Chapter 5: Rabbit Season

"Yeah, Tails'll be fine."

"Okay!" Cream replied cheerfully as the blue hedgehog returned her smile with his own, hiding his doubt from the impressionable bunny.

No…Cream doesn't deserve that worry. It's hard enough on her as it is.

"Mr. Sonic?" Cream peered up at the hedgehog, tilting her head as she raised a finger to her lip. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Oh, me?" Sonic pointed a gloved finger to his chest, wearing his signature smirk. "Of course I'm okay!" With a light chuckle, the blue hedgehog put his hands on his waist. "I promise we'll be outta this joint and back with our friends in no time."

"Yay!" Cream cheered, waving her arms in the air before grabbing hold of Sonic's hands in preparation for a happy dance. The blue hedgehog complied as he allowed the young bunny to lead the dance, which involved the two spinning around in a circle while hopping up and down on either foot. What they didn't notice was the fact that they were spinning the leash around themselves, bringing the two closer to Mandy who was watching from the sidelines, grasping onto the handle while smiling cheerfully. Moments later, the two Mobians found themselves wound up within inches of the human scientist; staring up at her, they wore guilty expressions before breaking out in laughter. Mandy found herself joining the choir, laughing alongside the Mobians without a care in the world.

"That was fun," Sonic said as he wiped the tears from his eyes, "but maybe we should get back to it?"

"Okay, Mr. Sonic!" Cream replied.

"Chao, chao!" Cheese added from between her ears.

"First thing's first." Mandy circled the Mobians several times, unwinding them from the cable. "There, now we can continue."

"Got it!" Sonic gave the human a thumbs up before advancing onward. Whistling to himself with his eyes closed, he jumped back in fright when he nearly ran into a wall of well-armed human soldiers toting machine guns.

"Just what is going on here?" Mandy asked, stepping in front of Sonic and Cream to address the commander at the front of the pack.

"Stand aside," he replied. "We have new orders to confiscate the aliens for extensive testing."

"Extensive testing?" Mandy gasped. "Under whose orders?"

"My orders."

The party turned to find Liam emerge from behind the wall of soldiers, a scowl covering his face. "We meet again, rodents. Enjoying the fresh air? Well, better make the most of it, because this will be the last time you see the light of day."

"What the hell are you talking about, Liam?" Mandy asked, balling her fists as her arms started to shake. "You have no authority to order me around. Only the managing scientist can steer the direction of the project."

"Oh, but Mandy," Liam replied as he reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out his cell phone, "I'm afraid you're not in the know." Clearing his throat as if about to give a formal speech, he opened his email application and read a recently distributed announcement. "As of today, Project SA-2 is now under the management of Liam Griffith. All scientific personnel will report to him going forward on all matters relating to staffing, scheduling, leaves, workplace disputes, and work direction." Pushing up his glasses, he gave Mandy a sinister glare. "This means what I say is now law."

"No…" Mandy turned away, tears forming in her eyes. "I can't believe it. Why would they promote a psychopath like you?"

"A psychopath, huh?" Liam approached her with a wicked grin. "One more insult, and I'll report you to HR!"

"Hey, buddy."

"Huh?" Liam peered down to find Sonic standing between him and his subordinate.

"You leave my friend alone, got that?" The newly appointed chief scientist laughed maniacally.

"Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it, vermin?" He knelt to Sonic's level. "You are at nowhere near your full strength thanks to the tranquilizers, and even if you were," he pointed over his shoulder with his thumb, "I have a whole army of trained marines right behind me ready to take you out the second you try pulling something stupid."

"Wanna know what I think of your threats?" Sonic spit in Liam's face, causing him to fall back in surprise. "That's what I think of 'em. You think you can bully those around you because of some fancy title? Give me a break." Sonic folded his arms as Liam pulled himself off the ground, grinding his teeth furiously. "You're no better than Dr. Eggman."

"Wise guy…who do you think you are!?" Liam yelled as he wiped his face with a pocket tissue.

"That's easy." With a smirk of his own, Sonic pointed to his chest in defiance. "I'm Sonic! Sonic the Hedgeho—"

The blue hedgehog froze, slowly peering down with a look of horror in his eyes as he found a hole in his lower belly, a slow trickle of blood coming from the bullet wound.

