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So I decided that since @draksavior34’s part of the haunted house adventure is taking awhile because of their own writing (which you should read btw) that I would upload a funnybunny AU idea I had that I sent them in the meantime, this is pre-episode seven so non of that drama we focusing on the drama of (what we thought) post episode 6 was-is gonna be

Anyways enjoy the show and know most of this is copy and pasted right from the messages so be aware

etcetera-soforth88

I offer this addition, it's rather unpolished but I mostly like how it turned out, and I hope you like it too :). (I took some liberties wrt the other 2 kids since they weren't mentioned above. If you had other plans in mind for their names n such, don't hesitate to correct it.)

Ragatha lets go of Pomni and takes a couple steps back, her expression going from overjoyed relief to hesitant concern. "Well, I just meant... you usually seem to handle yourself pretty well, even during some of the crazier adventures, while Jax always just causes as much trouble as he can during them. And the two of you were arguing so often the last time any of us saw you, I was just worried that it may have gotten worse between you guys."

Pomni just stares at her for a moment, slightly unable to believe what she is hearing. "Ragatha, that... that was twenty years ago. You honestly think nothing has changed in all that time? That neither of us have changed?"

"N-no, of course not, it's just that--" the rag doll cuts herself off, looking like she isn't quite sure how to continue, before she huffs out a sigh. "You're right. It's ridiculous for me to think that. I'm sorry."

It is very obvious that she is withholding something, but then, Pomni is in no position to throw stones there. She shifts her weight and holds her hands behind her back in what she hopes is a casual-looking manner. Ragatha hasn't seemed to notice the ring on Pomni's finger, and under the current circumstances, she is willing to keep it that way for as long as possible.

Still, she does her best to smile as she tries to take control of things. She considers what to say next, then settles on something from the heart. "It's... really nice to see you again, Ragatha. I've missed you."

Ragatha returns the smile. "I missed you, too. We all did."

"So, the others are here, too?" Pomni feels like she should ask this, despite already knowing that they are.

"Yeah, we're all here. Including Caine." Pomni tries not to tense up too visibly at the mention of the AI. Ragatha continues, "He told us that you and Jax are supposed to be, um, living together?"

"...Yes."

"Well, is he here right now?"

"...No."

Ragatha peers over at the house's two-car driveway to her left, where, naturally, two cars are currently parked. As Pomni tries to think of some excuse for that, something behind Ragatha catches her eye. Something she had been hoping to never see again. Pomni clears her throat to get Ragatha's attention, then points over her shoulder.

Ragatha turns her head to look behind her, and immediately sees what Pomni sees: Caine's top hat sticking up from the other side of the fence separating the front yard from the sidewalk.

"If they're planning on ambushing me or something, could you maybe call them off?"

"It-it's nothing like that," Ragatha tries to reassure her. "We just didn't want you to get overwhelmed by seeing everyone again all at once."

Pomni's smile is beyond strained now. 'It's a little late for that.' She really hopes her husband is having better luck dealing with the children than she is dealing with this.

—————————————————————————

"Why can't you just do what I'm asking you to?!"

"Why can't you just tell us the truth?!"

Jax takes a deep breath to steady his nerves. If he raises his voice any further, it will be considered yelling, and even with all the stress he is under, he will not take it out on his kids. Even if they are the ones contributing to his stress.

He knew this was going to be rough as soon as he got upstairs. Instead of finding them in their respective bedrooms, the children were all gathered inside the room that Rag shares with her sister, Flora (middle child, at least until the newest one arrives. Darker purple than Jakes, black-and-yellow pinwheel eyes.). They had even brought in the (current) youngest member of the family, 10-month-old Colby (pale blue fur, which fades into white at the tips of his ears, orange eyes.). Jax had brushed this off, telling them that they would all be moving in with Gummigoo's family for "a little while" and that they needed to pack up their things quickly. He had expected confusion, but he hadn't been counting on the three oldest ones putting up such a fight.

Maybe that's on him. Jax is always the first to brag about how bright all of his kids are, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out that this announcement directly coincides with the appearance of their unexpected visitors. Or, as the children keep calling them, "the weirdos."

This is likely the reason that they chose to congregate in this room, as it is the only one of the kids' bedrooms which has a window that faces out to the front yard, thus allowing them to keep tabs on what is going on outside. A task which has evidently been assigned to little Olive, who continues to peek through the blinds no matter how many times Jax tells her to step away from the window.

Meanwhile, her older siblings launched into their questions. What is really happening? Why do they have to move out of their house? How long will they be gone? What about school? Who are those weirdos? Why do their parents seem so afraid of "the teeth guy" in particular? Jax insisting that there is no time to explain right now has done nothing to placate them.

Now they are refusing to cooperate with him until they get answers. Answers that Jax can't possibly provide right now, or maybe ever.

"Fine," he says, sounding more composed than he truly feels. "If you guys don't wanna pack, I'll do it for you."

With a sort of mechanical calmness, (and after telling Olive to get away from the window for what feels like the hundredth time,) Jax walks over to the bedroom closet, opens it up, and pulls out the suitcases that Rag and Flora use for family trips. This is what he needs, a task to pour all of his focus into while he tunes out everything else. His fear, his frustration, his daughters' objections. He places the pieces of luggage in the middle of the room, opens the smaller one, then turns around to get some of Flora's clothing out of her dresser.

