(The Lorax and The Once-ler do not belong to me. They're Dr. Seuss' and Illumination's. Same goes for his family shown in the film. Marie is mine!) Pardon if this is short. Sorry if its been boring with cutesy family stuff, but it'll pick up soon! :) Stick with me here! Today would've been my grandma's 82nd birthday, so this is for her! Still love her! Edited as of 09/25/13.

Chapter 17

Stress and Joy

"Natalie," said Once-ler sympathetically. "What's wrong Sweetie?" Natalie's face crumpled up about to cry. She had a temper in the making because she didn't want to wake up. Once-ler lifted her up and stroked her hair. "You're alright. Let's get your breakfast."

Chloe was already out with Marie waiting to be fed. The twins were six months old and summer had passed with bliss as most afternoons had been with letting them play in cold water in the washtub. Over that time, the parents had noticed aside from the twins being able to sit up on their own, something else was changing.

"Do you think their hair's getting…darker?" asked Once-ler ruffling Natalie's wispy hair.

"A little bit," admitted Marie. The girls' blonde hair did seem a darker shade. "It's nothing to worry about." Marie secretly liked it. Any darker and they'd look like their father.

Natalie's frown ended when she was fed. Marie watched Once-ler fix the adult breakfast, surprisingly, not pancakes. He promised Marie he'd help her lose weight, even if that meant cutting one of his favorite foods.

"You want berries with your, er, oatmeal?" he said. He never liked it since he saw it as disgusting.

"That'd be lovely," said Marie. "I know you think oatmeal is as disgusting as vomit, but thanks for making it."

Marie noticed the Thneed sitting out on the desk chair. She knew Once-ler had been thinking of going back to selling. They had discussed over what he would do. Sometimes it was at night they had considered it. Some of their deepest conversations took place at night: in the comfort of their bed and in the cozy darkness.

Ever since the twins birth he hadn't tried selling. Mainly due to the fact that Marie needed him around and two babies was a handful. It was also because he was too smitten by his girls to leave for a whole day. She knew he'd have to. They needed to provide for the girls. Sadly, that meant the chance of getting pelted tomatoes was possible.

"Do you want me to come with you today?" asked Marie. "I'm okay taking the twins out."

"No," said Once-ler. "Just stay here. I won't stay for long."

"It'll be long no matter how long or short you're there," thought Marie.

For long meant an hour, but it would still be a long time. It took an hour to walk to Greenville, another to try selling and another to walk home. Marie felt awful thinking of Once-ler coming home in tomato juice, but no, Once-ler said he had to try again. So while Marie ate breakfast, Once-ler put Natalie and Chloe back in their crib and prepared for possible strenuous hours.

"Okay," he said placing them down. "Mommy's going to look after you for now by herself, so be good for her." He leaned over to kiss their heads. "I'm going to miss you bunnies." It pained Once-ler to go away. Thankfully, when he left the nursery they didn't cry. They probably didn't realize he wouldn't come back for a bit.

Marie watched Once-ler sling his guitar around his shoulders, wear the Thneed as a scarf and grab the sale sign for Melvin to wear from the loft. She went outside with him for a quick moment knowing she'd be lonely without him.

"Have a good day," she encouraged giving him a good-bye kiss.

"I'll only take an hour for selling," said Once-ler saddling Melvin up. "I don't want you alone for too long."

"Don't worry," said Marie. "We'll be fine. I'll keep them busy."

"I love you," said Once-ler kissing her cheek. "All three of you."

"I love you too," said Marie and she watched him leave. The cottage seemed empty without him.

It was about an hour later when the babies noticed a change. Marie took them out and put them in their play area that Once-ler had set up where his desk had been. It was soft with little Thneed carpets, corners baby proofed, toys, a baby fence around and little cushions for them to sit up on. Usually Once-ler would play with them in there. Moments after Marie had set them down, Natalie and Chloe started crying.

"Oh no," cooed Marie. "It's okay. Daddy will be home soon." Natalie shrieked, ear splittingly loud. "You want to play with the rings? No? Hummingbird, you love the rings! How about you Butterfly?" Chloe sniffled and whimpered. Marie sighed. "This is going to take some adjusting huh Cuties?"

It would. They couldn't cry for too long, so at some point they had stopped. Soon both were tired after sobbing and they let Marie play with them to keep them entertained. Changes were not uncommon with having babies. Marie and Once-ler had noticed switches in their behavior. They didn't fuss too much over their dinners, speaking in baby voices, the majority of objects lying around were baby toys and clothes. Neither (especially Marie) didn't wear shoes that often since they didn't leave the house.

Around noon, shortly before naptime was scheduled, the twins were getting sleepy. They were nearly toppling over in their cushions. Marie had gotten through serving them lunch on her own and knew they'd have to nap.

"You both want to nap?" she said. "Are we getting sleepy? I bet Daddy will be here when you wake up."

At that second the front door opened and Once-ler plodded in. No surprise, he had red juice splattered on him. Marie sat up and smiled apologetically.

"Hello Handsome," she said. Seeing him fling the Thneed down on the bed, she knew he had no success.

"Hey," said Once-ler feeling a little better to be home.

The moment he spoke, Natalie and Chloe's heads snapped up. Huge smiles grew on their faces and they started bouncing. The same went for Once-ler.

"Hello Baby Girls," he said leaning over the fence. The taunting and nasty food being thrown at him had been worth it. Coming home to the twins who were thrilled to see him made him feel loved.

"Daddy's finally home!" cheered Marie. The twins reached their arms up to be lifted, still grinning madly. Once-ler gladly took them both, despite the scent of tomatoes on his clothes. "You've got them?" asked Marie.

