The Odd Sister Out

Here nor There

Almost a whole hour later, we were finally allowed to go home. The second we left the courthouse, Dashi rounded on the Captain.

"Captain, you didn't have to do that!"

"No, but I wanted to." The Captain replied gently and immediately lowered his voice once he caught Koshi and me staring at him, "I wasn't sure they'd let you keep them because of that idiotic 21 rule, and I'm not leaving any members of my crew at the mercy of people that incompetent."

Dashi couldn't argue with that; she wrapped her arms around the Captain and gave him the biggest hug she could, "Thank you, Captain."

"My pleasure, darling." The Captain murmured and wrapped her in his arms, "No one's going anywhere; not if I can help it."

Once we got to the Octopod, all of us kids were sent right to the library to play, but none of us really felt like playing. Maybe it was the thought of today being the last time we'd ever see each other ever again, but all we could do was lay on the ground staring at the ceiling.

"Saumensch," Pinto turned to look at me with the sweetest face he could give me.

"Yeah, what?" I answered him with rough words, but in the gentlest tone I possibly could muster.

"Can all four of us stay in the guest room tonight?" He asked, snuggling up to me and grabbing my arm. There's no way I'm able to say no to him with his little body pressed up against mine and him clutching me as if he'd never be able to let me go.

"That sounds good!" Squirt sat up and looked over at us.

"You better ask Peso, then." Koshi told him, "And use the sweet face and voice on him."

"We better ask Uncle Inkling as well." Squirt added before bolting off in the opposite direction. When he came back, he grinned and gave us a thumbs up, or tentacle up, whatever it's called.

"Yes!" Pinto leaped up and high-fived Squirt.

"I'll ask Peso now; Saumensch, you're coming with me." I didn't have the emotional energy at the moment to argue with him, so I just followed him to the Sick Bay.

"Pesoooooo!" Pinto shrieked and ran to Peso, who was standing with his back to us.

"Yes, mi hermanito?" Peso asked sweetly, pulling Pinto close.

"Podemos dormir en el dormitorio libre esta noche?"Pinto asked.

"Claro que si." Peso told his little brother and gave him a kiss on the head with a knowing look of sadness, "Que hicieron Dashi y el profesor?" Pinto gave me a fleeting look.

"Dashi's OK with it." I replied, and Pinto gave me a look of absolute joy. If Koshi and I had to leave tomorrow, this night had to last us the rest of our lives.
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The next morning, I dragged myself into the courthouse along with everyone else, still groggy from the 3 hours of sleep I've had. I felt spikes of soreness in my left arm, probably from Pinto using me as his pillow for a good portion of the night. The only thing keeping me awake was the pounding anxiety thudding through my whole body at the thought of what the courts would decide. As the whole of the Octopod family filed in and took their seats, my heart was on the verge of bursting out of my chest with a gory splash. Koshi and I sat on either side of the Captain as he held our paws as tightly but gently as he could in his own. My throat squeezed itself shut as the judge walked in and we all stood up. 

It doesn't seem right: rising for a person who can and probably will ruin your whole life with a smack of the gavel.

"Captain," they peeked over their spectacles at the Captain, who if possible, grew pale at the sound of his title.

"Yes, your Honor?" He answered, swallowing hard.

"You have a clean criminal record, correct?"

"That is correct."

"And our records show you do have the means to handle two children." A social worker chimed in.

"We do." The Captain nodded.

"You're at a ripe age." Behind us, Kwazii sniggered a little.

"Indeed I am." The Captain replied, but with a bit of a scowl. That was the sort of thing people said to Inkling; no wonder he wasn't happy.

"Well, Captain Barnacles," The judge gave the slightest hint of a smile, "In that case, may I ask for your permission to talk to the girls for a second." The Captain clenched and loosened his grip on our paws.

"Yes, you may. Just be careful with them."

"Much obliged, Captain." the judge nodded and beckoned to Koshi and me, who instantly ran up to him and he gave us a wink. 

"Would you two like to make it official?" He asked, putting the gavel in Koshi's paw as she held it out to me. The joy buzzed like angry hornets in my head, drowning out anything else going on. I must've looked like an idiot with a grin I couldn't wipe off. His steadying paw grabbed ahold of both of ours and the gavel and his voice boomed through the whole courthouse.

"Now, if no one has any objections-"

"We do sir!" The social worker stood up, "Is it really in the best need of a special needs child to put them in the middle of the ocean with no one to help her?" She asked, looking around for support as several of the other social workers violently nodded their approval and the judge gave her the subtlest, most fleeting look of disgust he could.

"Madam, if you had something to say about that before, you should've told me in private. And I've been reassured that the child and the guardians are perfectly capable of handling their condition." He cleared his throat, "Anyways, Captain Barnacles, you now have the custody of these fine young ladies." The snap of the gavel on the wooden base thingy it had is a sound I'll never forget. The cheers from the Octonauts were deafening. Koshi and I both ran back as fast as our legs could carry us, right into the Captain's arms.

"Thank you." Was all we could say to him in the moment over and over again, "Thank you".

"Your welcome, my loveliests." He murmured, rubbing our backs." As we let go of him, Pinto was the first to throw himself on us, then Squirt, then the Vegimals, then the rest of the Octonauts family. Our Octonauts family now.