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pines-troz · 4 years ago

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Weekend With The Warners Chapter Six - Animaniacs & Pinky and The Brain

Summary: When the CEO assigns Pinky and The Brain with the important task of watching over the Warners for the weekend, Brain is prepared for any antics that the children have in store. What he didn’t take into account was forming a familial bond with the kids.

Word Count: 10,710

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27849962/chapters/71433888

Pinky honored Brain’s request by resuming the planned family activities to occupy Yakko and Wakko. The mouse rode upon Wakko’s red cap as they neared the movie theater. His light blue eyes lit up the moment he saw the movie titles on the marquee along with the various movie posters displayed across the side of the building.

Everyone loved going to the movies! What could be a better way to spend an afternoon than to sit in a dark room with other strangers, munching on expensive snacks, and getting emotionally invested in a movie for two hours? He was especially looking forward to watching a movie about the Furbies! Pinky hoped that this family friendly-animated movie featuring the controversial 90s toys would follow the same beats as other recent animated movies from the past decade: A buddy road-trip journey with a surprise villain twist in the third act (which always shocked him every time!), and all the characters throwing a big dance party at the end to the tune of a contemporary pop song. Pinky would always get up on his feet and dance with the characters on the screen. While Brain would always shield his face at the sight of his enthusiasm, he had a strong feeling that Yakko and Wakko would be more than happy to dance with him before the credits rolled.

Oh, he and the siblings were going to have such a fun-fun silly-willy time!

Wakko carried Pinky on top of their red hat, zooming around the front of the theater like an airplane. With their tongue lolled out, he blew a raspberry to imitate the sound of a plane soaring through the air. He was eager to go to the movies with Yakko and Dad. Even though it would have been better if Dot and Dadoo accompanied them, Wakko learned from their wisened experiences as a middle child that he couldn’t get what he always wanted and had to accept compromise. But he was willing to make the most out of the afternoon for Dot’s sake. Looking on the bright side of things, the middle child was eager to lounge in the comfy leather reclinable chair while chowing down on the various snacks. Buttered popcorn, cheesy nachos, hot dogs, candies, and a large cup of Abyss Boy soda! But he’ll remember not to consume the entire soda all at once. The last thing he wanted was to have another potty emergency on their hands. Regardless, Wakko couldn’t wait to satisfy their appetite for movie theater food!

Yakko cautiously trailed behind Wakko and Pinky, masking his worry with a small smile. The normally laid-back smart aleck was glum over Dot’s health. Of course, part of being a responsible older brother was being the main caregiver for his siblings’ needs. And Yakko took pride in tending to Wakko and Dots’ needs, especially if they felt under the weather. The eldest Warner couldn’t shake off the bewildering fact that Dot was being cared for by a good friend, who successfully proved himself to be a competent caretaker, while he and Wakko walked about as if nothing happened. If his sister wasn’t so insistent on going to the movies for her sake, then he would be back at the hotel room tending to her needs like the caring sibling he was. But as a responsible older brother, Yakko kept his word. But going to the movies just wouldn’t be the same without her. He missed having his nacho buddy right by his side.

The eldest Warner was pulled out of his thoughts the moment he felt his phone vibrate. He fished his phone from his pocket and he noticed the reassuring text message from Brain.

I commend your concern for your younger sister. Dot is taking a much-needed nap at the moment and she will be okay. : )

Yakko softly smiled at the good news. He was thankful for the mouse’s swift response as well as the contents of the message. “Dot’s fine under Brain’s care…” He reminded himself. He looked over at Wakko and Pinky, who seemed to make the most of their situation as they conversed in their typical eager fashion, almost as if nothing had gone wrong.

“I’m gonna buy so many snacks!” Wakko exclaimed, flapping their arms excitedly.

“Troz! And I’ll get to swim in the bucket of popcorn!” Pinky added with an equal amount of enthusiasm.

Yakko tried to conceal his concern with a small smile and a chuckle. “Yeah, it’s gonna be fun!” He lied with convincing enthusiasm.

However, Pinky managed to catch a glimpse of sadness behind the Warner Brother’s eyes. His big goofy smile faltered. The idea that Yakko was trying to hide something that was hurting him made Pinky’s tummy feel all tight, but not in a good way. But Pinky was determined to alleviate the teen’s woes.

“Is something wrong, Yakko?” The tall mouse asked concernedly.

Yakko gave a surprised expression before shrugging it off. “Oh, it’s nothing,” The teen replied, trying to sound as casual as possible.

Pinky pondered for a moment. He took his paw and rubbed the bottom of his chin as he thought, but snapped his fingers as he figured it out. “Well, I don’t know how to get rid of the nothing that’s bothering you, but I’m sure that the movie might take your mind off of it. Narf!” He explained optimistically.

Yakko looked at the mouse who took his problems quite literally and shook his head.

“No no no,” The oldest Warner dismissed while waving his arms. He looked back at Pinky, who cocked his head sideways and stared back at him with concern pooling from his blue eyes. There was something in the mouse’s eyes that compelled Yakko to tell the truth. “Well, it’s just that it feels wrong to go to the movies without Dot, ya know?” He confessed.

Pinky and Wakko gazed concernedly at Yakko, who continued to speak up. “I mean, who else am I gonna share my tray of nachos with?”

Wakko wordlessly raised their hand, but Yakko stared at them with skeptical eyes and crossed his arms. “Wakko, you’ll just consume the entire tray.” He interjected with a deadpan expression.

“Yeah, you’re probably right...” Wakko glumly admitted as he lowered their hand.

“And I don’t feel like I should be watching a movie when I should be back at the hotel taking care of my little sis.” The eldest Warner mentioned.

Pinky’s eyes widened. “So that's what Yakko was worried about!” He pondered to himself. Even though Dot’s absence was sorely felt by the three of them, it wasn’t the end of the world because Brain was currently tending to her every need. The lanky mouse knew how to comfort Yakko.

“We all miss Dot, but you don’t have to worry because Brain’s taking great care of her!” Pinky reminded him with a reassuring smile. “And I would know since he always takes great care of me!”

“He does?” Wakko asked curiously, tilting his head like an adorable puppy.

“Of course! Brain always makes me thimbles of nice hot tea whenever I get sick and patches me up whenever I get the owies after a failed plan to take over the world! Zort!” The mouse confidently explained. “And if Brain can take great care of me, he’ll take great care of Dot!”

Wakko believed in Pinky’s word. While he felt bad for Dot, he knew that their sister was in good hands. The middle child turned to face their older brother. “See, Dot’s gonna be fine!” He emphasized. “And besides, she commanded you to have fun just before we left the hotel room!”

“Yeah, I know…” Yakko muttered, rubbing the back of his head.

“Don’t you trust Brain?” Pinky softly inquired.

Yakko was surprised by the mouse’s question. “Of course I do! I wasn’t implying that I didn’t. It’s just…” The eldest Warner stared at Pinky, whose blue eyes seemed to pierce his very soul, prompting him to demolish the barriers he built around his emotions. “Well, it’s really hard to ignore my big brother instincts, ya know?” He finally confessed. “Not to mention how weird it is to have someone else do my job.”

Wakko walked over to their older brother and gave him a sympathetic pat on the back. “But Pinky and The Brain have been taking care of us all weekend! They take us out for food, tell us bedtime stories, and give us goodnight kisses,” He reminded their older brother, with Pinky silently nodding. “They’re our dads, remember?”

“Dads?” Yakko quizzically repeated with a surprised look on his face.

Wakko’s face contorted into a worrisome frown. He thought that Yakko would already be on board with the mice becoming their parents, but apparently, that was not the case. “Well yeah.

Didn’t you hear me say ‘goodnight mouse dads’ last night?”

“No, he was fast asleep when you said that,” Pinky told the middle child.

Yakko stared at his sibling with a befuddled expression. In any other circumstance, Wakko would only use the words like ‘dad’ or ‘dadoo’ when he was messing with their special friend of the week. But there was an undeniable sincerity in Wakko’s voice when he referred to the mice as their parents. And considering how well the rodents have been taking care of them, the thought of them being parents was a nice idea. Pinky would always dote on him and his siblings and be incredibly supportive of them. Plus having constant praise and validation from the silly mouse is exactly what Yakko needed to combat his anxiety and self-worth issues. And despite his grumpiness and stern nature, Brain proved to be an excellent caretaker. The big-headed mouse was incredibly protective of him and his siblings and even humored them by indulging in their childish requests. Both mice were a pleasure to be around and they were decent guardians who looked out for them and deeply cared about them. They seemed like the perfect parents to have.

But Yakko felt his big brother instincts and anxiety nagging at him. He was taking good care of his sibs for decades without any intervention from any adults from the outside world. He was the sole caretaker of his siblings when the human adults at the Warner Bros. Studio thought they were too dangerous to be allowed in society and locked them away in the water tower like dogs at the pound. Even though Yakko admittedly believed that he could have benefitted from positive adult figures during those years in captivity, he managed to pull it off on his own. Taking care of his sibs was one of the things he was great at!

