ToonTown, 1962, Day 7 in Hollywood

"Whoohoo! That was amazing, Maman!"

Rhoda laughed, matching the strides of his long legs with bunny bounces.

Jack grinned, looking up at the sky, his hair tousled by their run in the rooftops. Call him strange, but it was very therapeutic.

The neighborhood around them became more posh as they neared Mina's house.

"Someone's in a good mood," his mother chided.

"Yeah, well," Jack nonchalantly swung his arms, "I got the best Ma-"

All humor in his eyes suddenly vanished into a scowl.

Surprised by the sudden change, Rhoda worriedly twisted toward his eyes' direction.

A familiar figure from afar faced them.

Her ears cocked into question marks. "Jesse..?"

The figure suddenly leapt like a fish out of water. Rhoda screamed in surprise when it zoomed towards her. Jack braced himself but froze at the sight of the ugliest humanoid he had ever seen.

"RRRHHHHOOOOOOODDDAAAAAAA!"

He collided into her in a blur and they rolled a good distance away. Leroy bounced up, squeezing the paint out of Rhoda.

"Leroy?" the rabbit managed to gasp between the cardiac arrest and the python grip around her. He nodded, his scraggly hair quivering up to the very ends.

"Thank goodness I found you! There's something I have to tell you! It's about Jesse!"

Rhoda stilled now that she recognized who's holding her. "Jesse?"

"Yes, he didn't-"

He felt someone grabbed him by the scruff of his collar before Jack pried him off his mother and bodily threw him into the sky.

They both watched him become a twinkling star, his scream trailing after him.

Rhoda blinked. There was a good ten seconds before she snapped out of her shock.

"Jack! That wasn't nice! You just threw him all the way to China!"

His face was the look of utter disbelief. "Maman, he just attacked you!"

"Leroy's an old friend of your father's," she replied, dusting herself off.

He watched her walk off before muttering to himself.

"That's supposed to reassure me?"

Acme Studios, 1955

The open windows did nothing to clear the thick, acrid tobacco smoke.

"As you can see, Mr. Krupnik, it's a win-win situation."

Emerald eyes stared calmly through the smoke and into the fat rhino wearing a business suit.

"With this project, Acme Studios will get their overused gags recycled good as new!"

Jesse leafed through the huge stack of papers that was the contract offered.

"Just sign here, Mr. Krupnik," the rhino said, the fat cigar clenched between his teeth. Behind him, his fox bodyguard stood sentry beside the door.

He glanced at the pen handed over but kept on leafing on the contract.

"You know, Mr. Hornose, this factory of yours. How is it?"

"How is it?" he laughed jovially. "Why you'd get the results you want! Just look at this section here on how many you'd get by a month-"

"I'm not asking about results, Mr. Hornose. I'm asking about your factory."

The fox's eyes glinted at Jesse's cold tone.

Mr. Hornose hesitated. "The factory. Working perfectly like a well-oiled machine, Mr. Krupnik," he shrugged.

Long fingers stopped leafing through the contract. "A well-oiled machine. A well-oiled machine that somehow managed to run without following standards of occupation safety nor other labor laws. Would we want to associate ourselves with that?"

The rhino froze. His mind going through the past inspectors he had given donations to.

"I assure you, Mr. Krupnik. You can check any agency you want. We follow the rules to the tee."

A lazy but somehow calculated smirk flowed into his lips.

"Thank you for the offer, Mr. Hornose. But we will have to refuse."

A snort came out of the rhino's nose. His huge bulk almost blocking Jesse's view of his office from where he was sitting.

"Toons would be grabbing more opportunities with this project. Thought you like to help them."

"Oh I do," Jesse said, nonchalantly steeping his fingers. "It's just a matter if you'll include yourself."

The rhino raised a gray orbital protuberance. "Meaning?"

He looked at him over his steeped fingers. His employees are trained but undoubtedly unhappy with their conditions. All he had to do is hire them himself. "Change your contract, follow the rules. You got ten days."

Mr. Hornose laughed out loud, beginning with a hoot that ended with a hacking sound.

"What a righteous lord!" he exclaimed, his eyes mocking with the truth. Who did this sugar mommy's boy think he was?

A few minutes later, Jesse watched a rhino walk out of the building from his window. The fox bodyguard gave him one last glance before following his boss to the car.

Jesse smirked. Mr. Hornose was going to get the surprise of his life.

"Jesse?"

He turned to see dull green eyes and a head full of scraggly auburn hair peep from the doorway.

"Leroy."

The newcomer tugged his saggy jacket. "How was it?"

Jesse shrugged. "He took it well."

"Yeah, I heard laughter."

"Did anything happen while you were in the factory?"

Leroy laughed. "Jesse, nobody wants to notice an ugly guy like me." He cleared his throat. "The flowers you bought, it's here," he said, showing him the bouquet.

"Thanks," Jesse said as Leroy handed them over.

"Are you going to visit her now?"

Jesse nodded. "My job is done for today. It's time to visit Martha."

He strode past Leroy.

"And Leroy?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

Leroy looked back over his shoulder. There was no smile in the gratitude resonating in his voice. But it had been a long time since he saw him actually smile.

He shrugged his bony shoulders with a smile for both of them. Someone did have to look after Jesse.

ToonTown, 1962, Day 7 in Hollywood

A figure of a rabbit walked away from a lean humanoid with rabbit ears.

The bulky shadow inside a limo put down his binoculars, marveling at the young man's intensely protective prowess.

"Change of plans. We need to get her alone."

The Ink and Paint Club, 1947

He couldn't do it anymore.

Singing in the stage, walking amongst tables and sparing women with attention. What happened?

His eyes stared out of the window, knowing only an empty house awaits him.

ToonTown, 1962, Night 7 in Hollywood

Jack was going to throw up.

