A few days later, Mr. and Mrs. Sommers went to see the O'Hares.

"Well hello, what brings you two here?" Mr. O'Hare asked after he opened the door.

"We can't find Audrey anywhere, have you seen her?" Mrs. Sommers asked.

"No, can't say that I have, but I think I know where to find her." Mr. O'Hare frowned. "Leave it to me and Arsenio, we'll bring her back."

"Okay. And thank you." Mr. Sommers nodded before he and his wife left.

Arsenio then showed up.

"I overheard, sounds like Audrey ran off." Arsenio frowned.

"To be with the stable boy no doubt." O'Hare nodded.

So, they went to the stables.

"Well hello Mr. O'Hare, Arsenio, what can I do for you?" The stableman asked.

"We're here to see one of your workers...I forgot his name but he often walks around with a mule." O'Hare said.

"Oh you must mean Ted Wiggins. Sorry but he hasn't been here in months, in fact he quit last fall." The stableman shrugged. "I haven't seen him around town for a long time either, but I do know where he and his family live."

After getting directions to the Wiggins' old place Arsenio and O'Hare went over there...only to find that the place had been abandoned for a long time. Unfortunately, the note Ted had written to Audrey was surprisingly still on the door. Or maybe it wasn't so surprising, the front door had a porch and canopy built around it to specifically keep away strong winds and rain. Meaning anything left on the porch was well protected from the elements, except for maybe the fiercest of weathers. And there hadn't been a big storm or anything in months.

Anyway, after reading the note O'Hare and Arsenio, furious, headed for Once-ler's estate. However unlike Audrey they had the foresight to hire a couple horses, meaning it didn't take them as long to reach the estate.

Once they arrived they barged in...just as Ted and Audrey were about to leave to play in the snow. Obviously Ted and Audrey were practically horrified upon seeing O'Hare and Arsenio there.

"Run for it!" Ted pulled Audrey in the opposite direction.

It was too late, Arsenio was faster and grabbed them both. O'Hare then took over holding onto Ted. O'Hare and Arsenio had also brought some rope, so they tied up Ted and Audrey.

"Let us go!" Audrey demanded.

"No way, you're going to be my wife and no stinking stable boy is getting in the way this time." Arsenio glared.

"You do know I quit the stables right?" Ted said dryly.

"That's beside the point!"

"Ted!"

Startled, O'Hare and Arsenio looked up and saw Sally and Grammy Norma. It had been Sally who cried out Ted's name.

"Either of you follow and I'll make Ted fall off my horse and break his neck." O'Hare threatened.

Unfortunately, Once-ler had shown up too, wondering what all the commotion was about. This meant that Arsenio and O'Hare saw him, though they didn't reveal that they did. Instead the two jerks forced Ted and Audrey outside and onto their horses. They then galloped off. Sally, Once-ler, and Grammy Norma headed for the window and watched them leave.

"Mom, dad, I'm sorry but I have to leave." Sally said once O'Hare and his son were out of sight. "I have to make sure Ted will be okay."

"Of course." Once-ler understood.

Sally headed for the stables and got onto Melvin. Melvin, who knew of the situation, galloped for town. Melvin Jr followed them, afraid for Ted and Audrey.

Meanwhile, once O'Hare and Arsenio reached town they headed for the Sommers' estate. Obviously Mr. and Mrs. Sommers were furious when they saw Ted along with Audrey.

"I've had enough of you!" Mr. Sommers took over holding onto Ted and tossed him into the basement. "You stay there until the sheriff arrives, I'll see you get hung for taking my daughter away."

"He didn't take me away I ran away to find him!" Audrey snapped.

Her parents looked at her with shock.

"I love him!" Audrey admitted. "I always will. And I'll always hate you Arsenio!"

"That's enough!" Even Mrs. Sommers was mad now. "You're going to stay in your room from now on until the wedding!"

Mrs. Sommers then took Audrey to her bedroom, untied her, and then locked her in. Mr. Sommers had gone out to hammer boards over Audrey's window.

