Theme #59: Mad

Word Count: 526

World: Alternate Universe

Genre(s): Romance, Tragedy, Angst

Rating: T

Warning(s): None

It was over.

It had taken longer than his younger and more innocent self had feared. Years went by and he got richer, more successful, more powerful. It made him cocky. He thought he was untouchable.

Now it was over. The last truffula tree had fallen. He laid over a rock with a single word carved into it, the exact spot his family left him in. They were all packed up in their RV with whatever valuables they'd decided to take, and they left him in the dust like discarded trash. Once-ler didn't care. They could have the whole mansion if they wanted to. He'd take it down once he worked up the will to move.

In the midst of it all, he heard the steady approach of footsteps, and a shine of red in the side of his vision. His heart, shriveled up and black from years of self-centered avarice, snapped off it's stem and floated into his stomach, turning to dust.

"What are you doing here?" he snapped. "Come to throw dirt in my face like everyone else?"

A cawing crow was the only sound. She stood over him; he closed his eyes, hiding from her the only way he could. She probably looked ready to kill him. He might even let her do it, he just didn't want to see it.

"Not going to say anything?" he asked. After a long pause, he laughed. "That's great. The one time you don't feel like criticizing me. You have truly impeccable timing, Audrey."

She inhaled sharply, and he could relate. Tears prickled at the corner of his eyes, impossible to brush away. He shouldn't have said her name.

"Well, go ahead," he whispered. Without warning he shot up, staring down at her from his impressive height. He was so full of aching rage and pain, his mind couldn't register the look on her face. "What are you waiting for? Aren't you going to yell at me? You were right! I was wrong! The forest is dead and it's all my fault. I ruined everything, I'm a cold hearted bastard and everyone hates my guts, including you."

He grabbed his large and stupid looking hat off his head and slammed it to the ground.

"Come on!" he shouted. "Yell at me! Scream! Curse! Hate me! Do it already! DO IT!"

His mind came back into focus, his eyes with it. He did not see the fury in her eyes that he expected- wanted- to see. There was not a hint of anger to be found. Instead, Audrey was crying, harder than he was, and her eyes were filled with grief, and sadness and pity-

and love.

Like him when he looked at her.

Yes. He had never stopped loving her, had he? And she, him.

Something else ended for Once-ler when he saw her. The wall of his resistance crumbled, this was the final attack to be made on it. Nothing would protect his tarnished soul now. He fell into her arms, sobbing loudly, openly, with snot dripping down his nose, and Audrey did the same. They didn't care.

They had nothing left but each other.

Theme #58: Grandparents

Word Count: 177

World: Alternate Universe

Genre(s): Family, Angst

Rating: K+

Warning(s): Allusions of child abuse.

The first time, Once-ler sent her a framed photograph of himself smiling stupidly at the camera with a baby in his arms, and a flowery greeting card with 'CONGRATULATIONS YOU'RE A GRANDMA' written on the front.

It was hard to look at that picture and then have to go and face the sons she loved over him. They both still lived at home, sleeping until noon, watching TV, arguing heatedly over the last kernel of popcorn, doing nothing with their lives.

And she loved them, she did. They weren't like Once-ler. Nothing about them could remind her of him like Once-ler did. If only those similarities had extending only so far as looks. If only the sons she did love were the hard-working successful ones. Maybe then she wouldn't need to toss his letters and pictures in the garbage to feel good about herself again.

By the third time, it was just a picture of the baby in a plain white envelope. Once-ler was finally starting to get the point, it seemed.

She still threw it out.

Theme #23: Sports

Word Count: 340

World: Alternate Universe

Genre(s): Family, Humor

Rating: K+

Warning(s): None

Gene came running home from school one day waving a flier for baseball tryouts. He'd been just a little boy of seven, Audrey can't believe it's been ten years since then.

Now he's on the cusp of adulthood, tall, strong and handsome like his father. His team is one run away from the play-offs. Two men are on base, one man is out, the current at bat has just received his third strike. The umpire declares him out, and now Gene is at bat.

"Alright!" Audrey cries, getting to her feet and clapping wildly. "Come on, Gene! Come on, son! You can do it!"

