"Cat, look out!" I tackle my partner to the ground, and Cat gives a small oof! Then I hear a groan or possibly a whimper. Scrambling off Cat, my eyes focus on a lion-like creature with a honest-to-goodness mane and tail. Cat brushes himself off, and walks over to him, putting his hand to help the lion up. "Oh me, oh my, first he'll help me up and then he'll sock me, ooh!" "I'd would never hurt a fellow feline, unless they had taken my tuna." The lion smiles and puts up a paw. "Now that's different. My name is Rory." "Pleased to meet you. I'm Cat, and his is Ladybug." "Pleased to meet you."

"I'm sorry to have snuck up on you, but travelers are always trying to steal corn from the corn patch, and Lester is way to nice to say no!" Cat and I glance at each other. "Lester?" Rory points with one paw to the middle of the cornfield where to our astonishment the scarecrow is climbing down from his pole. "Oh, that pole makes my back stiff! Still, its better then those thieving crows taking to-go corn!"

Another round of introductions follows. "Nothing's been the same since Hawkmoth came through here," Lester sighs. "All our customers fled into the forest, and now its just us two!" "Even his name makes me shiver!" Rory whispers to us. "But your not thieves, your honest travelers. In fact, word has spread through the forest and we were hoping to meet you!" "Us?" Cat and I say together in a amazement. "We have all this corn that is ready to be harvested, but we don't know what to do with all of it!"

Cat puts his arm around my shoulder. "Your in luck, you two, for Bugaboo here knows all kinds of things to do with corn!" "Fantastic! Let's start picking right away!" Lester starts to head back to the field, and Rory smiles at me. "Shucks, that's a cute nickname, Ladybug. I bet your pleased as peaches he calls you that." Cat is giving me a wicked grin as I follow him, and I make my smile at my partner. "Oh, yes. So thrilled."

Each of us grab a basket sitting on one of the fence railing and we head to the rustling corn. Its like we've stepped into another world, and Cat and I stay together as we both start picking corn. "Pleased as peaches," Cat giggles. "I'll have to start using that." "Cat," I warn, snapping an ear of corn off loudly for emphasis. "Okay. I'll be good."

Squeak, squeak, squeak. "Shh," I stop, putting a finger to my lips. "Do you hear that?" "Down here!" Cat and I look down to see five or six little brown field mice all dressed in dresses and bandannas on their heads. "May we have some corn too, please? Winter will be approaching soon, and we need to feed our families!"

Kneeling down, I shuck a piece of corn, making sure all the little baskets are full. "Oh, thank you, thank you, Kind Red Bug!" Chattering and squeaking, they run off into the corn. I stand up, brushing dirt from my knees when I see the look on Cat's face. "One word from you, and I'll tie your tail in a knot," I hiss. Cat pouts. "Can't I have a little kiss?" he picks up his tail, his lower lip sticking out. How is he so adorable? "Fine. I want a kiss too."

Never in my life did I think I would kiss my partner in a middle of a corn field, but here we are. Cat starts to pull away, but I place my hands on his cheeks, making the moment last. "You may be my fur ball, but I'll love you till the end of time," I whisper.

"Aww, Lester, look. Cat and Ladybug are a couple. Is that just Cupcake Sweet?" I push Cat away from me, as Rory comes around the corner. "Basket is full!" I chirp, my face redder then my suit. "Great, cause so are ours."

Rory and Lester live in a small shed not far from the field, but mostly they live outside. I teach them how to make corn chowder, and Cat writes my notes down. I make a cornbread to go with the soup, and our two friends are so grateful they show us a juicy berry patch that I turn into a small dessert.

"We used to go fishing in the stream every evening," Rory explains to Cat and I as we eat. "But once Hawkmoth passed through here and the crows that followed him, we have to protect the field." He sighs. "I wish I wasn't such a timid lion. Sometimes I get scared of my own tail."

