(Amelia Buck's Apartment Room - 11:01 PM)
Amelia quickly opened the door of her apartment room and entered it along with Little Rodeo.
As they entered the apartment, Amelia closed the door behind her. She then picks Little Rodeo up and puts him on the couch.
"How did you get in my car?"
"A magician never reveals his secrets OwO✌️" He said while making a peace sign.
"Rodeo!! You left the site without telling anyone! And you made everybody worried that you might be caught by the enemy." Amelia raised her voice angrily.
Little Rodeo felt hurt as his eyes started to become teary even though his facial expressions didn't change.
"No. No. No. Don't cry... I'm just trying to-"
"Wahhhhh!"
Amelia couldn't finish her sentence as Rodeo started crying quite loudly. Amelia quickly picks him up and hugs him as she begins patting him on the back, trying to calm him down but to no avail.
"It's alright, Rodeo. I wasn't being mad, I was just... trying to explain to you that what you did wasn't right, and what if you got hurt?"
Little Rodeo didn't listen and kept crying, because he really felt hurt by her words. But then suddenly.....
Amelia started to sing "Dream a little dream of Me."
"🎶 Stars shining bright above you. Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you." Birds singing in the sycamore trees. Dream a little dream of me🎶" She sang with a beautiful and gentle voice.
Rodeo looked at Amelia, which she noticed that he got his attention, and so, she continued singing.
"🎶 Say nighty night and kiss me. Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me. While I'm alone and blue as can be. Dream a little dream of me🎶"
She then looked at Rodeo to see he had calmed down a little and wiped away his tears. She then sits on the couch while holding child Rodeo in her arms and continues singing.
"🎶 Stars fading but I linger on dear. Still craving your kiss. I'm longing to linger till dawn dear. Just saying this🎶"
Rodeo calmly listened to her singing while Amelia smiled at him and continued.
"🎶 Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you. Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you. But in your dreams whatever they be. Dream a little dream of me🎶"
At that moment, she sings one more final note.
"🎶 Dream a little dream of meeeeeeeee🎶"
As she was done, Rodeo started clapping at a fast pace.
"You sing so nicely."
"Thank you." Amelia smiled. In her thoughts, she actually never sings, not anymore. But in order to calm him down, she had to.
"Now what do you want to do, Rodeo?"
"Can I watch some anime? :3"
"Hmmm, hold on a second." Amelia gets up and puts him on the couch. She then makes a phone call to Rodeo's phone which was with Evan, with her phone.
For a few moments, someone picks up.
[Hello?]
"It's me, Evan."
[Oh hi, Amelia. Collingwood told me you found him, and he's with you. He's not causing trouble is he?]
"Actually, I wanted to ask you that, what sort of anime is ok for a child of his age?"
[Pokemon.]
"Pokemon?"
[Yep, it's the best anime for any 4 or 5 year old child. Do you have Netflix in your home?]
"Yes I do."
[Go to Netflix and start playing Pokemon indigo league. It will keep him entertained.]
"Thank you, Evan."
[Your welcome. See you later then.]
Then the call ends. Amelia looks at Rodeo who was still sitting on the couch waiting patiently.
"So do you want to watch Pokemon?"
"Yes!!" Little Rodeo shouted with excitement and sparkles in his eyes.
A minute later, Amelia and Rodeo were sitting on the couch as they both were watching Pokemon indigo league. Little Rodeo, being a child, was watching in excitement and cheerfulness while Amelia... well she's never watched anime.
The only anime she watched was related to SCP-835-JP "Keteru Yamiko", under protocol idol which was a programme that required all foundation staff to participate in order to keep 835-JP neutralized. The main idea of the protocol was that people in the foundation should know about 835-JP in order to prevent it from manifesting by either reading manga or watching anime or purchasing merchandise related to 835-JP. If none of this is done, then 835-JP will manifest once again and continue its so-called killing spree.
(A/N: If you want to know more regarding 835-JP and Protocol Idol, then check SCP Animated Tales from the Foundation on YouTube or the SCP Wiki.)
Although this anime was new to her, it was still interesting to watch. Amelia looked at Rodeo who was still watching the show before she gently pats and rubs his head. She then started petting his cat like ears, which twitched upon contact.
"Cute."
She then stopped and brought him close to her side, letting him rest his head on her left leg as Rodeo continued watching. She then gently placed her right hand on his cheek, caressing it and she found it nice for some reason. As if she was treating Rodeo as her own son.
She smiled and shed a single tear, but she quickly wiped it away and continued watching with him.
