Well, pat yourselves on the back and thank you for the reviews! You finally reached this part of the story. It's all about Otto. He's thinking back to the past. The flashback part of this will be in all italics, just so you all will know, and will be broken up into two parts. As for Reggie and Twister, you will get to see them in chapter 12 (title pending). As a reminder, I normally update this fic every week and will continue to do so unless I run out of ideas, and hopefully, that won't happen.

Let's see, I went back and did some editing on the previous chapters, the last chapter was a definite must. Thanks goes out to Mike (mike2000) for the corrections and to the other reviewer who offered to help. I shall definitely keep you both in mind. It's also interesting to know that for the Mexican version of the show, how Maurice is called "Mauricio". Thanks so much for the information.

Now for some other information, I just found out that Nickelodeon is not going to show the episode Rocket Power X-mas on December 9. Instead, they're going to air a reshowing of the Fairly Oddparents Christmas ep. I like the Fairly Oddparents okay, but Rocket Power isn't shown as much either, which is why it's so disappointing to me that we'll have to wait for a later date. I guess we'll have to wait a while before they show it, like Christmas.

Oh, some more information, the third Rocket Power film is going to be shown this month…too bad it won't be for here! The UK will get to see it. As for here in the states, we have to wait until next spring or summer. Interesting how in the UK, the show is cancelled, and yet, they get to see Island of the Menehune first! As Otto would say, "This stinks on ice!" I wonder why we in the states are getting gypped so much when it comes to the show and the moving airings. Well, hopefully Twister will be voiced by Ulises (Ulysses) Cuadra. No offense to the newer voice actor (Gary Leal Jr.), who voiced him in Reggie's Big Break, but I just like Ulysses better, and I like his older-sounding voice. Cinco de Twisto is, ironically, a favorite episode for me too since they did get into the voice changing thing, and acknowledged that they were getting older, as well as the actual voice actor.

I am getting this information, btw, from the Unofficial Rocket Power site (only for US showings), which is very reliable and hasn't been wrong yet. ( bryansnicksites . tripod rocketpower . html). Just close up the spaces, since this site doesn't allow html addresses anymore.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor.

Chapter 11: A Blast to the Past (Part I)

Otto sat on the beach, staring up at the clear, dark-blue sky. After Reggie and Twister left, he went back home to pick up his surfing gear, hopped onto his bike, and headed back to Rocket Beach. He had spent the entire evening surfing, preparing for the upcoming surf competition the day after tomorrow. Surfing was always Otto's way of clearing his mind. He just had to win that competition. He had a nearly ten-year promise on the line and he had no intention of breaking it. It was a promise he'd made to a person that meant more to him than practically anyone…a person he just couldn't stop thinking about lately, despite most his memories of this persoin having faded away over time…

Otto heaved out a sigh as he looked up towards the Pier, the entire area illuminated with bright lights, which included the Rocket-owned restaurant, the Shore Shack. He thought about heading up there to grab a quick bite, or a drink at least, but he changed his mind as he remained sitting on the beach, lost in his own thoughts, remembering past incidences, either somewhat embarrassing, or just downright painful…

Five-year-old Otto was sitting in the living room of his Ocean Shores home, coloring in front of the television. He had been home for quite a while since he only went to school half-days. School was okay to him, although, he would've much rather stayed at home and played outside instead of sitting inside a classroom coloring, like he was doing now.

Otto put down the crayons and stood up and looked out the window. He wanted to go outside and play. He had just gotten a pair of roller blades, as well as a skateboard, a while back, and he loved everything about them. He liked the idea of skating really fast and hard, like a high-speed race car. He loved the feel of the wind blowing through his thick, dreaded hair and brushing against his tan skin. The Kindergartener frowned at how all of that was a dream. His mother wouldn't dare allow him to skate so fast and she would never let him perform tricks on his skateboard.

The first time he used his skateboard, he fell right off. When he fell, it was on his arm into some broken glass that was in the road. He didn't even cry. It felt like a pinch. His father was watching him during this time, but he'd turned his head for a moment to speak with their temperamental, balding neighbor, Merv Stimpleton, who had been complaining about the height of their shrubberies. His bubbly, fun-loving wife, Violet Stimpleton, was the one to notice Otto's fall.

