A Place Far From Memory

I.

Allison Cranston almost jumped up at just how loud the snap was. Of all the things she had expected raising a crocodilian child, the last thing she was prepared for was just how loud his snapping jaws were, and more so just how quickly he was getting to that stage in his growth. And yet there was little Lucas Cranston, crawling around on the ground surrounding the Christmas tree, walking to each individual gift-wrapped present and snapping his jaws at the colorful wrapping paper.

On that particular snap, he was able to pull away some paper, pulling it from a small box. Allison had to guess that this was a onesie meant for the little crocodile judging from the material it was and also from how light the box had been. Still, she chuckled, pulling away at the rest of the paper and opening up the box.

“Yes, Lucas, it’s another onesie indeed!” Allison replied, getting on her knees in front of the child. “We’re going to have so many by the time we’re done!” With this, she opened the box, showing the bright green onesie to little Lucas. The small crocodile’s eyes twinkled as he saw this, and his jaws snapped happily at seeing the little onesie.

From behind her, Allison heard heavy footsteps approach. She turned over, turning to see her husband Robert walk up behind her. She took note of a small egg splatter on his apron, but other than that he looked rather immaculate as he stepped in. He took a second to look down at little Lucas as he was chewing on some wrapping paper, before he knelt down and smiled at him.

“Hey there, little guy,” he said. “Enjoying the paper?”

Lucas squeaked gently at this. He snapped up, the paper retreating further into his maw.

But Roderick shook his head, maintaining his smile as he looked down. “No, no,” he said, bringing his scaled hand forward. “We are not eating that.”

And as Roderick brought his hand forward, Lucas let go, seeming to squeal in amusement as the paper fell out. His eyes remained on Roderick, however, who simply looked down at the little crocodile. There was a moment where both of their eyes remained glued on each other, and Roderick could not help the swelling of pride he felt inside of him.

He thus smiled, pulling the paper away. “That’s my boy,” he said. He turned to Allison. “Just letting you know that Anton is coming in a little bit, and everything else is ready. Just got to poach the eggs to order and we’re good to go.”

Allison nodded, looking to Lucas. “And you think he’ll be fine on poached eggs?” she asked.

“No, but that’s why I made some scrambled egg just for him,” he said. He patted her on the shoulder. “I’ve got the baby chair set up for you and everything.”

“Thank you,” Allison replied. She then bent down, lifting little Lucas and hearing his delighted squeals as she pulled him close. “He’s growing faster than I thought he would!”

“Yeah, we tend to grow pretty quickly,” said Roderick. “But you’re adjusting pretty quickly!”

Allison nodded. “I did sign up for that when we took him in,” she said. She shrugged, holding Lucas against her shoulder. “But so far? No real complaints.”

“Glad to hear,” Roderick replied. He then gestured to the dining room. “Let’s get him ready for brunch, yes?”

“Of course.” And with this, Allison and Roderick walked in, Lucas’ eyes trained on the ways the light bounced off of the carnage of brightly-colored wrapping paper he had left in his Christmas morning wake.

----**----

A Couple Years Later…

“Rawr, I am big scary croco!”

“Eeeeeee!”

Little Lucas Cranston ran around the living room, chasing a young rhino in front of him. She let out a playful squeal, just managing to keep out of his reach as he ran at her from behind. His jaws snapped open and out, but all the young rhino could do was giggle laugh, especially when she ran head-first into the wall opposite the doorway they had started at.

“Careful, Erica! Don’t take out the walls!”

“Yes, dada!” With this, Erica waved her arm out. Lucas was quick to approach, however, the little crocodile walking up to her and pulling her up by her arm. Erica looked at the wall, seeing she had not damaged the wall.

Lucas sighed in relief when he surveyed the wall. He pointed at Erica’s nose, noting the lack of horns there. “Not put hole in wall,” he said, his words coming out slowly.

Erica patted her nose, her own lack of horns emphasized by how she patted it. She opened her mouth, but did not quite know the words to convey what she was thinking just then. Still, Lucas seemed to get it, and he smiled.

“Horns take long time to grow,” Lucas replied. “Gotta be big and strong like dada!”

Erica nodded, before sitting down awkwardly, her butt landing rather hard on the floor. Lucas nodded, before looking to his room.

“Lemme find toys!” he said.

With this, Lucas disappeared into his room, which happened to be right by where Erica had bumped into the wall.

The motion drew a soft laugh from the adjoining living room, where Roderick and Allison Cranston sat aside, sitting there with the champagne at the ready. Anton was sitting across the table from them, already picking out the grapes from the stalk and getting them ready for both Lucas and Erica.

“What a rambunctious duo,” Anton mentioned, shaking his head. “Guess any daughter of mine is destined to be your son’s best friend, am I right or am I right?”

Roderick chuckled at this, sitting back as he shrugged. “I guess so,” he said. He looked up at the other rhino, who was attending to getting some last food off the counter behind Anton. “I guess I’m just surprised at how quickly you became the missus, is all.”

“What, you mean that surprised you?” asked the other rhino as she picked up the last of the reinvented Waldorf salad that had been prepared on the counter and tipping it onto her plate. “You should be the least surprised of all of us at that, you’ve had a year or so to get used to it!”

“Some things you just can’t get used to super fast, Krystal,” said Roderick, shrugging as he regarded the other rhino. “I guess I’m just surprised you two have hit it off in such a way.”

“Well, I could’ve said the same about you and Allison all those years before, and yet here you are now,” Anton replied, gesturing to Allison. “Been married for several years, and now you’ve got a two-year-old kid running around.”

“Oh yeah,” said Roderick. He chuckled, patting the table. “I guess I can’t help that life took an odd turn.”

Krystal nodded, biting down on a forkful of Waldorf salad and smiling in delight at how the various flavors danced around on her palate. “Odder than being a pastry chef croc?” Krystal asked.

“Yeah,” said Roderick, his mind turning back to that fateful day a couple years before when Greta had come to his and Anton’s gym with the egg that eventually became Lucas. “Like Lucas, in a way.”

Anton nodded as a silence came over the table. He looked up at Allison, shrugging as he looked at her. “You’ve taken to it quite well, at the very least,” he mentioned.

“Yeah,” said Allison. She exhaled, a serious look coming to her face. “I do sometimes wonder, though, what would’ve been if she hadn’t come to us?”

“Well, I wouldn’t know either,” said Krystal. She exhaled, shrugging as she looked at Lucas. “The main thing, though, is that she did what she felt she had to. There’s no use wondering what if’s at that point, right?”