"Ha! Not so cocky now, are we?" Liam jeered, brandishing the smoking pistol in his hand before aiming it at Cream, who ran to Mandy's side and collapsed against her oversized lab coat. "Now I'm going to make this very simple…" Liam approached the wounded hedgehog and kicked him in the belly. "You will all do exactly as I say, or else I'll kill your friends. Is that what you want, rodent!?" The blue hedgehog used what little strength he had left to lift his head and cover his wound with his bloodstained gloved hand.

"Cr-Cream…r…run…" Sonic's head fell back once more, his arms sprawled to his side as he lay unconscious in the afternoon sun.

"Sonic!" Cream yelled, running to his side and dropping to her knees, tears pouring down her face. Mandy joined her, closely analyzing his injury.

"Sonic's badly wounded. It went straight through but appeared to miss vital organs. He needs medical attention ASAP." Mandy pulled out her phone, but before she could contact the emergency medical personnel, Liam snagged it from her hands.

"Nah ah ahhh!" He laughed maniacally once more, dropping her phone and crushing it below his feet. "He's going straight to the lab."

"You can't be serious!?" Mandy yelled. "If he isn't properly treated, he is going to die!" Liam raised his arm, signaling the soldiers behind him to train their machine guns on her and the Mobians.

"Must I keep reminding you who's in charge around here?" He pushed his glasses up his nose. "One more word out of you, Mandy, and you'll be demoted to janitorial duty!"

"You're a real, big meanie!"

"What?" With another sinister smirk, Liam knelt to Cream's level. The young bunny's fists were balled, and tears were still dripping from her eyes. This didn't stop her from matching the evil scientist's glare with her own.

"I said…you…are…a…real…big…MEANIE!" Charging her right arm, she gave him a swift punch to the face, sending him careening to the ground. Moments later, Cream secured Cheese in her dress, placed her hands on the ground, and stretched her legs as if lining up for a racing competition.

I've only got one shot at this. Let's make this count. Just like how Mr. Sonic taught me.

"Don't just stand there, you idiots!" Liam yelled from the ground as he nursed his swollen cheek. "Fire! Kill the rabbit! Kill the raaaaabbit!" Just as the soldiers took their first shots, Cream began charging a spindash, the bullets ricocheting off her spherical form, bouncing back and hitting the opposing soldiers in the legs, sending them tumbling to the ground in agony.

"What's this!?" the commander exclaimed, his pistol trained on the bunny as she increased her charging speed.

"Let's go, Cheese!" Cream yelled.

"Chao, chao!" Cheese replied, matching the determination on their master's face. Cream launched herself at the remaining soldiers, rolling through them like bowling pins and avoiding incoming fire from the snipers stationed atop the nearby buildings. The young bunny blasted her way through one such building, leaving a hole in the wall only big enough for her and Cheese to traverse through.

"Damn them!" Liam cried as he pulled himself up and approached the speechless commander, who was still in a heap on the ground with his soldiers. "I want you to bring back those insolent vermin on the double!"

"Aye, aye!" the soldiers replied as they returned to their feet and chased after the rogue bunny and her pet chao.

"As for you," Liam turned to face the horrified Mandy, a wide, evil grin covering his face, "I have special plans for you."

"W-what do you mean?" Mandy stepped back in horror, nearly tripping over the unconscious hedgehog.

"Let's just say you've been promoted to…head surgeon."

"Woah, this baby can really fly!" Chuck exclaimed from the backseat of the Tornado biplane. "I don't know what's more believable: that a youngin' like yourself can expertly maneuver and maintain such a beautiful aircraft or that a bunch of aliens teleported to our world using magical stones!"

"Thanks, Chuck!" Tails replied from the cockpit, scratching the back of his head as he did his best to hide his blush. "I'm just thankful my baby survived the trip to Earth."

"I look forward to seeing its innerworkings!" Chuck gave a hardy laugh. "Perhaps when we're through rescuing your friends, we can give it a good ol' tune-up in my workshop."

"Of course!" Tails replied, looking back at the old man with a smile across his muzzle. A sense of excitement filled him as he imagined all the cool toys, gadgets, and doodads littering Chuck's engineer cave. "Just don't break anything."

"Me? Break something?" Chuck asked as he placed his open palm on his chest, an unbuttoned laboratory jacket covering his green sweater vest. "I'll have you know I've been flying planes and building things many decades longer than you've been alive!"

