spotlightk on Deviantart asked for this one. Here you go, Amigo! :) Enjoy! :)

A Hat In Time belongs to Gears For Breakfast. I own nothing.

A/N: Like in my other A Hat In Time stories, Hat Kid will be called Charlotte in this story. :) Also, please bear with me as I've never written Moonjumper, DJ Grooves and The Conductor in a story before. I did watch the gameplay to get some idea on how they act, but please bear with me if they do get a little OOC. Thank you.


Grooving Into Her Uncles' Hearts

Charlotte took a deep breath as she landed the ship on the familiar world that she had visited so long ago. Snatcher was beside her, having gone with the child at her request and at the requests of her parents, who were like family to him. "Kiddo, you know you didn't have to return here," the shadow-like being said to her gently.

"I know," she said. "But DJ Grooves really wants me to be there, as does the Conductor."

"It better not be for another one of their pranks," he growled, recalling how the two had both strapped a bomb to the child, but thankfully the bombs had been deactivated in time.

"Uncle Snatcher, I'll be okay," Charlotte said.

"Nonetheless, stick close to me," he said. "Your parents would have my head if anything happened to you on my watch."

She nodded in agreement before seeing someone come up to them and she gasped at first, but felt a hand rest on her shoulder. "Don't worry, I asked him to meet with us," Snatcher said gently to the child.

The blue-skinned being waved to them as they came out of the ship. "Hey!" He said brightly.

Charlotte hid a bit behind her uncle, who gently squeezed her shoulder. "No worries, kiddo. He won't hurt you," he said. "I had a good talk with him long before we landed."

"Hey, come on, Snatcher!" Moonjumper said in annoyance. "Don't freak the kid out."

The shadow-like being gave him a small glare. "You better watch yourself," he said firmly. "The child is under my protection and I won't tolerate anyone bullying her or her getting hurt under my watch."

The puppet being scoffed in annoyance, but his face softened at seeing Charlotte looking at him. "Hey, kiddo," he said, smiling. "Things haven't been the same with you gone, but things have changed a bit." He gestured around and the child could see that the world was thriving and doing well.

"Everything's fixed," she said.

Moonjumper smiled. "There's been some work done," he said. "Especially the clocktower over there."

Charlotte looked, but didn't see it. "Where is it?" He asked.

"Oh, just over there," he said, gesturing in front of him.

Snatcher looked at him, about to ask him what he was talking about as there was no clocktower in front of them when the child went over to Moonjumper and jumped up, scrambling up the puppet's back with her hands clinging to his sides and he chuckled, squirming a little. "Easy, kiddo," he chuckled before giggles escaped him as she accidentally tickled his neck. "H-Hey, that tickles," he protested before feeling the child sit on his shoulders and she looked around before gasping.

"There it is!" She said with a happy giggle.

Moonjumper turned to look. "Oh, how did the clocktower get over there?" He asked playfully. "They must have moved it."

Charlotte giggled and Snatcher finally realized what the puppet had done and he looked at Moonjumper before pointing two fingers at his eyes and pointing at the puppet in the silent gesture of 'I'm watching you.'

Just then, a train whistle sounded and the child gasped. "Oh, the train!" She said. "The Conductor and DJ Grooves are waiting for me."

"Let's go, then," Moonjumper said as he began moving, still carrying the child on his shoulders. Snatcher came up beside them.

"You doing okay, kiddo?" He asked.

She nodded before reaching around with her hands to secure them under Moonjumper's chin before getting a sneaky idea and tickling his neck, making him squeak and laugh.

"H-Hey, n-now!" He laughed out, yelping when her small fingers wiggled over his ears.

"He's ticklish, Uncle Snatcher!" The child said gleefully.

"I can see that," the shadow-like being said in amusement before getting a sneaky idea and he grabbed Moonjumper's arms, holding them up over his head in a secure grip and his tail wrapped around the child's waist, holding her securely in front of Moonjumper. "You should tickle his underarms, kiddo. He loves being tickled there."

"NOHOHOHOHOHO!" The puppet squealed as the child did what her uncle suggested, the little one able to reach Moonjumper's arms easily to tickle his underarms. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! SNAAHAHAHAHATCHER! IHIHIHIHIHIHIHI'LL GEHEHEHEHEHEHET YOOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOO FOR THIHIHIHIHIHIS!"

Charlotte giggled. "He's funny!" She said.

"I honestly can't take you seriously, Moonjumper," Snatcher said teasingly as he grinned at the puppet before adjusting his grip so that he held both the puppet's wrists in one hand and his fingers wiggled into Moonjumper's stomach, especially the center of it.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" The blue-skinned being squealed, his two major tickle spots under attack. He was laughing so much he didn't notice Snatcher was floating them over to the train where the Conductor and DJ Grooves were waiting and the Conductor held up a camera with a smile.

"Not sure what I can use this footage for, but I'd never pass up an opportunity to capture some good footage," the owl said.

"Well, I for one think it would be perfect in a movie with the little darling," the moon penguin said, smiling.