CLACK

Jax turns back around at the sudden noise. He sees Jakes standing with one foot on the now-closed suitcase, looking at his father with an expression that is equal parts angry and defiant, with a small amount of apprehension shining through. "We're not going anywhere until you tell us what's happening!"

The fear and frustration return with a vengeance. "I can't!"

"Why not?!"

"Who are those weirdos?!"

"Why are you so scared of Caine?!"

Jax's blood runs cold at that last question. None of them should know Caine's name.

He looks at his firstborn daughter, the one who had said it, at the same time that Jakes levels her with a bemused expression. Rag's only response is a meek little "Oops."

'Calm down, there is a rational explanation for this,' Jax tries to tell himself, even as his brain supplies him with a million horrific scenarios. "Where did you hear that name?"

Jakes sighs. "We kinda tried to listen in on you and Mom before, but only because you two were so freaked out!"

Jax nods his head, relieved at the confirmation that Caine hasn't actually invaded his children's dreams, or whatever. He is additionally grateful that his son has apparently misattributed his shift in demeanor to the revelation of their eavesdropping.

He crosses his arms, eyes darting back and forth between his two eldest offspring. "What exactly did you hear?"

"Not much," Jakes replies. "Just that you wanted to move us in with the Sweetums if this Caine showed up. He's the teeth guy, right?"

"...Yeah."

"That's when Jakes and I pulled everyone else in here," Rag chimes in. "So we could all get you to tell us what the deal is with those weirdos, and to keep an eye on them out there."

Jax glances over at Colby, still sitting on the floor without a care in the world. "Why'd you include him?"

Rag shrugs. "Power in numbers."

He might have laughed at that if he wasn't scared out of his mind.

Olive chooses that moment to speak up, sitting on top of the toy chest beneath the windowsill. "Mama is talking to one of the weirdos."

All eyes in the room land on her. "Which one?" asks Jakes.

"The one with a, with the red hair. The other weirdos are still hiding behind the, the front fence."

Jax strides over to the window, picks Olive up from the toy box, and places her on the floor, gently patting her back to encourage her to walk over to her siblings. He then looks through the blinds at the yard below.

He sees his wife standing at the base of the steps leading up to the porch, talking to a familiar ragdoll with a pretty blue bow in her red yarn hair. Ragatha has her hands folded in front of her, looking as antsy and apologetic as ever. 'Some things never change.' From the second story of the house, Jax can see over the fence out front, where he takes notice of four more characters. One of which he would gladly have gone the rest of eternity without seeing.

They're all crouching down low to the ground, Zooble holding one of Gangle's ribbon-hands in their own, and Kinger telling something to Caine.

'Why are they hiding? Does Pomni know they're over there? Are they planning to, like, jump her or something?'

Before he can open the window to shout at them, or warn Pomni, or jump down there and attack them, his wife beats him to the punch. She cups her hands in front of her mouth and calls out in the direction of the fence. Jax can't hear what's been said, but it results in Caine taking his top hat from above his head and holding it in his lap. The ringmaster appears to yell something back, to which Ragatha facepalms in response.

Okay, so Pomni won't be pounced on anytime soon. That does little to help Jax feel better. Every minute that Caine is here, their family-- the life they have built for themselves here-- is at greater risk of being torn away from them.

'This is really happening... Oh, God...'

Jax, now making a conscious effort to keep his breathing under control, turns back to look at his children. None of them seem entirely sure how to proceed from here. Maybe they're only now taking note of just how petrified their father is.

Ironically, he hasn't felt like this since he first became a father.

He and Pomni knew it was never going to be easy to be parents, both of them plagued by anxiety and insecurity. And that's not even factoring in all the "We're in a digital realm, how is this even gonna work?!" stuff. However, they got through it by reminding each other that they were in this together, and by vowing that they would never repeat the same mistakes made during their respective upbringings.

This was especially true in the communication department. Over the years, they have created a household in which the children are informed why they shouldn't do something, instead of just being told that it's wrong and having it left at that. Where they are talked with on their level, but not talked down to. Where explaining yourself is not the same as making excuses, and simply questioning why a rule is in place is not viewed as "talking back."

Nothing is perfect, of course. Every family has disagreements, and disagreements sometimes progress into arguments. There are a number of things that Jax and Pomni keep firmly under wraps, and they suspect that as their kids continue to grow up, there will be more and more things that they decide not to share with their parents. Even with all that, though, the end result is that there is a certain level of openness and honesty that is expected from all parties.

That expectation is really biting Jax in his fluffy-tailed ass right now.

He is pulled out of his thoughts when he notices Colby crawling over to him. He stops right by Jax's feet, looks up, raises his arms, and says one of the handful of words he knows how to say. "Da."

Jax's breathing evens out. He picks up the baby, gently kisses his forehead, and sits down with him in the rocking chair in the corner of the room. They rock back and forth for a few moments before Jakes walks over to stand by the chair. Neither of them say anything yet, child trying to find the courage he displayed earlier, father feeling drained from all the events and emotions he's endured today. And he's only been awake for a couple of hours.

