Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Gobo, Red, Mokey, Wembley, and Boober were all finished with their jobs and decided to go for a walk around a few adjacent caves. However, they all got caught up in their own shenanigans and wandered into the Terrible Tunnel. None of them noticed until Wembley pointed it out.

"That stalactite sure looks familiar," he said in his usual cheerful tone.

"Meaning what, exactly?" Red asked him.

"I can't put my finger on it, but I feel like I've been here before."

"I don't know how this place didn't terrify you, Wembley, but this place is giving me the creeps," Boober added before shuddering.

"Everything always gives you the creeps, Boober," Gobo interjected.

"This tunnel isn't very homey," Mokey said immediately after.

Red then noticed a shadow moving in the distance and froze.

"Gobo, there aren't any moving shadows in this cave, are there?"

"Of course not, Red. Then again, I'm not sure."

Red groaned quietly before catching up with her friends. A few minutes later, a low growl sounded in the distance, which made Boober scream and jump into Gobo's arms.

"Boober, get off me!" Gobo protested.

"But I heard something."

"Boober's right," Red added. "I heard it too."

"Do you think we should go back?" Wembley asked.

Before Gobo could respond, the ground vibrated, sending them all on edge.

"W-w-w-what's that?!" Boober asked fearfully.

The ground suddenly split open and a large carnivorous flower rose, roaring in fury before glancing down at the fraggles, who screamed in terror and attempted to run away.

"Quick, back to the cave entrance!" Gobo yelled as they all started running.

But the flower stretched its roots to create a web, preventing them from escaping.

"Oh no, we're trapped."

"Now we're stuck in a cave with a giant flower that wants fraggle soup!!" Boober spat out in fear.

"Now I remember this place crystal clear!" Wembley said. "We're in the Terrible Tunnel!"

Everyone gasped in response.

"Not the Terrible Tunnel!" Mokey whimpered.

"Yes, the Terrible Tunnel! I should've known."

"How are we going to get out?" Red asked just as more roots from beneath pushed the ground they were all standing on up and tilted it to make them all slide closer.

"No no no no no!!" Boober yelled before screaming with his friends.

All five of them landed right in front of the flower as it stared the fraggles down, grunting before raising its head and opening its maw to devour them. It grabbed Gobo first as he pleaded for help. Red screamed as Boober shook in terror.

"Gobo!!" Wembley shouted.

"No!!" Mokey shouted as well.

Gobo could feel his heart rate increasing as he dangled upside down in the plant's grasp.

"This is it," Boober said. "We're all going to be plant food."

Gobo screamed as he got closer to the mouth, but before he could be eaten, the plant let out a piercing scream and dropped Gobo.

Red rushed over to him before anyone else did, and soon enough, he was surrounded.

"Oh Gobo, are you okay?" Mokey asked with such worry.

"I thought you were going to be eaten," Red said.

"I hope we never come here again," Boober added.

"What happened to the plant?" Wembley asked.

"Look," Mokey replied while pointing at the now-injured plant.

It groaned in pain before finally dying. Upon its death, all the roots above ground disintegrated, and the plant began to wilt. It wasn't until then that they saw someone standing behind the wound, their sword still intact.

"Who is that?" Gobo asked curiously.

"Another fraggle," Red answered.

"But what is she doing here?" Wembley asked.

The fraggle then removed her sword, cleaned it off, and slid it into her holster before walking forward. As she got closer, they all stared on in amazement. The fraggle was tall (shorter than Mokey by 2 inches, though she exceeded the others' heights) with a petite build, had dark violet skin, and raven hair that went down to the middle of her back. It was styled into a thick, straight, silky ponytail that bounced with every move she made while her side-swept bangs hung above her eyebrows. She was wearing a black short-sleeved crop top with high-waisted black skinny jeans that were ripped in the thighs. And unlike everyone else, who was barefoot, she was wearing black combat boots. Her whole aesthetic was dark, giving her a gothic, rebellious look.

BOOBER'S POV:

And there she was! The most beautiful fraggle I've ever seen in my life. She had the loveliest hair and the most mysterious eyes. About as dark and mysterious as nighttime itself. I got butterflies in my stomach, and from within my chest, I felt my heart going thump, thump, thump! I watched as she spoke to Gobo.

