Chapter 16: And You Can Be Whole Again

It was surprising how fast a horde of sparrows could chip wood away.

Frost White's high note carried throughout the cottage as woodland creatures scurried around. Beavers gnawed and carried away the rotted beams. Raccoons paired up into teams to handle tools as large as them.

Penny whistled with the larks as she swept. Coco helped Aurelius install new windows as Ash chopped the brambles outside.

"Thanks for your help, everyone!" Rhoda said as she and Jesse finished applying joint cement on the new walls.

"No worries. We're glad you asked for our help," Aurelius said.

Just as Jesse left with cans of paint, Penny grinned, a halo forming above her head.

"So when are ya goin' ta start datin' again, Aunt Rhoda?" she asked, not missing how Jesse glanced back before disappearing to the other room.

Her aunt wiped away her cement smoother. "I dunno, Penny."

"'Cause I'm pretty certain Papa knows plenty of nice fellas", Penny trilled in a singsong voice that carried throughout the cottage. Her grin became wider when they heard a crash of paint cans dropping.

Rhoda turned at the noise, confused. Jesse was never clumsy.

"'Cause I'm pretty certin' Papi knows plenty of nice fellas," Penny trilled in a singsong voice that carried throughout the cottage. Her grin became wider when they heard a crash of paint cans dropping.

"I have plenty of friends who are single too," Frost White quipped.

Rhoda paused. "Um?.."

"And I know a lot of ladies who you could get along with," Aurelius yawned.

"Great!" Penny exclaimed. "What's your type, Aunt Rhoda?"

"Who wants snacks?" Rhoda rushed, ushering them out of the house.

Just when she thought she had them distracted, Ash joined them, walking by Rhoda's side. "They're right, you know," he said, hearing their conversation.

"Not you too," Rhoda whispered back.

"You should see other people first before even considering him."

Rhoda groaned.

XOXOXOXO

The psychiatrist's office was spic and span. Rhoda stared up at the ceiling as she lay on the recliner.

"A part of me missed it," she spoke, disturbed. She looked up at the ceiling, her arms wrapped around her. Worry creased her face. "I know what makes him tick. I know what would make him happy." Her voice dropped into a whisper. "I don't even know when it became scary to be around other people."

Dr. Edgar Wood slowly chewed on his pencil.

"I'm very much aware that he's bad for me," she continued, tugging her ears. "But a part of it felt safe in it." She shuddered. "I shouldn't even be feeling this way! Is this even normal?" she cried, getting up.

The beaver psych took the pencil out of his mouth.

"Ms. Rabbit, after getting out of an abusive relationship, it's normal to be anxious. What you had with him has been your norm." He adjusted his clipboard. "It feels safe because it's predictable. He has forced you to play the role of an overlooking, pleasing partner for years. It takes a while to remember to be yourself." He paused. "Again and again."

Rhoda nodded, her eyes still glued to the ceiling. She gave a self-deprecating laugh. "I still can't believe I've been in an abusive relationship. He's never even hit me before, you know."

"No, but psychological abuse usually comes without visible wounds."

She fell silent, remembering how he had forced often her to doubt her own thoughts and feelings over what he thinks she would think and feel. Dr. Wood had called it gaslighting.

Her fists clenched. "Most of me never want to go back. I don't want to feel that way ever again." She deflated. "I can't believe he would never admit he was wrong."

"People might hurt us, Ms. Rabbit," Dr. Wood spoke, his voice soothing. "But it's up to us to heal ourselves."

XOXOXOXO

Inside her renovated cottage, Rhoda got the surprise of her life when Ash, Frost White and Aurelius visited her once again.

"I can't believe you got all of my stuff back!" she said in awe, looking at the boxes that they had gotten in what used to be her and Jared's apartment.

"Of course, we simple used our grace, charm and diplomatic skills as Disney Princes," Aurelius said. "It was very nice of Jared to accommodate us."

"Um..." Rhoda said, eyeing the humongous spindle that Aurelius tucked into his belt, its sharp spike glinting in the light.

