around. They were over open water now. He unbuckled his safety belt and stood. "Well, uh... I guess it's that time Kid. Go ahead - take the stick. See how she feels"
Kit looked up at Baloo, then slowly unbuckled and stood. Baloo gave his shoulder a quick pat as they switched seats, and the boy settled into the pilot's chair. He put his hands on the stick, and said nothing for a moment - looking straight ahead, with shining eyes. Finally, he turned around and smiled weakly. "Can you guys leave me alone in here, just for a sec'? I know it sounds weird, but..."
Rebecca gave his shoulder a squeeze. "It's not weird at all, Kit. Come on, Molly, let's see what the rest of Kit's plane looks like!" She walked back into the hold, yellow cub in tow. Wildcat patted Kit on the shoulder and winked, a surprisingly understanding look on his face. He followed Rebecca to the back.
Baloo unbuckled and looked over at his son. "Sure, Kid? I can stay, help ya-"
Kit smiled but did not look over. "Naw, that's OK, Baloo. I just want a second, just by myself. I need to... to..."
Baloo gently ruffled the boy's cap. "You bet Kid. Just call me when yer ready. Don't try no pretzel twists or nuthin'!" He joined the others in the cabin.
Kit looked around him quietly. He was alone in the cockpit. He sighed, closed his eyes for a moment. He opened them, and his gaze fell on the photograph taped to a corner of the panel. He smiled, and a tear rolled down his face, which he absently wiped away. He ran his hands over the throttle, the wheel, just feeling them, taking in all of the sensory detail of the moment.
As he sat, he tried to imagine his mother sitting here, what it must have felt like for her, a pioneer, a rare female aviator, on those long survey runs over uncharted waters. He tried to imagine Harry McDowd, sitting across from him, busily taking readings and plotting new discoveries. He thought of the banter, the repartee' that must have sustained them on long voyages in the little plane. Sustained them, just as the banter, the comraderie between Baloo and he sustained them on long cargo runs... and everything else. He thought about the bond that he felt with the gray bear, and with the woman whose plane this had been.
He wondered if she'd thought about him, sitting here - if she'd wondered if he would ever be sitting in this seat, flying this plane. She probably imagined she'd be teaching me, he thought, and the thought was too much - a small sob escaped him involuntarily.
He forced his gaze to the water below him, to the horizon. He banked the plane to port, gently, momentarily surprised by the ease with which the plane turned but then back in control of it again. He executed a wide loop, feeling the seaplane react to his commands. It felt good. He goosed the throttle, felt the engines vibrations rise in intensity, heard their whine creep up in pitch. The speed crept up, 130 MPH, 135... He gently increased the throttle until the gauge read 150 MPH, and stopped.
Kit eased the wheel back as he goosed the throttle, and the plane began gently to climb, the puffy clouds creeping closer. He leveled her off at 3000 feet, and looked down at the blue water beneath him. He felt at one with the plane now - he wasn't sure where his fingers ceased and the controls began. He looked down at the photo again, and smiled warmly, to see the three happy faces in it - together and happy. He looked around him, at the empty cockpit, and it didn't seem right anymore. "Hey guys!" he called. "Are you gonna leave me up here alone all day, or what?"
The four of them walked back into the cockpit, all smiles, with just a touch of wariness to them. Baloo strapped in across from him, and smiled gently, tentatively. "So how's it feel, L'il Britches?"
"Perfect!" the boy said, with a broad grin, first at Baloo and then at the others. "Like I was born to do it."
Kayla Cunningham was a woman of considerable patience - patience and strength. It was commonly assumed, she knew, that she was a devoted spouse, housewife, social coordinator - a typical "Woman behind the man". If that was what people thought, fine. She knew better - knew the sacrifices and struggles she'd had in her marriage, and her life, and the late nights she'd spent with Gregory making important decisions for Cunningham Holdings.
She was used to spending Sundays alone. Since their daughter had left for college there hadn't been a lot of family get-togethers, and Greg was as likely as not to be working in any case. The fact that this Sunday was supposed to have been spent in Alabastra on a too-brief vacation made the fact that she was spending it alone at home even more galling, if no more surprising, than normal.
The brown bear finally walked in late in the afternoon. He tossed his briefcase to the floor and sat down on the couch with a weary sigh. "How did the acquisition go?" Kayla asked coldly.
"It closed, no problems." Her husband answered, eyes closed.
"That's good."
They sat for a few moments, neither saying anything. Finally, he spoke. "I'm sorry, you know. I really had planned for us-"
"Please. I know what it's like. It's been the same for thirty years." She sighed. "It just seems like the more successful you are the less successful _we_ are. Isn't there ever a time for us? When do you earn _that_?"
He opened his eyes and grasped her paw in his. "I have been thinking about that, you know. It hasn't escaped me, what you're saying. But I have so many responsibilities, you don't know..."
She squeezed his paw and stood, walking towards the kitchen. "Oh, Rebecca called. She's going to be visiting for a Conference on the weekend of the 13th. Molly has a ballet recital, she can't come... She's bringing a boy, the son of one of her employees. I'm not exactly sure of the details. Of course I invited them to stay."
He smiled. "That's nice! Haven't seen Pumpkin in ages." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Haven't seen her in ages..."
Rebecca looked up from her book at her watch. It was nearing dinnertime, to her surprise. They'd spent the entire Sunday with Baloo and Kit. That seemed to be happening more and more lately... She glanced over at Baloo, who sat in the easy chair snoring, Molly asleep on his lap. Kit had snuggled into the chair next to Baloo, and had also fallen asleep, head on the big bear's chest. No wonder - he'd been on cloud nine all day - she'd never seen the boy more excited than after he'd flown the Blue Eagle. He was bound to crash sometime!
She found herself staring, smiling at then scene. It was so charming! How had this business of hers ended up transforming into - this? Whatever _this_ was, this strange thing that had evolved at Higher for Hire. She wasn't sure what it was, but she liked it, somehow.
There was the buzz of an airplane outside, and Kit stirred, shook his head sleepily. "I know that engine..." he mumbled. He grabbed his cap, which had ended up on Molly's head somehow. "That's the Albatross!" he said, sliding out of the chair and running for the door.
Kit's exclamation stirred Baloo out of his sleep as well. "Wha... Albatross?"
"Rudder!" Kit smiled from the doorway, and hurried outside.
"Rudder?" Rebecca frowned. "Rudder - isn't he the pilot you said helped you find Kit?" she asked the sleepy Baloo.
The big bear scratched his head. "Yup - that's 'im Beckers. Wonder what he's doin' here."
Kit ran down to the dock where Rudder had taxied his white seaplane. "Rudder!" he yelled to the black bear, who stepped down onto the dock and shook Kit's hand warmly.