"-oh and Maman, he had hired a lot of toons who weren't able to get jobs on TV and movies. I-"

Rose was going on and on like their father was the best thing since carrot cake. Jack's mouth derisively thinned at his thoughts. Rose had remained silent on her meeting with their father during dinner time. Now, he realized she didn't want him to hear it.

Their mother chuckled. "Somehow I'm not surprised."

And Maman! How could she be light around this? Still, he stood frozen in front of the closed door. It's not like he was eavesdropping. He just happen to go get carrot juice when he heard them.

"Father said he doesn't sing anymore."

"Really?" Their mother's voice was saturated with surprise. "Weird. Singing is his life. Love, happiness and pretty much everything viral."

"You mean vital?"

"That!" their mother said with a snap of her fingers. "He told me before that it was the only thing that made him happy. But I guess his new job makes him happier now."

"You were right, Maman. He wasn't so bad."

His face contorted with effort not to snort. He finally turned on his heel and walked out.

Anyone who hurt Maman was not and never would be a "wasn't' so bad."

Maroon Cartoon Studios, 1946

"AND CUT! That's a wrap, everybody!"

Rhoda blinked. "You mean we're done?" Mina ambled behind her.

The director nodded. "Yup, we finished early."

"No blow ups todays, miraculously," Mina said, pointedly looking at the back of Rhoda's head.

Rhoda gave a melodramatic gasp, putting the back of her hand on her forehead.

"Hold me, honey. I feel faint!" she exclaimed, falling backward.

Mina reactively caught her, paused, before reactively dropping her to the ground.

Comedic partnerships never end within the set.

ToonTown, 1962, Night 7 in Hollywood

When Rose told the details of her meeting with their father to Rhoda, there were some things that Rose left out.

"Aunt Mina would sometimes say Jack is growing up more like Maman," Rose said before sipping her tea.

"What about you?" her father asked.

"Me?" Rose laughed. "I couldn't make people laugh the way she could. I'm not like her."

"I wouldn't say so."

Rose looked up.

"You may have my eye color but you have the shape of her eyes."

Her eyes widened.

"You both brush back your hair with your pinkie. You both eat the tomatoes first in your salads. Whenever something surprises her, she cocks her head to the left and thump-"

Her foot reactively thump.

"-her right foot. Like what you're doing right now."

She looked back astounded, suddenly realizing her head was cocked to the left.

He gave out the briefest chuckle before returning back to his dessert. "But even though I know so much, I can never figure her out."

Rose smiled. "Me either."

Rose scowled. Their father spoke like he got their mother mapped –right down to the tics and the corners of her eyes.

If they hadn't been husband and wife before, Rose would have found that drastically disturbing.

Or maybe their father just had an obsession for details.

But particularly their mother?

Rose shook her head. Their parents were separated. She just spent less than three hours with him. What did she know?

ToonTown, 1947

Rhoda turned the key in the front door.

"Jesse? I'm h-"

Her mouth dropped open along with her purse.

Jesse looked up from the armchair, a book in his hand.

"Oh, hello, honey," he said, wondering why his wife was rooted to the spot.

"What... are you wearing?"

Jesse looked down on himself. A polo shirt over a vest and a bowtie.

"Just got back from the photo shoot for a university advertisement. Speaking of which," he pulled the glasses perched from his nose. "I forgot to take this off."

"Really?" Rhoda averted her eyes, suddenly finding her face hot. He even got his hair combed cleanly away from his face instead of his bangs falling over one eye. Those glasses weren't helping her at all.

Jesse watched her stole a look on him again before fidgeting. "You looked rather nice," she said, her foot twisting this way and that.

He smirked when she rushed into the kitchen.

Rhoda shook her head as she hopped into a stool facing the sink. Why was she behaving like a lovey-dovey teenage doe when-

"Is it just me or are you into the scholar look?"

She twisted around to see Jesse up close, his lean arms resting on the sink, trapping her.

Her fur turned red, speedy as a roadrunner. "Jesse!"

He chuckled. "Never thought I'd catch your eye like this, Rhoda."

She smiled shyly, in spite of herself. "My eye wasn't the first thing you caught before."

Jesse stilled, his teasing forgotten. Rhoda fidgeted with her floppy ear. Here she was, still so shy and rather innocent to her effect.

How did someone like him have someone like her again?

"What was the first thing I caught?" he asked quietly, yet it seem to ring tremendously in the silence.

Her smile softened more as she meld her palm on his cheek.

"I think you already know," she whispered, leaning in.

Hollywood, 1962

"You're humming."

Jesse paused, realizing the after-sensation of his throat rumbling.

"Yes. I was."

"It's been a long time since I heard you make any kind of music," Martha said, arranging the flowers he gave her in a vase.

Jesse stood up immediately. Their hands brushed as he took the flowers and the vase.

"I met her. Rose."

Martha flexed and stretched her stiff fingers. "I see."

She run her index digit through a velvety petal. "It's like having her back again, isn't it?"

Jesse didn't respond.

ToonTown, 1947

"Guys, we gotta find her!"

"Don't worry gals! We just gotta ask Lea Schlesinger to petition for us. Buggy could-"

"No."

"Hey! Rhoda's our pal. If-"

"Rhoda, even with that silly soul of hers, would still think of others before herself."

"Yeah, she would have ta-to-ti-te- she would say something to us."

"Or maybe she's thinking about others besides us."

"Your point being?"

"Look, if Rhoda wants to be found, she'd tell us. Trust me, bunny-to-bunny, she has good reasons why she left off without telling us."

"Do you even know what they are?"

"Nope."

Acme Studios, 1962

Jesse resisted the urge to doodle with his pen. There were murmurs as they go through the motions of the board meeting.

"Anything else?" Wallace asked at the head of the table.