Allison nodded slowly, exhaling as she looked down. “That’s fair,” she said. She exhaled, looking at the rhino couple as she stepped over to Roderick. She glanced back at the doorway, looking to Lucas as he came out carrying a round, circular toy and holding it to Erica. “But don’t say that too loudly.”

Anton nodded. “Yeah, that’s right, you’re waiting to tell him, right?” he asked. He exhaled, looking to Roderick. “You think it’s the right thing to do?”

“It’ll be better to talk about it when it’s time to talk about it,” said Roderick. He looked to Lucas, seeing the way he tossed the ball to Erica before looking back. “Besides, he’s a smart kid. I’m pretty sure he’ll figure out before long that Allison isn’t actually his birth mother.” He shrugged. “How he feels about that will be another matter, though…”

“We’ll see with time.” With this, Roderick stepped up to the window, checking the clock on the wall as he stepped up, seeing the lights of Times Square light up in the distance and how the ball rose ever so slowly up its spire. “It looks like we’ve got about ten more minutes until the ball drops.”

“It does indeed,” said Allison. She exhaled, walking over to where Anton stood. “Glad you’re celebrating New Years’ in here and not out there?”

“Oh yeah,” Anton replied. He shook his head. “No offense, I never liked those crowds.”

“Make that me as well,” Roderick replied. He then exhaled, looking to Lucas and Erica where they were rolling the ball towards each other. “Lucas, it’s time to ready for the ball drop!”

Lucas blinked, standing at attention as he turned towards his adoptive father. “Yes, daddy!” he said. He then turned to Erica. “Come on, ball dropping!”

Erica squealed in turn, and then both children turned towards their respective parents, Anton scooping up Erica with a broad grin as Roderick gently picked Lucas up.

----**----

Three Years Later…

Allison parked her car along Fifth Avenue: it was exceedingly difficult to nab a parking space on that street at seven in the morning, but the traffic gods were with her that morning, and so she managed to find something she could stick at for five minutes.

Just the right length of time to leisurely make sure little Lucas Cranston was ready for his first day at school.

She stepped out of the car, Roderick lumbering out of the passenger’s seat and rubbing his head. Lucas climbed out of the passenger’s seat, adjusting his bookbag over the school uniform.

Lucas scratched at the scales of his face, shaking his head in annoyance: Allison could clearly see the translucent shine of shedded scales peeking out from under the collar of Lucas’ shirt, and she could only imagine just how annoying that would be to deal with.

“Ugh, can’t the first day of school wait?” Lucas whined, his words coming out rather articulately for a five-year-old. “This sucks!”

Allison exhaled. “Unfortunately, Lucas, we don’t quite have that much power,” Allison replied. “I would love to if we could, but unfortunately that is out of our hands.”

“I guess.” Lucas exhaled, shaking his head, looking up at the building they were parked in front of.

Allison smiled at her adoptive son, walking to Lucas and squatting down in front of him. “Well, let’s look at it objectively,” she said, looking over his body and seeing it. “It does not look as bad as I think you fear it does. Most of these kids likely won’t know where to look.”

“I guess, but what if it sheds in the middle of the day?” Lucas replied.

Allison’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t think it’ll come to that,” she said. She turned to Roderick. “Right, honey?”

“Yeah, I don’t think so,” said Roderick. “We’ll see where we’re at when you get home today.”

Lucas nodded. “OK,” he said.

Allison turned to the front of the building and followed her son’s gaze to see a throng of kids walking up to the school, with parents attending to them. She noticed that a vast majority of the children were human children, all fleshy faces and hair done up in styles that Allison frankly found ridiculous. All were at least well-kept, and at seeing how affluent these people appeared, Allison felt a wave of apprehension come over her.

She leaned over to Lucas, looking at her son as he regarded all the children around him. She shared a glance with Roderick, and she could also see the worry in his eyes as he looked on at the crowds.

Roderick turned to Lucas, bending down towards him. “You’re sure you’ll be OK?” he asked.

“Yeah, dad,” said Lucas. He shrugged, looking up at Allison with that crocodilian smile. “I’m used to mom, after all, right? Just gotta work at it and I’ll be fine!” He then pumped his chest up. “I’m big and scary croco!”

Roderick chuckled at this, shaking his head as he smiled down at his son. “Just remember, no starting fights at school, OK?” he asked.

Lucas nodded. “I know,” he said. “Not everyone’s idea of fun is crashing into a wall.”

“Exactly.” Roderick patted his son on the shoulder, then winced at how he felt the shedded scales move under the school uniform. “Oops, sorry.”

“Ugh, dad, it itches now!” Lucas promptly brought one of his claws up to scratch at the spot Roderick had patted, giving it a quick scratch. “Ow…”

Allison smiled at this, before walking over to Lucas and bending down. “Well, I’d love to stay a little longer, but we’ve got days to worry about too,” she said. “We both have to go to work now. You be a good boy at school today, OK?”

“OK, mom!” Lucas nodded, pulling his backpack over his shoulders as he looked to dad. “Love you mom, dad!”

“Love you too, kid,” said Roderick. He smiled. “Have a good first day at school!”

“Will do!”

And with this, Roderick took a deep breath, before trotting his way into the small crowd of children that had gathered in front of the school on Fifth Avenue.

----**----

Allison pulled back in later that day, her cello hiding in the back of the car as she waited to pick up young Lucas Cranston. Roderick was out at the gym as usual, so he would not have been able to join her, but Allison was fine doing pick-up duty between lessons. After all, she had a suitable home studio for her students, and she could take some time to take care of housecleaning.

She thus looked up at the throng of human children, seeing Lucas step out almost immediately. Allison looked on as Lucas turned to a rather small human boy on his way out, smiling at him as he walked to the car. They exchanged some words, and then with a friendly wave, Allison watched as they parted, Lucas making his way to the car.

Allison smiled at this, exhaling as Lucas approached. Her smile somewhat vanished as soon as she saw that the slight translucence of shedded scales was no longer visible on the younger crocodile’s head.

She exhaled as he sat in the passenger’s seat, putting on a brave smile for her son’s sake. “Hey sweetie,” Allison said. “How was school today?”

“Oh, it wasn’t bad,” said Lucas. He looked back out to the crowd. “I made a friend today!”

Allison smiled. “I saw,” she said. “How’d you meet?”

Lucas turned to the floor, and the younger crocodile began to twiddle his claws. “It’s… kinda…” he started.

Allison nodded, looking over at him as she put two and two together. “Did you shed on the premises?” she asked.

Lucas nodded. “I did,” he said.

Allison nodded, closing her eyes and exhaling. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I know how worried you were about that happening.”

“Oh, mom, it’s fine,” Lucas replied. He chuckled, smiling brightly. “I made my friend getting these scales off in the bathroom during lunch. He just helped pull some of them off, and before anyone else showed up.”

