The Moppet Family: The Reunion

[MrsPepper]

Ooh! I've only just read a bit, but I love it! I'll have to catch up on so many pages... 0__0

 

[Fragglemuppet]

Great story, and yes, I think we'll all be quite happy to share in Lisa's nagging duties. However since Mother Christy Nicki whoever, has forbidden Beau to post any over the weekend, and I know Christ can't for some reason, I will cut you some slack. Rest asured though, that nagging will beggin in full-force, or at least as full as I can muster, tomorrow!

 

[christyb]

Why thank you for the slack. And kudos to Beau for standing his ground and not posting until after our morning confab.

One more thing... All of fairydom is dead except for Angie and Viola, as said in the last chapter...
But isn't Viola a muse?

Muses and Fairy's are cousins. Distant relations but live in fairydom. Hence they're wiped out. And yes I'm making this up.

Chapter Nine- Discovering

Vic groaned and looked up from his mop. Across the deck Ted the dog slid into sailors on his scrub-brush clad feet. Being the son of a pirate captain wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Instead of fighting with swords and doing the fun stuff he'd mainly been scrubbing and cleaning. At home Mother was a pushover. She didn't care if he didn't get up in time or if his room was the cleanest. Now if he did either of those things he got to spend the whole day in the galley with Dooley.

"Swabbing decks I see. What was it this time?"Friggin tossed Vic a canteen and asked.

"I didn't knock on her cabin door. What's this?" Vic opened the bottle and sniffed curiously.

"Boy, you do ask too many questions. Just a little something to make you a man and quench your thirst. The Cap'n is sure harder on you than anyone else on this boat."

"I think it's because I'm her son. At least you get to do the fun stuff. Every time we spot a ship I'm sent below. It isn't fair."

"Tell her you want to see some action. Dude you're the offspring of Nicky and Ron. The two biggest legends ever lived. It's time for her to realize you want to show your stuff."

"I told you that I didn't know any of that until a few months ago. Well bottom's up," Vic tilted his back to take a drink. Friggin laughed and rolled as Vic began coughing and sputtering. Ted came over to lick the splatters on the clean deck. With a hiccup they caught Christy's attention.

"Well boys. Enjoying yourself I see. What's this?" Christy swiped the canteen as Friggin feebly attempted to hide the bottle. She traced her finger across the rim and placed it in her mouth. With a frown she admonished, "There is and never will be alcohol on my ship. It clouds my sailors thinking and makes them slow. That causes deadly mistakes. You're new here Friggin, but you know better. Being new is the only thing saving you right now." Christy effortlessly picked up the teenage boy and threw him overboard. Friggin gasped at the cold shock of ocean water. "Now we'll sail a ways and you'll swim to catch up. Keep a steady pace and think about your place on this ship and if you want to keep it. Helmsman I want the engines turned on and set to ahead full. Place us five miles ahead of the boy and drop anchor. Keep watch over him. If he starts to flounder let me know."

"Mom you're not just going to leave him to swim in open water are you? There are sharks out there!" Vic called after his Mother's retreating back.

Christy stopped and turned back to her boy. In his eyes she saw such confusion. It wasn't his fault that in a few months time his entire world had been turned upside down. Now to him his Mother was a stranger. Placing a hand gently on his head she explained, "Friggin isn't like you Little Vic. He has a lot of the same rebellion in him that I had as a teenager. Friggin is a good kid with the makings of a great sailor. However he needs somewhere to use all that excess energy. A swim in the rough ocean will do him good. I'm not going to let anything happen to him. If he starts floundering we'll pull him out."

"But he doesn't know that. I don't understand you anymore. You're not the same as you were at home. Still you seem happier. Then you look sad every now and then. Not to mention you have a tendency to pick on me," Vic moved to shrug off his Mother's arm and smooth down his hair.

