Note: I ... really need to remember that I have this story marked as active. I don't mean to neglect it. It's just that I have so many stories to work on. At times, I don't know whether to continue them, or give them to someone else. However, I decide to keep certain ones going, as I have ideas that can still be implemented. If I think they need a rewrite, then I might do one.

Anyway, welcome to the new chapter of Our Family. It's October, so I figured that I would do something for the season of Fall. However, as a fair warning, this chapter won't be about trick-or-treating. In order to prevent myself from spoiling what happens, I shall begin the chapter. It's time for chapter seven.

Chapter 7: Fear is Not Shame

One night, Baloo and Lexi decided to go dancing as part of their date. It was only seven in the evening, so they had already eaten dinner and were getting ready in their room. Baloo put on a white suit, while Lexi decided to wear a red dress not unlike those worn in a tango. The bear and his doe couldn't bring Owen along, however, as it was an adult-only event. As such, they had Bagheera come over to babysit. Louie and Akela had done so a week before, so it was the panther's turn to watch after the cub-bunny. He didn't object, being one of Owen's godparents and wanting to prevent him from going down the wrong path in life.

When they were ready, Baloo and Lexi went downstairs. By the time they were at the bottom step, the bear and the rabbit saw Owen sitting on Bagheera's lap. Bagheera looked to be holding a book in his hands, possibly a children's book. As they were about to head out, Baloo did not ask his friend what kind of book he had. Lexi, on the other hand, was quizzical. The couple already had plenty of kids books, so Bagheera was able to read any of them to Owen.

"Hey, Bagheera, what do you have there?" Lexi asked.

"Oh," Bagheera spoke, "it's just a little something I decided to share with Owen. You two have fun on your date!"

"We will!" The rabbit said.

"See you later, Baggy!" Baloo said.

"Bye!" Bagheera said.

"Bye mama, bye papa!" Owen said.

Once Baloo and Lexi had left, Bagheera sat what he had brought with him in his lap. It turned out to not be a kids book, at least not one that Owen could read. Rather, it was a book meant for an older audience, mainly late middle schoolers. With the son of his friends still in his lap, Bagheera figured that he could read some of it. The cub-bunny had a puzzled look, being unable to read what was in the book. As such, the panther became eager to read the stories inside to his godchild.

"Uncle Bagheera, are you gonna read it?" Owen asked.

"Of course, I am." Bagheera said. "However, I should warn you something: this is a scary story and I wouldn't want to give you nightmares. If you don't think you can handle it, I can stop where I'm at and read something else."

" No way, I can handle it!" The cub-bunny said. "Please read the story!"

"Very well." The panther said, deciding to read out of the book.

Two hours later, Baloo and Lexi came back from their date. Needless to say, they were not impressed with how it turned out. While they were at the dance hall, there were barely any refreshments or concessions. In addition to that, the sound system wasn't working properly, so the music didn't play right, often skipping or getting cut off at certain points. Usually, the dance hall had a band playing, but the organizer had gotten a new sound system, and even installed a stereo system. While both were brand new, they ultimately failed to work at the same time. That, combined with the lack of food and drink, led to a bad night at the dance hall.

"Man, that could've gone a lot better!" Baloo said.

"Hopefully, they get things worked out in time for the next big event." Lexi spoke. "If not, then the dance hall is as good as closed."

Opening the door, Lexi entered the house. Baloo followed her in, and was the one to close the door. When they had gotten in, the couple saw that Owen was still up, and was still with Bagheera. The panther looked ready to go, but the cub-bunny was clinging to him. Baloo and Lexi looked at each other for a moment, wondering why their son was still up. After all, during certain dates, the bear and the rabbit would come home to find their son in bed, with the babysitter watching over him and keeping him out of harm's way.

"Hey guys." Bagheera greeted.

"Hi Bagheera." Baloo and Lexi chorused.

"So, how was your date?" The panther asked.

"It wasn't one of our better ones." Lexi said. "The dance hall got a new sound system and a stereo, but they didn't work well together."

"And there was barely anything to eat or drink." Baloo said. "I mean, were they trying to help diabetics?"

"We might never know for sure." The rabbit said.

Entering the living room, Lexi went to see Owen. By getting a closer look at her son, she could see that he looked rather fearful. His body was shaking, and his eyes were widened. The cub-bunny didn't look like he could say anything, seemingly too scared to speak. As she took him from Bagheera, Lexi hoped that it would be enough to calm him down. Owen did stop shaking, but his eyes were still wide.

