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LazyTown was a quaint little place situated in what seemed like the middle of nowhere. Despite not standing out in any particular way, it didn’t mean that the town didn’t have its own uniqueness.
When the weather slowly changed from summer to autumn, one could see the trees slowly changing color. What made it different from regular trees was how the leaves could change into every shade of sunset-esque color possible. There were not your typical red, orange and brown. It looked like they were taken straight out of a masterful artist’s painting.
To take advantage of this beautiful sight at this time of year, the mayor had decided to set a celebration of sorts. Usually on Saturday of the second week, LazyTown would have a massive picnic at the local park. That way everyone could enjoy the scenery while socializing, not to mention share food with each other. It became more of a giant pot luck than a picnic at times.
Stephanie was of course excited. This would be her first time attending this picnic with her friends. They had told her all sorts of wonderful things, from the pretty leaves to the food that they share and eat together. She had been counting down the days on her calendar so she could make plans on what she would bring to the picnic.
In the end, Stephanie chose to bring sandwiches. They were easy to make and she knew her friends favorites. Ziggy loved peanut butter, Pixel would eat anything jellied between two slices of bread, Trixie enjoyed a good egg sandwich, Stingy would immediately claim the ham and cheese one, Sportacus accepted anything that had a lot of veggies in it and Robbie would not eat any of her creations unless it was slathered with chocolate spread.
On the day of the picnic, she left the house with a basket in hand and a spring in her steps. She wore an extra sweater and a pair of pants underneath her knee length skirt since the weather had been steadily dropping over the past few weeks.
During the walk to the park, she met up with Trixie and Pixel, each bringing their own specially decorated baskets. They chattered excitedly with each other before they came across Stingy and Ziggy. Soon, there was a pack of children arguing on the best spot to set up the mat.
Stephanie and Ziggy wanted a spot nearer to the base of the trees, Pixel suggested that they set up in the middle and Trixie argued with Stingy that sitting near the pond was better than the grassy field just further up ahead. It seemed like they wouldn’t be able to reach an agreement until Sportacus arrived, a small basket in one hand and a scarf wrapped loosely around his neck.
“Hey there! What’s all this about?” The hero greeted as he slowly crouched down till he was eye level with most of the kids. Stephanie couldn’t help but noticed that he looked a little pale. Before she could make a comment on it, her friends had jumped on him, each bringing up what they thought was the best spot possible.
In the end, Sportacus suggested that they set up the picnic area in the middle but with the pond and grassy field still within sight. It was also close enough to get some shade too so everyone got a little bit of what they wanted.
Of course it took a little more convincing to get everyone – namely Trixie and Stingy – onboard with the idea. The kids quickly set down the mat, sparking up a whole new argument on whose picnic basket should be placed in the center and who sat next to who.
Stephanie didn’t immediately expressed her opinion. Instead, she looked back at Sportacus, who would usually play mediator by this point. What she saw made her frown slightly in concern. The blue cladded elf was leaning against a nearby tree, had his eyes close and one hand gingerly cradling his head.
Sportacus didn’t look so well, she thought. I’ve never seen him like this.
The pink haired girl quickly approached Sportacus. She grabbed hold of one of his hand warmers and looked up with concern present in her eyes. Sportacus opened his eyes and looked down at the touch.
“Are you okay Sportacus?”
A wide smile spread across his lips. Somehow, Stephanie felt that it wasn’t completely real. “Yes Stephanie, I’m fine! I just… didn’t get as much sleep as I liked. It takes a bit for my body to adjust when I don’t get enough sleep but I’ll be alright!” He gently patted her head for added assurance before his attention shifted to the rest of the children.
“I better go and make sure that Trixie won’t start hitting Stingy out of frustration again,” Sportacus spoke though it sounded like he was talking to himself rather than addressing Stephanie. While the hero went to break up the argument, Stephanie watched at his retreating back with a rising sense of worry within her.
She lightly touched the spot where Sportacus patted her head. It felt… warm. Was his touch always that hot or was it just the brisk weather playing tricks on her senses? Nevertheless, Stephanie had a feeling that she should keep an eye out for Sportacus, just in case.
Sportacus didn’t want to admit that he wasn’t feeling all that well. When he woke up this morning, his muscles were sore and achy, the airship felt colder than usual and it hurt a little when he swallowed. While he rarely fell ill, it didn’t mean that he was blind to the signs. Perhaps he had caught something or the chilly temperature finally caught up to the elf that wore nothing appropriate for the changing seasons.
