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**Terryville - Q.C. Planet

QCP: BG-04 Part Time Pink By Darrel James Vanwinkle (Writing as Ratseye) 07/02/2006

Chapter 01**

The final week of school behind him, Gerard confided in his mother about his plans to work part time for the Pink Panther, at and around the mansion grounds thereof. His mother was glad that he was taking some initiative on what to do with his summer vacation and thus approved of his decision on where to spend his time. And with that important part of the equation out of his way, he then rode his bicycle out of town to the estate belonging to the Pink Panther.

Gerard could probably have just used his Toon Hole to make the trip, but he still didn't want his parents to know that he currently owned one. Besides, it was always more fun to keep a secret.

When he arrived at the estate of the Pink Panther, he realized that it was like a step back in time, as he noticed that the colors of this particular region looked faded and almost 2-tone. "This is the Pink Panther's domain? I sure hope he's home and will see me. I could really use a part time job around here. Besides, I do need to talk to him."

Gerard arrived at the front gates and pushed the button on the intercom. A smooth talking soft feline voice replied on the other end.

"Who is it?"

Gerard replied, "Gerard Prince, the son of the new Terryville City Councilman. I was hoping I could have an audience with Mr. Pink Panther. Is he in?"

"He is having breakfast, at the moment. One moment while I let you in..."

And with that, there came a buzzing sound, as the front gates slowly opened.

Gerard hummed. "I sure hope I'm not disturbing him. He's one of the classics and the last thing I'd want to do is ruin his day." He rode his bike through the open gates and up the driveway. The gates slowly closed behind him as he cleared the entrance. Inside the estate, everything was some shade of pink. Literally everything. Even the sky looked like a pale shade of pink here. Gerard was sorta glad that his own colors were enough to keep him from getting pink-eye. He soon parked his bike near the front door and walked over and rapped the doorknocker three times. Then he stepped back and waited to be admitted into the pink mansion.

When the door finally opened, what was standing before him was an anthro pink lion man. "So you're Gerard Prince. Follow me, please. My employer rarely ever gets any visitors, especially from a real boy like you. This is a special treat for him, as it is for me. I'm Leonardo Lion, the butler around here. The dining hall is this way." And he led Gerard through the pink mansion's chambers.

When they arrived in the dining hall, Gerard got to see what life was like in the Pink Panther's residence. He had totally forgotten that the Pink Panther had several sons. And that's what he saw making the most noise in the dining hall. Of course, the bedlam talking ceased when they saw Gerard standing there. Leonardo exclaimed, "Sir? Gerard Prince to see you for reasons unknown." Leonardo whispered to Gerard. "Mind your manners and show that you have more manners than his sons." And with that, Leonardo Lion departed the dining hall.

End of Chapter 01

Chapter 02

Pink Panther pulled out his wallet and handed his two sons $20 each. "Pinky, Panky... why don't the two of you head down to the Terryville arcade and spend the day with your other friends there. I am sure Mr. Prince is here on business and it would surely bore you senseless."

Pinky's and Panky's eyes rolled in their heads, as each showed dollar signs in their eyes, then they both got up and headed out of the dining hall.

Gerard smiled and said, "It may not be all that boring, sir. You see, I was referred to you by someone else. I was told that if I wanted to know more about being a toon, I should come see you. Of course, I also came, in addition, to ask if you'd hire me part time to work around the estate for the summer."

Pink Panther stood up and said, "Follow me, Gerard."

The two exited the dining hall and proceeded through the mansion until they arrived in the Pink Panther's study. There, Pink Panther lit up a cigarette and took a few light puffs on it. Then he said, "Nasty habit. Never get started, Gerard. Object lesson."

Gerard replied, "Of course sir."

Pink Panther then sat down at his desk and leaned back, studying Gerard. "So you were referred to me... I must say, this is an honor. Most people forget about us classics. But I do own the local Ink and Paint Club. You want to know more about being a toon..."

Gerard nodded his head. "I've been learning to use the Toon Hole and the Infinite Item Sack, but I was told that you could help me understand what being a toon was all about... and, I was hoping you needed a part time helper either around the estate or at the club."

