2 DAYS LATER:
Gobo waited by the hole that led to Outer Space for his uncle. Today was the day that Uncle Traveling Matt would meet his niece. Jessa got wrapped up in learning how to ride a peapod zoomer with Red, so she didn't go with Gobo. Of course, he hadn't told her that he was going to see him. Gobo saw this as an opportunity to surprise their uncle. He anticipated the look on his face when he saw her for the first time. He also anticipated Jessa's reaction to Traveling Matt. What would they say or think? How would this meeting go? Gobo hadn't had any time to ponder on it when Sprocket started barking.
"Sprocket, will you knock it off!" Doc shouted in frustration. "I'm trying to work here."
Sprocket turned around, buying Traveling Matt some time to safely go to his nephew.
"Gobo!" He shouted while running to him.
"Hey Uncle Matt. Long time no see."
Matt made it into the hole, and the two shared a hug before walking back to Fraggle Rock.
"So where's this niece of mine?"
"Red's teaching her how to ride a peapod zoomer. I didn't tell her that I was coming here today because I wanted to surprise you both."
"I hadn't realized how much time had passed since Lenny and Morrigan started dating. I guess too much time."
"Yeah, Jessa's in the same age group as the rest of us."
"To tell you the truth Gobo, I wasn't sure if I wanted to come back and meet Jessa."
"Oh? Why's that?"
"Lenny and I didn't exactly leave off on good terms. We argued about his relationship with Morrigan, and he went to the Shazzle Realm with her after finding out that she was pregnant. I wish I had been more supportive, but I wasn't. I regret the things I said to him. And now I can't properly apologize to my younger brother."
"I'm sure if Uncle Lenny were alive, he would probably forgive you."
"I'll give him this though, at least he was involved in Jessa's life. Most men leave their women after they find out that they're with child."
"Since when? Fraggles don't do that."
"Not fraggles, but some of the Silly Creatures unfortunately have no interest in raising children. It's a sad thing I've witnessed during my time in Outer Space."
"I don't have any children, but I can't imagine not raising them."
"I guess the Silly Creatures are less inclined to family matters."
"Sounds like it."
Red and Jessa were doing a series of tricks on their peapod zoomers while Mokey, Boober, and Wembley watched.
"Jessa's a fast learner," Mokey commented.
"Yeah, I didn't expect her to get the hang of it so soon," Boober replied.
But he was proud of her regardless. Boober took another bite of his Doozer stick while Jessa skated around some obstacles, impressing him and everyone else. Boober had insisted that they both wear a helmet and some knee and elbow pads, which annoyed Red. Jessa restyled her hair into a fishtail braid so the helmet would fit correctly on her head, and Jessa grinned when Boober complimented it and kissed her. Though she could have technically let her hair down, Jessa didn't want to have to brush out any tangles later.
"I bet you can't do this trick," Red called out from ahead.
"We'll see about that, Pigtails."
Jessa stopped her peapod zoomer to observe Red's maneuver. She skated off a ledge and flew through the air, but Red miscalculated her velocity and crashed into a rock. Or she would have if Jessa hadn't used her lava-bending to create a hole into said rock, allowing Red to go through and land safely. By that time, Gobo and Traveling Matt arrived.
"That's her over there," Gobo pointed out.
Matt glanced over at Jessa with her hand extended outward and her eyes red from using her fire-bending ability.
"I take it that she's an Inferno shazzle?"
"No, she can manipulate all 4 elements."
"I thought shazzles were only gifted one element at birth."
"Jessa will explain that to you later."
Red skated back to where Jessa was, though she was a bit frazzled from her sloppy landing.
"You really gotta work on her landing, Red," Jessa told her before taking off to do the same thing.
She executed the stunt perfectly, much to everyone's amazement.
"How long has Jessa been riding a peapod zoomer?" Matt inquired.
"Actually, she started today. Red wanted to teach her how."
Matt smiled at his niece, who had yet to notice him. Jessa skated back to where everyone was and removed her helmet.
"I could've done it like that," Red pouted.
"Uh-oh, piss poor sportsmanship already?" Jessa teased, earning a laugh from Gobo and Wembley.
"Hey! I'll have you know that I'm a team player."
Jessa finally noticed the man standing next to Gobo.
"Jessa," Gobo began. "I would like you to meet our uncle."
"Gobo, if I had known that you were going to go into Outer Space, I would have gone with you."
Everyone watched as Matt and Jessa scanned each other over, neither of them knowing what to do or say next.
"So you're the fraggle who explores?" Jessa began after a deafening silence.
"Yeah, I take it Gobo has educated you on my adventures?"
Jessa nodded. Before anyone else could do or say anything else, Matt hugged her, taking her by surprise.
"I have a niece!" He cried, to which everyone slowly smiled.
Gobo grinned, happy that the meeting went better than expected.
Jessa and her uncle were sitting in Boober's dining room, drinking the tea he had made for them before giving them privacy.
"So how long have you been here in Fraggle Rock?" Matt asked his niece.
"I forgot how long it's been, but this place beats the Shazzle Realm."
"So I've heard."
"You and dad used to be close?"
Matt turned away before replying.
"Yeah, we used to. But I wasn't exactly supportive of his relationship with your mother. I thought I was protecting Lenny, but it was my fault for never getting to know Morrigan as a person."
"Can't say that I blame you though. Other than my mom, shazzles aren't really worth your time."
"Why do you say that?"
"They weren't exactly gracious to me during my time there, and I left after my folks died."
"How did they die?"
Jessa shared the memory of Morrigan and Lenny dying in the Shazzle Realm with Uncle Matt, which he was disturbed and angered by. Not at her ability of memory sharing, but at the death of his brother and sister-in-law.