"Mom, sit down," Amelia hisses. "You're going to embarrass him!"

But against his sister's preteen sensibilities, Gene waves to her as he stands at home plate. The pitcher is a mean looking boy in the other team's light green uniform. Audrey thinks it's one of the ugliest colors she's ever seen, and no, she's not biased thank you very much.

Gene takes a few practice swings before the first ball is thrown. The suspense is killing her. Even Once-ler is getting nervous, though for some reason he's looking at her and not at the game. Odd…

"You really should sit down, honey," he says. "There are people behind us who want to see."

Now that he mentions it, she kind of hears the family behind her whispering to each other and complaining about the 'crazy lady' blocking their view.

Oh well, not her problem.

The ball is thrown and it's like it was made for Gene. He hits it right in the center. It flies through the outfield into the crowd as they all go wild, none quite so much as Audrey herself.

"YES YES! THAT'S MY BOY! WHOOOOO!"

"Maybe we should stop taking her to games," Tobias whispers to his father.

The glare Audrey sends their way effectively kills that idea (and possibly releases their bowels). Why would they even want to do that in the first place?

Next week, they're going to the play-offs!

Theme #47: Ice Cream

Word Count: 233

World: Alternate Universe

Genre(s): Romance

Rating: T

Warning(s): Mentions of sex.

Once-ler didn't like ice cream much. It was too cold. It made his teeth chatter and his gums ache no matter how carefully he licked it off the cone. Give him nice hot marshmallows over a campfire any day of the week. Now there was a proper snack.

Audrey had different ideas. She brought home a new tub of it every week whether the old one was finished or not. It was always a different flavor, she loved to try new things. She also loved trying to make him try new things, and she was of the opinion that ice cream was one of the few things in the world that everyone could agree on. Once-ler begged to differ.

"What if it were marshmallow flavored?" she asked him one day.

Once-ler cringed at the thought, but made himself smile at her. "Well if you find it, let me know."

She came home the next day looking incredibly smug with a tub of chocolate and marshmallow swirl in her hands. Once-ler gawked at it. Bile rushed to his throat, only to be stopped when Audrey kissed him on the cheek and whispered in his ear.

"There are other ways to eat ice cream than just off a cone, you know."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

She spent the rest of the night showing him, and suddenly, ice cream didn't seem so bad anymore.

Theme #28: Man

Word Count: 580

World: Alternate Universe

Genre(s): Family, Humor, Romance

Rating: K+

Warning(s): None.

He was around five feet, seven inches tall by Once-ler's estimate. Brown hair, hazel eyes, average features. He wore plain blue jeans and a dark blue long sleeved shirt, nice enough for a date, but not too fancy either. In truth, the kid could've showed up at the door in a tuxedo with a gold plated stretch limo waiting for him and Once-ler would've been just as happy to throw him right back out on his ass. This kid is lucky Audrey beat him to the door before.

They had been waiting some time now, Once-ler and the boy all alone while Audrey helped Amelia get ready. Once-ler would have liked a little back up, but Gene was away at college now and Tobias was too nice. It was just the two of them, one on one.

At least the kid seemed to know his place. He kept his hands to himself, his head bent, didn't speak unless spoken to and always keeping his voice down. Once-ler would've liked to take all the credit for instilling fear into the kid, but he could admit the giant axe next to the door was helping.

"So where are you going to go?" Once-ler asked.

"To the movies," the boy answered promptly.

"What are you seeing?"

"We're not sure yet- something we both like. Something PG rated probably."

Once-ler frowned.

"Definitely. Definitely is what I meant…"

The door to Amelia's room opened and out came his precious angel. She had her nice yellow sundress on and her red hair in ringlets, like a more grown up version of the little girl Once-ler wished she still was. Her hand were clasped behind her back, her smile sweet and innocent. How could he even think to send her off with some kind of despicable lecherous soul sucking demon like the one sitting before him?

"Okay, we're all set," said Audrey. She planted a kiss on Amelia's cheek, unconcerned with the way her daughter wiped it off afterward. "You too have fun, okay?"

"We will, mom!"