Allison blinked, surprised that there would be any children in an upper-class school who would be so willing to take that chance. “Really?” she asked.

“Yup!” Lucas smiled. “He was really nice to do that.”

Allison nodded, feeling a sense of relief come over her. “He was, indeed,” she said. She looked down. “So you’re OK right now?”

“Yeah,” said Lucas.

It was then that Lucas’ stomach growled quite loudly. The sound made both of them jump up in surprise, the two of them just staring straight ahead in the car.

The young crocodile then sighed. “OK, so, uh… It took all of lunch to get the scales off.”

Allison nodded. “I guess you ran out of time to eat?”

“Yeah,” said Lucas. “Sorry…”

Allison shook her head. “No, no, it’s fine,” she said. “I’ll get you a quick little snack when we get home, OK?”

Lucas nodded. “OK,” he said. “Thanks, mom.”

Allison nodded, and then began to drive off. As she drove in the heavy traffic of Fifth Avenue, however, a sense of relief came over her: his first day of school may have had an embarrassing story for later, but he at least looked relatively better for wear. After all, he had a friend now, and that was a good thing.

As Allison drove on, her thoughts turned back to Greta. What would she have said if she saw her baby in these circumstances? Allison hoped that Greta would approve of what was happening with her son at that moment. Maybe that moment would come eventually.

But for right then, she felt some amount of relief that at least his first day of school was not as bad as she feared it would be. And so, she drove on, navigating the heavy traffic of Manhattan slowly.

----**----

II.

Three Years Later

“Yeah, and you don’t really realize how essential infusing the mint into the cream for the ganache really is until you try it with everything else, you know? Keeps the truffle from getting way too sweet. Then with the peanut brittle inside, it sort of provides a bit of salt, right? Cleanses the palate.”

“Yeah… I can definitely see your thinking there. But this is just a truffle, I hope the ganache gets used for something else!”

“Oh, I might use it as a filling in my chocolate mint delight cake I’m thinking of. I don’t think there’s enough mint flavor throughout, so this is just a good way to get it in there, you know?”

“Good thinking. You’ll be rivalling Dominique before long!”

“Eh, I still need to pass his croissant test. I’m still a little overzealous on rolling it one time too many before the butter partway melts into the dough, and you know how hot my kitchen tends to run; I feel like I’d be cheating doing it in here.”

“Do you really think he cares where you do it, though? Because I don’t think he does.”

“Well, it matters to me, and as he would say that’s the only real metric that matters.”

Gerald Miggs shrugged, looking to the others that surrounded him. It was late at night, well after the bakery closed. Roderick hovered over the horse’s shoulder, watching as he popped a white chocolate truffle out of the silicone mold it had been setting in. He exhaled, gently setting it on a fork and dipping it into a bowl of melted dark chocolate.

“Anyway, I figure it might be good to have the outside be a tempered dark chocolate,” Gerald continued. “Really brings out the bitterness of the dark chocolate that way, rounds it out.” He shrugged. “And then probably mint powder over the top after its sets…” He rolled the truffle around in the chocolate with a fork.

“And there it is,” Liz replied, crossing her arms. “The Minty Miggs!”

“Well, I wouldn’t call it that considering the class of establishment we’re setting up here, but something like that!” Gerald replied. He smiled, pulling it out and gently rolling it onto a sheet of parchment paper close by. He then waggled his eyebrows towards Harold.

The old rat moved slowly, his arms seeming to move rather lethargically before he picked up a finished version of the truffle, pulling it into his mouth. He nodded, letting it sit on his palate before he smiled broadly.

“Not a bad note to end on,” Harold commented. “I don’t know if I’ve said this yet, but I think I was wrong about you, kid.”

“Th-thanks,” said Gerald. He exhaled, looking to Roderick. “But you know I couldn’t have done it without the boss here, right?”

“I know, I know,” Harold replied, waving his hand dismissively. “But you put in all the work. It’s not easy for most people to get to where you are, but you’ve stuck with us for a while.”

“Yeah,” Liz added, the hawk leaning over his shoulder. “Kinda can’t imagine the place without you, it’s gonna be in good hands.”

“I hope so,” Gerald replied. He exhaled, looking at Roderick. “But yeah, that was what I was thinking on that. I think hopefully the cake will be fully cooled off so we can test the ganache with the rest of it as well.”

“Sounds good,” said Roderick. He grinned, rubbing his large hands together. “We’ve got—”

And then, Roderick’s phone rang. He glanced down to his pants pocket, pulling it out and immediately spying his father on the caller ID. He nodded: this was probably just some routine call. It could wait, he was certain.

“Sorry, one second,” Roderick replied. He turned away from everyone else, answering the call. “Hello?”

“R-Roderick, there…”

Instantly, Roderick realized something was off: Lucas Cranston Senior was usually a much more reserved, much less outwardly emotional man in his advanced age. This gave him pause enough to step away from everyone else, inhaling softly.

“Father?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”

“I… I just received a call,” Lucas Sr. continued. “About Greta.”

And instantly, Roderick’s tail tensed, and he found himself leaning forward. “Greta?” he asked. “What happened?”

“There… I was just called, they told me she was in Mexico recently,” Lucas continued. “There was a car bomb, and a deal went bad…”

Roderick’s knees buckled under this, and Roderick’s jaw remained wide as he digested this information. “No…” he said, feeling the sting of tears begin to gather under his eyes. “They…”

“They never even found a body,” Lucas Sr. continued. “She’s… She’s gone.”

Roderick inhaled roughly, feeling him bite back the urge to cry right there in front of Gerald and the others. Even so, however, he felt a furred hand settle onto his shoulder, and it was only then that he realized his knees were on the ground. He shook his head in disbelief, looking into the wall and thinking where it had all gone wrong.

“Dammit…” Roderick gathered his free hand into a fist, shaking his head as he closed his eyes and took a pained intake of air. “Meet me at my penthouse tonight.”

“Of course.”

And with this, the call ended, leaving Roderick to slowly pull the phone away and ponder on his sister’s life.

----**----

“And behave yourself while there, alright?”

“Of course, mom. I don’t who you’re all sad about, but… I’m sorry for your loss. Take care of yourselves, OK?”

“I plan to. And thank you.”

With this, little Lucas Cranston walked past the door, giving his mother a reassuring smile as he stood up behind Anton. Anton stood at the door to the penthouse, a rather serious look on his face as he regarded Allison softly.

Allison sighed. “Thank you for doing this on such short notice,” she said.

