A Twist of Kate
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Rated PG
Kate belongs to me. Everyone else belongs to Craig McCracken.
Author's Notes: Just a couple of notes this time.
Mr. M7- Funny you should mention cat ladies. In fact, Kate was going to be a cat lady, but I changed my mind for two reasons:
1. I already have two other stories with cat ladies as main characters. I thought it was time to change that pattern.
2. In NBC's "Father of the Pride", one of the leading characters is a white lioness named Kate. I didn't wanna copy her unintentionally.
Also, Kate was just going to be a talking animal that occasionally walked upright, but that didn't seem "creative enough" for me. So, I allowed her to stand and walk on her hind legs, and gave her clothes so I wouldn't run into problems with "mental pictures" or my own art. Yes, she still pales in comparison to the friends Craig seems to have come up with, but hey- in the world of fanfic, you gotta allow for a little creative license, right? :)
Miss Understood Genius- Thanks for the compliments. I like to give my stories interesting titles to grab the reader's attention. As far as humor goes, I found it essential if I wanted the story close to accurate to the FHFIF universe. Yes, I do intend to keep writing... at least until I lose interest (sadly, I tend to do that; none of my multi-chaptered stories are complete yet... hehehe...).
Weasil the NPC- Uh... looks up enema in the dictionary ... Okay... I hope that was a compliment... if it was, thanks much. If not, disregard the last comment.
Keep this in mind: as far as this story goes, I'm just winging it. I have a few ideas here and there, but not enough for a solid plot. If you have any ideas for further "sub-plots" to further develop the story, please let me know! :)
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Chapter Two: "Run of the House"
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About an hour later, the imaginary friends at Fosters began making their way into the dining hall. There was a wide variety of foods to choose from. It wasn't just a dining hall- it was a buffet!
Bloo was the first of his group of friends to sit down at the table. For such a small imaginary friend, he had a huge appitite! Wilt sat down next, then Coco and Eduardo, and finally Kate.
The little blue blob looked over the table. "Let's see," he muttered, grabbing anything within his reach. "I'll have... one of those, and one of these, and one of this, and- ooh! - one of that!"
Wilt looked over at Kate and smiled. "Are you enjoying Fosters so far?" he asked.
The doglike imaginary friend nodded. "I have to admit, this place has everything an imaginary friend needs," she responded. "I'm surprised whoever runs this place has enough money to do it!"
"Well, that's Madam Foster for you," Wilt replied. "She and Mr. Herriman opened this home to any imaginary friend in need of a place to stay, and maybe even another friend."
Intrigued, Kate rubbed her chin in thought. "Yes," she murmured, then turning her attention to the food. "Man, look at all this food! There's more than enough here to feed an army!"
As the food slowly worked its way around the table, everyone each grabbed what they wanted. Bloo grabbed what he could, sometimes taking more than he could eat. Wilt and Eduardo had more or less similar servings to what everyone else had, whereas Coco took as many fruits and vegetables as she could fit on her plate. Kate, however, was partial to the more meaty dishes.
Kate was about to start eating when she was stopped. "Miss Katherine," a familair voice scolded.
Surprised, Kate turned around. "Mr. Herriman," she addressed
The elder rabbit seemed upset about something. "Miss Katherine," he continued, "it is my duty to oversee the care and well-being of our residents, including nutrition." He cocked his eyebrows a little. "Apparently, you don't seem to have a problem with protien in your diet, but I don't see a single fruit or vegetable on that plate."
The doglike imaginary friend flattened her ears across her head, a sign of annoyance. "I have my reasons, Mr. Herriman," she assured. "I know most of your residents are omnivorous, but I can't eat farm-fresh fruits and veggies. It'll sit in my stomach, and I'll get sick."
Of course, Mr. Herriman already saw past that obstacle. "Perhaps you should try Madam Foster's Soy Casserole," he suggested, almost bluntly. "The essential nutrients of the fruits and vegetables you need in your diet, without endangering your digestive system." He held out a small bowl of the casserole and gave it to Kate. "I've taken the liberty of getting a fresh batch for you. Enjoy."
As Mr. Herriman hopped off to fulfill other duties, Kate rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Whatever," she apologized. "I can't believe he insisted on giving me this..." She stared at the soy casserole questionably. "... whatever this is."
"Try it," Wilt advised. "All the food here is great. I'm sure you'll like it."
Sighing, Kate shrugged and first tried to cut a piece of meat. She stopped when she saw Bloo- he was shoveling food into his mouth, almost like an animal (though he was using untensils). She probably could have gotten over it, but the distraction was enough to keep her from eating.