Amelia took the boy by the arm. He had been on his feet and discreetly inching towards the door since she came out. He never broke eye contact with Once-ler, like he was worried that the second he did, he'd get an axe blade to the back of the skull. So he was smart. That was at least two points in his favor.

"Bye, daddy," Amelia said.

Once-ler took her hand and kissed it. "Be home by nine, okay?"

She rolled her eyes. He'd been drilling it into her since this morning.

"Yes, dad."

Once-ler nodded, his eyes then flicked to that boy's and darkened significantly.

"Nine," he repeated.

"Yes sir, of course sir."

They went out the door. The lock clicked into place and Once-ler was off. Axe in hand he stood by the window looking into the front yard, where the boy's mother waited for them in her pick-up truck. The boy looked back at the house, clearly on edge, and when he caught sight of Once-ler, he got an eyeful of the serenely smiling man slowly lifting the axe blade into view. Once-ler would savor that look of pure, unadulterated horror for the rest of his life. The fact that Audrey saw everything and treated him to an hour long lecture about trusting his daughter's judgement and how threatening young teenagers with dismemberment by axe was bad didn't matter in the slightest. It was completely worth it.

Theme #20: Pet

Word Count: 378

World: Alternate Universe

Genre(s): Humor, Romance

Rating: K

Warning(s): None

Eventually, Audrey convinces Once-ler that bar-ba-loots- no matter how cute and cuddly they are- do not make for good house pets. An incident involving Christmas dinner may have helped. He complains and he pouts and he drags his feet, but he still ends up in the store with Audrey and a 200 pound mutt she wants to take home with them.

"Actually, he's closer to 80 pounds," says the very helpful shop owner while the dog-beast attempts to suffocate/lick Once-ler to death.

Things don't get much better when they bring the dog home. Once-ler constantly finds himself tripping over dog treats and slipping on suspicious wet spots on the kitchen floor. Teaching the dog to go outside only solves part of the problem. Now Once-ler has to contend with being the 'preferred walker' as Audrey calls it. Three times a day the dog nudges him and whines, leash clamped firmly in his teeth. How he knows what that thing is for, Once-ler has no clue. He doesn't remember teaching him.

Sometimes, Audrey comes with them. Once-ler likes it much better that way. She's better at keeping the dog's attention. Otherwise, he'll be running wild all over the place and peeing on Once-ler knitting supplies. Again.

He must be extra antsy today, because Audrey's presence isn't doing much.

"Come on boy, down boy!" she shouts, and he just keeps hollering and running around like he's on psychedelic drugs and can't be reasoned with. Once-ler doesn't want to say he told her so, but…

"Audrey," he says after yet another failure at making the dog behave. "Just forget it. He's not going to listen to you."

Just to make his point a little more, the dog rushes around the two of them, wrapping his leash around their legs while the two of them cling to each other and try to stay up. They inevitably fall, their entire lower halves fused by thick leather. Once-ler spins to take the brunt of the fall, and he sees stars before he realizes that his and Audrey's mouths are mashed together. Their wide eyed stares linger for a short time before the spirit takes them over. They melt into the kiss, blind to the dog's continued scampering about and deaf to his barking.

Theme #15: Animal

Word Count: 393

World: Alternate Universe

Genre(s): Family

Rating: K+

Warning(s): None

"Amelia, what are you doing?"

She froze in place, momentarily disorientating the little bar-ba-loot in her arms as her ministrations came to an abrupt halt. Two long shadows hovered over her, scrutinizing gazes making her feel trapped like a wanted criminal, and she hadn't even turned her head yet.

"Are you brushing the bar-ba-loot's fur again?"

Amelia sighed at his cutting tone. Leave it to Tobias to emulate Mom.

She set the furry animal down. He turned pleading eyes on her, but Amelia didn't pick him up again and soon his short attention span led him elsewhere, no worse for the wear. Amelia hid the tiny brush in her sleeve, pulling it over her hand.

"I was just petting him," she said, innocently kicking the dirt. "Nothing wrong with that, is there?"

He crossed his arms, again so much like mom. He might as well dye his hair and get a bra.

"You shouldn't get so friendly the bar-ba-loots, Amelia," he said. "You know how they are."