"Oh yeah," Tails replied with a chuckle, "because you're so ooooold."

"What was that, sonny?" Chuck asked with a smirk, bringing his head over Tails' shoulder and cupping his hand around his ear. "I couldn't quite hear ya because I'm oooooold, remember?"

"I said!" Tails shouted in jest. "You! Are! Ooooooold!" The two erupted in a sea of laughter.

"Oh man," Chuck wiped a tear away, "something tells me we'll become fast friends."

"But I thought we were already friends?" Tails cocked his head as he peered up at the old man through the rearview mirror.

"Of course!" Chuck lifted his arm over Tails' headrest and rustled the fox's hair.

"Hey, cut it out old man!" Tails shouted, removing his hands from the yoke as he tried swatting the human's fingers from his unkempt hair. He was unsuccessful, however, as he was in no position to fight back without inadvertently hurting the elder human. "Okay, fine." Tails fake pouted as he returned his hands to the yoke, secretly enjoying the affectionate noogie.

Engaging autopilot, Tails sat back in his chair as the rustling of his hair reminded him of his big bro and all the countless times he'd given him affectionate head pats for a job well done. Exhaling deeply, the orange kitsune gave a long sigh.

"Something on your mind, son?" Chuck asked as he removed his hand from the fox's head and leaned back in his seat.

"Oh, nothing," Tails replied, trying to focus on the blue skyline as he sighed once more.

"We've only known each other for a few hours, but I can already tell when you're not telling the truth." Chuck crossed his arms and sighed himself. "But if it's too personal, I won't pry."

"No, that's okay," Tails reassured, scratching the back of his head with another blush, "I'm just worried about Sonic is all."

"He really means a lot to you, huh?"

"…Yeah." Tails nodded, tightening his grip on the yoke. "He's always been there for me, taking me in all those years ago and basically raising me all by himself." His eyes started glistening in the early afternoon sun. "I couldn't ask for a better brother." Chuck placed his palm on the orange kitsune's shoulder.

"It'll be okay, Tails. We'll get Sonic and your other friends out of there, and they'll be safe. Promise."

The young fox sniffled as he dried the moisture from his eyes. "Thank you. It really means a lot."

"Hey, it's my job, after all!" The old man laughed in his seat once more.

"What do you mean?"

"I've been doing this all my life it seems, helping friends and family through tough times." Chuck nodded his head. "When my son found out about Helen's condition, he was in a total panic!"

"You mean why Helen's in a wheelchair?"

"Correct!" Chuck replied, raising a finger to the air. "Helen was born with a condition called spina bifida. There wasn't anything the doctors could do." Chuck folded his arms once more and shook his head. "This condition all but prevented her from having a normal child's life. No playing sports or chasing after friends in the park…or camping, hiking, or swimming..."

"But despite all that," Chuck continued, shifting his focus to the skies above, "Helen is one of the most cheerful, positive, and hopeful people I know, and I attribute that, in part, to her parents providing as much as they could for their little girl. Sure, it was tough, and it's still tough, with both of 'em working endless hours to pay the medical bills, but they've managed to make it work, with a little encouragement from yours truly."

As Chuck ended his story, Tails reflected on Helen's condition.

All my life, I've been ridiculed and made fun of for my tails, but at the end of the day, they've been a tremendous benefit. I've helped Sonic and others countless times using my tails, and nowadays, the only downside to having them is twice the cleaning and brushing. Chaos, I feel like an idiot…

"Don't feel bad for her," Chuck said, as if reading the orange kitsune's mind. "She's rather happy, and she wouldn't want you to pity her."

"Yeah, I suppose," Tails replied with a smile, scratching the back of his head once more. "I do have one question though…what's a medical bill?"

"Oh, that? A medical bill shows how much you need to pay for your medical care."

"Wait…" Tails brought a finger to his lip in thought. "Are you saying you need to pay to go the hospital?"

"In this country, yes," Chuck replied, "but in other places, they subsidize medical care using tax dollars."

"Huh…" Tails reflected further, his thoughts interrupted by the ringing of Chuck's cell phone.

"Hello, Chuck speaking…ah yes, how are ya doing, Doug? Oh, ummm…well, Helen was at home when I left…yep, she missed the bus and didn't seem up to going to school today…no, I don't think she'd want you to pick her up. You just continue working, and I'll make sure she's okay, alright? Kay, good."

