(Angela's P.O.V.)
"I will be at the soundhorn.", I said with a determined grin. "The rest of us will work on the wings.", Manny said quickly.
Flik grinned, "Let's go do it!", hearing a screech, and he looked over the rim of the hole, "I'd be a grasshopper's uncle! The ants are pelting the bird with fruit and seeds. Hopper took cover with the twins on a branch!". I gasped in shock, and Flik nodded, looking back at us, "We gotta hurry!".
Soon, we all got inside the fake bird. "Ready?", Flik asked quickly. "Ready!", We all shout hastily.
Flik whispered sharply, "Watch it!", and I glimpsed him waving out to Heimlich and Dim, hearing the rumble of the round rocks, and I felt the fake bird shake before leaning out, and I nodded to myself as I took a deep breath before making bird sounds loudly.
(Hopper's P.O.V.)
"Make it go away, daddy!", Ashley screamed in fear as she and Alex hugged me tight.. I held them close. The bird is closing in, backing me up against the trunk of the tree, dodging the beak and the claws on those legs, and Alex whimpered, "I want Momma!". I whispered lowly, "I know. I do too.", holding him and Ashley so tight, feeling my arms and fingers go white in taut.
We then heard what sounded like another screech, and I saw the bird starting to fly away. "What happened?", Alex asked in surprise and confusion. I looked up, and gasped, "Oh, no, no, not another bird!", but this bird only flew past me, its beak crashing into the other bird's head, causing him to squawk in confusion and pain, and Angela laughed happily, "It ain't just any old bird, it's our fake bird!".
"Mommy!", Alex and Ashley cried out.
(Angela's P.O.V.)
"Keep it up, it's working!", Flik shouted. I kept making bird sounds as Flik controlled the fake bird, feeling and hearing crashes, screeches, thumps, squawks, grunts, and chirps. Then we heard a very powerful screech as we all saw the bird start to fall to the ground. "Looks like we hurt it!", Rosie shouted happily.
Cheers and laughter echoed throughout the fake bird, and I grinned lightly before I heard a faint sound of thunder, and I breathed in horror, "Shit...", realizing that the rains have finally arrived. Francis widened his eyes, "This is bad, this is so bad! The rain will make this bird wet and heavy!".
"Crap...what can we do?!", Chris asked frantically. Then an idea came to my head. "I have an idea!", I said with a determined nod.
(Hopper's P.O.V.)
I exhaled in relief as I watched the real bird fall to the ground, landing with a angry chirp at the fake bird which is still hovering around, and Ashley cheered, "They did it!", and I smiled widely before I heard the sound of thunder, and Alex whimpered, "Rain is bad!".
I grumbled lowly, recognizing that the rains have arrived at last, and I looked at the way down, and glanced up, "The rain's not ready yet, we gotta go down to the anthill, okay?". Ashley whimpered, "Hurry, Dad!", and I set off, diving quickly, flapping my wings quickly once I got close enough to the grass, and I landed in the grass, setting down the twins, "Let's run!". The twins run beside me as we run to the anthill.
(Angela's P.O.V.)
"Are you sure this will work, Angela?", Chris asked anxiously. "This idea sounds crazy!", Francis said with a nod.
Flik called out to me, "Are you sure about this, Angela? I mean, unhooking the controls to start out on your idea?", and I sharply replied, "What choice do we have, guys? It's the colony, my kids, Hopper who's in danger!".
"If we time it...then the bird will be badly injured if the fake bird crashes it to the ground.", I said with a grin. Manny frowned lightly, "And be sure that we'll get out of there asap!", and I nodded, "Yes. Flik, are we close yet?", hearing a grunt of affirmation.
"Okay, everyone ready on my mark.", I said quickly. Everyone else nods their heads.
We wait for the right moment as I hear the thunder getting louder, and then the distinct sound of rain slapping into the riverbed, and Flik shouted, "Now!", and I unhooked the controls, and I feel the fake bird falling, seeing rain soak through the leaves and crevices, and I shouted, "Dive, everyone! Pull down!", and everybody else pushed the levers down, knowing the wings are aiming down, aiding itself with gravity.
We then heard the bird shout in pain. "We hit it!", Flik shouted with a laugh. "Now let's get out of here!", Chris shouted quickly.
I yelled out, "Out the back, go, go!", Manny helping me out with Flik being carried out by Gypsy, and Slim naturally carried out by Francis. Dim was flying outside, and Rosie climbed on top of him.
"Look!", I shouted as I pointed to where the real bird and fake bird were going to crash. Chris blinked in surprise, "That's the edge of the riverbank! Oh, please!". We saw the real bird cry as it couldn't untangle itself and then...
We landed safely under some mushrooms, watching the real bird lose balance and fall over the edge with the fake bird following by as the tangle of the strings and stuff is tackling them together, and I held my breath, waiting until I heard a thump and a splash, and I hear Heimlich call out from a a high spot on a boulder, "Ja, he's finished!", and I laughed out loud in relief as the others cheered, hugging, laughing, and grinning.
"We did it!", Flik shouted as he and I shared a hug. "Woohoo!", I yell as I hugged Chris. Chris then kissed Francis on the lips.
