Part 109

Later that night, the clouds opened up and began the process of dumping gallons of water on the coastal city. Under the cover of darkness, footsteps concealed by the sound of the thunder and the rain, a figure slipped unseen through the yard of the Happy Hills Children's Home. It hurried up the stairs of the steel-blue colored house and placed something at the door. Ringing the bell, the figure ran back down the stairs and hid in the bushes.

The door opened and the elderly otter looked down, gasping in shock. "What?" She looked around, hoping to see who left the package. "Oh my gosh…" She picked it up and carried it inside.

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Chelsea put on the dressing gown that was included in the clothing the church had given her and the slippers. She went to the window of the guest room that she and her daughter were sharing. The sun was just starting its journey over the mountains that surrounded the lake. She still had trouble believing this was real. Floyd had kept his promise. She was free of her former husband. They were just awaiting word that it was safe to continue the rest of the way to Calatonia.

She went downstairs, finding Clay and Sitara sharing a pot of coffee in the living room. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Chelsea. Get a cup and join us, it's hot," Sitara invited her with a smile. "How'd you sleep?"

The new divorceé sat with them. "Oh so well. Thank you. I can't believe… I'm still in shock and awe."

Calloway nodded. "You'll be pleased to know that it is officially over. He's essentially under house arrest and unable to leave for the foreseeable future." He reassured her. "I got the all clear from Marcus. So, we can finish the trip home, if you're up to it."

Chelsea nodded. "Yes, thank you. I think the sooner we get to our new home and get settled, the better."

"Glenn, I'll be home today," she heard Porsha's voice from the kitchen. "Yeah, something came up and we had to leave early. I'll tell you when I get there but I've missed you. But I did get you a present." She promised. "Look, you have to promise you'll come to Redshore with us in May. Please. Oh come on, you can tell your dad that your helping with the sets! I want you to see me on stage out here. Thank you, thank you! See you soon."

She bounced into the living room. "Oh, I can't wait to see Glenn. I miss him so much." She held her phone to her. "Is this love? Is this what love feels like?" She asked the two older adults.

Sitara giggled. "It might be… or it might simply be infatuation. You're very young and this relationship is very new for you. I can only advise you to take it slow. What will be will be and there is no rush." She said gently.

Clay chuckled. "Besides, this is the easy part. When you're just getting to know each other. I agree with Sitara. Take it slow and easy. Enjoy this part, savor it." He emphasized.

Porsha sat down on the sofa, pouring herself a cup of coffee. "Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Calloway." She drank her coffee just as Nooshy came down with René. The little girl's eyes were red, like she'd been crying.

Chelsea ran over. "René, what's wrong?" She asked, hugging her daughter.

"I think she had a bad dream," Nooshy said. "When I woke up, I heard her crying."

René nodded. "I had a bad dream that… that Daddy found us…" she rubbed her eyes. "But Aunt Nooshy said we were safe and if he did, she would kick him in the…" Everyone gasped. "Nose."

Nooshy scratched her head. "I remembered in time." They all laughed. It was an adjustment to not use crude language around an impressionable child.

Chelsea nodded. "I'm sure she would too. We're going to our new home today. Your daddy will not be coming after us again." She held her child. "We are safe now."

Lynx locked eyes with Wolf who nodded. "Calloway got Daddy's text."

Nooshy looked at her phone. She'd forgotten to check it in her concern for René. "Oh, he sent me one too." She quickly responded with a heart reaction and a message saying how proud she was that he was her dad. "We're going home today. That'll be great. I actually miss my bed." She smiled. "I'm a little homesick…"

Porsha hugged her sister. "Let's get ready then. I want to go home too." She led her up to the bedrooms to get their stuff. "I'm coming home, Glenn!"

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That morning, the cast gathered at the hotel's outdoor breakfast buffet. Rosita and Suki were talking with Rosita showing Suki tips for feeding multiples and herself as well.

"Johnny, Ryan, good news," Suki announced when the guys joined them. "He's been caught, Chelsea is safe."