"What's that?" Chuck gasped. "The noise in the background? Oh, I'm just…driving with the windows open! Yeah, and I can't shut 'em either. I gotta fix this ol' hunk o' junk. Anyway, I'll let you get back to work. See you later!" The old man sighed in relief as he returned his phone to his lab coat pocket.

"Nice save, dude," Tails nodded his head from the front seat. "He's probably not ready to hear the truth yet."

"About how an alien fox appeared in their backyard, or how we're teaming up to rescue your friends from Area 99?"

"Ummm…yes?" The two laughed merrily once more.

"But back to business." Chuck cleared his throat as he pulled a folded piece of blue paper from his other pocket. "I have a copy of the Area 99 schematics here, which I think we can use to our advantage. How do you propose we break your friends out?"

"Oh, I don't know," Tails replied, itching his furry cheek as he looked up at the sky, "I'd normally just go in guns blazing, but with Cream and Cheese, we should think of a more covert approach."

"My thoughts exactly." Chuck laughed under his breath.

"And I think I have just the plan."

"C'mon men, spread out and find the aliens!" barked the commander. His soldiers followed without question, scattering throughout the complex Cream blasted into moments earlier, yet there was no sign of the young bunny nor her pet chao. "Damn, she sure is a slippery one," the commander said under his breath. He bent his knees and picked up a small pebble of sheetrock, rolling it between his fingers. "These aliens are definitely not ordinary. What are they anyway?"

Returning to his feet, the commander drew his pistol and proceeded down the hallway on high alert. He froze and aimed his gun to the ceiling at a faint metallic sound above.

The air ducts, ay? That's the oldest trick in the book!

"You know," he said out loud, "we were ordered to take you in dead or alive. It doesn't matter to us either way, so I'll give you until the count of three to hop back down here or else face the consequences."

"One…"

"Two…"

"Three!" Immediately before the commander was about to pull the trigger, Cream emerged from the air duct cover, landing graciously as her flappy ears slowed her descent. "Ah, smart girl. Now stay there with your hands up." As he approached the young bunny, she held firm, tightening her fists as she gave him an intimidating glare.

"Momma always said to stand up to bullies…and that's just what I'll do!"

"Bully? Ha! You're dealing with someone more powerful than a bully." The commander twirled his gun with his finger before pointing it at the rabbit. "You're dealing with the United States Military."

"Ready, Cheese?"

"Chao!" they replied as they hopped from their owner's head and landed in her gloved hands. Cream proceeded to charge her right arm as her pet rolled into spherical form.

"Yeeeeaaaaa!" Cream threw Cheese as hard as she could, the chao colliding with the dumbfounded soldier before he had the opportunity to shoot, sending him tumbling to the ground as Cheese bounced back to their owner's hands.

"B-but how?" the commander cried as he clutched his bruised belly.

"With the power of friendship, anything is possible, right Cheese?" Cream asked as she approached the downed commander and grabbed his pistol.

"Chao, chao!" Cheese replied, nodding their head in agreement. The human was speechless, still recovering from the blow to the gut as Cream ran down the hallway, Cheese reclaiming their designated spot between her ears.

Slowing her run to a walk, she peered around the bland hallway, finding no signs of soldiers nor personnel. "That's strange, isn't it Cheese?"

"Cha-chao…" they replied, rubbing their dumpling-shaped head with their stubby hand.

"Maybe we should hide?" She peered up at Cheese, who nodded their head approvingly. "But which room to choose?" Selecting the nearest door, she placed an ear against it, hearing nobody inside. She jumped in fright as she heard footsteps rapidly approaching. "Okay, this room will have to do." She reached up to the handle with her tippy toes, opened the door, and dove in, shutting it behind just in time to avoid suspicion.

Cream and Cheese found themselves in a deserted staff lounge, complete with a small kitchen, a large television, a pinball table, and various microwaves and vending machines.

"We're safe for now," she said as she locked the door behind her. Sighing to herself, the young bunny sat on the sofa and analyzed the pistol in her hand. "I won't need to use this…right?"

"Chao, chao!" Cheese dropped from her head and landed next to her hand. The chao grabbed the gun between their stubby hands and deposited it to her side like a claw machine. "Chao, chao, cha-chao ch-chao!" They shook their head, not approving of their master's newfound firearm.

