No Mask Required

United by the Universe

                       Ray Mond stares out the window. as they drive back home. 

"Home." She thought again, "Sounds so nice! It's always peaceful there. I'm happy there." 
Ray Mond, and her hyper focus HDMI always tries to over analyze to find the tiniest thing wrong with a place, a person, herself. She's never been truly happy. 

As they pull into the house, she sees Sooty has been back, and she sees above the door. "Chattercups Fun House!" "AAAHHHH!" She screamed, "HOLY YUCK! What the YUCK ARE YOU YELLING FOR!!" 
"Chatty Chatty Chatty Chatty!" She says as she jumps out of the car. "Look at the door!" 

"I see Cups! I see!" Chatty smiles at Ray, "Welcome Home Cups!"
"Thanks for letting me be here. You and the clowns have been so welcoming." 

Ray Mond walks into the house, and all the Clowns Pop out! "Surprise!" They all yell at once! 
"Welcome home, Cups!" 
Sooty Walks up and laughs, the laugh they're all familiar with! "Hi, Hiccups! I hope this isn't too much, Ursula told me you were having a bad day, and so I wanted to make sure that we did something nice for you, to let you know we're here to   support and love on you!" 

"EEEEK" Ray Mond is crying now. "It's the happiest kind of tears!" She reassures. 
"Chatty, did you know about all of this?!" 
"Uh, I did not!" Chatty is almost disappointed in himself he didn't think of it.

Ray pushes his shoulder playfully, "You had to know your sack of yuck!" Chatty smiled at her remark, "I promise Cups, I.. I had no yuckin' Idea." Ray pushes him again. "Stop it, you're gonna wanna wack me in the head if I come after you Cups!" With one last push, they are off to the races, "RAAAAYY!" Chatty screams, running up the stairs of the fun house and into the bedroom. Ray goes out the door to the balcony, and all the way to the edge up onto the roof. Chatty slowly walks out, aware she's probably going to jump on him. "Bleh." He hears as Ray falls right at his feet. "Oh...My....yuck Cups! You really have to fix that, You have to!" He laughed. 

"I like this, Chatty! Ray Mond jumping from the floor explains. "You like falling on your yucking face when you don't mean to Cups?" 
"No, Chatty, I like this! Having fun, "Yucking around," Ya know, clown stuff." 
"Oh yeah! Me too! Especially with you!" Ray Monds face blushed... 
"So... I have to tell you something." 
"Oh yuck, here we go. Here we yucking go. I hate when you say things like that, Ray." 
"Let's yuckin hear it! What's wrong!?" Ray mond giggles nervously."Um, so when we go to sleep tonight. I will have to go to sleep at Grove Street." 
Ray Mond says. Running in and out of the room with the zoomies. 
Chatterbox pulls air through his teeth, giving Ray Mond a clue. She may hear a tone of voice she doesn't like. "You have to go to sleep at Grove Street, Hmph, and why is that, uh, cups."  Chatterbox says in his accusatory tone. 

"Well, uh, cause I have to go out of town, Chatty." 
Chatty drops his head, He hates when she goes out of town. "Sigh. Where to this time Cups?!" 
"I'm going to Texas."
"Texas! Why the Yuck are you going to Texas!" 
Still zooming around, "I'm going to see the horses!" 
"WHATT!! YOU'RE LEAVING ME HERE WITH THESE SACKS OF YUCKS TO GO SEE HORSES!" "Okay ray, Okay I see..."  Chatty snickers. 
Ray Mond knows he's not mad. 
"Why do you care about me leaving Chatty! You have more fun without me here anyway!" 

"That's not yucking true. That's not yucking true. Things are so boring without you." 
"Nah." Ray Mond says. "You'll be fiiinne. I just hope that I come back!" 
"Whaatt?!" "Of course you're coming back!" 
"I mean, I might not, Chatty. I might like texas so much, I just decided to stay there with the horses." 
"Ray, do you even know what sound a horse makes?" 
"Of course baaa baaa," Chatterbox now fully laughing, "That's not a horse Cups, that is a sheep, Horses go  neigh." 
"They can make whatever sound I want Chatterbox." 
"Ray Mond. You're pushing my yucking buttons!" 