"Oh yes," Frost White quipped, one of the apples in his basket glowing an ominous green. "It certainly has nothing to do with Ash smashing the end of his glass forearm bracelet against the wall and holding it like a shiv."

Rhoda slowly turned to Ash, dumbstruck.

Ash threw a bag into a trash that fell with the sound of tinkling glass. "We might've taken some liberties since he's no longer under your protection."

XOXOXOXO

"Hey Mater. Hey Pater."

Back in Kansas, Rhoda put down her picnic basket in front of two graves.

"It's been a while, huh?"

She knelt down on the grass, setting down a bouquet of flowers.

"I'm good. I've been seeing a psych about my coffee addictions by the way," she spoke outloud. "Dr. Wood? Ash recommended him when he was going through the effects of his tragic backstory."

The wind whistled through the fields.

"Jeepers, diagnosed with deflation and gaiety?... detection and deity?" She thought for a moment before snapping her fingers. "Depression and anxiety!"

She sighed, her shoulders dropping. "I couldn't believe it. I'm supposed to be the happy hare." She trained her eyes on the ground, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. "But Dr. Wood told me some people just feel just a little more intensely. He gave me pills help me with my mood." Her head shook from side to side. "I don't wanna at first. But I think they're working."

Throughout the years, she would sometimes wonder what they would be thinking, watching her from wherever they were. Were they proud of her? Horrified? Ashamed?

"I'm sorry you have to see all of that."

The Kansas winds blew warm and comforting through her ears.

She rubbed her eyes. "Jeepers, I miss y'all."

XOXOXOXO

"I have to admit, I got me doubts get the better of me." Mina stubbed her cigar on the ashtray. "I mean I hate that guy. But I could never understand you, y'know?"

Rhoda ate up her fried rice, adding more whipped cream, vinegar, hot sauce and broccoli in it. "I get that a lot."

"What does that even taste?" Mina asked, turning slightly green at the sight of her dish. "Anyway, you ain't normal if you could honestly stand me, no co-star ever had." She sipped her vodka. "So when I heard Jared told me that, well..."

Rhoda felt herself smile. In Mina language, it was her own way of apologizing. She reached for her hand.

"I'll always like you, Mina."

Mina made a face. "I support wherever you'll swing but please..."

Rhoda laughed out loud. A waitress came by with a plate of carrot cake. Mina saw it and frowned.

"Ya sure?" she asked.

Rhoda glared at it determinedly. "I'm gonna reclaim my love for carrot cakes and I'm not gonna let Jared ruin it for me ever again." She took a deep breath. "Don'tcha worry, Mina. I got a secret weapon," she said, thanking the waitress for the fresh cup of jasmine tea with orange on it.

Grabbing the fork, she prepared to cut herself a piece. In an impulse, she threw away the fork and ate the whole slice instead. Mina watched with horrified fascination as she chomped and chewed. Rhoda's eyes twitched. Her fist pounded the table in an internal war of taste and trauma.

Mina hunched, slightly covering her own face in case someone might recognize her. "Oh no, this is definitely not gonna haunt me in my sleep."

Just when she was sure Rhoda was about to choke in her struggle, Rhoda grabbed her cup and chugged all of its contents.

Mina watched as Rhoda coughed and hacked, swallowing tea leaves in the process. The rabbit slammed back the cup on the table, gasping.

Then she collapsed across their table.

Mina moved the centerpiece of flowers closer to Rhoda to honor the dead.

With a huge gasp, Rhoda revived, looking like a cat who gave birth to hairballs through her mouth.

"My psych says," she belched, "... that a positive association might make the bad ones go away."

"And when did hot leaf juice ever become something positive?" Mina asked, rolling her eyes as she lit another cigar.

Rhoda chose not to reply, slurping a glass of water instead.

"So," Mina said, her tone becoming businesslike. "Are you two fucking?"

Mina simply closed her eyes when Rhoda's mouth drenched her like a hose.

"WHAT?!"

"Y'know, your hot neighbor? Yeah, he looks like Jared but you can always close your eyes."

"What?! No!" she exclaimed, her whole body combusting into a shade of red that could be seen from a mile away.