Now that Wakko adopted Pinky and Brain as their dads, Yakko feared that the mice would usurp his role as caretaker and would be rendered useless. What kind of big brother would he be if his role of nurturing provider, the one job he took the most pride in, was taken from him?

“Come on Wakko, don’t be ridiculous. You can’t just start referring to our friends as our parents.” Yakko scoffed as he circled his right hand in the air.

But Wakko took offense to their brother’s statement. “What’s his deal?” He thought as he gritted their teeth and flashed their fangs.

Wakko felt their eyes start to water as he curled their hands into fists and stomped on the ground. “Is that any way to talk to your dad!” Wakko shouted, gesturing towards Pinky.

Yakko was taken aback when he saw the tears forming in the corners of Wakko’s eyes. He didn’t mean to hurt their feelings. “Wakko-”

But before he could say anything else, Pinky interceded when he hopped down from Wakko’s hat and stood between the siblings. “Stop the fighting, please!” He pleaded with his watery blue eyes. “My heart breaks at the sight of sibling rivalries!”

Yakko looked at the buck-toothed mouse, overwhelmed with guilt. They were supposed to be having a fun time at the movies on Dot’s behalf, but the only things he accomplished were quarreling with Wakko and making Pinky cry. “Well, this is just great,”

The eldest Warner released a heavy sigh, shoved his hands in his pocket, and walked away from his sibling and mousey guardian. He slumped onto the bench and placed his head in his hands. Taking deep breaths, he dwelled over the scuffle. Sure he would eventually patch things up with Wakko, but he thought about Pinky. That poor innocent bundle of joy who loved almost everyone and everything in this world. And he made the little guy cry his little heart out. Yakko assumed that it would take a while longer for the mouse to forgive him after what he did.

“Poit!” Pinky softly spoke up. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

Yakko lifted his head to find Pinky sitting on Wakko’s red hat. The two looked at him with worried expressions on their faces. Perhaps now was the time to set things right.

Yakko thought about what he wanted to say, took a deep breath, and exhaled. “I’m sorry for hurting your feelings, fellas.” He ruefully apologized. He took a moment to gather his courage before confessing one of his biggest fears. “It’s just that...well, I’m used to taking care of my sibs.”

Wakko wordlessly nodded in understanding. He remembered all the times Yakko took great strides to make sure he and Dot were provided for when they were stuck in the water tower and afterward. Making them meals, entertaining them with his jokes, schooling them with his educational songs, and telling stories before bedtime. Wakko knew that Yakko took a lot of pride in his role as the responsible eldest sibling.

Yakko looked at his sibling and the tall mouse as he continued to speak. “And while I trust Brain to watch over Dot, I never had anyone else take care of her in my place before. And I can’t help but feel so…” He struggled to get the word out from his throat, but managed to let out a defeated sigh.

“useless…”

Wakko stared at their brother with somber eyes. He could relate to feeling left out. Especially since his U.S. Capital's Song or The Great Wakkorotti didn’t stack up against Yakko’s Nations of the World or Dot’s Poetry Corner. The last thing he wanted was for their older brother to feel the same way.

“Now that’s just not true,” He thought determinedly. Yakko was many things: funny, talkative, boisterous, clever, sometimes annoying, charismatic, and musically-inclined. But never in all of his years did Wakko describe their older brother as useless. Far from it! Yakko simply needed to be reminded of how important he was.

Wakko sprinted over to Yakko and catapulted himself onto the bench. With open arms, he gave their brother the biggest hug possible. Yakko felt his eyes start to water as he was immersed in his sibling’s warm and affectionate embrace.

“You’re not useless, big brother,” The middle child assured as he gently rubbed their right hand up and down their brother’s back. “You’re one of the best people I know!”

Yakko blinked away the tears as he heard his sibling’s adamant praise.

“And besides, who else can come up with catchy songs about the universe or multiplication?” Wakko added with a playful smile.

Yakko let out a hearty chuckle. Touched by Wakko’s sincerity, he wrapped his arms around his sibling, pulling them close. “Aw, thanks baby sib.”

“Anytime, bro,” Wakko replied, giving him a couple of pats on the back.

Pinky was still perched on Wakko’s hat, watching the loving moment play out through tearful eyes. Their reconciliation played out just like those Hallmark Movie Channel films where the leads made up after their third-act breakup and gave each other warm hugs. But instead of conventionally attractive white couples, it was two toon siblings who fiercely loved in that strong familial way, which was a hundred times better! Oh, how he loved seeing family members make amends!

When the siblings slowly released themselves from the hug, Pinky hopped down and went over to Yakko’s knee to let him know just how special he was. “Feeling better, love?” The mouse kindly inquired while gently patting his knee.

Yakko looked at Pinky, who was comforting him like a parent soothing their child. The eldest Warner focused on the mouse’s soft blue eyes. There was not a single trace of malice or anger to be found. Only pure, unconditional love radiated from those eyes.

After spending decades locked away in the water tower and ignored by the workers in the studio lot, all Yakko ever wanted was attention. He craved any type of reaction from other people, whether it be good or bad. He could make people laugh or irritate them past their limits. Just as long as he received some sort of response, he was content. But as Yakko continued to stare into Pinky’s gentle eyes, he was reminded that the best type of attention was love. Not the romantic type or the adoration from viewers, but familial love. Yakko forged a strong brotherly affection for Wakko and Dot, who equally loved their big bro. Perhaps, he was willing to allow Pinky, and even Brain, to love him and his siblings like the good parents they set themselves up to be.

“Yeah, I’m feeling better now,” He assured the mouse. But there was something else nagging at him that he wanted to address. “But there’s something I gotta ask you, Pinky. Do you see yourself as our dad?”

Pinky did not hesitate to answer. “I do, but I could be your mum if that makes you more comfortable!”

Yakko softly chuckled. “I really appreciate you looking out for us, but I need some time to really think about this.”

Pinky gave the teen a gentle smile as he patted his knee once more. “Poit! That’s alright, take all the time that you need.”

With a sigh of relief, Yakko was grateful that Pinky didn’t try to rush things through and respected his feelings. If the rest of the weekend went by this smoothly, maybe he would have no issue with referring to the mice as his new dads.

Wakko looked at the two and decided to change the subject. “You know what, I don’t feel like going to the movies either.”

Yakko was surprised by what he just heard. “You don’t?”

“Sure! If you don’t wanna go to the movies, then neither do I.” He affirmed.

“Are you sure?” Yakko asked. He didn’t want to make Wakko feel like he had to make a sacrifice for his sake.

Wakko gave a confident nod. “We can always go to the movies some other time.” He insisted. “And as a middle child, I’m used to making compromises.”

The eldest Warner was relieved by his sibling’s astute answer and playfully ruffled their red cap. But with the movies now crossed off their planned schedule, he was uncertain of what he, Wakko, and Pinky should do to pass the time. “Now the only question left is what ways could we have fun outside of the hotel room?” Yakko pondered aloud. He brought himself into a thinking pose, propping his elbow onto his arm which was draped across his lap, and scratching his chin. Wakko sat down next to their brother and immediately copied his pose.

Pinky pondered as well. Deep in his thoughts, he looked at Yakko and Wakko, who fused into a rocket ship and opened up the ship’s hatch. Pinky immediately hopped inside to find Yakko and Wakko dressed in Star Trek uniforms. The lanky mouse looked down to find himself wearing a fetching red dress uniform from the original series. Yakko pressed a red button and they blasted off the bench and zoomed through the city skyline. Inside the ship, Pinky noticed a big sack full of toys and goodies. The ship crashed through a window, landing in the hotel room. Dot was dressed in an elegant nightgown and a purple fluffy boa draped over her shoulders while Brain, who now had long blonde hair, was dressed in a buttoned-down white satin shirt and black leather pants. The chubby mouse bit on a red rose as he read his book on world history. Dot and Brain were shocked by the sight of the rocket ship. The hatch opened, and the giant bag was pushed through the door and landed in the middle of the room. Yakko, Wakko, and Pinky emerged from the spacecraft and opened up the sack full of goodies. The Warners played with the various toys and games while Brain seductively winked at Pinky and tossed the rose. Pinky managed to catch it with his tail and blushed at his partner’s romantic gesture. Brain immediately wrapped his arm around Pinky’s waist and pulled him in for a sweeping kiss.

Pinky sighed as he was brought back to the real world. He had the most splendid idea and he couldn’t wait to share it with the Warners.

“Who says that we could only have fun outside?” The lanky mouse asked.

Wakko gave the mouse an incredulous look. “What do you mean?”

“Maybe we could bring all the fun inside the hotel room instead!” Pinky exclaimed.

Yakko and Wakko thought this through and grinned at the suggestion of bringing the fun back to the hotel room and including Dot and Brain in their activities. After all, she only wanted Yakko and Wakko to have fun but didn’t specify where they could have fun.

“That’s brilliant Pinky!” Yakko complimented. “Maybe we could do some fun arts and crafts projects!”

“Or play board games! And buy lots of snacks!” Wakko eagerly added.

“Or purple: all of the above!” Pinky cheered.

The three of them bounced off of the bench, excited to bring some much-needed fun to Dot and Brain. Pinky tugged at Wakko’s sweater sleeve, prompting the middle child to place the mouse back on top of their cap.