He figured all the exercise was enough to warm him. That didn’t seem like the case and now he was paying for it. If it was any other day, Sportacus would consider staying inside to rest up. Unfortunately, LazyTown was having an annual picnic that he was invited to. The hero had promised the kids that he would come with some deliciously healthy treats.
Guilt rising at the thought of breaking the promise, Sportacus decided to go, even if his body wanted nothing more than the soft touch of his bed. The thought of food ignited a nauseous feeling so he forgo his original plan of making a healthy salad and instead, shoved a bunch of sportscandy into a blue basket. Again, he felt bad that he couldn’t bring anything more substantial but he feared that the nausea would overwhelm him.
Noticing that the temperature was chillier today, he grabbed a scarf and wrapped it around his neck. Common sense dictated him to wear something with longer sleeves but the idea of wearing a shirt that constricted the entire length of his arms didn’t sit well with him. All the exercise he would get on the way to the park should be enough to keep him warm. It did before so why wouldn’t it help now?
Of course, if he wasn’t actually flipping around, the chill would get to him. Sportacus quickly realized that performing more than two flips made his stomach roll something fierce. The nauseous feeling also grew so he had to stop before anything bad could happen. This meant he was left with rubbing his arms in a desperate attempt to warm himself up before he met up with the kids.
After breaking up the almost fight between the two more ‘expressive’ children, they quickly settled down. Sportacus sat at the top left with the rest sitting next to each other till they form a loose circle. His hopes that it had been his only problem for the day disappeared as soon as everyone opened up their baskets to showcase their creation.
The sight of food should have made him feel happy, especially since it was homemade but instead, it made his stomach growl in an unhappy sort of way. Thankfully, the kids were bragging about their delicious creation that no one noticed. Sportacus casually placed a hand on his stomach, forcing himself to look relaxed and the move was not his way to ease the sick feeling.
“Wow! Everything looks good! You kids did a great job!” Sportacus praised, injecting far more cheer than necessary. Again, no one noticed if it was strange as they preened from the hero’s compliment.
Except for Stephanie. She kept shooting worried glances at Sportacus, mentally adding another oddity into her growing list and wondering if she should say anything now.
“Well what are we waiting for? Let’s dig in!” Trixie announced, making a move for the macaroni and cheese first. The rest quickly took what they were eyeing for and soon, silence draped over the area, the only sounds being munching and content sighs.
Sportacus was at least happy that they were learning to not speak and eat. If only he could bring himself to sample the food. The flippity floppity feeling in his stomach grew the longer his senses were assaulted from the treats. If sight and smell was making him feel like this, he couldn’t imagine what it would be like if he actually tried to eat something.
Still, he had to. The longer he stalled, someone will notice and he really wanted to avoid the questions. Swallowing heavily, Sportacus went for one of the sandwiches. Stephanie had told them that she made their favorites, which touched his heart even as his stomach protest at the notion of food.
The elf took a small bite, chew slowly before swallowing. Of course the taste was amazing. He really wished he had the capability to enjoy it right now. Just from that, the nauseous feeling grew exponentially. He feared that sudden movements would bring him over the edge so he sat perfectly still, mechanically chewing and swallowing all the while.
Once again, he thanked his lucky stars that no one seemed to notice his uncharacteristic slowness. Usually, he would be one of the first to get up and burn off the calories. This time, he simply sat where he was as the kids decided that they wanted to jump into the piles of leaves scattered around the park. Sportacus released a quiet sigh of relief. Now he didn’t have to force himself to eat. What was already in his stomach made him feel all sorts of awful and he hated that he was even feeling like this in the first place.
“Sportacus?” A soft voice asked, nearly making him jump in surprise. He found Stephanie’s worried gaze settling into his body like the chill that had steadily seeped into his bones all this while. A different feeling, no less unpleasant, rooted itself in his heart. Oh dear, he didn’t want to worry anyone, especially the girl who was supposed to enjoy her very first LazyTown autumn picnic.
“Yes Stephanie?” He answered with what he hoped was a gentle smile on his lips.
“Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” Oh, the dreaded question. Sportacus swallowed, preparing to fib in order to not make her worry but then her gaze turned downright imploring. Suddenly his throat felt dry, the words dying before he could speak. Could he really bring himself to lie when she looked at him like that?
“I…” His eyes shifted to the side, his smile dropping. “I’ll admit, I don’t feel… very good. But-“ Here, he attempted a genuine smile once more. “—that shouldn’t be a reason for you to not have fun! It’s your first picnic, right? You don’t have to worry about me, Stephanie! I only need to not move around so much! Fresh air is what I need, really!”
Sportacus tried to inject as much assurance as he could without making it sound forced. He kept up the smile, desperately hoping that Stephanie would accept his reason. Those unnervingly sharp eyes trailed on him for what seemed like forever before she slowly nodded.
“Okay... Uncle Milford said that no one knows about your body better than yourself. If you say that you only need fresh air and some rest to feel better, I trust you.” She regained some of her natural cheeriness, a smile blossoming on her cute features. “You know, I’ll help you out! I’ll get the others to play at that field over there. That should give you some peace and quiet but it’s not far away that you can still watch us!”
That… was a brilliant idea. Sportacus felt proud that the girl was able to make up such a solid plan! “I would like that. Very much in fact. Thank you Stephanie and sorry if I worried you.”
Though her eyes still reflected her worry, she did giggle. “Don’t worry Sportacus! You’ve always looked out for us! It’s okay to let us look out for you too.”
Sportacus felt his eyes becoming misty and his face becoming a tad warmer. Hearing Stephanie say that… it made his heart swell with love and adoration towards her and the rest of the kids. He really grew attached to them, hadn’t he?
“T-Thank you, Stephanie,” he repeated, this time softer and rawer. She beamed at him before she turned and headed towards her friends. Sportacus watched her coral the rest into going to the field, smiling softly. Like she said, the area became quieter but he still could keep an eye out on the kids if anything happened.
Sportacus heaved out a deep sigh. While he didn’t have to pretend to enjoy the food anymore and the uncomfortable feeling had receded for the moment, it didn’t mean he felt significantly better. His body was one big dull ache, his throat still hurt and a heavy sort of fuzz was settling in his head. It made him feel sleepy, too.
The hero leaned against the trunk, his eyes slowly sliding shut. Perhaps a little shut eye was all that he needed. His crystal would alert him if something happened so he felt that he could allow himself this small respite…
Something pressed against his cheek, which slowly brought him to the conscious world. Sportacus swore that he felt worse off than he did prior to his nap. A groan escaped him before he could stop it and then he was hearing muffled voices. What happened? Why did he feel like some cotton was jammed in his ears?
The pressure moved from his cheek to his forehead and there was another on the side of his neck. More muffled noises followed by small shakes on his shoulder. His brows furrowed involuntarily. Who was disturbing him? Sportacus just wanted to sleep and make the awful feeling go away.
“… ‘me on… ‘ke up…” There were those muffled voices again but louder than before. Sportacus thought that he’d get some peace when the shakes stop but then there were light slaps on his cheek. While it didn’t hurt him, it was disrupting his ability to slip back into a deep slumber. He supposed he should see what was happening if someone was being this persistent.
Ever so slowly, he opened his eyes. More noises and then he felt hands gently pushed him back until his back connected with the rough bark of the tree trunk. At first his world was a blur of shapes and colors until his eyes managed to focus on the two closest shapes.
Oh, that was Robbie. When did he get here? Why was he looking at him like that? And that was Stephanie. She looked… sad? Scared? A mixture of the two?
“Wha’... ‘pened?” The question came out as a slur. When did his throat felt this sore? How come he felt chillier than before? All of these were burning in his mind and yet, he couldn’t bring himself to voice them out. More like, he didn’t have the energy to. When was the last time he felt this exhausted? This feeling honestly felt even worse than a sugar meltdown.
It sounded like someone answered his near intelligible question but Sportacus was having a hard time focusing on the words. He felt bad and uncomfortable and tired. Sleeping would be heavenly right now but no one was granting this wish of his, especially when he got hauled to his feet. Just standing felt like an ordeal and he would have collapsed back to the ground if it wasn’t for the arm around his waist and another over his shoulders.
When whoever it was took a step forward, he had to take one too. Sportacus really didn’t know what was happening aside from burying his face into something steady but soft and feeling light gusts of wind over his body, sometimes right next to his ear too. Those kind of wind brought along some familiar voices, ones that he couldn’t pinpoint exactly.