Mackwell raised his hand. "There is another thing I'd like to share with you all." He looked around, making sure they're all paying attention. "It's about Rhoda Rabbit breaking her contract."

Jesse could feel all eyes at him before looking away.

"Fifteen years ago, Rhoda broke her contract in Maroon Cartoon Studios. Though the company now has a different name, she still have an obligation with it."

"I don't know, Mackwell. The rabbit's already a wash-out."

"The rabbit is a comedy classic." He spread out his arms, looking around at them with a smile. "A comeback along with the news of her return would boost up rating," he held up a bundle of yellowed papers.

"Our copy states that for any reason that she terminate her employment in Maroon Cartoon Studios at her violation, she agrees to indemnify the company the amount of $100,000.00 to cover all expenses incurred in relation to her employment."

The directors murmured, glancing at each other.

Mackwell's lips thinned into smiled. "However, it also states in the contract that the studios can make amends as they see fit. I suggest we give her another chance to continue her employment under a new contract."

A folder of crisp white papers were passed around. Jesse scanned it. Under the contract, Rhoda would work with a wage 20% lesser than her salary before.

It was either to pay for something that she couldn't afford or work for lesser money.

"This is well-thought, Mackwell. But I'm afraid the old contract was signed with RK Maroon as the CEO."

All directors turned their eyes to the solitary toon in the room.

"I've worked under the old contract before. Since the contract defined Mrs. Maroon as the CEO, the contract became null and void when she left."

Mackwell smirked. "Jesse, don't let history be your judge. Having the rabbit back would be good for the company."

Jesse's unreadable face became more obscured as he reminded himself that they're playing politics.

"You're right, classics shouldn't be judged as old news. But I suggest we stay true to what's written and signed first."

Nancy glanced at Mackwell and Jesse knew she was thinking he was beaten by a toon again.

"Thank you for pointing this out, Mackwell," Wallace said. "'The Rabbit Returns' has a nice ring on it. But let's have the lawyers deal with the contracts first before we make a decision."

Politics was like dancing with someone who wants to kill you. Underneath the show, close enough to watch him and far enough not to slash.

ToonTown, 1946

Rabbit Behavior, Health and Care

Rhoda stared blankly at the stately book in her hands.

"Jeeeeesseeeee..?" her voice trailed uncertainly.

Her boyfriend's voice sounded in his apartment before footsteps could be heard.

"Yes? What is it, Rho-" he stopped when he saw the book in her hands.

Rhoda continued to stare at the book.

"What…"

"I thought I'd need it to take care of you better," he said, pulling the book from her hands. But Rhoda hanged on to it, her feet dangling in the air.

She giggled, her legs swinging a bit. "You don't need this, silly. Rabbit anthropomorphs are not exactly like actual rabbits."

His arm holding the book still raised, he replied to her levelled eyes. "Yes, well… it's nice to know."

The rabbit swung herself up, vaulting into the book and Jesse instinctively held it like a platform.

"First of all," she said in her most academic voice, "Real rabbits aren't that crazy about carrots. Buggy just made carrot chomping famous."

Jesse blinked, wondering how he ended up holding the book like a stage.

"Second, real rabbits are active at dusk. Anthropomorph bunnies would just be as upset as you if they'd got woken up at that time."

"Third," she leaned forward with a playful grin. "If I'm like them, I would have boxed you to test your skill and endurance when I started falling for you."

She hopped off, humming.

Jesse stood there, remembering all the times she bunny-boxed bad guys during filming. Despite her protests, the stuntmen told her not to hold back to make it look more "real."

They regretted it.

He hastily put down the book.

1962, Mina's Manor, Day 9 in Hollywood

"Rhoda! You gotta relax!"

"I am relaxing, Mina," the rabbit said, flipping a patty with a spatula.

Mina rolled her eyes from the lounging chair. The sun was shining, they were beside a sparkling Olympic-sized swimming pool and Rhoda was slaving away on the grill.

"Stop being a mom for ten seconds, will ya? I'm not a baby for you to take care of!"

She adjusted her sunglasses before resuming her sunbathing position.

Rose was once again with her father. Jack was probably still sleeping. Rhoda just had to meet that dipshit thrice and get grilled by the media in less than a week. Yet, she was still looking after someone. Some people just couldn't stay put for good reasons.

Rhoda walked over to her. "Well, the four basic food groups didn't contain bourbon, milk, cigars and the occasional candy. You gotta eat something."

Mina lifted her sunglasses. "What's that?" she asked, glancing at the plate Rhoda was holding.

"Grilled veggie burger."

"I'll pass."

"I promise, it's not so bad!"

"Nah."

"P-p-puh-lease?"

Mina made the grave mistake of looking up to her face.

She was suddenly lost into the blue galaxies of pleading puppy eyes. Somewhere, from afar, a violin played of world's sorrows.

She felt her will cracked. "No."

Rhoda's eyes continue to twinkle sadly, her lips forming into a pout.

Whatever defiance that wasn't crushed was slowly getting obliterated.

Mina gritted her teeth. Must… not…

"Fine! But just one bite! Geez!"

Rhoda beamed and everything became alright in the world again.

"Yey!"

Mina reluctantly took the burger and bit.

Rhoda squealed when Mina's eyes widened like a caveman discovering steak for the first time.

Before the "baby" could comment, the very ground rumbled.

"Mina, look!"

A few meters away, the ground exploded and dust flew everywhere.

Rhoda and Mina began to cough. Then they realized they're not the only ones coughing.

"Sufferin' Succotash! Did you took a wrong turn to Albuquerque again?"

Rhoda's heart stopped.

"No. I'm pretty sure we are where we are right now," a voice said, wavy rabbit ears popping out of the ground.

"Right! That's what you said when we ended up in the world's biggest dog pound," a figure retorted, dusting dirt off its bill.