“We could go to the mall and purchase some supplies for today’s activities!” Pinky explained as he pulled out the gold credit card from his pocket.

“Well let’s hop to it!” Yakko declared. He broke off into a sprint, with Wakko running on all fours to keep up with their brother’s pace. Pinky laughed joyfully as he held onto the middle child’s red hat.

- - - - -

Back in the hotel room, Brain was silently reading Heidi while Dot was fast asleep in the other bed. The smaller mouse took another glimpse at the snoozing Warner sister. He had to admit that she was quite adorable. Hopefully, the girl would be on the mend by the time she woke up.

The small mouse let out a blissful sigh. After dealing with the hectic antics of the boisterous Warner siblings, it was nice to have a moment of peace and quiet. Perhaps this was the perfect opportunity to develop a brilliant plan for world domination!

Brain closed his book and quickly retrieved his journal and pens from his pocket. He was determined to devise a fool-proof scheme just in case his previously crafted giant robot plan backfired. Now the question was what could he do? Cradling the pen in his hands, he began to ponder the many ways he could ascend to power.

Create a mind-control app? Start a pop culture-themed podcast and send out subliminal messages during the ad-breaks? Start a TikTok trend that encourages participants to obey him? Blackmail Elon Musk? Promote an enticing convention and swindle money from con attendees? Stage an elaborate heist in the Mar-a-Lago Club? Build a drone to harass the politicians in Washington D.C.?

Oh, the possibilities were endless!

But his ears twitched upwards when he heard the door open. Pinky, Yakko, and Wakko returned to the hotel room, each carrying multiple bulk plastic bags filled with who knows what. As the three entered, Brain immediately shushed them, placing his index finger close to his mouth. Once he got their attention, he gestured towards Dot.

“Right-o!” Pinky whispered, giving his partner a thumbs up. Yakko and Wakko immediately did what they were told and tip-toed quietly into the room.

Yakko looked over at his sister, slept serenely in bed. He was quick to notice her chest rising and falling with each breath she took. Overcome with relief, the eldest Warner smiled. Dot was okay.

He looked over at Brain, who was putting away his novel and felt a pang of guilt for doubting him.

“Hey Brain,” Yakko addressed the big-headed mouse. “Thanks for watching over Dot.”

Brain smiled at the Warner brother. “You’re welcome.” He said. “And judging from your text, it’s quite obvious how lucky she is to have older siblings who love her dearly.”

Yakko smiled back, feeling touched by the praise. Wakko carefully patted his back.

“Hi, Dadoo!” Wakko happily greeted Brain.

The smaller mouse tilted his head in confusion at first. But then he remembered Wakko referring to him and Pinky as their dads last night and assumed that dadoo was just a unique term of endearment. “Greetings Wakko.” Brain replied with a small wave. “So how was the movie?”

“Oh, we didn’t go to the movies,” Wakko answered.

“You didn’t?” Brain inquired. “Then where pray tell, did you three go?”

“We just came back from the mall,” Pinky reported. “Yakko and Wakko came up with these fun ideas of activities we could do instead, so we all decided to have a fun-fun, silly-willy day in the hotel room!”

“We figured that we’ll take it easy for today,” Yakko said.

Yakko and Wakko took out some of the contents from the bags, such as materials for arts and crafts, Jenga, Connect Four, and Chutes and Ladders. Pinky also took out a few items from the bag.

Pinky brought a few packages for Brain. “Here, I bought these just for you. Troz!”

Brain opened up the bag to find over a dozen packages of doll clothes. The mouse marveled at various suit jackets, coats, sweaters, pants, and royal outfits Pinky purchased for him. His beau remembered his fashion preferences and he couldn’t help but smile.

“I remembered what you said about making as many extrapolate purchases as possible. So that’s what I did!” The taller mouse explained.

Brain was so flattered by Pinky’s memory that he didn’t even bother to correct his poor vocabulary. “Why Pinky, I’m touched by this kind gesture.” He said graciously.

“Aww Brain,” Pinky cooed.

“I’m going to get started on my next graphic novel!” Wakko declared as he took out one of their library books from the book bag.

Yakko also retrieved his book on European architecture from the bag and sat cross-legged on the ground. He took one of the bags and dumped out its contents. Packages of popsicle sticks and various bottles of glue sprawled across the floor. The teen opened up the package and carefully took out the popsicle sticks and began assembling his latest crafts project.

Brain couldn’t help but notice the eldest Warner’s determined look as he began gluing the popsicle sticks in a large circle while using his library book as a reference. The mouse was fascinated by this development and walked over to the teen. “So, uh what are you up to?” The pudgy mouse politely asked.

“Oh, I’m building a popsicle stick model of The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris.” Yakko casually explained. “I read about it in my library book on European architecture.”

“Ah, le Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre.” Brain blissfully sighed. The mouse was impressed with the oldest Warner’s excitement for recreating the iconic church. “Would you like any assistance?”

“Sure!” Yakko answered enthusiastically.

The mouse was pleased with the thought of being included in a wholesome crafts project. Brain took out a few popsicle sticks and collaborated with the Warner brother in companionable silence.

As they built their model cathedral constructed from popsicle sticks, Yakko continued to muse over the idea of the mice becoming new additions to their little family. Pinky constantly doting on them, showering them with praise and gifts.

Brain, on the other hand, was a grump who could be stern at times but was ultimately a softie who had their best interests in mind. Yakko loved to tease the serious mouse whenever he had the opportunity, but he also loved to share his educational pursuits with him, knowing that the intellectual would appreciate it.

He also took Pinky and Brain’s short stature into consideration. Since they were small mice, Yakko and his sibs could cause as much chaos as possible and they would have some challenges keeping up with their silly antics.

There was a lot of untapped potential in allowing the rodents into their everyday lives, and Yakko couldn’t help but ponder the possibilities.

But the teen lost his train of thought when he heard a soft mumbling from the bed. Wakko, Pinky, and Brain also stopped what they were doing and turned their attention towards Dot, who roused from her sleep. Stretching her arms, the Warner sister fluttered her eyes and slowly got up into a sitting position on the bed.

Yakko was the first to notice his sister getting up and smiled. “Great to have you back, Lazarus.” He joked. Dot couldn’t help but snicker at her brother’s quip. Yakko decided to ask a more serious question. “You feeling better sis?”

“Yeah.” She answered. “How long was I asleep?”

“About a couple of weeks, give or take,” Pinky answered with a shrug.

“Pinky!” Brain berated his partner. He then turned his attention to the girl. “You’ve been asleep for a couple of hours.”

Dot nodded as she carefully adjusted to a sitting position on the bed. “Thanks for helping me, Brain.”

The smaller mouse smiled humbly. “You’re welcome.”

“Oh Dot, I’ve got you something from the store!” Pinky crowed. He sprinted towards one of the bags and took out a plastic box containing a family of Calico Critters. Lifting the package over his head, he raced to the girl’s bedside.

Dot’s eyes twinkled as she eagerly took the package. She inspected the small bunny family dressed in their finest countryside attire. While Dot prided herself on being an intelligent young woman, she didn’t have it in her to hide away her interests in soft toys and plushies.

“Oh thank you Pinky! You’re the best!” She exclaimed as she scooped Pinky up and nuzzled her cheek against his face.

The smaller mouse laughed and let out a “Troz!” as he was smothered with affection.

Wakko contentedly sighed as he closed the graphic novel. The middle child got up to place the book back into the book bag. “I should get back to work on my latest artistic masterpiece!” He declared as he rummaged through their pocket. But the drawing wasn’t there.

He rushed over to the book bag and dumped out all the books, hoping that their drawing would fly out. Only a dozen books plummeted onto the floor. Wakko scrambled through the library books in search of their precious illustration but to no avail.

Yakko and Brain paused their popsicle stick construction when they noticed a distressed Wakko desperately looking for something important.

“What’s wrong, Wakko?” Yakko asked concernedly.

“My drawing!” Wakko warbled as tears started pouring down their cheeks. “I must have left it back at the library!”

Brain got up and carefully approached the worried Warner sibling. “Now now, it’s not the end of the world, Wakko. You can make another drawing here.” He soothed. Providing words of comfort wasn’t one of his strong suits, but he was trying his best.

“But it’s very important to me!” The middle child trembled as the waterfall of tears continued to fall.

Brain felt something stirring deep inside him. Seeing Wakko reduced to tears over his missing illustration brought up the painful memory of Pinky sobbing uncontrollably when he forgot to send his letter to Santa. The mouse learned not to brush aside Pinky’s own wants as trivial and he would not do the same for the middle Warner sibling.

With his tiny pink paws, Brain gently patted the child’s foot. “Dry your tears Wakko, we’ll retrieve your picture from the library before closing time.”

“You will?” Wakko grinned at the mouse despite the tears that streaked their face. Brain replied with a confident nod.

The smaller mouse retrieved his smartphone from his pocket and tapped his Google app. He typed the name of the library in the search bar and hit the magnifying glass button. He immediately found the results and looked over at the library information on the right-hand side, searching for the weekend hours of availability. The library closes at 5:00 PM. He looked over at the time on the top left-hand corner of the phone. It was now 4:45 PM.

