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Flush green leaves fluttered and rustled gently in an early summer breeze; all around a wide-open playground. A scent of freshly mowed grass hung over the park, providing an inviting atmosphere to many cubs and their parents out to enjoy the day. Amongst all the hubbub, a young fox cub wearing a yellow t-shirt and orange shorts with white and blue flames ran over to an approaching adult German Shepherd who was carrying his three-year-old son in his arms. The Shepherd pup wearing an orange shirt and dark blue shorts with the telltale waistband of a diaper peeking out between them. "Hi, Uncle Jake!" yipped the little fox. "Steady on, Timmy!" chuckled the fox's dad, as he caught up to his son. "He is quite excitable, as you can see." he mentioned to the adult Shepherd. "Awww... that's okay;" said Jake, "My little guy can be full of beans too when he realizes he doesn't need to be shy." He turned to the pup in his arms and said, "Go on, Chase; Timmy would like to play with you." Chase looked a little unsure at first, but as his daddy set him down on the grass he toddled over to Timmy. "Hi, Timmy..." Chase said, shyly. "Hi, Chase!" said Timmy, "Wanna play pirates together?" "Okays..." said Chase; and the two headed off towards the playground's pirate ship apparatus. Timothy ran after Chase, playfully, making the shepherd pup squeal as he ran as fast as his little legs could carry him, his slightly chubby build and thick diaper not lending him much help to escape the older, more lean fox cub.

--

As the two adults followed their charges to the playground, listening to their mirthful giggles and squeals, Jake turned to the adult fox. "You sounded quite excited over the phone, Friendly; you say you found Timothy? After all this time?" "Yeah! It was quite the coincidence too;" said Friendly, "Hard to believe, but he's the captain of a modern paddlewheel steamship named The Ace of Glasgow." "A captain, huh?" yapped Jake, "Good on him! All this time in the police force and I'm still a constable." Friendly laughed. "Well, it was five years ago now that you joined;" he said, "I still remember that day. I was so proud of you when you graduated from the academy and were assigned to the Wedgewood Constabulary." "I was proud of that too;" said Jake, "But not as proud as when little Chase was born..." He gave a good-natured laugh before saying, "I remember you were quite thrilled when you heard I had a son." "Yeah, I was..." said Friendly, "It felt good to have you join me in the joys of fatherhood." He looked over to where their sons were playing and said, "It makes days like this possible... remember when we used to play here as kids?" "I sure do;" said Jake, "Those days we spent riding our bikes, swinging on the swings, and helping Timothy out of his little... mishaps...!" he said with a chuckle. He suddenly perked up and said, "Speaking of which...!" before rushing over to the playground. Chase had climbed quite high up the netting and looked rather scared. "Daddy, help!" cried Chase, whimpering as he looked down from the netting. "I got you, little partner!" Jake barked as he reached his son and took hold of him so he could lift him to safety. He cuddled him closely, consoling him after his fright. "Aww, you poor little guy..." said Friendly, his voice full of sympathy. "Say, Jake... Can I...?" "Sure." said Jake, letting Friendly join in with comforting little Chase. "Shhh... It's okay, little buddy." Friendly nuzzled the upset puppy and rubbed the seat of his shorts, making his thick diaper crinkle. Chase gave a slight whimper, but seemed to acknowledge the fact that he was safe now. "Daddy! Daddy, lookit me!" yipped Timmy, as he stood proudly at the top of the playground in a 'crow's nest'. "Wow!" said Friendly, "What a great lookout!" "Yeah!" said Timmy, "I can see the whole playground from here!" He suddenly looked a little unsure and said, "But... I don't think I can get down!" "Hang on... I got this." yapped Jake, climbing up the netting and fetching the overwhelmed little fox cub. He glanced at the red material peeking out between Timmy's shorts and shirt, and gave a warm smile. "Hee-hee, come on, Captain Pull-Ups," He chuckled, "I got you." Timmy brightened up as Jake helped him down from the crow's nest and gave him a cuddle. "Thanks Uncle Jake." the young fox said. "You're very good at climbing, Timmy;" said Friendly, "Maybe someday you'll learn how to climb down." "Sorry, Daddy..." Timmy said, sheepishly, "I didn't mean to get stuck." Friendly knelt down in front of his son and put his hand on his shoulder. "You're still young, Timmy;" he said, "There's still plenty of time to learn new things." "Speaking of time..." said Jake, "When did Timothy say he'd be here?" "He said he'd be here soon;" said Friendly, "He must have his hands full getting his twins ready to go out." "Twins...?" asked Jake, "No way!" "Yes way!" said a familiar voice. Jake, Friendly, Timmy, and Chase looked over to see an adult brown and white raccoon walking over to them. He was flanked by two young raccoon girls; on the left was a grey raccoon wearing a green short sleeved shirt and a slightly dirty pair of blue overalls. She had a full head of brown hair done up in a ponytail, and a ready smile.