Johnny nodded. "Great. And my dad? Did he have to…"

Suki shook her head. "Nope, it went off without a hitch. He is back and is now under an unofficial house arrest. The Mikhailov Brothers are watching over him."

The gorilla laughed. "Ha ha, yeah, he's not going anywhere! Those were the bears who were after Mike."

Ash laughed. "Poor Mike. At least they're on our side now. How'd that happen?"

"Nancy told me," Rosita said. "I talk to her occasionally since the funeral. Apparently Mike was trying to impress her. She managed to convince the bears to let her pay back what Mike cheated them out of and offered to hire them to do the occasional favor. Apparently, her dad used to have some… connections… and taught her how to make those same connections."

Suki shook her head. "Redshore has a few families like that. They know how to operate just barely within the law so it's better to have them on your side."

"Where are the kids, Ash?" Rosita asked.

She smiled. "They wanted to swim a little before breakfast and I know they'll eat better after a little exercise so Tyler offered to take them." She pointed towards the pool. They could see Tyler watching them swim. She waved at the great ape. "He's so sweet, they love him."

Ryan nodded. "Well if we all eat, we could get our swim stuff on and help him out." He suggested. "I could use another day around the pool to prepare for another show tonight. What do you think, Neo?"

The cub smiled. "Sounds like fun." He agreed.

Ash sat down with her plate of food and looked back towards the pool.

Rosita looked at Ash. "So he's… kind of become a permanent fixture huh?"

She shrugged. "I guess… He came to help with the kids and… never left. And I'm okay with that. He's a great guy. He really cares about those kids and me…" She smiled down at her egg benedict.

"And how do you feel about him?" The mother pig asked.

She shrugged again. "I like him. He's really great. There are times when I think that I might… you know… but I just don't know." She bit her lip. She refocused on her breakfast. She needed to finish and join Tyler.

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Finishing the trip back to Calatonia took four hours and it was going on noon when Clay pulled up to the studios in the rental van. Klaus was sweeping the sidewalk outside. He looked up as Barry got out of the van first. He proceeded to help the leopardess and her child from the vehicle while Stan fetched the suitcases.

"Hello, Mr. Kickenklober," she greeted him politely. "It's been a long time."

He nodded. "It sure has, Miss Tibault. Ryan informed me of the situation. Are you alright?"

The woman smiled. "I am now. This is my daughter. René, Mr. Kickenklober was one of my teachers when I was in school."

René cocked her head. "What do you teach?" She asked him.

"I, my dear, am the greatest choreographer in all the world," he bragged but her blank look told him she wasn't impressed. "Dance. I'm a dance teacher."

She smiled. "Oh! I dance! I take ballet. Watch!" She stood on her tippy-toes and clumsily turned in a circle. "But Daddy made me stop. He says dancers are all…" Chelsea quickly covered her mouth.

Klaus laughed darkly. "Yes, I've heard that assumption. Well, you probably should not repeat anything your father told you."

Chelsea nodded. "Thomas… he had some archaic ideas about how a Christian woman is supposed to behave."

"Mommy, can I take lessons again?" She asked then looked at the monkey. "Can you teach me?"

His lip twitched. "It has been many years since I have taught children as young as yourself. Then again… it is far easier to spot natural talent in the youngest dancers. Hmmm, you've convinced me. If your mother is agreeable, I could teach you."

Chelsea smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Kickenklober and thank you for helping Ryan find his way."

Nooshy bounced. "Here, I'll show you to the apartment." She reached over for the key but Klaus withheld it.

"I'll join you," he said and they began to head inside.

Porsha was going to follow but movement caught her eye. She turned to see a familiar sheep headed towards the theater. She ran across the street.

"Hey, aren't you Mr. Noodleman?" She asked. "You're supposed to be in jail."

He shook his head. "My lawyer got me out. I'm looking for my mother." He explained. "Look, I'll leave Eddie alone. I just want to see my mother."

The wolf bit her lip. Nana had been explicit. However, she heard the pain in his voice. "Follow me…" she motioned towards the studio. "I'm not supposed to be too far from my protectors, you know. Big Daddy worries about me."

Frederick nodded. "That makes sense…."

