Disclaimer: Baloo, Rebecca Cunningham, Don Karnage, Kit Cloudkicker, Molly Cunningham and WildCat are (c)1990/1991 Walt Disney Company and are being used without premission. The writer has made sure that all material represented here is not used for profit and is used with the upmost respect to Disney and the Tale Spin team. All other characters are the property of the writer.
Message from Author- Hello to everyone out there in TaleSpin world. I want to tell you , feel free to e-mail me some feedback about my fanfic. That's if anyone is reading my fanfics. O, well, enjoy your reading!
Del Lancastor unlocked the door of his parents' mansion without a sound. It was almost midnight as he arrived home for the first time in over a month. His estranged father, Don Karnage, was hiding out at Del's small apartment a few blocks away. Del had been hesitated about coming home. He dread encountering his adopted father. The father who raised him from an infant and made him to what he was today. He knew all he would hear is shouting for along time.
In the dark, he gently walked on the carpet to his old room down the hall from his parents, but as he stepped past their room, the door flung open. There stood a giant lion in a long red robe who took up the whole door frame. Del froze for a moment at the sight of his father not saying a word.
"Del" Howard Lancastor said recognizing the siloette of his son in the shadow of the light he blocked.
"I'm sorry I woke you, dad" Del replied not knowing what to say.
The two men stood for a second motionless till finally Howard took it upon himself to embrace his son.
"I am overjoyed that you are back home safe where you belong."
Del scrunched his face in confusion. He was definitely not expecting that from his father.
"Dad, I thought you were angry with me."
"I am. But, right now, I am thankful to see you alive. We will descuss the matter of what you did tomorrow."
*I knew there was a catch* Del thought.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning was a different story. Del had gotten up early to surprise his mother when she came down for breakfast. He sat at their kitchen table drinking his usual childhood drink,orange juice. Ursula walked down the stairs to see him there. Her eyes widened. She ran over to him, and encircled him tightly.
"Del, my baby, your home. I missed you" she cried.
"Mom, your hurting me."
"Sorry, my baby." She sighed patting her son's cheek. "Never disappear on us again."
"Don't worry. I'm not going to throw myself in another situation like that."
"But, Del, I was worried. Do you knew how I felt when I thought I would of lost you? What's that?" Ursula asked pointing to Del's arm.
"That's just a scar" he replied covering it with his hand.
"No it's not. Did you get hurt while you were gone? Tell me the truth."
"You know I always do. And, yes, I was hurt in a bombing."
"A bombing! You didn't tell me about a bombing!"
"That's because I didn't want you to freak out like your doing now."
"What happen?"
"We were heading to the train station when the Bago-Nova airforce attacked the city. My arm was hit with shrapnel, but my emotions were hit harder. I wanted to save this woman's husband who had been hit in the chest, but I couldn't. He was already died."
"See, Del, I didn't want you to ever go through anything like that. You don't deserve it."
"Mom, I've seen really bad cases of wounds when I would go to observe the emergincy room. I needed to go through that."
"My child, you don't know what you need."
Just then, they heard the powerful footsteps of Howard coming down the stairs, and to the kitchen.
"Del! You have a lot of explaining to do, son."
*O, no. Here it comes. He's going to throw the book at me now. Literally.* Del cringed at the thought.
"Son, I want you to tell me why did you do what you did" Howard said advancing toward him. Ursula moved out of the way of the large figure.
"You want me to start from the beginning?"
"Why did you want to meet that that scoundrel, Don Karnage?"
"Because I was curious. I've heard many things about him. I wanted to see if they were true, and I wanted to see if he was really real so I'll know where I came from."
"I don't know how many times I wished I was your real father."
"You are my real father. You were there from the time I was five months old. That's the only name I know you by. Karnage is strictly my birth father. All he did was donate his fluid and nothing more."
"I still can't believe you went. Who was this person who introduced you to him?"
"Her name is Molly Cunningham. We ran into each other literally outside of the clinic. I accompanied her to Bago-Shiloh where we found Karnage. I decided to stay but after two weeks the war broke out. I knew I shouldn't of stayed so long, but no telling what would of happen to Molly and Karnage wouldn't of left because I wouldn't of been there."
"You got that man to leave the war zone?"
"Yes, why?"
"How could you do that?"
"I wanted to."
Howard shock his head.
"How is this Molly Cunningham connected to that pirate?"
"She has a long up and down history with him. It involves a lot of detail."
"Detail away then."
"He has plagued her and her family ever since she was five with different things like he made her think her mother was died for seven years."
"Why the heck was she looking for him?"