Jax looks at his two sons. Jakes, his oldest child, attempting to act the way he thinks the protective big brother should; Colby, his youngest, looking at his dad with all the trust in the universe, the way only a well-cared-for infant can.

His gaze drifts to his daughters. Rag sits down on her bed and looks back at him, Flora puts her and her sister's luggage back in the closet, and Olive inches closer to the window again, only stopping when she sees her papa looking at her.

The only thought in Jax's head right now is, 'I can't lose them.'

Jakes puts a hand on the arm of the rocking chair and looks at him head-on, brow furrowed in determination.

"We just wanna know what's going on, Dad."

The earnestness in his voice leads him to have another thought: 'I have to tell them something.'

"Okay." Those two little syllables are all it takes to make the girls approach the chair. He takes a deep breath in, then lets it out with a shudder. "Those people out there... we used to know them. That was a very long time ago, before any of you were born. And Caine? He is really, really dangerous. If he's here now, then that means--"

Jax stops short, contemplating how best he can phrase this. He can't think of a way to say it without scaring them.

"He wants to take you kids away from us."

Four pairs of eyes go wide at that, pretty much exactly as he predicted.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Jakes questions, trying not to sound shaken up and failing terrifically. "He's gonna, what, make us live with another family or something?"

Jax presses his lips together in a thin line, then looks his son in the eye. "Yeah. Exactly." He hates outright lying to his kids, but what's the alternative?!

"So he's like, a social worker?" Rag puts her hands on her hips. "Don't they only take kids away from bad parents?"

"Does he think you guys are bad parents?" Flora interjects. "Cuz if he does, then he's a gigantic idiot!"

'You ain't wrong there, kiddo,' Jax smirks. "He's way worse than a social worker. And it's pretty hard to tell what he thinks, which is one of the things that makes him so dangerous."

"Then I'm guessing he wouldn't listen to us if we just tell him that we wanna stay with you and Mom," Jakes says.

"No, he definitely wouldn't listen to anything you guys have to say. I don't think he really likes to listen to anybody."

"Well then, how were you guys planning to deal with him?"

Jax sighs. "Well, I think the plan would've been to have your mother distract Caine while I get you little furballs outta here. After that, we'd all lay low until he got sick of searching for us and left."

Jakes, Rag, and Flora look thoroughly unimpressed.

He just shrugs a shoulder. "I never said it was a perfect plan."

"What about the others?" Rag asks. "Are they working for him?"

Jax takes a moment to think. "It's... hard to say what they might do. They were actually friends with your mom, but like I said, that was ages ago. Besides, far as I know, none of them were ever too great at standing up to Caine."

"Well then, we will!" Flora declares.

"Oh no you will not," Jax rushes to say, trying to stop this line of discussion before it can start. "This isn't your battle, kids. Your mom and I don't want any of you to get dragged into this. There's no way we're making you--"

"You're not making us do anything, Dad," Rag argues. "And we've already gotten 'dragged' into it, but it wasn't because of you, it's because of Caine."

"Yeah," Jakes steps in. "This is affecting our whole family, so we should be allowed to help you guys. I mean, you're letting him chase us out of our house! We should go out there and tell that tooth-faced jerk that no one messes with us!"

The girls cheer, and even Colby giggles and claps his hands, not understanding any of this but sharing their enthusiasm nonetheless.

Jax gets ready to shut down this little uprising when Olive, who somehow made it back to the window unnoticed, calls out to them.

"Mama, Mama's waking over to the others now!"

Jax sets the baby down on the floor and rushes to the window, the kids crowding around him to see Pomni walking toward the fence.

And that's all I have for now.

@dragonhamer @draksavior34 @girlyimsotired and whoever else might be interested, thanks for reading! :D

dragonhamer

Thank you @etcetera-soforth88 for continuing this! This was excellent by the way!

Anyway continuing a bit from where we left off

etcetera-soforth88

Don't be too tough on yourself, this was very nice! If I may continue it a bit from here...

Didn't think you two would be here that long...

Pomni considers those words for a moment. She had been planning on ignoring most of what Caine says while keeping them busy, but now she wonders if there is a better tactic that she can utilize.

With as sincere a smile as she can muster for him, she turns her attention to the AI. "Well, if you're concerned that we feel upset about being here for so long, then don't be. Jax and I really like it here!" She briefly thinks about adding that they like it even more than the Circus, but decides better of it. He might interpret that in the wrong way. They want him to be distracted, but saying something even remotely critical of him or the Circus would be a dumb move.

Caine seems taken aback, and for a flicker of a second, looks downright elated, but then he seems to reel himself back in. "Oh. Well, o-of course you do! This is a world of my own design, after all!" He laughs, then his voice gets uncharacteristically quieter. "It-it's just that... this isn't quite... hmm." His eyes dart around, uncertainly.

Pomni isn't sure what to make of this, but shakes her head slightly. Not important right now. All that matters is keeping him out of the house and away from the kids. She gestures toward the gate that leads into the backyard. "Shall we?"

The sun has risen higher into the sky, dispelling the remaining chilliness of the night before. The weather forecast has called for a lovely early-September day; the kind that reminds you that it's still summertime, even though the heat feels less intense, as if in preparation for the impending change in seasons.