“Hey, Rod’s been a good friend all these years, it’s little things like this that return the favor, y’know?” Anton replied. The rhino nodded. “Just call me when you’re done.”

“Of course,” Allison replied. “You have a good night.”

“You as well,” Anton replied.

Allison closed the door slowly, exhaling softly as the fabric of her black dress waved slightly from the air rushing at the closed door. She turned back to the living room, walking there slowly as she sat at the table.

Roderick was there, of course, but the elder Lucas Cranston was as well. The older crocodile could barely look up from the floor, and Allison could see the residue of tears where they had been shed through most of the day. Roderick, as well, remained that way, and as Allison sat back down, she looked to the two of them, grasping Roderick’s claw and squeezing it gently.

Roderick acknowledged this with a sigh, closing his eyes as he looked at his father. “So…”

The elder Lucas exhaled, looking to Roderick and Allison. “I just… don’t know how to start,” he said. “I outlived my daughter, how…”

Allison nodded, reaching for the elder Cranston’s shoulder and rubbing it gently. “I don’t think any of us, do,” she said. She exhaled softly. “Just start wherever you feel is best.”

Lucas Sr. exhaled, shaking his head. “I don’t know,” he said. “I just wish she had gotten out of there before this happened. I knew I would lose her this way, I just knew it…” He shook his head, inhaling rather loudly as he leaned his snout forward.

“She brought Lucas to us,” said Roderick. His voice was uncharacteristically quiet, and he found himself leaning over the table. “That’s something good she did.” He looked up. “I mean… the only reason we were in that underworld in the first place was desperation. Even I’ll admit they paid well, but the fact she knew it was no place for her child…” He exhaled, shaking his head. “Even with the distance, I can appreciate that.”

“Yes,” Lucas replied, shaking his head. He angled his head down. “I just wish I could have seen her again outside of it. She was too good to end up in something like that.” He looked up to Roderick finally. “The both of you were.”

Roderick nodded, looking to the ground. “You think she tried to leave it?” he asked.

“I know her,” Lucas replied. “She would’ve done what she could to get out. It’s just… once you’re in, it’s hard to escape.”

“Yeah…” Roderick exhaled, closing his eyes as he leaned forward. “The last time I saw her…” He exhaled. “I hoped she would get out, too. She got into it more than I did, but with Lucas, I had hope she might be able to get out of it. And now that it’s never happening, I…”

Allison nodded, letting go of Lucas’ claw and standing over Roderick as he leaned over the table. He closed his eyes, finally sobbing quietly. Allison pulled her husband’s head against her hips, gently petting him comfortingly as he let it all out. Roderick had never been one to cry rather loudly, but the helpless sobs he let out were loud to that effect.

Finally, he took a deep breath. “I wish she could’ve gotten out…”

Allison nodded, simply rubbing Roderick and saying nothing. There was nothing she could say, after all, and at that moment what Roderick needed was to let it out. And so, she stood there, keeping her attention on her husband as Lucas Sr. looked on.

Before anyone else could say anything more, however, there was a sharp rap on the door, so sharp it made Allison jump in surprise. Everyone looked at it, knowing that Anton would know better than to knock so harshly, and that he would not have come back with little Lucas before Allison called. And how far could he have gotten, anyhow?

Allison thus frowned, patting Roderick’s head gently as he stood up. “Who could that be?”

The two of them walked to the door, Allison feeling more than hearing Lucas Sr.’s footsteps behind her as they opened the door. There, they saw two human men in black suits standing at attention, dark sunglasses covering their eyes even at such an exorbitantly late hour of the day. It reflected the light inside the apartment, and Allison felt herself almost shrink down as she looked up at them.

Before she could say anything else, the closer of the two agents exhaled. “Is Roderick Cranston here?” he asked.

“Y-yes?” asked Roderick, who looked confused as he wiped some tears off of his face.

One of the suited men reached for his breast pocket, flashing an FBI badge at everyone at the door. “FBI,” he said. “We need you and whoever else is in the house to come with us.”

Lucas frowned, leaning forward. “And what do some feds want with us?”

“We’ve been instructed to take you to a specific asset near Wall Street,” the agent replied. “It’ll be brief, and you will be going back to your bed tonight.”

Roderick and Lucas turned to each other, their brows furrowed. Roderick then turned back to the FBI agents. “Look, you’ve come at a really bad time,” said Roderick. “We’re trying to mourn one of our own, and we really don’t have time for whatever this is.”

“Agreed,” Lucas Sr. added. “So if you could please leave us be, that would be wonderful. Especially since we’re not fond of euphemisms for arrest around here.”

But Allison stood in place, studying the FBI agents. She looked at them, looking for any obvious signs that this was an arrest in disguise, and finding none. Everything seemed a little stand-offish, sure, but all things considered it could have been worse.

And so, Allison raised her eyebrow. “It’s not an arrest, is it?” she asked.

“No, ma’am,” said the FBI agent. “I will not say anything more, however.”

This gave Roderick even more pause. “We’re in mourning, and you want to pull that?” Roderick asked.

But Allison looked up at Roderick, shaking his head. “It may be worth seeing what this is about, then,” she said quietly.

Roderick and Lucas Sr. both turned to Allison in disbelief. “And what makes you say that?” Lucas Sr. asked.

Allison shrugged gently. “Call it a hunch,” she said, “but I have a feeling this… may not be what we expect to see tonight.” She shrugged. “Maybe it’s something good? I don’t know.”

Roderick exhaled, looking over at the FBI agents and realizing they still stood there. “You were not planning on leaving until we came with you anyway, were you?”

“No,” the agent replied. “We really were not.”

Roderick exhaled, shaking his head as he walked to get his coat to head out. “I guess we better see what this is about, then,” he said, his voice deepened by disappointment. “Whether we like it or not.”

Allison only nodded her head. “I think we’ll be pleasantly surprised,” she said.

“I hope you’re right,” Lucas Sr. replied.

----**----

It did not take them long to drive past the famed bronze bull, and even less time before they had pulled into a parking structure. Roderick and Lucas had given the agents the stink-eye the whole journey there, but they seemed to pay it no mind as they pulled in.

As the van pulled into the structure, however, all three of the Cranstons were surprised to find a second van waiting there. It pulled into the parking space next to them, and as soon as it did, the FBI agents’ stances loosened.

“And here we are,” the first agent replied, his shoulders visibly relaxing as he turned back to the three occupants of the van. “Sorry for the cloak and dagger, I know it was suspicious and all.”

“That’s putting it lightly,” Roderick replied.

“Unfortunately, it was out of my control,” the agent replied. He gestured to the opposite van. “It was the only way she would agree to this.”

Allison and Lucas Sr. turned to the agent. “She?” Lucas Sr. asked.

