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LPS-Always There Chp. 2

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Blythe blew a sigh of relief, a small smile tugging at her lips as she turned away from the dumbwaiter and strolled back to her desk. However, her smile slowly vanished when she gazed at the photo Penny Ling had discovered moments before.

The image lay facedown, its presence making the entirety of Blythe's bedroom feel suddenly uncomfortable.

Blythe's worried frown morphed into one of irritation as she snatched the photo off her desk, yanked the bottom drawer open, and threw it back inside as if it was gum found off her shoe.

Slamming the drawer closed, making her entire desk rattle a bit, Blythe closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Just pretend it never happened, her mind repeated calmly as she sat back down in front of her laptop, I'm sure Russell and Penny Ling already forgot about it by now.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After brushing themselves off and fending minor injuries from the unexpected repeat of the dumbwaiter incident, Russell and Penny Ling were soon joined by the other pets as they stood beside their usual spot at the chair.

Penny was unable to contain her astonishment as she spoke, though carefully and peacefully, about what she and Russell had just witnessed on the top floor. It was quite difficult bringing into detail, mainly due to their visit in Blythe's room being a short one, but straight after Russell explained he needed a pen from their human friend, Penny immediately added her part from having made a tiny mess to discovering the photo in Blythe's drawer.

The other pets listened closely, eyes wide with curiosity and anticipation as the panda did her best to explain while trying not to make it seem complicated on Blythe's part.  

"And then she just pushed us out," she concluded.

"And dropped you down hard," Pepper Clark cackled, finding humor in her joke despite no one else finding it funny.

"So it was a picture of a woman you found in Blythe's things?" Zoe Trent asked, her blue eyes blinking questionably at Penny Ling. "Well, have you any idea who the woman might be? Perhaps maybe why she makes poor Blythe so intimidated?"

"I really don't know," Penny shrugged sadly. "All I can say is that she was a very pretty lady."

"Oh, I think I got it!" All eyes turned to Vinnie as the gecko scaled alongside a nearby wall, something he usually did in his spare time besides dancing.

Flipping the side of his hair back as he released himself from the wall and landing on his feet, the gecko pointed a finger upwards as if a lightbulb suddenly lit up before him.

"She's a really pretty lady, right?" He asked eagerly. Without waiting for an answer, he snapped his fingers, having quickly searched his brain. "She's got to be one those, you know, super famous, super rich girls whom Blythe probably adored like some crazed puppy, am I right?"

He didn't wait for any objections as his brain racked for more answers.

"Or maybe she's just some old enemy from back in Blythe's old hood, right?" He rubbed the back of his head, feeling slightly embarrassed for his sudden outburst. "I mean, here there are those two twins with the freaky eyeshadow, man."

"Unfortunately, both sound like pretty good guesses," Zoe commented with a sigh.

Russell tapped his chin, pondering. "But why would Blythe be so secretive about it?" He asked aloud.

"If I may suggest something," Sunil Nevla intervened, "our Blythe probably stored that photograph in her drawer for good reason. And I think it is best we never find out that reason."

"Oh, come on, Sunil!" Pepper barked, sidling behind him and nearly startling the mongoose. "If Blythe had any problems, she'd tell us, wouldn't she?"

"Pepper is right," Penny Ling nodded in agreement, "I mean, we always share our problems with Blythe. In fact, if we never had, and Blythe couldn't understand us..." She added under her breath. "We would all be at Largest Ever Pet Shop."

Vinnie felt a shiver down his spine when she said that, his fingers twitching with discomfort at the thought of what could have possibly happened if Blythe never moved on the top floor, if she never discovered the dumbwaiter, if she never understood what animals were speaking...

"I'm all for Penny Ling here," Zoe announced rather dutifully, "Blythe is our dear friend, and whatever she is hiding, she can't simply hide it forever. She will eventually speak with us."

"By with us, meaning me," Russell spoke up, working his new pen atop his clipboard.

"You?" Pepper snapped, rather offensively, folding her arms.

"Well, as the most organized of the group," Russell stated. "And the one with the most common sense..." He added under his breath. "I think it would be best if Blythe talks to me. We'll talk, see what's up, have a big laugh, and then done. Simple as that."

"Uh, hello, Dr. Bill!" Vinnie sang with exasperation as he shoved himself in the hedgehog's face, staying clear of his quills. "This isn't like some TV show where things start off with a problem then simply fixed in less than thirty minutes!"

Russell bit his tongue, refraining from lashing out at the simple-minded gecko. Instead, he just folded his arms and turned his head with a huff, sending the other pet a dirty look.