Brain looked over at Wakko with sheer determination. “Come along, Wakko. We’ll make it to the library faster if we take my human suit.”

The chubby mouse sprinted over towards his robot, swiftly climbed up the suit, and hopped inside the driver’s seat. Yanking the control levers, he swiftly grabbed Wakko and made their way out of the hotel room. The mouse ran over to the elevator and saw the doors about to close. Brain managed to place his foot on the divider, stopping the doors from closing. Once he got inside, Brain pressed the rooftop button.

“But aren’t we going to the library?” Wakko asked worriedly.

“We are Wakko, we won’t be walking or taking a cab.” Brain answered with fierce determination.

“But I will promise you that we will arrive at the library before closing time.” He guaranteed.

Once the elevator doors opened, Brain began to sprint towards the center of the rooftop patio. “Hold on to your hat!” He commanded, and the middle child firmly guarded their red cap with one hand.

Pressing the red button in the controls, Brain ignited the jet-powered boosters on his shoes and he took off from the rooftop and ascended above the hotel. Brain carefully steered the controls as he flew across the city skyline, careful to keep Wakko secure in his arms.

Wakko kept a strong grip over their hat as their eyes wandered down to the ground. He looked over to The Brain, who kept a determined stare as he searched for the public library. Wakko stuck out their tongue and let out an enthusiastic cheer.

“Wooooo!!!” Wakko joyfully shouted. Many onlookers in the city streets turned their attention to the strange robotic suit carrying the eager toon. Not the most unusual thing spotted in Los Angeles on a Saturday afternoon.

Brain spotted the library gardens and swiftly descended towards his destination. Jerking the controls, Brain landed near the library entrance in a superhero pose. Wakko released himself from Brain’s hold and ran into the library.

Upon remembering the no-running policy, Wakko sped-walked over to the children’s section. Once he burst through the entrance of the kid-friendly area, Wakko picked up the pace. He spotted the drawing tables but was sullen to find them bare, save for the box of colored pencils.

“Oh no!” Wakko gasped. Someone must have stolen his artwork! While he didn’t have the same detective skills as Hercule Yakko, he was determined to get to the bottom of this!

“Can I help you?” A kind voice asked. Wakko turned around to find the nice librarian he met this morning. Maybe she can help him solve the case!

“Excuse me Miss Librarian, I left my important drawing on the table earlier, and now it’s gone!” Wakko nervously explained while rocking on their heels in anticipation.

The librarian sympathetically looked at the child before remembering. “Oh, that’s because I saved it!”

“Really!?” Wakko exclaimed.

“Yep,” The librarian confirmed as she opened up the drawer and took out the illustration. “Normally we recycle any pictures that are left behind, but I thought that this picture was too good to be tossed out. Plus I figured that you and your family would have come back for it anyway.”

The librarian gave the picture back to Wakko, who quickly retrieved it. The middle child gazed at the drawing with tears of joy.

“Reunited and it feels so good!” He cheered while clutching the picture to their chest. “Thank you very much, Miss Librarian!”

“Your welcome.” The librarian kindly replied.

Wakko waved at her as he made their bouncy exit from the children’s section. By the time he exited the children’s section, he found Brain awkwardly waiting by the circulation desk.

“Found it!” He proclaimed as he showed the mouse the back of the picture.

“That’s wonderful.” Brain sighed in relief. “May I see your illustration?”

“I’m not finished with my drawing yet. But I promise I’ll show you when it’s done.” Wakko said as he stuffed the picture in their shirt. “Scout’s honor!”

“Very well. Let’s make our way back to the hotel.” Brain said as he held Wakko’s hand. Once the two made their way out of the library, Wakko tugged at the robotic arm hard enough to gain Brain’s attention.

“Hey Dadoo, can we fly again?” Wakko eagerly asked, bouncing up and down.

“I would prefer if we walked.” Brain answered hesitantly.

“Awww,” Wakko groaned in defeat.

“Come now, walking has its benefits.” Brain reassured the middle child, but they still looked down at the sidewalk, kicking a stone pebble out of frustration. The mouse furrowed his brow as he pondered. Certainly, the best way to please Wakko was to please their appetite.

Brain gently squeezed Wakko’s hand, causing the Warner sibling to look up at the big-headed mouse. “I know of a wonderful designer donut shop where we can pick up two boxes of confectioneries to share with the others.”

Wakko’s eyes widened with joy, eager to visit his favorite donut shop once again. “Yay!” The middle child chirped before leaping into Brain’s arms. The mouse was caught unaware by Wakko’s sudden gesture of love but welcomed it nonetheless.

- - - - -

Back at the hotel room, Yakko, Dot, and Pinky were playing an intense game of Jenga. Pinky inspected the unsteady tower, searching for the perfect block to remove. The mouse found a loose piece. He yanked it out in one swift motion, but the tower soon collapsed on him.

Dot put a hand over her mouth as she saw the poor mouse toppled by the Jenga blocks. Yakko couldn’t help but laugh at the tower’s sudden destruction, but the Warner sister swiftly elbowed him.

Fortunately, Pinky popped out of the pile with a hearty laugh. “Oh, that was so much fun! Narf!”

“Let’s play another round!” Yakko declared as he gathered a handful of Jenga blocks. He began to assemble the tower when the door clicked open. He, Dot and Pinky turned their heads to see Brain entering the room, carrying Wakko in one arm (whose face was covered with strawberry frosting and rainbow sprinkles) and two boxes of donuts in the other.

“Hi fellas!” Wakko greeted with a wave.

“Hey, Wakko!” Dot called back. The middle child was relieved to know that their little sister looked much healthier and seemed to be on the mend.

“Did you find your drawing?” Yakko asked his sibling. “Yup!” Wakko cheered as he jumped out of Brain’s grasp and onto the floor. “And we also found donuts!” He swiftly took the two boxes and opened one of them, showcasing eleven donuts.

Pinky trotted over to the box and gazed at the many different flavors. “I’ve never seen so many donuts like this in my life!”

“Oh, they’re the best!” Wakko exclaimed as he was about to list off the various donuts. “There’s brie, white cheddar, chicken noodle soup, buffalo chicken, seafood salad, avocado, macaroon, bacon, ranch dressing, and macaroni and cheese!”

“Ooh, so many choices! Zort!” Pinky exclaimed. “But I’ll have the macaroni and cheese donut please!” Wakko happily handed the donut over to Pinky who eagerly accepted the unusual treat.

Brain retrieved a handful of napkins from his suit pocket and offered them to the group. “Now let’s save the hotel cleaning staff the trouble and avoid making a colossal mess.”

“Okay Brain!” Pinky replied as he took a napkin. Yakko, Wakko, and Dot quickly grabbed some napkins from the robotic hand before grabbing their donuts of choice.

The chubby mouse placed the last two napkins on his bed before exiting the robotic suit. After landing on the mattress, he walked over to the box of donuts to inspect the bizarre donut flavors.

Before Wakko could eat his second donut, he noticed Brain having a difficult time selecting which flavor to indulge himself with. The middle child remembered how Brain offered his french fries the other night and decided to return the favor. He looked at their donut and split it in half.

“Here Dadoo, have some of my mashed potatoes with butter and gravy donut!” Wakko eagerly offered.

“That’s awfully kind of you Wakko, but I’m all set.” Brain declined. “I think I’ll have the brie donut instead.”

“Okay, suit yourself!” Wakko concluded. He threw the two halves of his donut in the air and caught them in their mouth. Wakko hummed contentedly as he felt the mashed potato, butter, and gravy melt in their mouth before swallowing.

“So Brain, what’s the dinner situation like?” Dot inquired as she cautiously took a small bit from her donut, careful about not upsetting her stomach again.

Brain pondered for a moment. Dot’s sudden illness threw a wrench in his plans to take the kids out to a fancy restaurant, throwing away another chance at having an elegant dining experience over the weekend while he could pay for it. But Brain was never one to dwell in defeat. He couldn’t change what he can’t control, but he could always adapt.

“Is anyone in the mood for room service?” Brain asked the group.

“Now we’re talking!” Yakko exclaimed.

The mouse hopped over to the nightstand and took out the pamphlet regarding the hotel’s room service. After everyone informed him of what they wanted, Brain picked up the telephone, punched in the numbers, and requested a lengthy dinner order: meatloaf and side vegetables for Yakko, roast beef and chicken for Wako, chicken noodle soup and caesar salad for Dot, garlic jumbo prawns and filet mignon for himself and a heaping bowl of mashed potatoes and pudding snacks for Pinky.

A half-hour later, their dinners arrived. The Warners sat down on the floor as they consumed their respective meals. Pinky dove into the potato as if it was a swimming pool. Brain was satisfied with his meal, thankful that the steamed carrots that came with his prawns were served al dente.

After dinner, The Warners plopped back onto the bed rather exhausted after a long day. Dot took the remote control and turned on the television. She searched through the hotel’s selected movies in search of something decent to sit through.

“The Sandlot was a bit of a let down in my opinion, so I’m gonna pick out tonight’s movie.” Dot drawled as she scanned through the various movie titles.

