Foster's Home copyright Time Warner

Tiny Toon Adventures copyright Amblin

Chapter 5: Babsy Helps a Friend

Posted: 11 Sep 2012

As Terrence walked along the sidewalk toward school, he didn't know if he wanted to see Anna again or not. He was doing his best to not think about it. But she seemed to be the perfect little sister. For him anyway. But there was no way that Mom was ever going to adopt her. She had already had two mouths to feed or something already.

It was all that stupid Mac's fault. Terrence was willing to bet a month's worth of allowance that Mac had been born into this world just to make his life a living hell.

In the fifteen minutes it took for him to get to school he failed to come up with a plan to deal with the little girl. What do people do with little ducks that follow them everywhere they go? That particular bit of information seemed awfully useful about then.

No matter. He had to get through the day before he could actually do anything more about that. He had learned long ago that thinking too much didn't usually help.

"Terrence, what's wrong?" Mrs. Hollier was hovering over his desk, worry filling her pretty face.

"Nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay." She didn't seem very convinced though. If this continued for much longer than he would have to come up with a really big one. "If you need anything, you know where to me."

"I know. I know." Terrence watched her hips swivel as she went to another student's desk. Geeze! What was that all about? Was there some kind of conspiracy of girls and women that he should know about?

He noticed the note on his desk but didn't bother to read it. It was probably a love note. Romance was hardly something he needed about then.

He had bigger problems to worry about. Namely how he was going to replace Mac with Anna?

-OOO-

Mac was getting the feeling that there was a great deal going on around him that he didn't have the slightest clue about. It wasn't an unfamiliar feeling by now though, but hardly one he could get really used to. Why don't people ever really tell us little kids what's going on? He wondered.

At least the day had started without too many problems. Terrence would often storm out of the apartment without saying a word. Not that Mac ever cared what his older brother did. All he ever did was be mean to him. Terrence never cared about him, so should he care about him?

"Can I borrow a pencil?" Megan, the redheaded girl who sat next to him in class, leaned toward his desk.

Mac's throat refused to work of him. The last thing that he had been expecting was Megan Hills speaking to him, asking to borrow his pencil.

It took a whole five seconds before Mac got the nerve to hand his pencil over. Even then he did it without saying a word. "Thank you," Megan whispered.

Mac just nodded. He was too tongue-tied to say enough more than that. Megan was the prettiest girl in class, and he felt a bit awkward around pretty faces. Hers most of all.

"I hear you have a problem with a certain brunette?"

"Brunette?"

"A girl with dark hair, Mac."

"Yeah. I knew that." Mac sighed. "I suppose so." Though it wasn't exactly his problem. It was Terrence's. He can deal with her. Megan was a nice enough girl, but that was still no reason to share his family's problems with a perfect stranger. No how pretty and redheaded she was.

Though it was nice that he had just learned a neat word like brunette. It was always good to learn new ways to compliment pretty ladies.

Too bad there weren't any in his class.

What a sec! Where had Megan gone off to? She had just been there a second ago.

Just great. He had just been daydreaming about her again. And she had only transferred to the school the week before. But that had been when it had happened. The day he had fallen in love with Megan Hills.

He raised his hand. "Ma'am?"

Mrs. Lamprey looked away from the map unrolled over the chalkboard. "Yes, Mac?"

"Do you know where Megan is?"

"She had to go to the ladies' room." The teacher went back to the lesson.

"Oh."

"Daydreaming again, eh?" The redheaded boy with freckles jeered. "Thinking about imaginary friends, eh?"

"Steven! Eyes up front!"

"But, Miss Lamprey, Mac-"

"Mac raised his hand first." Steven began to raise his hand. "And no I'm not going to give you permission to tease the other students."

He retracted his hand.

Mac began to relax. Steven hadn't even gotten close to the real reason that he had been daydreaming more often as of late. The teasing would be even worse if Steven would find out that Mac had a crush on the daughter of the richest landowner in town. There would be no end to it then.

When Megan returned from the restroom the period was practically over. Mrs. Lamprey had already moved on to the next subject. Geography. Not exactly Mac's favorite. He had a hard enough time paying attention without Megan's pretty face to distract him.

What was to be done about his growing crush on her?

The redhead that Mac had his real crush on was in entirely different league.

-OOO-

Anna filled in the little circles on the scantron while barely looking at the questions. Then she remembered that she was supposed to be taking this test a little more seriously than that and began to check over her answers to see if they're actually right. They were. But that was hardly the point. She was supposed to take tests seriously if she ever wanted into one of the good colleges. Which she did.

None too soon she finished filling in all the circles on her test. With that accomplished she could finally breath a sigh of relief.

But she just couldn't keep her thoughts away from Babs. Not that she was trying all that hard to begin with. Babs was just too important to her.

Just what was she doing in an awful place like that?

That place is so… common. Babs deserved to live in a place better. A place like the Anderson estate. Where she could roam, romp and basically be herself.

Not someplace where she had to share to bathroom space. With anyone.