"These caves are dangerous," she said to him. "None of you should be here."

Her tone was a bit sharp, as if we just intruded on her somehow. Though she didn’t reach for her sword.

"We got lost," he replied to her. "Anyway, thanks for saving our lives."

"Don't mention it."

My cheeks flushed with color and I could feel my heart racing faster. Her voice... it sounded so alluring. A bit lower than most women, but still feminine. It wasn't high-pitched like Mokey's or brash-sounding like Red's. No, she had a more sophisticated and mature sound. 

"My name is Gobo, and these are my friends, Red, Wembley, Mokey, and Boober."

As soon as he introduced me to her, I got nervous. It also didn't help that she was looking in my direction.

"Jessa."

Jessa. The name played repeatedly in my head like a broken record. It's a good thing my hair covers my eyes, otherwise, I would get caught staring at her. But I can't take my eyes off of her. I didn't hear anyone saying a word as I kept looking at her. Her black hair looked so silky that I wanted to touch it. Play with it actually. I hadn't realized my mouth was open until somebody closed it, but I didn't see who since my attention was on the beauty right in front of me. Suddenly, I kept hearing my name over and over again. It wasn't until Gobo shook me back into reality.

"Boober!!"

END OF BOOBER'S POV:

"Didn't you hear me?" Gobo asked him.

"No, what?"

Boober couldn't help but feel a bit stupid for zoning out like he did.

"Sorry about that, Jessa," Gobo apologized on his behalf.

Jessa merely shrugged in response, and Boober blushed once more, still not confident enough to talk to her.

"Anyway, we should get out of here," Red said as they left.

Jessa headed the other way before Boober glanced back while she stepped over the wilted, dead plant, secretly wishing she had gone with him and his friends. After seeing her walk away a couple more steps, he stopped.

"Wait," he said to his pals.

"What is it Boober?" Wembley asked.

"What about Jessa?"

They all glanced back as she was almost out of sight, humming quietly to herself.

"She might protect us from any more dangers on the way home."

"Great idea, Boober," Wembley agreed.

Jessa strolled away in silence, not expecting any more interactions when she heard someone calling her name.

"Jessa!"

She turned around to see Boober and Gobo running after her.

"What?" She asked flatly.

"We were wondering if you could come with us in case something else tries to eat us," Gobo replied.

Jessa raised an eyebrow before responding.

"You want me to look after you?"

She said this in a way that sounded like she had no interest in doing so, and Boober began to worry.

"Well, yeah," Gobo replied, his tone apprehensive. "You did us a huge favor with that plant."

Jessa glanced at her latest kill and sighed before walking in the direction of Fraggle Rock, leaving Boober and Gobo confused.

"So... is that a 'yes?'" Boober asked her.

"It's a 'yes.' Let's go."

Boober's heart skipped a beat as he watched her walk towards Wembley, Red, and Mokey. Gobo followed suit, leaving him to sigh lovingly to himself before Gobo told him to come on.

"Boober, let's go."

He caught up with everyone else as they walked out of the Terrible Tunnel.

Chapter Text

Jessa didn't speak the whole way back and just listened to everyone else talk. She wasn't a huge conversationalist anyway. That and she didn't trust others. The only time Jessa conversed was when she slaughtered whatever beasts blocked their path, though it wasn't actual dialogue. She did, however, answer questions asked about said monsters. Boober listened to her, both allured by her voice and put off by her sharp tone. It was confusing, to say the least. They made it back to Fraggle Rock, and Jessa was surprised by what she saw. Fraggles playing together, some swimming, some running around, and some sitting on rocks and chatting. The environment had a vibe that she couldn't quite describe, but it felt pleasant.

“What kind of paradise have I walked into?” Jessa thought in confusion.

“Jessa, come on!” Red yelled from across the way.

Jessa nodded and caught up to the group. Boober was still flustered from first meeting her. He mostly kept quiet while the others talked to her. Boober could only say so much before he froze. He found it hard to talk to her like a normal person. His heart still beat as fast as earlier, and his cheeks were still red. But luckily, nobody glanced in his direction. Jessa walked ahead in front of him while Red and Mokey struck up a conversation with her.