Seeing they arrived, Snatcher stopped tickling Moonjumper and gently lifted away his niece from their victim. "We're here, kiddo," he said, gently setting her down on her feet while allowing the puppet to rest and get his strength back.

Charlotte looked at the two and bit her lip softly, recalling how she had had to battle them sometime ago. DJ Grooves was first to speak.

"Oh, darling, you were spectacular last time!" He said. "We saw how you handled those battles like a true born star!"

"Erm, yes," the Conductor said. "You might have been a bit of a pest before, but...you handled yourself quite well, lass."

Moonjumper stood up and looked at them. "Aren't you two forgetting something?" He asked before placing a hand on Charlotte's shoulder. "If it wasn't for this awesome child, you two wouldn't have the footage for your movies. And she did her lines with no prompting."

"I'm surprised I'm saying this, but he's right," Snatcher said with a nod. "By the way, if my niece does any more movies for you, there will be no stunts like last time."

He said this in a firm voice and both the Conductor and DJ Grooves looked a little uncomfortable at his glare. "Um, yes," the moon penguin said. "We...uh...we actually weren't being entirely truthful about the movie."

"What do you mean?" Moonjumper asked, a bit confused.

"What me...erm, rival means is that...we actually called the lass here for another reason," the owl admitted.

Charlotte looked at them. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, darling," DJ Grooves began, kneeling down to her. "We...well, I...wanted to apologize to you." He sighed a little. "What you went through to get your time pieces...well, it wasn't right at all. Even if it was for a trophy."

"I apologize too, lass," the Conductor said. "To force you to be part of a dangerous act with a bomb strapped to your back...well, you should never have had to go through that."

Snatcher looked at them curiously. "Why the change of heart?" He asked.

"Well, why did you have a change of heart for her, darling?" The moon penguin asked.

"Yeah, Snatcher," Moonjumper said, turning to him. "What made you decide the kid was okay?"

The shadow-like being shrugged, giving an embarrassed chuckle. "Well, she grew on me," he said. "She just has a way of growing on people, even if they try to be mean to her."

"We noticed that," the owl said with a nod. "She's a good lass. Persistent, but good."

Charlotte smiled at them and surprised them both by hugging them. DJ Grooves jumped a little, but then chuckled, hugging her back. "Oh, darling, you really are a true star," he said, giving her a few gentle pats on the head.

The Conductor gave a small chuckle as he hugged her. "As annoying as me own family," he said, but there was a fond note in his voice, making the child giggle.

"Well, Conductor, what do you say we treat the little star to a movie?" The moon penguin suggested.

"I've got just the one," the owl said before motioned the shadow-like being and the puppet to follow.

The movie was one of the child making friends with the inhabitants and taking care of the bad guys. Snatcher blushed a little as it showed the kid altering the contract, but Moonjumper chuckled. "Why am I not surprised she found a loophole?" He asked, ruffling Charlotte's brown hair and making her giggle and hug him.

"All she's got to do is give you her eyes and that's it," Snatcher said. "Like if she asks you to be her uncles."

The child grinned and immediately made her eyes big and round and looking very sweet. Moonjumper blinked in surprise while DJ Grooves was jaw dropped and the Conductor went still. "Can I call you my uncles?" Charlotte asked sweetly.

All three looked unsure of what to say and Snatcher decided to help out his niece. "You're not really going to disappoint my niece now, are you?" He asked, a hidden warning in his voice.

"Snatcher, cool it," Moonjumper said to him, giving him a slight glare before smiling down at the child. "Well, kid. I'll admit I don't know much about being an uncle, but if that's what you really want...then just call me Uncle Moonjumper."

"Uncle DJ," the moon penguin said thoughtfully. "Eh, got a nice ring to it."

"Uncle Conductor," the owl said thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose, but it might be a bit of a mouthful, lass."

"Uncle Owl," Charlotte said instantly.

The Conductor chuckled. "Yeah, let's go with that," he said.

The rest of the day was spent with Charlotte singing some songs with DJ Grooves, steering the train with the Conductor, and Moonjumper making her a cape with his red thread, which she loved instantly.

When evening came, Charlotte actually fell asleep on DJ Grooves, her head resting on his shoulder. "Uh, darling?" He asked her, but she didn't reply.

"She fell asleep," the Conductor said, his voice quiet and soft. "Come, let's get the lass to the guest room."

Snatcher watched as the two put Charlotte to bed and Moonjumper used his thread and magic to make a doll for the child, a doll that looked like the puppet himself. He placed the doll near the child, who reached out in her sleep and hugged it close to her. "Ah, she's got a way of melting hearts," the moon penguin said softly.

"Who've thought?" The owl said, softly chuckling.

"Well, if she could get Snatcher to have a soft spot for her, then anything is possible," Moonjumper said.

To his surprise, the shadow-like being didn't get upset at him for that, instead he reached out and gently brushed a hand over the child's brown hair. "Sweet dreams, little one," he said softly.

The four then left, leaving the sweet child to peaceful dreams.


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GoldGuardian2418