"Owen, are you okay?" Lexi asked.

"Mommy, can I sleep with you and daddy tonight?" Owen asked.

"Sure sweetie, anything you want." The rabbit said.

Deciding to take Owen to the master bedroom, Lexi gestured for Baloo to talk to Bagheera. Nodding his head, the bear went towards his friend, who had gotten up from where he was sitting. The panther looked ready to leave, but he decided to speak with the bear for quite a bit. After all, it wouldn't have killed him to do so.

"Bagheera, what's going on with Owen?" Baloo asked.

"Oh, he's just a little scared." Bagheera said.

"Scared?" The bear asked. "Scared of what?"

"Well, I decided to read him a scary story from our youth." The panther said. "I did tell him that I would stop if he found it too scary, however."

"Oh, Baggy, you didn't read him THAT one, did you?" The boar asked.

"I just wanted to do something different." The tom said. "As I said before, I told him I would stop if he found it too scary."

"Yeah, but aren't those books MUCH too big for him?" The ursine asked.

"That didn't stop me from reading them when I was young." The feline said.

"Hopefully, Owen doesn't have nightmares from what you read to him."

"Come now, Baloo, it's just a book! What's the worst that can happen?"

Soon after, Bagheera left the house, allowing Baloo to join his wife and son upstairs. Lexi was on their bed, holding Owen like a teddy bear. Heading to the bathroom, Baloo got dressed and ready for bed. After that, he climbed into bed, allowing his long-eared wife to snuggle up on him. Owen lie between them, looking like he really needed their comfort. Before they drifted to sleep, Baloo and Lexi promised each other to do something if Owen acted up.

The next day, Baloo was at work, just typing away at his computer. Lexi had agreed to call him if she heard anything from the school. If Owen was alright, then there was nothing to worry about. But, if the cub-bunny began to act up, then they would be concerned. After all, Bagheera DID read him a scary story last night, and stuff like that could leave a lasting effect on a child, especially one as young as Owen. Hopefully, nothing bad would come out of it.

As he got ready to leave the office, Baloo heard his cellphone ring. Picking it up, the bear saw that the call was from the school. He wondered what they could've been calling about. Perhaps they were calling the families of each student to tell them about a fundraiser. That, or they were calling to issue a meeting for the PTA. It could've been anything, given how schools were sometimes.

"Hello?" Baloo spoke.

"Is this Mr. Bunny?" A voice was heard.

"Speaking." The bear said.

"Mr. Bunny, your son has been hiding from the other students all day." The caller said. "When Mrs. Gray found him under a table in the cafeteria, he told her he was hiding from monsters. He's currently with the school psychologist, Dr. Russo."

"Don't worry, I'll be there as soon as I leave the office." The ursine said.

Hanging up his phone, Baloo decided to head to the school. As Owen was with the school psychologist, he figured that she had him there for the rest of the day. It didn't seem like a bad idea, as Baloo knew that his son likely would've frightened his classmates with his new behavior. Not only that, but the bear figured that Lexi would give him an earful. If he didn't get it, then Bagheera would likely get it. After all, he had read to Owen while the couple was out on their date.

Once he had gotten to the school, Baloo saw Lexi waiting outside the door. She was sitting on a bench, looking straight ahead. It almost looked like the rabbit was watching the road, but she was clearly waiting for Baloo to come. The moment the bear stepped out of his car, she went to him. As she did that, he winced, feeling that the rabbit would chew him out. Even though she was his wife, there were moments where he knew better than to upset her.

"So, they called you too?" Lexi asked.

"Yeah." Baloo said.

"What are we going to do about Owen?" The rabbit asked.

"We'll think of something after this." The bear said. "Let's just head to the psychologist's office."

Pulling the door open, Baloo had Lexi enter the school before him. After that, they looked at the map, checking where the school psychologist's office was. Seeing that it was near the principal's office, the bear and the rabbit knew it was easy to find. Sure enough, upon turning around, they saw that the entrance to it was a few feet away. When they got to the door, Lexi was the one to open it. Baloo stood back, allowing him and his wife enough room to enter the office.

Inside the room, Owen was sitting next to the desk of Dr. Russo. Dr. Russo herself was a yellow duck with black hair. Lexi had heard of this woman before, as she happened to be Teagan's aunt. Teagan rarely spoke about her, but she mentioned her profession on the occasions that she did. Baloo hadn't heard of Dr. Russo, but he respected any child psychologist who wasn't prone to abusing their power. Of course, those kinds of psychologists often lost their licenses or got sent to jail.