It felt… nice. He couldn’t understand why he felt like this but he knew these winds would not harm him, would keep him safe and sound. Just thinking about it caused exhaustion to ram into his body like he just did an hour of intense exercise without resting.
Sportacus could only register his body being laid onto something soft before he was lost to the world again.
Robbie would never admit in this lifetime that being invited to the annual picnic tradition thing felt… nice.
He was content with spending the day like all the previous years – in his pajamas with a whole chocolate cake as he watched the scenery from his periscope. Then Pinky came up to him with a sweet smile, saying that they were inviting him to the picnic with them.
Robbie managed to hide his surprise (and subsequent feeling of… feelings, ugh) rather well, faking disinterest until Stephanie promised to make a sandwich that she he was sure he would love.
He’d be a crazy man for refusing such an offer, especially when she added on that it would be made entirely without sportscandy and any other of its disgusting family members. Really, he was only there for the food.
Of course when he packed his own basket – all sorts of delicious junk food and a lone orange sportscandy (blergh) that he coincidentally found in his fridge – it was out of principle. Robbie was a classy villain. If someone did something nice for him, then he was obligated to do so in return, just so they couldn’t claim any favors if there had been any ulterior motives.
While he didn’t think that the brats were capable of such forethought, being over prepared was better than getting bamboozled by children.
Those were his reasons. Really.
Robbie had left his lair with the basket in hand and bundled up in a few sweaters. He wasn’t a big fan of the cold but picnics were only fun when they were held outside. While breaking promises was a villain like thing to do, it wasn’t classy.
Robbie was a classy villain, remember that.
So he was on his way to the park, not realizing that he had an extra bounce in his step and that his lips were set in a small yet genuine smile. That all dissipated the moment he saw the brats running around, except not in a way he would expect. Pinky was the first one to saw him and she immediately ran towards him.
The villain would forever deny that he felt something twinge upon seeing her panic stricken expression. While he was all about causing mayhem, seeing children in an actual state of alarm wasn’t exactly a pleasant feeling, he quickly realized.
“Pinky?” Robbie found himself asking. “What…?”
“Robbie! You gotta help!” She cried out. That ramped up the spark of worry alright. It must be bad if the one brat that exude a perpetual shower of smiles and sunshine could look like that. Did something happen? If there was trouble, that Sportanut would have handled it.
Then an odd thought popped up in his mind. Unless…
“Come on!” Stephanie grabbed hold of his hand and started yanking him to move faster. Normally, he would have snatched his hand back and snapped at the girl for intruding on his personal space. This time he simply allowed her to drag him, each step feeling heavier than the last.
Something blue entered his vision and Robbie swore his heart dropped as he took in the sight before him.
Sportaloon… saying that he didn’t look well was an understatement. The elf looked positively horrible. He was leaning against a tree, his head drooped forward. Sweat stuck to his forehead and his reddened cheeks stood out against his pale complexion. His breaths came out in short, sharp puffs and his expression looked pained even when Robbie was sure he was unconscious.
Anyone could tell that the hero was sick, which admittedly was an odd thought to wrap his mind around. The sports nut had never been any less than one hundred percent normally so the idea that he could fall sick. If it wasn’t for this pitiful sight, Robbie wouldn’t have believed it.
“H-He won’t wake up! And he’s really hot to the touch!” Stephanie’s voice jerked him back to reality. Robbie stared at the still form for a moment longer before his expression tightened. While he didn’t like the blue kangaroo (some of the time, his mind treacherously tacked on), even he couldn’t find it in him to leave, especially when he was on the receiving end of some many worried looks.
“Alright Pinky hold this.” Robbie shoved his basket into her hands before he approached the fallen hero. The man crouched down, placing one hand on Sportanut’s shoulder while the other pressed against his forehead. While Robbie had expected a fever, he couldn’t help but yank his hand back in surprise.
That was… very disconcerting. Definitely a high fever if it felt like he just touched a working hairdryer on purpose.
Right, it was obvious that the sports elf was sick. What was the best thing to do when someone was like this? Get them inside, warmed up and under a blanket. Where should they take him, though? That airship of his was out of the question with the pilot out for the count. Robbie’s lair lacked a comfy bed for Sportasick to rest on and he doubted that letting him sleep on his orange chair would help.