Pink Panther hummed thoughtfully. "I must warn you, Gerard... knowing the physics of a toon and being a toon is a borderline balancing act. If you step too far, you could wake up as a toon, entirely. As for working for me... I could use some help around the club. The estate has all the helpers it needs. But the club has openings that someone like you could fulfill. As for paying you, if you did a good job, money is no object. But something tells me that you are interested in more than just money, unlike my sons. You saw how their eyes reacted to receiving money."

Gerard had to chuckle at that. "What is the first thing I should know about being a toon, sir?"

Pink Panther turned and pulled a book off of the shelf behind him. Then he opened the book and thumbed through it's pages until he found the section he was looking for. At this point, he rotated the book so that Gerard could see the open page and picture. "I want you to read this section entirely. When you're finished, we'll continue our discussion."

Gerard picked up the book, carefully, and sat down on a plush ottoman couch, where he began to read over the indicated section, slowly, and paying attention to the descriptions and details. The section he was being directed to read was about a local ore called, Toonium.

End of Chapter 02

Chapter 03

After reading the odd section about Toonium, Gerard and the Pink Panther exited the lobby and got into a pink limousine, which drove the two of them out of Terryville and up to an old mine that was owned by Mr. Pink.

"This is one of the many Toonium mines where we get our raw Toonium from. In it's raw format, it looks like shiny silver putty or clay. It's malleable and almost powdery feeling. But don't be fooled by that! Handling the stuff too much can irreversibly begin your changes into a toon, like most of the rest of the people who live on Q.C. Planet. The stuff is mined and shipped into the refinery station, where it's heated and liquefied into a soupy, though sticky, mixture. At this point, the paints and inks are added to various vats of Toonium and this is what gives cartoons and anime their unique colors. At the Ink and Paint Club, I personally use this stuff to grant changes to customers seeking an improvement to their personal existences."

Gerard was very impressed by this information. "Who all works out here, Mr. Pink, sir?"

Pink Panther replied, "I have a good crew of toons and anime stars who are currently in hiatus. People who were pleased to have paying jobs. Tom and Jerry. Heckle and Jeckle. Herman the Mouse. Fritz the Cat. Peter Potamus. Inuyasha is one of the foremen out here, just to name a few... And Dalis Hayley oversees them all."

Gerard was very interested in all of this. The school had never even mentioned any of this stuff. "How much does Toonium go for, roughly?"

Pink Panther smiled. "It's like gold, to a toon, Gerard. It can be very expensive, to the right parties. But overall on the average... it goes for $532.75 per fistful. That's just an average based on current prices, but you get the idea. Toonium is a necessary staple in an animated person's life."

Gerard then asked, "If a normal person was accidentally exposed to Toonium and got toonefied... could he be restored to normal?"

Pink Panther frowned and patted Gerard on the shoulder. "I am so glad you asked that question, Gerard. If such a situation were to happen, it is possible to restore the victim... but only if the victim received immediate treatment. The longer the victim stays a toon, the harder it would be to restore them afterward. Therefore, encounters with Toonium must be handled with the utmost care and caution. I am not sure what your parents would do if you came home stuck in a toon body."

Gerard hummed. "Has it ever happened before?"

Pink Panther nodded his head. "Yes. A criminal once came to Q.C. Planet and his plan was to steal the Toonium and sell it on the black market in the outside world... However, he fell into one of the station mixing vats and by the time he was fished out of the vat, he'd been completely changed into a cartoon centaur. After that, he sorta lost his mind and was locked up in the Insanitarium, which is run by Doctor Warner. To my knowledge... he is still a guest at the Insanitarium." Pink Panther opened the door of the limousine and together with Gerard, they got out. "Come on. We'll get some safety gear from the foreman's office and head into the mine."

End of Chapter 03

Chapter 04

Within the Toonium mine, the Pink Panther and Gerard rode along in a motorized and seated mining cart. The Pink Panther explained, "Generally, unless you're working here, it is best preferred that no one actually enter the mine. People have gotten lost in this mine. A few have never been seen again. So you can imagine why we take security so seriously."

Gerard paid attention to the Pink Panther's words as he casually looked around the mine during the ride. He occasionally saw toons and anime stars in hiatus wearing mining gear.

As the mining cart came to a bend in the tracks, Gerard saw two toons knee deep in a pool of near-liquid Toonium. "Mr. Pink? What are they doing over there?"