“So what were you doing in the Terrible Tunnel?” Mokey asked her.

“I live around there.”

“With those scary man-eating flowers?!” Red replied.

“You get used to them after a while.”

Boober glanced at the giant sword in Jessa’s holster. The handle looked to be made out of fluorite and moonstone, while the blade itself was made out of diamond. It wasn't like any sword he had ever seen. Not even Gobo owned a weapon like that. Jessa kept chatting with everyone as they walked around.

“And that over there is the pond,” Red pointed out to Jessa. “That's where we all swim, bathe, and have swimming competitions.”

“And there are the Doozers,” Mokey pointed out.

“The who-zers?” Jessa asked.

“Look,” Wembley said, pointing at the Doozers.

Jessa glanced at the little green creatures carrying on with their construction work, not paying a bit of attention to the fraggles as they walked by. Boober watched Jessa’s ponytail bounce and sway, blushing profusely as he turned his attention to her face. Jessa's eyes were black like every other fraggle, but her purple complexion looked very lovely. His tail wagged the more Boober looked at her. Unfortunately, he didn’t see where he was going and tripped on a nearby rock, causing him to almost fall into the water. Having lived in the Terrible Tunnel all these years, Jessa had a fast reaction time, and she rushed to grab Boober before anyone else did. He yelped upon feeling a pair of hands grabbing his arms and looked up to see his crush.

“Drop something, clumsy?" She teased before pulling him back up.

While Boober would normally have something to say back, he was too stunned by Jessa's saving once again to speak.

“Boober, you really should be more careful next time," Mokey said to him, although he continued to stare at Jessa.

“This isn’t like you, Boober," Gobo said to him. “What’s gotten into you?"

Jessa looked at Boober as he tried to process what had just happened.

“What’s with him?" She asked, though her tone was much softer.

“I think he’s frazzled from all that’s happened," Mokey answered her.

Boober made a small noise before feeling his tail wag again.

“Aren't you going to say ‘thank you?’" Wembley asked him.

“Thanks for saving me," Boober said to her meekly.

“No problem," Jessa replied while smirking.

This was the first time he had seen her smile, even if it was just a smirk. Boober blushed, and his tail wagged harder. Red watched it go back and forth until getting dizzy and fainting.

“Boober, what’s wrong with your tail?" Gobo asked him.

"I have no idea,” Boober answered while watching Jessa walk away to explore the rest of the rock.

"Well, whatever it is, you need to get it looked at.”

"I’ll get Red,” Mokey said before picking her up and hoisting her up on her shoulder.

While Gobo, Mokey, and Red left, Wembley stayed behind with Boober.

"I didn’t know you could do that with your tail,” he said to him.

“Neither did I, Wembley. And I don't know how to make it stop."

“Maybe I can try holding it in place."

“Wembley don't!"

As he reached out to grab Boober's tail, it smacked Wembley’s hand.”

"Ow!”

"I’m sorry Wembley.”

Boober began having a panic attack over his wagging tail as Wembley couldn't decide what to do next.

"I need to know what my book says about wagging fraggle tails,” Boober said before running off to his hole to do some research, leaving Wembley by himself.

However, he decided to go snack on Doozer constructions instead.

Chapter Text

After getting some alone time, Jessa turned invisible so the other fraggles couldn't detect her presence. Not that she didn't want to associate with them, but she didn't want to greet everyone who acknowledged her. Jessa also felt alien in a place like this. All the laughing, giggling, and partying were so foreign to her. Hence the reason she wanted to remain invisible. Jessa then observed the Fraggles diving into the pond and chattering before turning her attention back to the Doozers building their towers.

“I wonder why they decided here of all places to build," she said to herself.

Before she could continue, Jessa saw Wembley snacking on the bridge the Doozers had completed, making herself visible again before approaching him.

“What are you doing?" Jessa asked in confusion.

"Having a snack. Why?”

"Won’t the Doozers get mad?” She asked, watching them go on their way down the scaffolding.