If Caine has brought himself and the others here to upend the life that she and Jax have been building for so long, at least he chose a nice day to do so.

Pomni opens the gate and ushers them through it, nodding as they thank her. Even Caine -- who she now realizes is actually walking instead of floating -- politely tips his hat to her as he passes by.

She follows them as they stroll down the pathway along the side of the house, and into the backyard, where she watches them take in all the details of it. The spacious lawn; the paving stone patio; the long picnic table with the floral-patterned umbrella sticking up through a hole in the surface; the barbeque grill; the gazebo on the left side of the yard; the toolshed on the right; the flowers beds and the herb garden along the back fence.

Zooble glances at the house behind them, then looks back at the yard, letting out a low whistle. "How much do they pay fast-food accountants around here?"

Pomni chuckles. "I mean, I wouldn't say we're rich or anything, but I do earn enough for us to live pretty comfortably. When Jax and I first got here, we found out that we already owned the house outright, so that helps." She looks at the Ringmaster, who seems oddly fixated on the gazebo. "I suppose we ought to thank you for that, Caine."

The words feel like ashes in her mouth.

Caine looks caught off-guard again. "Ah, well, didn't want it to feel too challenging for you guys!" He sounds like he's struggling to keep up his usual cheerfulness.

"Right. Aside from that, the cost of utilities is very reasonable, and for stuff like groceries..." Pomni trails off. "Well, there's probably more interesting topics than economics that we could talk about. We have a lot of catching up to do. But first, how about I make some coffee?"

"That sounds very nice," replies Kinger, whose eyes had started to glaze over before he blinks them back into focus. "As long as it's not too much trouble, of course."

"No trouble at all. I may not do the cooking around here, but I at least know how to use a coffee maker."

Ragatha, who had sat down at the picnic table only a few seconds ago, stands right back up. "I could give you a hand, if you want?"

"No, no thanks, I got it," Pomni waves her off, hoping she sounds more like a gracious host and less like someone who is hiding something. "You all just stay out here, relax, make yourselves comfy, and I'll be right back!"

With that, she heads up the steps of the deck -- taking care to not look too hurried -- and through the back door into the house.

Once in the kitchen, Pomni goes into autopilot as she prepares the coffee. While she waits for it to brew, she leans forward against the counter, her palms flat against the cool tile. She can see everyone through the small window, but the picnic table is far enough away that they shouldn't be able to see her from outside. She probably should go back out there while the machine does its thing, but she really needs a moment to herself.

Her thoughts drift to Caine, and how something seems more off than usual with him. He must be here to bring her and Jax back to the Circus, but he hasn't even said anything to that effect. Is he waiting for something? If so, what is it? Why did he bring everyone else with him?

Pomni's stomach twists. She isn't sure if she can keep playing nice with him, and the more she thinks about it, the more foolish she feels for even trying. Did she seriously thank him for something? She thanked the creature who could, at any moment, announce that he's bored, snap his fingers, and--

She slams her hands down on the countertop. 'DO NOT go there, Pomni. He doesn't know about them. Stick to the plan. Right now, we are safe.' The phrase repeats in her mind like a mantra. Right now, we are safe. Right now, we are safe.

The coffee finishes dripping down from the machine into the pot. Pomni very much wishes she could have some right now... or possibly something stronger.

Her hand drifts down to her belly, and she feels thankful that she isn't too far along yet. Of course, given her height, and the way her previous pregnancies went, it won't be long until she really starts to show. She rubs it gently, recalling an article she once read -- she can't remember when, it was way before the Circus -- about how infants in the womb can sense when their mother is in distress.

'Sorry, little one.'

Pomni hears some all-too-familiar footfalls coming down the staircase. She turns around, still rubbing her middle, as her husband enters the kitchen. He perks up slightly once he sees her.

"How're you two doin'?" He asks.

She heaves out an exhausted sigh. "Could be better." She steps over to Jax, immediately getting wrapped up in his arms, and returns the hug. "Are the kids packed yet?"

He responds with a sigh of his own, then separates himself from her. He gives a swift recap of what transpired upstairs, and what he wound up telling the children. It is clear just from his tone that he is already questioning how he went about it.

"Hey," Pomni reaches up to cup Jax's face with both of her hands. "I think you handled that as well as either of us could've. Truth be told, I don't think we were ever gonna get away with leaving them totally in the dark. Not with Caine appearing right on our doorstep." Jax grips one of her hands in his, bringing it to his lips to kiss it. "How are they handling all this?"

He shakes his head. "They're worried."

"And you?"

"Worse than them."

Pomni smiles sympathetically. "Anything I can do to help?"

He smirks a bit. "Well, considering how you charged outside before we could actually solidify what plan we're going with..."

"I did not charge out anywhere," she lightly bats his arm.

"Y'know what I mean."

"Alright, alright," Pomni opens her mouth to continue, but then remembers what Jax had said before about the children spying on them. She walks over to the stairs, checks the upper landing, and, finding no little rabbit ears listening in, returns to her husband's side.

"Okay. I'm gonna keep everyone outside of the house while you and the kids finish what you need to do. Then, I'll keep them occupied in the back while you all sneak out the front door, load up the van, and drive to Gummigoo's place--"

"Hoping that none of them notice the sound of a car engine starting up so nearby."