Amelia mentally rolled her eyes. If Tobias hadn't been looking right at her, she would have mimicked him a little too. She glanced at Gene, who'd stood quietly behind Tobias all this time and looked ready to burst out laughing at the both of them.

"We're going to head back and find a bunch of them hanging around at the kitchen window again, aren't we?"

"Don't encourage her," Tobias hissed at him.

Amelia smirked, putting her hands on her hips. "They did that last Thursday. You'd know that if you'd come home more often."

Gene shrugged playfully. "Can't help it, Sis. I've good a lot to do. Work, school, new girlfriend."

"So you just up and forget your loving family I guess," she said with mock tears. She would've cried for real, but now she was the one sounding like Mom.

"Wait, I'm confused." Tobias proved that by glancing back and forth at the two of them, very much at a loss. "How did we go from talking about animals to this?"

His siblings stared at him, and then Amelia smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

"Tobias," she said, beaming. "I love you, bro. Now get a life."

His affronted exclamation was not acknowledged, and then Gene locked them both in an iron grip around the shoulders, leading them back home where their parents waited.

Theme #85: West

Word Count: 1,178

World: Alternate Universe

Genre(s): Romance, Adventure

Rating: K+

Warning(s): None

The water was picking up speed. As the rapids closed in on the unfortunate nest of eggs, it was bumped along in every direction. Somehow, they never fell from their meager home, but that only made the situation more dire somehow.

The one swomee-swan pulling at Once-ler the hardest- the mother he figured- squawked ceaselessly in his ear. That they didn't cave in on themselves was a feat. Once-ler would've loved to yell right back and give her a taste of her own medicine. Given the circumstances though…

"We have to do something!" Audrey shouted, clinging to him.

Once-ler winced at the sudden pain but didn't bother with shaking her off (it was a lost cause before it began) and instead turned to the swomee-swan.

"Well, you can fly. Why don't you just go and grab it?"

The swomee-swan squawked indignantly at him, lifting both legs in turn and shaking its feathers at them.

"I think she's saying she's not strong enough to carry them," Audrey suggested.

"Oh, that's ridiculous!" Once-ler cried. "I know their game, they're just trying to mess around with me again. There are probably a bunch of these guys back at the house right now destroying my kitchen while this one distracts me. They could be laying eggs in all the bowls as we speak!"

Audrey scowled, the really powerful and soul piercing kind she liked to use to make people do her bidding. Usually Once-ler.

"Well, I don't know about that," she said in a low voice. "However, there are three eggs right there that are about to fall into the river. So what can we do about it?"

Once-ler shook his head, completely at a loss. His head was spinning and starting to throb. All that came out of his mouth were nonsense words of exasperation and pain. Just what did she think he was going to come up with? How was he supposed to save a bunch of helpless eggs from a raging river that would drown him the instant he stuck his toes into it?

Then it came to him, completely out of nowhere, like a bolt of lightning square on the noggin that reminded him of what he should have thought of from the start of all this.

"Wait here," he told Audrey and the swans. He ran back to the picnic sight, grabbing up what he needed from inside the basket. His long legs carried him there and back in no time at all.

"Once-ler wha-" Audrey paused upon making out the clothy pink bundle in her husband's hands. In seconds, her look of terror was replaced with understanding, and then pure joy. "Baby, you are a genius."

Once-ler just nodded, he'd bask in her praise and adoration of him later. Unwrapping the thneed, he took two ends and tossed the others to the mother swomee-swan.

"Strong enough to carry that?"

The swomee-swan squawked again, this time with pure determination. This made it the least annoying thing she'd said all day. Once-ler almost liked the sound even.

She flew to the other side, the thneed held in her beak. A horde of swomee-swans descended on her, lending their support to the mother in need. With all of them together, they held the thneed taut. Once-ler and Audrey pulled with all their might, praying with all their hearts that it would work.

The nest was drifting fast, inches away from the point of no return. Once-ler gulped.

'I really hope this works.'

The nest pushed into the thneed, going slower and slower but taking everyone with it.

"HOLD ON!" Once-ler cried.