“Jessa, you’ve never eaten a Doozer construction before?”

"No. What does it taste like?”

Wembley reached forward to tear off a piece and hand it to Jessa.

"Here, try one.”

Jessa took it and stared at it before nibbling. Once the flavor hit her taste buds, she hummed.

"It’s salty and crunchy. Not bad.”

"I agree. The Doozer constructions are tasty.”

Jessa continued to eat the building material with Wembley and chat with him.

Meanwhile, Boober was in his hole reading various books but was getting nowhere with his research. He couldn't pinpoint the reason behind his wagging tail, which had long stopped and now rested behind him. He then let out a frustrated sigh.

“Nothing!" He pouted before slamming his head down on the book.

Boober then thought about doing laundry to calm his nerves when he heard Wembley's voice. He did not react to his friend, but once he heard Jessa talking, Boober perked up, sighing nervously as his tail wagged.

“So that's where the Doozers came from,” Jessa said to him as they walked back to where Boober was.

"Yeah. They come from the Cavern of Lost Dreams. I know this because Boober told me. Right, Boober?”

"Huh?” Boober asked his friend.

"I was telling Jessa about the Doozers.”

"Yeah, and they build with salty edibles. Pretty tasty.”

Before Boober could respond, his tail wagged again, thumping the side of his hole. Although he hid it before anyone could see.

"What the hell is that noise?” Jessa asked.

"Oh uh, nothing,” Boober answered her.

"Doesn't sound like nothing.”

Boober nervously fidgeted with the page of his book.

"Hey Boober, did you find anything on tail wagging?" Wembley asked while walking closer.

Boober died a little inside hearing him say that in front of Jessa.

“No Wembley, I haven't."

Boober tried to calm himself to keep his tail from wagging so much, though he found it difficult to do with Jessa present.

"I’ve read through every book and I haven't found one solution.”

Jessa stared at them indifferently as they spoke before Mokey entered the room with a large painting, taking the focus off of Boober's problem.

“I finally finished my painting!" She announced joyfully. “Isn't it lovely?"

“A painting, huh," Jessa replied. “I want to see."

She and Wembley walked over to see the masterpiece that Mokey had created.

“Wow, that’s such a beautiful painting, Mokey.” Wembley complimented her.

"What’s the inspiration behind it?” Jessa asked.

"The way the sun looks when it’s at a particular angle. All the flowers look so lovely and prominent. And you can really see what color the gorg’s castle is.”

"A gorg? I remember hearing about them in passing,” Jessa replied.

"Have you seen one before?” Wembley asked.

"No. Not in person.”

"Consider yourself lucky,” Boober interjected as he walked closer. "Because gorgs are mean, vicious, and they always want to capture Fraggles and torture them.”

"Yikes,” Jessa replied cooly.

"But we usually get away before he takes us,” Wembley added.

"True,” Mokey replied. "Well, I need to decide where to hang this. Jessa, can you help me?”

Jessa didn't reply, but followed Mokey in response. The girls then left the room, giving Boober and Wembley some privacy.

"Boober, were you blushing?”

"Define blushing.”

Boober got up to put his books away as Wembley answered him.

"Your cheeks were red when Jessa was close to you.”

Boober sighed, still putting away his books.

"And your tail wouldn't stop wagging.”

"Yes, thanks for pointing that out.”

"I’m only trying to help, Boober.”

"Forget about it. I’m going to wash socks.”

Boober left, passing Jessa and Mokey still discussing where to place the painting. He stole yet another glance at Jessa, sighing lovingly before heading to where his bucket and washboard were.

Chapter Text

It had gotten dark, but Jessa stayed longer than she planned to. Right now, she and Gobo were jamming out together. After a few hours, Jessa began to open up and talk more, and that’s how she and Gobo ended up talking about music.

“This is what me and my Uncle Traveling Matt played before he went off into outer space.”

"I thought outer space was just a legend,” Jessa said to Gobo as he strummed his guitar.

“Yeah, that's what I thought too," he replied while plucking a cord. “But then he took me there, and now he's out there exploring it.”

Gobo began playing his guitar and singing the song that reminded him of his uncle.