The Pink Panther stopped the cart and replied, "I am so glad you noticed, Gerard. They are preparing the Toonium for shipment to the factory. They are wisely wearing full body suits to protect themselves from the Toonium's changing properties. The Toonium must be stirred properly to remove the bubbles. Then, it is siphoned through an air tight hose into the transport tanker."

The mining trip then continued deeper into the mine.

When they stopped the next time, the Pink Panther got out of the cart to examine a new side tunnel. "This is unusual." He then returned to the cart and picked up his citizen's band radio and called up one of the foremen. "This is Mr. Pink. I have discovered an unauthorized tunnel in mining sector 14, sub-level four."

The foreman's voice that returned over the CB Radio was one that Gerard knew of from TV.

Gopher from Winnie the Pooh fame replied, "Unauthorized tunnel, you say? Gee willikers. I'm on my way, sonny."

Gerard smiled. "That was Gopher. He's pretty cool."

The Pink Panther smiled. "I am pleased that you recognize people by their voices. You'll do well at the Ink and Paint Club." Then he turned his focus back to the new tunnel. "This is a breach of security. I hope it's not trouble."

Gerard hummed. "What lies in that general direction, Mr. Pink?"

The Pink Panther pulled out a map of both the mines and the surface terrain. "We're here. The tunnel is running in that direction..." he runs a finger along the map. "...seems like it goes toward the Hillbilly Bears' property. Ah, here comes Gopher."

Gopher and a few of the toons under his work force arrived on the scene, and began examining the new tunnel. Gopher said, "Jiminy Cricket, sonny! This tunnel wasn't here this morning! But we'll get to the bottom of it! Yessiree!" And they got to work securing the new tunnel.

The Pink Panther and Gerard the departed the mine, returning to the surface.

End of Chapter 04

Chapter 05

The next stop on the outing was the Pink Panther's Toonium Distillery, the place where the raw Toonium was refined and converted into Toonium paints. The Pink Panther led Gerard in through the workers entrance and they were soon touring the action center of the factory itself.

Gerard smiled. "This place is awesome, Mr. Pink! I already love it!"

The Pink Panther chuckled. "I'm glad you like it, Gerard. Maybe someday when you're older, you can work here, if you want. Now follow me and I'll show you around."

The two walked all over the factory together until one of the factory toons approached the Pink Panther and said, "Phone call for you in the main office, Mr. Pink, sir."

The Pink Panther turned to Gerard. "This shouldn't take too long, Gerard. It's probably word from the mine. I shouldn't be too long." And he and the employee departed, leaving Gerard standing there in a corridor with two large doors with the slogans, "Employees Only" written on them.

After ten minutes, one of the two doors opened and a cartoon mouse poked his head out into the corridor, and said, "Would you mind helping me out for a moment, sir? In here, quick!"

Gerard blinked his eyes at the mouse, but obeyed and hurried inside the door.

Once inside, he heard the door shut soundly behind him, as he found himself slipping and sliding in some sort of slippery substance on the floor... which made him fall down and slide directly into a declining chute, where he soon landed with a moist squish in what appeared to be an empty Toonium vat.

"Ow... that wasn't planned." he moaned slightly.

To his left, an anime hellish looking hound sat with his front paws holding his right leg attempting to pull it up out of something. "I see the mouse found someone to help me. Think you can get my foot free from this drain for me please?"

Gerard scooted over close to the hound. "I'll certainly try, friend. By the way, the name is Gerard." He placed his hands around the hound's right leg and firmly gave it a tug. However, the hound's leg was wedged in good.

He grinned at Gerard. "I'm called Saberfang. I'm normally a hunto courier. I mis-teleported and crash landed in this empty Toonium vat. The mouse tells me that this vat is unused every other day, which is lucky for me, otherwise, I'd be changed into something weird."

Gerard kept tugging on Saberfang's leg, feeling it move ever so slightly. "I've heard the story. So you are lucky. Almost got it... almost..." And he tugged once more and Saberfang's foot was freed with a wet sucking gloppy sound.

Saberfang smiled then pounced and hugged Gerard tightly, licking him in the mouth.

