AN: Hey everyone! Just to let you guys know, I'm going to be updating two stories today. I hope you all look forward to that :)

Chapter 14 Mother Son Outing

Junior followed Kamella while she led him through Amber, ignoring his own fears that the town of Amber gave him. Really, when he thought about it, he had no reason to be afraid anymore. The only reason he had gotten into any form of trouble was because he was all by himself before, with no real ways of fighting any criminals. He didn't need to worry about that now because he had Kamella, who was skilled in magic and could make any criminal go crying home to their mommies. In that sense, Kamella was… kind of a badass, when Junior thought about it. Sure, he had really only seen her magic skills once, but that one time was more than enough. As such, he kept his eyes on her as she led him to the restaurant.

The restaurant they ultimately ended up at… it was actually quite small. Tucked in on a street corner, it looked like one of those places that would fly under anyone's radar, even those who were crazy enough to remember the entire layout of Amber. Apparently, it was called the Starlit Cafe. Cute name, but… man, Junior was really struggling to think of any reason why Kamella would choose this place over some of the grander restaurants in town.

"Uh… Mom, why did you choose this of all places?"

Kamella giggled. "Simple, really. This place is one of my favorite restaurants. If you haven't tried the food here, then you haven't truly lived." She giggled again. "Besides, this place is REALLY out of the way. And considering that the whole kingdom is currently searching for you, based on what I saw on the news last night… I think an out-of-the-way place is really the best option."

Junior blinked before nodding. "Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense."

So, the two went in. Junior stood in the doorway for a few seconds, taking in the sights. Like the outside, the interior of the restaurant was quite quaint. This worked in the place's favor, as it had a cozy and comforting vibe that most public places just didn't have. From the tea tables set up in an open area of the restaurant to the smell of coffee and lavender (of all things) wafting through air as well as the fact that there was a little TV hanging up over the tables… it was nice. That was the best way to describe it. That was the way it deserved to be described.

Kamella gestured for Junior to follow her, and they both took seats at one of the tea tables. As soon as his bottom made contact with the chair, Junior felt as though he was in Heaven. No chair he had come across was this comfy. Not one.

"Well…" Junior giggled as he made eye contact with Kamella. "This is nice." He pulled the hood of the hoodie he bought back. "I'm already in love with this place and I haven't even gotten to the food yet."

Kamella laughed. "Yeah, it does a great job of leaving a first impression." She furrowed her brow. "Now, uh… I think you should pull your hood back up."

"What? Why? Isn't that considered rude when you're indoors?"

"It is, but I'd much rather have you been seen as rude rather than someone finding out your true identity and bringing you back."

Junior's face grew warm. "Oh. Yeah, that makes sense." He pulled the hoodie up, and not a moment too soon. The waitress came by with their menus, and she didn't even give Junior a second thought. She just talked to him like he was any other koopa, which was really nice.

However, that wasn't nearly as nice as when Kamella ordered the drinks for the two of them. "We would both like a cappuccino, please."

Junior did a double take. "A cappuccino?" he asked as the waitress walked away. "Wow. My dad never allows me to get coffee, let alone a cappuccino."

Kamella laughed. "Well, I guess that shows what I really am." She wiggled her eyebrows as she scooted closer to the table. "I'm the cool parent."

"Yeah!" Junior laughed. "Yeah, you are!" The two of them laughed some more, all while Junior's heart did some interesting things. "You're a million times cooler than anyone in my family!"

"Oh, stop it!"

"It's true!" Junior chuckled. "The only people who even come close to comparing to you are Ludwig and my Dad." His face fell, his mood plummeting downwards at terminal velocity. "And… well, considering what happened before I ran away… I don't think they quite meet the right criteria anymore."

A silence filled the room, only broken when the waitress came back with their drinks. As she took their food orders, Junior wasn't particularly animated or excited. He was able to ask for a BLT, but only barely. By the time the waitress left, he felt all the emotions associated with the horrible memories he had acquired in the last few days. Bowser telling him about the circumstances regarding his birth. Ludwig telling Wendy his opinions regarding him. It felt horrible when those events actually occurred, and no amount of time that was going to pass would help the wounds to heal or close, even a little bit.

"Hey, baby," Kamella said, her tone much softer than it was before. She reached across the tiny table and took Junior's hand, stroking his skin with her thumb. Junior looked into her eyes. They were so compassionate, so caring. The sight of them… they were the perfect type of medicine for a hurting soul. "It's okay." Kamella smiled. "That life is behind you now."

"I know, I know." Junior bit his lip. "And I'm trying not to think about it, but…" he shook his head. "Maybe it's just force of habit."

"Perhaps. And habits can be broken in time." Kamella scooted even closer to the table, which Junior hadn't even thought possible before. "And I am more than willing to help you in that regard." Her expression was… so warm. "I'd be willing to do anything if it means that you'll be happy."