Thankfully, Mr. Herriman dropped by. "Master Blooregard," he chided, closing Bloo's mouth. "Please, chew your food slowly, quietly, and with your mouth closed. Honestly- I shouldn't have to tell you that." With that, he again turned about and went on with his duties.
Bloo scoffed a little. "Don't worry, Kate," he murmured. "You're not the only one who doesn't like Herriman around here."
A small smile crossed Kate's face as she continued with her meal. Close, she thought, but not quite...
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After dinner, Bloo and the others wandered about the house. Wilt and Coco had a couple of chores to take care of, so Bloo and Eduardo thought they'd show Kate the rec room.
Indeed, the rec room at Fosters was something to be desired. It was a huge room with couches, a pool table, arcade games, a television... this was one of the best casual hangouts in the whole house.
The little blue friend lead his two companions through the rec room. "There's a dance machine," he said, pointing out all the different games as he went along. "There's a shoot-em-up game over there... there's the new VR game... oh, and here's the Whack-A-Mole game!"
Kate shifted her ears in interest. "Your kind of game?" she guessed.
Chuckling evilly, Bloo picked up the whacker. "You bet!" he replied.
As Eduardo and Kate watched Bloo pummel the mechanical moles, a tiny little creature scurried across the floor. It bumped into Kate's foot; assuming it was an inanimate object, the creature started crawling up her leg.
Now Kate had always been physically sensitive, so naturally the crawling creepy made her ticklish. "Hey, guys, stop," she giggled. "Whoever's tickling me, stop it!"
"Hey, don't look at me," Bloo responded, still playing the game. "I've been whacking moles the whole time."
Eduardo shrugged. "Is not me, senorita," he answered.
Even though she was still giggling, Kate suddenly began to feel uneasy. "Then," she squeaked, "what's..." She looked down at her leg; sitting right there on her thigh was a small black spider.
Terrified, Kate screamed and started panicing. "Ah! Spider!" she shouted, shaking her legs like crazy. "Get it off, get it off, get it off!"
Himself afraid, the giant purple friend starting crying and jumping around the room. He could only hope those boots of his squashed the eight-legged menace, but until then he needed to help Kate. He grabbed his new friend and picked her up off the floor, so the spider would leave her alone.
Suddenly, Eduardo stopped. The spider was either gone or squished (he didn't really care either way, so long as it wasn't scaring him anymore). He was more surprised with Kate's reaction; she stared at him, blushing slightly. "Uh... you, you can put me down now," she finally suggested.
Nodding, Eduardo placed Kate back on the ground. "Esta bien?" he asked.
Kate smiled and nodded. "Fine," she replied. "Uh... thanks, I guess."
At that moment, Bloo interrupted the conversation. "Come on, guys," he pressed. "Let's go see what else there is to play."
Of course, there was something else. "Do you smell something?" Kate queried, sniffing the air. "It smells like smoke."
Again, Eduardo became upset. "Fire!" he screamed, panicing. "Azul, senorita! Fire!"
It was then that Kate noticed what was smoking. "No, Eduardo- look," she said, gesturing to the Whack-A-Mole game, a small cloud of smoke gathering over it. "Someone must have broken the game..." She gave Bloo a sidelong look, assuming he did it.
Bloo attempted to defend himself. "It's not my fault the machine can't handle a couple of taps here and there," he complained, walking away with a sour look on his face. "Come on- let's find something else to do."
Although still dubious, Kate rolled her eyes and let Bloo get away with this misfortune for now. "Fine," she responded. "No fuzz off my nose..."
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Meanwhile, Wilt and Coco were busy in the kitchen- Wilt put all the extra food and ingrediants away while Coco cleaned all the pots and pans. Frankie had asked them to help clean up, as she was busy with... other chores...
As Coco started on another pot, she turned to Wilt. "Co coco co co?" she asked.
Wilt nodded, opening the cabinet and putting a few things away. "Sure, Coco," he answered. "I'd love to hear a new joke."
"Co cococo co coco co?" Coco queried.
Puzzled, Wilt shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. "Why?"
Coco smiled. "Coco co cococo coco!" she answered.
The tall imaginary friend laughed. "That's good, Coco!" he chuckled. "You know, you come up with the best jokes."
The strange bird/airplane/plant friend nodded in agreement. "Coco," she responded.
At that moment, an exhausted Frankie entered the kitchen. "Hey, Wilt, Coco," she said, "how's it coming?"
Not noticing Frankie's exhaustion, Wilt put a few more supplies away. "It's coming along," he replied, turning around and seeing the poor girl. "Frankie! What happened?"
Quickly, Wilt's shock drew Coco's attention. "Coco?" she inquied.
Frankie sighed, sitting down. "I'm okay, guys," she assured. "I just got finished remaking Duchess' bed, for the third time!"