"Where were they?" Mrs. Sommers asked once she made it back downstairs.

"In an estate where this monster lives." O'Hare explained. "Either the monster kidnapped them both or it's a friend of Ted's and helped him bewitch Audrey."

"Then that monster must be destroyed!" Mr. Sommers declared, still furious.

Ted, due to the basement being nearby, overheard.

"Grampy!" He gasped.

"Let's go." Arsenio said. "We'll get our weapons while you get yours Mr. Sommers. Then we'll kill the monster."

"Right. Dear you'd better stay here." Mr. Sommers said to his wife.

"No I'm coming, I'll make that monster pay for keeping Audrey from us." Mrs. Sommers said angrily.

They left, slamming the door behind them.

Ted, unable to move and without a plan, cried. Not for himself mind you, for his grandpa.

Audrey on the other hand wasn't going to give up so easily.

"There has to be a way to escape." She said bitterly.

Fortunately, Sally made it to town without the O'Hares or Sommers noticing. Finding an ax near the Sommers' estate, she heard Ted crying in the basement and broke through the outside door. This stopped Ted's tears.

"Mom!" He said happily upon seeing his mom standing in front of the broken door.

"Ted thank goodness." Sally went over and hugged him. "I thought they were going to hurt you right away."

"No, they left to...to kill Grampy." Ted sobbed.

Sally was shocked.

"Well we can't let that happen." She untied him. "Where's Audrey?"

"Locked in her room most likely."

"Then come on."

Sally led the way upstairs, Ted not to far behind.

"Audrey?" Sally said.

"Mrs. Wiggins!" Audrey's voice gasped from behind one door. "I'm in here!"

"Stand back!" Sally rushed over to the door and chopped it open.

Audrey burst out and hugged Sally out of gratitude. She then turned and hugged Ted.

"Come on, we have to stop them." Sally frowned determinedly.

Ted explained the situation to Audrey as they headed downstairs. Sally then mounted Melvin while Ted and Audrey mounted Melvin Jr, and they headed for Once-ler's estate.

However when they arrived they were a bit too late. Mr and Mrs. Sommers had been knocked out by Ax, who made a couple vases fall on them, but O'Hare and Arsenio were still fighting. After checking to make sure that her parents were still alive, Audrey followed Sally and Ted upstairs where the rest of the battle was taking place. Ax followed as well.

Fortunately, Grammy Norma had gained the upper-hand on O'Hare and had knocked him out. Furthermore, it had been revealed that she had destroyed Arsenio's gun. Once-ler wasn't out of danger though, for Arsenio still had a sword. Sally, Ted, Audrey, Ax, and Grammy Norma headed for the balcony overlooking the roof where Once-ler and Arsenio were fighting. Once-ler was using a broken pieces of wood to defend himself. Ted suddenly ran away, but soon came back with a sword.

"Grampy!" Ted called.

Startled, Once-ler turned around and beamed.

"Ted!" He said happily.

Unfortunately, this gave Arsenio a chance to knock Once-ler down. By this point Mr. and Mrs. Sommers had recovered and had joined everyone else on the balcony.

Arsenio then raised his sword.

"You'll make a fine trophy you monster!" Arsenio gloated.

Ted suddenly rushed forward and blocked Arsenio's sword with his own.

"My grandpa's not a monster Arsenio, you are!" Ted snapped.

"Grandpa?" Mrs. Sommers was surprised.

This also revealed her and Mr. Sommer's presence to everyone else. Audrey explained what caused Once-ler to look like a monster. The story shocked her parents obviously, and they didn't know what to make of this new information.

Ted and Arsenio, meanwhile, sword fought. Finally Ted was able to knock Arsenio's sword out of his hand.

"Get out!" Ted snapped. "Get out and never threaten my family or the woman I love again!"

Arsenio, caught off-guard from being defeated, automatically nodded.

Ted and Once-ler then rejoined their family, but as Once-ler started to climb over the balcony railing O'Hare appeared out of nowhere with a club! He raised the club towards Once-ler, but Audrey punched O'Hare away. This caused O'Hare to lose his balance and fall off the roof much to Audrey's shock.