"Come an-in-en-on, girls! Let's not fight," another figure said, a corkscrew tail popping out of its behind.

"I believe we have finally followed the coordinates correctly this time," a shadow formally said, obscured by the dust.

Rhoda's jaw dropped.

"Kit E. Coyote? Guys?"

The dust finally settled down and both parties stared.

Daphne Duck suddenly pointed a finger (or was it a feather?) at her. A war cry emitted at the top of her lungs.

"GET HEEEER!"

Rhoda screamed as they all charged at her. She tried to run but was dogpiled quickly by a mob of Loony Tunes.

"How can you do this to us, Rhoda? I thought we were friends!" Sylvia the Cat yelled somewhere over her legs.

Rhoda gasped from all their weight. "Guys, geroff…"

"You had to run away from one country that banned us all!"

"Hey!" Mina shouted, "It's not her fault that they don't have a sense of humor!"

"Yeah," Buggy lazily replied, lying on top of them like she's relaxing on a beach. "But don't mind us. We were just left out for fifteen years. Before you know, becoming her first friends here in ToonTown? Just saying."

Rhoda could hear stuttering somewhere near her butt.

"Girls, maybe this wasn't such a gi- a ge- a ga- a good idea," Patty said uncomfortably.

The rabbit gasped beneath the pile.

"Somebody, stop elbowing my bonbon!" she yelled.

Mina got into an argument with Daphne Duck and proceeded to jump into the pile to wrestle her. Then everybody was squirming and yelling and cursing at once.

Rhoda's arms shook as she tried to do a push-up with all of them on top of her.

"Maman?"

Everybody froze.

Jack stood in the doorway in his swimming trunks, looking just as surprised as all of them.

"Ooh-la-la…" Daphne trailed, looking at his well-toned abs.

Rhoda's eye twitched.

They all screamed when the rabbit lift them up and threw them all into the pool.

Post-war 1945, Paint Smear Palette

There was a reason why Amateur Night only happens every three months.

"Boo!"

Trash began to rain down the stage and a shepherd staff yanked the caterwauling toon away.

"Uh girls, are we uh, she-shi-sha-sure Rhoda is ready for this type of crowd?"

Daphne straight up drank a Spur Cola bottle, one arm dangling on the backrest. Her bright orange webbed feet rest on the table as the chair teetered dangerously on two legs. "Relax, Patty. Mommy birds need to push off their chicks from the nest to teach them. Heck that's' how I learned!"

"You know how to fly?"

The duck made a raspberry sound. "Heck no! I learned how to make holes on the ground shaped like me! Neat, huh?"

Patty Pig looked at her dryly. But then squinted her eyes.

"Why is there a baby over there? Isn't this a bi-a be- a bar?"

"Idiot. That's Baby Hermina. The one that advertises baby stuff since the 1910s."

"What's she doing here in a hole-on-a-wall?"

"Beats me."

Puff! Puff! The paper bag blew in and out.

"I don't think I can do this, Kit E.!"

Eyes darting everywhere. Chest inflating and deflating. She was even shaking.

The coyote concluded an incoming anxiety attack. First aid needed.

WHACK!

"Ow!"

Rhoda straightened up from the floor.

"What was that for, Kit E.?"

"How do you feel right now?"

"Sore!"

Kit E. smiled with satisfaction. "Super effective."

The coyote put her hands on the rabbit's shoulders.

"Rhoda, listen. I can spout a plethora of words that will all boil down to the same message: You. Can. Do. It. But I won't. What's your song all about again?"

"Making people laugh."

"Do you think you're as funny when you're ranting aggressively like Daphne?"

"No."

"Do you think you're as funny when you're passively outwitting hunters like Buggy?"

"I'm not that smart."

"Exactly."

"Hey!"

"What I mean is, the only one who can be as funny as you is you."

There was suddenly yelling and crashing like a barfight had ensued.

Kit E. nodded grimly. "That's your cue. Break a leg."

ToonTown, 1962, Day 9 in Hollywood

The heavenly scent of roses filled her nose.

Rose sighed, holding the bouquet. She had just spent the whole day with her father and it couldn't get any better.

They've had lunch again in The Nut Bar and they've talked about everything under the sun. Their father was refined. Mature. A breath of fresh air after growing up with Maman and Jack.

Guilt stabbed her then.

It wasn't like that.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Rose snapped out of her musings. They were in a balcony of an art museum, looking out at the sunset before them.

"Thank you for the roses."

Jesse had paid one of the artists inside. Much to her delight, they use scented paint. Much more to her delight that sent a warm glow down to the tips of her toes was when her father said "They're for my daughter."

Though she smiled politely at the shocked face of the artist, his words bounced giddily inside her head.

"It's lovely."

She admired the roses again. Roses for a Rose.

"This reminds me of the song Maman used to sing us when we were young."

It had always been her favorite part of her day when Maman would be able to tuck them to bed. It was the times she felt closest to her.

"What would she sing?"

She closed her eyes, the wind swaying her rabbit ears.

"Hold me close and hold me fast

The magic spell you cast

This is la vie en rose"

The very air seem to still, the birds quiet down as though to hear more. Her voice coloring the air in a beguiling purr of soft pink shades.

"When you kiss me, heaven sighs

And though I close my eyes

I see la vie en rose"

But beneath her lids, what she could see was Maman quietly serenading the night of something powerful and invisible hidden in a simple song.

"When you press me to your heart

I'm in a world apart

A world where roses bloom"

When Rose had begun singing the song as a kit, the words dance in her tongue in sweet melody. Her chest would feel light like her heart had tasted honey.

"And when you speak, angels, sing from above

Everyday words seem

To turn into love songs"

Her note trembled in the air and lingered. The wind sighed.

"Give your heart and soul to me"

She startled at her father's voice –deep, clear.

"And life will always be

La vie en rose"

Everything became silent as though to respect the farewell of the last note.