Confused, Coco further inquired, "Coco co?"
Groaning, Frankie buried her face in her hands. "Don't get me started," she growled. "It's always complaining with Duchess- 'these pillows are too lumpy', 'this sheet wasn't folded correctly', 'my slippers go on the other side of the bed'..." She screamed. "One of these days, I'm gonna march right up to 'her royal highness' and tell her to kiss my-"
"Miss Frances," Mr. Herriman addressed over the intercom.
Still angry, Frankie stood and glared up at the intercom. "What??" she shouted.
After a moment, Mr. Herriman continued, "Miss Frances, your presence is requested in the laundry facilities at once. We seem to have another complaint about-"
Suddenly, Mr. Herriman was interrupted by none other than Duchess, the haughty "high maintenance" friend at Fosters. "Frankie!" she screamed. "Get down here at once!"
With a heavy sigh, Frankie stood and started walking out, glancing back at Wilt and Coco. "You two keep at it," she suggested, groaning as she left. "I still have to deal with you-know-who..."
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Once Wilt and Coco were done with kitchen duty, they went down to the rec room. Bloo was still playing video games, determined to get a high score in at least one of them. Eduardo and Kate left him alone after awhile, wandering off to play some table games (pool, air hockey, table tennis, etc).
Wilt eventually found Eduardo and Kate sitting in front of the TV, watching some old cartoons. Eduardo loved watching the slapstick comedy, while Kate seemed to enjoy the clever jokes.
The tall imaginary friend sat down on the couch next to the other two friends. "Hey, guys," he greeted. "Sorry if I'm interrupting anything, but it's almost time for bed."
It was then that Kate remembered something. "Oh, wait a minute," she noted. "Where I am going to sleep?"
"Oh, that's okay," Wilt answered. "If a spare bed hasn't been set up yet, you can have mine."
Now that surprised Kate. "Are you sure?" she asked. "I don't mind sleeping on the floor tonight."
Of course, Wilt was always a gentleman. "No, no, it's okay," he assured. "This is your first night at Fosters- it should be a comfortable one."
Kate smiled. "Thanks, Wilt," she replied.
As Wilt stood and made his way over to the video games, Eduardo and Kate followed close behind. It wouldn't be too hard to find Bloo- they just had to look for the trail of broken arcade games.
Soon, Kate began to notice something about Eduardo; he was shivering, not because he was cold, but because he was nervous. "Eduardo?" she queried. "Are you okay?"
Eduardo nodded. "Si, senorita," he responded. "When Senor Wilt mentioned beds, I get afraid because..." He looked around cautiously, then whispered to Kate, "I think there is something under my bed."
A small smirk crossed Kate's face. "You think there's something living under your bed?" she repeated. "Aw, Ed, there's nothing to worry about." She thought for a moment, adding, "I'll tell you what- if I see something come out from under your bed, I'll deal with it myself."
To say the least, Eduardo was grateful (even though Kate was only joking). "Muchos gracias, Senorita Kate!" he cried, hugging her tightly.
The doglike imaginary friend chuckled lightly. "Yeah... sure, okay," she murmured.
"No!"
The sudden shout surprised Eduardo and Kate; they turned their attention to a nearby video game, with Bloo desperately grasping the control stick... and Coco holding on to Bloo, pulling him back. "No, no, no!" Bloo cried. "I just need 100 points to beat the high score! No, no! Please, no!!"
Coco wasn't backing down so easily. "Coco co!" she growled, muffled by Bloo (whom she was holding in her mouth to pull away).
Then, a sharp snapping noise alerted them. The control stick broke, sending Bloo and Coco flying across the room. The machine startled going haywire, and finally broke down due to a couple crossed (or missing) wires.
Ironically, that happened around the same time a certain rabbit entered the room. "Master Blooregard!" he shouted in anger.
Upon noticing that the broken control stick was in his hands, Bloo tossed it over to Coco and pointed to her. "She did it!" he lied.
Of course, Mr. Herriman didn't buy that for a second. "Master Blooregard," he scolded, "I'll have you know that-"
Bloo interrupted him, staring at Coco in disappointment. "Sorry, Coco," he said, "but like they always say, if you can't do the time, don't do the-"
Suddenly, Coco stood and bent over, picking up Bloo in her mouth. "Coco," she muttered, walking out with the little blue blob.
"Hey!" Bloo cried. "Let me go! You can't do this to me, Coco!"
As Wilt, Eduardo, and Kate followed Coco and Bloo out of the rec room, Mr. Herriman was left to inspect the damage. "Oh, dear," he sighed. "I'll need Miss Frances to call a repairman in the morning..."