"What're you doin' here?" Kit asked, as the black bear put his arm around his shoulder and they walked back to the building.
Rudder smiled. "I heard you ended up back with Baloo, and I had a delivery in Cape Suzette - double Sunday pay! - So I thought I'd drop in and see how you were makin' out!"
Kit stopped and grabbed Rudder's elbow. "Rudder - You know, about what happened-"
Rudder frowned. "Yeah, Kit... I know I betrayed you, Kid, but-"
"No!" the cub explained. "Y'don't understand, Rudder. I was bein' an idiot - a stupid, hare-brained kid. I was dumb. Baloo's the best thing that ever happened to me - Becky too. If you haddana told him where I was... well..."
The pilot clapped Kit's shoulder warmly. "I kinda had that figgered, Kid - othwerwise I wouldn't have said anything."
"Thanks, Rudder!" Kit said holding out his hand.
"Yer welcome!" the black bear grinned, shaking it. Baloo and Rebecca stepped outside to join them in front of the building. "Howdy folks." the black bear said jovially.
"Hello, Mr. Rudder. I'm Rebecca Cunningham, the owner of Higher for Hire. Welcome."
"M'amm"
Baloo looked the other pilot over and extended his hand. "So yer Rudder, huh? Name's Baloo. Nice plane."
"Howdy Baloo. Yours too - real nice. Both of 'em."
Baloo laughed. "The L-16's mine - sort of. That's the Sea Duck. The blue one , the L-10- that's Kit's!"
"Kit's?" Rudder exclaimed. "What the - you been hidin' a fortune or somethin' Kid?"
Kit grinned. "Nope - she's mine. The Blue Eagle. My Mom left her to me - or actually her partner gave her to me. Ain't she a beaut?"
"Sure is, Kid! Yer Mom? I haven't heard that one before, have I?"
Kit laughed ruefully. "Long story, Rudder."
Molly stood peering up at Rudder from his shoetops. The black bear bent and scooped her up. "And who's this striking young lady?" he asked, prompting a giggle from the yellow cub.
Rebecca laughed. 'That's my daughter, Molly."
"Are you a pilot?" the girl asked him, playing with his goggles.
"Sure am Kiddo. Been one fer thirty years." the black bear grinned.
"Thirty years?" the cub exclaimed. "You must be really _old_!"
"Yeah, Kid - guess I am!" the pilot said with a rueful smile. Molly had tired of him and wriggled out of his arms.
"Kit - let's go play on your plane!" she yelled, tugging at the boy's sweater.
"Not now Molly - my friend Rudder just got here! We'll play later."
"I wanna play now!" she whined, prompting a glare from her mother.
"Go ahead, Kit!" Rudder laughed. "Baloo 'n I can get acquainted fer a few minutes." The little girl dragged Kit off to the Blue Eagle.
"It's a nice night - I'll get some chairs and we can sit outside while the kids play." Rebecca smiled, disappearing inside.
"Yeah, I'll get us some sodas." Baloo added. A moment later, the three bears were comfortably set up outside Higher for Hire, watching the setting sun cast it's last rays on the harbor.
Rudder looked over at Kit and Molly, running in and out of the blue and gold seaplane, laughing. "Y'know, Baloo, it sure does my heart good to see Kit's ended up in a place like this." he said wistfully.
"Yeah." Baloo said quietly. "I gotta say, Rudder - I never knew if I'd get to tell ya, but I owe you a ton o' thanks - more'n you could ever know. If you hadn't radioed in - if I'd found Kit five minutes later - well - he was in real trouble."
"Glad to do it." the black bear said quietly, watching the children playing. "What kind of trouble?"
Baloo scowled. "That bastard Karnage, he was - after him - caught him too. I made sure he'd think twice about bothering him again - thanks to your message."
Rudder grimaced. "That guy's the scourge o' the skies. Dang fool. Kit's lucky he got away from him when he did."
"Anyways - like I said, I owe you big. I don't think I can tell ya how much that boy means ta me, Rudder - I flew solo fer a long time, and then we happened to find each other... If anythin' happened to 'im I don't - I just don't know..."
"I think I understand." Rudder said with a sad smile. "Like I told the kid, I kinda knew - I could tell, he really had it bad fer this place, as soon as I mentioned it, he really almost broke down... I knew Kit fer a year, better'n that, on the hobo circuit. He's tough. But he's special - I knew it then. He's got a heart the size o' Pazooza, that kid."
"He sure does." Rebecca chimed in. "Mr. Rudder - Baloo's officially adopted Kit. Did you know?"
"Adopted?" Rudder exclaimed in surprise. "That's great! The kid's been solo fer so long - and here he is, with a father fer real...You teaching him to fly?" Baloo nodded with a grin. "Father fer real, and with a - well, with you, Miss Cunningham. And your daughter - it's a real family for him. He deserves it."
Baloo clapped the pilot on the shoulder. "Thanks to you, friend."
Rudder shook his head sadly. "I gotta tell ya, Baloo - and I ain't proud of it neither.. I asked Kit to stick around with me, there on Port Wallaby, an' if he'd said yes... well, I dunno what I would've done exactly. I- I been flyin' solo fer thirty years. I always liked Kit, a lot. He's a special kid. A whiz with airplanes... I always kinda felt like I shoulda taken care o' the kid, from the beginning... but I was just never ready to share my space, y'know? Bein' a traveler is a lonely life, but it's free. I guess I had my chance. You had the guts when I didn't, Baloo. And the boy's sure better off. He's got a real home now. Like I told ya before, take good care o' him or I'll find ya and kick yer tail!"
Baloo looked at the other pilot for a moment, his expression unreadable. Kit walked over, Molly in tow. "So, what've you guys been talkin' about?" he asked with a grin, knowing the answer full well.
"Just airplanes an' stuff." Baloo replied, playfully pulling the boy's cap down over his eyes.
"Hey!" Kit muttered, taking a playful swipe at Baloo, prompting a laugh from the big gray bear. He squeezed in next to Baloo on his chair and the pilot draped an arm over his shoulder.
"You didn't tell me this galoot was yer _Daddy_, Kit!" Rudder admonished the cub.
"I didn't know he _was_, last time I saw you Rudder!" the boy said, looking fondly at Baloo. "That all kinda happened while I was out makin' a fool out of myself."
"He treatin' you good, son?"
"You even got to ask, Rudder?" Kit smiled, snuggling against Baloo's shoulder.
Rudder smiled sadly, and looked out over the water. "I'll tell ya Kid - ya got a Dad, ya got Miss Cunningham, little Molly here-" he reached over and tickled the girl under the chin. "You even got yer own plane now. I sure am glad, Kid - nobody deserves it more. A hobo's life is nothing - not compared to a real family. Nobody deserves it more."
