Episode 11: Old Tom Entertainment
It was a quiet afternoon at the Starling mansion. Robyn had just come home from school and found Tom and Jerry browsing through channels on the TV while enjoying milk and crackers (with a side of cheese blocks for Jerry). Robyn flopped on the couch beside her two pets and gave Tom a gentle scratch while running her fingers over Jerry's small head.
"Hi, you two," the young girl said with a smile. "Busy day?"
Tom replied, "Sure, if you like sleeping on a pillow or strolling in the garden."
Jerry gulped down another mouthful of cheese and said, "But nothing's better than relaxing with our favorite person in this whole city, and that's you, Robyn."
The little brown mouse hopped into Robyn's hand and nuzzled her cheek while Tom curled up in her lap, purring softly. The friends forgot about the TV for a moment and enjoyed each other's company when there came a ringing of the telephone. Robyn picked up the phone and heard her father's voice on the other end.
"Robyn, honey, it's me," her father said. "We have a large thunderstorm coming through the area. It could knock out the power for a while. I suggest getting a few books and heading down to the cellar. Don't worry. I'll be here at the office until it blows over."
Robyn quickly said that she would take her father's advice and then hung up the phone. Then she hurried to her room and grabbed several books and even a couple of board games. Tom and Jerry were curious as they saw their young owner rushing back and forth, and Jerry wondered, "What's up with Robyn?"
Suddenly a slight boom sounded in the distance, and Tom directed his mouse friend's attention out the window. "There's your answer, Jerry."
The cat and mouse duo felt nervous shudders running down their backs as the approaching thunderstorm drew nearer and nearer to their mansion home. They heard the rising thunder and saw the rain descending like a blanket of distant mist. The next time Tom and Jerry saw Robyn going from her room to the cellar, Tom yelped, "Wait for us, Robyn!"
With that, he and Jerry hurried down to the cellar as the first flash of lightning appeared in the sky. For a while, the cat and mouse duo sat with Robyn while the storm roared and raged outside. A clap of thunder made them nearly jump out of their fur, but Robyn ran her left hand over Tom's back and held Jerry in her right.
"Don't worry, guys. It'll pass in a while," she said sweetly. Then to the surprise of Tom and Jerry, she said, "How about a round of Monopoly?"
A smile and a wink was all it took for Tom and Jerry to agree. So for the next few minutes, Tom and Jerry sat and played with Robyn while the thunderstorm rumbled outside. Jerry had an uncanny ability to produce more money than Robyn and Tom combined, but he soon fell behind Robyn when she added another hotel to Park Avenue. Eventually, Robyn won the game and was awarded with several big hugs from Tom and Jerry.
"So, what shall we do next?" inquired Jerry.
"How about we just sit close together and listen to music?" suggested Robyn. "That'll drown out the thunder and lightning for a while."
Tom and Jerry nodded together, and so Robyn activated the radio and set it on a music station that seemed the most suitable. For a while, Robyn sat with Tom in her lap and Jerry on Tom's back, and the three friends simply listened to classic rock music, pop rock, blues, and jazz while the storm rumbled on. When they were ready for another activity, Jerry suggested they read, and so they read through some of Robyn's comics and picture books.
After two hours of waiting out the storm, Tom, Robyn, and Jerry were beginning to get nervous about Robyn's father and when he would be coming home. They didn't come out of the basement, though, in case the storm was going to get stronger. However, that fear didn't stay long, for when Tom tuned in the weather station, he and Jerry and Robyn heard, "...And the local weather service indicates that the local storm will clear out in thirty minutes."
Then there came the sound of a car driving up to the mansion, which had the effect of encouraging Tom, Jerry, and Robyn to see what was going on. When they came up from the basement, a welcome sight met their eyes at the front door. Robyn's father was home, wet and a little weary, but glad to be home.
"Daddy!" cheered Robyn as she ran to give him a big hug.
"Hiya, pumpkin," Mr. Starling replied warmly, taking care to kiss his daughter on the cheek. He scratched Tom behind the ears and patted Jerry's head. Then after hanging up his wet coat and removing his shoes, Robyn's father set to work preparing dinner for himself and Robyn while she sat on the living room couch reading some more with Tom and Jerry. With the storm over and everyone safe, it would be a quiet night for the whole family.
A/N: I hope you found this chapter enjoyable. Chapter 12 will be the last official chapter for this fanfiction, and then I'll likely finish my Justice League crossover next. In the meantime, keep an eye out for the last chapter of this fanfiction, and have a lovely day.