Disclaimer - If you recoginize anything, then I do not own it.
Thank you to DJ Wolf, kai's kitty, Demenior, naioka1992, HeiAnSou, Butterfly Ishida, AnimeQueen48, AnimeKairi, Brooklyn'sGurl, lalalalala2, The-LoneWolf-Tempest, MasterFranny, FlamesOfFury, firehorse200, animepie & Reina Hiwatari for reviewing.
Chapter 20 - Once A Thief, Always A Thief
"And where have you been?" Bruce ask as Hiro entered the lounge, carrying several bags and a small box, "you were gone for over two hours." "I told you that I had some shopping to do," Hiro informed, looking at his purchases, "and that I didn't want to take Brooklyn. It is easier to shop on my own." "Did you buy it?" his father ask as Hiro nodded, "I hope that dad will approve." "Well, I can't take it back," Hiro remarked, looking at a small box that was moving on its own, "where is Brooklyn anyhow? I expected to be attacked immediately upon my return."
"Taking a nap," Bruce informed as Hiro sighed, "Brooklyn cried himself to sleep after you left. I believe he was upset that you wouldn't let him spend some time with you." "I was not pushing him around in a stroller again," Hiro noted with a smirk, "besides, he'll forgive me eventually." Hiro pushed the box aside as he pulled out his other purchases. Bruce picked up two CDs out of curiosity and an eyebrow rose from the names of the bands.
"Bad Luck and Nittle Grasper?" he questioned as Hiro took them back suddenly. "I like them okay," Hiro defended, "I was a big fan of Sakuma Ryuichi in high school. My attraction to him is what made me realize that I was gay. I think Bad Luck is pretty good too." "Sakuma," Bruce whispered, "is he that eccentric singer that carries around a pink bunny called Kumagoro?" "Yes, why?" Hiro replied, looking at his father and was surprised that he could remember something like that after all these years.
"No reason in particular," Bruce grinned, making Hiro uneasy, "now, I understand why you got so upset in Egypt when your pink bunny disappeared from our tent. You pitched a fit and bawled for days over that stuffed toy until I called dad and had him send you a new one." Hiro blushed redder than a tomato from that memory since he couldn't believe that he acted that way about a stuffed animal. Having crushes on idols made you behave in the oddest of ways but he did appreciate the way his father had handled the situation. He had accepted his sexuality and had just bought another stuffed rabbit without making a big scene out of it.
Bruce laughed as he looked at Hiro's face. "Don't worry about it, son," he stated, slapping him on the back and nearly sending him to the floor, "I haven't told anyone about that." Bruce laughed again as Hiro shrugged and the older picked up a bag from a bookstore. The purchase of this book made his eyebrow raise even more than the CDs. "I didn't think that you read romance novels, Hiro," Bruce teased with a smirk, waving the book in front of Hiro's face, "especially something written by Eiri Yuki."
"I don't," Hiro informed as he blushed an even deeper shade of red and grabbed the book from his father, "for your 411, Brooklyn does. He absolutely adores his novels. I just bought the thing in case he turns back. He would throw a major tantrum if he turns back to sixteen and doesn't have the latest Eiri Yuki novel to read. When they come out, he is usually first in line at the bookstore to buy it."
Bruce smiled and laughed at that remark but Hiro just huffed. He didn't like to be compared to the novelist. He would rather for his boyfriend to think that he was the sexiest man in all of Japan. Grandpa entered the room at that moment, put down the tray he was carrying and looked at his son and grandson. "A new Eiri Yuki novel," he yelped, grabbing the book from Hiro, "can I read it, homeboy?"
Both of them sweatdropped as they stared at grandpa, who was practically drooling over the book. "I'm not even going there," Hiro muttered as the pitter patter of small feet alerted the three men that the two chibis were now awake. "Hero!" was the yell as something small glomped him around the legs, "me miss you!" "And I missed you," Hiro added as he picked up the somewhat drowsy chibi, "and I bought you something." He put Brooklyn down as he pointed to the box on the table.