"That took a lot o' persuadin', Rudder." Baloo said, hugging Kit fondly. "Kid didn't wanna believe it fer a long time."
"Thanks Rudder." Kit said sincerely. "Thanks fer everything. I didn't know what I had, guess you never do, 'til you lose it..."
"Don't mention it, Son." the black bear said, standing. He cuffed Kit's neck fondly, and shook Baloo's hand. "I've gotta be headin' out, another flight, another port."
Rebecca stood. "Mr. Rudder - I might just have a job for you. Are you available the weekend of the 13th?" Baloo looked over at her in surprise.
He scratched his chin. "I reckon - I got no plans that I'm aware of. What's the job?"
"Well, Kit and I need to get to Winger City - I have a convention to attend, and he's visiting the Aviation Museum, and then we're visiting my parents. Baloo and Molly have to stay here. I was going to buy airline tickets, but if you're interested... You'd just need to fly us there early on the 13th, 6 A.M., and back late on the 14th. Say two hundred?"
"Hmmm. Well, I'd just as soon spend a weekend in Winger City as anywhere else..."
"C'mon Rudder - it's a great idea!" Kit prodded him.
"Sure, why not? Job's a job, and it's nice to have a little company up there sometimes. Six o'clock on the 13th. Sure, I'll be here. Thanks a lot."
"Thank you Mr. Rudder." Rebecca smiled, shaking his hand. "For everything. "We're all grateful."
"Yeah, Rudder, thanks." Kit said, giving the black bear a hug - a gesture that moved him immensely. The Kit he had known would never have exposed his feelings so openly. He grabbed the cub's head warmly and grinned.
"Rudder." Baloo said, holding out a hand. "You're a friend o' Kit's, so that makes ya a friend o' mine, too. This house is always open. You come back anytime."
Rudder grinned and shook the gray bear's hand. "See you all on the 13th!" he said, and turned towards his plane with a wave. The four bears watched him go, and turned to go back into the building, Kit holding Baloo's hand and Molly Rebecca's. The black bear watched them enter, a wistful grin on his face, and dissapeared into the cockpit of the Albatross. The white seaplane soared into the evening sky and was gone.
"Come in, Ralston. Please sit down." Gregory Cunningham said to the young panther who had just entered the office. "You're right on time - as usual." The brown bear studied the young man as he sat - immaculately dressed, a look of quiet confidence, as always, appearing on his face. Ralston was one of the few members of Cunningham's circle that never appeared to be flustered or intimidated by the big bear's presence, despite the fact that he had only been on the board of directors for two years.
"Thank you Mr. Cunningham." the panther smiled as he sat. "As we discussed, I've drawn up the proposal for the Magnaversal partnership. I've included projected sales figures for the first five fiscal years, along with planned costs. As you can see, we project a profit as soon as the second quarter of the second year."
Cunningham nodded slowly as he looked over the figures. "Immaculate as ever, Mr. Ralston." The panther's work was consistently excellent - a fact that was made all the more obvious by the fact that he never seemed anxious to show everyone (especially Greg Cunningham) just how excellent it was.
"As you can see, Sir, this estimates an initial financial outlay of about eleven million on our part. We're scheduled for negotiations on the 10th. We've taken some steps to prepare-"
"Yes. Very impressive. And what team have you assembled for the negotiations?"
The panther shifted a fraction in his seat. "Myself, Rodgers, Pierpont, from accounting..."
"And you plan to head the negotiations yourself?"
"That's your prerogative, Sir. I'm happy to abide by whatever you feel is appropriate."
Cunningham thought silently for a moment as he looked over the papers in front of him. The young man was clearly capable - still, a negotiation of this significance... "Well, Mr. Ralston. Given the nature and importance of these meetings, I'll head up the team myself. We'll leave late on Tuesday - arrange a charter to Barbersville. That'll do for now."
"Yes sir, Mr. Cunningham." the young man said, standing, a trace of dissapointment in his carefully guarded visage. The panther spun and smoothly walked out of the office. Cunningham watched him go. Surely for a deal of this magnitude, he had to handle the negotiations himself....Business _was_ business, after all.
The boy lay back on the bed, listening to the sounds of the trumpet gently wailing from the gramophone speaker. Louis Legstrong. Amazing, that what he was listening to and what he heard when he played was the same musical instrument. That was a depressing thought, but still, there was something about the music - the vibrancy, the _soul_ that spoke to him. Everyone had a gift, somewhere, if they could find it. Some could play the trumpet. Some could hit a baseball five hundred feet. And some could fly airplanes as though possessed by the spirits of eagles.
Kit sat up and glanced at his watch. Eight o'clock. It was time to get packed for the trip - they'd be airborne in ten hours. The cub had found himself surprisingly nervous about this trip as the week rolled on. He'd never spent an entire two days with Rebecca before - not without Baloo around. And when Baloo was around he was always the center of attention.
Kit wasn't completely comfortable around Miz Cunningham, even now, after all the time he'd spent at Higher for Hire. From that first moment, when she'd walked in, he was in awe of her a little. There was always an element of uncertainty to his relationship with her. He loved her, he knew that, no question - she had given him a sense of family and home that he'd never felt before, not even from Baloo.
Still, the boy had always harbored doubts in his mind. There was no question she was fond of him, and Baloo - but she _had_ a child, already, and when push came to shove, she was technically Kit's boss, and no more. Was she really more than that? Did she place the same importance on his companionship that he did on hers? Did she understand that, at some level, he truly did consider her... a mother, no less? Even making that admission to himself scared the cub quite a bit.
Kit couldn't shake the feeling that she might be kind to him because she felt sorry for him - the street urchin, the orphan. She was being considerate of his feelings. He cursed himself, silently, for always looking for the dark side of people - for the ulterior motives that usually weren't there. Why couldn't he just accept that she might love him as he did her, and for what he was? Baloo had certainly tried very hard, in his way, to teach him those lessons. But his fears were real, and he couldn't completely shake them.
Baloo walked into the bedroom carrying a huge sandwich as Kit was filling his duffel bag. "Hey, L'il Britches!" he said cheerfully. "Gettin' ready, huh? Excited about the trip?"
Kit smiled. "Yeah I guess so. The museum should be fun."
Baloo sat on his bed and took a bite of the sandwich. "Whassa matter? Little nervous about spendin' time with Beckers, huh?"
Kit's jaw dropped, a little. Baloo could be surprisingly perceptive - or perhaps he just knew Kit better than the boy cared to admit. "How'd you know?"
The gray bear chuckled good-naturedly. "S'natural, kid. Only to be expected. Don't worry about it. Least you'll have Rudder there on the flight to talk to."
"Yeah...." the cub mused. "It'll sure be interestin' to meet her parents though!"