"Guys, come on," Penny Ling pleaded, standing between them, "we're all arguing just because we're now worried about Blythe."

"All because of a picture you saw," Pepper Clark added.

"And that picture is what shows that Blythe is hiding something," the panda stated with concern, "something probably really bad."

"You said it was a pretty lady," Minka pointed out, "how does a pretty lady prove something bad?"

"I really don't know," Penny sighed sadly, "but all I know is that poor Blythe must be holding something back, and that's not good for her."

"Very true, Penny Ling," Russell nodded in agreement, "from what I've read, bottling certain things up could result in emotion sickness or even severe depression that can grow worse if not dealt with."

"Gee, thanks, Doc," Vinnie rolled his eyes. Soon his expression melted into one of concern, the information sinking in. "Oh, man! I don't want Blythe to get sick!" He cried. "If she gets sick, then she'll have to go to the vet! If she goes to the vet, then they'll find something wrong with her, and then...and then..." He gulped.

The hedgehog groveled in exasperation at his dimwitted gecko friend. "No, Vinnie, you mean...oh, never mind."

"Uh, everyone," Sunil spoke nervously, all eyes falling on him. "It's most appreciative that we truly want to see what is wrong with Blythe, but, uh...I highly doubt she'll speak to us about such anytime soon."

"Why, you're right, Sunil," Zoe Trent said, "Blythe may be an incredible designer with a heart of gold, but she can tend to be a bit...erm, persistent."

"For a second I thought you were going to use 'stubborn'," Pepper Clark joked.

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" Everyone turned to Minka Mark, the pink-furred monkey bouncing up and down with her arms flailing. "I got an idea!"

"Almost afraid to ask," Pepper joked again, earning a slight glare from Zoe.

"Remember the time we snuck into Largest Ever Pet Shop to rescue Zoey's sister Gail?" Minka asked.

"Except is wasn't Zoey's sister," Vinnie interrupted, "just some guy who looks like a girl and has a girl's name."

"Well, scratch that," Minka chirped, "remember the whole 'Operation: Gailbreak' stuff?"

"Of course," Russell spoke, "I mean, I was the one who planned the whole thing."

"Good thing you had plans B-Z when things got out of hand," Penny couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, I've come up with a whole new operation!" Minka announced. "It's called 'Operation: Photosnatch'!"

Silence reigned among the day-camp as the other pets gazed at her in confusion.

"Photosnatch?" Pepper repeated in an unappealing tone.

"Well, I was originally going to call it 'Operation: Break-Into-Blythe's-Bedroom'," Minka laughed, "but the other one sounds so much cooler!"

"Wait a minute," Russell interrupted, "break into Blythe's bedroom?" He regarded her as if she were even more insane.

"No," Minka shook her head, "of course not!" Then she gleamed. "We just go into Blythe's room tomorrow when she's at school. She'll never know and we'll be quick."

The hedgehog's eyes could not grow any larger as his jaw nearly hit the floor.

"No!" He protested. "Absolutely not!" He folded his arms with determination. "The first time we came to Blythe's room, we, and by we, I mean you guys, created an incredible mess for poor Blythe to clean up! Even after that day, we were still welcomed into Blythe's room whenever we wanted, and I am not about to lose that trust!"

"Ah, lighten up, you big brother in little hedgehog quills," Pepper chuckled, giving him a playful punch on his shoulder. "We're not betraying Blythe's trust or anything like that."

"No?" Russell exclaimed. "Okay, how does 'putting it at risk' sound?" He stared at her carefully. "And wait a minute...don't tell me you actually want to go with Minka's plan!"

"It's a great plan!" The monkey shouted.

"I must admit," Zoe cut in, "the whole of it seems rather risky but overall incredibly fitted." Then she beamed. "And I do need to borrow another beret from dear Blythe, of course."

"Hey, if that's the case," Vinnie popped in, "I'm in!"

"Me, too," Penny added, stepping beside him, "as long as we don't do anything bad, then okay."

"Um, I guess since it's just upstairs I could handle so," Sunil proclaimed, feeling rather confident.

All eyes fell on Russell, whose paws gripped both his pen and clipboard rather tightly. Finally, the hedgehog sighed under the expectant glances of his friends.

"Fine...I'm in."
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The next day, Blythe slowly rolled out of bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she slipped into her fuzzy pink slippers and tiredly walked out of her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

As soon as the door closed with a click, a loud whirring sound emerged from the dumbwaiter, Russell gripping the rope with an expression of regret.

