Short disclaimer: The characters of Molly Cunningham, Rebecca Cunningham,
Baloo, Kit Cloudkicker, Wildcat, Shere Khan, Oscar, and Ernie are property
of Disney and are used without permission. All other characters are
creations of the author. The Ratzis as well as Usland were not created by
me, but by other Tale Spin aficionados. This story is rated PG for mild
language, violence, and romance.
A very special thanks to Gidget for helping me proofread about 5 chapters of this fic and to anyone else who has helped me along. Now, to the story.
I'll Come Back
By Rachel Gloess
Chapter 1
Approximately early 1940
Molly Cunningham stepped softly into her mother's office at Higher for Hire. "Mom, have you seen Kit?"
Mrs. Cunningham glanced around the stacks of papers in order to see her daughter. "I thought he was helping Baloo and Wildcat install something on the Sea Duck."
"Baloo said that Kit came in here. Did he?"
"I'm not sure, honey. I've been absolutely swamped with taxes. You might want to check his room." Mrs. Cunningham returned to her calculator and invoices.
Molly repressed a sigh as she walked up the stairs. Kit's door was closed—a sure sign that he was behind it. She tapped lightly. "Kit?"
A pause. "Come in."
Molly pushed the door open but stayed in the doorframe. "I, uh, just wanted to know if you wanted to come with me to get a sundae. I saved my allowance and everything."
Kit stared at her for a moment. Jeeze, she looked so pretty in that pink sundress. He shook his head. She was just fourteen . . . well, almost fifteen. Still in high school. He was crazy. But a nice bowl of ice cream didn't sound too bad right now. "Sure, Molly. Just let me put my shoes back on."
Molly was a little surprised. She didn't think he would actually go with her; after all, he usually treated her like a kid sister and told her "maybe next time." He looked so handsome in his khaki trousers and dark green shirt. He had grown out of his sweater three years ago. She gave Kit a bright smile as he fished his shoes out from under the bed. "I'll just go tell Mom that we're going. Come on down when you're ready." Molly nearly skipped down the stairs.
Kit shook his head again as he tied his shoes. If only she could be a few years older . . . Kit sighed wistfully. She really had grown up a lot, though. He was still thinking when he reached the bottom of the stairs. Molly leaned against the desk, waiting.
"Bye, Miz Cunningham," he said. "Don't work too hard."
Mrs. Cunningham smiled up at him. "I won't. Take care of Molly, ok?"
"Mo-om! I'm fourteen now. You don't have to baby me like that." Molly turned red all the way up to her ears.
Kit grinned. "Don't worry, Miz Cunningham. I'll watch out for her." He pulled a strand of Molly's blonde hair. She blushed again. Which made him blush in return. Mrs. Cunningham watched the exchange with a smile on her face. Kit was terribly embarrassed that Mrs. Cunningham had witnessed his reaction. He tried to think of a distraction—one finally came to him. "Are you and Baloo going out tonight?"
Molly laughed as her mother turned a brilliant crimson. As her mother stuttered, Molly grabbed Kit's arm and began pulling him toward the door. "Bye, Mom!"
Kit and Molly nearly collapsed with laughter as they closed the door to Higher for Hire. Kit sobered enough to holler a goodbye to Baloo and Wildcat. Molly giggled at the sight of Wildcat being halfway inside of one of the engines. They made their way to the ice cream parlor a few blocks away.
"Does Miz Cunningham really have a thing for Baloo? Or do they just hang out together?"
Molly giggled again. "I think so. I mean, she acts like it. You've seen them together—it's like they've got some kind of secret between them." Her voice lowered to a whisper. "I think they're in love."
Kit smiled. "Baloo wouldn't admit it to anyone, either. He's too stubborn."
"Does Baloo like mom?"
"I'm pretty sure. But, there's about 10 years difference between their ages."
"Mom always tells me that age doesn't matter. It's what you feel." Molly's face turned the color of her dress. "B-but, who really knows?" She laughed nervously. Of course, that was what Mrs. Cunningham told her when she found out about Molly's crush on Kit.
Kit was quiet for a moment. Molly began to get more nervous. What if Kit found out? Would he be mad? Would he laugh at her? He probably wanted a girlfriend that was older, anyway. They walked in silence the rest of the way to the ice cream parlor. Molly got her change purse out and began counting coins.
