I've been looking forward to this chapter for quite a while now! Happy reading!

Jimmy literally flew into his bedroom to find Goddard. He hadn't seen his metallic companion for hours, and it greatly unnerved him. With Cindy's arrival and the chaotic mess that had ensued just this morning, he hadn't been allowed to dwell more than two seconds on his dog. Now that he wasn't directly under his mother's scrutiny, he slightly stumbled into the room to try and grasp at the one familiar and constant thing in his life.

He found Goddard gently resting atop his unkempt bed. Watching Goddard's peaceful slumber halted Jimmy for the briefest of moments. His faithful companion appeared to be enjoying the rest; would it be right for Jimmy to wake him and ask him for help? Jimmy pondered for a moment before...

"Goddard!" Jimmy shouted as his mouth quickly made his decision for him. Goddard's eyes slowly began to light up, and his head shook slightly from side to side, indirectly causing his frame to sway back and forth like a pendulum. He stretched his legs in front of him, peering up at his master curiously. It wasn't like Jimmy to wake Goddard in this manner. The usual gentle tone Jimmy used had been replaced with one spewing with urgency.

"Sorry to wake you, boy, but I need some help," Jimmy explained as Goddard shook his head a little more to wake himself. "Mom's acting strange, and Sheen, Carl, and Libby are coming over in about ten minutes. Do you have any idea what I should do?"

Goddard's front panel reluctantly lifted up to reveal a bright, green screen. A few words appeared, and Jimmy eagerly read them out loud.

"Ask your friends what's going on," Jimmy read, sitting next to his robotic canine. He ran a palm down the front of his face, stopping just under his chin to allow his index and middle fingers to pull down each corner of his mouth. "I could have figured that out, boy. I was hoping you'd suggest I'd invent something."

The words 'invent something' appeared on the screen. Jimmy gave Goddard an unimpressed look. "Thanks for the help," Jimmy muttered. Goddard shook his head once more and playfully licked the back of his master's hand. Jimmy sighed and began stroking Goddard's hard head, his face suddenly losing all expression as a loud, high pitched quack reverberated throughout the elaborately decorated bedroom. The noise pierced his ears, but his outer appearance did not show any sign of it affecting him. Goddard whimpered at the severity of the sound. His paws furiously scratched at his ears in the hopes of reducing the pain.

"Is that your…doorbell?" a nervous voice asked.

Jimmy slowly turned to face the blonde who, moments ago, he would have scolded for invading his bedroom. All he could manage now was a grimace and a nod.

"They're early," she slightly croaked. Cindy stood in the doorway, her left foot in the bedroom while her right foot was in the hall. Instead of standing straight up, she was leaning back slightly against the door frame. Her arms were folded, but not in the usual hostile manner that accompanied it when she assumed such a position. Her green eyes probed the room for a few moments, taking in the intricate interior decorating and personal customization. This wasn't the first time she'd been in his room, but even then, there was no way she could take everything in. The entire bedroom was covered top to bottom in stars. The ceiling spelled out clear-cut constellations, and the blonde couldn't help but gape a little at how accurately placed they were. A lover of astronomy, Cindy could stare at the ceiling for hours. When she and Neutron had switched bodies, the starry ceiling had helped her fall asleep. It was one of the only things that had been familiar, and without it, she probably wouldn't have survived the night.

Jimmy had also entered a type of reverie, but instead of focusing on his bedroom, he focused on the issue at hand. The doorbell had just informed the entire household that three individuals had arrived. For whatever purpose they were coming, that didn't change the fact that they were here, and they would be entering soon. His mind circled around the possibilities, but that didn't last for long. No possibilities presented themselves to him. The only thing he could surmise was some sort of surprise party, but his birthday wasn't for another four months. He gulped. This couldn't be good.

Cindy yanked her attention away from the stars and glanced back towards Jimmy. She noticed the emotionless expression his face wore and the way in which his hand had curled up on top of Goddard's head. She cleared her throat to get his attention, and when that didn't work, she spoke up.

"We should head down now, don't you think?"