"Good thing it's Friday..." He muttered, gazing around the bedroom before his eyes fell on the familiar desk.

Nodding to himself, the hedgehog immediately lowered himself down, just in time as the bedroom door opened and Blythe entered with a glass of milk in hand.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

All seven pets huddled against the shop window as they watched Blythe exit out the door, sending them a wave, vaguely surprised to see their faces pressed against the glass and watching her leave.

The pets, fake smiles plastered on their faces, waved back, watching as Blythe walked down the street, becoming a mere speck in an instant.

"And..." Pepper's voice droned as that single speck was out of sight. "...she's gone."

"Alright!" Russell announced, grabbing everyone's attention. "'Operation: Photosnatch' is underway!"

"You actually like my idea!" Minka exclaimed, incredibly impressed by his devotion.

"I'm just trying not to get us all in trouble," Russell corrected before he took out his clipboard. "Alright, it's Friday, so it's a possibility Blythe might hang out with her human friends after school, but we can't risk it. Most Fridays she likes to come home and see us."

"Aww, she's so sweet," Penny cooed to herself.

"However, according to what Blythe discussed back on Monday, there's a bake sale after school," he went on, "and Blythe mentioned she was going to help out her science teacher sell cupcakes."

"Mmm..." Vinnie moaned with delight. "Cupcakes..."

"Of course, none of that should matter," Russell stated, "if we are quick and just get the photo, analyze it, and put it back before we return to the pet shop. And pretend nothing happened." He added hesitantly.

"What are we waiting for?" Vinnie exclaimed, pointing a thin finger at the dumbwaiter. "Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!"

Without another moment wasted, all seven pushed their way onto the panel that accommodated their combined weight. Three of them took hold of the rope, tugging at it as the panel began rising.

Soon, they found the empty bedroom in which Russell had been in earlier. The pets quickly hopped from the dumbwaiter, scattering about the room, Zoe mostly searching through some of Blythe's accessories for a beret to borrow.

"Over here, guys," Penny Ling said, beckoning the others behind her as they neared Blythe's desk.

Russell felt a lump in his throat as he neared the familiar desk. "Oh, we're just asking for trouble..." His nose twitched. "Smells like it as well."

"Uh, no..." He immediately turned to Pepper, who hunched over on the floor, a familiar aroma surrounding her and venturing throughout the bedroom. "That's just me. Sorry, I guess I'm just as nervous as you are." She chuckled dryly.

The hedgehog groaned. "I should have brought air freshener. Now Blythe's room is going to reek of Pepper Clark."

"Guys," Penny called, digging into the open drawer she had been in just yesterday. "It's in here somewhere."

Russell let out a horrified gasp as the Panda carelessly tossed items out of the drawer through her searching. She was creating a far worse mess than the day before.

"Come on!" He griped, rushing to pick up the materials littering the floor. "Just a little organized? That's all I ask!"

The panda ignored him as her tiny paw gripped something familiar deep within the drawer. With a triumphant grin, Penny pulled out the same picture.

"I found it!" She exclaimed happily, nearly tripping out of the drawer.

The pets gathered around her as she held the picture out for all to see. Russell remained just as worried, playing with his tiny fingers while also turning to the clock every now and then.

"Wow," Minka Mark commented. "That sure is a nice photo of...whoever she is."

Vinnie nodded in agreement. "I'd date her."

All eyes turned to him in disbelief and the gecko just shrugged.

"Just saying," he snapped.

"My word," Zoe Trent stated, gazing at the photo, "she is absolutely gorgeous!" She tapped a paw to her chin and pondered. "But why would Blythe feel so uncomfortable and keep something like this secret?"

"Hey, guys!" All eyes turned to Pepper Clark as the skunk dug into the same drawer Penny just searched. "Check this out!"

The pets gathered around the drawer as Pepper threw a few interesting items on the floor, much to Russell's horror.

"Pepper!" He cried. "That is completely insensitive of you to do to Blythe's things!"

"Chilax, Russell," the skunk assured him as she hopped out of the drawer and stood beside the items. "Just look."

The hedgehog, face still heated with fury, lowered his green eyes to the items and gazed at the curiously.

An old, brown book. A light purple envelope. And a black box of some kind.

"How peculiar," Zoe commented as she neared the brown book. Her paw lightly touched it, before she flipped it over.

Penny's eyes loomed over the title of the book. "Back When...?" She read. She turned to the others in confusion. "What does that mean?"