"Yeah, Kid. Weird she's never mentioned 'em before. Wonder what they're like."
Kit smiled. "They must be pretty great, if Becky's their daughter. I'd almost forgot anybody _had_ actual parents. You nervous about takin' care of Molly?"
Baloo waved a hand. "Naw... a little maybe. How hard could it be to take care of a six year-old girl for two days?"
Kit snorted. "I wouldn't ask that if I were you. Just don't let her talk you into takin' the Dangermobile down to the harbor..."
It was still dark when Rebecca's cab pulled up outside Higher for Hire early the following morning. She left her suitcase outside the building and carried the sleeping Molly inside. Kit was hauling his duffel bag down the stairs when she walked in the door. "Morning, Miz Cunningham." the boy said with a weary smile.
"Good morning. Where's Baloo?"
Kit pointed. "Still asleep. I got my bed all set up for Molly an' everything."
"Thanks." she said with a pat on his head, and started up the stairs."Did you remember to pack a bathing suit? My parent's have an indoor pool."
"Yeah, you told me!" the boy grinned. She smiled back at him and entered the bedroom. Baloo was, in fact, still asleep - snoring loudly in his bed. Rebecca slipped Molly into Kit's bed and tucked her under the covers, causing the girl to stir.
"Mommy?" she mumbled sleepily.
"I'm right here, Sweetie. Go back to sleep." she said, smoothing the yellow cub's hair gently.
"I wish you weren't goin' away, Mommy. I wish you could see my recital tonight."
Rebecca smiled. "Me too, Baby. But you know how important this convention is. I'll be thinking of you. Baloo's going to take real good care of you, don't worry."
Molly smiled groggily. "Baloo's funny!" she mumbled
The brown bear frowned. "He sure is. Go easy on him, Molly - you know he's not - responsible, like Mommy." She kissed the cub on the forehead. "Now go back to sleep, Honey. You've got a big day today, and it's still early."
"Take good care of Kit, Mommy." Molly mumbled sleepily, prompting a surprised look from her mother. The girl said the oddest things sometimes...
She tiptoed over to Baloo and shook the big bear gently. "Baloo!" she whispered into his ear.
""Wh- huh?" the pilot mumbled groggily. "Gimmee another five minutes... three hours..."
"Get up _now_ Mister!" she said softly. "We have to talk about a few things before I leave!"
"All right!" he grumbled, sitting up in bed with a yawn.
"Shh! Molly's asleep. Come downstairs!" she whispered. Grumpily the sleepy pilot followed her down, where Kit sat sleepily drinking a glass of orange juice at the table. Baloo absently patted the boy on the head and sat down in the easy chair with a grunt.
"Baloo. Pay attention!" Rebecca admonished. "Now, I've got a list of phone numbers for you... there's Dr. Breakbone, Molly's pediatrician, the poison control center-"
Baloo grabbed the piece of paper from her. "Yeah, yeah! Don't blow a gasket, Beckers! I got a kid runnin' around here myself, dontcha think I know all that stuff?"
"Well, I'm sorry Baloo, but she's _my_ daughter, and I'm just being careful. Now you know her recital is at 7:30 tonight, that's at the Community Center, the address is right there, on that slip of paper. You've just got that delivery to Wasabia today and that's all - no joyriding, do you understand? I want Molly to have a sensible breakfast, too - today _and_ tomorrow. No donuts or cakes or-"
"Jeez Becky!" the pilot said angrily. "It's a wonder that girl has any fun at all with you overpretectin' her like this! I think I can handle-"
"That's enough, Baloo! Don't give me any more..." she stopped. "No, it's too early in the day for this - I'm not getting into another debate with you now. You've got the list - Molly's things are in her bag, by Kit's bed. Just take good care of her and make sure she's safe, OK?"
Baloo grinned. "First sensible thing you've said all day!" he grumbled. "Don't worry yer pretty little head, boss-lady - I can handle Molly. You just go off and enjoy yer little conference and make sure Kit don't get into any trouble. Sounds like yer ride's here." Rudder's plane rumbled noisily in for a landing outside.
Rebecca smiled warily at him. "Don't worry about Kit. We'll be back by nine tomorrow night. Have fun with Molly."
Baloo walked over to the table and gave Kit a quick hug. "Enjoy the museum, L'il Britches. Don't let ol' Beckers here spoil yer fun. See ya tomorrow night."
"Bye Papa Bear." the cub said with a tired grin.
"Bye Becky - and don't worry. Things are under control. Now I'm goin' back to bed..." the gray bear tromped back up the stairs and disappeared into the bedroom.
Rebecca checked her purse quickly, then turned to Kit. "Ok, -ready to go?"
The cub stood and grabbed his duffel. "Ready to pull chocks!" he said with a smile. Rebecca draped an arm over his shoulder and they left Higher for Hire.
Gregory Cunningham sipped his coffee, dressed in a red silk bathrobe with his initials on the lapel. His wife poured herself a cup and sat at the table next to him. He grasped her paw. "Sure will be nice to see Becky again."
"Yes." she smiled. "It's been almost two years. Too long." She looked at him, grasping their joined hands with her free one. "Greg - are you sure you want to do this? Are you sure this is right? She sounds like she's worked so hard building up this place of hers, like she's made real attachments."
He shook his head. "Kayla - I'm sure. This is the time. It was bound to happen sooner or later, and you've said yourself, the time has come for me to - step back, enjoy what I've earned."
"I know, I know... But there are so many people at your office who could-"
"No. I knew then and I know now - I want Rebecca. That's how it should be. This is a family business."
Kayla Cunningham shook her head sadly. "It just seems odd... She obviously thinks enough of this boy and his father to bring him here with her - "
"Oh, Kayla. That's business. This is family.'
"So whatcha want fer breakfast, Button-nose? Cereal? Oatmeal?" Baloo asked, cheerily.
"I wanna donut!" Molly said petulantly from behind him at the table.
"Aw, Molly! Yer Mama said no donuts fer breakfast, an' ol' Baloo's gonna make sure ya do what yer supposed to. So decide, Kiddo! Cereal or oatmeal?"
"Cereal." she replied.
"Cereal is it!" he said, whistling. He poured out a bowl and turned to put it on the table, only to find the yellow cub finishing off the remnants of a powdered sugar donut, much of which was now on her face. He sighed. This was not an auspicious start to the day...
"You folks comfy back there?" Rudder called out from the cockpit. Kit and Rebecca sat in two Jury-rigged seats in the cabin. Rudder was not used to passengers.
"Yes, thank you." Rebecca called. "And thanks for the bagels, too! It's a long flight." Rudder had provided them with a bag of bagels for the journey.
The pilot laughed. 'What kinda airline would I be if I didn't serve food on a six hour flight? If ya need anythin' just let me know."