"You sing beautifully, Papa."

Her eyes widened in surprise at the word that came out of her mouth. But somehow, it felt right, in this moment.

Her father smiled as though noticing it too. It was the first time she saw him smile the longest.

"I used to sing it to your mother," he said quietly, looking out at the sunset again.

Rabbit ears are sharp, even more that Rose was tuned to tone and pitch. His face was calm but Rose could hear just a tinge, fleeting like a shadow, of something akin to pain.

Rose looked down at her bouquet again. Was she imagining things?

ToonTown, 1946

"I can't believe you still have that film!"

Daphne Duck shrugged. "I borrowed it from Kit E."

"Come on, Daph!" Rhoda pleaded, "That Amateur Night performance was pretty embarrassing! Why did you all recorded it in the first place?" She paused. "No wait, I already know the answer to that question."

Rhoda sighed. "Just don't show it to Jesse."

Daphne snorted. "Rhoda, your husband Jazz-teases for a living. If someone should be bothered by performances, it should be you."

Rhoda looked at her openly and what came out of her mouth made Daphne wonder how low was the rabbit's emotional guard.

"I trust him," she simply said.

Mina's Manor, 1962, Night 9 in Hollywood

"And here's a picture of Jack and Rose taking a bath together."

"Aaaaaww…"

Jack had immediately fled into the cellar to get refreshments as soon as Rhoda had whipped out her tome of their baby pictures. So far, he hadn't come back yet.

The whole day had become a blur of grilled veggie burgers, apple cider and a pool. Now, they're all in Mina's parlor, continuing their somewhat improvised party.

Patty sighed. "It's like we're watchoo- watcha- watching them grow up."

"They could have been our godkids if they grew up in here, Rhoda," Sylvia said. "Why did you have to leave? And seriously, Mina? We know we ain't that close but you could have told us you've been having a tryst with the rabbit for the last fifteen years."

The "baby" rolled her eyes, holding up her loaded cigarette holder with a chubby hand.

"Don't make it sound queer, kitty. Rhoda didn't want anyone else to find out."

The cat turned to Rhoda again. "Really? Why keep the rest of us away?"

All eyes were upon the rabbit but she only fidgeted.

"I just have to," Rhoda said weakly, feeling Buggy's gaze weigh on the back of her head.

"Nyeeh," Buggy drawled, chomping on a carrot, "Toon Biology is not quite understood. Who knew you'd pop out a humanoid with rabbit ears?"

Rhoda silently thanked her fellow rabbit in steering away the conversation.

Kit E. Coyote straightened up with scientific calling. "It's true, 99.9999999621% of the time, two different toon species would produce either one specimen or the other."

They all blinked when they were suddenly in front of a chart with Kit pointing at it with a stick.

"For example, Ortensio the Cat and Oswaldina the Lucky Rabbit reproduced 416 rabbits and no cats."

Sylvia shrugged, bathing her tail by licking it. "Maybe it's different with humanoids. Rhoda's the first anthropomorph to hook up with one."

Rhoda appeared not to hear her as she flipped through the pages of her photo album. But she did hear the silence that settled on them for some reason.

"What?"

"Are you and Jesse… still together?"

Rhoda gave a short laugh. "Nah, we're practically divorced."

"You're still legally married."

"What's the point of a piece of paper?" Rhoda argued, suddenly wishing they'd drop the subject.

"What do we know?" Daphne snorted. "Kit E. is married to science, Buggy's a player-"

"Said the pot about the kettle."

"-Sylvia's too much into catnip for that and Patty is too well-mannered to even think about jumping a guy's bones."

"Hi-ha-hey!" Patty protested.

"It's true!"

Rhoda felt her tension lax in her shoulders. Finally, off the subject.

"It's a pity though," Daphne continued.

"What about?" Patty asked.

The duck glanced at the Rhoda. "You never told us what's it like."

Rhoda cocked her head to the side. "What's what like?" she asked in confusion.

"Having sex with Jesse Krupnik."

The rabbit sputtered with spit before a wave of embarrassed heat exploded in to the room.

"NO!"

"Oh c'mon, Rhoda! A woman would wonder!"

"That's private! No!"

Meanwhile, Mina suddenly found her big toe hypnotizingly fascinating.

Daphne shrugged, gesturing around with her hand. "Among all of us, the most innocent banged the hottest of them all-"

Rhoda stood up, her hands balled into fists.

"For the last time, I'M NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT MY PAST SEX LIFE!"

She breathed heavily down on all of them. By this time, someone would have commented that they finally heard her say the s-word.

But they just stared.

"What are you all guys looking at?" she asked, confusion surfacing in her indignation.

"Maman?"

Rhoda twisted around and she never wished so hard that the ground would just swallow her up.

Rose stood in the doorway, her key in hand. Behind her, was the tall, elegant figure of Jesse.

"Rose!" she exclaimed with a thick layer of optimism over her horror, "You're back!"

She gave her daughter a quick hug before waving to their guests. "Everyone! This is my daughter, Rose."

Rose gave them a polite smile before turning to her mother again. "Papa wants to speak to you."

The awkward aura around her made Rhoda wonder how much did they heard. Painfully, taking as much time as she could, she glanced at Jesse.

Jesse's face was deadpanned but the air around him felt disturbed. Darn Daphne for spurring her!

"I need to have a word with you… alone," he said, his eyes not directly looking at her.

Rhoda forcefully lifted the two ends of her mouth. "Sure! I'll meet you outside!"

"Bye Papa," Rose said before walking away quickly from the scene.

Rhoda slowly turned to look at them all before following Jesse outside.

"Did she just looked constipated?"

"That was her murderous look, you moron."

For a moment, they all exchanged glances. There was a scuffle when they all rushed to the window.