End of Chapter 05

Chapter 06

After Saberfang left, the mouse helped Gerard get cleaned up in the employee's bathroom and later, returned to the corridor where he had been waiting on the Pink Panther to complete his office business. Fortunately, the Pink Panther returned only moments after Gerard returned and then, the two completed the tour of the factory, before heading over to a nearby restaurant for a meal.

The Pink Panther said, "What do you think of my holdings, Gerard?"

Gerard replied, "You have some great places and workers who care about what goes on. We're going to see the Ink and Paint Club next, aren't we?"

The Pink Panther nodded his head. "That's right. It's where you'll be working part time, this summer. I know you'll like it. You'll get to meet all manner of toons every Friday night, too. That's the busiest night, you know. Many people show up for the Grand Wish Show at 8 PM."

Gerard ate some of his food, then asked, "What is the Grand Wish Show?"

The Pink Panther sipped on his drink with a smile. "I knew you'd ask what that was. Everyone in Terryville knows about it. The Grand Wish Show is where we get to recreate a toon however they want to be recreated. And if they don't like the results, they can return the next Friday night for a new cartoon makeover. We call it a wish because it's literally what the toon is wishing for."

Gerard hummed. "Just toons?"

The Pink Panther hummed. "If I get your meaning, it's possible... though it's not something I'd openly suggest, because unlike with toons, a human such as yourself, once changed, couldn't change back. You'd be stuck as a toon."

Gerard nodded his head. "I'm just asking so I'll know, just in case of accidents involving someone other than me. Unless you'd prefer I'd be just plain goofy."

The Pink Panther grinned. "You don't look nor talk nothing like Mr. Goofy." He winked.

Gerard laughed at the Pink Panther's humor, then smiled at his host. "You're really nice, Mr. Pink, sir."

The Pink Panther smiled back. "I wish my sons thought I was really nice."

Gerard replied, "Anytime you need someone to tell you how nice you are, come see me."

The two finished up their lunch, then after the Pink Panther picked up the tab, they both went out and got into the pink limousine. The drive back through Terryville was pretty uneventful, though Gerard found himself rubbing on one of the Pink Panther's legs. The Pink Panther didn't seem to mind, though, as his chauffeur, Leonardo Lion, drove them around the outskirts of town to the rear entrance of the Ink and Paint Club and into a quickly closing parking garage. When the car came to a stop, Gerard was helped out by Leonardo, who led him into a side office.

End of Chapter 06

Chapter 07

Leonardo helped Gerard into the changing room for employees, where an appropriate uniform for the club was awaiting Gerard to get dressed in. "While Mr. Pink is preparing the club for your tour, I have been asked to help you into your work clothes. Though most toons, as I am sure you are aware, go without clothes."

Gerard nodded his head. "I've noticed already. Even in school. One student called me the most overdressed student at Terryville." he replied, as he was getting out of his normal clothing.

Leonardo modestly and without blushing helped Gerard into the club uniform, which wasn't pink. "You do make this uniform look good. Now, let us go out and join Mr. Pink in the club itself."

Out in the club itself, the Pink Panther was up on the main stage wearing a black tuxedo coat and he appeared to be doing an inventory of his Toonium Paints.

Leonardo cleared his throat and the Pink Panther glanced over at Gerard with a soft smile. "You do make that uniform look good." the Pink Panther said. "How does it feel on you?"

Gerard replied, "In all due honesty, Mr. Pink... it actually itches just a little. Like someone with shedding fur wore if just before me."

The Pink Panther hummed. "That is entirely possible. Now if you wouldn't mind, Gerard, it appears that I need some Beige Tan Toonium Paint. You'll find the storage room in the back. Do be careful back there. Leonardo? Could you go out to the limo and bring me my briefcase please?"

Gerard smiled and headed back into the back storage room of the Ink & Paint club. It was dark in that back area, even with the light on. Apparently, the storage rooms only had one purpose: mixing and preparing Toonium Paints. It even smelled like paint in there.

He soon located a door labeled with a sign that read, BEIGE TAN TOONIUM PAINT. He was about to open that door when something about the sign made him stop and look at it again. That is when he noticed that the N's in the words of the sign were written backwards. And he knew that Mr. Pink was a college graduate with degrees in script writing and literature. He certainly wouldn't have misquoted a sign such as this. That made Gerard very suspicious, as he stepped away from the door to one side and turned the knob and flung the door open from the safety of where he stood.

