Cherry came into the orphanage to find Sunny. After reuniting with Penny and glad she was safe and not hurt in any way, Stacy and Jeffry told them why they came and that they would like to have a special request.

This was being broadcast on the news too. Jeffry carried Penny as Stacy held Teddy and they all shared a hug as the orphans sang for Penny being able to be adopted like she had always wanted.

"I just know that Penny will be happy with Uncle Jeffry and Aunt Stacy." Atticus smiled.

Stacy and Jeffry smiled fondly at their newly adopted daughter.

"I know what it's like to be adopted, you'll love it." Darla smiled to her new cousin.

Penny saw that Darla's bear was mangled up. "You need a new teddy..." she looked down at her own bear, then held hers out to Darla.

"Oh, I couldn't..." Darla said to her.

"I insist." Penny smiled.

Darla blinked, then gently took the teddy and hugged Penny. "Welcome to the family, Penny!"

Jessica smiled. Rufus then came to join Penny into being adopted.

'I hope they don't mind having a pet.' Atticus thought.

Darla looked down to Rufus, a little nervous, she remembered her last encounters with certain cats.

"Penny, you are a brave little girl to do what you did all by yourself." the news reporter came to the former orphan with a microphone.

"Oh, I didn't do it all by myself," Penny replied, holding Rufus into her arms. "Atticus and his friend Cherry, and two little mice from the Rescue Aid Society helped me."

"Mice?" the reporter sounded surprised. "Rescue Aid Society?"

"Yes, they rescued me," Penny smiled, remembering she was on camera and whispered something, then looked into the screen. "Hello, Bianca! Hi, Bernard!" She waved, hoping they were watching from wherever they were.

"You can talk to these little mice?" the reporter asked like he thought the girl was crazy.

"Jerk." Atticus scoffed.

"All the time," Penny answered the reporter, putting her hands in her pockets. "Mice can talk like anybody. Didn't you know that?"

Jeffry and Stacy chuckled with their new daughter's sense of humor and possible imagination.

"Well, gosh, I didn't know, but I do know now, Penny..." the reporter still sounded dubious about this.

Stacy gently hugged Penny. "Happy New Year, sweetie."

"This sure is going to be one year Penny won't forget." Atticus said.

Jeffry and Stacy took Penny to the room where Jessica, Darla, and Atticus had stayed.

"When your cousins go home, this will become your new room," Stacy showed with a smile, hanging up her coat. "We'll paint it any color you'd like."

"It looks lovely, Mom." Penny said, feeling very happy that she got to say that word as she walked in. She then noticed a crib in the distance. "Um, who's that for?"

"I'll tell you later, honey..." Stacy said softly.

Jessica was discussing with Jeffry about what to buy a little girl for birthdays or Christmas for when the times would come.

Darla hugged Penny's old teddy. "I can't believe she gave me her bear, Atticus..."

"I guess it was her sign of friendship." Atticus said.

Darla shrugged, but still smiled. "I guess I'm gonna be okay... After all, Santa didn't give me coal this year, even if the Christmases I spent before, I always had new toys donated by the adoring public... I never noticed how lonely I was as a starlet before I met you and Cherry back in April."

"It's alright, that is the past." Atticus said.

Penny came over to her new cousins. "What's it like to go on 'ventures?"

"Interesting," Darla answered with a smile. "You get to meet all sorts of different people, you can go to new worlds, discover and try new things..."

"I'd like to go on one... Well, another one..." Penny smiled.

"Maybe sometime you will." Atticus said.

"I'd really like to." Penny smiled.

Jessica came with her phone. "That was Mom and Dad, they want us back home tomorrow."

"Aww..." Penny and Darla groaned that they would have to split up for a while now, but at least they were now family members and would be likely to see each other more often and where that was a promise.

Stacy and Jeffry decided to have a feast to celebrate Penny into their family before everyone would go to bed and so Atticus, Jessica, and Darla would be getting home.

"I sure am going to miss Penny." Atticus said.

After everyone ate, they got some sleep.

On the plane ride back home, Atticus got another call, only this time, it was from Mo and not from Cherry. It was at the point of the flight where cell phones were allowed to be used.

"Hi, Mo." Atticus said with a smile.

"You got any plans this summer?" Mo asked, happy to hear from him.

"Not that I know of, why?" Atticus asked her.

"The school James and Elizabeth sent me to had a random drawing before we got out for winter break," Mo explained. "The prize was a free trip to Australia for summer vacation and any guests of the winner's choosing was allowed to go with them. If you're not doing anything, would you like to come with me?"

"I'd love to." Atticus said.

"That'll be great, just let me know like a week in advance," Mo smiled.

There was a distant female voice called.

"I gotta go, Atticus, I'll talk to you later." Mo said with a smile before hanging up.

Atticus then hangs up his cell phone with a smile knowing what his answer will be. "Well, I know what I will be doing in summer." he said as he began to imagine of what Australia was going to be like.

There were bright skies, the weather was a lot warmer, there was a golden eagle flying about with several insects about. Darla and Jessica slept as Atticus daydreamed.

The End