Chapter 4

Oswald pulled on his ears as he and Ortensia followed behind Mickey and Woody.

"I feel like the studio's trying to run me ragged lately, and for no good reason!" Woody said with a laugh.

"I'm gonna kill him," Oswald whispered to his wife.

"Oswald," Ortensia chastised, hiding her smile behind her hand.

"He's annoying, won't stop gloating-"

"He's a woodpecker, what really do you expect?" Ortensia pointed out.

"Hey Woodpecker!" Oswald called out, getting the two to look over their shoulders. "How much longer?"

"Not much, you getting tired, old man?" Woody asked with a laugh.

Mickey looked upwards, pressing his lips together.

"You're not that much younger than the rest of us," Oswald said, pointing at Woody.

"I'll take those fifteen years," Woody said before turning back to face where he was walking. Going back to his conversation with Mickey he asked, "How do you deal with the studio giving you other things to take care of? Like the parks and whatever?"

"Oh, I haven't had to do much like that in years," Mickey admitted. "I even do detective work in my free time."

Ortensia leaned closer to Oswald and asked, "Do we need to look for shoes for you?"

"No, thank you," Oswald said, trying to hide his annoyance. "I hate searching for my size anyway."

Ortensia grabbed his hand, happy to walk with him by her side through the strange world as she left the debate for now.

"Hey, you… do you ever regret marring me?" Oswald asked.

"Where did that question come from?!" Ortensia exclaimed.

"From the whole reliving my life thing, and realizing I've done a lot of stupid stuff," Oswald admitted, keeping his eyes away from her. "I know I can be a grouchy old man sometimes, I'm stubborn, I'm a rabbit in a world were rabbits aren't all that lucky-"

"Stop it," Ortensia ordered, squeezing his hand. She looked at him and waited for him to look back before saying, "No, I've never regretted it. I love you, Oswald."

"I love you too," Oswald offered, squeezing her hand back. Woody's laugh took their attentions again, getting Oswald to mumbled, "Still wanna kill him."

Ortensia let out a laugh as she said, "Don't."

"Well, here we are," Woody said, stopping at a walkway to a one story small house. "Though I don't see his car."

"Still wanna try and knock," Mickey offered, leading the group up the path to the door. Seeing no doorbell, he wrapped his knuckles against the old wood.

"I don't think anyone's home, Mick," Oswald offered as he peaked through the window.

"You all looking for Felix?" a man's voice asked, drawing the four to look at the neighbor's yard. An old man with a white beard stood on the other side of the fence as he pulled off his gloves.

"Yeah, you wouldn't happen to know where he went, do you?" Mickey asked.

"I think he said something about going to the park with his girlfriend," the man offered.

"Ugh, more walking?" Oswald whined, his ears drooping.

"I could drive you all over," the man offered. "It'll give me a break from taking care of the yard."

"Sure, that's nice of you," Woody said, already leading the way back to the sidewalk.

The man walked over to the car parked on the side of the road and unlocked it.

"Woody, you can have shotgun," Oswald offered, already pulling open the back door for Ortensia.

"You mind me asking why you're looking for Felix, knowing who you are," the man asked as he sat down in the driver's seat.

"Just hoping he has some information we need," Mickey offered as he sat down behind the man.

"Must be important," the man said, starting the car. He drove them through unfamiliar streets as he added, "I mean, he got you three to travel studios."

"Well, he didn't," Oswald tried. "And he might not even know anything about it."

"Well, I hope he does, if it's that important," the man offered.

"I'm sorry, I never caught your name," Ortensia asked, looking at the man's eyes through the rear view mirror as they slowed for a turn.

"You can call me Nutty, most do," the old man said with a laugh.

They drove slowly through a parking lot as Woody mumbled, "Great, I'm not seeing his car."

"What's he drive?" Oswald asked.

"A black two door, kinda squished looking," Woody offered.

"Hey, is that it?" Mickey asked, his head pressed against the window.

"Huh, we'll I'll be darn, that was quick sighting," Nutty said, stopping quickly. He looked around and found a spot on the other side to pull into and park.

"Who would've thought the park'd be so crowded today," Woody offered, stepped out of the car to look over the hoods of the full parking lot.

"Clear sky, nice weather, why not?" Nutty offered more to himself as he got out of the car.

"Maybe we should split up," Ortensia said, stepping around the car to see how large the park was.

"I'll stay here, in case they leave," Nutty offered. He laughed as he added, "I don't think I could walk that much anyway."

"Then with the four of us we can each take a direction," Woody said, walking around Ortensia to lead the way into the park.

"Hey Woody," Mickey started, walking with the woodpecker as the four made their way through the open gates. "I don't know everyone out of Felix's group, or how much is their real personality, but didn't the neighbor look like-"

"Like the professor always after Felix and his bag of tricks?" Woody interrupted, throwing a look over his shoulder only to no longer be able to see the short man. Unusually serious, Woody added, "Yeah, I noticed that too. I don't know him outside of the shows, so I don't know."

"I thought he seemed a little off," Ortensia said, showing the two had been listening as well.

"Hopefully we can find Felix before the doc does," Oswald said, already running towards the far right.

"Met back at the gate in half an hour if you haven't found him!" Mickey called out as Ortensia took towards the far left.

Ortensia looked over her shoulder and gave him a thumbs up as a way to show she understood before turning back to watch where she put her feet. She took in the strange world around her, the change in color pallets subtle but noticeable to her now, after spending so long in Disney's worlds.

She turned her attention to the people of the world, they being an even mix of humans and bipedal animals like herself. "Opps, sorry," Ortensia called out as she ducked under a flying Frisbee.

"Look out!" a male voice said a moment before Ortensia found her feet ripped out from under her as a mass of fur ran into her knees.

"Watch where you're going, lady!" the male voice called out as a teen knelt down beside his dog to check him over.

"Ignore him," a different voice offered as a black hand reached down to help Ortensia. She looked up and froze at the sight of the black furred cat above her. "I don't recognize you, are you new around here?"

"I guess I have changed some since we last met," Ortensia said, smiling as she took the hand. Getting help back to her feet she added, "Though you've changed too, I see."

Felix's brows furled, his memory working hard before his eyes sprung open. "Sadie! Is that you!?"

"It's Ortensia now," she offered, smiling at the cat.

"But I thought you disappeared years ago!" Felix said, finally realizing he was still holding her hand. "Oh, sorry," he said, letting go.

"Walt saved us," Ortensia explained. "We're part of his company now."

"We?" Felix echoed. "You've still got Oswald around? Is he still going by Oswald?"

"Yeah, he kept his name," Ortensia said with a laugh.

"But if you're with Disney, why are you here?" Felix asked.

"Same reason we're looking for you," Ortensia said.

"Felix! You better not be flirting again!" a female voice chastised, turning the two to look towards the voice and see Oswald and a white cat walking up.

"Kitty! What? No!" Felix said, taking a step back from Ortensia. "Don't you recognize her?"

"Yes." Kitty rolled her eyes. She smiled at Ortensia and offered, "Hi Ortensia, nice to see you."

"You too," Ortensia smiled back. She looked at Oswald and said, "We should find Mickey and Woody."

"I'll do that, you tell them why we're here," Oswald said, already turning around.