Woah. Those words… they hit Junior in an interesting way. Tears welled in his eyes. He told himself he didn't want to let them fall, but… he couldn't stop them. Those words, in many ways, were the exact thing he needed to hear

"Thanks." Junior sniffled, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I'm so lucky I came across you."

"And I you." Kamella's face fell a little bit as she positioned herself upright. "I've always wanted kids. Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of one day having a family of my own. I wanted ten kids, and I memorized the names of every single one of them." She chuckled, but the sound was so… hollow. So empty.

This admittedly caught Junior's interest. "Why didn't you follow that dream?"

"Well, I tried. But no man would find me desirable. Whether it was because they thought I was too ugly or found my dedication to the Shadow Queen too weird, OR whether it be because they were intimidated by my skills in magic, they never wanted to go out with me." She bit her lip, putting her hands on top of the table and interlocking her fingers. "It's a hard truth for me to accept at times, but the world… doesn't want me."

Junior was so shocked by that statement that he almost gasped out loud. "What?" So many emotions brewed around in his heart that he didn't even know where to start when it came to expressing them. "That's not true!"

"It is," Kamella said. "I've always been somewhat of an outcast, and…"

"And nothing!" Junior took her hand in his. "You are NOT unwanted! So what if the world doesn't see you as desirable? There are plenty of people who want to have you around!" Junior smiled. "Like me!"

Kamella's eyes grew wide. "You… really?"

"Of course!" Junior smiled at her. "I mean, I've only known you for a short period of time, but honestly? You're way more than I could've asked for when it comes to a mom."

Kamella chuckled in another hollow way. "I haven't had much of an opportunity to be a mom to you yet."

"True. But that doesn't really matter. You're still awesome." Junior beamed. "You're the exact type of person I needed in my life. I count my lucky stars that I was able to find you."

Kamella didn't respond at first, but she really didn't need to. Her face told the story of what was going on in her head; how touched she was by those words, how moved she felt by them, and how they were the exact thing she needed to hear. Junior reckoned she had been needing to hear words like that her entire life, and yet didn't get a chance to hear someone tell her that because of all the circumstances working together in a way that contributed to her feelings of isolation and worthlessness.

In that sense, Junior was glad that she finally was hearing these words. And he was ESPECIALLY happy that he was the one who got to say them.

Eventually, Kamella smiled and wiped a tear. "Thank you, Junior."

Junior beamed at her. He was about to say more, but the waitress came back with their food. Temporarily deciding to not focus on anything else, Junior licked his lips and started eating the BLT. And… wow. Kamella really hadn't been kidding when she said how good this place's food was. Not that Junior had been expecting her to mess with him, but… wow. This stuff was on par with some of the dishes he ate in the castle. On top of which, the cappuccino was pretty good too! It was strong, no doubt about it, an Junior started buzzing even after just one tiny, inconsequential sip. But that was okay. He was enjoying this, and nothing anyone said or did was going to stop him from enjoying this.

"I really am lucky I found you," Kamella said once her cheddar and broccoli soup was halfway gone. "You…" she sniffled again. "You're a dream come true, Junior."

Junior paused, considering those words and what exactly they meant. "A dream come true." He really meant that much to someone? He was the light in the darkness for someone? He was a blessing and a gift to a person in a way that he never would've expected? Wow. He never would've imagined that. And honestly… honestly…

Now, Junior had no way of handling his tears in a discreet way. They fell freely, threatening to land in his coffee. But he didn't care about that. This feeling, this warmth that was spreading through him… he recognized it almost immediately. This was the feeling that came with being loved. He had experienced it before in the castle, so it wasn't new for him. But somehow, this time was stronger than it had been during the previous instances. He felt special. He felt like he had brought someone up from the brink of despair just by being himself. It was amazing. Junior would remember this time for the rest of his life. Even when he was old, gray, and close to dying, he would remember this feeling and treasure it.

"Thanks, Mom." He smiled. "You're a dream come true for me too."

Kamella beamed and took a sip of her cappuccino with a smile on her face. The two ate and drank some more before something caught both of their eye. Specifically, the TV that was hanging above them, which was tuned into a news station.

"Prince Bowser Koopa Junior is missing from the castle, having run away two days ago," the reporter said with a grim face. "Anyone who sees the prince, please report him so that he can be returned to Bowser's Castle."

Junior felt a pit form in his stomach, similar to when he was buying the peanut butter and jelly supplies. On top of that, he could've sworn he saw the waitress staring at him with a raised eyebrow. As such, he couldn't help but sink a little bit into his chair.

"Uh…" he cleared his throat. "I think we should probably get back home."

"Yes." Kamella turned to the waitress. "Waitress, can we get some boxes, please?"