“Every day the world begins again

Sunny skies or rain

Come and follow me.

Every sunrise shows me more and more

So much to explore

Come and follow me.

Every morning,

Every day,

Every evening,

Calling me away

While the sun goes round

I'll still be found

Following the sound,

Something's calling me.

When the world goes

Drifting back to bed

Memories in my head

Wonders follow me.

Every morning, Every day,

Every evening, Calling me away

Every morning, Every day,

Every evening, Calling me away.”

Gobo finished as Jessa smirked approvingly.

“Very philosophical song. Who came up with it?"

“I thought Uncle Traveling Matt did, but when I asked him about it before he left, he said he didn't. The song just exists."

“Regardless, I like it."

“Thanks. What about you? Do you have any songs?"

“Nothing in particular, but I can strum a few notes if you like," Jessa said, taking out her sword.

“You can’t strum on your sword.” Gobo pointed out.

"I know. Watch.”

Gobo watched as Jessa’s sword began to glow a pale purple and shapeshift into something else. When the transformation was complete, a bass guitar appeared and landed in Jessa's lap.

"How did you do that?” Gobo asked in amazement.

"Special trick,” Jessa answered before she began strumming on her bass, which sounded dark and grungy in comparison to Gobo's guitar.

He listened to her playing, impressed by the sound. After she increased the tempo, Gobo smiled. Jessa kept playing, enjoying herself.

“Gobo, Boober said it’s time for dinner," Wembley said before hearing the hardcore riffs Jessa was playing.

“Hey Wembley, check this out,” Gobo said to him as they watched Jessa finish up her solo.

Jessa finished off with a low twang before looking back at them.

“Cool, what song is that?” Wembley asked her.

“It’s not a song. It was just a few chords I decided to strum. And Gobo played a song or two on his guitar.”

“Yeah, we were jamming out together,” Gobo added.

Jessa then stood up from the ground.

“I should be heading home.”

“Wait, Jessa, you’re not gonna stay for dinner?” Wembley asked.

Jessa glanced at him and Gobo in surprise.

“It’s not invite only?” She asked somewhat sarcastically.

Boober had finished the last of his cooking while Red and Mokey sat at the table discussing her latest painting.

“I wanted to hang it on the wall, but Jessa said that it blocks the other holes.”

“Why does it matter anyway?” Red asked her. “Those holes are vacant.”

“So now the painting is on the ceiling, so when we lie down, we can stare up at it.”

“Oh.”

Boober couldn’t help but smile when hearing Jessa’s name. A mental image of her appeared in his head: Jessa’s long black hair flowing, and a smile on her face. Boober could feel himself blushing, but he tried not to think about Jessa too much to prevent his tail from wagging. It was bad enough that the guys had already witnessed it, so the last thing Boober needed was his female friends giving him grief about it. He then sighed, wishing she would stay for dinner.

“Gee, I wonder where Gobo and Wembley are,” Mokey inquired.

“I don’t know, but they better get here or the food is going to spoil,” Boober said just as he heard Gobo’s voice.

“But I’m telling you Jessa, outer space is real!”

“Gobo, just because you say it’s real doesn’t mean that it is. That’s like saying I took down a gorg.”

Boober blushed furiously when hearing his crush talk.

“Boober, why is your face all red?” Mokey asked in concern.

“Hey, we’re here!” Wembley announced as he entered the room first.

“Good, you’re just in time,” Mokey replied, her attention shifting from Boober entirely.

“Yeah, I’m starving,” Red added.

“Get this,” Gobo began. “Jessa here doesn’t believe in outer space.”

“Thanks for outing me as a nonbeliever, pastor,” Jessa replied with annoyance.

“Gobo, maybe you could take Jessa there with you the next time your Uncle Matt sends you a postcard,” Mokey suggested.

“What?” Jessa asked.

“Good, then that means I don’t have to go,” Boober said while setting the food on the table.

“You’re not off the hook, Boober,” Gobo said to him.

“This is off-topic, but Jessa, where did you get that guitar?” Red asked her.

Jessa glanced at her sword, still in its instrument form.

“It’s not a guitar,” she answered before holding it up.