"Hey, you're right, Cheese!" Cream exclaimed, a smile on her face. "With you by my side, I won't need to use such a deadly weapon." The Mobian peered down at the pistol once more. "I hope to never kill anyone, ever. I don't know what I'd do if I had to make that choice."

"Chao, chao…" Cheese rested against her side.

"You relax, Cheese," Cream ran her gloved fingers over their head, "while I think of a way to save Sonic." Cheese didn't need to be told twice; they were fast asleep before Cream could even finish her sentence. As the chao slept, recent memories of the deranged scientist shooting Sonic filled her mind, clouding her ability to adequately plan her next move.

"C'mon Cream, think…" She rubbed her temple with her fingers. "Where would they take Sonic? Liam said he wouldn't be getting treated, so that leaves the labs." The rabbit peered down at her pet snoozing alongside her. "I wish I could just leave Cheese here, but who knows who'll come by." She turned her gaze to the pistol on her opposite side before eventually reaching her decision; Cream gently placed Cheese on her head and tied them securely in place with her flappy ears. Next, she picked up the pistol and, with one final sigh, crept back to the lounge exit, unlocked the door, and stepped into the empty hallway once more.

"If I remember correctly, the labs where we were staying are in the building next to this one." Holding the pistol with both hands, she took brisk steps with bent knees, making as little noise as possible as she made her way closer to her destination. The bunny froze as she heard footsteps rapidly approaching ahead.

"Shoot, shoot, shoot," Cream whispered as she frantically looked around the hallway. Finding no other viable hiding spot, she jumped into a large garbage can, the chao surprisingly still asleep despite being completely submerged. The human soldiers ran past, and after a minute of complete silence, the young bunny fluttered her way from the bin, dusted a banana peel from her shoulder, and proceeded onward.

"Okay, I think I'm getting closer…" She traversed through a hallway connecting the two buildings, now finding herself in the laboratory wing of the complex. Rounding a corner, she collided with a set of human legs, gasping at the surprise as the gun flew from her hands and slid several feet away. Returning to her wits, the Mobian rabbit dove for the pistol and aimed it at the man before her, tears forming in her eyes.

"P-put your hands up, mister, or I'll s-shoot!" The human immediately raised his arms, but another figure came out from behind him. Cream gasped once more.

"W-what? Is that really you?"

"Attention, you are flying in restricted airspace. You must land immediately."

"All according to plan," Chuck said from the backseat as he grabbed the corded speakerphone from the Tornado's dashboard, reaching over Miles' shoulder. "Hello, this is Dr. Chuck. I have authorized security clearance to approach and enter the military base." There were a few moments of silence before the authoritative voice returned.

"Land at the nearest airstrip, and we'll verify your credentials."

"Roger." Chuck placed the phone back on the dashboard.

"That takes care of you getting in," Tails noted, "but how am I gonna get inside?"

"That won't be a problem, m'boy!" The older human pulled a luggage bag from his side. "I reckon you'll be able to fit in here no problem."

"Wait, are you saying I need to be your carry-on?" Tails pouted.

"I can't see how else to sneak you in," Chuck replied, "and besides, with my clearance, they won't even ask about my luggage."

"If you say so…" Tails eyed the suitcase with a frown. "At least it has a pull-out handle and wheels."

"You bet!" Chuck replied. "Now get in while I take control of the Tornado."

"WHAT!?" Tails exclaimed, wrapping his arms around the yoke like an overprotecting mother bird shielding her nestlings with her wings.

"I know how you must feel, Tails," Chuck placed his palm on the orange fox's shoulder, "but if they see a furry little fox piloting the plane as it's landing, things won't go so well."

"I guess…" Tails reluctantly switched the plane to autopilot and twisted around, awkwardly squeezing past the human and scrunching himself in a fetal position inside the bag. "How's this?"

"Perfect…oh wait…" Chuck noticed the orange fox's namesakes sticking out of the bag. "Let me just push those right on in for ya…" Delicately placing his tails snuggly in the bag, Chuck inspected each side of the case to ensure his new companion was completely inside. Tails, meanwhile, was blushing in embarrassment. "I'm gonna zip up the luggage now."