It kept going, all the way to the waterfall up ahead. Once-ler was sweating bullets, his stomach dropping all the way down from sheer hopelessness. This was it. He'd failed.

The nest came to a stop mere feet away from the waterfall and had pulled the thneed so far, the seams were beginning to split.

"We have to pull it back now!" he shouted over to the swomee-swans. "If we all work together, it should-"

The thneed gave way, but not in the way Once-ler thought it would. It would be extremely interesting in retrospect, when Once-ler was very old and had three kids and several grandchildren, and he no longer shuddered at the thought of eggs in a nest. That time was still a far way's off, so for now, Once-ler could only scream like the rest of them when the nest was shot westward as if out of a cannon. Through the air it sailed, picking up speed as it closed in on the ground. From so far away, it was impossible to tell how high it was. It was about the height of the truffula tree it was about to crash into. Once-ler's heart leapt out of his chest, did circles around his body and then started beating him like a rug just as-

The nest landed in the tree. Perfectly, safely, and without a single scratch on any of the eggs.

The last thing Once-ler heard was a thunk, and then his world spun around and went dark.

Audrey shook him awake hours later when the sun had gone down. She had bits of grass in her frizzy hair and he had no trouble figuring out how it got there.

"Did that really happen?" he asked, slightly disoriented.

They collectively glanced at the far off tree, where the happy mother tended to her eggs. Audrey- for all her love of nature and years studying the local wildlife- gave the same kind of shrug Once-ler's mind kept giving him whenever he tried to work out the physics involved. It simply shouldn't be possible for something of that weight, going that fast, to not only make a flawless landing on such a narrow space, but also not break any of it's fragile cargo in the process.

It was impossible right?

Right?

"I'll tell you what, Once-ler," Audrey said after a long time just sitting there, silently and separately thinking it over. "Let's just be glad that the eggs are safe and we saved them."

Once-ler, having long ago lost the will to argue the point, and actually feeling pretty good about himself now that she mentioned it, calmly pressed his head into hers.

"Yeah, that sounds good."

Audrey's finger came all the way around turning his head so her lips brushed his. Once-ler deepened it into a proper kiss, the two of them lost in each other until the need for oxygen outweighed their passion and forced them apart. Audrey offered Once-ler a hand.

"Ready to go home, hero?"

She smiled warmly at him, and he smiled back.

Back at home, the happy couple walked into the kitchen for some late dinner. They found the same horde of swomee-swans from before having the time of their lives as they knocked things over, collected newly laid eggs in Once-ler's 100 dollar glass water pitcher and had some kind of contest to see who could shed the most feathers into the pantry.

"I KNEW IT!" screamed Once-ler.

Theme #29: Earth

Word Count: 522

World: Canon Universe

Genre(s): Friendship

Rating: K

Warning(s): None

Once-ler stands in the center of the town, Audrey's hand clasped tightly in his. He told her before they left that he was having trouble walking, bad back and all. The truth is he just needed a little emotional support, and he never learned how to properly ask for it. If Audrey knows this, her little smile is the only hint she gives.

The seed is taking well to the purified soil. Really well in fact. It's still just a sprout- will likely be one even when Once-ler breathes his last- but already he can see the dark stripes of a truffula tree trunk. The sprout grows rapidly into a strong and proud tree. Beautiful pink tufts top it off, and there in the branch is a mother swomee-swan, peacefully tending to her young. Even if it's all in his head, he sheds a tear.

Audrey squeezes his hand.

"Do you want to water it?" she asks.

A watercan is offered to him before he can speak, and Once-ler finds himself taking it without a thought. It's half full, just enough that holding it doesn't strain him. He hates reminders of how weak he's become, but for once, it doesn't bother him.

WIth practiced steadiness, Once-ler tips the nozzle over the sprout, letting gentle drops of water soak into the soil, nourishing the roots to make them grow a little bigger and stronger. With this tiny offering, he takes the first step towards repaying his debt. Little by little, his guilt may be assuaged, until the day comes when he will open his window every morning to fields of green and a yellow sun, and no fear will cloud his eyes.

But now he's getting ahead of himself, isn't he?

Stepping back to Audrey, he takes her hand again, but this time he just gives it a grateful pat.