On the right was a brown and white raccoon wearing a blue shirt bearing the Scottish flag, and a pair of white shorts. She did not have much hair, but wore a pink bow atop her head. "Timothy!" cried Friendly, "You're here!" He ran over and gave the adult raccoon a hug. "Hi, Friendly!" said Timothy, returning the hug, "So nice to see you again!" He then looked behind him and said, "That you, Jake?" "Yeah!" said Jake as he too went over to give his childhood friend a loving hug. As the three adults parted, Jake looked at the two raccoon girls at Timothy's sides, "Are these two lovely ladies yours?" "They are indeed!" said Timothy, he placed a hand on both his daughters' shoulders before saying, "The one with the bow is Claire, and the one in overalls is Dawn." Timothy then said, "Claire, Dawn; I want you to meet your uncles Jake and Friendly." "How do you do?" asked Claire, politely. "Hi!" said Dawn, full of energy. "Pleased to meet you both;" said Jake, "Chase! C'mon over, buddy!" Chase however, hesitated. "It's okay..." said Timothy, in a kind voice, "C'mon, Chase." The little Shepherd pup toddled over to the strange raccoon and managed a small, "Hi..." "Hi to you too;" said Timothy as he shook the pup's hand. Chase finally managed a smile as he saw that Timothy was friendly. "Hi, Captain Button!" said Timmy, "Nice to see you again!" "Nice to see you too, First Mate Timmy;" said Timothy as he gave the young fox a salute, "You boys having fun today?" "Loads of fun!" said Timmy. He then noticed the two twins at Timothy's sides and decided to introduce himself. "Hi;" he said, sticking his hand out, "I'm Timmy." "I'm Claire;" said Claire, blushing slightly. "Ah'm Dawn!" said Dawn, practically bouncing with excitement. "Nice to meet you;" said Timmy, "So... you wanna play with Chase and me?" "Aye!" said Dawn, "That sounds like loads of fun!" "Hey, Jake;" said Friendly, "How about I keep an eye on the kids while you catch up with Timothy for a while." "Sounds good to me, Friendly;" said Timothy, "Oh, I almost forgot..." He turned to the twins and said, "You two be good, okay. And if you feel you need to go, you just tell Uncle Friendly; okay?" "Aye, Dad!" said Dawn, "We promise." "Yes, Daddy." said Claire. "Good;" said Timothy, "Now you run along and have fun." "C'mon, Boys!" said Dawn, "Follow me!" and she took off running. "Hey! Wait for me!" cried Chase as he toddled after her. "We're coming, Sis!" called Claire. As for Timmy, well... he was at a loss for words, but he followed on anyway. Friendly sighed... he was going to have his hands full with this bunch.

--

Timothy and Jake sat down on the bench to reminisce a bit about the good old days. "So..." said Jake, "I hear you're a captain now." "That I am;" said Timothy, "Cultivated my skills on the lake, and now I'm in command of a paddle steamer." "Never would have imagined it..." said Jake, "I mean... you and water didn't exactly get along for a while; you know what I mean." "I know exactly what you mean;" said Timothy, "And I don't blame you one bit. In fact, I may never have learned to swim if not for Sharon and her father." "So... I take it you and Sharon are still together then?" asked Jake. "Aye, we are;" said Timothy, "Married five years, two girls, and still in love. She's doing repossession business for a living, so most often it's me home with the girls. Then when she comes home, I do my business on the ferry routes." "Do the girls ever get, you know... lonely?" asked Jake. "Sometimes;" said Timothy, "But that's why we treasure our family moments all the more." He paused before saying, "Dawn's just like her mother; brave, full of energy, and a bit of a handful. Claire... she's a bit shy, and, well... she kinda reminds me of myself when I was a lad." Timothy sighed and said, "What about you and little Chase?" "Well Chase is my first..." said Jake, "He's three years old, and... I'm just doing my best to raise him to be a good and honest boy." "I'd say you're doing a good job so far;" said Timothy, "He seems like such a nice boy." "Thanks;" said Jake. "So..." said Timothy, "How's life on the force?" "It's a dream come true;" said Jake, "All my life I wanted to be a police officer and make my mom and dad proud. Well... now I'm doing it." "I'm sure they are proud of you;" said Timothy, "What rank are you? You up for chief yet?" "Nah... I'm still a constable;" said Jake, "But I'm dedicated to what I do no matter what my rank." "That's the spirit;" said Timothy. He then glanced over at the playground and said, "You know... this playground is the very spot where I first met Friendly Brush. Hard to believe that it was so long ago." "I can hardly believe it too;" said Jake, "Maybe our kids will become as close as we are." "I certainly hope so;" said Timothy, "It would be good for them to understand the importance of good friendship."

--

"Ye cann'a catch me!" Dawn playfully teased as she darted around the playground equipment. "Yes I can!" laughed Timmy as he tried his best to tag her. Finally, he caught up to her and playfully tapped her shoulder. "Tag!" he said, "You're it!" "Ach!" cried Dawn, "Now Ah'll catch ye!" She started running after Timmy, but to her complete surprise, he stopped. "Oof!" she said as she bumped into him and fell back onto her bottom, "Wot'd ye stop fer...?" "Uh..." said Timmy, "I wanna ask you something..." "Okay then..." said Dawn, "Wot is it?" Timmy looked unsure for a moment, then asked, "Uh... why do you talk so funny?" "'Cause me mum talks this way..." said Dawn as she got up, "Ah like the way it sounds, so Ah try te talk like her too." "Wow..." said Friendly, "I'd like to meet your mom and see if she really talks like that." "Aye, she does;" said Dawn, "But fer now... TAG! Ye're it!" And she took off again. "Hey!" said Timmy, "No fair!" But he couldn't help laughing as he set off after her again. Friendly chuckled as he watched the cubs playing together, but one member of the group was missing - little Chase. "Where'd Chase go?" Friendly thought, looking all over the playground for the little pup. He soon found Chase hiding behind a tire in the ship. "Hey, what are you doing down here little buddy?" Friendly asked, kneeling down to join him. "I... I jus... I can't run as fast as the big cubs. It's not fair." Chase sobbed. "Awww," said Friendly, reaching out for the pup to climb up into his arms, "Would you rather come do something else? I'm sure the others won't mind." Chase nodded. At the same time, Claire saw Friendly carrying Chase away from the playground and decided to join him. But before setting off after them, she anxiously she pulled at her shorts to better-conceal her pink and white Pull-Ups with some kind of design on them, and ran off after Friendly and Chase.

