Episode 6: Gloom and Bored

The weekend at the Starling estate was certainly not a bright and cheery one. Tom and Jerry woke up to a dull, overcast day, and when Robyn prepared their usual breakfast of milk for Tom and cheese for Jerry, the weather went from a drizzle to a full rainstorm. After breakfast, the cat and mouse duo were sitting by the window looking out at the rainy sky.

"Man, what a revoltin' development," muttered Tom. "I was hoping we'd be able to go out for a while today."

"Oh, well. At least we don't have to worry about watering the garden," grinned Jerry.

Tom grinned at his mouse buddy and said, "Always looking for the silver lining, Jerry. That's what I like about ya."

Robyn came over to the two friends and sat down with them. She said, "You know, we can always have fun indoors. We've got plenty of board games in my closet, plenty of books on my shelves, and more than enough movies. There's plenty to do here on a rainy day."

Tom and Jerry liked Robyn's idea, and so they began to think about what activities could take their minds off the rain. After a moment, Jerry had an idea. "Say, Robyn, how about we select a book to begin with?"

Robyn put her finger to her chin to think it over, and after a moment, she nodded. With that, the three of them headed to Robyn's bedroom and selected a book from her shelf. Tom chose The Wind in the Willows while Jerry chose Treasure Island, and Robyn took The Brothers Grimm's Fairy Tales to read. They read happily together for an hour or so, and when their reading was done, Jerry pulled a few board games out of Robyn's closet.

"Anyone for a round of Monopoly?" the little mouse wondered.

"Count me in, little buddy," replied Tom.

"This is gonna be fun," Robyn said as she rubbed her hands together in anticipation. With that, the three friends set up the board and began their game. For a while, it looked as though Robyn might win, and then Tom had Robyn on a square where he had more property than she could afford. With Robyn going bankrupt and effectively stumbling in the game, Tom turned his sights on Jerry. It was to his great shock that Tom ended up landing on Park Avenue, where Jerry had placed a few particularly big hotels. In the end, it was Jerry who won the game.

"Man, Jerry. Who knew you were this good at making money?" said Tom with amused curiosity.

"I didn't think I could do it myself," Jerry admitted.

With Jerry's victory at Monopoly assured, the three friends packed up the game and then went on to enjoy a game of Operation. The game was as amusing as it was challenging and it turned out that Tom beat Jerry by only one piece. Jerry shook Tom's paw and Robyn nuzzled him and said, "Not bad, Tom. You could make a good vet someday."

Tom was overcome with laughter at that and he said, "Me, a cat? As a vet? That'll be a sight to see! Hoo hoo hoo!"

The third game they played was a round of cards, and this time, Robyn achieved victory with nothing less than the full house. Tom and Jerry whistled in surprise at Robyn's success and shook hands with their owner. When they had packed the games up, Robyn sat on the couch with her cat and mouse friends and wrapped them up tight in a blanket. Her father came to see them.

"Comfy, you three?" he inquired.

Tom and Jerry nodded, and Robyn replied, "You bet, Daddy."

Mr. Starling sat beside his daughter and helped her onto his lap. He kissed her on the forehead and said, "I hope today hasn't been too boring for you and your little friends, sweetheart."

"Thanks, Dad. But where were you?" Robyn replied curiously.

"Oh, I was checking the weather while you and Tom and Jerry were reading," her father said. "It looks like the rain won't subside until midnight tonight. We'll just have to enjoy the day indoors."

Robyn smiled sweetly and replied, "That's fine as long as I have my two little pets beside me, and you as well, Daddy."

She huddled close to her father and rested her little blonde head on his chest. Mr. Starling only hugged his little Robyn close and let her fall asleep for a while. They could spend some time together once she was awake, but for now, Mr. Starling was content to remain close to his daughter while she and her two pets were wrapped in a blanket as cozy as kittens.

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this new chapter. When Chapters 7 through 9 come, you'll see more Tom and Jerry fun to come your way. See you all again real soon!