"In response to their murdering spree, I stole the Holy Shazzlin Sword out of spite," Jessa told him before summoning her sword to her.
"A strong weapon like that could obliterate an entire nation," he pointed out.
"Exactly, and if they don't have it, what good are they for anything else? And besides, I earned it after all the crap they put me through."
"I'm sorry to hear about your past Jessa. And if I had known about you sooner, I would've made things right with Lenny. Now I'll never get the chance to do that."
"If there was life after death, I'm sure he would forgive you."
"Yeah, fraggles aren't known for holding grudges."
"That's more of a shazzle thing."
Matt turned to Jessa curiously.
"Shazzles have something called Bloodlust. Whenever something traumatic happens and somebody is directly responsible, shazzles get Bloodlust and kill them. And it doesn't go away until that person is dead."
Jessa grabbed a nearby spoon and scraped off her dried-out tsundere berry juice to reveal her Bloodlust symbol.
"I got this when they killed my parents."
Matt had no idea that shazzles were capable of feeling trauma, much less any other emotion. But he knew better than to say it out loud, should he offend Jessa.
"What happened afterward? Did you bury their bodies?"
"No, I didn't get a chance to. By the time I regained consciousness, they were already burned to ashes. Burying them wasn't an option. I had no other purpose in the Shazzle Realm after that, so I made my exodus. I planned to keep going, but I got my first Bloodlust and came back. I got my revenge on a select few shazzles, but I didn't kill all of them."
Matt hummed, strangely unbothered by her story, which Jessa couldn't help but be baffled by.
"You're not running for your life?"
"Why should I? I'm an explorer. I've been to Outer Space and faced many obstacles. If I can do that, then I can accept that my niece is half-shazzle."
Jessa kept her face neutral, but her throat bobbed.
"I may not have been the best older brother, but I hope I can be a better uncle for you, Jessa."
"It's never too late to own up to your mistakes, I guess."
Matt could tell that this meant a lot to her. Despite her resting bitch face, he could see the emotion in Jessa's eyes.
"Can I confess something?" She asked.
Matt listened eagerly.
"I never understood why mom wanted us to live in the Shazzle Realm. When we could have just lived here, maybe I would be a different person, and you and dad wouldn't have such a strained relationship."
"In a different universe, that would have been the case. But life has a strange way of determining our fates."
"Ain't that the truth."
Jessa hadn't expected to get along with her uncle so well, but she wasn't complaining. Matt drank his tea before speaking again.
"I forgot how good Boober's tea is," he admitted. "I've been in Outer Space for so long I hadn't realized how much I missed it."
"Then maybe it's for the best that you returned."
Matt smiled at Jessa, who smiled back.
"You and Gobo are the only relatives I can stand to be around. I don't have much to do with the shazzle side of the family."
"What about Lenny and Morrigan?"
Jessa turned away and bit her lip.
"I love mom and dad, but I don't understand their way of thinking sometimes. It's complicated."
"I know where you're coming from, Jessa. Lenny was never the brightest fraggle. Whenever we traveled, I would be the one reading the maps while he ran around. But his company was still enjoyable."
Matt sighed sadly at the memories, and Jessa noticed.
"Too bad they don't have a resting place, then I could take you to them."
"Yeah."
A moment of silence passed between them before Matt spoke.
"So, Boober huh?"
"Can you blame me? He's adorable."
Though he would never say it out loud, Matt was amazed that somebody as weak-hearted as Boober would pursue a relationship with Jessa. Nevertheless, he was happy for them. Jessa smirked at the memory of her and Boober kissing at the summer solstice for the first time before changing the subject.
"What's it like in Outer Space?"
"Very strange," Matt replied while facing his niece. "Strange yet interesting. It's crazy to know that there is life outside of Fraggle Rock."
Jessa hummed flatly, but her expression otherwise showed interest. Matt began describing all the places he had been to, the people he encountered, etc. Neither of them had realized how much time had passed until Boober told them it was time for him to start supper.
"We won't hog your dining room anymore, babe," Jessa replied.
Boober blushed and smiled at his girlfriend before replying.
"You can still come back when I summon everyone to eat dinner," Boober teased before smooching the back of Jessa's hand, to which her tail wagged.
Before long, Jessa and her uncle were wandering around the Great Hall and having more small talk. It wasn't too loud, so they could hear each other just fine. Just as Matt was explaining how different constructions in Outer Space were from Doozer ones, they both ran into the Storyteller, who was elated to see her crush return from Outer Space.
"Matt, it's been forever and a day since I last saw you!"
Matt didn't even get a chance to greet her back before she glomped him. Jessa chuckled, reminded of when Sidebottom glomped her on the night of the summer solstice. That had been a while ago now. She then couldn't help but miss Sidebottom a little and wondered if Boober had found a way to keep him from taking over his body.
"I wish you wouldn't do that, as old as I am," Matt said to the Storyteller, who only remained hugging him.
"Aren't we all?" She asked him happily.
Remembering the Storyteller's crush on her uncle, Jessa excused herself and gave them plenty of privacy to catch up with one another, teleporting elsewhere.
Jessa was telling Gobo and Wembley about her time with Traveling Matt, which then ended up with them chatting about how the Storyteller glomped him.
"She did what?" Gobo asked, suppressing a laugh.
Jessa shared that memory with him, and Gobo couldn't help but laugh.
"I shouldn't laugh," he admitted despite doing so. "She could've broken his back or something."
Wembley asked about it, and Jessa also let him see the memory. He didn't laugh like Gobo did, but he liked seeing the Storyteller happy. Red and Mokey then came in to join the conversation, and Jessa told the girls everything. They hung out for an hour before Boober announced that dinner was complete.