"In the recent months she had become his councilor. She went to help him and I went along for the ride."
"Where is Karnage now?"
Del cringed at the question. He hated lying to anyone especially his parents, but he couldn't reveal that secret.
"He's somewhere far away. I don't know the exact location."
"If that man tries contacting you again, I want you to call the police and get him put back in jail."
"What if I don't want to do that?"
"Then your not my son" Howard said walking out.
Del's heart sank when he heard those words. His mother came to comfort him.
"He doesn't mean that, Del. You know your father has a hot temper."
"But, what if he did?"
"Look at me." She raised his chin up. "Your father loves you more then anything in the world. He could never mean that."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It had been a few hours since the argument that Ursula went to talk with her stubborn husband. He was alone in his office at the clinic looking over the files on his desk.
"Come in" he said when he heard a polite knock at his door.
Ursula walked in slowly seeing him busy.
"Howard. How are you?"
"What do you think, Ursula?"
"You were pretty angry when you left the house. I wanted to check on you."
"I'm fine. Now, please, leave me alone."
"I know your angry with Del for wanting to meet his birth father. And, I think I've figured it out why. Your jealous. You don't want to share your son with anyone else, because you've never had to. But, Del is a grown man. He can do what he wants. If he wants to see Don Karnage, he can."
"That pirate belongs in jail."
"I know, but it's hard to put him in jail when you don't know where he is."
Howard took off his reading glasses.
"You right."
"I am. For what?"
"I am jealous. I don't want to loose Del. He's my son for crying out loud! It tears me up inside to think of him gone forever."
"You better mend your relationship with him now. I talk to him for a long time this morning. He told me he's in love with that Molly Cunningham, and that he's going to live in Cape Suzette for a while to be with her."
"Cape Suzette is over ten hours from here."
"Then, you better go mend it quick. He wants to leave soon."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back in Cape Suzette, Molly had been home for a few days and getting around like nothing happened. Rebecca told her the news of her engagement to Thomas O'Mally. Molly was thrill at the idea of her mom finally getting remarried. Everything had went back to normal like it was before. The week was ending went a taxi pulled up at Higher for Hire.
The taxi driver opened the door, and a white cat in a silk red blouse and skirt, wearing high heels, and smoking a cigarette stepped out the cab. She was only carrying a small black tote bag, and looked pretty nervous. She walked in the front door of the building. Rebecca was at the desk that day. Guinna and Kit were at their property trying to start building their own house. She looked up to see the white cat in the doorway.
"May I help you?" Rebecca asked.
"Yes" she asked advancing to the desk. "Is…"
"Ms. Tybalt" Molly said coming in behind her. Arianna turned.
"Molly, it is good to see you are all right."
"Good to see you away from that country. How'd you get out?"
"After the Bago army destroyed my mansion, I was able to escape the country as a refugee. I did not know where to go, but I knew I would be welcome here."
"Ms. Tybalt, my name is Rebecca Cunningham" Rebecca said putting her hand out. Arianna changed hands holding her cigarette.
"I am Arianna Tybalt."
"Molly told me you helped her get out of the war zone."
"She warned us that the city was going to be bombed."
"Thank you for helping my daughter."
"I thank her as well. She gave me a very special gift to know what happened to Baloo."
"Ms. Tybalt, Baloo is right outside working in the Sea Duck."
"He is. Can you take me to him?"
"Of course, come on."
Molly lead Arianna out to the back where the Sea Duck was parked. They stopped on the deck.
"There he is. Right there" Molly pointed.
Arianna just stared smoking harder.
"I don't know if I can do this."
"Course you can. Just go down there and introduce yourself again. Trust me, he'll be thrilled to see you. He was ecstatic when I told him how you were doing."
"He was?"
"Yes. Now, go."
Molly pushed Arianna a little down the deck. She walked down the deck her heels clanking on the wood. Baloo was too busy to look up from his work.
"If ya lookin' to schedule a shipment, the bosslady is inside" he said still not looking up.
"I am not looking for your boss, I was looking for you, Baloo."
Baloo froze. A shiver went down his spinal. It couldn't be. He hadn't heard that deep foreign voice in so long. Arianna dropped her cigarette on the deck, and put it out with her heel. She knew it wouldn't be a pretty sight of her jittery puffing on one. Baloo stood up slowly, and turned to see it was her. The only girl he had ever loved.
"Arianna. Is it really you?"
"Who else would it be?"
"O, baby, I thought I'd never see you again" he said grasping her firmly.
"Me too."