Jimmy found that speaking came much easier when Cindy spoke in her normal tone of voice. "I guess," he shrugged. He looked to Goddard and gestured for his companion to come along and answer the door with them. The trio trudged out the bedroom, down the stairs, and halted before the door. If anything, Jimmy could have sworn the door had grown in size. Scientifically speaking, it was impossible for a door to grow, but visually speaking, Jimmy wasn't so sure.

"Aren't you going to get it?" Cindy whispered.

"Yes," he whispered back, glaring at her slightly.

"Well then, get it!" she loudly whispered, unfazed by his pervading gaze.

"Why don't you get it?" he whispered equally as loud.

"This isn't my house!" she whispered very loudly.

"Then stop telling me what to do!" he whispered even louder.

Goddard's screen flipped up. I'll get it, it read. A metallic arm came out of Goddard's back, the four-fingered hand grasping the doorknob firmly. Jimmy and Cindy stopped their glaring contest to anxiously watch Goddard open the door. Jimmy was so nervous that his eyebrows were near his hairline. Cindy was so anxious that the tip of her ponytail was curling upward. Goddard was so calm that he proceeded to slowly open the door, gradually revealing portions of what currently occupied the other side. Whether that was because he really was calm or because he was trying to keep the two kids in suspense, no one will ever know for sure. Goddard was known to have an interesting sense of humor, something he probably acquired from the genius himself.

The door was slowly opening, light pouring in from the outside. Jimmy and Cindy shielded their eyes as the sun mercilessly blinded them. Goddard yipped slightly, and both kids squinted eagerly to see their friends.

"Hello, Jimmy!" a high-pitched, strongly accented voice called.

Jimmy groaned while Cindy nearly passed out. "It's only…Bolbi." Jimmy dumbly said.

"No kidding, Neutron," Cindy retorted as she sat down to stop her head from spinning.

Bolbi smiled widely down at Cindy. "Hello, Ms. Cindy! Are you here to play with Jimmy too?"

"Play?" Cindy stupidly asked.

"That is what he said, Cindy," Jimmy scoffed, ironically putting his hands on his hips.

Cindy appeared not to have heard. She gazed curiously up at the foreign exchange student. Bolbi was a curious child, that much was certain. She'd never really talked to him before, but that didn't deter him from saying hi to her and being his usual happy, dopey self. All the kid wanted to do was play. Unbeknownst to her, she cracked a small smile in return.

"Bolbi, I can't play today," Jimmy sighed as he began to close the door. "I'm expecting Sheen, Libby, and Carl any minute. Maybe next week…"

Cindy suddenly stood up and stopped Jimmy from shutting the door. Before either of the kids knew what was going on, Cindy called out to the dejected boy slowly skipping away. "Wait, Bolbi," she called, her right hand extending out as if she were trying to grab him. "I…I have a game we can play."

Jimmy turned to Cindy, a horrified look on his face. "What are you doing? We're not playing right now! We don't even know what's going on!"

"Hush," she responded, her usual confidence shining through once more. "I know just the thing."

Bolbi raced back up the steps, slap clapping all the way. Jimmy dramatically sighed as Cindy gave another small smile. "Bolbi?"

"Yes?"

"How about we play 'Look Out?'"

Bolbi gave Cindy a very confused look at this point, but it was obvious that he would play whatever game Cindy suggested. She noted his confusion and decided to elaborate.

"All you have to do is keep a look out for Libby, Carl, and Sheen. When you see them, you need to run as fast as you can here and tell me and Neu—I mean, Jimmy. Once you've done that, you win."

Bolbi clapped his hands above his head a few times. "Bolbi will be the best look out! I run fast when I see them!" With that being said, Bolbi hopped off the porch and galloped onto the sidewalk. Cindy smiled slightly when she saw the eager child running back and forth across the sidewalk. Jimmy even took his hands off of his hips and gave Cindy an intriguing look.

"That was a nice thing to do," he remarked, surprised that he was complimenting Cindy.

Cindy shrugged, her defensive side flaring up a little. "I did it only so he'd leave us alone."

"Say what you like, but I think you were genuinely being nice."

Cindy looked down at the ground, not quite knowing what to say. Jimmy shut the door and made his way towards the sofa Cindy had slept on the night before. He haphazardly folded the duck blanket and set it on the ground to side of the couch. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. His hands began to rub circles on both sides of his cranium, an exhausted look reflecting his inner turmoil. Cindy cautiously approached him and slowly sat next to him. He didn't even bother to look up at her.