After a minute of scrolling past some bland-looking movies, she came across an unusual-looking movie poster. A picture of Brain wearing a brown toupee standing in a dramatic pose with his eyes closed beneath the bold text of the title: A Beautiful Brain.

Wakko and Dot ‘oohed’ and ‘awed’ at the screen. Yakko initially let out an amused snort but then he read that the movie was nominated for several Academy Awards, including Best Picture. A movie that was directed by and starred Brain somehow was in the running for Best Picture?

The Warners were wildly curious about the fact that Brain of all people was involved in such a prestigious movie.

“Okay, I have so many questions right now!” Yakko declared. “Were there no good movies out the year you made that movie?”

“What made you want to direct?” Dot asked with genuine intrigue.

“Can we watch this movie please?” Wakko begged.

Brain waved his hands in the air. “Now, calm down.” He ordered with an indignant frown. “To answer your inquiries, yes I acted, directed, and produced this piece of critically acclaimed Oscar bait, and, as you children would suspect, it was all part of an elaborate plan to take over the world.”

“By winning the hearts of critics and audiences everywhere?” Dot spoke up.

“Unfortunately, that wasn’t the main objective of my plan.”

“So what’s it about?” Wakko asked curiously with their tongue bouncing about.

“A Beautiful Brain follows the story of a once-promising gifted student who grows up to be a weary and cynical college professor who learns that his value in life extends beyond what he could provide with his superior intellect.” Brain explained.

“Oh, it’s such an emotional rush! I laughed, I cried, picked my nose when no one was looking!” Pinky eagerly added. “And it could have won Best Picture too, if it hadn’t been for…” The mouse’s smile contorted into a rueful frown as he remembered his blunder during his mission to secure Brain’s place as Best Picture winner so he could take over the world on Oscar night. “Me...”

Pinky tucked his legs in, wrapped his arms around his knees, and lowered his head on top of his kneecaps. Brain gave a sympathetic sigh and gently rubbed his partner’s back. “But all is well, dear Pinky.”

“What happened?” Yakko inquired.

“I was supposed to rig the ceremony by putting in Brain’s envelope in the winners’ pile, but I accidentally put in my no-bake cheesecake recipe in the envelope by mistake!” Pinky sadly recalled.

“And had I been announced the winner, I would have used my immobilization ray to kidnap the entire audience of Hollywood elites and force them to do my bidding.” Brain finished as he continued to caress Pinky’s back in a soothing manner. “But it’s best not to dwell on past failures.” The pudgy mouse reminded his partner.

“Can we still watch the movie?” Wakko asked anxiously.

The smaller mouse cringed at the question. Truthfully, he had not revisited the movie since it premiered in select theaters, and since they recounted their failed plan to the kids, he was not in the mood to watch his critically acclaimed vanity project.

“No, you kids wouldn’t enjoy it.” Brain insisted. “It’s a dreadfully long movie with too many conversational scenes and not enough action to keep your attention.”

“You’re right, that doesn’t sound very captivating at all,” Yakko remarked.

“Yes,” Brain said dryly, brushing aside the eldest Warner’s quip. “In all honesty, the movie makes The English Patient look like Mad Max: Fury Road.”

“Wait a minute, they made another of those movies?” Dot asked. Yakko and Wakko were equally surprised by this revelation. Apparently, they glossed over the most recent Mad Max movie in their Reboot It song.

“You haven’t seen Mad Max: Fury Road !?” Pinky and Brain shouted simultaneously. The Warners wordlessly shook their heads in unison. The mice looked at each other and knew that this needed to be remedied.

“Oh, it’s only one of the best movies in the history of history!” Pinky explained. “There are so many cars that go zoom-zoom-zoomie! Zort! And there’s a lot of emotional moments that make you feel all soft and gooshy!”

“Fury Road is a cinematic masterpiece that works on so many levels!” Brain added. “Brilliant action set-pieces, a major focus on visual storytelling with biting commentary on the brutality of war, and a magnificent exploration of feminism.”

“Feminism in my action movie!?” Dot gushed, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “Sign me up!”

“Alright, let’s see if we can find this movie anywhere,” Yakko said as he scrolled through the various movie titles until he found a colorful movie poster featuring a woman with a shaved head and a man in the front seat of a car.

“Oooh, so pretty,” Wakko awed. As he read the descriptor he noticed one huge obstacle. “Aw man, the movie is rated R...”

Brain hummed in response. “It appears that this movie is deemed inappropriate for children…” He drawled as he gazed at the Warners’ defeated expressions. But he laughed in response. “But we’re cool guardians, right Pinky?”

“Amen to that!” Pinky cheerfully responded.

“And if we’re going off by the date you were originally conceived in the Warner Brothers Animation Department, all three of you are technically over the age of seventeen and needn’t worry about this sort of issue.” Brain stated confidently.

Yakko and Wakko bounced up and down the bed in elation, linking their arms and doing a do-si-do. Dot went over and hugged the mice. “Yes! I can’t believe you two are gonna let us watch the adult action movie!”

“It would be a crime not to show this movie to you kids,” Brain chuckled.

“Yes! Best dads ever!” She declared as she hugged them close, their cheeks squishing together. Pinky savored the affection while Brain was stunned by the sudden gesture. Once they broke away, Dot carefully cradled the mice in her hands.

“But mark my words, I will watch your Oscar contender at some point, old man!” Dot added.

“Yes, yes, certainly.” Brain waved his hand in dismissal. “But for now, let us indulge in this beautifully crafted piece of action cinema.”

Dot gently carried the mice in her hands as she brought them over to the other bed. Yakko and Wakko landed on the bed and got into their movie-watching positions.

During the movie, Brain was surprised to learn that the Warners remained relatively still when watching the movie. Although Wakko did get up from time to time to act out the thrilling action scenes.

Brain was so invested in the movie that it took him a few minutes to realize that something soft and warm had wrapped around his broken, zig-zagged tail. He looked down to see Pinky’s tail intertwined with his. A gesture normally reserved for moments of intimate cuddling after a failed scheme to take over the world or a particularly grueling day of experiments at the lab. Regardless, Brain smiled at Pinky’s affectionate gesture.

The pudgy mouse looked over at the Warners and his partner before releasing a contented sigh. Even though they weren’t able to go to the movie theater together, they still managed to watch a movie from the comfort of the hotel room.

Once the credits rolled, the Warners applauded as Brain turned off the television set. Brain tried to get up but felt a sharp pain in his rear when he tried to move. He looked over at Pinky and noticed that their tails were still tangled together.

The color of Brain’s cheeks and tail tinted to a light shade of pink. “Pinky!” He alerted his partner, gesturing to their tails.

The taller mouse looked over at their tails and blushed at the sight of their intimate display. “Oh, sorry Brain,” Pinky replied with a sheepish smile. He slowly unraveled his tail, careful not to hurt his partner, and liberated his appendage.

Brain was ready to give a reprimanding speech to Pinky about showcasing such lewd activity in front of the children but was alerted when he felt a gloved finger gently patting his large head. The mouse turned to see the Warner sister batting her eyes and endearing him to her cuteness.

“Hey Brain, can you and Pinky tell us a story?” Dot asked. Wakko nodded enthusiastically with their tongue bouncing about.

“We would be delighted to, wouldn’t we Pinky?” Brain answered as he slyly glanced at his partner.

Pinky eagerly rushed over to his beau’s side, pulling him into a side hug. “We should tell the story of Rapunzel- no! We should act out the story of Rapunzel, Brain! With costumes and sets!” He suggested. The Warners were excited at the idea of the mice putting on a show for them.

“Sounds like an ambitious endeavor, but with enough ingenuity, we can pull it off.” Brain concurred. “Now, we just need to obtain materials for the set, some costumes, and a long wig for Rapunzel’s hair.”

“I’ve got some pieces of cardboard from the crafts store,” Yakko stated, pointing over to the small pile of art materials.

“Excellent!” Brain said with a confident grin.

“I have some Calico Critter clothes that would fit you both.” Dot added.

“Wonderful!” Pinky exclaimed, clasping his hands together.

“I’ve got some pisghetti for Rapunzel’s hair!” Wakko declared. He reached into their hammerspace and retrieved a handful of long, moist strands of thin spaghetti, which was covered with small specks of black fur.

Brain stared at the spaghetti and back at the middle child. “Wakko, I am both amazed and disgusted by your creativity.” The smaller mouse remarked. Wakko grinned at the unusual compliment.

“Now, Pinky and I need approximately fifteen minutes to prepare for our low-budget stage production of Rapunzel. So I suggest that you three get ready for bed.”

The Warners saluted the mice and immediately began their bedtime routine of changing into their pajamas and brushing their teeth.

The mice were quick to construct an elaborate set made entirely out of cardboard, don their wardrobes, come up with a script on the fly and memorize said script and all the musical numbers. Pinky was excited to play the role of Rapunzel. The mouse wore a lavender dress and fashioned the spaghetti into a braided blonde wig. Brain decided to play the leading man, wearing a teal vest, a white undershirt, and black pants, and his brown toupee (the same toupee he wore when he taught high school under his Mr. Brainslowski alias and when he acted in A Beautiful Brain).