For a long time they just held each other. Tears started to fall from their eyes as the old feeling of their touch came back. For the first time in a long time in Arianna's life, she felt love again. Baloo forgot about the memory of how it felt to hold the woman he loved.
"How I've missed you."
"I've missed you too, Anya."
Molly watched starry-eyed on the top of the dock. The scene reminded her of Del. It had only been a few days since she last saw him. But, she missed him anyway. She wondered what he was doing at that very moment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Del had stayed away from his parent's mansion for the whole day after his dispute with his father. He visited the clinic after hours when he knew his father wouldn't be there, but he was still hard at work. Del walked into his office unknowing of Howard's presence.
"Dad."
"Del" Howard looked up from his paper work.
"I thought you would be gone by now."
"What are you doing here, son? I thought you wanted to leave as soon as you could for Cape Suzette."
"I…I'm still a little worried."
"About what?"
"About you. What you said to me about me not being your son anymore. It hurt me. I mean you will always be my real father. You're the one who raised me. You were there for me when I needed you. You are my father. You gave me your last name, and I'm proud to be a Lancastor. I don't know you by any other name. All I know is that you're my dad."
A sudden guilt fell upon Howard as his son's words were thrown at him. He couldn't help it. He didn't mean what he said. He had to make things right or lose the only child he had.
"I'm sorry, Del. I really didn't mean that. You are my son and I'm proud to be your father."
"Thanks, dad."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now lets turn our attention to Kit Cloudkicker and his small family. It was way past midnight when Kit woke to a scream coming from next to him. He turned to see his wife tossing and turning from a dream she was having.
"Guinna" he said shacking her. "Wake up, babe."
Finally she jumped, and looked over at he.
"Your okay."
Kit stared at her confused.
"Yes. Why?"
"O my gosh, Kit, I had the worst dream" she said clinging to him. He return the embrace.
"What happen in your dream?"
"It was more like a nightmare. I dreamed that your plane crashed on a mountain covered in snow. And you were laying there in your plane helpless and bleeding to death and I couldn't help you."
"It was only a dream."
"No, it can't be. It was too real. Tomorrow you have a shipment going to Himalaya. You know that place has mountains and it snows almost all years around."
"Guinna it was only a dream."
"I don't believe that and I don't want you to go tomorrow."
"We'll see."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yesterday had come and Kit made up his mind to go on with his shipment. But with protest from his wife.
"Babe, I'm going to be okay. I'll be back tomorrow night" he said out of the window of his plane.
"You be careful."
"I will. I love you."
"I love you back." She held up Miranda. "Wave bye-bye to daddy." The little toddler waved her hand and Kit waved back as he taxied out. "Please, come back to me, Kit."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The weather report in Himalaya was blocked out after the blizzard knocked out everything there. To Kit, the weather looked normal. A little snow fall never downed a plane before. He flow toward the pick up point in the capital city, but the snow was getting thick. He knew the city was only a few miles away, and continued on. The snow fell even thicker as Kit couldn't hardly see. Mountains were scattered from place to place. One near the city. Kit glided along judging his whereabouts with his navigational skills and the equipment in his plane.
All the sudden, as he looked up from glancing at his map, the snow thinned and he was headed straight for a mountain. Kit veered his plane to the right going into a spiral. He pulled up on the stick straightening out, but was still heading down to the snow that covered the ground. The plane impacted hard sliding twenty feet to a holt.
Minutes later, Kit woke. He glared around his plane. The windshield was cracked and the side window was broken. Blood was trickling down his forehead and mouth, and pieces of glass were emerged in his skin. Kit tried to pick up the radio, but fell unconscience.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back in Cape Suzette, Guinna shot up from sleeping. It was way past midnight. She felt something was wrong. She knew something had happened. She raced down to the office where the radio was, and started calling Kit's plane, but nothing was there. Then she called the business where the shipment was. He hadn't picked up the cargo. Rebecca walked in after she heard noise coming from the office.
"Guinna, what are you doing up so late?" she looking at the clock. "Or should I say, so early?"
"I've been trying to get in touch with Kit. Rebecca, I've had the worst feeling since before he left. I know he's in danger. I've been trying to get in touch with him for almost thirty minutes, but I haven't had any luck."
"That doesn't mean that something bad has happen to him."
"But, he hasn't picked up his shipment yet."
"That's doesn't mean anything."
"Yes, it does! I feel that he's endanger."
"He's okay, honey. Don't worry. He's okay."
"I hope you're right.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sun was shining over the sea shore. The cool wind blow as Kit sat up on the sand not recognizing his surroundings. He peered around only seeing beach right and left from him. The ocean was in front of him, and in back of him was green foliage everywhere.