"I guess now would be a good time to take a break for a moment."

Cindy nodded, and after realizing he couldn't see this gesture, verbally agreed. He dropped his hands to his sides and opened his eyes. They remained transfixed on a point on the ceiling. "I'm exhausted."

"Really? I hadn't noticed."

Jimmy's face reflected nothing. "I slept terrible last night."

"Did your own snoring wake you up too?" This conversation held a very serious tone, and Cindy wasn't sure she liked it.

"No," he shortly responded. "I...I've had a lot on my mind, that's all."

Cindy waited, breathing so soft as not to miss a word of what Jimmy would say next. When a few moments had passed and the boy had said nothing, she decided it was her turn to speak.

"I—I have something to tell you, Neu—Jimmy."

He sat up quickly, his body appearing to have been electrocuted by some invisible force. His blue eyes eagerly met her green ones. "Me too, Cindy."

"I've been holding it back because I was…afraid to tell you," she began, her hands nervously rubbing together. "But I think it'd be for the best if I was just honest with you. I mean, we are working towards a friendship, right?"

Jimmy shook his head up and down in quick succession. "Exactly."

She exhaled once. "Okay, I'm going to tell you. Promise me you won't be angry."

"Angry?" Jimmy blinked. "Cindy, I promise I won't be angry." He smiled his winning smile and gingerly placed a hand on her shoulder. She began to pull away, but he continued to smile at her.

"You can tell me," he promised. "I won't be angry."

She blushed at the severity of his words and the fact that he was touching her. She quit trying to move away, and instead, she told him what had been bothering her for what felt like an eternity.

"I talked to Libby this morning," she started to say.

"Go on," Jimmy urged her, mentally praising his abilities as an excellent communicator.

"I don't know all of the finer details, but Carl and Sheen spent the night at her house. I—I think your mom found out about it, but I don't get why they're coming over. Could it be some sort of punishment? Libby's parents didn't know about this 'sleepover,' and I just know they'd be real angry if they found out. What if they did? What if your mom told them, and now not only am I in trouble, but Libby's going to suffer all because of me?"

Jimmy's face fell and continued to droop lower at every word Cindy said. This had not been at all what he had expected. Maybe his communication skills weren't as sharp as he thought they were. He watched helplessly as the blonde buried her head in her hands. Noticing that his hand was still on her shoulder, he immediately retracted it and rubbed it slightly against his pant leg. He tried to look anywhere but at the girl next to him, but it proved difficult for Jimmy. He eventually gave up and decided to respond to Cindy's worries.

"My mom isn't the type of person to rat others out. I highly doubt she told Libby's parents about Carl and Sheen."

Cindy lifted her head to add her own two cents. "But just think about it! Why else would the three of them be coming over?"

Jimmy fell silent when no obvious answer came to mind. "There's got to be a reason," he mumbled. "Mom would never do something like that."

Cindy was about to retort when another loud quacking noise grated against her ear drums. Her hands flew immediately to cover her ears, and Jimmy followed suit. Goddard, who had been resting at the foot of the stairs, barked loudly and bounded up the stairs to get as far away from the noise as possible.

"Let me guess," she said as she rolled her eyes. "That was your dad's idea, wasn't it?"

"He was very persistent. Mom eventually gave in, so he followed through."

"Your family needs help," she snickered.

"Thanks for the kind words, Vortex," he coldly spat at her as he stood up to answer the door.

Her spirits sank slightly when he addressed her by her last name, but she brushed it off and followed him towards the door. This time, there was no hesitation. He flung the door open, and their three friends stood on the porch, a happy Bolbi prancing around them chanting at the top of his lungs, "LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT! BOLBI WIN!"

"Hello," Jimmy flatly greeted. He stepped to the side of the entryway to allow his friends to come in. Bolbi thanked Cindy and Jimmy for the game and trotted off with a giant grin on his face. Cindy motioned for them to sit on the couch. Carl and Sheen glanced at Jimmy to make sure it was okay. Jimmy gave a quick nod, and they eagerly collapsed onto the cushioned seating. Libby stood next to Cindy, unwilling to join the others and sit down. Jimmy shut the door and joined his two best friends on the couch, plopping his tired body in between them.