———
(12:00 AM)
It was now midnight, as Little Rodeo was done with watching his show, he then noticed that Amelia was asleep. Little Rodeo then slowly closes the T.V with the remote and sits back on the couch. As Amelia was still asleep, Little Rodeo sat next to her, when suddenly she grabbed Rodeo and hugged him, laying down on the couch while still asleep. Rodeo couldn't break from her strong hug but decides not to surrender.
"Goodnight."
As he uttered one word, the asleep Amelia gives a smile and continues to sleep while hugging Rodeo close to herself.
————
———
——
(4:40 AM)
It was now morning. Dr. Amelia Buck wakes up with a yawn and notices that she was holding Rodeo in a hug. At the next moment, Rodeo also wokes up and looks at her.
"Good morning."
Amelia smiles and pats his head, "Good morning to you as well."
Amelia gets up from the couch and heads for the bathroom, while Rodeo sits on the couch waiting for her.
Few minutes later, Amelia came back to Rodeo, wearing a short sleeved green buttoned shirt and navy blue pants, high heels and wearing her usual lab coat over her shirt as well.
"Ready to go?"
"Yes I am!"
———
(Underground Parking Lot, Site-19 - 5:02 AM )
The two arrived at Site-19, Amelia was carrying Rodeo in her arms and entered the elevator. Next second, the elevator closed and slowly went up.
"I had so much fun yesterday. What about you?" Rodeo asked.
Amelia smiles at him and replies, "I enjoyed it as well."
Amelia looks at his bandaged hand and removes them. The wounds were healed but still it left a scar. She gently holds his hand and says.
"Don't worry, I'll always be there for you... as a mother." She said with a reassuring smile.
Rodeo nods, Amelia then kisses his forehead. But then, at the next few seconds, an explosion happened, covering the entire elevator in a black smoke.
On the 5th floor, Evan, Carlos and Collingwood were heading for the elevator, as they headed for it, suddenly they saw lines of smoke coming out of the elevator's closed door. The three immediately ran towards the elevator and opened its doors, which they were met with a massive black smoke.
They waved the smoke away to see Amelia lying on the ground rubbing the back of her head with her hand and they also saw... Rodeo, back to his normal stoic faced adult self and was rubbing his forehead while standing.
He was now no longer a five year old child.
"Oh my god, my head hurts."
"Rodeo!" Collingwood yelled out.
"Finally, you're back to normal." Evan said.
Carlos growls happily seeing his owner back to normal and immediately pulls him in a tight hug with his six arms.
"Carlos.....need....to....breath!"
Noticing his owner's struggles, Carlos lets go of him and sees Amelia lying on the elevator floor, and so it helps her back up on her feet.
"Anyone, can someone tell me what happened?! Because I have no clue about yesterday's events. I only remember an explosion and then everything went blank, and the next thing I knew, I was on this elevator." Rodeo asked.
Everyone looked at each other for a second before Evan responded.
"Let's discuss this in Emma's office shall we."
———
(Site Director Emma's Office, Site-19 - 5:10 AM)
Rodeo, the rest, including Green and Emma were in the office. Everybody explained to Rodeo what happened yesterday and let's just say Rodeo was having a hard time processing this information and was having a meltdown.
"I got turned into a kid?!"
"Yes."
"Oh my god!"
Collingwood, Green, Evan and Emma were glad that he was back to normal, but Amelia just seemed ok with it.
"I also took some pictures as well." Evan said while holding Rodeo's phone.
Rodeo quickly snatched it back from him and looked at the photo gallery in his phone. Everyone gathered around him and saw pictures of him as a child and playing with Carlos, Collingwood, Green and Amelia which were all taken yesterday. Evan, Collingwood and Green laughed while Carlos let out a snicker, including Emma. Amelia just looked at the photos with a smile. Rodeo although was blushing in embarrassment.
"How did you take these photos?!" He demanded an answer.
"I took the photos while using my time stop."
"Evan, sometimes I wonder whether I should be friends with you or be enemies with you."
"Why not both?"
"You know what, I'm going to go get some fresh air on the rooftop and try to prevent a nuclear meltdown from happening in my head after finding out that I was turned into a kid. So see you guys later." Rodeo said to everyone before he left the office.
"Well, everything's back to normal and perfectly balanced... has all things should be." Evan said to the rest.
Followed by his words, Amelia then leaves the office as well leaving the other four confused as to why she left.