The Warners emerged from the bathroom in their pajamas. Yakko had a grey T-Shirt with the Warner Bros. logo and red flannel pajama pants. Wakko wore a hockey jersey and a blue bathrobe. Dot a purple nightshirt and matching pajama pants. The siblings were surprised to see a small set on the foot of their bed and the mice already dressed in their respective costumes.

“So, you guys have everything all set?” Yakko asked.

Pinky eagerly nodded. “I’m so excited to play the role of Rapunzel!” He declared as he twirled around.

“And I’m equally excited to play the role of Finn Glider! The charming rogue and Rapunzel’s love interest.” Brain explained dramatically as he struck a dynamic pose.

Yakko raised his hand in objection. “Uuuuuhhh, but isn’t his name Flynn Ri-”

“Ah ah ah!” Brain interrupted with a pointed finger. “We don’t want the mouse to sue, now do we?”

“But Brain, why on earth would I want to sue you?” Pinky questioned as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Brain rolled his eyes and he took Pinky’s hand. “Let’s get this show on the road, shall we?” He told his partner as he tugged him by his hand, retreating behind the curtains of their makeshift stage and turned off the lights.

Moments later, a small puppeteer’s box emerged from the curtains, with a small dim light behind the screen. The mice picked up their shadow puppet props as Brain’s booming voice provided the expository information in the prologue.

“Once upon a time in a faraway kingdom there lived a beautiful princess. But the poor girl was kidnapped at a young age by an awful hag. The poor girl, whom the hag named Rapunzel, lived in solitude in an abandoned tower in the woods. Each day, she stared out at the world from her tower window, longing for companionship…”

The lights behind the small screen blew out. The puppeteer’s box was wheeled away to the left and the curtains pulled back to reveal a painted forest background and a cardboard tower. So far the Warners were impressed with the mice’s creativity and were immediately invested in the play.

Pinky strutted onto the stage, but Brain quickly yanked him back. “You have to open up the tower window, you imbecile!” Brain reprimanded in a hushed voice.

“Oh, sorry Brain!” Pinky whispered back. The Warners suppressed their laughter as the mice dealt with their theatrical screw-up.

The cardboard shutters to the cardboard tower flew open and Pinky popped his head out with a radiant smile on his face.

“Oh, what a lovely morning it is outside! Narf!” He spoke in a somewhat monotone voice. He looked down to refer to his script and continued on. “The animals are having such a fun-fun silly-willy time outside, and yet I am alone in my tower. Oh, how I wish I had someone to talk to.”

At that moment, Brain waltzed onto the stage and stood in a dramatic pose.

Pinky smiled and waved at his co-star. “Greetings, fair person!” He exclaimed. “And what might your name be?”

Brain looked up at the tower and tossed back his toupee. “It is I, Finn Glider! Notorious outlaw, cunning rogue, and certified ladies’ man!” The mouse flashed a smarmy grin at his audience.

Yakko and Dot stifled their giggles.

Wakko, on the other hand, was frightened at the sight of Brain baring his teeth and pulled their hat downward to shield their eyes. “You guys didn’t tell me that this was a scary story!” He wailed.

After giving a smug smile, he turned his attention back to Pinky and approached the cardboard tower. “And who might you be fair maiden?” He inquired. “I could only hope your name is as beautiful as your face!”

“My name is Pinky- I mean, Rapunzel! Zort!” Pinky faltered.

“Nice save,” Brain muttered sarcastically.

“Thank you, Brain.” Pinky kindly replied whilst batting his eyes. The mouse glanced back at the script in his hands and focused on his performance. “So Finn, would you like to drop by for a spot of tea?”

“That sounds lovely, fair Rapunzel.” Brain eagerly responded. He looked to the tower and his smile turned into a forlorn frown. “But alas, I have no way to access the tower.”

“Not to worry, Finn. For I could let down my hair for you to climb up the tower!” Pinky crowed.

Brain knelt down and extended his arm out to Pinky. “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your long hair!”

The taller mouse gathered the braided spaghetti wig, which proved to be much heavier than he anticipated. But nevertheless, he happily dropped the pasta wig, which crash-landed on top of Brain. The Warners laughed at the sudden slapstick comedy while the chubby mouse let out an exasperated sigh.

“Glad to know you kids are enjoying yourselves…” Brain soured.

Once he got up, he climbed up the spaghetti wig. However, this proved to be a challenge, for the pasta was surprisingly slippery after staying in Wakko’s pocket for an uncertain amount of time. Upon reaching the top of the tower, Pinky pulled him through the window and the curtains closed, ending the scene.

For the next half hour, the mice continued to perform their rendition of Rapunzel, and the Warners were enchanted throughout the play. In the final scene, the two mice sat in a boat made from a used toilet paper roll cylinder, singing a passionate duet about finding the light and falling in love. Once Pinky and Brain completed their song, they leaned in for a kiss and the curtains closed.

The children stood up and applauded. The mice emerged from the curtains to see their enthusiastic audience. Pinky and Brain exchanged loving glances, proud that they were able to pull off a play in a short amount of time and with limited resources. Clasping their paws together, the mice bowed.

“Oh man, that was a riot!” Yakko cheered.

“Two thumbs way up!” Dot agreed.

Pinky took off his pasta wig and walked up to Wakko. “Oh, can I eat some of the spaghetti?” He pleaded with the middle child.

“Of course,” Wakko said, as he took the spaghetti and split it evenly between themselves and the smaller mouse. “After all, sharing is caring. Right, Brain?”

The intelligent mouse was surprised that not only Wakko remembered his dry remark from their dinner at McDonald’s, but how he has taken it to heart. “That’s correct, Wakko.”

Pinky took one of the strands and offered it to Brain. “Here, you take this end of the spaghetti and we’ll recreate that iconic kiss from Lady and the Tramp!”

Brain silently shoved the spaghetti back to Pinky. “A tempting offer, but I would prefer to have pasta that wasn’t stuffed in someone’s pocket for Lord knows how long.”

“Okay, more for me!” Pinky said before slurping the spaghetti. Brain shook his head at his partner’s moronic display.

Pinky was about to give Brain a kiss, but Brain held his hand up before their lips could collide. “I will only kiss you after you brush your teeth.” He commanded.

“Right!” Pinky agreed.

“Okay children, you know the routine.” Brain addressed.

The Warners nestled themselves underneath the covers. They were rather exhausted after an eventful day and were ready to hit the hay.

Pinky and Brain gave each of the siblings their mandatory goodnight kiss on the cheek before Wakko gave them a goodnight smooch on their heads in return. After the middle child placed them on the nightstand, the mice hopped to their bed.

By the time Wakko turned off the lamp, Brain collapsed on the pillow, eager to fall asleep. The mouse closed his eyes and was ready to drift off to his slumber when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder.

He opened his eyes to see Pinky gazing at him with a worried look.

“Don’t go to sleep just yet,” Pinky said. “I’ve got a surprise for you in the bathroom.”

“Well, that doesn’t sound unsettling in the slightest.” Brain sarcastically remarked.

“But Brain,” Pinky whined.

Brain looked into Pinky’s eyes and pondered for a moment. The last surprise Pinky planned for him turned out to be a fun karaoke night. Perhaps he should have more faith in his partner and indulge in whatever he had in store for him.

“Oh, alright.” Brian surrendered in an exasperated tone.

“Great!” Pinky cheered as he gave Brain a quick smooch on his chubby cheek. “I promise you’re gonna love it! Just give me ten minutes to prepare!”

With that, the lanky mouse hopped down from the bed and scurried over to the restroom. Brain placed his paw over his right cheek and let out a tired sigh. “I don’t know whether to be excited or scared of what that imbecile has up his sleeve.”

AN: I apologize for the long break between chapters. I was feeling the winter blues and hit a bad writer’s block. Fortunately, I managed to overcome that roadblock and now I’m focusing on my writing. The next chapter is going to be considerably shorter compared to the last few chapters and more Brinky-centric, but it’s just as important in regards to character growth.

#animaniacs #pinky and the brain #fanfic #brain #pinky #yakko warner #wakko warner #dot warner

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allyinthekeyofx · 8 years ago

Text

Finding Miracles

A/U Alternate ending to season 7

Notes - I actually wrote this on request of a fellow shipper, a shipper romantic of heart and hating of how season 7 ended. And she had a collection of ideas that she wasn’t able to get down in story form. So she asked me to do it for her. So I did.

Finding Miracles

The events of the last couple of days have left me desperately worried about Scully and that worry has driven me to refuse point blank to allow her to come back out to Oregon.

And even as I held her in my arms right there in the corridor outside skinner’s office, all efforts of propriety tossed out the window, no longer afraid that our carefully kept secret would be out, I knew that there was something she wasn’t telling me.

Her assertion that she was exhausted didn’t cut ice with me because in the eight years I have known her, I have seen that woman literally running on empty, so used up that she had nothing left to give, grey with fatigue, stumbling almost blindly beside me, she never ever admitted to anyone, least of all me, that she was too tired to go on. Never once had I seen her go down in the way she had just a few short days out in the Oregon woods as my heart literally seemed to jump right out of my chest when I had turned around to find she was no longer following me. That panicked headlong re-tracing of my steps hearing the ragged way I called her name, the barely cloaked desperation born of the realisation that suddenly she was just gone.