--

As Jake and Timothy came to keep an eye on Dawn and Timmy, Friendly was pushing Chase and Claire on the tire swing. Chase giggled as the tire swung gently up and down, and Claire smiled as she saw how much fun the little pup was having. "Higher! Higher!" she called out, beckoning Friendly to push the swing higher and faster. "I can't, sweetie." said Friendly, "Not with little Chase... When you're on your own I'll push you higher, okay? Claire sighed, but tried to enjoy the gentle swinging sensation that the adult fox was providing for the moment. Soon, Friendly pulled the swing to a gentle halt and helped Chase off, then prepared to give Claire the ride she wanted when Jake walked up to him, smiling. "I'll push her, Friendly. Can you look after Chase for me?" Jake smiled. "Awww, I'd love to!" Friendly glowed, leaving Jake to settle Claire's desire for a more thrilling ride, and heading over to the pirate ship where Chase had toddled over to, joining Dawn and Timmy. Friendly chuckled as he joined in, playing with his son and his new friends. He sighed happily as he remembered how much fun he had had growing up with Timothy and Jake, and he sat by the wheel as Dawn, Timmy and Chase ran around the deck, mirthfully. Chase had taken on more of a waddle to his step, and Friendly guessed that his diaper was probably wet. He smiled and let the pup play for now, his blue shorts were doing a pretty good job at concealing most of his padding - the same couldn't be said for little Timmy, his shorts had slipped down slightly, revealing the seat of his red and white Pull-Ups training pants. "Captain! Your Pull-Ups are showing again..." Friendly giggled, helping Timmy with his shorts as the little fox cub blushed heavily. Chase stood next to Timmy with his hands against the sides of the wooden ship, looking at Timmy and giving him a similarly embarrassed smile. "Uh oh... smells like someone needs a swab on the poop deck..." chuckled Friendly, catching a whiff of the scent emanating from the seat of the little pup's shorts. Chase blushed, but giggled as Friendly gently stroked behind his ear, comfortingly. "Awww, it's okay little buddy." said Friendly, "Come on, let's get you changed and ready to play again, huh?" "Daddy? I uh... I need a change too..." Timmy mumbled, the outline of his soaked Pull-Ups visible through his shorts. "Oh dear..." said Friendly, "Come on then, Timmy; you too, Chase." Friendly picked Chase up and cuddled him closely, nuzzling him and gently patting the seat of his shorts as he carried him over to the restrooms to have his diaper changed, with Timmy following behind; his wet Pull-Ups lending a considerable waddle to his pace. "Come on, Dawn," said Timothy, "While we're waiting for the boys to come back, let's go see how your sister is doing with Jake, huh?" "Aye, Dad!" said Dawn. Together they went over to the tire swing where Jake was pushing Claire with a bit more vigor than Friendly had been. "Whoo-hoo!" Claire cheered as she swayed back and forth. "Having fun, I take it?" asked Timothy. "Lots of fun!" said Claire, "It feels like flying! Uh-oh..." Hearing this, Jake brought the tire swing to a halt and asked, "Are you okay, Claire?" Claire's face had gone bright red, and she had a funny look on her face. "Oh dear..." said Timothy, "I know that look..."

--

In the restrooms, Friendly prepared the changing table to help the two little cubs into their new padding. Chase blushed as he stood beside Timmy, with an unhappy sob. "Why are you crying, Chase?" Timmy asked, holding the upset pup's hand. "Y...you guys are all big cubs." Chase answered with a sniffle, "I wish I was too." He shuffled awkwardly as Friendly pulled down his shorts, revealing his wet and messy diaper. "Hold still, little buddy. This won't take long." Friendly said, soothingly. Just then, Timothy entered the restroom too, carrying a rather upset Claire. "I'm sorry, Daddy!" she sobbed. "Shhh... It's okay, sweetheart." Timothy soothed his daughter, gently rubbing her back and giving her a kiss, "Look, you're not the only one." Chase blushed heavily and tried to hide his diaper with his shirt, but it just wasn't long enough. Timmy on the other hand looked a little more relaxed, he held Chase's paw and pulled down his shorts, revealing his soaked Pull-Ups to the pup. "See? We're not quite big cubs yet..." Timmy chuckled. Chase looked a little more relieved. "Ah... does someone else need a change?" asked Friendly, as he held the new diaper for Chase in his hand. "Looks like it;" said Timothy as he gently pulled down Claire's shorts, revealing her soaked pink and white Lion Guard Pull-Ups before he reached into his backpack for a new one, "Claire's still in the final stages of potty learning." "I don't... mean to do it..." Claire said, blushing heavily. "Aww... It's okay, sweetheart." said Friendly, "We've all been there." He then beckoned her to stand in line with Timmy while he took care of Chase, "This won't take long. It's okay."