"Will someone please tell me what is going on?" he asked, glancing around at the three newcomers. "I feel like I've been waiting weeks to know!"

"Jimmy, it's only been a day," Sheen pointed out.

Jimmy sighed and turned to face Libby. "Cindy told me something about these two having a sleepover at your house. Could you please continue from there?"

"It wasn't a sleepover," Libby countered. "I think you should ask these two just what happened before they came to me for help."

"Help?" Cindy asked.

"Yeah," Carl answered. "Sheen fell, and I thought he had died."

"I'm Sheen! I'm invincible! I can't die!" Sheen laughed as though that was the most ridiculous thing in the world.

"Carl?" Jimmy asked. "How did Sheen fall?"

"Well, Sheen convinced me into trying to save you from Cindy…"

"Excuse me?" Cindy flared up, giving Sheen a look that could easily kill a small rabbit. Libby nudged her in the side and told her to be quiet and listen. Cindy angrily folded her arms and muttered what sounded like incantations under her breath. Sheen cowered slightly, fearing that Cindy possibly had magical powers and that she was setting some deadly curse on him.

"We came to your house last night," Carl continued, "And Sheen climbed up to your window to get you out. When you didn't answer, Sheen lost his balance and fell. He hit the floor, and it sounded like he broke his whole body. His head was bleeding, so I pulled out my security blankie to bandage him up. I thought about waking you and getting your help, but I didn't…didn't think that was a very good idea. The only other person I could think of was Libby."

Jimmy looked to Sheen for verification. Sheen nodded and replied that Carl had basically told the truth, except for the part where he blamed Sheen for the idea. "Well, it was your idea, Sheen!" Carl whined.

"It doesn't matter! Just finish the story!" Cindy yelled.

Libby decided to continue the tale from here. "They came to my house, I snuck them up to my room, and Carl explained that Sheen had fallen. He came around not too long afterward, but he was so weak, he couldn't even walk right."

Sheen cringed as he remembered the blows Libby's floor had given him. Jimmy noticed Sheen's pained face, but he looked back to Libby, his eyes pleading for her to continue and end this confusing nightmare.

"They stayed the night because there was no way they could go back home. Neither of their parents knew that they had even left, and Sheen was in no condition to leave. Besides, my mother spent a lot of the night downstairs, prepping for my brother's band tournament this weekend. I didn't think we could slip past her again. She was very suspicious and came and checked on me a few more times."

"You're forgetting something," Sheen suddenly spoke up. Libby arched one eyebrow and waited for him to make his contribution. "Carl and I had to sleep under the bed."

"And just how is that important?" Cindy asked, clearly irritated that she still didn't know what was going on. "Why did we need to know that?"

"I never said you needed to know that, I just said that she was forgetting something."

Carl nodded in agreement. "Sheen's right, Cindy. We had to sleep underneath the bed. I think I accidentally inhaled a spider."

"Fascinating," Cindy yawned. "Can we please skip to the part where I talk to Libby and Mrs. Neutron demands the phone?"

Libby nodded and opened her mouth to continue. "I was really scared, Cindy. I didn't expect you to call, and I didn't know how to get the two back home without their parents giving them both a whipping." Libby paused before continuing. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier about it. I should have known that you two could have helped us out, but I thought I could continue to keep it a secret. I lied to my mom and told her I was sick this morning. She told me that there was no way I could get out of going to the tournament. A few minutes later, you called. I was going to ask for your help then, but suddenly, Mrs. Neutron was on the phone. She asked me to tell her everything, but I couldn't. I lied some more, but her silence told me that she didn't buy it."

Here, she stopped and turned to face Jimmy. She'd spent most of the time looking Cindy right in the eye during the course of her story, but now, she turned directly to Jimmy and spoke to him. "Your mom's a lifesaver. She spoke with my mom, lied and said how Cindy had come to her and worriedly told her how sick I was, and offered to look after me. My mom agreed to this plan, and my family left a few minutes ago. They have no idea that these two spent the night in my room and that I narrowly avoided some serious grounding, and it's all thanks to her.