"Of course I've got them," said Once-ler proudly. "I can drag a tree! They're easy to carry." Marie let him put them down for a nap (and much to her delight diaper changing.)

While the babies, happy to see their father home, napped away Once-ler and Marie tried setting up a fireplace screen around the stove in case they let the babies crawl free. Marie barely understood what they were doing with the pieces to put the screen together. Once-ler seemed to be struggling as well which was a shocking sight.

"So Mr. Inventor?" said Marie after twenty minutes of trying. "Are you going to put the guard around the stove?"

"I'm doing it right now," said Once-ler. He struggled putting two curved pieces together.

"You've got spare pieces around," warned Marie.

"Yes I do! Know why? They're junk! They don't need to work."

"A shield that isn't up and junk pieces. Well, well." Marie tapped her fingers on the counter. She seemed to be giving Once-ler a taste of his own medicine.

"Will you quit that?" he asked. Marie shrugged in question. "That tapping, quit it."

"Does it bother you Once?"

"A little."

"Now you know what I put up with." Marie looked smug.

"Shouldn't you be doing laundry Honey?" retorted Once-ler playfully. Marie scoffed and lightly kicked her barefoot at his side.

"I will later," said Marie. "Your shirt and vest need washing."

"I know, but I had a feeling it'd be the same."

"You don't have to try tomorrow," said Marie after a pause. "I mean, every other day can still bring success."

"If I go every day for a little bit, that will increase our chances," said Once-ler. "I can't let you down."

"You're not letting me down, you never have. I just don't want you coming home in juice and exhausted. Maybe you can try to limit it."

"I have to provide for you and the baby girls. I'll do whatever it takes." Once-ler got on his knees and faced her. "I'll do anything for you three. Anything at all."

As much as it touched Marie to know that, she knew people needed to treat themselves fairly just as much as others. She was worried Once-ler wasn't doing anything for himself.

"It doesn't hurt to do something for yourself," said Marie leaning down to kiss his head. "Sorry I kicked you," she added sweetly.

"I don't mind your abuse," chuckled Once-ler.

It took multiple tries, but Once-ler finally got a screen around the cook stove. He and Marie hated the idea of the twins touching the iron if it was hot and burning their little hands. While Marie did laundry she let Once-ler spend the rest of the afternoon with their daughters. He seemed happier playing with them than anything Marie could recall. The sound of giggling and toys being thrown could be heard from outside.

Eventually, Once-ler agreed with Marie and went to Greenville every other day. The results were still the same. The one thing that helped out was knowing he had three beautiful faces waiting for him when he came home. Once-ler wanted the best for Natalie and Chloe and he would take a vat full of the stinging tomato juice to give them what they needed.

All the while, as the months creeped by, Once-ler couldn't help but wonder what other options there were. If the Thneed never worked, there had to be an alternative. He could open up a store and sell regular knitwear. Maybe the Thneed was too complicated for people and they only wanted one thing out of product. He knew Marie was proud of him and appreciated his courage to go back and forth with humiliation at the end of the day, but he was disheartened with the Thneed's results.

No matter what, Marie knew Once-ler was being a better parent then their own. She didn't know who or how his father was, but Once-ler had to be better. He wasn't annoyed with having two daughters like her father was with her. Nothing warmed her heart more than seeing one of the girls safe in Once-ler's grasp. She was a better mother than either side! Isabella and Clarisse weren't even close to how great Marie was.

It wasn't long after adjusting that Chloe and Natalie seemed accepting to Once-ler leaving and after the changes an unexpected trip was planned. It was late in the fall and Marie decided Once-ler could use extra support for the day. Only minutes after he left did Marie bundled the girls up in Thneed coats and in their carriage.

"Are you ready for your trip?" chortled Marie setting Chloe next to Natalie. "Are you ready to see Daddy? He does a lot for Mommy and you so we're going to support him today."

There was no fussing as Marie pushed them over the pathway. Not even the chilly breeze disturbed them. Pipsqueak waved at them from his comfortable spot in a tree's tufts. When Marie arrived in Greenville she noticed Once-ler wasn't at the gazebo. What's more, no people were there.

"Odd," she thought. "Melvin's not here either." Marie strolled around it until she found to her surprise Once-ler and Melvin hiding behind it. "What are you doing?"

"Me?" asked an astonished Once-ler. "Why are you here?"

"We wanted to support you, now why aren't you up there?" Marie pointed to the gazebo stage.

"Nobody came at all today," said Once-ler with gloom. "The man who sells tomatoes around here ran out so they're waiting for him to come with a full cart." He grunted angrily. "So they can fling them at the village idiot."

"So they're waiting for him to come back to..." Marie felt a streak of anger.

Once-ler resisted an urge to reply "Duh!" at her. It was so obvious. If only people in the town had a heart! Didn't it occur to them that the gentleman was trying to make an honest living? She bet they never thought that somewhere out in the valley was a little cottage with his family inside. Marie sat down next to him, with a watchful eye on the carriage.

"You're not the village idiot," she said hugging him from the side. "This is a village full of idiots! They don't recognize people like you who work hard." She glanced at Melvin who looked equally annoyed as his master. "Perhaps," she said hesitantly. "Perhaps after another…long while…they'll change their mind. Someone is bound to be interested in the Thneed! Maybe they don't live here, but will show up like we did."

"I thought maybe after a year they'd change," said Once-ler swiping his hat off in frustration. "Marie, I'm on the edge of quitting. I can't support my family this way!"