Kit had been a little disappointed when he'd seen that the pilot had set them up in the cabin, where including Rudder in the conversation would be impossible. The only other option would have been for him to sit up front with Rudder, which would have been exceptionally rude to his way of thinking. He was spending this time with Rebecca, whether he was comfortable or not.
She smiled at him. "Excited?"
He grinned back. "Sure! I wanted to go the Museum of Aviation ever since I first heard about it. They've got the Spirit of East St. Louis, the Kitty Hawk Kids' Plane, everything. Thanks a lot for letting me come with, I really appreciate it."
She patted his hand. "Thank you for coming. These conventions are good business but they're a little boring. It'll be nice to have you for company afterwards."
"I hope - I don't wanna be a lot of trouble for you. If I get in the way-"
She laughed. "Kit! You're always so concerned about that sort of thing. Why is that? I'm really looking forward to spending some time with you."
He blushed. "Yeah - I really am too, Miz Cunningham. I really - well, you know... And I really wanted to spend some time with you too. What did you tell your folks - about me?"
"Let's see - I told them I was bringing along my pilot's son, who's thirteen, and a wonderful young man, and one of my very, very dearest friends, and I was sure they'd love him just as much as I do. Is that all right?" she grinned.
He blushed again. "You didn't tell 'em that..."
She laughed. "Why not? It's all true. I'd take you with me to the convention too if I could, but they don't allow children. It would be good experience for you. You know Kit - I consider you, among other things, to be a very important part of the future of Higher for Hire."
"Really?" he squeaked. "How do you mean?"
She clasped his paw. "Well, it's pretty obvious. You have the flying part down. By the time you get your licence you'll already be almost as good as Baloo. Now Kit, you know how fond I am of Baloo-"
"Sure."
"But you also know - he's not exactly a businessman, is he? You have a sense of responsibility, a quick mind - and you treat everyone like you would want to be treated. If my father taught me anything, he taught me that qualities like that are vital for a successful business leader. Higher for Hire is my life, Kit - it's everything to me, and you're a big part of my life. I think you can be an even bigger part of Higher for Hire when you grow up. If that's what you decide. But that door will always be open for you, I want you to know that."
"Wow! Gee, thanks, Miz Cunningham!" he whispered. He took a moment to digest everything he'd just heard. She was being so honest with him... He decided to leap into the brink. "Can I tell you something?"
"Of course - you can tell me anything, any time. You know that."
He looked at his feet sheepishly. "I was... I guess, a little nervous about this trip, with you..."
"Why?" she asked, sounding genuinely surprised.
He chuckled "I dunno - you're - not like Baloo, you know? You've got so much, a business, a kid... You've pretty much got a great life, with or without Baloo, or me. I guess I just sometimes wondered, a little - if it weren't for Higher for Hire... maybe I was, you know, out of place, making you take me on a trip like this, outside of the business."
She squeezed his paw. "You really have had it rough, haven't you? You poor little thing!"
"Miz Cunningham!" the boy said, embarrassed.
"No, I mean it! This is so hard for you, I never really realized it before. You have a lot going for you, Kit! There's a lot about you to like, and no one needs any excuses to like you, to want to spend time with you. Including me. I thought I'd made it clear that Higher for Higher is a family, Kit. You're part of that family. You don't have to look for reasons why I like you - I just do! What's happened before - it doesn't matter. You weren't an orphan because you weren't worth loving. You were an orphan because of bad luck - that's all. You don't ever need to worry about that, Kit. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
He looked down, embarrassed. "Yeah. Thanks Becky." he said, finally peeking over at her with a sheepish grin. It was amazing - she's seen through him as if he were a plane of glass. That sort of thing seemed to be happening to him more and more lately. "So..." he was ready to change the subject. "What are your folks like?"
She smiled. "What a question! Where to begin? Let's see - my father runs Cunningham Holdings, it's a finance company. He's run that company for over thirty years, almost since I was born. My mother - well, she's an interesting lady, Kit. She doesn't like to draw attention to herself, but she's an interesting lady."
"Did you always live in Winger City?"
"Pretty much. I was born in Cape Suzette, actually. But my parents moved to Winger City when I was only a year old. My father started the company not long after."
Kit smiled. "Did you like Winger City? I went to a lot of places, while I was - traveling - but I've never been there."
She grinned. "I have good memories. It's a nice place, but very different from Cape Suzette. It has four seasons, you know, snow in winter, hot in the summer. I went to school there, college... I went to Hartmouth University, studied business management. It's a nice town, but from the first time I went back to Cape Suzette, I knew _that_ was home - I just fell in love with it."
"I know what you mean!" the cub said, smiling dreamily. "When did you leave Winger City? What made you decide to go?"
"Oh my." she said, furrowing her brow. "That's a complicated story..."
"Uh, Baloo, tell me again why ya wanted me to come on this delivery, Man?" Wildcat said, sticking his head through the doorway to the cockpit.
"Like I tol' ya - I _need_ you to help keep Olly-may under ontrol-kay!" the pilot said, annoyed. Where _was_ that girl, anyway?
"Oh yeah, right. Olly-may, uh-huh. Baloo?"
"Yeah Wildcat?"
"What?"
Baloo shook his head. "Never mind, Wildcat! Just see what Molly's up to, wiillya? I'm tryin' ta _fly_ here - it's hard enough without my navigator!"
"Look Baloo! I'm a seal!" the yellow cub mumbled, sliding into the cabin on all fours, one of the fresh tuna for the Wasabia delivery in her mouth.
"What the - Wildcat!"
"Yeah, man?"
"Get that fish outta her mouth! You don't know where it's been!"
"Oh, sure I do, like. it's been swimmin' waaaaay down in the ocean, glub glub, and then it was in a net, and then it came up to the surface and it was in a box, and now it's in Molly's mouth, Man!"
"Never mind - just get that fish outta her mouth and find something harmless for her to play with! Now!"
"OK, Baloo. C'mon Molly, Uncle Wildcat'll show ya how an acetylene torch works." the mechanic said, tugging the fish out of the cub's mouth and leading her back into the hold.
Baloo breathed a sigh of relief. "A moment's peace at last..." he muttered. "Easier to deal with Karnage than that little devil back there... Well, Wildcat should keep her busy, he's - WILDCAT!"
Kit stared sidelong at Rebecca, wondering if he'd intruded in an area he shouldn't have. He was hardly one to talk - he'd hadn't exactly been forthcoming about everything in his past. He gently clasped her paw. "I'm sorry, Becky - I didn't mean to - if you don't-"
She laughed, a little bitterly he thought. "No, Honey, that's OK. I don't mind talking about it - I love my parents... it's just that I hardly know where to start."