Stan was still waiting in the lobby. "You are not supposed to be here." He growled.

Porsha shook her head when the ram moved to leave. "Please, Uncle Stan, I asked him to come with me. He's her son. She's his mother." She emphasized. "Just let me talk to him."

Stan nodded. "I'll guard outside then. Your father will be here soon to take you and Nooshy home." He nodded to Mr. Noodleman. "If you so much as look at her in a way she doesn't like, I'll break you in half."

Frederick gulped and watched him step outside. "Such… forceful protectors…"

Porsha nodded. "I'm sorry, I don't think we got to formally meet. I'm Porsha Crystal-Green."

He looked at her. "That explains your gorilla uncles. Where is my mother?"

"I'm getting there but… before I tell you… I have to know," she sighed. "Why did you treat Eddie that way? Why did you have to try to change him? Why wasn't he good enough for you?"

The sheep lowered his head. "He was good enough for me! It was Adelaide! He was never good enough for her and she wouldn't listen to me!"

She shook her head. "Then why'd you let her try to kill him? Why'd you help her?"

He groaned. "She… she brainwashed me… She said Eddie wasn't happy anyway. That he wanted to follow his friend. She told me if I loved him then we needed to do it. So that the troupe couldn't force him into a miserable halflife." He looked down. "I love my son. Please, believe me."

"Why should I?" She asked.

"Because nobody else does," the man wept. "I wish I could take it all back. But I can't. My wife betrayed me. She tried to kill our son and she betrayed me. My son won't speak to me. All I have left is my mother. Where is she?"

For a moment, Porsha remembered insisting to everyone that her father loved her. And she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "She didn't want us to tell you… but… she…"

The wolfette didn't need to finish. Her expression told him all he needed to know. His face fell and he took a deep breath. "When?"

"Sunday, March 13th…" she reached out to him, placing a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "I know it sucks. We loved her too. She was the grandma I never had."

The ram wept softly for several minutes. "I am such a fool. Adelaide never loved either of us. She never wanted Eddie. Nana pushed us to have a child. I loved him the moment I held him in my arms. But Adelaide only saw him as an obstacle to her freedom." He wasn't prepared for the girl to pull him into a comforting hug.

"It's hard losing a parent. It's particularly hard… you kind of already lost them before you lost them, you know?" She rubbed his back the way Big Daddy did.

He cried for several minutes before getting control. "I don't know what to do. I've lost everything and everyone. I would give anything to have her back. To say how sorry I am for being such a horrible son."

She sighed. "I know how you feel. I'd give anything to have my dad back." She sighed. "I love Big Daddy. He's everything I wish I'd had growing up. But I still miss my daddy. I thought I was a bad daughter. I was spoiled and selfish and it was my fault. But that's not true. I wasn't a bad daughter. It's not my fault. And…" she swallowed. "You're not a horrible son. I think your wife was a bitch… but you're not a horrible son. You obviously regret what you did and said." Porsha looked up as a shadow covered them. "I'm sorry…"

Marcus smiled. "For what?" He looked down at the graying sheep.

Frederick sat up straight. "Your… your daughter is very wise… Thank you for hearing my burden." He went to the door and stopped. "And thank you for telling me about my mother.

When he was gone, Porsha bit her lip. "I had to tell him. She was his mom."

Marcus sighed and nodded. "Yeah…" He wasn't completely onboard with keeping it secret either. He understood the why but it felt wrong. "I am so proud of you." He hugged her tightly.

The door opened and Pastor John came in carrying a few suitcases. "Good afternoon, Mr. Green."

Marcus smiled at the kindly rhino. "Good afternoon, Pastor John. Thank you to you and your congregation for this help. There was just no time for them to take anything with them."

"It is always a joy to help our fellow man or woman in whatever way we can. You helped by bravely getting them out. We will help by providing them with what they need to recover," John said. "May I meet with them?"

He nodded. "Follow me," Marcus turned and they went up the stairs.

AN: I think that's good. Moving things along. Next chapter: The troupe returns home. Johnny and Ryan get a call from Ms. Treble. Give me your favorite GIRL name that starts with N.