Babs just had to get it through her thick skull that a foster home was no place for a sophisticated lady like herself.

-OOO-

Babs was a rabbit on a mission. (Or at least that was what she told herself.) While she didn't know what she needed to do, she was quite confident that she would figure it out when the time came. That was how her life had worked out so far. And experience hadn't let her down yet.

And she wasn't going to let Frankie stopped her, no matter how well-intentioned she may be.

With a full breakfast in her and two of her newfound friends in tow, she hopped toward the candy store, where everyone's happiness lay. Especially little kids. She just loved to entertain them. Fortunately she was also very good at that sort of thing. It was the very thing she had been created for after all.

And there was sure to be a whole gaggle of them waiting in front.

"I like candy," Eduardo was saying behind her. "I like candy. I like can-"

"We're all well aware of that fact, Eduardo," Bloo observed wryly. "You don't need to repeat it every two seconds."

"But I really do like candy."

"Yes. We know."

"Well now you both can be satisfied," Babs said. "We're here."

The candy store was named the Candy Shack and seemed to be a big hit among the neighborhood kids. Exactly the sort of place to wait for Kathy. Surely she would come. It was exactly the kind of place she reveled in. Candy stores were the number one hangout spot for children everywhere.

Babs and her entourage had no trouble getting into the store though. There was nary a kid in sight. It was the same story inside. "Where is everybody?" she wondered as she perused the aisles.

A woman putting boxes of jellybeans onto the self sighed. "It's been like this all day long. I don't why though. It is a school day."

"Oh. Right." Drat! She really should have really realized that it was a school day. How could she be so forgetful? It was so unlike her! And it was Wednesday too.

"A fine mess that you led us into here, sister!" Bloo didn't look like he was very happy with Babs just then. Even for him. "We're stuck in this stupid candy store and we don't have anything to do!"

"We can always buy candy," Babs said, shrugging.

"But we don't have any money!"

"Oh. Right. That."

"What? No candy?" Eduardo mewled. "But Babs, you promised us lots of candy if we came with you."

Babs grinned sheepishly. "I was kinda hoping that someone I knew would be here." She mulled over it. "Let's just wait here. I'm sure that she will be along shortly. And she will have enough money to get candy for all us. I'm sure of it."

Eduardo began to breath a little easier. "Gracious, senorita Babs. I so glad to hear that."

"Yeah right," retorted Bloo. "I bet that this girl that this crazy rabbit is talking doesn't exist and she's just making her up."

"Well that's just rude!"

Bloo headed for the door. "I'm going back home." He stopped upon coming to it. "Eduardo, you coming too?"

Eduardo opened his mouth before catching a glimpse from Babs. "No. I think I'll stay here for the time being."

"Some help you turned out to be." Bloo left in a huff.

"We go too?" the big purple monster wondered.

Babs glanced at the clock. It was 10:30. "Let's just wait. She might just show up yet."

"Who? A kid you met at school?"

"Not anymore, Eduardo," Babs said softly. "Not anymore."

-OOO-

"Wilt, have you seen Babs anywhere?"

"Sorry, Frankie. I haven't." He frowned as he took his laundry out of the dryer. "Is there anything wrong, Frankie?"

"No. I'm sure that it's nothing." At least Frankie hoped that nothing was wrong. But there a few problems with the new friend. She was so hyperactive. Who knew what sort of trouble the little bunny was up to? Where had that bunny gone off to?

Hopefully she was still in the house.

Otherwise she might be neigh well impossible to find. And with that girl looking for her….

"I'm sorry, Frankie, if I couldn't have been of more help for you."

"No, that's okay. It's nothing, so you don't actually need to do anything for me."

"You sure, Frankie?" Wilt didn't seem too confident about it just them.

"Yeah. I'm sure."

"That's good."

Wait a minute! A good friend willing to help her and she was turning him down? What was she thinking? "On second thought. You could help me look for her."

They searched the entire house for the pink bunny. They searched through every floor, every hallway, and every room, and every closet. In not one of them did they find Babs Bunny.

That left the grounds. They would have to look outside. "I'm sorry, Frankie, but the outside of the house covers a lot more space than the inside does."

Frankie sighed. "I know. I know. You start the search outside while I get some help."

"All right."

Frankie thanked him as she ran out the front door.

With Babs' little habit who knew what kind of mischief she could get into?

-OOO-

Mac only pretended to laugh at Jefferey's joke. He hadn't even been paying all that much attention to the joke in the first place. And had no idea whether or not it was even funny. But it would have been rude not to have laughed. So he did. Or did his best at faking it. Thoughts of Megan were taking up more and more of his time lately.

Jefferey didn't seem to notice either way. "It was pretty, wasn't it? I've been trying to come up with new material."

"Yeah, it's pretty new all right."Or at least it had seemed new. But how would he know? He never paid any attention.

Jefferey grinned. "New for me at any rate." He looked away. "That's weird."

"What's weird?"