"I-I didn't mean to..." She paled a bit.

"Audrey it's okay, you were just saving my grandpa's life." Ted comforted her. "I know you'd never kill anyone on purpose, and you'd only harm another person if it was necessary."

Once-ler had fully climbed over the railing and he and Norma hugged.

"I'm so glad you're okay dad." Sally smiled.

Unexpectedly, Once-ler gave a loud cry of pain! Arsenio had stabbed him! However, Arsenio lost his footing and also fell off the roof.

Norma gently helped Once-ler down so that he could rest. She, Sally, Audrey, and Ted started to cry.

"Audrey." Mr. Sommers said. "We're sorry. We were wrong."

"We saw Ted's bravery, not to mention his devotion to his family and you." Mrs. Sommers added.

Audrey, relieved and grateful, hugged her parents. Ted and Norma however were still crying.

"Dad...are you...?" Sally couldn't believe it.

"I'm dying." Once-ler confirmed weakly. "But it's better this way. I already caused so much destruction."

"No you didn't!" Ted sobbed sternly. "Destroying the forest was never your fault, it was your mom's fault for loving wealth and power more than anything else. It was her fault for not seeing what was really important: love and family."

Mr. and Mrs. Sommers were ashamed.

"Audrey, you and Ted can be together." Mrs. Sommers said.

"Really?" Audrey beamed.

Mr. Sommers nodded, smiling.

Once-ler slowly closed his eyes.

"Once?" Grammy Norma said.

No answer, he just closed his eyes and lay still.

"Dad!" Sally said sadly.

Too late, Once-ler was dead. Ted sobbed onto Once-ler.

"I love you Grampy." He said.

Suddenly, a magical glow hit Once-ler. Ted, Grammy Norma, and Sally backed away as Once-ler slowly rose into the air and started to glow. Grammy Norma suddenly started glowing too, and her glow became taller. When both glows stopped, Once-ler the beast was replace with Once-ler the human. A young human no less. And even more: Grammy Norma was young too.

"I-I'm human again." Once-ler couldn't believe it. "Ted you...you broke the curse."

Ted froze for a moment, but after looking into Once-ler's eyes and recognizing them despite the different look he ran forward and hugged Once-ler.

Suddenly, a beam of light appeared from the sky and landed on the balcony. An orange furry creature holding a bag gently floated down.

"Mustache!" Once-ler laughed joyfully. "Everyone this is Lorax, I nicknamed him Mustache."

"So you're Lorax." Ted remembered him from Once-ler's backstory. "But what's with the bag?"

"Truffula seeds." Lorax said. "This is part of the reason why I left, I was collecting seeds from another forest. Now you can restore the forest Beanpole, you and your family. Your real family."

"But what about Ax?" Once-ler asked, realizing that Ax might become a regular ax again.

"Yeah, I don't want to become immobile again." Ax frowned.

"So you won't, you and Once-ler are too close for you to be turned back anyway." Lorax chuckled.

Once-ler and Ax smiled, relieved.

Not too much time passed. When spring came there was a wedding, though it was Audrey marrying Ted instead of Arsenio (obviously, for one thing it's hard to marry a corpse). Oh that reminds me...Lorax made O'Hare and Arsenio's bodies disappear by using his magic to bury them, 'so that they can actually do some good by fertilizing the new Truffulas' as Lorax put it.

Ted and Audrey didn't leave for their honeymoon though, instead they spent it at Once-ler's estate planting new Truffulas with Once-ler, Norma, and Sally.

Once-ler, Norma, and Sally, along with Melvin, stayed at the estate taking care of the forest. Sally wanted to further catch up with her dad, plus didn't want to live alone. Ax lived there too of course, only this time he didn't live up to his name. He never cut down anything again, instead he used his blade to dig new planting holes in the ground.

Ted and Audrey however moved into a country cottage between Once-ler's estate and the town, with Melvin Jr living in a small but roomy stable in the back.

Both families lived Happily Ever After.