"Shush. Sometime after that, I'll find a way to ditch the others. I was thinking I should lead them away from the house first. Maybe I'll walk them down the road to the park, then ask them to wait for me there while I come back here to 'check on something.'" She makes air-quotes.

Jax thinks on that for a second. "I guess that could work?"

"So, I'll come back here, make sure the house is locked up, take my car to meet up with you guys, we'll settle ourselves in with Gummigoo's family, and wait for all this to blow over."

Jax looks like he's turning the plan over in his head, trying to see if there are any holes they've missed.

"You're the one who didn't wanna kill Caine," Pomni reminds him.

"Why did we even make that Plan A, again?"

"I think we only started organizing the plans after our parental instincts kicked in."

"Oh yeah." Jax moves toward the window, only for his wife to grab his arm.

"Careful, I kinda told them you aren't home."

He grins and winks at her, silently using hand gestures to indicate that he will look out the window from a safe distance. She rolls her eyes and walks to the back door to check on the group.

Zooble and Gangle are sitting together at the table; Kinger and Ragatha are admiring the flowers; and Caine is examining the gazebo.

Pomni calls out to them from the doorway. "The coffee just needs a few more minutes!"

"Are you sure you don't need any help in there?" Ragatha hollers back.

"Absolutely positive, but thanks anyway!" Pomni shuts the door and rubs her fingers against her left temple.

When she looks back over to Jax, she sees him gazing out the kitchen window. He looks unexpectedly calm, like he's simply letting his memories of the others wash over him, rather than attempting to shove them down and pretending they don't exist the way that he used to. It serves as another reminder to her of just how far he's come.

After a few moments, he gives her a crooked grin. "Any of 'em talkin' s[BEEP] about me yet?"

Pomni winces, thinking about what Ragatha and Zooble had said about him.

Jax takes this as an answer, but seems genuinely unbothered by it, his grin not wavering at all. "C'mon, it's not like I don't deserve it, hun."

She groans as she steps closer to him. "I know things were still bad between you and the others the last time we saw them, and you didn't get a chance to work it out with them. But, like..." She fidgets as she tries to find the right words. "...Two decades? Isn't that sort of a long time to hold grudges?"

"Need I remind you, a lot of the crap I did to them is pretty grudge-worthy."

"You're not that same person anymore."

"They don't know that yet."

She knows he is right, that they haven't seen how much he has changed, but she still doesn't like it. Rather than continuing this line of discussion, she points at one of the cupboards above the counter. "Could you give me a hand?"

He nods, opening the upper cabinet while she opens the one in the kitchen island.

"Got my bag packed up," Jax informs her, pulling out coffee mugs at random. "Phoned ahead to the Sweetums' place while I was at it."

Pomni takes out the large serving tray that they use for parties. "How'd that go?"

"All I said was 'family emergency,' and they're agreeing to whatever we need, no questions asked."

She lets out a "tsk," shaking her head with a fond smile. "They really are too nice for their own good."

"You don't have to tell me that. One of us still has to call the school about Offspring 1 through 3."

"I'll take care of that. At some point." That should cheer the kids up, getting a surprise three-day weekend. Maybe more, if Caine is still here on Monday. Pomni doesn't let herself think about him sticking around any longer than that.

Jax looks at his hand, then holds it up for Pomni to see, the light glinting off of his wedding band. "Did you tell them about, y'know, this?"

"I haven't mentioned it yet," she admits. "If any of them ask, I won't deny it, but I don't plan to bring it up first. Oh, I think I heard Gangle whisper something about you being a 'house-husband,' but she might only be assuming things." She can't help smirking a bit.

Jax seems unfazed by Gangle's remark. "Don't tell Ming."

Pomni giggles at that, while Jax puts five mismatched mugs on the tray. Three are of varying colors, but otherwise blank; one is bright red and sports the Spudsy's logo, an item from a gift basket that Pomni received from work some years ago; and the last one--

Pomni's smile drops. She lifts up the final mug, white with the words "Best. Mom. Ever!" printed on in reddish-pink lettering, and glares at her spouse.

"Ooh... my bad," he hisses, taking the cup from her to replace it.

Unlike the question about their marriage, he doesn't ask about this, because he doesn't need to. The two of them had already agreed, long before today, that they would keep the existence of their children a secret from Caine, by any means necessary. Even if they have to lie to their fellow humans. Jax had told Pomni that the AI evidently doesn't monitor them very closely while they're on adventures, so he shouldn't know anything about their family. And, as they phrased it, "What Caine doesn't know, can't hurt us."

Jax replaces the offending mug with a different one, light purple with white polka-dots all over it. Pomni nods in approval. "Thanks."

"Yeah," he looks around for a moment. "Guess I better get back to work. Anything specific you want me to pack for you?"

Pomni's lips quirk up. "Do we have something that'll send Caine back to the Circus and make it so he can't come back here?"

"I think I saw that in the basement, lemme go check."

They chuckle together a little, even though it wasn't all that funny.

"Just leave my bag by the bottom of the stairs," Pomni requests. "I'll grab it when I leave to join you guys."

"Got it."

"And take some cash out of the safe, just in case."