The agent nodded. It was then that the three Cranstons turned their attention to the van outside of theirs, eyeing its black doors. The back door opened, and the three of them heard some heavy footsteps.

Roderick did a double take upon seeing who it was, but after rubbing his eyes and leaning closer, he saw that it was, indeed, Greta Cranston in the flesh, and very much alive indeed.

His jaw dropped in disbelief, and in his shock it took him a second to unlock the door. But as soon as it was open, Roderick barreled out of there, almost tackling Greta to the ground as he pulled her into the tightest hug he’d ever held anyone in. Lucas Sr. was just as quick to join in, the two men bellowing rather loudly as Greta did what she could to reciprocate. Allison exhaled, a relieved smile coming onto her face as she stepped out of the van herself.

“Greta, goddammit!” Lucas Sr. shouted. “Don’t you ever do that to us again!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Greta replied. She chuckled nervously, shaking her head.

Roderick pulled back, the tears gathering at the edges of his eyes as he smiled at Greta. “Why’d you have to fake your damn death?” he asked. “Jesus, Greta, we thought you were dead!”

“That’s kind of the point,” Greta replied. She exhaled, shaking her head and looking to the agents surrounding her. “I offered to turn as a state’s witness for the cartel I was working with, just as a way to get out. As it came around, though, we realized I had to fake my death to avoid endangering anyone.” She exhaled, shaking her head. “I’m so sorry for scaring you guys, but trust me, it was the only way, and you know I would’ve taken any other way in a heartbeat if it had been available. But as it was, it would’ve put you two and my son in danger otherwise.”

“I see,” Lucas Sr. replied. He shook his head as he peeled back, sniffling slightly.

Roderick nodded. “I’m glad you managed to find a way out,” he said. “I thought for a second you hadn’t found the chance.”

“Well, it’s still a work in progress,” Greta replied. She exhaled, glancing to the side. “Now what remains is capturing assets and closing in on them, and until everyone in the cartel is captured it won’t be safe to poke my head out.” She shook her head. “Even this is potentially dangerous.”

“Then why do this here at all?” asked Roderick.

Greta shook her head. “I didn’t think it was fair to you two to lie about being dead for as long as I’d have to be in hiding,” she said. “I thought you at least deserved to know where I really was.”

“That’s fair,” said Roderick.

“Indeed it is.” Lucas Sr. nodded, stepping towards his daughter and exhaling. “I can guess that little Lucas is why you’ve gone to these lengths?”

Greta’s eyes widened slightly, and she turned to Roderick in surprise. “So you named him after our father?” she asked.

“Yes,” Roderick replied.

Greta nodded, her teeth poking out in the signature crocodilian smile. “I would’ve done the same, to be honest,” she said. “Glad we thought alike on that.” She chuckled, turning to her father. “But yes, that is why I’ve broken out here. And actually, that brings me to something I need to ask.”

And with this, Greta turned to Allison. She walked over, grabbing the human’s hand in one of her claws and gently taking it in hers. “So, I know that this puts you in a weird position,” Greta replied. She exhaled. “But I know that, while I may be the one that laid his egg, I’ve had no part in his life until now. It wouldn’t be fair for me to just waltz in and take him away just because he’s my flesh and blood, so I’m going to tell you now, I just want to be involved in his life, in whatever capacity you and Roderick would have me.”

Allison nodded with a small smile on her face. “We can manage that,” she said. She looked up at Greta. “You’ll have so much to catch up on when you meet him finally.”

“I know,” said Greta. She exhaled, looking to the ground as her tail vibrated in trepidation. “I’m just… a bit nervous,” she said. “I’ve been absent all his life, I don’t know how he’ll take it.”

But Allison shook her head, giving Greta a smile. “I think he’ll understand,” she said. “He’s a really smart kid. Only eight years old and he’s already breaking out the Dickens.”

“Really?” Greta’s eyebrows rose at this. “At eight years old? A regular old Matilda, isn’t he?”

Roderick laughed out loud at this. “Oh, you’ve got no idea, Greta,” he said. He shrugged. “He has yet to acquire the psychic powers, though.”

But Greta shook her head. “With you two as the parents, I doubt he’ll be bored enough to get them,” she commented.

Allison nodded, but before anyone else could say anything, one of the FBI agents approached. “Alright, we need to move,” he said. “We don’t want to stay here too long.”

Greta nodded somberly. “If only we had more time,” she said.

“I know.” Allison looked up at Greta. “But remember there’ll always be a space for you here with the family once you get out of it.”

“I know.” Greta smiled, looking to the other crocodiles around her. “The Cranston blood always ends up thicker than water, in the end.”

“And I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Roderick replied. He then stepped towards Greta, pulling her into a hug. “Please, stay safe in hiding.”

“I’ll do what I can,” she said. She patted Roderick on the back. “And hopefully, I’ll see Lucas finally when all this is over.”

Roderick nodded: there was a strange sense of relief that came over him, and he hugged his sister tightly, hoping he would never have to let go again.

----**----

When Allison and Roderick returned to their penthouse with Lucas Sr. in tow, the air was much lighter than it had been before. Roderick, though, responded by chuckling softly.

“Oh dear, I may have to call Gerald in the morning,” Roderick began. “I gave him and everyone else at the bakery a bit of a fright when you called, dad.”

Lucas nodded. “I don’t doubt it,” he said. “That Gerald kid especially sounds like he’s got a good head on his shoulders, if what you said earlier was any indication.”

“He is,” Allison replied. She shrugged. “I’ve seen him a few times when I’ve stopped by the bakery, he’s a fast learner with a good heart.”

“Glad to hear.” Lucas Sr. exhaled, looking over to Allison with a broad crocodilian smile on his face. “So, you meant what you said to Greta, yes?”

“Oh absolutely,” Allison replied. She looked to Roderick. “You forget, I agreed to raise Lucas Jr. with him, so we’re both in it together.” She shrugged. “And there’s always been room for Greta, she’s just needed to reach out to us.”

“Well, this is a heck of a way to reach out, that’s for sure!” Lucas Sr. noted. He gently grasped Allison’s hands in his claws. “So, when do you think a good time to talk to him about Greta is?”

“Probably not right now,” Roderick replied.

“I would say that as well, but honestly?” Allison glanced to where little Lucas’ room was. “I’m pretty sure he has some idea. He’s started asking me about his birth mother since first grade, I think now that she’s making her way out of there I think it’ll be getting to that time soon.”

“I think so too.” Roderick replied.

Lucas Sr. nodded, bowing his head forward. “Then we’ll see how this plays out,” he said. He turned to Allison, bowing his head. “You know, I think I’ve misjudged you.”

