Back home...
"Okay, time to work..." Emily said as she tied on her apron and put on a chef's hat as she spun a wooden spoon in her hand. "Mama's gonna make a meal fit enough for a queen."
"She sure is." Patrick smiled.
Emily then shooed everyone out of the house so she could spend all day cooking a welcome home feast for Jessica.
"Man, cooking is serious business with Mom, isn't it?" Darla commented.
"You have no idea." Atticus told her.
"We better leave her alone then." Patch said.
"We really have to." Patrick told them.
"Yep." Maisy nodded.
"So, how was babysitting?" Darla asked Atticus as she held Maisy in her arms while petting her to make her purr.
"Oh, the usual..." Atticus said. "Drell came by saying we had to go to the jungle with gorillas though."
"Really?" Darla asked.
"That's what he told me." Atticus replied.
"Another adventure." Darla said.
"Would you like to come?" Atticus asked.
"Oh, can I?" Darla asked before puppy dog pouting up to Patrick.
"I have a feeling all of us might be involved in it, so yes." Patrick nodded.
Darla then grinned happily.
"Never took you to be a jungle explorer." Patch said.
"Well, I love adventures." Darla replied.
"Guess she gets it from me." Atticus smiled.
Darla smiled back to her big brother.
Atticus decided to visit Cherry since there was no use going back to the house for a while until Jessica and Oddball would come home.
"This is a poem I wrote about movies based on those Teen Vampire Novels." Cherry took out a sheet of paper.
Atticus took the paper and looked at it. "This just says 'The Twilight Series sucks' over and over again."
"Well, they do." Cherry replied.
"Anyway, I came to visit you." Atticus said.
"Got nothing better to do?" Cherry deadpanned.
"Cherry..." Atticus sighed at that.
"What's up?" Cherry asked. "Nothing's really happening for me now, but I'm gonna have to visit some old family friends in a month for a birthday party."
"Family friends?" Atticus asked then.
"The Proud Family," Cherry replied. "Penny's turning sixteen."
"Oh, well, I'm sorry I won't be going." Atticus said.
"I knew you were gonna say that..." Cherry grumbled. "You're always so busy with Mo or Patch these days."
"No, no, it's because of an adventure that's come up." Atticus said.
"I'm going away in a month..." Cherry reminded. "Did you have a vision four weeks into the future or something?"
"No, Drell told me." Atticus said.
"Fine... I'll go without you then." Cherry said.
"Oh, Cherry..." Atticus frowned at her pessimism.
"I just miss the old days sometime when it was just you and me..." Cherry sighed.
"I know..." Atticus frowned. "How about this? The next time there's an adventure, it'll be just you and me."
"Hmm..." Cherry hummed. "Well... I'll see what happens."
Atticus patted her on the head. "Besides, your trip is for family friends... I am like a brother to you, but you should spend some time with them."
"I guess so." Cherry replied.
"Have some fun." Atticus said.
"Okay..." Cherry replied.
"So, what else is going on with you?" Atticus asked.
"I got my nails done..." Cherry said, showing her blackened nails with glow in the dark skulls on the thumbnails.
"Nice." Atticus said.
Cherry then clapped her hands to show the glowing nails in the dark, then clapped again for the dim lights to come back. "So, Jessica's coming back?"
"Yeah, and tomorrow bright and early, we're going to the jungle." Atticus said.
"Have fun." Cherry replied.
"I'll try." Atticus shrugged.
Jessica drove her car as she was on the way back to her house back home with the family as Oddball slept most of the way, trying to get over her excitement to see her favorite uncle which would keep her up the whole trip. 'This is going to be great.' she then thought to herself.
They came to a quick rest stop.
Jessica took out the leash which woke Oddball up. "Come on, girl, let's take a potty break."
"Okay." Oddball smiled sleepily.
They both soon got out of the car to do their business. Jessica went first since it was quicker and went with Oddball to find a tree for her. Oddball sniffed the ground, looking for the right tree, then stopped once she found it. Once they finished their business, it was time to continue on. Jessica unhooked the leash and then drove off with Oddball sleeping in the back.
Later on...
Emily panted and wiped her forehead. "Phew! Here we go, pot roast, glazed honey carrots, roasted and buttery mashed potatoes, broccoli casserole, homemade banana cream pie, and freshly squeezed lemonade."
"Wow." Patch said as he looked through the window.
Emily then unlocked the door and let them in as she passed out onto the couch.
"Wow, your mom cooked an entire buffet." Patch said as he saw all the food prepared.
"Hey, I should travel away from home." Darla said before giggling.