And when I burst through the undergrowth to be confronted with the sight of her laying boneless and unmoving on the thick carpet of lush green grass and dead leaves that covered the forest floor, for just one terrible moment my mind told me that she was dead. So many times she has almost been taken from me, the sight of her down, with no apparent reason, had caused all rational thought to desert me.

Of course it soon became clear that she was very much alive, her chest rising and falling evenly as I dropped to my knees and gently gathered her against me, smoothing the strands of hair away from her face, feeling the coldness of her skin beneath my fingers, feeling her fragility, a fragility she tries so hard to hide from those around her; refusing to admit weakness even to me; especially to me. She had come round within minutes, eyes confused and barely focusing as she grasped at my arm with a weakness so unlike her and began to cry, imploring me to make sense of what was happening to her.

Twice in the space of twenty four hours she had collapsed. Twice in twenty four hours she had badly frightened me, especially when she had arrived at the door of my motel room, shaking with a combination of both shock and cold, admitting to almost succumbing to the dizziness that had overcome her as she went through her nightly rituals. Sure, it had been a gruelling few days, but nothing out of the ordinary for us, certainly nothing to cause her sudden and frightening downturn. And as I led her to the bed to properly take a look at her, I had to face the fact that she looked sick. Not sick like she looks when she has a cold or the flu or a stomach bug. The way she looked radiated from somewhere deep inside her, reflecting from those limitless blue eyes, the way her expression had faded, chasing away the essence that was Dana Scully as she battled with unfamiliar territory that had laid her emotions bare. Right there for me to see.

Because this woman, my perfect other and centre of my world was afraid; A fear born of the knowledge that whatever was happening to her, she had no control over it.

And I had done the only thing I could think to do; I had covered her with blankets and curled myself around her, holding the coverings tightly against her body as I encircled her within my embrace, breathing softly on to the stark white skin that felt so chill against my own. Kissing her softly as I realised, perhaps for the first time that, whether I wanted her with me or not, the time had finally come to set her free from this never ending quest, to let it go finally and for her to at least attempt to live a normal life; live the life she deserved and which had been denied to her for so long.

And I had repeated those sentiments in the hallway just yesterday afternoon, which despite her protests to the contrary, her obvious trepidation at me returning to Oregon without her, she had finally acquiesced on the condition that Skinner accompanied me and to my surprise he had agreed without question; cementing his allegiance to me and to her in this act of implicit faith.

I was still uneasy this morning when we said our goodbyes; after a night spent with her in her apartment where she battled a headache she maintained was just a product of fatigue and heightened stress but which made my heart thump painfully every time I looked across at her and observed the furrows that marred her delicate brow. A night where instead of making love to her I had simply kissed her tenderly and traced patterns with my fingers on her perfect skin, chasing the demons away for both of us, as we lay without speaking until the shadows lengthened and we both succumbed to sleep, a tangle of arms and legs that remained entwined right throughout the night.

And before I left for the airport, I had held her just a little bit longer, kissed her just a little bit deeper as my throat tightened with an inexplicable feeling of dread that I would never see her again; that leaving her was a terrible mistake; that an unknown danger was just lurking in the background, ready to consume us both. I had cupped her face in my palms, tilting her face upwards as the tears pooled in her eyes in silent apology that she was sending me on this journey alone and I made her promise, without fail that she would spend the day with the Gunmen, that she wouldn’t allow herself to be alone; relieved in some small way when she brought her hands up to rest upon mine and nodded without having to speak. That she would do as I asked this one last time. I’m not entirely sure of my motivation at that point, only that it was important to me that she be with people who cared about her, who could support her in my absence.

“I’ll call you the minute I get there”

And before I could change my mind I had left; walking resolutely away from her, knowing that if I weakened and turned back, even for a moment, that I wouldn’t have the strength to leave her behind. My constant of eight long years who had been a guiding light through the darkness as it sought all too often to consume me. My touchstone who was now such an intrinsic part of me that I literally felt a physical pain settle within my chest as the door clicked shut behind me and I left her standing in the middle of living room, feeling her eyes upon me; knowing with a certainty I couldn’t explain that she would remain standing there long after I had gone.

I think Skinner knew something was wrong although he didn’t question me on it and I was eternally grateful for his discretion in that regard as I was so emotionally ragged at that point I believe I would have broken down right there in front of him had he asked me to explain why I had refused to allow Scully to make this journey again. But he didn’t. He kept his own counsel and I doubt we exchanged more than a dozen words as we sat in that plane, a plane which took me further and further away from Scully and put hours of distance and hundreds of miles between us. I had briefly called her before we boarded, somewhat reassured to hear she was on her way to the Gunmen’s lair. I had already told Byers to expect her, to keep her busy and to call me immediately should they see anything out of the ordinary with her, regardless of how trivial. He had agreed without condition, just as I knew he would and knowing she was with them had gone at least some way to alleviating the desperate anxiety that had been gnawing on me since that day in the woods.

That sense of relief, small as it was, turned out to be short lived and wholly misplaced because on exiting the terminal and switching my cel phone back on, the screen lit up with multiple messages and voice mails that all spoke of the same thing –

That Scully had collapsed while at their place and had been rushed to DC General. And right then, my whole world came crashing down around me as that word, that insidious fucking word that I had refused to acknowledge until now slammed in to my consciousness with all the force of a runaway truck.

Cancer.

Because even as I had tried to deny it to myself, I knew that the sudden symptoms she was experiencing, mirrored exactly her bodies reaction to the undiscovered tumour the last time around.

I think I must have swayed a little on my feet, because I suddenly felt Skinner’s hand grab my arm roughly, his reassuring presence grounding me just a little.

“Scully’s sick. I need to go back.”

And I think the fear must have played out right there on my face, as realisation hit home that she was there and I was here and X-files or not, I needed to be with her; because to his credit, Skinner didn’t argue, knowing that what Scully and I shared went far deeper than the chaste relatiomship afforded by our positions as partners he simply nodded curtly and directed me to keep him informed.

The plane ride home passed for me in a blur of recrimination, mind numbing fear and several hundred promises to a God I didn’t believe existed. Because I had left her; I shouldn’t have left her. I had called the Gunmen, tried to reach all three of them with no luck and my pleas to the efficient hospital administrator yielded nothing as to the nature or severity of Scully’s condition; that patient information couldn’t be disclosed over the telephone regardless of how much I wanted them to. The frustration I felt was so acute that I could have quite literally reached in to that fucking phone and choked the information out of her.

So finally I had given up, waiting it out as best I could and using every credential I had to get me off that plane and out of the airport within minutes of us landing, barrelling my way to the front of the line of people waiting for taxis as I used my badge like a weapon in front of me to get people the hell out of my way. The cab driver raised his eyebrows as I launched myself in to the car but had the good sense not to even try to small talk me as I barked the destination and then lay back against the seat, pressing my thumbs in to my eye sockets, allowing the pressure it afforded to centre me again. And all the time I could feel myself beginning to unravel, the closer we got to the hospital, the more fuelled with a combination of adrenaline and raw, naked fear I became.

Once inside the hospital, it had been fairly straightforward to be given access to Scully and that at least, tempered my panic slightly, as I realised she was in one of the general areas of the hospital and not laid up in the ICU with her beautiful eyes taped shut and a ventilator doing her breathing for her. But even so, I had still been unable to simply walk to her room, Instead I had ignored the disapproving glances thrown at me from all directions as I took off down the corridor heedless of where I was or the regulations I was ploughing straight through.

I was breathless by the time I reached her, but opening that door and seeing her sitting up in bed, seemingly unconcerned to be there at all, staring idly through the small window, was cause to finally shift my world back on to its proper axis; to make things right again.

Scully though, was clearly shocked to see me there and her eyes widened when she turned her head in my direction.

“Mulder?…..what are you doing here?”

And the sound of her voice was enough to send me stumbling towards her on legs that suddenly wouldn’t stop shaking, the last few terrible hours of not knowing finally catching up with me, perching on the bed and pulling her in to my arms; confused for a moment as to where the harsh ragged breaths that accompanied the sudden wetness on my face were emanating from until I felt Scully’s hands in my hair, stroking, smoothing, gentling me with her touch.

“It’s okay. Sssshhhh Mulder it’s okay. I’m okay.”

I shake my head slowly, denying her words.

“You’re not okay Scully. Byers phoned me. He told me what hap…”

But my words die in my throat as she pushes me gently away from her holding me in the palms of her hands, locking her eyes with mine and to my surprise, she is smiling, her beautiful blue eyes sparkling with an intensity I don’t think I’ve ever seen before, an expression of sheer wonderment on her face that lifts her to levels I have never seen before.

“I’m okay” she repeats, stroking the tears from my skin as she brings her forehead to rest on mine, breaking eye contact suddenly as she whispers two words that even before I have fully comprehended their meaning, they explode like stars in my head, driving every thought, every feeling away until I am left only with her.