Mina simply wiped her face. "Really? Not even a kiss? Never even went down on ya?"

"No- wait, "went down on ya"?" Her ears curled to question marks. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Mina baldly told her and Rhoda hid her face with her hands and ears.

"That's a thing?" she mumbled through her palms.

"Of course that's a thing!" Mina paused. "Jared didn't even do that to you?"

Rhoda sank lower in her seat. "Can we not talk it in here?"

Mina eyed her carefully. "But you did went down on Jared," she observed. "Gawd, rabbit. He's either an idiot or that really tells a lot." She gave a squawk when Rhoda slapped a palm over her mouth.

"Why is it that every time you talk, it always leads to the birds and the bees?" Rhoda asked.

Mina bit her.

"Ow!" She hastily shook her hand. "Besides, I'm tryin' to meet other people."

Mina spit out a bit of yellow glove clothing. "Finally given in to Ash's nagging?"

"I did ask someone out, they told me no," Rhoda replied. She glanced down at her empty cup of tea. "I just want to be a good friend and get over him."

"Huh? What?"

She hastily gave Mina a monkey grin. "I said I just want to spend time with all my friends!" she cried, flinging her arms wide open for a crushing hug.

Mina flung a sugar bowl to her face. Needless to say, they got kicked out of the cafe.

XOXOXOXO

Inside the cottage, things were as cozy as a rabbit's burrow. Summer rains came and Jacques contentedly lay on the rug.

"Then Edna burst into the rescue!" Rhoda said, swinging her fists. "Bam! Pow! Wham! Knockin' their lights out!"

Beside her, sat Jesse, leaning on the other side of the sofa.

"Aren't you putting yourself in danger?"

Rhoda flopped back on the sofa. "I just wanna make people smile again," she said, having just told him how a search for a lost little girl's father ended up to uncovering a decade of conspiracy. "Besides, I just help her find clues and distract the bad guys. Edna does all the detective work."

He squeezed her hand to catch her attention. "Promise me you'll be careful though."

Rhoda hooked his little finger into a pinky swear. "Promise."

Then she turned to helped herself to another slice of strawberry cake. "This is delish!"

"See? You don't have to force yourself to like carrot cakes again when there are so many options."

Rhoda closed her eyes in bliss, humming as she chewed. Jesse was a better baker than she could hope for herself. At least he didn't end up setting his kitchen on fire.

"I heard you asked Leroy out," Jesse spoke out of the blue.

Chewed mush spurted out of her mouth as though she got a freight train rammed into on the stomach.

"Who told ya?" she gasped, cleaning up her mess.

He casually shrugged. "Leroy told me."

The tips of her ears burned, suddenly feeling self-conscious. True, she was actively trying to get over Jesse. But it seemed that Jesse might've been feeling protective of his old friend Leroy Hyena to bring it up.

"We met each other at work," she said, wondering why she felt like explaining herself. "We were going to be the 'Before' pictures of not taking vitamins." She gave her most cock-eyed, constipated face. "I went with this mug by the way."

Her hands gestured the story along. "He mentioned the movie where you and I both starred in and he said knows ya and I was like-" She put her hands on her cheeks, all starry eyed. "Jeepers! He's a good friend of mine!"

Then she toonily formed into the shape of Leroy with his huge nostrils, uneven teeth and scrawny form. "Then he was like, 'He's a good friend of mine too! He's told me about you,'" she said in her best Leroy voice. He was the ugliest guy she had ever seen. But she could see why Jesse have him as a friend.

Her ams dropped with her act. "After that, we hit it off! We talked about you all day." She put a hand on her chest. "He ain't a looker, but he's a pretty sweet guy. So I thought why not?"

"And you asked him out."

Rhoda wondered about the lack of color in his voice. "He fainted at first. When I woke him up, he said that was the first time a girl ever asked him out. He seemed really happy."

She scratched her head, confused. "But then he was like-" She dropped down on her knees, howling. "-'Nooooo! Not youuu!' And I was like, 'Oh, okay.'"