Before Red could object, Jessa’s bass guitar emitted the same purple light and began shape-shifting back into a sword. Boober whimpered nervously while watching it happen. Once the shape took place, the purple light disappeared.

“It’s just my sword,” Jessa said while sliding it back into her holster and sitting down.

Boober’s tail began wagging again as he blushed. Jessa didn’t notice this time as she was too busy eating. He watched her while everyone else chatted about their day and ate. Boober then wondered how anyone could be so intimidating and so beautiful at the same time. Jessa was lovely, but also frightening. Although she had saved both him and Gobo, there was something about this girl that radiated intensity. Boober watched as Jessa ate her food, not providing much (if any) to the conversations going around the table. She did listen from time to time, but she mostly either zoned out or played with her sword. Jessa was debating on leaving immediately after finishing her meal when she caught Boober staring at her, his cheeks red from blushing.

“What?” She asked him in confusion.

Boober turned away shyly, his face even redder. Jessa gave him a confused frown before shrugging it off.

“Jessa,” Gobo began as she turned to listen. “Tomorrow you, Boober, and I go to outer space to see if my Uncle Traveling Matt sent me anything.”

“Sure, why don’t we start building a rocket right now,” Jessa replied sarcastically.

“You won’t be saying that when you finally see it in person.”

Boober turned back to Jessa, who reclined in her chair. Why was it so hard to initiate a conversation with her?! Though he had never been much of a social butterfly to begin with. He was always timid and reserved. He was always the strange fraggle who enjoyed laundry and cooking over fun and games. The two things he liked were the things that other fraggles were disinterested in. So with that being said, Boober wasn’t sure if Jessa would be interested in him. Someone so brave and hardcore like her, and someone so… cowardly like him.

Jessa took her leave after supper, but not before thanking Boober for cooking the food. He blushed in response while watching her walk back to the Terrible Tunnel. As he washed up the dishes later on, he couldn’t help but worry about Jessa’s well-being in such a dangerous place. Boober hoped she made it back home safely, wherever her home was. But if Jessa didn’t show up for the weekly outer space trip tomorrow, then he had every reason to worry. What if something killed her in the night? She did live in the Terrible Tunnel after all. Then again, he had seen Jessa murder the plant that tried to eat Gobo. Thinking about how this didn’t affect her whatsoever made Boober's tail wag once again. It was almost as if she didn’t care. But maybe she was used to facing danger 24/7.

Boober finished up the last of the dishes and headed to his hole. Even after settling into his bed, he still thought of Jessa. A sigh escaped from his mouth as he clutched his pillow. Boober knew for a fact that he wasn’t going to get much sleep tonight. Not while the events of today ran through his head. Still, he managed to doze off, and before he knew it, he was asleep.

Jessa was now a couple of miles from the Fraggle territory, far away enough that she could teleport into her home without anyone seeing her. She stepped in front of the invisible shield and pressed her palm on it before fading into it. On the other side lay Jessa’s home, which was a dojo house. The atmosphere around it was nothing like the Terrible Tunnel. No hostile creatures waiting to be slaughtered. No dark, spooky caves. No creepy noises lurking about. Just a grassy hillside and a slow-flowing river reflecting the moonlight in the peaceful night sky, along with a large lake. Spring flowers poked their heads up as the sounds of nocturnal critters made noise. Aside from the forest that was a mile away from her house, the only nearby tree was a Sakura tree, and there wasn't any civilization beyond her residence, but Jessa didn’t mind. Past the forest were huge mountains with snow on top of them that provided her with natural spring water. The dojo was dark but lit up when Jessa stepped on the porch. The warm, soft white light glowed a good distance from the house. Jessa then held out her sword as it morphed into a house key so she could unlock her door. Once inside, she held out her hand to light her fireplace. Her eyes glowed red and three fireballs shot out of her palm and straight onto the big, thick log, causing it to flare up in flames. Jessa smiled and sighed calmly, sliding her door shut and extending her hands forward to warm herself. At least she didn’t have to cook supper since she ate the food Boober had made. Not that she did much of that anyway. Up until then, Jessa lived off of whatever she managed to pick and hunt down. While it resulted in a few malnourishments here and there, she lost a lot of weight eating nothing but scraps. But because of a secret she kept, the malnutrition was only about as effective as a placebo. With that in mind, Jessa looked down at her body. Her arms were lean and somewhat muscular, but her skin lacked a certain glow. Same with her legs and torso. She couldn’t tell with her face, even though she had a mirror. But she was too lazy to get up from in front of her fireplace to look. Instead, she went to her fridge and pulled out a Yamazaki 50 Year Old Single Malt. Being a hermit with a not-so-pleasant past, Jessa had a bunch of alcohol stashed in her dojo. After opening the bottle, she sipped on the beverage while walking outside to enjoy the view of the moon.