"Fighting isn't always the answer," Cat tells him, his usual jokey tone serious. "Talking out a problem is sometimes the way to go." "Our lives are humble," Lester says in his quiet way. "I mean, look at me: I'm made out of straw." "And yet, you have a heart of gold." "We provide corn for the animals and people of the forest. Our ways may be simple, but they work."

After dinner, Cat shows Rory some fighting skills, Rory using a good stout stick as a subside for a staff.

"I may not be a romantic type of scarecrow," Lester tells me as we watch from the fire. "But one day I hope Rory finds a another nice lion. He may be shy but he is sweet."

I sigh as I feed another twig to the fire. "I'm shy, too, Lester. I may look like a brave and tough superhero, but deep down I….." I look over my at my partner, feeling my cheeks glow and not from the fire. Lester follows my gaze. "Your in love with Cat, aren't you?" I nod. I beckon him to scoot closer. "Under my mask, my name is Marinette. I have yet to tell Cat who I am."

"Didn't a wise young ladybug once tell me that talking it out was good advice?" He smiles at kindly and I smile back. "Are you saying I should take my own advice?" Lester nods. "When the time is right, you'll know."

Cat walks over to us and plops down next to me, wiping sweat from his brow. "Whew, Rory's got some moves! How about you show them one of them?" Cat calls and Rory grins. "Roar!"

The hair stands up on the back of our necks, but then we all applaud him. "Aw, shucks. Cat just showed me how."

Soon after that, its time for bed, and Cat and I nest in tree hammocks. "Just be careful not to roll over during the night," Rory instructs.

Feeling tired, I climb into my hammock and lay back on my pillow. Heeding my friend's instruction, I don't move about, only rock the hammock gently and it starts a gentle sway. Stars flash and streak across the sky, and I watch the celestial game of tag until my eyes get sleepy.

I smile as I hear Cat snoring softly a few branches below me. He's already asleep.

Sunrise is a brilliant show, and I'm lost in its beauty until….. "Breakfast!" I fall out of my hammock in surprise with a squeak. But how lucky I am to fall into Cat's surprised arms! "Mm, it looks like its raining Ladybugs!" "Thanks, Cat," I say, heart still thudding a bit from my surprise fall. Cat sets me on my feet gently and I give him a sweet kiss and whisper a "I love you."

For breakfast its corn mush and mush, and Cat and I share dried berries from the packs. Lester shows tells us a good route to get us back to the forest path and after breakfast clean-up we thank them, and wave goodbye.

Cat and I are quiet most of the morning hours, lost in our own thoughts. I don't know his thoughts, but I certainly know mine. If I ever see our new friends again, I wish them all the happiness and to be loved.

Strange sounds come sporadically from the forest, and it puts us both on edge. Keeping our weapons close, we stay alert.

The bread is a bit tough at lunch, I sigh. Though I love traveling with Cat, its not always the soft life. Sensing my changing mood, Cat holds my hand after lunch, which does raise it slightly.

Just as I'm thinking its going to be okay, I catch sight of something up ahead. Before I know what's happening, something grabs us with its leafy vines. I struggle to free myself, but the more I do, the tighter the vines get.

"I would hold still if I were you, a ladybug is a tasty snack for a vampire plant." The plant brings me forward, and I see its head and look into its red eyes. "Please, we're just passing through. We don't mean any harm."

"No, of course you don't," it says with false sweetness. "But I'm hungry and food is scare. Only the red berries will satisfies my hunger."

"How about I take a chomp out of you?" Cat glares, ready to chomp into the thick green vines that I can see are her arms. "Kitty, no!" Should Cat do so, he could get a mouth full of poison or toxin. Trapped we may be, we need another solution.

"I will let you go under one condition," the plant says. "Bring me flies and bring me Goji berries." "What kind of plant are you?" "Why, did you know? I'm a Vampire plant."

Great, if we're not careful and mess up, Cat's idea of chomping could be what she does to us. "All right! Let us go and we'll find your food!"

"Oh no! That's when my prey escapes! I shall send you, Ladybug, and keep your Cat prisoner!" I sigh, thudding heavily to the ground. Then I dash off into the woods to find Vampire her food, before she makes a meal of my partner.