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Upstairs, everyone was getting ready for bed. Some were just brushing their teeth, while others were already asleep. With all the imaginary friends running around, it would have been a great time to get to know the residents of Fosters (had it not been so late).
Kate wandered over to the bedsides. Due to some undesired sleeping arrangements, changes were made since the time Bloo came around- not only did Bloo have his own bed, but Wilt and Eduardo changed bunks in their bunk bed (don't ask). Coco, however, kept her nest right where it was.
Still unsure, Kate walked over to Wilt. "Are you sure it's okay if I have your bed?" she asked. "Really, I don't mind sleeping on the floor. I used to do it all the time with Erica."
Before Wilt could reply, another imaginary friend- a three-eyed pig that walked upright- came over. "Hey, Wilt!" he greeted.
Wilt smiled. "Hi, Piggy," he replied. "What's up?"
"Not much," Piggy replied. "Say, did you hear about Smarmy? He got adopted just this morning!"
A wide grin crossed Wilt's face. "Hey, that's great!" he chimed.
Upon hearing about another adoption, Kate quickly interrupted the conversation. "Excuse me," she pardoned. "Did you say someone got adopted?"
Piggy nodded. "Yeah," he answered. "Old Smarmy. About time he found a good home, too."
It was then that Wilt was struck with an idea. "Wait a minute," he murmured, turning his attention to Piggy. "Smarmy was adopted this morning, right?"
The three-eyed pig nodded. "Yeah, so?" he inquired.
The tall imaginary friend gestured to Kate. "Well, Kate just got here this afternoon," he responded. "Maybe she could have Smarmy's old bed."
Shrugging, Piggy walked up to Kate. "Sure, go ahead," he said, pointing to the bed opposite of Wilt and Eduardo's bunk beds. "It's that one over there. Careful, though- Smarmy loved his midnight snacks, so you might find a few stains and crumbs hidden there somewhere."
As Piggy wandered off to take care of personal hygiene (if any), Kate sauntered over to the bed. She sat down, gently bouncing up and down. "Nice," she commented. "It'll do for tonight."
Being the considerate friend he was, Wilt wanted to make sure Kate was fine with the arrangement. "So, it's okay?" he asked.
"Yes," Kate assured, stressing the word. "So long as there aren't any springs sticking up through the mattress, I'm fine."
Wilt shrugged. "Okay, if you're sure," he replied.
Kate sighed, laying back on the bed. "My first night away from home," she muttered. "I miss Erica..."
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Later that evening, when everyone was in bed, Kate slept soundly underneath the covers. She had been awake earlier, staring up at the ceiling as her anxieties kept her awake. Eventually, though, she grew tired of this and nodded off.
A chattering noise caught the doglike friend's attention. She opened her eyes wearily and turned her head about. The noise was gone, and she saw nothing that might have caused it. Assuming it was nothing, she laid back down to sleep.
The chattering noise woke Kate again, and this time she sat up. The noise stopped, and once more she saw nothing that could have caused it and went back to sleep.
Again, the chattering noise disturbed Kate. She sat up and looked around again, and this time she found the source of the noise- it was Eduardo's teeth, quietly chattering together in fear.
With a heavy sigh, Kate stood from her bed and walked over to Eduardo's bedside. She stood there for a moment, hoping he'd wake up soon.
Sure enough, Eduardo's eyes popped open; surprised to see Kate (or anyone, for that matter), he screamed in shock.
Quickly, Kate shoved her paws over Eduardo's mouth. "Shh, shh, shh!" she whispered. "Calm down, Ed! It's okay! It's just me, Kate!"
After a moment, Eduardo finally calmed down. "Senorita Kate," he gasped. "You scared me."
"Somehow I'm not surprised," Kate responded. "You looked like you were having a bad dream. Are you okay?"
Although Eduardo nodded in reply, Kate could tell he was still very nervous. She noted how he was looking over to the bedside corner.
Kate shook her head. "Monsters under the bed again, huh?" she said. "Here, let me check." She pushed herself under the bed and looked around. "Nope, nothing here."
When Kate came back out, she hoped to see Eduardo more relaxed. Sadly, this was not the case; he was still shaking nervously, looking around the room for anything scary.
With a heavy sigh, Kate got back on the floor and slid under the bed, leaving only her head and arms sticking out. "Okay, Ed, I'll stick around for monster patrol," she offered. "Would you like that?"
Although it did make him feel better, Eduardo was still unsure. "Esta bien, senorita?" he asked.
A smile crossed Kate's face. "I'm fine," she replied with a yawn. "Don't worry about me; I make a good guard-dog anyway."
Eduardo sighed in relief, rolling back under the covers. Kate positioned herself under the bed, as comfortably as she could. She then rested her head on her folded arms and slowly drifted back to sleep...