--

Outside, Dawn was waiting on her sister to be changed, and was getting a bit bored. Not knowing what else to do, she walked over to Jake, who was taking something out of the trunk of his red Mini Cooper. "Uncle Jake!" she said, "Wot are ye doin'?" "Just getting Chase's tricycle out;" Jake explained. He lifted a metal blue tricycle with solid back wheels out of the boot and set it on the ground. "Wow..." said Dawn, "That's pretty." She looked up and said, "Can I try it, please?" Jake thought for a moment, then said, "Well... I suppose you can have a go on it before Chase gets back;" He looked Dawn in the eyes and said, "But I need you to promise me that you will be extremely careful with it. Chase is very attached to this trike, and he would be very upset if it got messy; or broken." Dawn immediately understood, and said, "I promise te be careful, Uncle Jake." "Good;" said Jake, with a smile, "Have a go then." Dawn sat down on the trike, put her feet on the pedals, and gently started to pedal around the lot. It wasn't until two minutes later that Chase, Timmy and Claire emerged from the restrooms after being cleaned up. Chase was quick to notice his trike being ridden by Dawn. "Hey, that's my trike!" Chase cried, clearly not happy at seeing the older raccoon girl riding it around. He started to run towards her, when Jake intervened and picked Chase up, his nose touching Chase's. "Now Chase..." he said in a firm but affectionate manner, "Remember what I told you; you have to share your toys sometimes. Dawn promised that she would be careful with it, so it won't hurt you to let her ride on it for just a few minutes." Chase calmed down as his Daddy spoke to him and set him down on the ground, he watched Dawn riding his trike. "Just... just don't get it dirty!" Chase barked, shuffling a little and making his thick diaper crinkle. "Dinna' worry...!" called Dawn, "Ah won't get it dirty, ye poopy pup!" she giggled teasingly. Chase frowned, pouting at the insult. Timmy stood behind Chase, curious about his much thicker padding. Instinctivly, he gently tugged at the pup's shorts and touched the seat of his diaper. Chase yelped and stared at Timmy, with a soft growl. Timmy was taken aback; he hadn't anticipated that kind of reaction. He sobbed softly. "Oh dear..." sighed Friendly, kneeling down next to Timmy, "Timmy;" he said, "You really shouldn't touch Chase's diaper like that, okay? You wouldn't want him to touch your Pull-Ups, would you?" "Sorry..." said Timothy, feeling rather bad about what he had done. He then turned to the little Shepherd pup and said, "Sorry Chase." Chase smiled, and this time it was his turn to hold Timmy's hand. "I sorry too." he said. "You fwightened me..." Dawn eventually grew tired of riding Chase's trike and asked her daddy to fetch her bike from the 2005 Chevy Astro van. Timothy smiled and beckoned everyone to join him. Chase on the other hand, jumped on his trike and tried to turn his pedals, but he wasn't strong enough. "Daddy!" Chase called. Jake knelt behind his struggling young son and gave him the push he needed to get going. In the meantime, Timothy opened the boot of the Astro, taking out two bikes; A little orange one with black tyres, and a little pink one with white tires; the latter was equipped with white plastic training wheels with pink rims. "Here you go Claire... Dawn..." said Timothy, "Now you can ride your bikes with Chase!" Claire and Dawn mounted their bikes.

Claire rode off down the path with incredible speed. Dawn tried to follow, but the back wheel of her bike just spun in a burnout; the training wheels were lifting the back wheel up to the point that it couldn't get any traction in the gravel. Stubbornly, Dawn kept trying. Claire giggled at her sister's struggle, but when Chase saw Dawn struggling with her bike, he felt bad for her. He knew how embarrassing it was to have to ask for help; so he rode his little trike around the back of her, aiming for the back wheel with his trike. "Chase? What are ye doing?!" cried Dawn, trying harder to get her bike to move. "I coming to help!" Chase barked back, "I is not just a poopy pup...!" Chase's trike struck the spinning wheel of Dawn's bike, freeing it from the rut. "I wish I had a bike or trike of my own..." said Timmy with a sigh, as he watched the others playing with theirs. "Well how about this, huh?" asked Timothy, with a smile. He reached into the boot again, and lifted out a toffee-apple-red bike with silver training wheels. "Hey, is that...?" Friendly began. "My faithful old bike? It sure is!" chuckled Timothy, "Remember how many times you had to help me because of my training wheels?" "I sure do!" said Friendly, with a laugh. "Huh? That's for me?!" Timmy beamed, striding up to the big red bike and clambering onto it. "It sure is, First Mate Timmy;" said Timothy, "Just a late birthday present from me and the girls." "Oh boy oh boy!" said Timmy, practically bouncing with excitement. "Here we go, Son!" said Friendly as he gave his son a gentle push to get him rolling. Soon, Timmy was riding happily around the lot with his dad by his side. In the meantime, Dawn rode up to Chase. "Hi, Dawn!" said Chase. Dawn thought for a moment, then said, "Thanks fer helping me back there, Chase; Ah'm sorry Ah called ye a poopy pup..." Chase just smiled, his diaper crinkling loudly as he and Dawn pedaled back over to join Claire and Timmy.