"Is that for me?" Brooklyn ask, pointing to same box that Hiro had. "Yes, it is," Hiro replied with a big smile as Tyson watched with envy, "I thought you deserved a gift after what you went through yesterday with Voltaire and Boris." "Weally," Brooklyn whispered as his eyes got even bigger and wider from Hiro's praise, "but we cause twouble." "Yes, you did," Bruce added with a smile from where he was now sitting and drinking tea with Tyson in his lap, "but you did it to the right people. I can't think of anyone who deserved what you did more than Boris or Voltaire."
Brooklyn squealled, clapped his hands and jumped up and down from the praise. He couldn't believe that you could get rewarded for being bad and yet he was. "What did ya gets me?" he ask, lunging for the box that Hiro pulled out of his reach at the last minute. "Be careful," Hiro warned as he held it above him, "this is not a toy but a living breathing creature. I caved in and bought you a pet."
"Not puppy," Brooklyn pouted, seeing how small the box was, "wanted puppy." "No, it is not a dog," Hiro informed, "but I think it is something that you will like even better." Tyson pouted and was about to protest but Bruce quieted him as Hiro set the box in front of Brooklyn, who cautiously opened it. He was wondering what Hiro had got him as he lifted the flaps and gasp with surprise. The chibi couldn't believe what was lying curled up in a ball in a corner as he cautiously reached a hand toward it.
The small creature woke up and its beady eyes fixed on its new master but more specifically his hand. It sniffed Brooklyn's hand as he giggled and pulled back before it could bite. It didn't make such an attempt and knowing that Brooklyn was a friend, let him pick him up. "He bootiful," Brooklyn remarked, cradling the creature to his chest as he stroked its head lovingly. Grandpa choked on his tea and dropped the book he was reading when he saw what he was holding.
"Couldn't you afford something better than a rat?" he ask, glaring at his eldest grandson. "It is not a rat, grandpa," Hiro sighed, "it is a ferret." "Me want one," Tyson protested as he tried to get away from Bruce. "You have Cosmo, Tyson," Bruce reminded as he pointed to the puppy, who had backed away from Brooklyn and the ferret, "you are not getting another pet." "Me wike him, Hero," Brooklyn exclaimed with a bright smile as the ferret climbed onto his shoulder and wrapped itself around his neck, "twank you."
He toddled forward and kissed Hiro directly on the lips. The older blushed from the display as Brooklyn laughed from where his new friend was playing with his hair. "What are you going to name him?" Hiro ask as grandpa continued to mumble about rodents infesting his dojo. Brooklyn turned his head so he was looking directly at the ferret. "Me know," he squealled again, "Me gots a name. His name Yuki."
"Yuki," Hiro repeated as Brooklyn nodded. Hiro's eyes narrowed and wondered where he had got the name from. Did he have to be reminded of that novelist even when his boyfriend was three years old? It was bad enough that he ranted on and on at sixteen about how gorgeous the man was. Hiro was tempted to take him to a Bad Luck concert and let Shindou Shuichi deal with him for daydreaming about his boyfriend but he couldn't do that. He loved the brat before him too much.
"I hope you bought a cage, Hiro," Bruce reminded as the younger pointed to the hallway where a large box sat, "I don't think any of us want it running loose in the dojo." "I thought it was kind of cute," Hiro explained, "and the clerk said it would make a great pet. Besides, taking care of it should be easy. At least, a ferret lives in a cage." Bruce had a bad feeling about the ferret but it seemed innocent enough at the moment.
It was still on Brooklyn's shoulders as Tyson petted it. Cosmo seemed afraid of it as he whined with his tail between his legs, making Bruce wonder if the puppy was privy to something they were not. He was staying away from Brooklyn, Tyson and now Yuki. "Hero," Brooklyn called, running to him, "daddy! Me wants ta show Kai new fwiend."
The adults exchanged a look since they had no intention of going to visit the others. "Maybe they could come here," Bruce suggested as he looked at grandpa, "what do you think, dad?" "It's down with me, dude," Grandpa shrugged from where he was absorbed in the book once again, "as long as they don't vandalize my dojo or destroy it like they did Voltaire's house." "Agreed," Bruce and Hiro said together as the older went to call Judy to make the arrangements. Brooklyn and Tyson cheered since they would have someone fun to play with soon.