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Rated PG
Kate belongs to me. Everyone else belongs to Craig McCracken.
Author's Notes: Just a couple of notes this time.
Mr. M7- Funny you should mention cat ladies. In fact, Kate was going to be a cat lady, but I changed my mind for two reasons:
1. I already have two other stories with cat ladies as main characters. I thought it was time to change that pattern.
2. In NBC's "Father of the Pride", one of the leading characters is a white lioness named Kate. I didn't wanna copy her unintentionally.
Also, Kate was just going to be a talking animal that occasionally walked upright, but that didn't seem "creative enough" for me. So, I allowed her to stand and walk on her hind legs, and gave her clothes so I wouldn't run into problems with "mental pictures" or my own art. Yes, she still pales in comparison to the friends Craig seems to have come up with, but hey- in the world of fanfic, you gotta allow for a little creative license, right? :)
Miss Understood Genius- Thanks for the compliments. I like to give my stories interesting titles to grab the reader's attention. As far as humor goes, I found it essential if I wanted the story close to accurate to the FHFIF universe. Yes, I do intend to keep writing... at least until I lose interest (sadly, I tend to do that; none of my multi-chaptered stories are complete yet... hehehe...).
Weasil the NPC- Uh... looks up enema in the dictionary ... Okay... I hope that was a compliment... if it was, thanks much. If not, disregard the last comment.
Keep this in mind: as far as this story goes, I'm just winging it. I have a few ideas here and there, but not enough for a solid plot. If you have any ideas for further "sub-plots" to further develop the story, please let me know! :)
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Chapter Two: "Run of the House"
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About an hour later, the imaginary friends at Fosters began making their way into the dining hall. There was a wide variety of foods to choose from. It wasn't just a dining hall- it was a buffet!
Bloo was the first of his group of friends to sit down at the table. For such a small imaginary friend, he had a huge appitite! Wilt sat down next, then Coco and Eduardo, and finally Kate.
The little blue blob looked over the table. "Let's see," he muttered, grabbing anything within his reach. "I'll have... one of those, and one of these, and one of this, and- ooh! - one of that!"
Wilt looked over at Kate and smiled. "Are you enjoying Fosters so far?" he asked.
The doglike imaginary friend nodded. "I have to admit, this place has everything an imaginary friend needs," she responded. "I'm surprised whoever runs this place has enough money to do it!"
"Well, that's Madam Foster for you," Wilt replied. "She and Mr. Herriman opened this home to any imaginary friend in need of a place to stay, and maybe even another friend."
Intrigued, Kate rubbed her chin in thought. "Yes," she murmured, then turning her attention to the food. "Man, look at all this food! There's more than enough here to feed an army!"
As the food slowly worked its way around the table, everyone each grabbed what they wanted. Bloo grabbed what he could, sometimes taking more than he could eat. Wilt and Eduardo had more or less similar servings to what everyone else had, whereas Coco took as many fruits and vegetables as she could fit on her plate. Kate, however, was partial to the more meaty dishes.
Kate was about to start eating when she was stopped. "Miss Katherine," a familair voice scolded.
Surprised, Kate turned around. "Mr. Herriman," she addressed
The elder rabbit seemed upset about something. "Miss Katherine," he continued, "it is my duty to oversee the care and well-being of our residents, including nutrition." He cocked his eyebrows a little. "Apparently, you don't seem to have a problem with protien in your diet, but I don't see a single fruit or vegetable on that plate."
The doglike imaginary friend flattened her ears across her head, a sign of annoyance. "I have my reasons, Mr. Herriman," she assured. "I know most of your residents are omnivorous, but I can't eat farm-fresh fruits and veggies. It'll sit in my stomach, and I'll get sick."
Of course, Mr. Herriman already saw past that obstacle. "Perhaps you should try Madam Foster's Soy Casserole," he suggested, almost bluntly. "The essential nutrients of the fruits and vegetables you need in your diet, without endangering your digestive system." He held out a small bowl of the casserole and gave it to Kate. "I've taken the liberty of getting a fresh batch for you. Enjoy."
As Mr. Herriman hopped off to fulfill other duties, Kate rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Whatever," she apologized. "I can't believe he insisted on giving me this..." She stared at the soy casserole questionably. "... whatever this is."
"Try it," Wilt advised. "All the food here is great. I'm sure you'll like it."
Sighing, Kate shrugged and first tried to cut a piece of meat. She stopped when she saw Bloo- he was shoveling food into his mouth, almost like an animal (though he was using untensils). She probably could have gotten over it, but the distraction was enough to keep her from eating.