--

Once the cubs had had enough of riding their bikes around the parking lot, they all loaded into their cars to go and visit Timothy's and Sharon's house. After 20 minutes of driving, all three cars pulled into the driveway of Coonley Manor. Once the vehicles pulled to a stop in front of the steps, the kids all got out. Timmy and Chase stared in awe at the size of the house. "This is where you live?" Timmy asked Claire. "Sure is!" said Claire, "Granddad and Grandmum Coonley bought it long ago, and our mom was born here." "It's so big!" said Chase, "Do you have your own playroom?" "We sure do!" said Claire, "It's got a table, loads of plushes, and toys and games galore!" "Ga-lore...?" asked Chase, "What does that mean...?" "Mum uses that word all the time;" said Dawn, "Ah think it means... lots of stuff!" "Right you are, Dawn;" said Timothy as he gathered up the duffle bag from the boot, "So, Kids; what would you like to do first?" "I wanna see the playroom!" said Chase. "I wanna go swimming!" said Timmy. "Well then..." said Timothy, "I think that you kids can have a quick tour of the playroom, and then we'll get your suits on so you can go swimming before it rains. How does that sound?" "Sounds fair;" said Dawn, "We'll have plenty of time te play in the playroom later." "Right!" said Timothy, "Let's get you boys set up and then we can have some fun." The kids rushed up the stairs to the door (with Chase at the back as usual), while Timothy waited for Friendly and Jake to catch up. Once the adults joined the kids at the door, Timothy opened the door and let everyone in to the giant foyer with its marble pillars and spotless carpets. "Wow..." said Timmy, "It's like a palace in here!" "Aye!" said Dawn, "Mum makes a lot o' money, so we can afford a great place the likes of this." "What does she do?" asked Chase. "She's in the repo business;" said Claire, "When people don't pay for their boats and planes, Mum goes and takes them away from them." "Isn't that stealing...?" asked Timmy. "Not really;" said Dawn, "Mum is paid by the bank te do that kinda stuff." "Okay, you four;" said Friendly, "Here's the plan; we'll put your stuff in the guest room while you guys sneak a peek at the playroom. Then you can come upstairs and we'll help you get ready for swimming." "Okay, Daddy!" said Timmy. "We'll go an' get changed now!" said Dawn, "Ah wanna swim as much as Ah can before it rains!" "Just a moment, Sweetie;" said Timothy to his eager daughter, "Don't you want to show Timmy and Chase the playroom first?" "I'll show them, Daddy;" said Claire, "I don't mind." Timothy thought for a moment, then said, "It's a matter of courtesy, Claire; we are playing host to Chase and Timmy, so we should take some time to show them around." "Oh... right..." said Dawn, "Sorry..." "It's alright, Sweetie;" said Timothy, "No harm done." "Okay;" said Jake, "Now uh... the guest room should be at the end of the hall to the left, right?" "Upstairs." Timothy informed him. "C'mon, guys!" said Claire, "You're gonna love the playroom." She led Timmy and Chase down the hall while Dawn followed behind. When they arrived at a large door, Claire turned around and said, "Prepare to see the Coonley Manor Playroom!" She opened the door, and oh what a sight! It was a large room with sky blue walls and soft bubblegum pink carpeting. As Claire had said, there was a large toy chest, several shelfs brimming with stuffed animals, a small table with a few drawing supplies, and in the corner, there was a convenient diaper changing table. At the far end, there was a large window, allowing for a panoramic view of the backyard. Timmy and Chase stared; utterly gob-smacked. "Wot do ye think...?" asked Dawn. "Wow!" said Timmy, "This place is so cool! It's just as big as the playroom at my house!" "You have a playroom too?" asked Claire. "Yeah!" said Timmy, "Daddy runs a daycare; so there are always lots of toys and other cubs at my house." "My playroom isn't this big..." Chase pouted as he slumped his shoulders a bit. "Maybe not..." said Claire, "But I'm sure it's still fun." "Yeah..." said Chase, cracking a smile. "We have lots o' fun in here;" said Dawn, "We play with our trucks, pretend we're astronauts, an' make a zoo with all our plushes." "And you guys have it all to yourself too." said Timmy. "Aye..." said Dawn, "But it can get kinda lonely sometimes." At that moment, they heard Friendly call, "Okay, Kids! Time to get dressed for swimming!" "Alright!" Dawn, Claire, and Timmy said, running off down the hall. Claire stopped for a moment, and looked to see Chase slowly trudging after them. She went back to him and asked, "What's wrong, Chase?" "I can't swim..." said Chase, "I'm gonna look silly next to you guys." "Oh...?" said Claire. She looked behind her, making sure Timmy and her sister were out of earshot. Then she turned back to Chase and said, "Tell you the truth, Chase... I'm not a strong swimmer either." "Really...?" asked Chase. "Really;" Claire admitted, "I have trouble staying afloat, so I have to wear arm swimmies." She put her hand on Chase's shoulder and said, "My sister is such a good swimmer, sometimes I feel like I'm not good enough for her." "You can ride a bike better than her;" said Chase. "Yeah..." said Claire, "That's something." She smiled and said, "You know, why don't we swim together? If we look silly, at least we'll look silly together." "Okay." said Chase, brightening up a bit. The two cubs smiled, and went to their rooms to get changed.