"Vic you are old enough to realize that things are not well between your Father and I. To put it frankly he kicked me out. Now don't start bad mouthing your Father. We settled down and denied ourselves to give you a life better than what a couple of pirates could give you. Seeing you on this boat makes me wonder if it was the right thing to do. I should have fought for both worlds. It wasn't right of us not to tell you."

"You miss Dad huh?"

"More than anything. I wish he was here with me. As much as he fights it he'd love it."

"We could have brought him along."

"It's not that easy. Now I'm going to tell you a secret. Only the people on this ship know. Can I trust you, Vic, with another's life?"

"Of course you can Mom what is it?"

"In a short while I'm going to be having another baby. Pretty soon you'll have a baby brother or sister. The baby will be born at sea just like you. However, you have to promise me that if anything happens to me you'll take care of it and take it to your Father."

"A baby...Mom, wow, wait...do you think he'll accept it? Or will he treat it like he did me?"

A look of pain crossed Christy's face. Tears stung her eyes as she hugged her son tightly, "You heard our fight didn't you. You heard what he said. Vic, he was mad. He didn't mean it. Your Father loves you."

Vic shyly returned the hug for a moment. A call came from the other side of the ship for Christy. For a second she paused to look at her boy before running off, "Buck up, son. I promise you. Once this matter with your Uncle is settled, we'll go back and piece together what is left of our family. Now why don't you scale the mast and take a shift with Mac at lookout?"

A grin split his face from ear to ear. With as much dignity as Vic's excitement could muster he climbed up as quick as he could. Scrambling up the mast he huffed and puffed to the top. Once Vic was within reaching distance Mac leaned over and pulled him into the crow's nest.

"Differn't than the trees back home eh?" Mac stared out into the empty blue of the ocean and said.

"Uh...yeah it is. Hey ummm Uncle Mac?"

"Whoa boy. None o' thet for me. I'm just plain ol' Mac. Yer wonderin' 'bout yer Mom aren't ya boy?"

"Well yeah she's well a little different and meaner but the same."

"Eh, you were too little to remember much about being on a boat. I reckon every kid finds out someday that their parent's aren't exactly what they thought they were. So good or bad in your mind?"

"Well good I guess....hey what's that?" Vic pointed out to a spot far on the horizon.

Mac pulled the telescope out and placed it to his eye. After looking around a bit and muttering some to himself he put it away. Clapping Vic on the back so hard that he almost fell out of the crow's nest. Mac pocketed the telescope and with one hand lofted the railing landing with a slight thud on the deck below. He turned looking up at the boy expectantly. Vic held his breath and closed his eyes. With a bounding leap he fell down. The thud at the bottom was joined by a severe pain in his ankles. Mac laughed and said, "Practice boy. Just keep practicing."

Meanwhile on the other side of the ship Christy was observing the pulling out of a very waterlogged and humble Friggin. The boy was soaked to the bone and exhausted. Mac and Vic came running up from behind. "Cap'n ship off the starboard side. I'd say she's within striking distance."

"Give me the glass Mac," Christy inspected the ship closely while Vic watched with fascination. "Good spot, Mac they haven't seen us. Seems as if we got a good one."

"Your decision Cap'n. The ship is flying your colors."

"Aye, I see that," Christy said tossing the telescope to Mac. By this time the crew had stopped their tasks and looked expectantly at their Captain. "Helmsman! Plot your course to that ship. Let out those sails and catch that breeze. Men, I want all hands on deck and prepared for battle. Let's show this turkey who Nicky really is."

A uproarious cheer sounded to the heavens as everyone began scurrying. Vic stood their wondering what he should do. Quietly Ted plodded up behind him and pushed him forward bumping into Christy. "Ummm...Mom?"

"What are you still doing here? I said all hands to battle stations," Christy said with a grin. Vic let out a whoop and ran below to get his long unused sword. Christy turned slightly to focus on the ship they were fast approaching. Within her a tiny life kicked reminding her to take it easier than normal, "Well little one, Welcome to your first Thanksgiving."