Thankfully, Mr. Herriman dropped by. "Master Blooregard," he chided, closing Bloo's mouth. "Please, chew your food slowly, quietly, and with your mouth closed. Honestly- I shouldn't have to tell you that." With that, he again turned about and went on with his duties.
Bloo scoffed a little. "Don't worry, Kate," he murmured. "You're not the only one who doesn't like Herriman around here."
A small smile crossed Kate's face as she continued with her meal. Close, she thought, but not quite...
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After dinner, Bloo and the others wandered about the house. Wilt and Coco had a couple of chores to take care of, so Bloo and Eduardo thought they'd show Kate the rec room.
Indeed, the rec room at Fosters was something to be desired. It was a huge room with couches, a pool table, arcade games, a television... this was one of the best casual hangouts in the whole house.
The little blue friend lead his two companions through the rec room. "There's a dance machine," he said, pointing out all the different games as he went along. "There's a shoot-em-up game over there... there's the new VR game... oh, and here's the Whack-A-Mole game!"
Kate shifted her ears in interest. "Your kind of game?" she guessed.
Chuckling evilly, Bloo picked up the whacker. "You bet!" he replied.
As Eduardo and Kate watched Bloo pummel the mechanical moles, a tiny little creature scurried across the floor. It bumped into Kate's foot; assuming it was an inanimate object, the creature started crawling up her leg.
Now Kate had always been physically sensitive, so naturally the crawling creepy made her ticklish. "Hey, guys, stop," she giggled. "Whoever's tickling me, stop it!"
"Hey, don't look at me," Bloo responded, still playing the game. "I've been whacking moles the whole time."
Eduardo shrugged. "Is not me, senorita," he answered.
Even though she was still giggling, Kate suddenly began to feel uneasy. "Then," she squeaked, "what's..." She looked down at her leg; sitting right there on her thigh was a small black spider.
Terrified, Kate screamed and started panicing. "Ah! Spider!" she shouted, shaking her legs like crazy. "Get it off, get it off, get it off!"
Himself afraid, the giant purple friend starting crying and jumping around the room. He could only hope those boots of his squashed the eight-legged menace, but until then he needed to help Kate. He grabbed his new friend and picked her up off the floor, so the spider would leave her alone.
Suddenly, Eduardo stopped. The spider was either gone or squished (he didn't really care either way, so long as it wasn't scaring him anymore). He was more surprised with Kate's reaction; she stared at him, blushing slightly. "Uh... you, you can put me down now," she finally suggested.
Nodding, Eduardo placed Kate back on the ground. "Esta bien?" he asked.
Kate smiled and nodded. "Fine," she replied. "Uh... thanks, I guess."
At that moment, Bloo interrupted the conversation. "Come on, guys," he pressed. "Let's go see what else there is to play."
Of course, there was something else. "Do you smell something?" Kate queried, sniffing the air. "It smells like smoke."
Again, Eduardo became upset. "Fire!" he screamed, panicing. "Azul, senorita! Fire!"
It was then that Kate noticed what was smoking. "No, Eduardo- look," she said, gesturing to the Whack-A-Mole game, a small cloud of smoke gathering over it. "Someone must have broken the game..." She gave Bloo a sidelong look, assuming he did it.
Bloo attempted to defend himself. "It's not my fault the machine can't handle a couple of taps here and there," he complained, walking away with a sour look on his face. "Come on- let's find something else to do."
Although still dubious, Kate rolled her eyes and let Bloo get away with this misfortune for now. "Fine," she responded. "No fuzz off my nose..."
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Meanwhile, Wilt and Coco were busy in the kitchen- Wilt put all the extra food and ingrediants away while Coco cleaned all the pots and pans. Frankie had asked them to help clean up, as she was busy with... other chores...
As Coco started on another pot, she turned to Wilt. "Co coco co co?" she asked.
Wilt nodded, opening the cabinet and putting a few things away. "Sure, Coco," he answered. "I'd love to hear a new joke."
"Co cococo co coco co?" Coco queried.
Puzzled, Wilt shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. "Why?"
Coco smiled. "Coco co cococo coco!" she answered.
The tall imaginary friend laughed. "That's good, Coco!" he chuckled. "You know, you come up with the best jokes."
The strange bird/airplane/plant friend nodded in agreement. "Coco," she responded.
At that moment, an exhausted Frankie entered the kitchen. "Hey, Wilt, Coco," she said, "how's it coming?"
Not noticing Frankie's exhaustion, Wilt put a few more supplies away. "It's coming along," he replied, turning around and seeing the poor girl. "Frankie! What happened?"
Quickly, Wilt's shock drew Coco's attention. "Coco?" she inquied.
Frankie sighed, sitting down. "I'm okay, guys," she assured. "I just got finished remaking Duchess' bed, for the third time!"
