World of Disney

Chapter Fifteen: Time Zone - 2010 (After Temporal Displacement)

            Joanie felt exhausted beyond belief helping Sean and Buzz guide the Beast to the front of the park, where they tried to make a quiet exit. However, that seemed easier said than done when half of the guests at the park, including reporters, asked several questions. And even once they were through the front gate, the questions still continued. None of the guests seemed to have cared that they just walked out of the park, leaving behind whatever plans they had within the hour.

            Meanwhile, Sean did his best to ignore the crowd and get to the nearest transit bus they could take back to the Muppet Theater. The Beast was only large enough to fit in one rather than the Explorer, which he would follow them back in. He saw one parked close ahead and picked up the pace, moving a short distance ahead of the others and hoping to get to it before anyone else. Unfortunately, just when he was near...

            "Sean!!!"

            He turned to see Kim, Meagan, Tracy, Bobo, Clifford, and Bean running to him, all with looks of concern, amusement, and confusion. "Oh, no..." he muttered to himself, just before the two parties met.

            Kim and Meagan's eyes connected with Joanie's. Almost on instinct, the two redheads uttered, "Mama?!"

            Joanie raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?!"

            Even Tracy was taken aback from the sudden appearance of her cousin – at least that was who she believed it to be. This young woman was younger...very much younger. She was uncertain if this woman was someone who looked like Joan in her twenties or...no, that other possibility was just too crazy to consider. But could it be so?

            "Joanie..." Tracy finally brought herself to say, "I-Is that really you, cuz?"

            Looking carefully at her, Joanie tried to recognize the woman addressing her. "Have we...met somewhere, Miss...?"

            "Tracy. It's me – your cousin...Tracy."

            Joanie nearly fainted from the shock of seeing the forty-something woman in front of her, whom – in actuality – was her "little" cousin. The first thought that came to her mind upon seeing her: Man, time-travel is a trip!

            With the reporters and other guests still surrounding them, Sean knew this meeting had to be taken somewhere private. Too many strangers were around to hear the craziness behind a young woman like Joanie being the mother to two women close to her age. It was not still part of a show. In fact, he started helping Ciciley, Buzz, Kermit, Robin, Scooter, Gonzo, Fozzie, Rizzo, and Pepe guide the Beast into the transit bus, which sunk a bit under his weight.

            The bus driver, watching the creature enter and feeling the bus shift from its extreme weight, immediately ran out and confronted Sean. "Hey, man! This ain't no moving truck! Whatever the park officials told you, you tell them I can't..."

            "Listen, here's a hundred." Sean gave the driver the money right away. "Just take this bus outside the resort grounds and into Downtown Orlando, until you get to the old Muppet Theater there. After then, you can continue on with your route."