Half an hour later, a bus pulled up and off jumped, five little chibis, who ran into the courtyard to greet Tyson and Brooklyn. "REI!" Brooklyn shouted, "Wook what Hero bought me!" He was showing them his new pet that was still on his shoulders but looked around for Kai. "Where Kai?" he ask as the dual-hair walked into the courtyard holding a pet of his own in his arms. "Wook what Mr. D bought me!" he shouted, happily as they exchanged a look, "why you gots a rat?"
"He not wat," Brooklyn defended as something that matched Kai's new pet came out of Rei's sweater, "what ya gots?" "Mr. D gots us kitties," Rei said, happily, "this Dwiger." "And this Mai," Kai introduced. Driger and Mai turned out to be a set of Siamese kittens. "They cute," Brooklyn remarked with a giggle, "this Yuki. He ferret."
"Yuki cute," Tala added with a smile, "can I hold him?" Brooklyn was about to hand the ferret to Tala when Mystel jumped suddenly inbetween them. "Bwookie!" Mystel shrieked as Judy appeared with several of the teens, "me twinks ya bettah wun." "Why?" Brooklyn ask, innocently as a teen-age girl appeared at the gate. "OH MY GOD!" she shrieked, "Dr. Judy, Mathilda, you were so right! He is so-o-o cute!"
Before Brooklyn had a chance to escape, he was grabbed by the female half of F-Dynasty. It seemed that Julia had been the one to turn back this morning and she was squealling about how adorable Brooklyn was. Her shrieks made Brooklyn's ears hurt as Yuki couldn't stand the noise and jumped to the ground eyeing her angrily. It didn't help that he had nearly been squashed by the Spanish teen either. Driger and Mai, both thought Yuki was a large rat. They exchanged a look with each other and decided they were going to eat well today.
"Dwiger!" Rei protested as his new kitten scratched him as he got away and started to chase the ferret. "Mai!" Kai yelled as his new kitten followed her brother. "Yuki!" Brooklyn shouted as he watched his brand new pet run off with two kittens right behind him. Cosmo then joined the chase as he got away from Tyson. "PUT DOWN!" Brooklyn demanded as his eyes teared and he wiggled in Julia's arms, "YUKI!" Julia dropped him when he threatened to bite her but Brooklyn landed on his feet and took off after the four pets.
Rei and Tyson joined him excluding Kai, who had a nasty scratch on his arm from where Mai had clawed him and that Judy was treating. They followed the animals under the porch and watched their pets go single file through a small opening under the house. Rei and Brooklyn looked at the dark hole and each other before deciding that they did not want to go under there. Tyson, however, dove head first after Cosmo without thinking. The result was, well, I am certain you know, Tyson got stuck.
He was wiggling and trying to get loose as Rei and Brooklyn crawled away from him. "Uh oh," Brooklyn and Rei said together as they sweatdropped over Tyson's predicament. "DADDY!" Tyson wailed as he started to cry, making Brooklyn and Rei scramble out from under the porch. "What is the matter?" Bruce inquired as he looked between Brooklyn and Rei. "Daddy, Ty-Ty stuck," Brooklyn informed, pointing to where Tyson was as Bruce's eyes widened and both he and grandpa practically dove under the porch to get the chibified blader out.
"Hero, me wost Yuki," he cried, running to the older and tugged violently on Hiro's pants but then glared at Julia, "IT YOUR FAULT!" His dark glare made Julia uneasy and she backed away from him. He looked on the verge of going King of Darkness on them all as he bawled. "I'll help you look, tenshi," Hiro comforted, lifting him into his arms as they heard grandpa and Bruce trying to get Tyson out. Tyson was bawling, Brooklyn was crying and Rei was on the verge of tears since he had lost Driger. Kai was the only one not affected in such a manner.