Realizing she had been babbling, she fumbled with her hands. "I just wanna know him better, Jesse, in case you're worried for him."

"Oh."

She frowned, not understanding why he got quiet. But she was going to take advantage of it. The only way to make it clear to her heart to get over him was to get rejected once again.

Briefly she wondered if she was a sadist.

"Jesse, there's something I need to tell ya."

He turned to face her.

"I've been meaning to sell this house and move somewhere else."

He partly sat up straight. "What? Why?"

She fidgeted with her fingers, squirming. "Ever since I moved here and got in touch with you again, I..."

Her gaze fell on anywhere but him. "Ihavetogetoveryouagain," she spoke like a fastforwarded film.

"What?"

She squeezed her eyes shut. I have to get over you again! You're my friend and I want to respect your rejection but I can't stand being so near while you go out with someone else and-

"Uh, Rhoda, I can't hear you if you're just thinking it outloud."

Her arms drooped as she sighed. "It's just my way of keeping my word to ya."

"What word?" he asked quietly, leaning forward to hear her better.

She, sighed, cornered as he carefully looked into her eyes. "I'm gonna have to let you go again," she said almost in a whisper.

Silence.

His face strangely and tentatively flowed into a smile. "There's something else that I have to tell you too." He reached out a hand. "Have you ever wonder why I rejected you all those years?"

Her eyes moved to his thumb brushing over her cheek. She shrunk a little, feeling the spot burn. "I'm just not your type?"

"Back then, I didn't understand why you liked me just because I'm nice."

"Kind," she corrected, her words getting stuck in her throat. "There's a difference."

He retracted his hand. "When I was first drawn, I wasn't in a very good place."

"I know, you told me it was shady."

"My past employer pretended to be someone that I can trust. When I got out, I coped by distancing myself… from everything." He looked away, momentarily distracted by glimpses of his past. "I may have taken it too far when we met."

"I really enjoyed our time together making that movie," he continued. "After we parted ways, you've made an impression on me."

He swept aside his bangs. "I tried to enter a relationship similar to what I used to have back in my first job." There was a pause as he rolled his eyes. "I know it's ridiculous. But it was familiar. I know what to expect and that time around, it was my choice."

Rhoda put a hand on his shoulder. "You mean, Martha Acme?"

He turned to her with a smile. "You would always be at the back of my mind."

She stilled, unsure how to process what he had said. Jesse continued on.

"Then Doom killed her. Ms. Acme gave me her will as safekeeping but it disappeared. I thought it was one of her practical jokes." His mouth pulled into a frown. "The night after that, I found Ms. Valiant rifling through my dressing room."

"Edna?"

He nodded. "She was hired by someone to snoop around me and Acme. Someone who's interested in her will. Whoever they are, Doom also got her eyes on them and got Edna followed."

"Oh… no wonder you two don't get along."

Jesse sniffed. "Edna and the Doom Patrol practically gunned down my dressing room in Ink-and-Paint Club. The police came, Edna found the will. Turned out Ms. Acme wrote it in invisible ink."

He looked ahead. "I guess the whole fiasco snapped me out of repeating a vicious cycle. Life went on." His eyes caught hers. "Then I met you again."

Jesse ruffled her hair. "A bit more timid. A bit more jumpy. But it's still you."

His hands moved to hold hers. "This is very selfish of me to ask you. But can you give this another chance?

She couldn't move. Her heart pounded. Unwilling to believe unless-

"What 'this'?"

His hands felt warm as he squeezed. "I'm not going to let you go again."

A billion questions blazed within her, catching her unprepared. She felt a bit nervous yet her eyes lit up.

There was only one answer to that question.

The End.

Author's Notes: Aaaaand it's done. Thank you for everyone who stuck with me throughout the story, for your feedback, cheers and reactions. All the hidden gems in the past chapters are now listed out in the Easter Eggs chapter, including what happened eventually to Rhoda and Jesse, if you're wondering what happened next.

To the guest who have reviewed, wishing this is animated, the closest is the comic made by KevinAF123 of Deviantart. Her link is in my profile.