"Where is she taking him?" Patty whispered, even though they were far away.

"Somewhere even rabbit ears can't eavesdrop," Buggy observed.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Mina muttered.

"Hey, where's Maman?"

All breaths hitched as one and they all casually blocked the window.

Jack cocked his head curiously to one side. "What are you all doing?" he asked. They looked like they're using the window to model or something.

"Jack! Thank goodness the drinks are here!" Daphne said. She pushed Jack away from the window, "There's something I gotta show ya. Someone get Rose too! It's the first time your mother performed on stage."

Post-war 1945, Paint Smear Palette

Her friends had just sentenced her to death.

This was what she thought as she walked to the center of the stage and in front of the mike. It's an Amateur's night for amateurs and you're an amateur. You'll be fine, Buggy had said.

She wondered what they think now that the audience were brawling. Her eyes tried to find their table but the pandemonium was too much.

Rhoda tapped the mike. "Gentlemen?" she said but it came out as a squeak.

They continued fighting. Rhoda ducked when an ale bottle flew beside her and crashed on the wall behind.

The rabbit whipped out a lit bomb from her hammerspace.

Ka-BOOM!

Everybody coughed at the smoke and in confusion, the brawl stopped.

"Guys?" a feminine voice called out uncertainly.

A figure rose out of the smoke and Rhoda shook away the ashes, her ears flowing this way and that.

Everyone resumed on their seats, eyes trained back on the stage.

Blue eyes glanced at Kit E. playing the piano on the side, the notes slow like hesitant, dainty steps. She clutched the mikestand, wondering if she had the cahones to handle a crowd this insane.

"I maybe furry but I'm no average girl."

Abandoning the mike, she walked towards them, singing.

"There's no one like me in the Cartoony World."

She leapt off the stage with a ballerina's grace and Rhoda grinned when she saw the patron on the center table.

"So sit there, baby,"

Rhoda sang, winking at the humanoid infant with a glass of scotch, before spinning towards her.

"Let me give you a whirl, I'll be your..."

The infant rolled her eyes when Rhoda rested her hands on her table. But she threw up her hands in front of her when Rhoda leapt with a glow of sunshine and sparkles.

The jazz music suddenly blasted.

"STAR! Your heart! Your lagomorph pearl!"

Then the rabbit was off skipping towards the other tables.

"They say a bunny is so frisky and fun

a ball of bouncy-ful fluff."

She playfully slid beside a patron duck before going directly to a lone rabbit boy's table.

"I'll make you laugh any way that you want"

She casually took the carrot from his martini and kissed its tip.

"Be it role plays or..." she shrugged innocently, "Other stuff."

The rabbit boy gulped.

From their table, Daphne, raised a brow. "Did she just…"

"If you like slapstick, I can take what you got."

Rhoda chummily threw her arm around a wolf's shoulders.

"The perfect fit for your heat."

The wolf grinned but Rhoda had already skipped away.

"Swing a bat,

Give a wham,

Throw a piano,

And a bomb,"

She faced them all with a turn of her heel, raising her arms with a shake of her hips.

"And you will see that I can shake

Whatever you bring on to me!"

Patty blushed, "Uh…" Daphne grinned in unison with the guys.

"Some like it hot!

Some like it wet!"

The wolf leapt at Rhoda from behind but she threw a lit dynamite behind her. Then she threw a water balloon over her other shoulder as a lust-crazed fox went for her.

Rhoda didn't even noticed the bodies.

She sat down beside a large toon bulb, jovially leaning against his side.

"Some like the shock, whatever rocks for you!"

As soon as she left, the bulb blew his fuse with a dazed, happy expression.

A toon hunting dog startled when Rhoda hopped on the table and crouched to his eye level.

"Come chase me day and night,"

She leaned in closer to whisper.

"But please, don't bite."

Rhoda hopped off, oblivious to the bone that the dog had straightened up his bone reactively with a flattered grin.

Daphne sank down to her seat, reduced to cachinnations. Patty looked distraught.

"I don't the-tha-think she's implying what we think she's implying."

"We can do the other fun stuff too!"

Patty facepalmed.

"Let me amuse you, don't leave me behind."

A lioness slapped her date across the face for enjoying the show too much. Rhoda clapped a hand on a goat's shoulder. The goat reactively leaned closer.

"I guarantee I'm your type."

The goat crashed down on the floor when Rhoda twirled away, with an arm full of mallets and bats.

"And I -may play rough but only if you don't mind,"

She grinned daringly at the bull and a skinny stallion sharing the table

"And I love being in a "Three Stooges" fight."

The bulky bull gave a huge grin at the stallion who uncomfortably slid away from him.

"Let me be your rare Thalia-come-true.

Got a lot of T-N-T."

All eyes followed the natural swing of her hips that tandemned with TNT.

"I love you laughin' and you gigglin',

I'll be the bunny you'll be needin',"

She hopped back to the stage, holding the mike.

"I'll be your happy hare,

Your hilarious rabbit fair"

She raised her arms along with the note.

"And you'll beeee

Enjoying your night here with meeeee!"

Someone turned on the sparks on the stage while the audience went wild, stomping and clapping. Patty sat there along with a highly amused duck.

"Are we going to-ta-te-to tell her that her song sounds ra-re-rather suggestive?"

There was suddenly some chomping sounds.

"Nyeeeeh."

Patty jumped about a foot in her seat to see Buggy holding Kit E.'s portable video camera.

"We can show her."

ToonTown, 1962, Night 9 in Hollywood

Meeting with Jesse was like visiting a doctor who would put a needle on your arm –you got both urges to run and hope to just get over it at the same time.

"Follow me," Rhoda said, hopping as far and as wide as she could.

At least with Jesse behind her, she didn't have to see him. She took a deep breath, composing herself.

He's gone, she told herself, he's gone.

Darn that Daphne!