"Sounds like the start of one those weird haikus or whatever," Vinnie answered, gazing at the book.

"Only one way to find out," Pepper stated as she reached over and flipped to the first page.

Everyone gasp.

"Look!" Sunil exclaimed as he pointed at the first page.

"That's the same lady from the photograph Penny found," Russell observed. He pondered a bit. "I believe there could be a larger connection between the photo and this book." He turned to the remaining items on the floor. "And these other things. But what?"

Suddenly, his nostrils were immediately invaded by a familiar scent and he gasped before covering his nose with both paws.

"Sorry about that!" Pepper Clark apologized. "Guess I'm both nervous and kind of excited."

"Alright, that's it," Russell announced, still clutching his nose. "We're done here. Mission's a success. Let's get out before-"

"What the heck is that smell?"

All eyes immediately turned toward the doorway, and before any of the pets could run and hide, the door swung open and there stood Blythe, a pink box under her arm.

"Wha-?" She gasped in mid-sentence, staring at all the pets that were present in her room.

Russell felt the color drain from his cheeks and he smiled nervously. "Uh, hi, Blythe..."

"Uh, back from school so soon?" Pepper added with a weak chuckle.

"Weren't you suppose to be at some bake sale?" Vinnie couldn't help but ask.

"I was," Blythe answered, still regarding them in question, holding the pink box closer to her side. "I just forgot my cake and..."

Her eyes immediately fell on the photo still clutched in Penny Ling's hand.

Blythe gasped in horror, nearly dropping her cake. Her eyes darted toward the items on the floor, and her jaw couldn't be any more lower.

"What were you...?" She squeaked in fear.

Russell gulped. "Blythe, I know this looks bad-"

"Bad?" Blythe cried, sounding more horrified than furious. "You guys were looking through my things!"

Before Penny knew it, the picture was once again snatched from her tiny paw. Blythe gazed at the familiar photograph, her blue eyes widening even more, her bottom lip trembling.

"Oh, no..." Sunil gulped, gazing at the pained expression on Blythe's face.

"Blythe, we're really sorry!" Russell pleaded. "I was actually against the idea, but everyone else wanted-"

He was immediately cut off when Blythe held a up hand to silence him. The hedgehog ceased in mid-sentence, swallowing hard and remaining stiff.

All the pets watched as Blythe's eyes remained closed, her bottom lip nearly being chewed off as she sucked in her breath.

"Just go," she said quietly, eyes still shut.

Her animal friends gazed at her worriedly, frightened more by her hushed tone than the fury they had expected would emerge from her throat.

Without another word, each of them slowly made their way back to the dumbwaiter, not breaking their glances from their human friend as she remained in place, her hand clutching the photo while the cakebox was still tucked under her arm. Vinnie longed to sample some of that cake, but his appetite immediately evaporated as he gazed at Blythe once more, his chest hammering with guilt.

Once all the pets were seated atop the panel, Penny Ling, feeling the worst out of everyone, spoke up.

"Oh, Blythe!" She choked, trying her best not to shed tears. "I'm really sorry! I really am!"

Blythe, however, acted as if she hadn't heard her. Back turned, their human friend left them to lower themselves back down to the pet shop. The pets watched sadly as she placed the photo back in the drawer then, without even a glance at them, quietly left her bedroom.

"Oh, this is horrible!" Zoe Trent exclaimed dramatically. "So horrible!"

"Horrible doesn't even begin to describe this..." Sunil added sadly.

"You're right," Pepper said, ears lowering in despair. "This is the worst."

Penny Ling couldn't take it anymore. She just bursted into tears, sobbing rather loudly as the dumbwaiter descended to the pet shop.
Well, it's Christmas Eve, and I'm proud to have finished this chapter this right on schedule. Consider this an early Christmas to all of you who have become attached to my new story after reading Chapter 1. :D

Again, you guys should REALLY see the inspiration behind this story and that is :iconrmsaun98722:, with his LPS story Blythe's Littlest Adventure. ;)

Pretty suspenseful ending, I guess? And "Gailbreak" was definitely one of the better episodes from earlier in the series. ;)

Merry early Christmas to all you Petters :iconpetters-united: and cartoon lovers out there! I'll have chapter 3 done as soon as
possible! ;)


Chapter 1: [link]
© 2012 - 2024 Cartuneslover16
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TheRScrooge's avatar
This could easily be an episode of the show! Loved the interaction between all of the pets in this part, especially Vinnie's comments. The fourth wall joke about "solving problems in less than 30 minutes" was pretty clever, too!