In the end, Robbie voiced out his thoughts to the hovering children. All sorts of suggestions were rattled off but in the end, they decided to take Sportacus to the spare room at her Uncle Milford’s home. Throughout their discussion, Robbie swore that the hero had woke up but he couldn’t tell for sure. All he heard were low groans, a little head shift and that was it.
With that plan in mind, it was time to get the patient in question to the room, where Stephanie had promised to clean up as best as she could before she dashed off with her posse. Robbie grumbled a bit, thinking that they were all traitors for leaving him alone with the dead weight. Well, he supposed that was the best way to keep them busy. It was either that or let them run around like headless chickens.
“You’re so loved,” Robbie groused, though it lacked bite. An unconscious elf couldn’t hope to understand sarcasm so he shouldn’t waste his breath.
Right, time to lug his nemesis to the mayor’s home. Showing more strength that what most people expected from his lanky body, Robbie more or less dragged Sportacus in the direction of their destination.
All throughout the exhausting walk, he couldn’t help but feel… concerned at how utterly still the hero was in his arms. Robbie thought that nothing aside from sugar could keep him down. He wasn’t just unnervingly quiet, it was clear that he was suffering, judging from the small whimpers that escaped him every once in a while.
Robbie eventually reached the house, finding that the door was already held open by Tricky.
“They’re here! Get the bed ready!”
The pair half stumbled through the door when the edges of Sportaloon’s feet got caught on the frame but thankfully, Robbie managed to keep him upright. It was a whole new ordeal to drag the sack of muscle to the bed but he did complete his objective.
Robbie stared at the lump on the bed for a moment before his attention shifted to the children. They were staying surprisingly quiet thought knowing that the cause behind it made him feel somewhat uneasy. All of them were looking at him, as if he knew the secret to make Sportaloon get back to his flippity self.
Well then.
He heaved out an irritated sigh. “Instead of milling about uselessly, go get these items. It should help the blue kangaroo’s fever.”
Robbie rattled off everything from the top of his head, from rags and thermometer to ingredients for a homemade soup. They followed his orders without question, casting one last worried look at their indisposed hero before going off to complete their given tasks.
Once more, a sigh flew past his lips. He certainly didn’t expect his day to turn out like this. Commanding children in order to help his rival feel better. Honestly.
Still, Robbie would be lying if he claimed he didn’t feel a speck of emotion about this situation. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that the almighty Sportacus could be brought down like this. Not to mention the fact that he couldn’t enjoy seeing him so vulnerable.
Robbie honestly felt bad for the elf. And he wanted to see him get better.
(Ugh. Feelings.)
His musings were cut short when a particularly loud groan came from the sick hero. Robbie leaned over just in time to see glassy blue eyes open. They seemed to be staring at nothing in particular before it finally landed on Robbie standing by the bedside. Sportakook looked like he was having a hard time focusing.
“Robbie?” He finally managed, though it sounded like he just swallowed a handful of nails. “Where am I? What… happened…?”
Something tugged within him upon hearing the utter confusion in his voice. Of course he would be disoriented after passing out like that. Robbie exhaled noisily through his nose as he schooled his features.
“You were at the park,” he began, speaking slowly and in a low tone. “You passed out, most probably from how sick you were. What were you thinking? You should be in bed, not traipsing outside with nothing more than a scarf to keep you warm.”
Robbie’s tone got increasingly patronizing, his own concern fueling it. Ugh, why must Sportaloon make him feel like this! He had closed his eyes and shook his head so Robbie completely missed how misty Sportacus’ eyes were becoming.
“You… The kids ran to me, begging for my help because they didn’t know what to do. They saw their hero passed out and couldn’t do anything about it. Because of you the felt scared and panicked—“
Robbie realized just how accusing his words were becoming, even if it wasn’t his intention. The damage was done, however, from the tears that fell from those sad blue eyes.
“I-I’m r-really sorry…” Came the hiccupped apology. Sportanut turned to the side, trying to bury his face into the pillow. “I-I never w-wanted… anyone t-to… worry a-about me…”
Holy mother of all things sweet. Sportacus was crying. He was crying because of him and it absolutely did not feel good at all.