"Oh, yeah? C H A T T ER BOX and what are you going to yuckin' do about it?" Ray says, smiling back. as she runs away. 
"Come back here, RAAAYY! CCUUUPS!" 

Chatterbox pauses for a second, "It's going to be too much for one day! Chill Chatterbox, you actually want her to come back, right?" 
Chatterbox couldn't stand the thought of his cups leaving. He knows he would never be the same without his cups. 
Sooty walks out on to the balcony. "Hello Chatty!" She says. " Where's hiccups?"
"Running from me." Chatty laughs."Oh yeah? Well, are you going to go and catch her." 
"Naaah, I'll let her wonder for a moment, What's up, Sooty?" 
"Oh nothing, I just ran up here to check on you two, and make sure all is well!" 

Chatterbox turned facing Sooty, is Tessa here? "Yeah, Chatty, she's down stairs, ya want me to send her up?" 
"If you could, tell her it's important!" 

Tessa walks out on the balcony, Chatterbox is sitting with his elbows on his knees." 
"Hi Chatty, are you okay? Sooty said it was important and that you needed me." 
Chatterbox sighs, "Yeah, Tessa, I may have Yucked up." 
"Oh, no Chatty, how bad. Tell me what happened?" 
"Well, Tessa, you know I'm new to this whole relationship thing. Right, I mean, I don't know what the yuck to do. I'm learning as we go." "Right, "Tessa acknowledges Chatty's effort.
"And well, yesterday and today has been yuckin' rough, Cups and I have had some scary moments." 
"Oh really? I thought you guys were just hanging out here in the fun house." 
"Yep, we were, we were. But see Tessa, She's afraid of this whole relationship thing. She's afraid that she's flawed, and well, she is, but all that does is make me want her to be around even more."

"Cause she's like you, Chatty!" 
"Yep, she's like me!" 
"Today, She had a meeting with Bonbon! She told me she was doing something with Max when she was really going to meet him. She wanted to protect the clowns and me. She doesn't want us to get involved unless completely necessary." 
"That's understandable, Chatty!" 
"I agree with you, Tessa, but when she came back to the Fun House. She literally was almost shaking scared, not wanting to come inside this house. She was fearful and afraid."

"So what was your response?" Tessa inquired. 
"I went down to the bottom of the stairs, picked her up, carried her to "Our Room, " sat her on the bed, and put her favorite waited blanket around her shoulders." 

"That's nice, Chatterbox. I don't think you've made any kind of a mistake. You're showing what a true gentleman you can be." 
"Oh no, Tessa. That's not the yucked up part yet." Chatty laughs. 
"Oh. I am waiting for my response then." 

"Tessa, I proceeded to tell her, how much she means to me, and that I can't ever lose her, and that she doesn't get to decide what decisions I make when it comes to her, Tessa I told her. I love her!" 

Tessa turned her head to face Chatterbox.
"Oh, the things we've been through Chatterbox." Placing her hand on Chatty's arm, she says, " I only have one question for you, Chatty. Do you?" 
"Do I whatt? Love her?"
"Yes, Chatty, do you love her, or are you just saying the things you think she wants or needs to hear because you're afraid she'll leave."
"No, Tessa, I mean every yucking word." 
"Well then, I think you did the right thing, Chatty. I'm proud of you for opening up to her!" Tessa smiles. "You're changing, Chatty!" 

Chatty's heart is so full with the approval of his clown Mom. "I feel like I've done something right for once, Tessa! I appreciate you coming all the way up here to talk to me!" 
"Hey Chatty?" Tessa says. "Uh huh?" 
"Did she say it back?" 
With this chatterbox head hung, "Nope."
"Don't force it, Chatty. It will happen when it's supposed to, just like you were supposed to say, You loved her  today." 
"The universe brought you two together. Don't let your mind tear you apart!"