Several open containers of Beige Tan Toonium Paint spilled out crashing to the floor in the storage room!

And Leonardo was the first to arrive upon hearing the ruckus. "Gerard! Are you okay?"

Gerard panted from where he stood. "Someone set up a trap in here and it about got me, Leonardo. If I hadn't been suspicious, I would be coated in Toonium Paint. Someone's trying hard to get me changed into a toon."

Leonardo helped Gerard out of the storage room and to the bathroom to calm himself down.

End of Chapter 07

Chapter 08

That night in the Prince household just before bed time, Gerard walked into his parent's bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. "Mom? Dad? Maybe I am imagining it, but... has anything strange been happening to or near you guys in the past few weeks? And what I mean by strange is... have there been any close call accidents between you and toons?"

Leon Prince hummed. "City council meetings are always strange and weird, son. Nothing directly has happened to me. What about you, honey? Have you noticed anything out of the ordinary?" Leon knew better than to describe his days on council.

Rianne Prince glanced over the top of her romance novel. "Aside from our car getting shrunk to the size of a mouse, ghosts flying through the walls of the house, and the usual zaniness that I see every day... no, nothing unusual happens around here." And how his mother could keep a straight face while talking about her day was beyond Gerard entirely.

Leon then said, "What have you noticed, son?"

Gerard took a deep breath, then slowly released it. "You're probably going to ground me for life when I tell you everything I've noticed and done... but that's your right. If it keeps me safe, maybe I need to be grounded."

Rianna put the book down. "This should be good. Anything more sane than my days has got to be a good story."

Gerard turned to face his parents fully. "I told a white lie the evening of the first day of school. I met Lampwick the Donkey and one of his donkey friends is who enthusiastically pounced me; not one of the other students. The donkey had just finished bathing and saw a cute boy walk into their clubhouse, and he jumped on me, knocking me into the crap. While he was on top of me, the water from his bath is what did the rest of the job on messing up my clothes. Lampwick leads the Candle Lighter's Choir; not Fenmire Rat. And there is more, if you're ready to hear it..."

Leon nodded his head. "We figured you were covering up for someone. Please continue, son."

Gerard nodded his head once. "That Saturday... the public service work was on Lampwick's island in the middle of the lake north of town. Yeah, it's Pleasure Island, where one of my school classes takes place. We went out there to repair and clean up the old broken down carnival. We all worked until noon. But then, Lampwick's friend invited me over to his place for lunch, and I got separated from him in the other carnival, and I... I lost my clothes on one of the rides. I got doped up on Pleasure Island Chocolate and one of the other donkey boys is the one who straightened me out and gave me a toon's clothes to come home in. Had I known you were going to ground me for losing my clothes, I'd have just stayed there."

Rianne sighed. "I really feel guilty about grounding you, Gerard. I suppose there is more to this explanation. Please continue..."

Leon added, "Yes, grounding you was uncalled for. I had a bad day in council and was upset."

End of Chapter 08

Chapter 09

Gerard continued. "Let me back up for a moment and explain what being doped up on Chocolate means... I had the ears and tail of a donkey. One of the Island Lords is the one who restored me in exchange for my promise to return to work for he and his Lord friends sometime this summer. So you see, you could have gotten me back as a part donkey boy."

Leon closed his eyes and shook his head.

Gerard then said, "The donkey boy who straightened me out gave me a Toon Hole and taught me how to use it. After you grounded me... and this is probably why you're going to reground me... I used the Toon Hole to escape from my room and had a different adventure on Q.C. Planet for each evening of the week. I made a lot of friends, and... I was in some weird situations... like the milking machine... that one actually hurt. Oslo Otter convinced me to get a tattoo that Saturday night."

At that point, he rolled up his sleeve and showed his parents the colorful tattoo of the bouncer rabbit. "That's Robert, in case you want to know. He's Lola Bunny's bodyguard. A real nice guy. Sunday night, I encountered Lex Luthor and when he found out that you, dad, were on the Terryville city council, he got a very weird look on his face and said that you might be in danger. He said he was going to check some things out to be sure."

Leon hummed. "I assume Lex would like to talk to me?"

Gerard shrugged. "He didn't say it was necessary but I'd feel better if you talked to him as soon as possible."