Robbie’s hand slid down his face, his expression a mixture of aggravation and worry. Of course the elf and his too big of a heart would feel guilty for ruining the picnic. Robbie just basically made someone sick feel even more wretched. Again, it was not a pleasant feeling. He had to fix this before the kids come in and blame him (even though technically, it was his fault) for making Sportasick cry.
An exasperated sigh. “Look Sportanut, things happened. You got sick and there’s nothing you can do about it. The br—kids were more worried about you than the picnic. What you can do right now is rest up so you can get jump around like a drunken kangaroo again.”
Robbie hoped that his tone sounded soothing – never before had he comforted someone using this sickeningly calming voice – and… sincere enough that Sportanut would believe him.
Sportacus’ face was still half buried, his eyes squeezed shut but it didn’t look like he was crying anymore. Only slight hiccups and wet sniffles were left, which caused Robbie’s nose to crinkle in disgust. That little crying session wouldn’t be doing him any wonders. He won’t be surprised if he was already hit by a headache.
Just then, Pinky and Tricky came in with the items that he asked for. They quietly handed it to him after Robbie shot them a stern look and mimed a mouth zipping shut. Concerned looks were sent to the patient, who looked like he was out for the count again.
“Thank you,” Robbie murmured before he could stop himself. Ignoring their wide eyed looks, he glanced back at Sportanut before he turned back to them. If they wanted the elf to recover quicker, then they needed to deal with his guilt complex. Robbie just knew that if Sportaloon stayed guilty, it would affect just about everything, from his mood to his appetite.
He personally understood just how horrible he’d be feeling if that were to happen.
“Right. I’ll take first shift. Meanwhile the rest of you brats go and… cook or something. Do get well cards, make presents, anything. This idiot’s gonna feel bad for supposedly ruining the picnic. We don’t need him being mopey on top of everything else. Got it?”
Robbie didn’t realize he was smiling slightly when he got twin salutes from the girls. They were the smarter ones in the group of brats, in terms of picking up subtle hints at least. After the pair scurried out of the room, Robbie turned back to the patient.
The perspiration from the fever and the small crying fit meant that the pillow was damp by now. Robbie would change it but it seemed that Sportanut really was out for the count. Sighing deeply, he first dipped the rag in the bowl of water, wrung the excess out before he gently wiped Sportacus’ face.
There was the initial, instinctive furrow of eyebrows as he unconsciously shifted to get away from the cold rag. Robbie pressed his hand against his cheek to keep him in place so he could continue with his work. Sportakook made all sorts of illegal noises that continued to tug at his heartstrings.
Done with the cleanup, Robbie’s focus then went to that awful fever of his. They need to get it down as soon as possible. Since Sportanut would most probably be too fidgety for the rag to stay on his forehead, Robbie went with the next best thing.
Using another rag, he repeated the first process, this time by wiping off his sweat with the damp cloth. That too seemed like it was too much for the sick elf, shifting and turning and generally making Robbie’s job more difficult.
The villain felt like screaming in frustration but kept it together. It wasn’t like Sportasick was doing this on purpose, he told himself. What can he do to help him calm down?
Robbie thought for a moment before an idea crossed his mind. His gaze went to mop of golden hair that was freed the moment he took off that stupid hat. While it had been more than a few decades, Robbie could still remember a certain sensation that never failed to ease him up back when he was a child.
With his free hand, his fingers gently buried itself into those curly locks. Robbie applied the tiniest bit of pressure when he lightly massaged his head before he resorted to simple finger combing. Briefly, memories of him looking up to see kind smile and a beautiful face filled his mind’s eyes, making him hum lightly in content.
Robbie continued with his soft ministrations for about a minute until he finally heard a soft sigh from the sports elf. While shivers still wracked his body, his expression didn’t look so pained. In fact, he had turned his head so he could lean more into his touch. Now that he seemed comfortable, Robbie tried again with the damp cloth.
This time, he didn’t resist as much. There would be small jerks but then his fingers would do his magic, making him still once more.
Quite frankly, he was in an uncomfortable position with his body hunched and both hands occupied but he supposed he didn’t quite mind the discomfort if it helped keep the pain off of Sportanut’s expression.
Robbie could tell they were in for a tough few days, what with dealing with Sportasick and his guilt, and while he wasn’t really looking forward to it, he would do whatever in his power to help. Having the brats by his side wasn’t so bad, too.