"You're a good kid, Audrey," he says.

She places her hand over his, it's as warm as her heart.

"And you're a good man, Mr. Once-ler," she says firmly. "You are."

Of course she would add that one extra slip of reassurance. Once-ler would prefer she didn't bother, but he's learning that she's not one to be talked out of what she chooses to believe in. She's going to have to reign it eventually; maybe another day.

"You know, it's really too bad there were no girls like you around when I was your age."

Audrey gives him a lopsided grin. "Would you have dated them?"

Once-ler feigns thinking about it, then when it's been long enough he waves his hand in a so-so gesture, and they together their laughter rings out into the night.

They are quite happy to stay as such, in the company of the sprout and each other, and the promise of a new friendship. Off in the shadows, a small figure watches over them unseen but never too far away. Beneath his large bushy mustaches and harsh gaze is a smile and a feeling of contentment that goes for all of them.

"You did good, Beanpole," he quietly says. "For once in your life, you really did good."

Theme #100: Heart

Word Count: 677

World: Alternate Universe

Genre(s): Romance, Family

Rating: K

Warning(s): None

It had been a beautiful wedding, the best one Once-ler ever went to; barring his own of course.

Holding it in the forest outside their home had to have been the best idea of all and he was glad he thought of it. It took time to convince Gene, who was dead set on making a real impression for his future wife. Why he even thought he needed to had been beyond Audrey. She's already agreed to marry him, she said. He doesn't have to impress her anymore.

That the bride agreed was easy to infer. She walked down the aisle in her mother's dress, on her father's arm, tears in her eyes like any other woman on her wedding day. Gene was floored when she appeared, a typical groom in awe of the woman he loved. That was a feeling Once-ler knew well; thirty years ago it had been him in that same spot and it was a small wonder he was able to speak aloud his vows.

He sat now on his own while Audrey saw off the last guest and Tobias and his friends cleaned up. They were a cheerful, if rambunctious bunch; Once-ler had liked them immediately. Tobias had been hesitant about letting his parents hire them for clean-up duty, but so far it was working out just fine. Tobias was in his final year of college, getting ready to take on the world of zoology and make a name for himself. He'd also started breeding birds in the cottage he built himself several miles away. Sometimes, birds were all he'd ever talk about, and Amelia would all but beg to be allowed to lock him out of the house. Once-ler didn't always disagree.

She was with him now, her long blue gown riding up to her ankles as she seated herself on a newly cleaned table. One of Tobias's friends scowled at her and she smiled cutely back. Amelia would be leaving them next summer, and their nest would be as empty as a mother swomee-swan's. Her excitement level was lightyears above that of her parent's, but it never felt like it unless she was right there next to them, chattering on and on about how amazing her freshmen year was going to be. She didn't know what she was studying yet, but she had plenty of time, and she was their daughter. Whatever she decided to do, she was bound to be great at it.

Gene would be living with his new wife in their house out on the coast, a perfect place for a pair of marine biologists. Whenever they started trying for children (Gene spat out his milk when Audrey brought it up last week so Once-ler doubted it would be any time soon), it would be a perfect place to raise them. Gene would surely love the excuse to start coaching a little league team.

As for himself and Audrey, well, Once-ler was happy to find that some things really didn't change, and if they did, they only got better. She sat next to him now, her hand slipping into his. Veins were raised under their skin and gray had melted away the red hair that first ensnared him years ago, but when she smiled up at him like she did right now, it meant nothing. She was the most beautiful women he'd ever seen and nothing would change that. She was his heart.

"So before we let the boys put everything away," she said, "how about one more dance?"

And Once-ler was happy to comply. He didn't know why he hadn't been the one to ask. Together they danced to music that played in their heads, unnoticed by all and uncaring of all but each other. They stepped in time, Once-ler humming a little tune as Audrey soon joined in.

By the light of the moon, they danced until their legs were sore, and then they just stood there holding hands and watching a swarm of fireflies light up the night sky and fly to the heavens.

A/N: Well, that's the last of them. Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed and favorited. I'm really glad to finally have this little project done, and I hope you've enjoyed reading them as much as I've enjoyed writing them.

Goodnight everybody!