"Good luck, Chuck." Tails gave the old man a forced thumbs up as the human zipped up the bag. He then crawled into the pilot's chair, pushed the seat back to allow for more leg room, and disengaged the auto-pilot, bringing in the plane for a smooth landing.

As the aircraft rolled to a slow stop along the tarmac, Chuck observed the buildings which formed the perimeter around the track. He noted the hole in one of the walls and the guards running about, as well as the small group of personnel approaching the biplane.

"Well, here goes nothing!" Chuck opened the hatch and peered down, his heart sinking as he discovered a fatal flaw in his plan. "Hey Tails…you think you can handle getting dropped from this height?"

"Ummm, I guess? Why would you…ohhhh, shoot." Tails paused to think for a few moments. "Yeah, I'll be alright."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'll be fine! I've had much worse battling Eggman. Just drop the case bottom-first, and that'll reduce the probability of any injury."

"You got it, son." With a nod, Chuck lifted the luggage. "Hey, catch!" He threw the bag at the nearest security guard, who caught it swiftly and gently placed it on the ground. Chuck clumsily climbed down to the ground and approached the personnel.

"Identification, sir." The security officer reached his hand out expectingly.

"Of course." Chuck fished in his pocket for his badge, one showing a picture of the aging scientist a decade younger. He analyzed the badge carefully and ran it through a handheld scanner attached to his phone.

"Well, it says here you're retired. May I ask why a retired research professor is flying over Area 99? Shouldn't you be lounging at the beach?"

"I'll have you know," Chuck replied tersely as he snagged the badge from the officer's hands, "that I've been called here for a top-secret research study, something much more urgent than sippin' piña coladas in the Bahamas, even though that does sound quite nice right about now…"

"We weren't expecting any visitors," the officer replied. "Why don't you sit tight while I phone my su—"

"You listen here, sonny!" Chuck brought his finger to the younger man's chest in defiance. "Back in my day, we had respect for our elders! Are you really going to have me wait in the scorching desert sun, or can I get on with my important research? Will your supervisor need to be informed of your insolence?"

"Oh, no, no, not at all, sir…ummm, professor." The officer shook his head profusely. "I apologize for the inconvenience, Dr. Chuck. Right this way."

"Now that's more like it!" Chuck exclaimed as he pulled up the handle on the luggage and rolled the bag behind him. "By the way, what's up with that hole in the building over there?"

"Oh, that?" the officer replied, looking back at the defaced structure. "One of our research subjects escaped and did a number on that wall, but the soldiers stationed here are tracking them down as we speak."

"Gotcha." Chuck followed the employee through a door of the research building, whistling nonchalantly as they escaped the scorching heat and entered the airconditioned facility.

"You just need to walk down this hallway, take the fourth door on your right, and climb the stairs to find the research lab. One of the subjects is there already."

"Thanks for the help, officer!" Chuck gave him a salute as he returned to his post. Waiting a few moments to confirm the coast was clear, the scientist carefully unzipped the bag, a gasping kitsune rolling out from within.

"Okay, next time, you're going in the bag!" Tails returned to his feet and dusted off his legs as Chuck laughed merrily.

"In either case, we're in. The guy said one of the research subjects is in the lab, so they're probably one of your friends."

"I bet you're right, Chuck!" Tails replied with a smile, his namesakes fluttering from behind. "Let's go before anyone sees us."

"Right." Chuck nodded as he made his way down the hall, the young fox following close behind. As he turned the corner, however, a small figure bumped into his legs and fell over. Chuck was dumbfounded at what he found: a bunny of similar size to Tails with a small, alien pet tied between her floppy ears. The scientist took a step back as the rabbit dove for the pistol she dropped.

"P-put your hands up, or I'll s-shoot!" she cried as tears started forming in her eyes, the firearm shaking in her gloved hands. Chuck complied, raising his arms as the bunny's eyes wandered to the one standing to his side. She froze at the sight of the orange kitsune.

"W-what? Is that really you?" She asked.

"T-Tails?"

Author's Revision (04/24/2021): Thank you, Noonui, for pointing out that I referred to Chuck as "Chuck Thorndyke" in my original posting of this chapter! I have since revised it to exclude Chuck's last name altogether, as Chuck has no relation to the Thorndykes in this reimagining. In fact, now that I think about it, Helen and her family lack a last name, so if you have any ideas, feel free to let me know!