Allison rose her eyebrow. “How so?” she asked.

“You’ve been so incredibly kind to all of us ever since you came into Roderick’s life,” Lucas Sr. replied, stepping towards her. “I know I’ve never been the most… nice person to be around, and I know that Greta has provided a lot of wrinkles, but every one you’ve seen you’ve approached it with kindness and an openness for whatever is coming next, and I can never praise you enough for handling each piece of the puzzle with grace.”

Allison shrugged. “I just try my best,” she replied.

“Well, your best is amazing,” said Lucas Sr. He positively beamed at his daughter-in-law, and for a second Allison thought he could see pride flash across his eyes in the way he glanced at Roderick. “And now, I’m proud to say I couldn’t ask for a better daughter-in-law.”

Roderick nodded. “I did say you’d come around,” he said.

“You did, son, you did.” Lucas Sr. nodded, before going to the dinner table where his hat still sat. “Well, I should get going. Who’s going to call Anton?”

“I’ll get it,” Roderick replied, walking to the balcony and pulling his phone out. “I should be the one to tell him considering I asked him to come. He’ll come back with Lucas soon.”

“Alright,” said Allison. “Let me know what he says!”

“Of course.”

And with this, Allison watched as Roderick made his way outside, holding the phone close to his ears as he looked up at the night sky.

----**----

III.

Five Years Later…

“Thirty-one…”

Little Lucas Cranston pushed himself up from the ground, his body lifting itself up from the ground with the kind of practiced ease one would have expected from someone over twice his age.

“Thirty-two…”

He pressed up again. He barely even broke a sweat as he then pressed back down slowly, muscles bulging at his arms and shoulders as he held himself there.

“Thirty-three…”

The crocodile adjusted his position slightly, grimacing at how his heel seemed to press up against the wall. He dared not go too much further, however: one wrong move, and he’d be pressing his head against the bed.

“Thirty-four…”

He was not sure how he had gotten so tall at only thirteen years old, but the crocodile knew he was just that: a crocodile. That, and the Cranston gene was strong: his father often said he was the same size at his age. It was a little annoying being six feet tall and barely tall enough to do push-ups in his room, but considering the alternative…

“Thirty-five…”

As he pushed himself up, he heard the sounds of a cello ringing out elsewhere. If he had to guess, it was Haydn that time. It did not last terribly long, however, and in this setting it typically only came out in bursts. After all, Erika would still be learning that concerto, and being in a position of just learning it required her to stop and start every so often.

“Thirty-six…”

Really, the push-ups were a substitute for his usual punching bag training. That would be his typical go-to at a time like this, but with his mother teaching Erika in the next room, that was a no-go. And so, it was floor work-out in his room, at least until the lesson stopped.

“Thirty-seven…”

Lucas then heard the door to the penthouse open, and he pressed up. He knew his father typically came home from the bakery just around the time that Erika would be finishing her cello lesson on Thursdays, so he was not surprised to hear the door open from such a time. He thus shrugged it off, before inhaling and going for another push-up.

“Thirty—”

He suddenly felt the door swing open onto his left hand, the door slamming into his wrist hard enough that it knocked Lucas off balance, sending him falling to the floor with a soft thud.

“Ow! Dad! At least knock first!”

Lucas glared daggers at his father from where he laid on the floor. Roderick replied with a sheepish smile, one that was quite uncharacteristic of him.

It was only then that the younger Lucas noticed his grandfather in the doorway. This was much more uncharacteristic of his family, and it prompted the younger Lucas to lose the glare almost immediately. He thus pushed himself up, nodding at his grandfather.

“Oh, gramps!” Lucas said. “Mom didn’t tell me you’d be coming by today.”

“This is a little last-minute, admittedly,” Lucas Sr. replied. “We didn’t have time. Here, come into the living room.”

The younger Lucas nodded, and he followed them into the living room. There, he also noticed that Erika was leaning over her cello, the full-size cello still looking rather tiny in comparison to the rest of her body. Allison sat beside her, slowly laying her own instrument on its side next to the chair.

“Are you sure I should really be here, Mr. Cranston?” Erika asked. “I can go if I’m intruding.”

“Anton is like a brother to me, so you’re technically part of the family,” Roderick replied.

The younger Lucas nodded, pulling a chair from the dining room and sitting in front of his father as he leaned against a pillar close to the island in the kitchen. “So what’s this about?” he asked.

Roderick nodded. “So, I know you’ve been asking about your biological mother for a long while,” he began.

Lucas lifted his snout up slightly, his jaw tightening as he looked up to Roderick. “Are you finally going to tell me something about her?”

Roderick bowed his head once. “Yes,” he said. “I think it’s time.”

The young crocodile nodded, leaning back. “OK,” he said. “So who is she?”

Roderick nodded, exhaling. Lucas could tell from the way his shoulders tensed slightly that Roderick may have feared his reaction. “So your biological mother… she is actually my sister.”

Lucas leaned back in surprise, his eyes widening somewhat. “I have an aunt?” he asked.

“Yes,” said Allison. “I never really knew her super well.”

“And we were always on… rocky terms,” Roderick replied. He inhaled, glancing down to the ground.

Lucas Sr. nodded, leaning against the dining room table. “Junior, you know how your dad used to work for a crime boss?” he asked.

“Oh, yeah,” Lucas replied. He then frowned. “Was she in the same situation?”

“Yes,” said Lucas Sr. “And unlike your father, she was in too deep until rather recently.”

Lucas inhaled, taking this information in as he eyed their expressions. He let the words digest in his awareness for a second, before he nodded slowly.

“And I guess you’re telling me now because she’s finally on her way out?” Lucas asked.

“Yes,” Roderick replied. “It’s been a long thirteen years, and part of that has been spent in protective custody with the FBI. But now her crime bosses have been arrested, tried, and sentenced, so she’ll be able to leave protective custody.”

“I see…” Lucas nodded, feeling a small tingle in his fingers as he regarded his adoptive father with a calm expression on his face. He exhaled, turning to the floor and tapping his foot. He could not explain why he suddenly felt like his heart wanted to leap out of his mouth, but he just felt a certain unease to everything now that he had the answers he had been seeking for basically his whole life.

He swallowed. “Does she want to see me?” he asked.

Roderick smiled. “She absolutely does,” he replied. “She gave you to me because she trusted me to keep you safe, and then she became an informant in the hopes of seeing you someday.”

“And also because we told her that was the condition we would raise you under,” Allison replied.