"Start at the beginning!" he said, smiling helpfully.
"All right. It's just - well, I don't want to sound ungrateful. Considering what you've gone through... My parents gave me a good home, a good education. I never lacked for anything when I was growing up. I had nice clothes, always food on the table, plenty of toys. I went to private schools... Everything was very ... comfortable."
"I bet you were a good student, huh?" the boy said with a grin.
"All right, smart-guy. I was. I worked hard... I got good grades, and I could go to just about any college I wanted. My father felt that Hartmouth would give me the best business education, and my father always got what he wanted. So I went to Hartmouth, and I liked it fine - it was a little stuffy, but the professors all had some sort of award or honor, and they really knew what they were teaching - when they actually showed up to teach the classes themselves, which wasn't all that often.
So I graduated from Hartmouth, with a Masters, and I went to work for my Dad. And I liked it - I'd been involved in the business since I was a little girl - even littler than you!" She tweaked the boy's nose gently, prompting a giggle. "My dad always thought I should enter the business someday, but my Mother was against it, at least sometimes she was. She's from a time when women didn't do that sort of thing, you know. So are we I suppose... But Dad always got what he wanted...
So anyway, I worked for the business for a long time, and it was fine. Daddy pretty much made all the hard decisions himself. He still does. After a while I met David, he was my husband..."
Kit had never heard Rebecca mention her husband - Molly's father - before, and involuntarily looked sharply over at her, for a moment. He turned away. "You don't hafta tell me about him, if you don't want to."
She smiled. "That's all right, Kit. We've all had our pain to deal with, and it landed us where we are, which is a pretty good place. So nothing happened for nothing - do you understand?" He nodded. "David Skiler... David worked in the Marketing department at the company, and I spent some time there. We were in love, Kit - it's a wonderful feeling! I know you'll experience it someday - I really envy you - the first time you're in love is the best." She wrapped an arm around his shoulder and squeezed fondly. He returned the favor.
"Anyway - we got married, just about a year after we met. Molly was born a little more than a year after that. And David died about two years after that. Not a very exciting story, I'm afraid."
Kit looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry, Miz Cunningham."
"Me too Kit." she smiled sadly. "But it happened. What's done is done. So I stayed around for a couple more years, after that, working part time. Of course, Dad was very understanding, what with me being a single mother, about my schedule, and the like. But I felt it was time for a change. Winger City _was_ David to me, and that was a part of it....
But there was something else, too. Dad's business was just that - Dad's business. You'll understand this someday, Kit - maybe you'll feel this way about Higher for Hire, who knows? I wanted something of my own. Everything in my life had been my Dad's - the schools, the job, he even bought David and I our first house. I wanted to make my mark - to do something that was _mine_ and not his. I wanted to _build_ something, not just maintain it.
So I took some time, and I travelled a little, and I thought about Cape Suzette, where I'd been born. Like I said, as soon as I was back I loved it - I knew this was where I wanted to be. I had some money saved, and I looked for an opportunity, and as much as I hate to say it, Baloo's Air Service was a perfect opportunity! I'm sorry, Kit-"
The cub laughed. "You forget - I saw it before you got there! I know what it was like. Baloo's no businessman, I know. But he doesn't care, really."
She chuckled. "You're right - he cares about flying, sleeping, and - something else - but not about business. But he's a good friend... So, that's really about it, I guess. Does that answer your question?"
He grinned at her. "It sure does. I'm really sorry about David - your husband. I'm sorry Molly doesn't have a Dad. But I'm glad we all have each other."
"Me too Kit." she replied, giving the cub a hug, which the two bears held for a long moment. "And I hope there's no more nonsense about being nervous to talk to me! You tell me anything, ask me anything you want. Understand?"
"Sure!" he said, happily resting his head on her shoulder. "I understand everything."
"Look Baloo! I took alla the tools outta the toolbox and stacked 'em by color on the floor! Come look!" Molly exclaimed.
"That's great, Button-nose." Baloo answered, not wanting to see what his cargo hold must look like. Thank goodness the delivery was over, maybe once they were back on the ground he'd get some peace..."Where's Wildcat?"
"He's sleepin' in back. He's real tired fer some reason." The cub stood silently for a moment, then two. Baloo considered saying something but thought he'd best enjoy the break while he could. "Baloo! I'm bored! I need somethin' to play with."
"Where's Lucy, Short stuff?", mind racing for ideas.
"Lucy's sleepin' too. I'm gonna see if I can find somethin' else to play with back there..."
"NO! Uh....Boy, there sure area lot o' _pirates_ in these waters, Molly. Wish I had Danger Woman up here to keep an eye out for 'em..."
"Pirates?" Molly said excitedly. "Danger Woman is on the job!" She leapt up into the navigator's seat. "But I don't have my official Danger Woman hat!"
Baloo looked around him desperately. Finally, he took off his own cap and placed it on the girl's head. "There ya go, Mol - er, Danger Woman. The pirates around here know Danger Woman, so she's gotta fly undercover - as a cargo pilot!"
"OH! Yeah - I'm undercover." the girl said proudly.
Baloo chuckled softly. Pretty clever! This parenting stuff wasn't so bad...
"Danger Woman switches on the official pirate detector!" Molly shouted, flicking a switch on the control panel.
"NO!!" Baloo exclaimed, flipping the switch back hurriedly. "That dumps our fuel, Molly! Don't touch that!"
"Who's Molly?" the cub said, in mock confusion. "Only Danger Woman up here... Boy, Baloo, you sure are breathin' hard - whassa matter?"
Baloo panted. That close to losing their fuel... "Nothing Mol- Danger Woman. Just somethin' I ate..."
Kit, Rebecca and Rudder sat in the cab as it made it's way through the streets of downtown Winger City. "Thanks again for going to the museum with Kit, Mr. Rudder."
The pilot grinned. "No need to thank me, Miss Cunningham. I've got a day to kill here anyway, and I haven't been to the place in a couple of years. It'll be fun."
Rebecca looked over at the boy. "All right, then - you make sure you eat some lunch young man, before you spend all day walking around that museum, OK?"
"Sure, Miz Cunningham." Kit replied with a sheepish grin.
"All right, have fun. I'll take our bags and put them in a locker at the convention center. I should be finished at the convention by six o'clock - as soon as you're done at the museum take a cab straight over there, and I'll meet you in the lobby. It's the Winger City Convention Center. You have the address?"
"Right here." he said, patting his pocket.
"Good. Then we'll head over to my parents house and have a nice dinner, and I can show you around a little. Mr. Rudder, we'll meet you at your plane tomorrow evening at three o'clock, all right?"
"Sure, Miss Cunningham, no problem." the pilot said amiably.
The driver pulled over to the curb. "Museum of Aviation, M'amm."