"We help wook," Mystel offered, hugging Rei tightly, "It oway, Rei Rei." "Twanks, Mystie," Rei sniffled, leaning into the embrace, "me miss Dwiger." "This what we do," Kai stated, taking charge of the situation and looking quite adorable while he was at it. "Pair up," Kai ordered, "Tala with me. Mystie with Rei Rei. Maxie with Garland and Brookie with Hero."
"What about Ty-Ty?" Max ask. "May be while for they get him out," Kai replied, darkly as Judy joined the two men under the porch to help with Tyson, who was lodged quite firmly, "that what he get for eating too much pocky. Now, let go and find out fwiends." "Yes, sir," the chibis replied together with a mock salute that made Hiro laugh as they split up. They spent about fifteen minutes walking around the house, looking in the plants and calling Cosmo since he was the most likely to respond to his name.
"We gots Cosmo!" Max and Garland yelled as the two chibis ran to Hiro. Garland had Cosmo by the collar as Hiro attached a lease so he wouldn't get away again. "Any sign of Yuki, Driger or Mai?" he ask as the two chibis shook their heads sadly. Hiro heard a whine as he looked at Brooklyn, who was starting to sniffle. He burst into tears again as Garland led Cosmo away. Now they only had a ferret and two kittens to find.
"Dwiger and Mai eats Yuki," Brooklyn wailed at the top of his lungs forcing Hiro to comfort him yet again. He lifted Brooklyn back into his arms and rubbed his back tenderly as the chibi cried into his neck. "I don't think that Driger or Mai could eat Yuki," Hiro soothed, "since they are kittens and Yuki is full grown." They spent several more minutes of fruitless searching before returning to the garden. The other adults had finally managed to free Tyson while the teens were inside talking or playing video games.
Tyson was dirty and crying as Bruce took him inside to clean up. Hiro had to give Kai's observation skills credit. Tyson seemed to have gained a little weight since his chibification and he did believe that his little brother had been eating too many sweets. "We no find," Rei informed, sadly as he and Mystel appeared with Kai and Tala behind them. Garland handed Cosmo's lease to Judy while Max went to offer comfort to Tyson. Brooklyn let out a mournful wail as Hiro sighed sadly.
"Don't worry, tenshi," he comforted, "I am certain that Yuki, Driger and Mai will return to us. It is just a matter of time." He herded the other chibis into the house to get a snack. "No luck?" Grandpa ask, looking too cheerful. "No," Hiro replied as Brooklyn wailed again, making the smile disappear from grandpa's face.
"Brookie, what's wrong?" Julia ask, forgetting about the dark glare he had given her before, "it is not right to see tears on such an angelic face." "Dwiger or Mai eats Yuki," Brooklyn continued to wail, making Rei sniffle since his kitty was missing, "me all weady losts new fwiend Hero boughts me." Brooklyn sounded so pathetic that all of the teens turned to look at him which only consisted of Julia, Mathilda, Miguel and Raul. "Can we pway?" Kai ask from where he and Tala were standing next to Miguel and Raul, who were playing Sonic Riders on Tyson's GameCube. "Sure," the two teens replied since they had forgiven the pair for taking their beyblades.
"Brookie, they come back," Kai remarked as he sat down in Miguel's lap, "just give them time." Tala followed suit and sat down in Raul's. "It more comfortable than floor," he explained as the two boys blushed. Mathilda and Julia went aww from the display embarrassing Miguel and Raul even more if possible. Rei, Mystel and Garland were crawling around the room looking under furniture for the three missing pets. Hiro was about to hand Brooklyn to Mathilda so he could get the chibis some snacks but Judy beat him to it as she entered the room with a tray.
Mystel grabbed a bag of carrots opting for something healthy while Rei took a cookie. The other chibis took the sugary sweets except for Hiro, who grabbed carrots for Brooklyn. "Not hungwy," Brooklyn protested, pushing his hand away, "too worried 'bout Yuki." "Yuki this, Yuki that," Hiro murmured quietly and huffed, "only a toddler and he is still obsessed with that author." Hiro decided to change the subject since there was no use dwelling on it. Besides, there was nothing he could do about it at the moment.