"Don't worry about that, pigtails." Molly grinned for a minute at Kit's remark, remembering the nickname. "I'll cover us."
"Kit, I saved my allowance especially for taking you out for ice cream." Molly became somber as she glanced at a poster on the wall. "We may not have much more time to run around together, with the problems in Eporue right now."
Kit blanched. He stared at the poster of an old bear pointing his finger and the words "Uncle Khan wants YOU" written underneath. "Yeah. It's sounding kinda bad right now."
The two ordered their sundaes. Kit reluctantly allowed Molly to pay. It felt strange to let her pay—the soda jerk looked at them funny for a moment before taking the money. Kit felt a little embarrassed. Did he think they were a couple? Were they a couple? He felt a little dizzy, like he needed to sit down. They took their seats at the bar to watch the sundaes being made. They were quiet as they began to eat the frozen treat.
"I haven't had a Krakatoa Special in a long time," Molly said around a mouthful of ice cream and chocolate.
"Yeah. We've gotta take you to Louie's again." He thought for a minute. "I don't think that Baloo has a delivery next Saturday. Do you think that your mom would let you go with me?"
Molly stared at him. "Seriously?" Kit nodded slowly. "Sure!"
"Alright. I'll ask Baloo about it today when we get back." Molly kept staring at him as he began to eat his sundae again. She then realized her ice cream was melting, so she hurriedly finished. The two were silent as they left the ice cream shop.
"Kit, do you have to go to Eporue?"
Kit looked scared for a moment. He knew the answer, but wasn't ready to admit it yet. "I-I'm not sure, Molly. I don't really know. I had to sign up, but they said I may not have to go."
"I don't want you to go." Molly looked down at the pavement. She had lost the spring in her step.
Kit felt terrible. He stopped to look at her. "Listen, Molly, there is a strong possibility that I'll have to go. They need pilots really bad right now." Molly stared at her feet, tears welling up in her eyes. Kit took her face gently and forced her to look at him. "I promise, if I go, I'll come back. I promise." Molly's lips trembled. She looked him in the eye. They were so close . . .
"You'd better."
Kit couldn't let her go. Molly put her hand on his arm. They stood together for what seemed an eternity, just gazing into each other's eyes. Realization finally hit them as they remembered they were standing on a sidewalk in front of an apartment building. Reluctantly, Kit broke the mood by turning away from her a bit. However, he took her arm in his and they walked, slightly stunned, back to Higher for Hire.
****
A very special thanks to Gidget for helping me proofread about 5 chapters of this fic and to anyone else who has helped me along. Now, to the story.
I'll Come Back
By Rachel Gloess
Chapter 1
Approximately early 1940
Molly Cunningham stepped softly into her mother's office at Higher for Hire. "Mom, have you seen Kit?"
Mrs. Cunningham glanced around the stacks of papers in order to see her daughter. "I thought he was helping Baloo and Wildcat install something on the Sea Duck."
"Baloo said that Kit came in here. Did he?"
"I'm not sure, honey. I've been absolutely swamped with taxes. You might want to check his room." Mrs. Cunningham returned to her calculator and invoices.
Molly repressed a sigh as she walked up the stairs. Kit's door was closed—a sure sign that he was behind it. She tapped lightly. "Kit?"
A pause. "Come in."
Molly pushed the door open but stayed in the doorframe. "I, uh, just wanted to know if you wanted to come with me to get a sundae. I saved my allowance and everything."
Kit stared at her for a moment. Jeeze, she looked so pretty in that pink sundress. He shook his head. She was just fourteen . . . well, almost fifteen. Still in high school. He was crazy. But a nice bowl of ice cream didn't sound too bad right now. "Sure, Molly. Just let me put my shoes back on."
Molly was a little surprised. She didn't think he would actually go with her; after all, he usually treated her like a kid sister and told her "maybe next time." He looked so handsome in his khaki trousers and dark green shirt. He had grown out of his sweater three years ago. She gave Kit a bright smile as he fished his shoes out from under the bed. "I'll just go tell Mom that we're going. Come on down when you're ready." Molly nearly skipped down the stairs.
Kit shook his head again as he tied his shoes. If only she could be a few years older . . . Kit sighed wistfully. She really had grown up a lot, though. He was still thinking when he reached the bottom of the stairs. Molly leaned against the desk, waiting.
"Bye, Miz Cunningham," he said. "Don't work too hard."
Mrs. Cunningham smiled up at him. "I won't. Take care of Molly, ok?"