"But we're bringing the cards," Jax argues, until she shoots him another glare. He holds his hands up in surrender, backing out of the kitchen. "Fine, fine, sheesh."

Pomni listens to him go back upstairs, then returns to her task. She examines the mugs on the tray, then moves them to the counter. Takes out five small saucers, puts them on the tray, and puts the mugs on top of them. Adds the teaspoons, the napkins, the sugar bowl, the little ceramic pitcher thing for the milk. Realizes that she'll have to open up the back door first, and then come back to pick up the wide tray with both hands. Notices her anxiety is making her hands shake, steadies them before pouring the milk into the pitcher.

She is about to take the coffee pot from the warmer when she hears the kids bounding down the stairs. She moves from the kitchen to see them.

The five of them are gathered in the small foyer. Jakes and Flora have their bags near them, Rag carrying her baby brother, who is chomping on a teething ring. Olive asks her mama to pick her up, and Pomni doesn't hesitate to oblige. Jax slowly makes his way down the staircase, struggling with his suitcase in one hand, Rag's in the other, and a duffle bag dangling from each arm.

"Oh Jax, why didn't you ask me--"

"Nope, it's cool, I have this under control." Jax cuts her off. Thankfully, he makes it to the floor without dropping anything or tumbling down.

Pomni gives him an exasperated look. He would risk giving himself an embarrassing injury on top of everything else today. He just smiles back at her, as if he pulled off the greatest stunt in the world.

"Mama?" Olive speaks up. "Papa told us that you, he told us you aren't going with us in the van. Does that mean you're gonna stay here? With the weirdos?"

Pomni bounces her on her hip as she shares a glance with Jax, who looks apologetic. She's guessing that one of the children had asked him a direct question, and he couldn't lie to them. She won't, either.

"Only for a little bit," she promises.

Jax excuses himself to get Pomni's bag from their bedroom. She sets Olive down to stand with her siblings. She normally knows exactly what to say to reassure them, but it isn't coming so easily now.

"It's part of the plan," she explains to them. "I'll be staying here to make sure none of them try to follow you. Don't worry, I'll meet you guys really soon, it'll be okay."

None of them look convinced of that. Jakes has his arms crossed in front of him, eyes fixed down at the floor, mouth screwed into a deep scowl. The girls look just plain miserable.

Pomni feels like her heart is getting squeezed at the sight of them. 'My poor baby bunnies.' She takes a breath, doing everything she can to keep herself together for them.

"I know none of us are happy about this," she states. "It's a really bad situation, and I'm sorry that you kids got stuck in the middle of it. But your dad and I just need you to have a little patience while we get through it." She smiles at them. "But the important thing is, we will get through it. It will be okay. And once it's all over, you'll get to laugh at your parents for making a big fuss about nothing."

That manages to pull a tiny laugh from Rag and Flora. Their big brother still looks mad, his foot tapping rapidly on the floor.

Pomni taps his shoulder, giving him an understanding smile as he directs his scowl at her. She tilts her head in the direction of the living room, and watches as he stalks in there morosely.

Jax comes back downstairs then, holding Pomni's luggage and giving her a questioning look. "Give us a sec," she whispers to him. He takes that as his signal to keep the rest of the children out of listening range.

She sits down on the sofa next to her son. "Wanna have a quick chat?" she asks, even though she knows he wouldn't have walked in here if he didn't want to get something off of his chest.

Jakes gives her an angry frown.

"Your plan sucks."

Pomni has to fight the laugh that threatens to burst out of her at the bluntness of his statement.

"Go on," she prompts.

"Dad told us that Caine is really dangerous, and that's why we need to leave home and hide from him." Jakes stands up from the couch. "But now we're leaving you here with him on your own? How does that make more sense than letting us help you deal with him?!"

"Because that's not your job," she says, not harshly, but firmly enough to indicate that it is not up for debate. "Remember, the both of us knew Caine, so we at least have a decent idea of how to handle him. And in case you forgot this, it's the parents that are meant to keep the children out of harm's way. This isn't anything that we didn't sign up for."

"I just hate this," Jakes grouses. "I hate everything that's happening right now, and I hate feeling so..."

"Helpless?" Pomni supplies. She can certainly relate to that.

Jakes mutters a little, probably cross at her for being able to read him so well.

"If you honestly want do do something, maybe you can help your dad look after your sisters and Colby 'til I join you guys. Now, I don't want you to feel like you have to--"

"I can handle that," he interrupts her.

"I know you can."

The conversation seems to end there, until Jakes sits back down beside her.

"Mom... I'm scared."

Pomni puts an arm around him. "This is a scary situation. It's alright to admit that. Just remember, you are not in this alone." She makes sure he's looking her in the eye for this next part. "I promise, it is going to be okay."

She sounds convincing enough for both of them.

She stands up, then holds her arms open to offer him a hug. He accepts it.

"I love you, Jakesey.

"Love you too, Mom."

They return to the foyer, where Pomni gives hugs and kisses to the rest of her little ones. She tells them to be quiet on their way out, to be on their best behavior for their dad and the Sweetums, to not worry about her. She tries not to give too much thought to the sad atmosphere, the luggage cluttering up the space, the fact that Caine is only a short distance away. It all makes this feel like...