Confused, Coco further inquired, "Coco co?"
Groaning, Frankie buried her face in her hands. "Don't get me started," she growled. "It's always complaining with Duchess- 'these pillows are too lumpy', 'this sheet wasn't folded correctly', 'my slippers go on the other side of the bed'..." She screamed. "One of these days, I'm gonna march right up to 'her royal highness' and tell her to kiss my-"
"Miss Frances," Mr. Herriman addressed over the intercom.
Still angry, Frankie stood and glared up at the intercom. "What??" she shouted.
After a moment, Mr. Herriman continued, "Miss Frances, your presence is requested in the laundry facilities at once. We seem to have another complaint about-"
Suddenly, Mr. Herriman was interrupted by none other than Duchess, the haughty "high maintenance" friend at Fosters. "Frankie!" she screamed. "Get down here at once!"
With a heavy sigh, Frankie stood and started walking out, glancing back at Wilt and Coco. "You two keep at it," she suggested, groaning as she left. "I still have to deal with you-know-who..."
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Once Wilt and Coco were done with kitchen duty, they went down to the rec room. Bloo was still playing video games, determined to get a high score in at least one of them. Eduardo and Kate left him alone after awhile, wandering off to play some table games (pool, air hockey, table tennis, etc).
Wilt eventually found Eduardo and Kate sitting in front of the TV, watching some old cartoons. Eduardo loved watching the slapstick comedy, while Kate seemed to enjoy the clever jokes.
The tall imaginary friend sat down on the couch next to the other two friends. "Hey, guys," he greeted. "Sorry if I'm interrupting anything, but it's almost time for bed."
It was then that Kate remembered something. "Oh, wait a minute," she noted. "Where I am going to sleep?"
"Oh, that's okay," Wilt answered. "If a spare bed hasn't been set up yet, you can have mine."
Now that surprised Kate. "Are you sure?" she asked. "I don't mind sleeping on the floor tonight."
Of course, Wilt was always a gentleman. "No, no, it's okay," he assured. "This is your first night at Fosters- it should be a comfortable one."
Kate smiled. "Thanks, Wilt," she replied.
As Wilt stood and made his way over to the video games, Eduardo and Kate followed close behind. It wouldn't be too hard to find Bloo- they just had to look for the trail of broken arcade games.
Soon, Kate began to notice something about Eduardo; he was shivering, not because he was cold, but because he was nervous. "Eduardo?" she queried. "Are you okay?"
Eduardo nodded. "Si, senorita," he responded. "When Senor Wilt mentioned beds, I get afraid because..." He looked around cautiously, then whispered to Kate, "I think there is something under my bed."
A small smirk crossed Kate's face. "You think there's something living under your bed?" she repeated. "Aw, Ed, there's nothing to worry about." She thought for a moment, adding, "I'll tell you what- if I see something come out from under your bed, I'll deal with it myself."
To say the least, Eduardo was grateful (even though Kate was only joking). "Muchos gracias, Senorita Kate!" he cried, hugging her tightly.
The doglike imaginary friend chuckled lightly. "Yeah... sure, okay," she murmured.
"No!"
The sudden shout surprised Eduardo and Kate; they turned their attention to a nearby video game, with Bloo desperately grasping the control stick... and Coco holding on to Bloo, pulling him back. "No, no, no!" Bloo cried. "I just need 100 points to beat the high score! No, no! Please, no!!"
Coco wasn't backing down so easily. "Coco co!" she growled, muffled by Bloo (whom she was holding in her mouth to pull away).
Then, a sharp snapping noise alerted them. The control stick broke, sending Bloo and Coco flying across the room. The machine startled going haywire, and finally broke down due to a couple crossed (or missing) wires.
Ironically, that happened around the same time a certain rabbit entered the room. "Master Blooregard!" he shouted in anger.
Upon noticing that the broken control stick was in his hands, Bloo tossed it over to Coco and pointed to her. "She did it!" he lied.
Of course, Mr. Herriman didn't buy that for a second. "Master Blooregard," he scolded, "I'll have you know that-"
Bloo interrupted him, staring at Coco in disappointment. "Sorry, Coco," he said, "but like they always say, if you can't do the time, don't do the-"
Suddenly, Coco stood and bent over, picking up Bloo in her mouth. "Coco," she muttered, walking out with the little blue blob.
"Hey!" Bloo cried. "Let me go! You can't do this to me, Coco!"
As Wilt, Eduardo, and Kate followed Coco and Bloo out of the rec room, Mr. Herriman was left to inspect the damage. "Oh, dear," he sighed. "I'll need Miss Frances to call a repairman in the morning..."