"Ah, Mr and Mrs. Bunny, come on in." Dr. Russo spoke.

Entering the office, Baloo and Lexi sat down near Dr. Russo's desk. Once she took her seat, Lexi felt Owen cling to her. He looked absolutely scared, shivering as if he were cold. As such, the rabbit hugged her son, trying to comfort him. Baloo gave him a gentle pat on the back, hoping that it would help. It seemed to, only for a little bit.

"Is our son gonna be okay, Doc?" Baloo asked.

"He'll be fine." Dr. Russo said. "However, he's acting incredibly fearful, claiming that monsters are after him. Did your son watch any horror movies?"

"No, a friend of ours read him a scary story that's meant for older children." The bear said.

"Oh my, those kinds of books do get stuck in your head!" The duck said. "Believe me, my sister and I used to read them."

"So, what should we do?" Lexi asked.

"My advice is to take him home and have him get some rest." The mallard said. "If he's still fearful about certain things, then try to help him overcome that fear."

"Thanks for your help, Dr. Russo." Baloo said. "We'll try what we can."

Leaving the school with Owen, Lexi and Baloo went home. Once they got back to the house, Baloo went upstairs with his son. While that happened, the cub-bunny felt ashamed of himself. He had never felt afraid before, and he felt embarrassed about what happened at lunch. As he sat on his bed, the little boy looked down. Baloo noticed this, though he didn't say anything.

"Daddy, are you mad at me?" Owen asked.

"Mad at you for what?" Baloo asked. "Why would I be mad at you?"

"Because I acted like I was afraid of everything." The cub-bunny said.

"Son, acting weird is not something to be ashamed of." The bear said. "We all do crazy stuff as children, even me and your mother."

"I wasn't acting weird, Dad, I was acting fearful towards everyone!" The boy said.

"Well, fear isn't something to feel ashamed of, either." The boar said.

"What's going on?" Lexi asked, entering the room.

"Owen told me he's ashamed of being afraid." The ursid said.

Lexi looked at her son for a moment, then approached him. She sat down next to Owen, putting a comforting hand in his shoulder. The cub-bunny still had that shameful look on his face, not even looking up to face his mother. Needless to say, the doe wasn't going to let him feel bad for much longer.

"Owen," Lexi said, "it's okay to feel afraid. Fear is a part of life."

"But I feel so embarrassed over what I did today." Owen said.

"Well, okay, crawling under a table and saying monsters were coming after you isn't going to be forgotten anytime soon." The doe said. "However, you can still overcome your own fears by being brave."

"For starters, there's no such things as monsters." Baloo said. "The stuff in that story Bagheera read to you never happened, so there's nothing evil coming after you."

"What about the people the monster ate?" Owen asked.

"Oh, they're not real." The bear said to his son. "You, on the other hand, are a real little boy. You shouldn't let any fictional creature ruin your life. There are challenges you can overcome in the real world, but you have to not be afraid to take them on."

"And we'll be there to encourage you, Owen." Lexi said.

His mouth curling into a smile, Owen looked up at his parents. Baloo and Lexi smiled back at their son, their advice appearing to work. They found themselves being hugged by the cub-bunny. Lexi was the one to hug him back, while Baloo merely put a hand on his shoulders.

"Thanks, Mom and Dad." Owen said. "I'm going to take a nap now."

"Go ahead, sweetie." Lexi said. "We'll call you when dinner is ready."

Walking out of Owen's room, Baloo and Lexi went downstairs to start dinner. Before they could prepare anything, the two kissed. They thought about how they would help Owen overcome any obstacles that came his way. Of course, there were some things that the cub-bunny would have to do on his own. But, for now, he had his parents to lean back on to become brave. If his life turned out alright, then Lexi and Baloo knew that their son would have overcome his fears and became a great person.

Note: Admittedly, much of the ideas for the story are pretty sappy when they don't involve sexual stuff. However, I need to add some spice in order to balance out the sweetness. What do you think will happen next? Are Lexi and Baloo going to be more careful about who will babysit Owen? Will the cub-bunny be able to do anything as he grows? Will there be a cameo from someone who we haven't seen in a while?

Until next time, guys, this is Newcomer24, signing off. Peace!