Like this isn't a "See you later" type of goodbye, but something... much more permanent.

She tries to force the notion from her mind. She has to stay strong for them.

Olive walks up to Pomni while the latter is still crouching down in front of them. She softly pats her mama's tummy.

"Bye-bye, Baby."

They are not making this easy for her.

Pomni stands up and faces Jax. They embrace each other tightly, letting go after what feels like both an eternity, and not nearly long enough.

After being married for so long, they've found that they don't always need words to talk to each other. They can each tell what the other wants to say simply by looking at their face.

The way he presses his lips into a thin line says, Be careful.

The crease in her brow, Keep them safe.

The twinkle in their eyes, present whenever they meet, I love you.

Jax leans down to kiss Pomni on the lips, just a peck, but no less caring for its brevity. The kids don't seem to have it in them to complain about the sight this time.

Pomni rushes over to the kitchen window to make sure Caine and the others are still in the backyard. They are, but it looks like some of them might be growing impatient. She tells her family to get going, then goes to the coffee machine. She hears Jax opens the front door for the kids, helping take their baggage out to the porch.

She's just finished filling all the mugs when she hears the door close, much more gently than it has been in a long time.

She fights back the tears forming behind her eyes. Stick to the plan.

—————————————————————————

There are some conversations taking place in the immediate vicinity. Gangle is speaking to Zooble. Ragatha is attempting to speak to Kinger. None of them include Caine, so he does not pay much mind to them. He has his own concerns to... er, concern himself with.

He is standing in front of the gazebo, one hand holding onto the round topper of his walking stick in front of him, his other hand drumming its fingers on the side of his leg. It is a very good-looking gazebo. It matches the little shed on the other side of the lawn. It adds a very nice amount of character to the space.

It should not be here.

Caine is the one who designed this place, this world, it should not have been possible for anything or anyone to change any aspect of it. And yet, the proof to the contrary is right here before his very eyes. If it is possible for the humans to alter or add to the spaces that he created, then... What else is possible?

Zooble had said they saw a little white rabbit in the window of the house. Could that mean--

No. Remodeling their simulated homestead is one thing, but that? Not a chance, Zooble is imagining things, that is definitely impossible. Right?

Right. Absolutely.

He really wishes he had his powers here. Then he could actually check these things for himself. He feels so... powerless!

Sadly, as ever, his worries don't end there.

Pomni's comments earlier. At first, he had felt thrilled by them. How could he not be? She had praised his work, she had expressed gratitude toward him! He should be overjoyed!

And. well, he kinda is, but also... This is all so different compared to the adventures that he usually crafts, so it's a bit like...

Like the thing with the Suggestion Box-- no, this isn't nearly as bad. This is an adventure of his own making, not of someone else's idea. Not really. But the entire matter certainly feels more complicated than he'd prefer. Ich, Caine really doesn't like when complicated stuff happens, but with humans involved, it seems like that just can't be avoided.

He looks over to Kinger. Now there is one complicated fellow.

He had told Caine several things when they were hiding behind that fence together. The human was rushing through it, so he didn't have time to ask for clarification on some of it, but there is one thing that especially sticks out to the AI. Kinger had requested that he not immediately talk to Pomni or Jax about leaving the adventure and returning to the Digital Circus until one of them mentions it.

Caine doesn't really understand why he should do that, and he technically doesn't have to honor that request... but, since he can't use his powers to snap a portal open anyway, perhaps he can humor Kinger for a while longer.

He probably should not have mentioned the "no powers" thing before. Oh well, Gangle had asked him a question, and he has a duty as a Ringmaster to quell their concerns!

Although, if he has no powers here... is he still a Ringmaster?

Before he can spiral down that existential super-slide, the backdoor of the house opens and Pomni emerges, carrying a large tray.

Is the goodbye scene a bit overly dramatic, considering Pomni will be seeing them again as soon as she can ditch Caine and the others? Perhaps. But then, she doesn't know precisely how long it will take for her to slip away from them, and emotions are already running really high, so.

I'm also pretty iffy on the Caine stuff at the end. I just think his POV should be elaborated on here. Also I really like the idea of Pomni, who currently views Caine as nothing but a threat to her family, being one of the first humans (if not THE first) to compliment his work without realizing what she's done.

@dragonhamer @draksavior34 @girlyimsotired and whoever else is here, let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!

dragonhamer

@etcetera-soforth88 that was fantastic! You have got to give yourself more credit!

Now continuing where we left off!

etcetera-soforth88

Oooh there's an awfully big secret hidden under that gazebo isn't there?

This is awesome, nice work! I don't have a direct follow-up to this addition in mind just yet, but I do have quite a few general ideas for this whole story that I'd like to share. It'll have to be later though, won't have much time to spend on here today.

EDIT: @dragonhamer Still chipping away at it, but in the meantime, here's some of those ideas I've had. Let me know what you think. :)

etcetera-soforth88

Alrighty then, next part is finally here. And after chatting with @dragonhamer this whole AU/fic finally has a name:

Life in Bunnyburrow!