She looked back past him and to the lit windows of Mina's home. Content that there would be no eavesdroppers, she hopped to a lofty fence.

The fence swayed but Rhoda stayed put until she found balance.

"Well?" she asked, facing her ex-husband. It felt so different to be in a higher eye level than him.

"I want to financially support Jack and Rose."

Blue eyes widened. Rhoda wondered what did Rose told him.

"Thanks, Jesse but you don't need to."

Jesse shook his head. "I want to be there for them –at least financially this time. Jack…"

Rhoda bit her lip. Who knew when would Jack would even talk to him civilly?

His jade eyes seem to glow in the light of the moon. "And I know you need it-" she opened her mouth to protest but Jesse continued, "Rose may be good at evading questions she didn't want to answer. But I concluded enough."

The unchanged expression on her face pressed him to talk even more.

"I want to be a part of their lives too, Rhoda," he quietly said, "and I know I can't fully be accepted at once."

Emerald eyes watched her face softened. If he had tried to reason that they need the money, he knew she was going to be stubborn.

"Alright," she said. Looking at her ex-husband, she squared her shoulders. "It will be for their schooling and their other stuff."

A moment lulled in silence. She gave him a small smile that made his chest twinged painfully.

"How was your day with Rose?"

"Beautiful," he said quietly, unable to look at his wife before him.

She grinned, her cottontail swishing happily. "I knew you'd get along!"

He nodded. Rhoda waited for him to say something. When he didn't, she opened her mouth to speak. But then, Jesse spoke.

"Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?"

Rabbit ears curled. His voice sounded as though he was deprived, making her hands slowly curl into fists.

"Why didn't you tell me you were seeing another woman?"

Jesse looked up at her tone. Aqua eyes stared back at him, neutral but hard.

"It wasn't like that-"

"Then it was like what, Jesse?!" she snapped. The fence swayed a bit but Rhoda found her balance again.

He remained silent. Rhoda's hands balled into fists. How dare he... just... how dare he! Yes, she somehow took his children away from him before birth. But he GOT NO RIGHT to look at her like that! She had let bygones be bygones and here he was, the one upset!

I told you to be happy!

Do you hate me that much you have to be a stone around me?

What else do you want less from me so that you'll be happy?!

She took a deep breath, the air blocking the cracking sensation in her chest.

Just… why?

Her shoulders droop as she bowed down her head with a sigh.

It had been fifteen years. Why can't they just let go?

"We can't be friends like this, Jesse."

The fence tilted forward along with Rhoda.

Her hands instinctively grabbed his jacket as handholds and large hands wrapped around her waist as he reactively caught her.

She looked up and azure sky met forest green.

Their lips were suddenly pressed heatedly against each other. The fabric of his jacket strained under the grip of her hands. Memories long unused began to reawaken at the familiar texture of their mouths. His hand traveled up her back, reveling at the touch that had been unattainable for fifteen years, resting on the back of her head as he leaned in, drinking her.

She mewled, tugging him closer. The vibration travelling to his lips, spurring him on-

Hands on his jacket suddenly lay flat with a forceful push. Their lips disconnected with a pop and Rhoda gasped.

"What are we doing?!"

She struggled in his arms and he let her go. Rhoda began to yank her ears, her eyes wide.

"What did we do? A momentary lapse of judgement. Yes, that's what it is." She distractedly wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Jesse had to look away when her throat bobbed to swallow. "This shouldn't happen again," she mumbled frantically to herself. "We've both moved on. Martha-"

Jesse reached out a hand to her. "Rhoda-"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

Fire burst out of her body before disappearing again. Her chest rose up and down rapidly. Her rubbery ears strained with tension at her grip.

"No! No! No!"

Jesse hesitated. Rhoda was yelling with her eyes shut as though she's fighting the voices inside her head.

"No! NO! NO! STOP! SHUT UP!"

She dropped to her knees, her head bowed. Jesse stared.

"Rhoda, please-"

With a scream, Rhoda punched the ground with a dusty explosion.

BOOM!

Jesse shielded himself as dirt flew everywhere.

1947, ToonTown

"Whoa, Buggy! Your place is A-plus-mazing!"

Two rabbits walked down the hallway; one bouncy and turning around curiously this way and that, the other sauntered with cool nonchalance and a carrot betwixt her fingers.

"Hollywood, Doc," Buggy said. "Since you're getting married, there is something I wanna show you."

Rhoda stopped dead in her tracks. "If it's another manual for 'How to do it', trust me, Mina and Daphne already tried to give me one… two," she said squeamishly. Would Jesse even want to do that? She was okay if they won't.

The serious look in the gray-and-white-bunny lightened up momentarily. "No, Rhoda. Not that."

They entered the library. "You didn't grew up with a family of rabbits, so you wouldn't know," Buggy said. Her dark eyes slid to Rhoda. "Someone has to tell ya."

Rhoda cocked her head to the side. "Tell me about what?"

Buggy whipped up a book: Animal Rabbit Toons.

"Toon animal rabbits are the closest we have to real rabbits. They both hop on all fours. Their noses twitch like a consistent motor. That stuff." She tossed the book beside Rhoda.

She grinned. "I know that, Bugs."

"Rabbit anthropomorphs are a little less than real-life rabbits. We don't prefer to hop on all fours but we do get their keen sense of hearing."

Rhoda grinned again. "I know that- eek!" she caught the book thrown at her. "Anthropomorphic Rabbits Through History" the title said.

"Let me finish, doc. Us anthropomorph rabbits consider each other as family. There is a saying in the Warren: We match socks for a reason."

The white rabbit looked confused. "But we don't wear –eek!" Another book was thrown at her: Silence!

Buggy sighed. "But it doesn't mean we forbid inter-species marriage. It's just that there seems to be a pattern to anthropomorph rabbits marrying non-bunnies."