Francis blushed brightly, then smirked, "Ya call that a kiss, sunshine? Well, take this!", kissing Chris even more passionately, and I chuckled lightly as it was probably the tenth time I heard Francis call Chris sunshine, his way upon a fond term of affection. I then hear Atta calling out from the edge of the anthill, "Come on, guys!", her voice managing to be heard over the rain.
Manny chuckled, "I believe it's time to reunite with the colony down below.", and Flik got on Dim with Rosie's help, and held out a hand to me, "Come on, Angela. We will test your wings down below without all this rain.".
"Okay.", I said with a smile. "Let's go.", Manny said with a sharp gesture. We all started to head towards the Anthill.
(Time skip)
It was quite a long winter, but it sure was peaceful and wonderful with everybody, especially my twins and Hopper. Oh, how I loved seeing the twins with Hopper...He had become the father that the twins have so longed for. I remember when Ashley cut her knee...Hopper was there by her side the whole time.
Ashley sniffed quietly, "It was dumb to actually fly through the tunnels with Dot, huh?", as Dr. Flora is checking on her, cleaning up the cut on her left knee, and Hopper chuckled lightly, "I don't blame you for having tunnel fever after staying down here for the past two months this winter..It turned out to be boring when you knew practically the tunnel system by heart, and it's hard to find adventure when the rains are stubborn.".
Hopper smiled softly as he hugged his daughter close to him. "There, there, it will all be okay.", Hopper whispered warmly. I sighed quietly as I smiled at the flashback.
I haven't..seen Josh...since I was in that coma.. True, he said that he could only appear to me in extreme emergencies, and of course, he promised he'd see about visiting the twins in their dreams one day, but still, I miss him so much...Okay, I knew I am moving on with the knowledge that he's at peace, but it's still weird...
The twins have not told me about them meeting their uncle in their dreams yet. It also makes me think...will we live a short life like Hopper had said? that bugs only have a short life?
If so...I hope one day...there is a way for us...I can't believe I am saying this...for us to become humans again. But would it be possible for Hopper to...become a human? I don't want to leave him behind, ever. He's so good to me and the twins, and heck, Dad would accept him fairly!
Hmmm, I wonder what he would look like if he was human? Sure, there's some fan-art stuff that people did on the internet back in the human world, talking about how Hopper could be with brown hair or black hair, or even bronze/tan skin, or heck, the height. Personally, I think he'd look handsome with bleached-out blonde hair, and dark tan skin, and of course, he ain't Hopper without his brown eyes/scar.
I wonder what the others would look like in their human forms as well? Who knows..Anyway, I have to head back to bed...I'm tired already. Hopper was putting the twins to sleep as it was his turn today.
I yawned lightly, glad that I kissed the twins before they went to their room, and smiled lightly about the possibility that the twins are asking Hopper for a story or my lullaby song. I walked into my bedroom, stretching my arms and legs out lightly before I shuffled into bed, halfway wishing for a human bathroom, but I knew I am a grasshopper, living inside the anthill, protected from the winter rains.
I was in Hopper and I's bed...then my love walked into the room. "Hello, my love.", I said with a tender smile. Hopper smiled as he kissed me on the lips.
"Did you put the twins to sleep?", I asked softly after we broke the kiss. Hopper nodded, "Sure did, but not before they asked for a story. I had to tell them one, so...I actually admitted the story of you throwing me into the water besides the hideout...They laughed and giggled...".
I giggled at the memory of that event. "That's alright...It just makes my heart melt every time I see the twins with you, Hopper...Their whole life..they have been asking for a father in their life...and they found one.", I said to him gently as I held his hands in mine.
Hopper chuckled softly, "And I wouldn't believe myself seasons ago if he told me that I'd find someone wonderful in a brave mother who protects her family and friends, but I did...". I hugged Hopper. "Well...time for bed.", I said with a smile. Hopper then laid beside me.
I felt him kiss me on the neck, and whispered, "Good night, my angel. I love you.", and I smiled softly, "I love you too, Hopper. Good night, flyboy.". I then felt Hopper wrap his arms around me, and I closed my eyes as we both fell asleep.
Outside, the rains was pelting down to the earth, but not as treacherous as in the start of winter. It was cool, with clouds here and there, with a great bright moon, and sparkling stars, lots of them everywhere.
But then one of the stars seemed to glow even brighter...and then a small white orb floated down and flew into the anthill. Everyone inside the anthill was asleep. The orb then stopped in front of the twins room.
The orb seemed to whisper breathlessly, "Ashley and Alex Walker...You truly deserve to have a happy, long life just like your mother and father...I'll see you soon in your dreams, niece and nephew...", and the orb moved through the leaf curtain, floating and flying above Ashley, and just like last time, the orb seemed to stretch out a arm, touching Ashley's forehead, and Ashley seemed to glow before disappearing into nothing, but she's just being sent back to the human world.
The orb then turned its attention to Alex, touching Alex's temple, and he glowed before disappearing once more, heading home to the human world. The orb then flashed, sped out of the bedroom, through the tunnel like a magic carpet on sugar, and came through another leaf curtain, its targets Angela and Hopper, and went to do the same with a almost silent whisper, "Time to go home, little sister. Hopper, take care of her for me...".
The orb, soon after sending Angela and Hopper to the human world, set out through the anthill, carefully doing its power with Chris, Francis, and the rest of the circus bugs. Afterwards, the orb seemed to nod contentedly, and zoomed out of the anthill, heading back to the skies, to the stars.