“I’m pregnant.”

Her voice is soft, whispering like promises on a summer breeze as she snakes her arms behind my neck, drawing me towards her until her lips are beside my ear, her warm breath caressing my skin, leaving goose bumps in her wake, because every cell, every neuron, every nerve ending I possess seem to be firing all at once, almost as if I am getting drunk on her words. Words that I know will change me forever; words that even in my wildest dreams I couldn’t have imagined ever hearing from her after the crushing disappointments we had faced just a few short months ago.

“Your baby; our baby Mulder”

And I feel her smile, as the tears begin to spill, merging with my own just as I now know we have merged.

That somehow we have found our miracle.

End

#msr #au #i like my version better #cc has a lot to answer for #the surfy git #finding miracles #my fic

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productivedramaqueen · 8 years ago

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stay alive (dreams only last for a night) - part 2

Warnings: Cursing, mentions of blood & illness, hospitals. Author’s Note: I have literally no scientific/medical knowledge, I only studied science for three years in school and I had no interest so I usually slept through the class. Hence my being deliberately vague with John’s illness. Also, I’m finding the present tense difficult to write in so I’m changing to the past. Sorry for any confusion!

** Friday, May 5th Unable to find a solid diagnosis… rare blood type… more tests will be required, and possibly a hospital stay… we’re sorry we have no more information, we’ve never seen anything like this before, we’re sorry, we’re sorry, we’re sorry Mr. Laurens.

John had never been more grateful for anything in his life as he was for morphine. The drug was the only thing that worked to lessen the intensity of his skull-splitting headaches. It made him sleepy, though, and he napped more and more throughout the day as time passed. Alexander, Hercules and Lafayette were a mix of worried, about John, angry, that the doctor’s seemed useless, and panicked, that whatever was wrong with John was so serious, things might take a turn for the worst.

They monitored him intensely, checking his temperature every hour, making sure he was eating. They swapped off in shifts- Hercules would stay while Alexander was at work and Lafayette would sleep, then Lafayette would stay while Alexander slept after work (a condition enforced by Laf and Herc when Alexander almost made himself ill too from exhaustion). Every day the doctors ran more tests, trying to figure out the cause of John’s sickness, but after a week it seemed they were no further on from where they had started out.

They first considered anaemia, then discovered that John had an extremely rare blood type that can cause a more severe type of anaemia, but that wasn’t it either. Whatever was going on inside his body was a mystery to even the most seasoned of surgeons, and they worried if he lost any blood, they wouldn’t be able to give him a transfusion.

flashback // Monday, May 1st ‘You have an extremely rare blood type, known as RH-Null. There are only nine others registered in the donor database, and there’s been very few people with this kind of blood in the world.’

‘What exactly does that mean for John?’ Alexander wanted to know, fists balled tight at his sides. The doctor sifted through his notes, then adjusted the thin, wire-rim glasses on his nose. ‘It means that we have no idea what exactly is going on with him. We have no supply of the blood on-hand - the closest donor we found on the database lives in Seattle. We’ll ask her to donate some blood, to keep for John, just in case.’

‘Why would he need more blood, does he need surgery?’ Hercules wondered aloud, John blanching at the thought, struck wordless by the events of the past day.

'Hopefully not, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.’

** (present)

The blood arrived on Thursday, sealed in plastic bags. It was put away for safekeeping, and though the boys were grateful to have it close, they hoped beyond hope that it wouldn’t be needed. Sadly, it did.

John’s nose began to bleed when Hercules was with him; relaxing in one of the chairs provided by the hospital. He’d been reading out a passage of a book for his boyfriend, his voice low and soothing. Hercules retrieved a pack of tissues- but the blood didn’t stop. He reached for the call button, John protesting.

'No, no, it’s fine! It’s just a nose bleed…’ his voice faded out, the words beginning to slur almost like he was drunk. His eyes fluttered shut and more blood came seeping out of, not only his nose, but his ears, too. Hercules slammed on the call button and stuck his head out the door. 'Can I get some help in here please? Nurse! Nurse!’

A handful of nurses rushed by him, one trying to escort him out. He was unceremoniously shoved from the room and the door slammed in his face. He stood, staring blankly at the door for a moment, dumbstruck by the sudden downfall of John’s condition. Remembering his boyfriends, he managed to tap out a few text messages. Then, all he could do, was wait.

Lafayette paced up and down the corridor outside of John’s room. Hercules had his back to the wall, long legs crossed over as he sat on the floor. Somewhere close by, a door banging shut. Alexander was home, sleeping; they had decided against waking him, knowing he needed sleep. Lafayette muttered to himself, in French - Hercules wasn’t exactly fluent, but he recognised a prayer when he heard one.

Frantic footsteps echoed up the hall. Alexander rounded the corner, managing to swing against the wall in his rush. He stomped up the corridor; face flushed, dark hair straggly and screaming bedhead, his mouth was turned down in a vicious snarl. 'You should have called me!’ He all but roared at Hercules. Hercules glanced at Lafayette, who avoided his gaze, and sighed.

'I didn’t want to wake you,’ he explained smoothly, 'you’ve had a busy few days and barely any rest!’ Alexander folded his arms tight across his torso. 'John is more important!’ He hissed, and Hercules pushed himself up, a response on his tongue.

Before he can speak, the door to John’s room opens, and the doctor stepped out. He eyed the three boys in similar states of distress, then shut the door behind him. Alex took a step closer, 'can we see him, please?’ his usually strong voice wavered.

'He’s sleeping. Would you mind accompanying me to my office? There are some things we need to discuss.’ They followed Dr. Jones and entered his large office. Two large windows provided a view of the outside parking lot. A mahogany desk and plush swivel chair sat at the far end of the room, and bookshelves filled most of the space around them. Thick medical volumes stacked on the shelves, and framed certificates adorned the wall above the desk.

Doctor Jones settled himself behind the desk and motioned for the others to take a seat. They pulled up three basic chairs and sat down, awaiting the doctor’s news. 'Mr. Laurens began haemorrhaging, luckily, we had the supply of blood from our donor, as he needed a small transfusion.’ Jones clasped his hands together, leaning his elbows on the desk and resting his chin on his intertwined fingers. 'Unfortunately, we still have no further information on what is wrong with your friend. His blood pressure is low, and his platelet count is low, too. His lymphocytes are just under the average range, too, as are his white blood cells, which is usually an indicator of some kind of autoimmune disorder. We’ve been consulting with haematology experts and this is nothing they’ve ever seen before.’

'So what are you going to do?’ Lafayette asked, tone hushed, eyes watery. Jones sighed, and opened a file laid on his desk. Turning over pages he pulled one out, and examined it. Without lifting his eyes off the page, 'The haematology experts have been trying to decide on a treatment plan, and they want to try one.’

'Which is?’ Alexander grew more impatient by the second, his fingers twitching under Hercules’. Pushing the paper forward, Alex snatched it up and read over it, Hercules trying to see over his shoulder.

'Seattle?’ The lawyer gasped, and then Hercules took it from Alexander’s loosened grasp. 'You want to transfer him to Seattle? In his condition?’ His voice rose until it bordered on a shriek; Lafayette and Hercules pored over the treatment plan in front of them. At the very top, noted in capital letters, was a warning that the treatment was technically experimental; there was no guarantee it would work.

'The closest donor of the same blood type as Mr. Laurens resides in Seattle,’ Jones explained, 'and she’s also a doctor. She’s a trauma surgeon in Grey-Sloan memorial, and that hospital is better equipped than we are to deal with John’s … condition.’

'But how can we take him down there? It’s one hell of a drive, and a long plane journey,’ Hercules pointed out. 'What if something happened on our way?’

'We have a helicopter willing to transport Mr. Laurens and one of you alongside to Seattle. There will be experienced medics on board to monitor him during the flight.’

How come only one of us can go? He needs all of us there!’ Alexander insisted heatedly, hand curling into a harsh fist. 'The helicopter can only carry one extra passenger as well as the patient and medics. The other two will have to drive down, if you wish to be there.’ Alexander swallowed thickly, practically vibrating with emotions. He sat back and glowered at the doctor, while Lafayette considered their newfound option.

'Gentlemen…’ Dr. Jones ran a hand over his face and then looked each of them in the eye in turn. 'This could be your friend - boyfriend’s? - only shot. I understand this is difficult and frightening, and of course I will be explaining everything to Mr. Laurens when he wakes up. But you are his support system, so you too need to make a choice on where you stand on all of this.’

The three men exchanged looks; Hercules read the treatment plan again. It wasn’t anything groundbreaking- a simple bone marrow transplant, but he still felt uncertain. Alexander sat up, seeming to rediscover his cool, collected demeanour. 'Okay. Tell us exactly what all of this entails.’ He spoke in his lawyer-voice, showing that he was ready to go into battle.

If they wanted to help their John, their sweet, bubbly, freckled boy, they would have to be prepared.

#hamilton fic #hamilsquad x reader #hamilton #hamiltrash #john laurens x alexander hamilton #hercules mulligan x lafayette #series: sa #p2 #lin manuel miranda

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