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Upstairs, everyone was getting ready for bed. Some were just brushing their teeth, while others were already asleep. With all the imaginary friends running around, it would have been a great time to get to know the residents of Fosters (had it not been so late).
Kate wandered over to the bedsides. Due to some undesired sleeping arrangements, changes were made since the time Bloo came around- not only did Bloo have his own bed, but Wilt and Eduardo changed bunks in their bunk bed (don't ask). Coco, however, kept her nest right where it was.
Still unsure, Kate walked over to Wilt. "Are you sure it's okay if I have your bed?" she asked. "Really, I don't mind sleeping on the floor. I used to do it all the time with Erica."
Before Wilt could reply, another imaginary friend- a three-eyed pig that walked upright- came over. "Hey, Wilt!" he greeted.
Wilt smiled. "Hi, Piggy," he replied. "What's up?"
"Not much," Piggy replied. "Say, did you hear about Smarmy? He got adopted just this morning!"
A wide grin crossed Wilt's face. "Hey, that's great!" he chimed.
Upon hearing about another adoption, Kate quickly interrupted the conversation. "Excuse me," she pardoned. "Did you say someone got adopted?"
Piggy nodded. "Yeah," he answered. "Old Smarmy. About time he found a good home, too."
It was then that Wilt was struck with an idea. "Wait a minute," he murmured, turning his attention to Piggy. "Smarmy was adopted this morning, right?"
The three-eyed pig nodded. "Yeah, so?" he inquired.
The tall imaginary friend gestured to Kate. "Well, Kate just got here this afternoon," he responded. "Maybe she could have Smarmy's old bed."
Shrugging, Piggy walked up to Kate. "Sure, go ahead," he said, pointing to the bed opposite of Wilt and Eduardo's bunk beds. "It's that one over there. Careful, though- Smarmy loved his midnight snacks, so you might find a few stains and crumbs hidden there somewhere."
As Piggy wandered off to take care of personal hygiene (if any), Kate sauntered over to the bed. She sat down, gently bouncing up and down. "Nice," she commented. "It'll do for tonight."
Being the considerate friend he was, Wilt wanted to make sure Kate was fine with the arrangement. "So, it's okay?" he asked.
"Yes," Kate assured, stressing the word. "So long as there aren't any springs sticking up through the mattress, I'm fine."
Wilt shrugged. "Okay, if you're sure," he replied.
Kate sighed, laying back on the bed. "My first night away from home," she muttered. "I miss Erica..."
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Later that evening, when everyone was in bed, Kate slept soundly underneath the covers. She had been awake earlier, staring up at the ceiling as her anxieties kept her awake. Eventually, though, she grew tired of this and nodded off.
A chattering noise caught the doglike friend's attention. She opened her eyes wearily and turned her head about. The noise was gone, and she saw nothing that might have caused it. Assuming it was nothing, she laid back down to sleep.
The chattering noise woke Kate again, and this time she sat up. The noise stopped, and once more she saw nothing that could have caused it and went back to sleep.
Again, the chattering noise disturbed Kate. She sat up and looked around again, and this time she found the source of the noise- it was Eduardo's teeth, quietly chattering together in fear.
With a heavy sigh, Kate stood from her bed and walked over to Eduardo's bedside. She stood there for a moment, hoping he'd wake up soon.
Sure enough, Eduardo's eyes popped open; surprised to see Kate (or anyone, for that matter), he screamed in shock.
Quickly, Kate shoved her paws over Eduardo's mouth. "Shh, shh, shh!" she whispered. "Calm down, Ed! It's okay! It's just me, Kate!"
After a moment, Eduardo finally calmed down. "Senorita Kate," he gasped. "You scared me."
"Somehow I'm not surprised," Kate responded. "You looked like you were having a bad dream. Are you okay?"
Although Eduardo nodded in reply, Kate could tell he was still very nervous. She noted how he was looking over to the bedside corner.
Kate shook her head. "Monsters under the bed again, huh?" she said. "Here, let me check." She pushed herself under the bed and looked around. "Nope, nothing here."
When Kate came back out, she hoped to see Eduardo more relaxed. Sadly, this was not the case; he was still shaking nervously, looking around the room for anything scary.
With a heavy sigh, Kate got back on the floor and slid under the bed, leaving only her head and arms sticking out. "Okay, Ed, I'll stick around for monster patrol," she offered. "Would you like that?"
Although it did make him feel better, Eduardo was still unsure. "Esta bien, senorita?" he asked.
A smile crossed Kate's face. "I'm fine," she replied with a yawn. "Don't worry about me; I make a good guard-dog anyway."
Eduardo sighed in relief, rolling back under the covers. Kate positioned herself under the bed, as comfortably as she could. She then rested her head on her folded arms and slowly drifted back to sleep...