The gray and white rabbit picked up a moldy, yellow scrapbook. Rhoda looked curiously over her fellow rabbit's shoulder.

"The reason I get to keep this is because I'm rich," Buggy muttered, blowing the dust away from the cover. In childish scrawls, the title appeared: Anthropomorphic Rabbit Burrow: The Intricate Guide to Rabbit Genealogy.

Rhoda squinted her eyes at the title. "Genea-what?"

"Family Tree, Rhoda," Buggy said. "Since the 1910s, there are only thirty-three rabbits who married non-rabbits."

"Like Oswaldina?"

"That's one. Then there are others. Out of thirty-three, seventeen did not ended well."

Her ears drooped. "Gee, that's too bad."

"Some anthropomorphs were drawn after animals that are not faithful to mates: cats (although Oswaldina was lucky), raccoons, skunks."

Buggy leafed through the pages. "When the marriage turned sour, they would cheat or leave their spouses for someone else."

She looked up to see Rhoda's sad eyes, her lips quivering in a pout.

"But the rabbits themselves," Buggy continued, "can get a little crazy."

"What do you mean?"

"I've bookmarked the pages. See for yourself."

Rhoda thumbed through them. One buck in the 1920s splashed turpentine at a pig in a jealous rage after his weasel wife left him. A doe committed suicide by paint thinner, unable to leave her philandering dog spouse. Another ended up in a mental facility after his wife spent off his inheritance and ran off with a violin player. A buck under a restraining order and finally in jail after stalking his unfaithful wife and-

Blue eyes went wide, all 17 cases of failed marriage to outside species resulted to rabbits being carted off to a mental facility, behind bars or simply ending it.

"But… but why?"

"Because real-life rabbits mate for life, doc. Whatever this thing we call love, we're drawn after species that instinctively stay forever. When their spouses left, their nature- our nature..." Buggy shook her head. "They just become obsessed, ruining their lives in the process."

"Are you showing this to me because-"

Buggy put her arm around her. "But the good news here, doc, is that humanoids can mate for life. They're drawn after humans after all."

Rhoda nodded. "I know Jesse, Buggy. Don't worry, I won't go crazy."

"You mean crazier?"

Rhoda chuckled.

Mina's Manor, 1962, Night 9 in Hollywood.

Jack and Rose stared at the flickering screen before them.

"I remember the time we showed your mother this film and explained to her line by line why her song sounds… a bit bawdy," Sylvia said.

"Uhh… Aunt Daphne, I really don't need to see my Maman singing innuendoes songs," Jack grimaced, wishing he had a towel to wipe his brain.

"The point is, her song is good. But she never wanted to sing it again when we explained the possible subliminal messages in it," Buggy said.

"It's because Rhoda simply wants to make the world laugh," Kit E. defended. "Not all of us wants to be sexy-funny."

"Exploring different types of comedy is ge-gi-good. But I can understand if Rhoda only stuck on slapsticks and gags."

"But her song's too good not to forget it. Someone will need to continue the line!"

Jack and Rose momentarily looked at each other, guessing what will happen next. No, they don't want to sing that either.

"I think I saw you in the film, Aunt Mina," Rose said quickly, turning the attention to someone else.

Mina nodded, grumpy that her entertainment room was packed with intruders. "That was the first time I saw your mother. Never knew I'd be stuck with her mug for the next year or so."

Rose was about to say something when she heard it. Faint but like a scream. Whipping her head around, she saw Jack and Aunt Buggy suddenly alert, their ears facing the source of the sound.

"Maman!"

Jack rushed out of the screening room, his long legs eating the distance between him and their mother's screams. His hands plastered against the glass window to look outside. Rose followed after, clutching the sill.

Far away, near the gates, Maman was in her knees, ears yanked in distress. Towering her, a tall humanoid figure stood.

Frost suddenly blurred the glass.

Jesse coughed at the dust. Waving his hand to clear the air, his eyes fell on the hole in a giant crater that Rhoda had punched. His heart sank, realizing she had dug away underground.

What had he done?

He didn't have time to scream when he suddenly found himself slammed against the wall, cold cyan eyes boring down on him.

"You've gone too far, Krupnik," Jack growled, his hands curled on the front of Jesse's jacket. The temperature began to drop as Jack's hands shook. It didn't matter that Jack was younger. It didn't matter that Jesse was slightly taller.

Jack pulled back his fist but Jesse was too far inside his head to care. Traumatized blue eyes. Frantic mutterings. Screams.

Rhoda...

"Stop."

They both looked up to see Rose stock-still. Her eyes strained to hold back the wetness in her eyes. She looked at Jesse. The glow residing in his chest for his daughter slowly got crushed, it felt like he had hurt Rhoda all over again.

She lifted her chin, pained but proud. A princess betrayed . Minuscule icicles formed on her fur like thorns on a flower.

"He deserve no pain nor tear nor forgiveness from us. Non."

She turned her back to the man she thought was her father and walked away.

Jack looked at her retreating form before looking back at Jesse again. With one last hateful look, he pried his fingers off his jacket and followed his sister, wiping his hands with disgust.

Several blocks away, a bulky form put down his binoculars inside the parked limo.

"The rabbit's alone now. We gotta find her."

End of Chapter 5

(1) The scholar look catching Rhoda's eye was inspired by the script of Roger Rabbit: Toon Platoon script. Roger fell in love at first sight with Jessica who was dressed in a conservative office tire with glasses and hair in a bun –far from her strapless look and peek-a-boo hair today.

(2) The song that Rhoda sang was originally the Eevee Song by Random Encounters in You Tube. I edited the lyrics to fit it in a more cartoon bunny theme. Go check out the Eevee song by Random Encounters, it was great, I fell in love with that song instantly! Then I thought why not use it to mortify the rabbit?