"It's Anna. And she's coming this way. She never comes this way."

Sure enough Anna Anderson was headed in their direction. Mac couldn't believe that she was headed toward them. She must have been passing by them. Yes that must have been it. She was passing by them to get someplace else. He didn't know where, but that wasn't the point. Only...

She did stop behind them. "Mac, I have something to say to you!"

Mac gulped. This can't possibly be any good. "Oh?" he asked as causally as he could.

"Yes. I do." She looked at Mac's friend. "Are you still here?"

Jefferey nodded. It looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn't seem to come up with anything.

Anna ignored him."You know Babs Bunny, right?"

"A little." Mac was starting to sweat a little. What did this girl want from him?

"She's my imaginary friend."

"Yes." He was already well aware of that fact. Why repeat it? "Why?"

"She lives at your house, doesn't she?"

"No, she lives at Foster's?"

"Foster's? What's Foster's?"

Mac sighed. Another person who hadn't heard of Foster's. They're more common than they should be. "It's Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. I can show you where it is after school."

Anna stuck her face in Mac's. "Then do so." She turned around and walked away without saying another word.

"Dude," Jefferey said after she left, "you know where Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends is?"

"Yes. Yes I do."

"Ah, could I join you two after school. I'm thinking of getting an imaginary friend myself."

"Yeah, sure."

Mac continued eating his lunch in silence. Anna had given him a lot to think about. There was one thing he learned from that conversation though.

He could see why Babs didn't like Anna very much.

-OOO-

Babs had eventually realized that she had been wasting her time. There was no way that Kathryn was going to show up at this candy store. She jumped down from the stool she had been standing on. "Come on, Eduardo. Let's get home."

"But what about your kid, Babs?"

"She's not showing."

"Showing? Showing what?"

"You know? Appearing?"

"Ah, sí. I see." He frowned. "Who were we waiting for?"

"It doesn't matter anymore. She isn't coming."

They left the store and started making their way back home. But just because they left the store doesn't mean that the conversation was over. "So, Edward, what brings you to Foster's?"

"I no have friend. I stay until I find one." A beat later. "And call me Eduardo. Is my name."

"Well you can me Babs. That's my name."

"Okay." They passed by a mail box in silence. "Wait. I already know that."

"Yes yes. Everyone in the world knows who I am." She paused. "I think."

Several minutes passed before Babs noticed that they were being followed. She continued walking forward, hoping that whoever was following them would just give up and stop following them.

When it became clear that he, they are always a he, wasn't going to, she abruptly stopped and faced her stalker. "Who goes there?"

"It's me, Babs. Mac."

Babs began to feel a little silly. Not only was it not a stranger following her, he was also at least ten feet behind Eduardo. Who looked like he could take a punch better than Babs could.

"Ah! Is someone behind us!" Babs sighed. Oh well. So much for that assessment. "Oh, hi Mac."

"Hi, Eduardo. What brings you two out here?"

"Oh we just on a little quest," Babs said dismissively.

"There you are!"

Babs winched. She knew whose voice that was. She looked toward the beige-colored house. And sure enough. It was Anna. "Hi, Anna. What brings you by?"

"I live here, silly. What brings you by?"

There was a very good question actually. Why had she chosen this particular route? It was far from the route she had taken to get to store. So why couldn't she have taken the same way back to the boarding house? "Would you believe I got lost?"

"Yes." The bluntness of that reply really got to her. Does Anna really think so little of her?

"Very well," Babs said with sternness. "I did not get lost," she stated. "I knew exactly what I was doing when I came this way."

"You did?" Eduardo scratched his head.

"Yes. I did." She really hadn't. But why let the truth get in the way of a good story? "I'm here to get a get closure on this whole situation."

"Good." Anna nodded. "That was what Mac and I were about to do when you came by. Right, Mac?" He looked away. "No matter. We can have a civilized conversation inside without those two lumpkins."

"What lumpkins? I don't see any lumpkins." She whispered to Mac, "Say what is lumpkin anyway?"

He shrugged. "Got me."

Babs nodded. "Okay. Let's all go inside to have a nice little chat with tea and biscuits. That's cookies to you and me, Mac," she told him.

"Huh."

"How can we have closure with all these interlopers around?"Anna didn't look too pleased with Mac and Eduardo.

"They are my new friends, Anna."

"Fine." She turned and headed for her house. After just two paces she looked back. "Are you coming or not?"

"Coming," Babs called.

Anna continued on to the house.

"Are you sure about this Babs?" Mac said. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"It's too late to turn back now."

"I suppose..."

When they heard an Ahem! from the front door they all, meaning Babs and Mac, Eduardo had kept up with Anna, hurried to catch up.

"Now that everyone's finally here we can go in. Oh by the way, Babs," Anna said as she opened the door. "There's somebody waiting for you inside."

"Oh?"

"I thought I told to stay put, young lady," Frankie's voice came from somewhere inside.

Babs began shuffling her feet. "I take it that that trip to the beach is out of the question."