"Your mom just barely called again before we came over, and she said she knew that I hadn't told her the truth. She asked me nicely once more that I tell her just what was going on, and this time, I did. I couldn't keep it from her any longer, especially after she willingly lied to my mom to save my skin. She was quiet for a while after I told her, but she told me she'd get it sorted out. She said she'd call both Carl's and Sheen's parents and tell them they had decided to have a last minute sleepover at your house but had forgotten to tell them."

Libby stopped to give the five kids a chance to let the entire story sink in. Cindy shamelessly gaped, Carl and Sheen smiled in relief, and Jimmy's face softened. Judy Neutron was a lot of things, but Jimmy had never known just how wonderful she truly was. A newfound appreciation dawned on Jimmy, and the urge to run and hug his mother overwhelmed him.

"Speaking of Mrs. N, where is she?" Libby asked. "I'd like to say a few things to her."

"I heard the whole thing, kids, and I think I can be of some assistance." Mr. Neutron jumped out from the dining room and casually waltzed into the living room, flashing the kids a goofy grin as he continued his waltz into his own bedroom.

"Booger Bear?" Hugh nervously called as he quietly opened the door. He turned to carefully shut the door, but when he flipped back around, he saw that there was no need to be quiet. Judy was sitting on the bed, intently reading one of Hugh's duck books. He smiled when he saw her eyes rapidly scurrying back and forth as she read. She didn't look up as he walked towards her, so he continued towards his final destination: the empty space next to her.

"What do you find so fascinating about these birds anyway?" she asked as Hugh sidled up next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. The act of compassion did not go unnoticed. She smiled up at him, but no sooner had she smiled then her lips turned downwards and she sighed. "I know these animals are your passion, but sometimes, I wish they weren't."

The words stung Hugh, but he knew they were spoken out of frustration. "Ducks are very fascinating creatures, Judy. Turn to page three hundred and ninety-four to see for yourself."

She silently complied and flipped through the pages with dizzying speed. She stopped on page three hundred and ninety-four and turned to face Hugh for further instruction.

"Read that second paragraph there," he pointed. Her eyes followed his finger and found the place that he wanted her to read. She began to read it to herself, but he stopped her and insisted that she read it out loud. She sighed again, hoping that there was a point to all of this.

"Mallard ducks are perhaps the most abundant duck on Earth. Weighing in somewhere between two to three pounds, these omnivorous birds live up to anywhere between five to ten years. The male, or drake, is more distinctively colored with its iconic green head in comparison with females, which are mottled drab brown in color."

"While this is all very interesting," Hugh commented, "You really should skip down a few more lines."

Judy again followed Hugh's words and began reading aloud a second time. "In all Mallard ducks, the female makes a loud quack, while the male's quack is very soft, whispery, and raspy. The quack sound that most people associate with ducks is made by the female, not the male."

Hugh smiled and kissed the top of Judy's forehead. "This is what I consider to be the most interesting fact about ducks," he whispered against her soft skin. "We males might make more of a spectacle of ourselves, but the females are what keep us grounded. For goodness sake, they're the only ones that can quack after all. They're the true ducks, not us." He looked deeply into her eyes, spotting a glimpse of the obsessively-cleaning, carefully-compassionate woman he noticed from afar the first time he saw her. "You have and always will be the number one duck in my life."

Judy felt tears begin to well up in her eyes, and Hugh gently brushed them away. "I know I'm not the easiest man to live with, Sugar Booger, but you've got to understand that you're the only person I'd ever want to spend the rest of my life with. These past few days I've just been so caught up preparing for Retroville's local duck figurine contest that I've neglected my duties as a father and husband."

Judy looked at her husband, a happy confused look appearing on her face. For the first time in a long time, she was head-over-heels in love with this duck-loving, pie-craving man. "Retroville has a duck figurine contest?"

"I'm the head chair," Hugh proudly beamed. "I just got permission from the mayor this year to start it."

Judy rolled her eyes, but she gently kissed her husband on the cheek. "You have a lot of catching up to do, mister."

"I know," he replied as he kissed her back on her cheek.

Fluffy ending. :) This doesn't mean all of their problems are solved though. *I'm so evil!*