--

In a matter of minutes, all four kids were suited up for swimming. Timmy wore his orange, white and blue flame swim trunks with PAW Patrol arm floats, Chase wore a green life vest over his blue swim trunks, Claire was wearing a yellow one-piece swimsuit, and Dawn wore a blue one-piece with a white cross to represent the Scottish flag. "You kids ready for some swimming?" asked Timothy. "We sure are!" said Timmy. "I just need to get my swimmies on..." said Claire. "Sure, Sweetie;" said Timothy, "Here, let me help you with those." "Hey, Dawn;" said Timmy, "Do you need floaties too?" "Nay;" said Dawn, "Ah can swim without 'em!" "Really...?" asked Chase. "Aye!" said Dawn, "Just ye watch me!" "Not so fast, Dawn..." said Timothy, "Let me finish with your sister first." In a matter of a few minutes, Claire's Lion Guard arm floaties were inflated and on her arms. "There we go..." said Timothy, "Now we can go swimming." "At last!" said Jake, "I remember the last time we went swimming here; when we were just kids." He felt a tug on his trunks, and looked down to see Chase. "Daddy..." the little pup said, "You'll stay with me, right...?" "Of course, little buddy;" said Jake, "You can count on it." He picked Chase up and started down the steps into the pool. Chase yapped happily as he was immersed in the water. Claire then started down the steps into the pool, with Timothy holding her hand. "Hey, Timmy;" said Dawn, "Ye wanna watch me dive?" "You can dive?" asked Timmy, "I can't even do that yet." "'Tis easy!" said Dawn, "Just watch me." She walked over to the diving board and got up onto it. "Wow..." said Friendly; who had joined the others in the pool, "You really know how to dive?" "That she does;" said Timothy, "Go on, Dawn; show them how it's done." Dawn took a deep breath, then walked right to the end of the board, bounced once, twice, then launched herself into the air in a semi-graceful arc before piercing the water and going under. In a matter of seconds, she resurfaced and said, "Like that!" "Wow..." said Friendly, "I'm impressed." "I know;" said Timothy, "She's just like her mother in that respect; no hesitation, no fear, she just dives right in." "That doesn't look so hard;" said Timmy, "I bet I can do that too!" "Are you sure...?" asked Friendly, "You don't have to, Son; this isn't a contest." "I know, Daddy;" said Timmy, "But I wanna try it." "Okay then;" said Friendly, "Just be careful, okay?" "I will!" said Timmy. He got up on the diving board, but hesitated as he looked over the water. "Is he alright...?" asked Dawn. "He's a good swimmer;" said Friendly, "He's just a bit apprehensive about deep water." He swam reasonably close to the diving board and said, "Don't worry, Son; I'm right here." Timmy felt better knowing that. Deciding not to push himself, he ran to the end of the board and cannonballed into the pool, making a huge splash. "Wow;" said Claire, "That was a big splash!" "Aye;" said Dawn, "Nice one, Timmy!" "You okay, Timmy?" Friendly asked as his son surfaced next to him. "I'm fine, Daddy;" said Timmy, "I think my dive needs more practice." Suddenly, he looked down, as though something wasn't quite right. "What's the matter...?" asked Friendly, "Water too deep?" "No..." said Timmy, with an awkward look on his face, "I think I still have my Pull-Ups on..." Chase and Claire were unable to contain their giggles when they heard what had happened. Dawn on the other hand, had to fight to stifle a laugh. Friendly chuckled as he embraced Timmy in a hug, treading water as he felt the seat of Timmy's shorts. Sure enough, there was something big, bulky, and squishy beneath his orange shorts. "Oh dear..." said Friendly, "I forgot to take your Pull-Ups off; my bad." He chuckled and gave his son a kiss before saying, "Its okay, buddy." "Are ye alright, Timmy?" inquired Dawn, as she swam up to Friendly and Timmy. "Yeah... I'm okay." Timmy answered, sheepishly, "I guess I better get out..." "No worries, Timmy;" said Timothy from the shallow end, "I've got nothing against you wearing your Pull-Ups in the pool. If you wanna keep wearing them, that's fine with me." Timmy looked happy that he wasn't going to get into trouble and nodded. "Okay;" he said, "I wanna swim with Dawn!" "Then c'mon an' swim with me!" said Dawn as she dove underwater and headed for the shallow end. Timmy