Lucas nodded, feeling his heartbeat slow down slightly. “I see,” he said, his voice uncharacteristically quiet. “I… I don’t know…”

Everyone else in the room frowned at the young Lucas Cranston, all of them rearing their heads back slightly in confusion. “You don’t know what, kiddo?” asked Lucas Sr.

“It’s just… so weird,” said Lucas. “Now that I finally know she’ll see me, I don’t know what to do with it.”

“Oh come on!”

Erika promptly laid her cello on its side, her footsteps heavy on the floor as she made her way over. In a single second, Lucas felt a sharp jolt of pain on the back of his head from where Erica’s hand had smacked him hard, and he cried out, his claws coming up protectively.

“Erika!” Lucas replied.

“You’ve been telling me how cool it’d be to finally meet your birth mom across pretty much our entire childhood, and you’re telling me now you don’t know how to feel about that!?” she asked.

Lucas exhaled, shaking his head. “I just… it’s a lot to take in,” he replied.

Erika shook her head. “And…?” she asked.

Lucas shrugged. “It’s just weird,” he said. “I guess I just didn’t think I’d ever get to actually meet her, or this soon…”

“I guess it is weird,” said Erika. “But like, do you still want to meet her?”

Lucas nodded. However, as he did, his gaze turned towards Allison. He opened his jaw, glancing between Roderick and Allison as he worked it, trying to find the right thing to say for once. But for that moment in time, nothing seemed to come to the younger crocodile’s mind.

Allison, though, leaned forward. “Are you afraid she might supplant me?” she asked.

“Yes!” Lucas leaned back, his shoulders sagging slightly. “It’s weird, because I just… you’ve been raising me my whole life, and I just don’t want you to think that I…”

Erika nodded. “Look, I’m sure your birth mom doesn’t want to get in the way of what’s between you and your mom,” she replied. “Like, she’s an adult, she’ll get that you’ve had a human mom all these years.” She shrugged, turning back to Allison. “And like, tell me if I’m wrong, but I’m sure since you’ve had a hand in all this that you’re totally fine with it, right?”

“Yes,” Allison replied, a warm smile emanating from her face. “Your birth mother and I have talked about this before, Lucas, and she simply wants to be a presence in your life. You won’t have to worry about any awkwardness between us.”

Lucas nodded. He did not know exactly how, but he felt his muscles relax significantly afterwards. “That’s… that’s good to know,” he said. He then looked up to his father. “When is she coming?”

“Tonight,” Roderick replied. “Or at least, she hopes.”

Lucas nodded, clapping his claws together. “Then we better get ready, right?” he asked.

Roderick let out a bellowing laugh, throwing his snout up towards the air, and bracing his claws against his belly. “There’s the Lucas I know!” he said. He then turned to his father. “We need to make a quick run to Eataly, we have some meats to procure for tonight.”

“That we do!” Lucas Sr. replied. He stood up, looking to Erika. “You’re calling your father, right?”

“Yeah,” said Erika. “Would you like me to ask them to dinner tonight?”

“I think so,” said Roderick, as he walked into the kitchen and began to write a grocery list down on a pad by the sink. “And if I know him, he’ll drop whatever he’s doing to witness this.”

“Alright,” Erika replied. She then turned back to Allison. “But first, we gotta get through this Haydn.”

The younger Lucas chuckled at this, smiling at Erika as he stood up. “You always were one to focus on the important musical practice, Erika,” he replied.

“Hey, we were only fifteen minutes into our lesson, you know that,” Erika replied.

Lucas nodded, before placing the chair back at the dining table and walking back to his room. “Then I’ll go back in here until then,” he said. He then looked to his father. “Thank you for telling me. I’ll be here when we’re ready for dinner.”

“Of course!” Roderick tore the paper away from the pad quickly, nodding to Allison. “We’ll be back after Erika’s lesson finishes. And tell Anton we’ll have the greens ready for him as well.”

“Of course,” Allison replied. “Make sure to get something good!”

“Oh, I plan to.” Roderick winked at Allison, and then made his way out the penthouse door with Lucas Sr. in tow.

----**----

The smell of meat cooking in the kitchen came to Lucas’ nostrils slowly. He sat back, taking the scents in as he looked up at his father and grandfather working over at the kitchen. There was a lot of meat going on, and Lucas imagined there were some in several applications considering they started cooking almost as soon as Roderick returned home from Eataly. Even Lucas did not know all the applications, but they were most definitely preparing for a feast back there.

“Man, I could never get tired of watching him cook.”

Lucas turned to Anton, tilting his head as he looked at the rhino. He sat at the table, twiddling his fingers excitedly as he inhaled and exhaled.

But Krystal leaned over his back, shaking his head. “Remember dear, you can’t partake in that,” she said.

Anton sighed. “I know, I know, digestion,” he said. “Still makes me wonder what it’d taste like.”

“Dad, please don’t,” said Erika from where she sat. “That’d be weird.”

Lucas exhaled, shaking some tension out of his wrist as he looked to Allison. “At least there’ll be enough for all of us at the table,” he said. “You think her appetite is anything like dad’s?”

“I wouldn’t know, but something tells me that yes, it is,” Allison replied, a smile coming to her face. “It is the Cranston family, after all.”

“And look at you!” Erika gestured at Lucas quickly. “You’re huge for only being thirteen!”

Lucas grinned. “I mean, so are you,” he replied.

“Yeah, but you’re already basketball height and you’ve still got lots of growing to do!” Erika replied. “Trust me, you’re bigger than me!” She then pointed at herself, before gesturing between the two of them. “I’m the same age, but still only five feet, that has to account for something!”

“I guess.” Lucas chuckled nervously, looking over at Erika. “I just think—”

And then he was cut off by three sharp raps at the door. Lucas’ blood ran cold as his head shot up, his eyes widening. There it was: the moment they had all been waiting for had finally arrived, and all eyes followed Lucas’ gaze as it turned to the door. His mouth felt inexplicably dry as he realized what this meant: she had arrived.

And he was not sure where to begin.

He felt a pat on his leg, and turned to see Erika leaning closer. “I think that’s your cue, Lucas,” she said. “Go on!”

Lucas breathed in, his chest almost vibrating in anticipation. He finally managed to muster the courage to step out of his seat, and even though every step towards the door felt like it took a million years Lucas still trudged forward. He had been thinking about this moment his whole life…

And as he grasped the doorknob, he took a moment to steel himself. What would she look like? Would she look like him at all? And how would she greet him?

With this thought in mind, he inhaled, snapped his eyes open, and pulled the door open.

There she was: Greta Cranston. Lucas noted that her scales seemed a little darker in color than his, but the yellow eyes that stared at him matched the eye color he would see whenever he looked at himself in the mirror. So, too, were the ridges above her eyes that rose slightly as she regarded her son. Lucas swallowed: the resemblance was uncanny, and he knew without a doubt that this woman was, indeed, his mother.