"Thank you. We'll be going on to the Convention Center in just a moment." She turned to Kit and opened her purse. "Have fun! Here's three dollars for some lunch-"
"Miz Cunningham, you-"
"Nonsense. Here's some money for the Museum Admission, and cab fare." she handed the cub some bills. "Oh, and here's another five - get yourself something nice from the gift shop." she said with a smile.
Kit looked at the wad of bills. "Becky, you don't hafta gimmee all this! I've got some money."
She smiled and straightened his collar. "Don't be silly! I want to. You've come all this way, why shouldn't you enjoy yourself a little? Now - promise me - take a cab straight over to the Convention Center after the museum. And don't talk to strangers. Except the cab driver. And stay close to Mr. Rudder in the museum-"
He laughed sheepishly. She'd never - _mothered_ him this way before! He was embarrassed, especially in front of Rudder, but he found that he really _liked_ it - a lot. "Don't worry, Miz Cunningham, I'll be fine. And thanks for the loot, I could buy myself a house with all this..."
She laughed and gave him a hug. "Watch your smart mouth! Have fun, and be careful - I'll see you at six!" With a wave, the boy and the pilot slipped out of the cab and the driver returned to the road.
She sat back, smiling. She had never _mothered_ the child that way before - he seemed so independent, but somehow, she felt as though he really craved that attention. She had the same sense that she'd had from that very first night, at Higher for Hire - that Kit desperately wanted to let someone else take care of him, but just couldn't force himself to admit it, not even to himself. She hoped she wasn't overstepping her bounds - but then, she was Kit's parent for the weekend, and Baloo would expect her to protect the cub, just as she would expect him to protect Molly...
She blocked that image out of her mind, remembering her promise to herself not to worry about that - she couldn't control it, and Baloo could handle things. She thought about Kit again, how good it felt to take care of him, like she was doing... and wondered if she was allowing herself to become too attached - he was someone else's son after all. Oh well, no point in worrying, she mused - he wasn't going anywhere and neither was she...
"Rudder, look!" Kit said, pointing. He ran over to where a small single engine plane sat, surrounded by velvet ropes and metal stanchions.
Rudder walked over, grinning. "Spirit of East St. Louis! Charles Limburger's plane. What a pioneer he was, kid. Flew from Yorkton to Escally solo - clear across the Atlantic. That took some guts." He looked over at Kit - the boy was looking at the old plane with a sad expression on his face. 'Whassa matter, Kit?"
The cub smiled wistfully. "It kinda makes me think about my Mom, Rudder. That's a long story, like I told ya... but she was a surveyor, she flew a lot of long missions, all that stuff."
Rudder scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Yeah, I was gonna ask you about that, Son, only I wasn't sure if... y'know, you wanted to talk about it. What was her name, Kid?"
"Angie. Angie Crosswhyte." the boy said, leaning over the ropes to get a closer look at the plane.
Rudder's jaw dropped. "Yer kiddin'! Yer Mom was Angie Crosswhyte?"
Kit looked over at him in surprise. "Yeah - why?"
Rudder laughed. "Jeez'n crow, Kit - I knew yer Mom! Angie used to fly outta San Flamingo, right? Hell, I been a pilot a long time, Kid, I been everywhere - I flew outta San Flamingo for a while in the 20's. Believe me, you saw a lady pilot in those days you didn't forget! Weren't too many of 'em. Hot damn! Angie Crosswhyte....that sure explains a lot, Kiddo!"
Kit was astonished. "What - what do you mean, 'explains a lot'?"
"Heck, Kid - Angie was one o' the gutsiest pilots around. I didn't know 'er well, but I sure heard a lot about her. She and that partner o' hers, what was his name..."
"Harry McDowd."
"Yeah! McDowd. They took a lot o' long runs, tough jobs. They had a lot of respect in the business, Kit. You got that same moxie she had - ya had to get it from somewhere! You should be real proud, Kit."
The boy puffed his chest out, a little. "Yeah - I am. She was a real good pilot. I am proud."
Rudder shook his head. "Didn't even know she had a kid... Like I said, I knew her mostly by reputation. Met her a few times though, nice gal. Pretty as a picture, too." Rudder clapped the cub on the shoulder. "Sorry, Kid - sorry you didn't get the chance to know her and all. But at least you know _about_ her now, huh? That's somethin'."
Kit started to walk over to the next exhibit. "Yeah, Rudder - that is something." He leaned in and started to read the plaque at the display. "Experimental design, Howard Huge, 1928, tri-wing passenger cruiser. Man, what a weird old coot this guy is! Baloo 'n me helped put 'im in jail..."
Rudder walked over and stood next to the boy, staring at the odd aircraft before them. "Thin line between genius and madness, Kid, thin line..." They stood for a moment, and stared at the plane. "So, Kid - this Rebecca Cunningham, she's a pretty special lady, huh?"
Kit smiled without looking over "She sure is, Rudder. I don't know where I'd be without her."
"I swear, Kid - you gotta be the luckiest boy in Usland - and it's either all good or all bad."
"Whaddaya mean, Rudder?" the cub said with a puzzled frown.
The black bear chuckled. "Ain't it obvious, Kid? You lose yer parents, live in an orphanage, fly around with a bunch o homeless slobs like me.. End up stuck with Karnage and his gang fer a year... pretty bad luck fer somebody so young, y'know?
Then, by chance, you run into Baloo, who not only teaches ya to fly but he'd also take a bullet for ya in a second, and vice-versa, I'm sure. Not only that, ya end up working fer a lady like Miss Cunningham, who's nuts about ya - and she even throws a little sister for ya into the bargain, an' if that weren't enough ya get yer own plane at the age o' thirteen! How do ya figure, Kit?"
Kit smiled a private smile. "If it weren't for the other stuff, Rudder, I wouldn't appreciate what I've got now. Everything happens for a reason. Somebody told me that once. Besides," he said, slapping the pilot on the arm, "There was some good times, too, before. It wasn't so bad."
"You wouldn't go back though, would ya Kid?" the pilot said with a wink.
Kit looked back at the Huge Tri-wing before them. "Naw - I'm no fool, Rudder."
Rudder smiled sadly. "No, Kit - yer no fool."
Baloo could hear someone calling his name, but who? And why? He was sleeping so peacefully, it was so beautiful here, he was surrounded by acres and acres of sweet smelling donuts and cakes, growing on trees... and hammocks hung from all of the branches. It was heaven.
"Ba-LOO!"
He stirred, at last. The voice was right next to his ear... What was wrong with Kit's voice? He turned, and saw Molly standing next to his easy chair, tugging on his sleeve. "Whasa - Oh....What's wrong, Button-nose?"
"Mommy's on the phone." she said, pointing to the receiver on the desk.