Atticus was coming back from visiting Cherry and the smell slapped him in the face. "Oh, boy, home cooking!"
Soon enough, Jessica and Oddball arrived. Oddball was sound asleep.
"Oddy, wake up..." Jessica gently called.
Oddball groaned and turned over. "Ten more minutes."
Jessica soon opened the door and where the scent of the food woke up Oddball. Oddball then instantly jumped up on all fours as she took a deep inhale of the food.
"Come on, girl." Jessica smiled to her puppy.
"Coming." Oddball smiled as she rushed inside.
Jessica chuckled as they came inside the house. Emily fell asleep on the couch from cooking and baking all day.
Patch soon got tackled by Oddball. "Whoa!"
"Hi, Uncle Patch." Oddball smiled.
"Hey there, Oddball." Patch smiled back.
Oddball then gently got off from him with a smile back.
"Ooh, you've gotten big since I saw you last." Patch cooed to his niece.
"I sure have." Oddball smiled.
Patch smiled back to her.
"Jessica was in class forever..." Oddball pouted.
"That's how it feels for us dogs." Patch smiled.
"I felt it too, Patch." Jessica chuckled.
Darla hugged Jessica once she saw her big sister.
"Should we wait for Mom to wake up?" Jessica asked.
"Must we?" Darla asked.
"It's good manners." Patrick said.
"Aw, okay..." Darla then said and walked over to Emily to gently shake her awake. "Wake up, Mama."
"Darla, we can't rush Mom." Jessica said.
Darla pouted.
"Reminds me of Christmas when Jessie was eight..." Patrick laughed. "All of those presents, but she only wanted one thing: Her little brother back."
Atticus smiled shyly while Jessica smiled back bashfully.
"Losing you was the saddest day of my life." Jessica frowned.
"Oh..." Atticus hugged her.
Jessica hugged back with a tear rolling down her cheek.
After a while, Emily woke up and everyone started to eat.
"You've been working too hard lately." Patrick said.
Emily nodded in agreement as they ate Jessica's favorite dinner.
"Good thing we'll be going with Jane and her father to find some gorillas." Jessica said.
"You guys don't mind, right?" Atticus asked their parents.
"Not at all," Emily smiled. "I'm sure Kala won't either if she and Kerchak are still there."
"I'm sure they are." Patrick said.
"I thought Jessica grew up in Beach City..." Darla said.
"I did until Mom was pregnant with Atticus," Jessica explained. "Mom and Dad just wanted a vacation to get me to make more friends other than Amethyst."
"And where she did." Emily said.
"Mostly Terk and Tarzan..." Jessica said.
"I'm confused, is Terk a boy or a girl?" Darla asked.
"A girl, it's short for Terkina." Jessica explained.
"She sounds like a boy the way you talk about her. "Darla pouted.
"I know." Jessica said.
"Hmm..." Darla hummed.
The family then kept eating and had a lot of fun.
"Food is delicious." Atticus smiled.
Emily smiled to her family as they enjoyed their family meal. "Should help you all get some sleep tonight."
"Yeah." Patrick nodded.
"But I'm so excited about..." Oddball said before letting out a loud yawn from her full belly. "Going to the jungle tomorrow... How can I possibly sleep... Now... While we're going... To..." she then curled up and drifted off. "Maybe I'll just rest my eyes for a minute."
"You do that, Oddball." Patch smiled.
Oddball yawned and then fell asleep instantly.
"Let's get our sleep." Atticus yawned.
The others agreed.
"We'll need it." Jessica said as she went to her and Darla's room.
"I wonder how we'll meet Tarzan and Terk." Darla said.
"I wonder if they'll ever recognize me," Jessica said as she lay down in her bed. "It sure has been a while."
"Still can't believe you know Tarzan: The Ape Man." Darla said to her big sister.
"Life sure is funny..." Jessica said with a yawn. "Well, Darla, I'd love to talk more, but I really gotta get some shut eye."
"Same here." Darla yawned.
"Night, kiddo, thanks for keeping my room in one piece." Jessica said.
Darla giggled and then yawned and fell asleep. Jessica soon fell asleep as well.
The sun was almost coming up as Jane was coming with her father and then they would be on the way to the jungle to study the gorillas, and where they had some company with them. Oddball and Patch woke up first.
"Did you tell Ms. Colette we'd be gone?" Oddball asked her uncle.
"Yes, she says hi." Patch smiled down to her.
"Great." Oddball smiled.
Patch smiled back as they looked out the window to wake everyone else up when Jane would come with her father.