laughed as his father brought him over to the shallow end where he could play safely. In the meantime, Chase was still with Jake; still a little upset that he couldn't play in the deep with the others. He was therefore, very surprised when Claire swam up to him. "Hi, Chase!" she said, "Enjoying the pool?" "I guess so..." said Chase. "I'm certainly having fun;" said Jake, "It's not often that my little guy and I get to have some together time like this." "Really?" asked Claire, "What do you do?" "I'm a policeman;" said Jake, "I make sure that the streets of Wedgewood are safe for kids and their families." "Sounds like a great job;" said Claire. "It is..." said Jake, "It sure is." "I wanna be a policeman when I grow up..." said Chase, "Just like my daddy." Jake smiled so hard his cheeks hurt a bit. "I don't know what I want to be..." said Claire. "That's okay, Claire;" said Jake, "You've still got your whole life ahead of you to figure that out. In my case, I just followed the path that my parents took, but you can grow up to be whatever you want." He paused and said, "But... Perhaps it's best to be what you want on the right side of the law, eh?" "Okay!" said Claire, "Want to swim with me, Chase?" "Can I, Daddy...?" asked Chase. "Sure, buddy;" said Jake, "Just stay in the shallow end, okay?" "Okay!" said Chase. He took Claire's hand, and let her pull him along with her around the shallow end of the pool. He was nervous at first, but soon settled when he was sure Claire wouldn't leave him. At the other end of the pool, Friendly and Timothy were both relaxing and keeping an eye on Timmy and Dawn. Timmy was determined to keep up with Dawn, even if he wasn't confident enough to swim without his PAW Patrol arm floats yet. "Wow, Dawn..." said Timmy, "You're a really great swimmer." "Thanks!" said Dawn, "Ah can even hold mah breath underwater! Wanna see it?" "Sure!" said Timmy. That was all Dawn needed to hear; she took in a breath and submerged in the water. Timmy just watched in awe. After ten seconds, Dawn surfaced again. "Wow!" said Timmy, "That's amazing!" "Thank ye." said Dawn, wringing out her hair. "I wish I could do that..." said Timmy, "But going underwater is kinda scary..." "Aye;" said Dawn, "It can be; but if ye just remember the rules, it's less scary." "What rules?" asked Timmy. "Always keep the surface in sight;" said Dawn, "Never go deeper than ye know ye can; an' never ever stay down longer than ye can hold yer breath." "Those are good rules;" said Timmy, "I guess we better follow them." "Aye;" said Dawn, "Ye know, Timmy, fer someone who swims with floaties, Ah think ye're a fine swimmer." "Really?" asked Timmy. "Aye;" said Dawn, "Ye're on par with mah sister there." "Thanks." said Timmy, blushing a little. At that very moment, Timmy began to tire. He tried to get his feet to touch the bottom of the pool, but had quite forgotten that they were in the deep end. Thus, he couldn't find it. Timmy tried to kick his legs to swim, but in his panic they just spun around uselessly, and his arms splashed around in a panicked flail. "Daddy, help!" he cried, as his overwhelmed Pull-Ups wobbled around clumsily beneath his shorts. Friendly swam over to his struggling son as fast as he could. "It's okay, Buddy," said Friendly as he took him back to the shallows, giving him a hug and a reassuring nuzzle, "I've got you." "Poor Timmy." said Dawn as she joined her friend, "Are ye alright?" Timmy looked up at Dawn; he was still a little shocked, but soon calmed down and said, "I'm fine now, Dawn; I don't think I'm ready to swim in the deep like you yet." "'Tis alright;" said Dawn as she gave Timmy a pat on the back, "Ye did good." "Thanks;" said Timmy. "I think that's enough swimming for now;" said Timothy as he pointed to the dark clouds moving in from the southwest, "We better get inside before it rains." Claire and Chase needed no further convincing. Claire helped Chase to the stairs and out of the pool. Jake and Timothy followed, and everyone was soon doing a quick dry off. "Can we go watch some TV, Daddy?" asked Claire. "Might as well;" said Timothy, "I don't want you kids playing outside in this blinking weather." "Thanks!" said Claire. "Yeah..." said Timmy, "That sounds like fun." After a few more minutes, everyone was reasonably dry, so they grabbed their towels and headed inside.