"Oh, okay Short Stuff..." he stumbled out of the chair and over to the phone.
"She wants ta know why _I_ answered!" the cub said from behind him.
"Hello? Oh, Hi Becky." he mumbled into the mouthpiece.
"I washed all yer shoes for you, Baloo!" Molly called cheerfully. The pilot groaned quietly.
"What did she say, Baloo?" Rebecca's voice said sharply across the line.
"She, uh, said she watched the news, Becky. She means she was lookin' at the newspaper, I guess."
"Baloo, have you been asleep? If you took a nap and left her unsupervised-"
"I ain't been sleepin'!" he lied. He'd started out trying to get Molly to take _her_ nap, but that hadn't worked out so well... "Don't you worry yer pretty little head, Beckers. Ol' Baloo's got ever'thin under control... Molly!" The girl was trying to reach the cookie jar atop the Kitchen cabinet. She giggled and ran upstairs.
"How did the delivery go, Baloo? Did Molly behave herself on the plane?" Rebecca asked warily.
"Yeah, great!" he said, casting a nervous eye upstairs. "I brought Wildcat along to play with her, an' ever'thin was fine. Delivered right on time." Time to change the subject. "How's the convention? How's L'il Britches?"
"Oh, fine. The convention's a little boring, like they always are, but we've signed up a few new clients already... Kit's at the museum, he's meeting me here and we're going over to my parents."
"Ba-LOO!" Molly cried from upstairs.
"Uh, I gotta go, Beckers. I, uh....need to tell Wildcat what color I want the carburetors painted. Everythin's fine, don't worry."
"But Baloo - make sure you get Molly to her recital on time, and don't forget-"
"Ba-LOOOO!" the cub wailed again.
"Sorry, Becky - gotta fly, you know how Wildcat hates ta waste time! Bye!" He clicked the phone down and dashed upstairs, expecting the worst. "Whassa matter, Kiddo?" he gasped breathlessly, dashing into the bedroom.
The cub held up her costume. "One of the eyes fell off my swan mask! I can't be a one-eyed swan! You gotta fix it!"
Baloo sat on the bed wearily. There _had_ to be a needle and thread around here somewhere...
Rebecca Cunningham sat on the couch in the lobby of the convention center, looking over the three contracts she held in her hands and occasionally looking up for Kit. Three contracts - at least the trip hadn't been a total financial loss. Networking was one thing, but cold hard contracts were what made a business profitable.
She glanced over at her watch - 6:05. She began to worry, a little. Winger City was a big town, it was getting dark. Maybe she shouldn't have let Kit take a cab over here by himself - the boy was only thirteen after all! She should have known better, it was almost like something Baloo would have done. But she was being silly, he could take care of himself...
To her relief, Kit appeared in the doorway, carrying a small bag from the museum gift shop. He looked around for her, and finally spotted her as she stood and waved. He smiled a greeting and walked over as she started for the doors, carrying her suitcase and his duffel bag.
"Hi Miz Cunningham!" he grinned at her. "Lemme take that suitcase." he grabbed the larger bag from her and grunted as he carried it towards the doors. "Did you have fun at the convention?"
She laughed ruefully. "Not much! You don't go to these things for excitement, Kit - but I got three signed delivery contracts."
"That's great, Miz Cunningham! Congratulations!" he said, as they stepped out into the evening.
Even through her jacket Rebecca could feel a chill. She set Kit's knapsack down and reached into it, pulling out his flight jacket and scarf. "Hold your arms out." she commanded. He complied, and she slipped the jacket on him and looped the scarf around his neck.
"Thanks." he said, smiling shyly.
"Wouldn't want my flight crew to get chilly." she answered, expertly holding two fingers out and signalling for a cab. "Did you and Rudder have fun at the museum?" With a downward flick of the wrist, she signalled, and a cab stopped as if remotely controlled. They slipped into the back seat. "2215 Magnolia Terrace, please." she said to the driver, a ferret in a dingy brown cap.
"Yeah, it was great!" the boy replied. "We saw some amazing planes, even some that Howard Huge designed - he really was an amazing designer, before he went nuts. And guess what?"
"What?"
"Rudder knew my mother! He said that they used to fly out of San Flamingo, and he met her a few times. He said she was real well-respected among the pilots, that she an' Harry used to fly some really tough runs, an' stuff. Isn't that amazing?"
"It sure is. It's a small world, the aviation business. I'm only now beginning to realize that." She gestured at the small bag the boy was holding. "What did you get? Let's see!"
"OK." the cub said, reaching into the bag. He pulled out a small metal model of the Kitty Hawk Kids' original plane.
"Kit - that's very nice. But surely it didn't cost five dollars? You could have-"
"Naw, it was only a couple bucks." he shrugged. "Here, I have something to give you..."
"No, I don't want the change, Kit - if you didn't spend all of it that's fine..."
The cub reached into the bag again and pulled out a small box. "Here - this is for you." he said with an embarrassed grin, and looked away.
She stared at the box. "Kit! What is this?"
He looked out the window. "Oh, y'know... You've been so nice, takin' me on this trip, an' everything. I just wanted to get it for you..."
"What is it?"
"Open it!" he said excitedly, peeking over at her, biting his lower lip.
Carefully she removed the ribbon and opened the box. Inside were a pair of earrings, in the shape of snowflakes. "Kit!"
"Do-do you like 'em?" he asked nervously.
"Kit, I... You didn't get these at the museum, did you?"
"Naw, there's a little jewelry shop next door-"
"Are these sterling silver?" she gasped.
"Um, yeah. D'you like 'em?"
She was almost speechless. "Kit! They're... they're absolutely beautiful! But - why? These must have cost more than five dollars-"
"I remember you sayin' you were homesick for the snow, you know, cause in Cape Suzette it never snows. Well, hardly ever. An' I know this is yer home, and you haven't been back for a while, so I thought you might be thinkin' about it more, this winter. I just figured it would be nice, if, you know, you got homesick you could put them on, and there'd at least be a little bit of snow, like home."
She held them in her hand for a moment, silently. "Kit, I think this is one of the most thoughtful gifts I've ever gotten. I don't know what to say..."
"You don't hafta say anything!" he grinned at her.
Laughing, she slipped the earrings on. "How do I look?" she asked the boy with a smile.
"Beautiful! So you like 'em?"
She laughed again and pulled Kit into a hug. "I love them. Thank you. It's the sweetest thing anybody's done for me in a long, long time. You surprise me Kit, every day. You're really something."
"Thanks." he said with a sheepish grin.
"Here we are, M'amm. 2215 Magnolia." the driver said, as they pulled up outside a large two-story house on a tree-shaded street.
"Here we are." Rebecca echoed in a quiet voice.