Rianne nodded her head. "Yes, Oslo is one of your more trustworthy friends, Gerard. And yes, he told Leon and I that he was bisexual. We know. Have you and he... done anything?"

Gerard made a shocked face. "How come everyone asks me that whenever they find out that Oslo and I are friends? No, we haven't 'done' anything. He's nice, but he's never asked to do it."

Leon hummed again. "Gerard... because you were honest with us, we are not going to re-ground you. In fact, I am going to give you a lot more freedom. We know you have several friends who would never let anything bad happen to you if they could help you to avoid it."

Gerard was a little surprised at this. "I could be lying my ass off, dad. You believe me?"

Leon grinned. "If you were and this IS Terryville, then your ass would be lying on the floor." He winked. "Of course I believe you, Gerard. You would never make up a story that was this bizarre unless it was true. And coming clean, while a hard thing to do, actually cleanses you."

Gerard sighed. "Thank you, dad. By the way, I didn't get the part time job with Mr. Pink. He said that because of the accident in the club and how it definitely looked like someone was trying to toon me, he didn't think I'd be safe working there for him. But he did give me a week's pay to apologize for my not getting to work for him."

End of Chapter 09

Chapter 10

After his parents went to bed, Gerard entered his room, stripped down to his undershorts, and then, he utilized his Toon Hole to go visit a certain horsy friend of his. Within the Kennelmount Breeding Barn, just inside the entrance itself, Gerard carefully looked through the inner door. If he saw the mechanical arms and hands moving about, he'd simply leave. But this time, the machine wasn't even turned on. Gerard smiled as he quietly entered the inner corridor.

While he quietly walked down between the stall enclosures, he noted how quiet it was up close to the entrance, though he could hear something going on further in the back. There was what appeared to be a back door marked as 'Stud Room - Enter at your own risk!' and Gerard peeked through that door, because the activity sounds were coming from the back part of the building complex.

Directly on the other side of that door, Gerard was suddenly pulled into the room, the door closing behind him, and was face to face with a sleek dark roan toon stallion.

"Funny, you don't look like a stud horse." the toon roan said as he gave Gerard a healthy lick on the face and in the mouth. "But you do taste... teachable. I am Nightdreamer, but you can call me Night Sir Yes Sir. Now say it."

Gerard gulped as he felt himself forced to say it. "Night Sir Yes Sir!" Then he took a small breath. "I'm Gerard Prince. I was looking for Fernandez and-"

Nightdreamer cut him off. "Do you know what a stud horse is, recruit?"

Gerard started to say no, but he caught that last part pretty fast. "Wait a minute, I'm not a recruit! I'm just looking for Fernandez. And no, I don't know what a stud horse is."

Nightdreamer grinned, as he sort partly stood up and placed a foreleg around Gerard's shoulder. "Do you know the name of this barn?"

Gerard nodded his head slowly. "Yeah, it's called the Breeding Barn."

Nightdreamer grinned. "That's what stud horses do. We breed others." And with that, he planted a deep kiss on Gerard's mouth! And Gerard couldn't make himself complain about it! When Nightdreamer finally let up, he said, "Recruits are any male who open that door and stick their head in here, like you did... Recruit. And the only way you're getting out of here is to learn how to be a Stud and pass the final tests."

And with that, Gerard felt a collar and bridal go over his head.

Gerard tried to complain again, but all that came out of his mouth was a horse sound!

Nightdreamer grinned. "It's not so bad, recruit. It'll be over with before you know it. And yes, Fernandez is in here. But he's in a position that I am sure you don't want to be in. You're better off learning how to be a stud horse, like me. If you choose to try out what Fernandez is doing, you'll end up in a world of pain." And after that, Gerard's stud training began.

End of Chapter 10

Chapter 11

By that weekend, Gerard was once again lying on a padded table in Oslo's home, aching all over. But he did have a new tattoo, this one on his left butt cheek. It was a circle with a check mark and the letters 'ND - Stud', which was explained to him as being the mark that proved that he had graduated Stud School.

Oslo smiled. "Hold still, Gerard. I'll work this cream in and help get all of those aches and pains out of your body."

Gerard winced a little. "Every time I try to go see Fernandez, I end up aching so badly that it's like a highway pavement steam roller ran over me."