--

Once the four cubs had been sufficiently dried and dressed, they all went into the big living room with the large flat screen TV. "Wow," said Friendly as he saw the four little cushions situated in front of the sofa, "Looks like you guys were hoping for some company." "Well... we wanted to be prepared in case you and the little ones did want to come by to hang out." answered Timothy. The four cubs sat down to watch TV together. Timmy was wearing only his yellow shirt and red Cars Pull-Ups. Likewise, Chase was wearing only his orange t-shirt and thick white diaper, and Claire was wearing her blue shirt with the Scottish flag and her pink Lion Guard Pull-Ups. Meanwhile Dawn was once again adorning her green shirt and blue overalls. Claire switched on the TV with the remote, but once it was on, the cubs couldn't quite decide on which show to watch. They flicked through the channels one-by-one. There were quite a few kids' programs on at the mid-afternoon time. As they flipped through the channels, Chase caught sight of a pack of cartoon puppies wearing colorful uniforms. "PAW Patrol!" Chase yipped, happily, as he saw the opening titles to his favorite show. Unfortunately, the channel was switched over by Dawn, who was holding the remote. Chase looked hurt, with a tear welling in one of his little green eyes. "Hey, here's my favorite show!" Dawn called out, happily, as she saw an image of little gnome-like men wearing funny outfits. "But... I wanna watch PAW Patrol!" Chase cried. "We can watch that later, Chase." said Dawn, "The 7D is on right now and it's mah favourite!" "PAW Patrol!" Chase pouted; crossing his arms and making his diaper crinkle loudly. "Later, Chase." said Timmy, "I wanna see what this '7D' is. We might like it!" "Hmph!" said Chase with another pout. "Aw, come on;" said Timmy, "You can sit next to me, okay?" Chase sighed and sat next to Timmy. He continued pouting as the opening titles to The 7D played on the screen. Timmy and Chase were soon to discover that this show was actually the seven dwarfs from the story of Snow White in their own show. Chase gradually began to warm up to the show, and when the second episode started, he found himself laughing along with Dawn, Claire and Timmy at the antics of the dwarfs as they tried to repair the queen's pipe organ. His tail wagged as he laughed, making his diaper crinkle. Timmy and Claire also made their Pull-Ups crinkle as they wagged their bushy tails. As he was laughing, Timmy suddenly realized that he needed to go to the bathroom; he had almost missed it with how hard he had been laughing. He then thought back to what Dawn had told him in the park. Making up his mind, he got up from his seat and walked out of the room to where he heard the grownups laughing in the kitchen. "Excuse me!" he called out. When they stopped talking and looked at him, he said, "Where's the bathroom...?" "Down the hall, second door on the left;" said Timothy as he pointed, "You'll see it." "Thanks!" said Timmy as he quickly scampered off down the hall. Then Friendly went back to telling a story about one of the mishaps he had encountered while working his home daycare center. "So anyway..." said Friendly, "It wasn't until I actually went to use it myself that I found out the dumb thing was broken!" he laughed before saying, "No wonder there were so many accidents going on." "Yep..." said Jake, "A broken toilet will do that, won't it?" "Uh-huh!" said Friendly. Suddenly, he realized what had just happened. "Timothy... Jake..." he began, "Did Timmy just come by asking where the bathroom was...?" "I... think he did..." said Timothy, "I remember telling him where it was..." "You don't think..." said Friendly. At that moment, there was the unmistakable sound of a toilet flushing. Friendly got up from his seat and walked down the hall to the second door on the left, not knowing what exactly to expect when he opened the door. As he did, he saw Timmy standing there, looking very happy. "Timmy...?" asked Friendly. "Hi, Daddy!" said Timmy, "I did it! I went to the potty!" "You did...?" asked Friendly "Uh-huh!" said Timmy, "My Pull-Ups are still dry and clean, look!" "Okay then..." said Friendly, "So... what do you do next...?" "Uh... wash my hands...?" asked Timmy. "Very good." said Friendly. Timmy walked over to the sink and turned on the water. Friendly watched, almost transfixed, as the little fox washed his hands and dried them with a towel. "All done, Daddy!" said Timmy as he held up his dry, clean hands. Friendly felt like he would burst. "Oh..." he said as he smiled ear to ear, "Way to go, my boy!" He knelt down and opened his arms, allowing Timmy to walk into a hug. "Oh way to go, Timmy!" he said, "I am so proud of you!" "Thanks, Daddy;" said Timmy, "Dawn taught me how to just go as soon as I feel it." "That's a good thing to remember;" said Friendly, "Well done, Son." The two of them shared a warm, loving hug before heading back to watch the rest of The 7D.

--

A few hours passed. The cubs actually got to watch PAW Patrol (much to Chase's delight), and soon it was time for dinner. Timothy and Friendly cooked up a storm, making a wonderful meal for the little ones as well as themselves. After dinner, the cubs each took their baths, and after a bit more playing about, it was time for bed. While Chase and Timmy went down the hall to the guest room, Dawn and Claire were preparing for bed themselves. "Today was a right fine day, eh?" asked Dawn. "It was!" said Claire, who was wearing a Lion Guard goodnite under her nightgown. As Dawn ascended to the top bunk of the bunk bed, Claire caught a sight of something peeking out of her sister's pajama pants; the plastic waistband of a pair of Dusty Crophopper goodnites. Although Dawn had mastered potty learning during the daylight hours, she still had some trouble at night; and she hoped that Timmy and Chase would never find out. As the girls snuggled up in their respective bunks, Dawn said, "Wot do ye think of Chase an' Timmy?" "I think they're both wonderful;" said Claire, "And it's gonna be some fun having them as our cousins." "Aye!" said Dawn, "Ye know... Ah'm really glad Chase helped me out earlier; he's a right fine pup, he is." "Yep;" said Claire, "He's really fun to hang out with. We swam together in the pool, and he seemed much more confident around me." "Same with Timmy;" said Dawn, "Ah saw him a bit teary eyed earlier at the park today; and when he got spooked in the pool, Ah thought he'd cry fer sure. But when I was there, he calmed down much faster." "Maybe because he trusts you." said Claire. At that moment, a mischievous grin crossed her face, and she said, "So... do you like Timmy...?" "Wot...?" asked Dawn, "No! Well... not that way..." "Oh yes you do!" laughed Claire. "Ah do not!" said Dawn, indignantly. "Dawn and Timmy sitting in a tree...!" Claire sang, "K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" "Ah, blow it out yer bagpipe!" said Dawn. Claire just laughed and settled down. A minute later, Timothy entered the room to tuck his daughters in. "Well..." he said, "We're gonna have another fun day tomorrow; Uncle Friendly and I agreed that a trip to FunPlex might be in order." "Alright!" said Dawn, "Will Timmy an' Chase be joinin' us?" "They sure will;" said Timothy, "Now it's time to get some rest." He gave Dawn a kiss on her forehead before saying, "Goodnight, my little Braveheart." "G'night, Dad!" said Dawn as she snuggled into her blanket. Timothy then knelt down and did the same with Claire. "Goodnight, my little Princess." "Goodnight, Daddy..." said Claire with a yawn as she plopped her head on her pillow. Timothy walked to the door, turned off the light, and bade one more goodnight to his beloved daughters. But as he left, he left the door open just a crack; just in case.

-- The End --