His father had to take him to the doctor that day and he had to get stitches, but Otto was more than anxious to try it again. From that point forward, his mother told him that he wasn't to skateboard anymore and then argued with his father for being the one to buy it for him in the first place. He stood up for Otto, and told her that the boy needed some kind of a hobby, and that he seemed interested in it. She did give in, eventually, but made sure that Otto was covered from head to toe in protective gear, and that someone was watching him at all times.

The other thing the boy loved to do was swimming with his father and "Uncle Tito" in the ocean. He had gotten the hang of it right away, like the sea was his second home. He would constantly tell his mother and father that he would "love to live in the ocean and surf with daddy". His mother would just kneel down to him, a loving smile on her cute, round face, and tell him that he was much too young to learn how to surf, and that he could when he was a little older. Otto hated hearing those words: "When you're older." He was ready to surf now! He was ready to roller blade and skateboard like he had seen the big kids do, which included his sister, who bladed pretty well. He was ready to be a big kid! He wanted to show his parents that he could do just as good as the other kids, and that he wasn't just a little kid or a shrimp, which the older kids would call him when teasing. His friend's older brother would call him a shrimp and other derogatory names such as that whenever he would see him outside playing.

Otto went back to his seat at the surfboard table in front of the TV and resumed coloring. There wasn't much else he could do. Even the sweet aroma of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies coming from the kitchen wasn't enough to rid him of his boredom. He wanted to play outside and he wanted some extreme action.

"Otto, how are you doing in there?" a woman called from the kitchen. This was Olivia Rocket, Otto and Reggie's mother.

She was a very pretty woman and couldn't be seen without a warm, friendly smile on her face. She was pretty well loved, and seemed to get along with everybody. She hated conflict, but at the same time, would stand up for herself, friends, or family whenever necessary. She was definitely a strong woman, something Reggie had absolutely inherited.

Some would say that Otto resembled her quite a bit, especially when it came to facial features and the hair. Both of them shared the same dread-locked hair look, only it was much longer than Otto's, the same hair color, and they both had the same dark eye color and shape. Otto even got her height. She wasn't very tall, and was just a mere 5'3, just like the others on her side of the family, and by the looks of it, Otto was headed there as well. He had always been pretty small for his age.

*Her other features were inherited by her daughter, or more so, her personality was inherited by Reggie, but Reggie's physical features were all like her father's, and those from his side of the family. Otto was exactly like his father personality wise, always willing to take risks. Reggie, however, would take her time to logically think over the situation first, and take into account the consequences.

When naming the children, both Ray and Olivia wanted their child to have an "O" name and an "R" name. They had both planned on having more than one anyway. Ray named Regina, and Olivia had named Oswald.

"I'm fine, mommy." He put his crayons down once again and walked into the warm kitchen. His nose hadn't deceived him. His mother had baked some cookies.

"Ahh, there goes my little man," she smiled at him as she removed the cookies from the sheet and put them into a glass jar. "Why the frown?"

"I want to play. Can I go outside and play with Maurice?"

"Not until your sister gets home."

"Well," he sniffed the air, "can I have a cookie?"

"No, you'll ruin your appetite," she stated while putting the jar onto a high shelf. "These are for after dinner."

"Is it time for Reggie to get home yet?"

"A bit impatient, aren't we?" she asked amusingly. She always found Otto adorable and cute whenever he acted in this fashion. "She should be getting home very soon. Don't worry."

A short while later, both Olivia and Otto heard a door slam, and a girl with short, somewhat curly violet hair tied up in a single ponytail, wearing a white blouse, and a green plaid skirt, running into the kitchen, waving a piece of paper in her hand.

"Mommy, mommy!" the girl called, pretty much out of breath. She had run all the way from the bus stop. "Look, look!"

"What's this?" She took the paper.

"It's my Progress Report!"

She looked at it and her eyes widened, and a proud look embedded her face. "Wow! You got a check+ for everything, and for math, a check++!"