"Your awake" a soothing voice said behind him. He turned to see a gorgeous, almost heavenly looking polar bear standing there wearing a cream white long satin dress.
"Who are you and where am I?"
"I'm Celeste. And, this is Utopia, way beyond the blue."
"Utopia? What's that?"
"Heaven."
"Am I suppose to be here?"
"Of course, you are. Where else would you be?" she asked offering her hand. Kit took it as she helped him up.
"Well, I don't know. Where did I come from?"
"That's doesn't matter. Your here with me. This is where you belong. With me."
Celeste put her arms around Kit's neck seductively kissing him. For a moment, he resisted, but soon fell into to her arms as well.
"Your right. Nothing else matters. I am suppose to be here with you."
"That's more like it" Celeste said evilly grinning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Baloo had left that day before heading for Barlow with Arianna to deliver special-handle packages. He didn't plan on it, but stopped in Winger City to pick up a special package for Molly. He landed in cove of Cape Suzette, and parked the Sea Duck at Hire for Higher dock. Molly walked outside to greet them.
"Hi, Baloo. Hi, Mrs. Tybalt" she said to them as they emerged from the Duck.
"Hello Molly" Arianna greeted.
"Hey Molly. I brought you back a gift."
"What did you bring me? Where is it?"
"Here it comes now."
Molly glared at him confused, but soon she realized what it was, and her heart started pounding when she saw Del step out of the Duck.
"Del!" she shouted running to him. She throw her arms around him. "I've missed you."
"You don't know how much I missed you. I've been through so much in the past two weeks."
"What happen with your parents?"
"We're good for right now. My dad was very angry at me. He wouldn't speak to me right after he told me I wasn't his son anymore."
"That's horrible."
"It was, but my mom talked a little sense into him. Now, we made a compromise. He still doesn't know that I know where Karnage is."
"Where is Karnage anyway?"
"He went to this run down island called Tropicana."
"That's where Kit was born."
"Small world."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kit and Celeste were laying out on the beach together, but he wasn't too happy with how he felt with her.
"Aren't you having a good time here, Kit?" Celeste asked touching Kit's face. He had seemed distraught to her. She knew he was trying to remember where he came from. It was churning inside of him, and she had to stop it. "Kit."
He turned his head to look at her.
"What? I'm sorry. I wasn't listening. Did you say something?"
"What is wrong? You've been mopping all day. Your ruining our time on the beach."
"I just have something on my mind."
"Well, let me get your mind on something important. Like me" she said kissing him.
This time he resisted pulling her away.
"I don't want to do that right now, Celeste."
"Yes, you do!"
"No, I don't. I just want to think."
"About what?"
"About…I don't know. There is something I know I have to remember, but it just won't come out. It's something important too."
"More important than me." She ran her hand across his shoulder.
"Yes, it is" he yelled pushing her hand off. "It just…it just doesn't feel right. You and me. It feels like I'm cheating someone. I can't remember who the person is, but I knew I love this person. Who ever it is."
"No! You don't love anyone else but me!" Celeste yelled standing in fury.
"You only said that. I don't love you, Celeste. I love…"
"No, don't say it."
"I love Guinna. My wife. How could I forget her?"
"How can you say that?! How can you…"
"Good-bye Celeste."
"Kit! Come back!"
Kit walked away down the beach till he disappeared leaving Celeste alone again. He didn't know where he was being transported to. But the atmosphere was calm with water trickling in the background. He stood only seeing a blur till a bright light hit his eyes. He covered his eyes with his hand, and uncovered them when the light dimmed.
"You made it" a voice said. It was so soft and familiar. He know that voice. Kit glanced up to see an angel. His mother.
"Mom."
"You did it. You passed the test of Celeste."
"What do you mean?"
"She had you manipulated. You escaped from her claws. I'm proud of you. But, you have to wake up now."
"I don't want you to leave."
"I'll be back again."
"Please, mom, don't leave me here. Please!"
He watched as she faded away back into the blur. A second later, Kit woke up back in his plane. Blood had dried on him, and he could hardly moved. He groaned in pain as he tried to move his leg, but failed laying his head back in frustration. His breathing was harder.
"This is impossible."
His eyes became more focus as he scanned his control board finding the picture of Guinna and the twins still taped to it. His heart sank thinking of his children growing up without a father.
*I can't let that happen. Not to my kids* he thought. He was determined to move. Finally, he freed his leg, and knew he had to get home. No matter how far way beyond the blue was.
To be continued…