"Are you glad to be back to normal, Julia?" he ask, turning his attention to her. "Yes," she replied as she looked up from the book that she had been reading, "my memories are still a bit out of sorts but it is a relief to be back to my normal age. I'll be glad when Garland changes back. I have a few issues to settle with him." Before Hiro could ask what the issues were, Tyson and Max came running into the room as they both grabbed sweets from the tray on the table.
The pair joined Garland and Mystel to play a board game while Tyson chatted on and on about his horrible experience under the porch. Rei was sitting off to the side looking rather dejected and sad. He was missing Driger about as much as Brooklyn missed Yuki. "Did you spend your winnings?" Julia ask with a smile as his attention turned back to her, "I heard that you were the only one to correctly guess the identity of Raul's boyfriend." Hiro's mouth dropped open as she grinned.
"I knew that he was gay," she admitted with a smirk, "Raul could never top anyone; not even a girl." "Julia," Raul managed to choke out as he sprayed the soda he was drinking and blushed a deep shade of red. "Well, it's true," Julia added, "I don't know why you insisted on keeping your relationship a secret from me. I wouldn't have objected to it. I just didn't know who you were seeing; although I had my suscipions."
The two siblings started to argue as Tala decided it might be safer if he moved away from Raul. Even Miguel scooted away from his boyfriend with Kai still perched in his lap since there was no way that he was getting involved in a dispute between siblings. He loved Raul but he wasn't brave enough to stand up to Julia. Hiro had to hide a smile as he watched the twins fight. It reminded him of the way, he and Tyson often behaved towards each other.
"DWIGER!" Rei shrieked as the kitten appeared and jumped into his arms, "you came back! Me so glad!" That scream stopped the arguing between the twins but not Brooklyn's crying. "KAI LOOK!" Tala shouted as another ball of fur ran into the room, "Mai back!" Tala grabbed the kitten and gave it to his boyfriend, who hugged her before stroking her fur gently. Both kittens were purring contently from the attention but it did not console Brooklyn. "Dwiger and Mai come back but not Yuki!" he wailed, "Yuki hates me!"
"It oway, Brookie," Rei tried to comfort, "If Dwiger come back so will Yuki. See Dwiger not fat so he didn't eats him." He held the squirming kitten up to prove his point as Tala looked at Mai. "Mai not fat either," he added as Brooklyn's tears stopped. He sniffled one last time before nodding his head. "Me hope," Brooklyn whined as he wiped his eyes and nose on the sleeve of Hiro's shirt, "me wants him back."
"Brooklyn, I am not a kleenex," Hiro snapped as he glared at the damp spot now on his arm, "you don't wipe your nose on other people's clothes. It is rude." "Sorwy, Hero," Brooklyn apologized but that was not going to remove the spot. Hiro dumped Brooklyn onto the floor as he went to change. Tala was going to comfort Brooklyn but the chibi was more upset that Hiro was mad than losing his pet. He ran after Hiro to apologize.
While all of this was going on, the teens and chibis failed to notice the small creature situated under a table and watching the scene with interest. He saw his owner crying but did not return to him. Yuki was in the mood to explore and now that the horrid cats and dog had been caught, he could do that without being noticed. The ferret scurried away unnoticed by all; intent on making the small humans pay for the ordeal he had suffered from. He did not appreciate having to run for his life.
It all started about fifteen minutes later. Since grandpa was busy drinking tea and reading the Eiri Yuki novel again, Bruce had volunteered to go to the store to buy groceries for dinner. He looked on the table where he swore he had left his keys after Hiro had given them back. They were not on the table or on the floor. The keys had mysteriously vanished.
"Hiro," he called, looking into the lounge where Hiro was sitting and reading a magazine with his favorite singer on the cover. Hearing his name, he looked up. Kai and Tala had went outside to play with the toy car. They had forced him to join them to try and take his mind off of his missing pet. "Yeah, dad," he replied, "is something wrong?"