Meanwhile back at home, It was thanksgiving, but the man in the dark green sports car wasn't thankful to anything, or anyone. Except himself.
He flicked up his dark glasses, and slowed past the white-fence, and street house with a porch. If he was right, this house contained the enemy, and he had found them at last. His name was Randel.

Two months before, he had taken the PSI-TRACK device from the Magic School, a device which tracks psionic patterns across the globe, and beyond, using brainwaves and thought control. Since then, Randel had been using this device to track the woman he knew as Nicky, but the ex-pirate was as slippery as an eel and had a habit of blocking his tracker from her mind. Yesterday, Randel had almost given up hope before the largest psionic spike he'd ever seen erupted across his screen. The tracker had picked up a connection between Mother and Father, and that connection had been severed and had snapped back to their current locations like a sliced elastic band.

It had been simple for Randel to follow back the two bands, one to the South Sea, and one to the house of the Moppet Family.

Randel lifted the handbrake, released the clutch, and prepared to drive on.
There was a flash and a sound of a Cuckoo clock and a man fell out of the air onto the hood of Randel's car. The man dropped onto the floor, got up, dusted himself and muttered something about a Mr Harvey.
Father had returned from the future. Randel smiled.

***​

"Men! Prepare to board the ship. Take valuables and supplies. Leave no stone unturned. Do what you wish with the crew. Remember no causualities. Leave three days provisions. Bring the Captain to me. Blackjack get that cannon back in order! Good Eye! Steady now...Fire! I don't care if we're taking on water. Get down there and plug the hole!" Christy barked orders over the battle.

Sweat poured down Vic's forehead as he swung on the rope and onto the next ship. Cannon smoke and the smell of gunpowder filled the air. From a few feet away he could hear his Mom screaming orders. Swords clanged around him. He ran and looked around the deck of the other ship. Breathing heavily he could see Mac, Big Tom, Friggin, and others in fierce deadly sword fights. Towards the helm Ted the Dog had one pirate by his ankles and was swinging him like an overgrown chew toy. Looking back he saw one man come up behind his Mom with sword drawn. Before he could scream he watched horrified as she turned and brought her sword down. Seconds before she would be ran through. Christy's sword came across the pirate's head. The man screamed in pain as his scalp fell.

Vic froze in the middle of the battle. All the stories were real. He didn't know how real they were. This wasn't pretend this was real. People getting hurt left and right. He never saw so much blood in his life. From behind something hit him and set stars to flying. What looked like to be a boy about his age came at him. Running on instinct and adreniline he met his opponent's next blow. Pain shot through his left arm as the other blade met his left arm and drew blood.

"Dude! ain't you ever seen a western? Go for her gunhand!" Friggin called from somewhere.

Vic turned his head as the handle of the sword came down on his eye. Immediately it began swelling as he blindly swung his sword around to knock his opponent's out of her hand. It clattered to the deck of the ship as Matty and Good Eye came from behind her and pulled her onto The Reunion.

As the booty from the other ship was loaded and the weary sailors returned to their rightful ship Christy sent the opposing ship on it's way. As she always did she'd send it to the shipping lanes to be picked up. By the time they ran out of food and water the rebellious crew would be picked up and whatever happened to them from there didn't matter.

Christy turned to Vic and congratulated him. Honestly she was worried about sending him in like that. He proved himself thoroughly and now was being pampered on by the crew. "Well done boys. Now, Good Eye, Matty bring me the wiggle-worm of a prisoner you're holding. Thank you boys. Let her go. There's no way she's going to get anywhere. Now lass. Your ship, which I've got to say, Good show too, you put up quite the fight, was flying my colors. Who do you claim to be?"

With rebellion and stubborness in her eyes the girl looked up and proclaimed, "I am Nicky terror and she-devil of the high seas."

Christy threw her head back and guffawed. "My dear child. You're lacking both the skills and the age to be Nicky."