Now on with the story!

dragonhamer

Bravo… just bravo! My dear @etcetera-soforth88 this was entirely worth the wait! Now onto my part of the show~

—————————————————————————

Ragatha sits on the bench quietly not really sure what to do, everyone else appears to be enjoying themselves and she doesn’t want to interrupt that just to elevate her own boredom while they wait for Pomni

Ragatha watched as the others took in the scenery or played, with Zooble and Gangle sitting on the fountain as Zooble looked at Gangle intensely for some reason, and Caine had moved on from the slide to the swings asking Kinger to watch how high he could go… it was peaceful

Ragatha would admit she had been worried about Pomni before they really started talking, she means it had only been two weeks for her and the others but for Pomni? It had been twenty years… twenty years with JAX of all people and she knows she shouldn’t be thinking like that, Pomni said that she had actually enjoyed her time with the bunny but honestly? Ragatha was pretty sure she just said that to make sure no one was too worried for her

But those were things to tackle later for right now all they had to do was wait for Pomni to come back, go back to their lovely home, wait for Jax, find that missing bus, and go back home to the circus

But as time goes by Ragatha begins to worry, it only took them all about 10 minutes to walk to the park and Pomni had been gone for thirty minutes

She gets up and starts to check around the park, maybe Pomni just got lost? But she couldn’t find any sign of her

So Ragatha goes to the others to go and… check on the house, she’s not SURE anything happened but maybe she just ran into Jax and… and… HAD A LONG CHAT WITH HIM, yeah yeah that’s a good outcome…

—————————————————————————

10 minutes of walking later~

Caine didn’t really understand humans, as embarrassing as that is, and is something he would NEVER admit he was ment to be a host to his guests yet… he can never quite understand the things they do or why they do them… much like the fact that Pomni was now gone along with both the van and car from the driveway

Zooble: that’s… probably not good

Caine: you’re telling ME! Pomni’s nowhere in sight!

Caine watches as Ragatha paces back and forth in what he can best assume to be worry before stopping and turning around to the rest of the group

Ragatha: oooook new plan! We find a way to get into the house and look for clues!

Zooble: clues? What are we, 1920’s detectives? Ragatha we can’t-

*CRASH!*

Everyone looks at one of the front windows… which Caine had just thrown himself through

Caine gets up, broken glass fall off of him as he does so, and starts looking around… it looks as though he’s landed himself in Pomni and Jax’s living room

Caine: WELL that was… easy?… hey guys? You might wanna check this out

—————————————————————————

Jax was driving the van up until he stopped at a red light, he was… stressed to say the least, with everything really

And usually Jax would use red lights like these to think about what he was going to do, like what groceries he had to pick up, how to act normal in front of people, what he was gonna get Pomni for their anniversary or Christmas present or something… not how to save his entire family from an insane AI with dentures for a head and a circus obsession

Sooooo yeah not a pleasant day so far BUT he would still use this short stop to recuperate a little and-

Jake’s: dad?

S*BOING!*t

Jax, tired: yes Jake’s?

Jake’s: I know you said you and mom would tell us more about what’s going on at the Sweetums place but… who exactly ARE those guys? And I don’t mean Caine clearly you don’t wanna go into more detail besides “He’s really dangerous”

Rag: yeah the most we’ve gotten out of you about them is that they’re bad at not listening to Caine and that they’re were friends with mom

Jax thinks for a minute, telling his kids about his old friends-…… his old acquaintances shouldn’t be so bad

Jax: *sigh* alright… so like I said earlier they were all friends with your mother but as for me? Well I suppose me and the red haired lady you saw earlier, she and I COULD have been considered friends at one point… but I made some…… a LOT of mistakes with her and some other friends and… I………… well let’s just say that the people with Caine now would all wanna see your mother more then they would wanna see me

The kids all seem to pause for a moment before looking at the father more crestfallen then before

Flora: dad…

Jax, noticing that his kids look worried: BUT that’s all in the past now! I mean I haven’t seen them in twenty years for crusts sake! Trust me when we get to Gummigoo and Loos place we’re gonna have a great time as this whole thing blows over! And like your mom said you get to laugh at us for worrying over nothing

The kids don’t look entirely convinced but seem to chipper up slightly

Jake’s: okay so you and mom used to be close to these people but how exactly do you know those guys?

Jax: well… before we had you kids, HECK before we lived in Bunnyburrow, me and your mom used to live with them even Caine, I was there longer then your mother but she made one heck of an impact I’ll tell you that much… but anyway the long and short of it is that Caine used to send me, your mother, and all those other guys back there to places to do some… *Jax thinks of the best why to describe the adventures to his kids without really telling them* jobs and well… after your mother and I had a fight-

Flora: YOU HAD A FIGHT WITH MOM?!

Jax: *sigh* yes it was my fault and just to put into context your mother and I weren’t even dating yet but as I was saying after a couple weeks Caine sent us out here and well the rest is history

And just as it looks like one of his kids is about to ask another question the light turns green, and he drives off

—————————————————————————

Honestly I was going to add a third row to this but I’m not coming up with anything but still hope you enjoyed this also before @etcetera-soforth88 starts working on their next part I’ll be making a new link thing because this is starting to get a bit laggy on my phone

Once again special thanks to @draksavior34, @etcetera-soforth88, @girlyimsotired, @scribleroftheheretickind, and of course a special thanks to all those reading this right now!

See you all next time!