"Mo-om! I'm fourteen now. You don't have to baby me like that." Molly turned red all the way up to her ears.
Kit grinned. "Don't worry, Miz Cunningham. I'll watch out for her." He pulled a strand of Molly's blonde hair. She blushed again. Which made him blush in return. Mrs. Cunningham watched the exchange with a smile on her face. Kit was terribly embarrassed that Mrs. Cunningham had witnessed his reaction. He tried to think of a distraction—one finally came to him. "Are you and Baloo going out tonight?"
Molly laughed as her mother turned a brilliant crimson. As her mother stuttered, Molly grabbed Kit's arm and began pulling him toward the door. "Bye, Mom!"
Kit and Molly nearly collapsed with laughter as they closed the door to Higher for Hire. Kit sobered enough to holler a goodbye to Baloo and Wildcat. Molly giggled at the sight of Wildcat being halfway inside of one of the engines. They made their way to the ice cream parlor a few blocks away.
"Does Miz Cunningham really have a thing for Baloo? Or do they just hang out together?"
Molly giggled again. "I think so. I mean, she acts like it. You've seen them together—it's like they've got some kind of secret between them." Her voice lowered to a whisper. "I think they're in love."
Kit smiled. "Baloo wouldn't admit it to anyone, either. He's too stubborn."
"Does Baloo like mom?"
"I'm pretty sure. But, there's about 10 years difference between their ages."
"Mom always tells me that age doesn't matter. It's what you feel." Molly's face turned the color of her dress. "B-but, who really knows?" She laughed nervously. Of course, that was what Mrs. Cunningham told her when she found out about Molly's crush on Kit.
Kit was quiet for a moment. Molly began to get more nervous. What if Kit found out? Would he be mad? Would he laugh at her? He probably wanted a girlfriend that was older, anyway. They walked in silence the rest of the way to the ice cream parlor. Molly got her change purse out and began counting coins.
"Don't worry about that, pigtails." Molly grinned for a minute at Kit's remark, remembering the nickname. "I'll cover us."
"Kit, I saved my allowance especially for taking you out for ice cream." Molly became somber as she glanced at a poster on the wall. "We may not have much more time to run around together, with the problems in Eporue right now."
Kit blanched. He stared at the poster of an old bear pointing his finger and the words "Uncle Khan wants YOU" written underneath. "Yeah. It's sounding kinda bad right now."
The two ordered their sundaes. Kit reluctantly allowed Molly to pay. It felt strange to let her pay—the soda jerk looked at them funny for a moment before taking the money. Kit felt a little embarrassed. Did he think they were a couple? Were they a couple? He felt a little dizzy, like he needed to sit down. They took their seats at the bar to watch the sundaes being made. They were quiet as they began to eat the frozen treat.
"I haven't had a Krakatoa Special in a long time," Molly said around a mouthful of ice cream and chocolate.
"Yeah. We've gotta take you to Louie's again." He thought for a minute. "I don't think that Baloo has a delivery next Saturday. Do you think that your mom would let you go with me?"
Molly stared at him. "Seriously?" Kit nodded slowly. "Sure!"
"Alright. I'll ask Baloo about it today when we get back." Molly kept staring at him as he began to eat his sundae again. She then realized her ice cream was melting, so she hurriedly finished. The two were silent as they left the ice cream shop.
"Kit, do you have to go to Eporue?"
Kit looked scared for a moment. He knew the answer, but wasn't ready to admit it yet. "I-I'm not sure, Molly. I don't really know. I had to sign up, but they said I may not have to go."
"I don't want you to go." Molly looked down at the pavement. She had lost the spring in her step.
Kit felt terrible. He stopped to look at her. "Listen, Molly, there is a strong possibility that I'll have to go. They need pilots really bad right now." Molly stared at her feet, tears welling up in her eyes. Kit took her face gently and forced her to look at him. "I promise, if I go, I'll come back. I promise." Molly's lips trembled. She looked him in the eye. They were so close . . .
"You'd better."
Kit couldn't let her go. Molly put her hand on his arm. They stood together for what seemed an eternity, just gazing into each other's eyes. Realization finally hit them as they remembered they were standing on a sidewalk in front of an apartment building. Reluctantly, Kit broke the mood by turning away from her a bit. However, he took her arm in his and they walked, slightly stunned, back to Higher for Hire.
****