———
(Rooftop, Site-19 - 5:09 AM)
On the rooftop of the facility, Rodeo was on the rooftop with his arms resting on the railings, looking at pictures on his phone. He noticed that his child self had fun and Rodeo felt happy actually. He decides not to delete the pictures and instead keeps them as a thing to remember.
For minutes of looking at the pictures, he then keeps his phone back in his hollow compartment. But before long, he heard footsteps from behind him, he turned his head around to see Amelia approaching him.
Amelia stands next to him and rests her arms on the railing as well, seeing the sun rise on the horizon.
"So you're not gonna do work today or you don't have any work to do at all?"
"Rodeo, do you miss your family?"
"Of course I do. I miss them everyday, even Evan misses his family as well. We're worried that they might be looking for us."
"Rodeo, what if they find out that you will never come back... ever?"
"Actually, I do have a plan for getting back home and it involves 343."
"You plan on meeting him?"
"It's a plan I've been thinking about for some time now and he might be our best bet in teleporting us back home with his powers. I just need the O5 Council to approve my request and-"
"Can't you just stay here, Rodeo?" Amelia cuts him off and says it as she was holding it for a while.
"...Amelia what's the matter?" Rodeo asked as he looked at her in confusion.
"Let me explain."
As Rodeo listens, Amelia begins to explain about his child self being in her apartment, how he got back to normal and how she sees Rodeo later.
"I'm sorry, what?!"
"It's true, Rodeo. Treating you as a son might be the happiest thing I've done in my entire life. It made me really happy, you know." Amelia then gripped the railings tightly, "And you want to leave us?"
".....Amelia, I...."
Amelia cuts his sentence off, "Rodeo, what if 343 can't fix your problems? What if his powers don't work on you and the rest, since you and possibly Evan and the other humans who have become Stands might be immune to certain scp powers and may I remind you those arrows are out there as well. If the CI gets their hands on it, they will bring chaos, and you will do what? Abandon us?"
".....No, I won't."
"What?"
"I'm not gonna abandon anybody and leave, not now."
"What do you mean?"
"Amelia, I'm gonna leave this world with the help of 343, after I find the arrows, find the humans who have become Stands, and fix the problems you have here as well. But if you really can't leave with 343's power or with any other reality bending SCPs... Then I don't mind staying here with you guys."
"And your family?"
Rodeo sighs, "I'm not sure. I really want to believe that they haven't given up on searching for us but if they have. Then I can start something new here at least... with you guys. A new family." He said, looking at Amelia.
Amelia smiles and hugs Rodeo, which he hugs back as well. Standing a few feet away were Evan, Green, Carlos and Collingwood who were smiling at the two.
Although Rodeo is still far from home, he can at least start something new here. A family and he will defend this new family with all his might, find the arrows and the humans who have become Stand, and lastly, fix this world's problems. Even if it costs his life.
But how long until the upcoming calamity catches wind of all of this.
End of Chapter
POWER STONES!!!
———
A/n: I decided to lay down the action for now at least and went for more of a normal casual chapter. But anyways hope you enjoyed this chapter. Consider giving me some tasty Power Stones or vote for my stories and keep yourself notified for more chapters. Thank you.
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(An Abandoned Warehouse, Somewhere in America - 9:00 AM )
In an abandoned warehouse, the Stand User of 'Ride Me to Hell', the knight and the bird lizard were currently playing cards with each other while sitting on chairs next to a round table.
"Gentlemen. I have already won." The knight lowered his cards to the table, showing it to his opponents.
The bird lizard and the Stand user of Ride Me to Hell followed as well, unfortunately for them, the Knight won... again.
"Hahahahaha!! Your card skills are still terrible." He said while laughing victoriously.
"You always win." The Stand User said.
"Yep." The Bird Lizard nodded.
"Enough with the games already, let's get down to business." The Stand User looked at the two with a serious look, "So... the plan, what is it?"
The Knight answers, "Our client is still silent, but the plan, I won't tell you yet, Mr. Jack Barton."
"Look, I really need the money." The Stand User named Jack said.
"And you will get it. Remember to be patient and you will get what you want, mon ami."
Jack just scoffs and shuffles the cards again.
"I promise you, this plan will work."
"You seem confident... as if you know from experience."
"Oh mon ami, don't forget... " The Knight points to the bird lizard, "...with him on our side and more extra hands, we will succeed. Since I am the mercenary known as....
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"The Spy."
The Knight said with a smile full of confidence.
"...They will never see it coming."
To Be Continued ➡