"Have you seen my car keys?" Bruce inquired as Hiro shook his head no. "I gave them back to you," Hiro stated, "I haven't seen them since." "Well, I can't find them," Bruce sighed, exasperated, "do you think one of the chibis took them?" "Never know unless you ask," Hiro mused as he rose to join his father, "but why would they take them? You would figure that they have learned their lesson about taking other people's belongings by now."
They went outside to find Kai driving the Hummer with Tala in the passenger seat and somehow they had squeezed Brooklyn into the car between them. Rei, Mystel and Garland were patiently waiting their turn for the car while Tyson and Max were rolling on the ground with Cosmo. "Tyson," Bruce called, singling him out first and cringing since he was dirty again. "Yeah, daddy," he replied, cheerfully as he ran to his father, "What you want?" "Have you seen my car keys?" Bruce inquired, "or did you take them to play with?"
"No touch your stuff," Tyson protested, "haven't seen them." "Me either," Max piped in. Bruce was about to ask Rei, Mystel and Garland, who had been standing nearby and they shook their heads no, having overheard the question. "Well, that leaves only the dynamic trio," Hiro mused as Bruce stepped in front of the car. Kai stopped suddenly and glared at the man but it had no effect on Bruce, who was immune.
"Brooklyn," Bruce pointed out, "Have you seen my car keys?" "Me no gots," Brooklyn replied in his seat with Mai in his lap, "didn't take them." "Neither did we," Tala and Kai said together. "Either they are telling the truth," Judy mused, "or someone is lying." "We not lie!" Tala huffed, "we don't have them."
"I believe them," Hiro stated, looking at Tala intently for a moment. "At weast someone believe us," Kai added with a sigh, "now move and let us pway." He started the car again and simply drove around Bruce. "If they didn't take them," Bruce stated, "then where did they go?" "You may have just misplaced them," Judy suggested with a shrug, "the store isn't that far so we can walk. Besides it is too nice of a day to waste inside of a car."
They had to give up the search and left, leaving a mystery that would soon be solved. They weren't in as good of mood upon their return. It had started to rain shortly after they left, making everyone take refuge inside and they had gotten a bit soaked. Bruce, who was usually always in a good mood could be heard cursing when he entered the house. He simply put the bags on the kitchen counter and went to change.
He returned to the lounge, drying his hair with a towel. It was still too early to start dinner. The chibis were watching television along along with the four teens. The two kittens were in their owners laps with Cosmo lying beside of Tyson. The puppy had decided to leave them alone after Mai had scratched him on the nose. It seemed that everyone was behaving themselves.
"Here you go, dad," Hiro remarked, shoving a mug of hot tea in his hand. Bruce smiled as he took a sip as Hiro went back to his spot where Brooklyn climbed into his lap. The mug of tea helped put Bruce in a better mood as the missing car keys were forgotten and he sat down next to Judy. All was fine for a few minutes as everyone's attention was focused on each other or the television. No one noticed the ferret scamper across the floor and into the room.
"Do you smell something?" Raul ask as he sniffed the air. "It wasn't me," Miguel snapped as he glared at his boyfriend thinking that Raul thought he was responsible for the odd smell. There was a strange scent lingering about the room that none of them could directly identify. "Tyson, did you get in grandpa's cologne again?" Bruce questioned as he turned to the small bluenette. "No daddy," Tyson defended with a huff, "me did not. That stuff stinky."
He pinched his nose shut and made such an expression that Bruce told him to stop before his face froze like that. "Smells like someone did," Judy added as grandpa looked up from his book and huffed, "what is that musky odor?" "Hero," Brooklyn whined, tugging on his shirt sleeve, "Is daddy wright? Will face fweeze wike that?" "It is just a figure of speech, tenshi," Hiro informed with a smile, "I have never seen it happen."
"My necklace is missing," Mathilda wailed as she was looking on the floor, throwing stuff aside since it had belonged to her grandmother, "I took it off since it got tangled in my clothes and now its missing." Bruce turned to look at the chibis, who were watching Animal Planet. "Don't have," they said in unison and Hiro knew Brooklyn wasn't responsible since he had been sitting with him. "They haven't moved," Hiro reminded as Bruce's eyes narrowed on them. Julia helped Mathilda look for the missing necklace but a thorough search of the room provided no clue to where it had went.