"Ms. Hart told me this afternoon, that my grades are so good, that I can get skipped up to the second grade!"

She hugged the girl tightly. "I am so proud of you!" She took the jar down from off of the shelf and took out one of the freshly baked cookies. "Here, have a cookie." The girl thanked her, and ate the cookie. "I can't wait to tell Raymundo the news!"

"No fair!" Otto grumbled, his arms crossed. "I wanted a cookie."

"I had no idea that it was Progress Report day." She looked down at Otto who had been pretty quiet since Reggie shared her news. "Where's yours? I don't remember seeing it when we did your homework."

The boy shrugged. Ms. Jenkins had told Otto before he came home that she wanted to see his mother or father for a conference and he knew it had something to do with his Progress Report. The way his teacher had said it, made it sound like it was pretty bad, so the boy figured if he didn't show his report to his mother, then his teacher wouldn't have to talk to her. He had bawled up the small progress report, with the conference request written on it, and had it hidden in the pocket of the red overalls he was wearing.

"Otto!" She gave her son a stern look. "Go get your backpack and empty it."

Otto didn't hesitate, and did just as she had ordered. He went back into the room where his coloring materials were and picked up his not so heavy backpack. He then went back into the kitchen, and dumped all of the contents of his backpack on the table.

"Hey, watch it!" Reggie shouted at the boy. She was sitting down at the kitchen table, drinking a glass of milk to wash down the cookie she had just eaten.

Olivia looked through Otto's things, which wasn't much. "Hey, there's nothing here." She looked over at Otto who had a somewhat scared look about his face. "Otto, did you get a Progress Report?" He nodded slowly. He had learned from both of his parents that it was bad to lie. "Where is it?"

Before he realized what he was doing, his tiny hand had reached down into his pocket, and he pulled out the bawled up piece of paper. "Here it is," he uttered softly.

She took the paper and looked over it. She didn't get a proud smile like she had when reading over Reggie's Progress Report. Her look was actually pretty sad. "Oh, Otto," was all she could say.

After that brief moment of silence, she spoke up. "Otto, you have to get better grades than this if you want to get out of Kindergarten. We go over all of your assignments, but you're still having trouble."

"I could help him, mommy, since I make good grades," Reggie chimed in. Otto hated it when she showed off her intelligence, even if she, herself, didn't realize it.

"That's nice dear," his mother responded absent-mindedly as she tucked some of her long hair behind her ear. "Oh, what are we going to do with you, Otto?" He shrugged. "Well, we'll see what we have to do about you at this conference with your teacher."

"Can I go out and play with Maurice now?"

"Otto! You could fail!" Reggie told him, surprised that he was more interested in playing than worrying over his grades.

"At least one of you understands the importance of studying." She smiled at Reggie. "I'm glad you know that at such a young age. Please, Regina, keep that up. Always do your homework, listen to your teacher, and review what you learned after school, even if you want to play outside. Always do your homework and studying first."

"okay, but the name Regina is so babyish and weak. That's what Maurice's brother says, anyway. I like the name Reggie."

"Okay, Reggie. As you wish. I'll try not to let it slip that your real name is Regina," she said with a teasing laugh. "You can thank Otto for that, just as we can thank you for his nickname."

When Otto was first born, for some reason, Reggie couldn't get the hang of saying "Oswald," so she just started calling him Otto, and the name stuck. The same went for Otto when it came to Regina. He couldn't say Regina right, so he started calling her Reggie.

"Well, let's go see what we can do about your grades, Otto. From now on, we will make sure to look over all of your work." She pinched Otto's cheek and gave him a loving smile. "I don't want my little man to get left behind in his first year of school."

"Okay," the boy responded dully.
x x x

Author's Note

Note 1: In my opinion, Reggie's hair is more like Rays. It's pretty wavy, so that's why I just went on and inferred that Reggie takes after her father's side of the family and that Otto takes after his mother. Something else I noticed was the height issue. Ray seems to be pretty tall, and Reggie seems to be too. Twister is taller than Otto and very close to Reggie in height, so…I'll just assume that either she's tall for her age, or Otto is small for his, so I'm also going to infer, for the sake of this story, that their mother was short.