Oslo nodded his head as he worked. "I know. I didn't actually get to take him out on a date myself until my fourth visit. If you got to see him at all, you've been lucky."

Gerard sighed. "I ran into Nightdreamer, I mean, Night Sir Yes Sir."

Oslo tsk'ed quietly. "So you were forcibly enrolled in his one-week long stud school as a recruit. I've dated Nightdreamer a few times. I just had to remember to let him lead. He likes to be in charge."

Gerald growled softly, "No kidding."

Oslo smiled. "I heard that you told your parents the truth about your adventures. And they gave you carte blanche to do whatever you wanted. I was a little suspicious when I first heard about it. I mean, your parents... they must have changed a lot between the time that they grounded you and a few days ago. I assume you have more plans now that you're free?"

Gerard nodded his head. "Actually yes. There are a few mysteries still that I want to personally track down. And I still need to go back to Pleasure Island to pay off my debt to the Lord and his friends for the help they gave me, which means that I am going to get to see Wilwick again."

Oslo giggled. "Mr. Pounce-a-lot."

Gerard sighed. "yeah. But he didn't trick me into becoming a donkey that one time. He wanted to change me, but he didn't. I still owe some play time to him, because I promised."

Oslo giggled again. "I am sure you'll get all your promises taken care of. You're a good friend."

Gerard turned to look at Oslo. "Mom and dad wanted to know if I had let you... do me... yet. Every time anyone hears that you and I are friends, I always hear that question."

Oslo smiled. "I will never do that to you, Gerard, unless you give me permission. And it has to be your idea or it won't happen. You're my friend."

Gerard lay himself back down again on the padded table. "You're okay, Oslo. That's why I trust you to work out my aches and pains."

End of Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Sunday afternoon, Gerard was riding his bike through town and he saw Leonardo the pink lion... Mr. Pink's butler. And better, Leonardo was waving Gerard over to him. Gerard rode his bike over and smiled to the lion, shaking his paw. "I haven't seen you in a week, Leonardo. How is my favorite lion today?"

Leonardo smiled upon hearing that he was Gerard's favorite. "I have some good news for you, Gerard. Mr. Pink found out who tried to clobber you with Toonium Paint."

Gerard arched an eye. "Really? Who was it?"

Leonardo replied, "His own sons... Pinky and Panky. They were afraid that you were going to replace them as Mr. Pink's son, because they overheard you tell Mr. Pink that if he ever wanted to hear how great he was, to come see you. They were hiding near the restaurant when you both had that conversation. Afterward, they ran over to the Ink and Paint Club and set up that trap to get you tooned in an accident. When they found out that you were only there for a temporary part time job and you weren't going to get it, they felt guilty and came clean, telling Mr. Pink what they had done. They're both really sorry. So, if you're still interested, Mr. Pink would like to see you working the door next Friday night."

Gerard smiled, giving Leonardo a hug and a kiss on his pink muzzle. "I'd love to, Leonardo. Thank you for telling me. You've made my day. You really have. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Leonardo smiled back. "I could use a back rub this afternoon. I've heard that humans have expert fingers. Would you do that for me?"

Gerard nodded his head. "You bet, Leonardo. How does three o'clock sound?"

Leonardo chuckled. "It sounds like a date. I'll come by your house at three o'clock. See you then, Gerard." And Leonardo then drove away in Mr. Pink's limo.

Gerard chuckled, as he rode his bike home and went inside to prepare for his back rubbing date.

Late that night, Gerard was in his pajamas lying on his bed writing in his journal.

_Journal Entry: Day 16 / Month 06 / Year 201X; Sunday...

Honesty is the best policy. I finally told my parents the truth and instead of grounding me for eternity, they gave me all the freedom I wanted to do whatever I liked with my time. Oslo said that mom and dad's attitude about all of this seemed pretty fishy and it's not the first time someone has said something of that nature. Mr. Luthor said it when I met him a few weeks ago.

Turns out that Pinky and Panky were the ones who tried to douse me with Toonium Paint. Am I ever glad that they came clean and told Mr. Pink the truth. The truth really does set you free._

Gerard then put his journal away and turned off the light to get some sleep.

**End of Chapter 12 End of Episode Four: Part Time Pink

Stay tuned for Episode Five: Favors For Four Lords**