However, after Mathilda's necklace went missing, other items proceeded to vanish. Bruce's wallet, grandpa's watch, Judy's engagement ring that she kept for sentimental purposes and Hiro's cellphone then mysteriously disappeared. The three adults had then had enough. "That tears it," Bruce snapped, losing his temper, "I'm going to find out who is behind this."
Hiro was the only one who believed that the chibis were innocent but even he was beginning to have his doubts. The adults made the chibis lay down for a nap before dinner as they searched for the missing items which resulted in something happening that was even worse. When they woke up, grandpa's missing watch fell out of Kai's clothes. That wasn't the worse of it as his father's wallet was found in Brooklyn's blankets with his cell phone in Tala's. Judy's ring was found on Max while the missing car keys were found with Tyson and Mathilda's necklace was found on Mystel.
"But I didn't take it!" Kai protested, "I innocent!" "What about all of this?" Judy inquired motioning to the missing items. "Kai innocent!" Brooklyn defended, making Judy back away, "we didn't do it! Hero, tell them!" Hiro sweatdropped as he was singled out. Bruce and Judy glared at him along with grandpa; obviously trying to intimadate him into agreeing with them or else.
Hiro wanted to take up for the chibis but he didn't think that anything he said would change their minds. "Brookie, did you take any of these things?" he ask, calmly as he kneeled before him. "NO!" Brooklyn replied, waving his arms madly, "we take nothing. Why don't ya believe us?" "The evidence is kind of against all of you," Hiro added as his brow knitted together as he studied their reactions.
With the way they were behaving, he knew that they were not responsible for the thefts. "Come with us," Judy ordered as she pointed to the door, "this act will not go unpunished." "Mommy, we didn't do it," Max cried as he clung to her clothes, "why don't ya bewieve us?" She pulled Max up by the collar, his pleas falling on deaf ears as Tyson was doing the same with their father. All of the chibis including Tala and Kai then burst into tears citing this was worse than what he had suffered at Voltaire's hands.
Since the adults were reluctant to spank any of them, the chibis soon found themselves facing the wall in separate corners. The adults had referred to this punishment as a 'timeout.' "Not fair!" Brooklyn whined, "first me lose Yuki, now me in twouble for sometwing we didn't do!" "Brooklyn, no talking!" Bruce shouted, "you are being punished." Brooklyn glared at the door as Kai, Tala and Garland shifted in their own respective corners. "Stoo-pid adults," Brooklyn murmured, darkly, "we tell twuth and still punished."
"Brookie, be quiet," Garland hissed, "we all weady in enough twouble. Don't make it worse." "But we didn't do anytwing," Brooklyn protested, "why don't they believe us?" "Brooklyn!" was the shout as Bruce appeared in the doorway looking quite angry, "what did I say just about talking?" "Not too," the chibi replied with his head down, "but daddy-"
"No ifs, ands or buts," Bruce warned, "you are being punished for taking items that did not belong to you. The more you protest, the longer your punishment will be." "But he didn't do anytwing," Kai defended, "or did we. We innocent." "Then how did grandpa's watch get in your clothes?" Bruce inquired with his arms crossed, "it didn't just appear there by magick."
"I don't know," Kai shrugged, "I learned lesson about taking others stuff. I don't want ta lose my kitty." "Learned lesson too," Tala added, "didn't take your twings. Why don't ya believe us?" Bruce looked at the three again and thought perhaps they were wrong and had overlooked something. He had never seen the chibis look so sincere and considered giving them the benefit of the doubt.
As his father went to check on the chibis, Hiro was thinking about the situation as well. He came to only one viable conclusion and it dealt with a certain missing pet. He believed the chibis were being framed and the only way to clear them of the crimes was to catch the culprit. That was going to be a task itself since the ferret had not been seen his escape. "Cosmo, I need your help," he stated, looking at his brother's puppy, "there is a ferret that we need to find."