Greta took a staggered breath, looking at Lucas directly. “You’re… you’re little Lucas,” she said.

Lucas nodded, his own jaw working. “Y-yes,” he said. “H-hi…”

Greta closed her eyes, and Lucas could see out of the corner of his eyes that her hands were shaking quite roughly. She took another deep breath in, and Lucas noticed from the way that every muscle in her body tensed that she was desperately trying to keep it together, even amidst the silence that stretched on for ages.

He looked up, swallowing. “I…”

“Oh, the hell with it!” And with this, Greta launched herself forward, scooping Lucas up into a hug.

The younger crocodile paused, feeling just how strong Greta Cranston’s hug was behind all that bravado. It was so unexpected when he finally felt his mother’s arms around her that he could barely reciprocate at first. It felt so surreal, the warmth that emanated there, the tears that trickled onto his shoulders. But in the end, he finally had something that he’d been wanting for ages.

And so, he inhaled, closing his eyes and feeling the tears escape as he embraced his mother, holding her close and hoping she was not planning on letting go anytime soon.

----**----

IV.

Six Years Later…

“And then you’ll lean forward as soon as he says that, tensing slightly…”

“Yeah, because how is he supposed to know who really betrayed his friend, right? Not in the cards there.”

“Nope. We’ll have the camera zoom in on you then, so just really give it a second to sink in, wait, and then you ask him how he knew that.”

“And then play the scene from there, right?”

“Got it in one. And then, after a few one-liners, the fisticuffs fly. You got that, kid?”

“I believe I do.”

“Good. You got this, kid, we start shooting in three.”

Lucas Cranston nodded, the diminuitive cardinal director peeling away first, leaving him with his massive polar bear co-star. The polar bear smiled, looking down at Lucas, and Lucas felt himself shrink in the stool a little. How could he not, with it being Rupert Scwarzkopf.

But the polar bear, much unlike his on-screen persona, was all smiles as he leaned towards Lucas. “First acting gig, huh?” he asked.

“Y-yeah,” Lucas replied. “I mean, the first big one. Haven’t done something quite this big… ever, really.”

“If it weren’t for your nerves, I’d be hard-pressed to tell,” Rupert replied, his incisors almost soft off-camera. “I tell you what, I’ve seen some industry professionals that struggle to understand how to play a scene the way that you do. I haven’t played the scene yet, but I’ve got a feeling you got this.”

“I hope so,” Lucas replied, breathing in deeply. He then pulled away. “You think I have time to take a walk around?”

“Long as you’re here when the director tells you to get here, you’ll be fine, kid,” Rupert replied. “Just take a couple minutes, shake some tension out.”

“OK.” Lucas nodded, stepping up and shaking his arms up. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

“I’ll be here,” Rupert replied. “If you need anything, holler!”

Lucas nodded, stepping away as he took in the sights of the camera crews adjusting camera angles, the lighting crews adjusting the lights, and the sound people testing the boom mics. He never knew a film set could be so frenetic and full of energy, and nevermind with an action star as big as Rupert Schwarzkopf.

Suddenly, he saw why his acting teachers back at Juilliard were against him taking the role.

“You doin’ OK there, kiddo?”

Lucas paused, and then paused to see he had wondered in front of his family where they were seated by the crafts table. Roderick, Allison, Greta, and Erika were all there, the four of them smiling broadly at him as they sat there. He of course knew they were there, he had to get them the passes and everything. Regardless, he still felt a jolt in his system as they pulled him out of the zone that he was in.

“I’m uh… managing,” Lucas replied. He stepped closer, exhaling as he looked to all of them. “I guess.”

“Nervous?” Allison asked.

“I… don’t know?” Lucas asked.

But Allison chuckled, shaking her head. “Lucas, you forget I’ve been performing longer than you’ve been alive,” she commented. “I remember my first audition for the New York Phil almost three decades ago, and that, well…” She shook her head. “I was such a nervous wreck I flubbed it pretty hard.” She chuckled gently at this, looking up at the sky as she leaned back. “But you just have to keep going.”

“Hell, the fact you’re here right now really says it all, doesn’t it?” Greta asked, leaning forward.

Lucas shrugged. “I guess, Auntie Greta,” he replied.

“Shows us all just how talented you are at this thing.” Greta looked over to Allison. “Bet you didn’t see this comin’!”

“Maybe I did a little,” Allison replied. She shrugged. “He was always the best one in the school plays.”

“Oh, I’ll bet,” Greta replied. She shrugged. “And it’s not often you get to be in a Rupert Scwarzkopf movie!” She turned to Roderick. “Isn’t that right his first one came out when we were twenty?”

“His action movies came at a very interesting time in our lives, and they were the biggest hits in their day,” said Roderick. “The fact you got this at all really says it all.” He shrugged. “And I’ll say this, I think you’re up to the challenge.”

“I’d agree with that,” Erika replied. She then grinned, leaning forward and yanking on Lucas’ costume as she pulled him closer. “And besides, it’ll be fun to see you on screen.”

Lucas smiled, nodding slowly as he felt some of the tension leave his body. “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” he said. He then turned to Erika, his eyes widening at where her hands were. “Uh, please be careful with that, I don’t want to get yelled at by the costume department!”

Erika chuckled, leaning in closer but still loosening her grip on the tie he wore. “Long as you promise me to buy me dinner tomorrow after my own New York Phil audition!”

And here, Lucas smiled. “You’re on,” he said.

“Good.” With this, Erika leaned closer, planting a quick and chaste kiss on his snout. “Now go out there and kick his ass!”

Lucas nodded. “Will do!”

“Alright, everyone in places, please!”

Lucas turned behind him, looking at the cardinal as he sat in the director’s chair. Lucas nodded to his family. “Well, that’s my cue,” he said. “See you on the other side!”

And with this, Lucas turned, shaking the tension out of his limbs as he took a position off-camera. Rupert Schwarzkopf looked over at the young crocodile, smiling at him and winking. Somehow, Lucas could feel the tacit approval behind that wink, and what it meant.

Still, Lucas could not help one last glance to his family, and in particular to Greta and Allison. He wondered how differently things might have been if not for Greta giving him up to Allison before he hatched. Either way, though, he knew one thing: he would not have traded it for anything. But most of all, he was happy that he had both his birth and his adoptive mother in the same place to see him hit such a milestone in his life.

It filled him with an inexplicable energy.

And so, he shook his limbs out, bringing the choreography back to his mind as he turned to the director. The cardinal leaned back, and held the megaphone to his face.

“Action!”