"How would you know?"

"For I am she you claim to be. The boy your same age who defeated you in battle is my son Vic. You are surrounded by my crew," Christy drew her sword and pointed it to the girl. "Unless you care to challenge me."

The girl looked around her and sighed. "I'm outnumbered. I'll confess." With that she withdrew the bandana on her head and blond hair cascaded down her back.

"Very wise. Now tell us your story. Don't be scared. We're not a fierce as our legends claim we are," Christy put away her sword and spoke softly.

"My name is Bonita. I am the daughter of a shipping merchant for Spain. One day five years ago the Pirate Hevej attacked our ship and killed my parents and most of the crew. I've been doing whatever it takes to survive ever since."

"Tis a sad story. Well Bonnie, welcome to The Reunion. Seeing as you and I are the only females you'll bunk with me. Now if Mac, Little Vic, Big Tom, and Friggin will help Dooley. We'll have our Thanksgiving dinner."

As they made their way to the galley Vic kept turning his head at the newcomer. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, and she had licked his tail.

 

[Beauregard]

Father: That explains the bump...
Moppet: What are ye talkin' about?
Father: The bump! The car! The vehicular device which which I collided after re-entry into real-time!
Moppet: Ye might've said...and, heck, while you were colliding the re-entry-into-vehicular-time-deivces, Mother was havin' all the fun.
Father: *smiles* Just you wait, Moppet Old Man.

(Side note: Father and Moppet are the same person...)

(Side note two: Some things in the edited Randel/Father side of the story may not be in the exact chronological order they were in the thread, though we did our best, but that could just be because of muddled air-dates on the original release)

(Side note three: Someone appears...oh, and Oh! Someone dissapears, in the next chapter. *wink wink*)

 

[The Count]

Woot! High adventure on the high seas... And the return from the future... And Thanksgiving battles, really what we need on T-Day.
Hmmm, do I detect a new love interest for Vic? Great stuff, more please.

 

[Beauregard]

*meanwhile, deep in the writing room*

Father: I wonder if he-
Mother: Noticed that we-
Christy: Love interest? Now where did he get that idea?
Moppet: *winks at Nicola*
Nicky: *eyebrow raise*
Beauregard: But I can't believe he didn't notice that-
Father: That we-
Christy: But apparently he didn't...

 

[The Count]

Oh? And just what is it I've to have noticed? Honestly, you lace it with so many references, and then speak about it with such secrecy... How's anyone supposed to know just what it is you're talking about.
Don't think I'm not on to you... Weaving in the commercial into the story... And just where it is you're going with this.
Did you mean the Psi-Tracker device? Yes, I thought something sounded familiar, possibly tieing in with the 2nd MopFamFic.
But you're going to stop being vague about things and tell us what it is you want noticed.

*Sits back down, shaking head and waiting for more story.

 

[Beauregard]

*laughing* Psi-Tracker? Ahh, tsk, tsk. *chuckle* Ok, I will be serious. I know it's laced with loads of references, that's because it's trying to tie everything in, but the thing you noticed...well, *is still vague, how annoying* it will come to, er, fruitation? In the next chapter I beleive.

 

[The Count]

Good... Then please post that chapter soon before I resort to full-on nagging mode.
Hey, someone's gotta do it what with Lisa MIA.

And I know it's laced with references left and right, trying to get the overall story of the Moppet Family in a grand story format. And that's what I love it.

*Going over memories of the last chapter. Oh, wait... Did you mean the new baby? Well, confidentially, not sure if I should spill the beans. After all, don't want to get Sis upset with me.

 

[Beauregard]

New baby? Where? *innocent* Actually, I was hinting at the new baby!!! It's there in the thread, so there are no beans to spill...just yet. It's too exciting though! New baby!

But, will it be a magic baby? Or a regular baby? Girl or a boy or a dandan? *initiates speculation*