Cosmo barked and wagged his tail as Hiro chuckled. Fortunately, he had a plan. He had grabbed grandpa's old fishing net from storage and used a single hoop earring as a lure. It was an extra one that Brooklyn carried in case he lost the one he wore in his ear. It was gold and shiny. He remembered the clerk at the pet store saying something about ferrets were obsessed with bright and shiny objects.
He and Cosmo took refuge behind a potted plant in the lounge that was large enough to hide them from view. Hiro watched and waited for what seemed like hours. "Come on," he whispered since the conversation in the other part of the house was getting rather heated. He believed that Kai had just insulted his father with a flurry of Russian. He had too since he could hear Tala laughing hysterically.
When he thought he was going to have to go and save Kai from his father, Cosmo's ears perked up and he growled softly. Right in the middle of the room was Yuki, who had the earring in his paws and was studying it intently. "I HAVE YOU!" Hiro shouted, jumping from his hiding place. Yuki squeaked and grabbed the earring in his teeth as he took off running. Cosmo had a vendetta against the ferret since it had gotten his master into trouble and he wasn't going to let him get away. The two of them chased after Yuki as the other adults and teens ran to the room to see what was going on.
Cosmo cornered the ferret while Hiro swung the net and he was caught. "I have your thief," he stated, proudly as Bruce stood there and looked at the ferret with the gold earring in his mouth, "he is the one who took our things. Ferrets have an obsession for shiny objects." As they were looking at the ferret who was trying to chew through the net to escape, the chibis came running into the room as well.
"YUKI!" Brooklyn shouted, happily as he got his pet out of the net, "me miss you. Where ya been?" He gently hugged the ferret that butted playfully against his chin. "Now I understand why that clerk was so happy when I bought the ferret," Hiro mused as he started to laugh from the silliness of the situation, "he was glad to get rid of it." "Well, he is going to get it back," Grandpa fumed, "that thing is not staying in my dojo if it steals."
"Ya can't take Yuki back," Brooklyn pleaded with wide eyes that were tearing, "he didn't mean ta take everyone's stuff. He just wike shiny twings." "That ferret got you into trouble and you still want to keep it?" Bruce questioned as Brooklyn nodded pitifully, "you have a bigger heart than I ever will." "Pwease," Brooklyn begged on his knees, "Yuki pwomise ta behave bettah from now on. Me watch over him so can he stay?"
With the way, he was looking, Bruce had to relent and nod his head yes. "YAY!" Brooklyn shouted as he jumped up and down that Yuki did not appreciate, "you gets ta stay. Oops sorwy." "Can we have our kitties back?" Kai ask Judy since she had locked the pair up during their nap so they wouldn't get away again. When Kai and Rei had returned with Mai and Driger, the adults looked at one another as Hiro smirked. They hated themselves for what they were about to do.
"We apologize for not believing you," Bruce began as he took a deep breath, "and we are sorry that we punished you for something that you did not do." "Darn stwaight," Tala glared with his hands on his hips, "ya owe us and we don't fowget." "Yeah," Tyson added with a glare of his own, "daddy, ya owe us big time." "And mommy too," Max added with a smirk. "Along with gwandpa," Brooklyn noted as the chibis grinned maliciously and the adults sighed.
"I think we're in trouble, dudes," Grandpa remarked, sweatdropping as Judy and Bruce nodded. Hiro just grinned since he wasn't on the chibis' hit list for revenge. "I'm glad I believed them," Hiro smirked as Tala finally got to hold Yuki along with the others. "So am I," Miguel, Raul, Julia and Mathilda said together as Miguel added with a grin, "they're doomed." "Darn right," Hiro muttered, laughing to himself at what the chibis probably had planned and glad that he wasn't a part of it.
(A/N - laughs I hope that you all enjoyed the references to Gravitation. I LOVE that anime & thought it was kind of fun to add in. Also if Yuki seems smarter than your average ferret, well, I based his behavior on my cat who does something similar. My cat, Harley Quinn, does not take shiny objects but anything small that she finds of interest. Small items have mysteriously vanished around the house & have magickally reappeared under my bed. When she came upstairs with one of the dog's toys in her mouth, we had found the culprit.)
R & R
Astera Snape