"At least there will be more on my agenda," she told herself before drinking more of her Yamazaki Malt.

Fireflies levitated around her, and Jessa smiled at their presence. This would be a good night to get wasted, but Jessa had already agreed to accompany Gobo and Boober. Sighing, Jessa sat down in the grass and drank her beverage.

"Nice moon," she said to nobody in particular.

Jessa then sat the Yamazaki Malt down and lay in the grass on her back, holding out her fingers for fireflies to land on.

Chapter Text

Gobo and Boober were at the Fraggle Pond waiting for Jessa to come out of the Terrible Tunnel. Gobo wasn't too concerned, but Boober kept obsessively glancing at the cave entrance.

“Gobo, do you think Jessa is still alive after going back in there?”

“Boober, she’s fine. Jessa’s tough. She saved me from getting eaten yesterday. And she saved you from falling.”

Boober blushed at the memory of her heroism and smiled.

“You know, you’ve been acting weird since we met her,” Gobo pointed out, causing Boober to flinch.

“Am I, Gobo?” Boober asked defensively.

“Yeah. Your tail’s been wagging, your face turns red, and you get all quiet when she’s in the room.”

“Maybe I’m sick.”

Before Gobo could debunk this any further, Jessa showed up.

“Hey, I’m not late to the party, am I?” She greeted them.

“Nope. You’re right on time,” Gobo replied.

Boober stared at her, flustered once again.

“I'm going to embarrass myself in front of her,” he thought.

“Let’s go. I bet there’s a postcard from my Uncle.”

“Coming, Gobo,” Boober replied in hesitation before following him.

“Off to Fairytale Land,” Jessa added before following the boys.

The first part of the trip was quiet, none of them saying a word to each other. Jessa had no idea why she agreed to this, seeing as she didn’t believe outer space to be real. Boober watched her walk in silence, the only noise coming from her was the soles of her combat boots hitting the ground with each step. It wasn’t very loud, but still audible. Her sword was tucked into her holster, which was strapped around her waist. Despite the length of the blade, the sword didn’t drag on the ground. It dangled just above Jessa’s ankles. Boober then wondered how heavy it was. And if it weighed a ton, how in the world could Jessa wield it with such ease? Did she have superhuman strength? Boober’s thoughts were then interrupted by Jessa breaking the silence.

“How many times have you been up here?” She asked him.

“A few times, but this place is scary,” Boober said before whimpering in fear.

“Scarier than the Terrible Tunnel? Or about the same?”

Boober was about to respond when one of the cave-dwelling creatures hissed, causing him to yelp and catch up to Jessa, who flinched when Boober held her arm.

“What is it?” She asked as he pointed at the creature who hissed at him.

Jessa looked in the direction of the creature and glared menacingly, causing it to stop and cower away slowly.

“Scat!” She growled, and the creature took off, crawling away.

Boober blushed at her bravery and felt his tail wagging again.

“Good thing you came with us, Jessa,” he said to her. “Because I forgot my lucky walking stick.”

“Your what?” She asked in confusion.

“My lucky walking stick. It protects me from all kinds of horrible things. Monsters, volcanoes, and other terrible things that exist.”

“Strong stick.”

Up ahead, Gobo climbed up a rock wall using the vines that hung off the edge. Jessa climbed it with slightly more ease than Gobo while Boober watched. Given his lack of upper body strength, climbing the rock wall was nearly impossible. Jessa parkoured over the ledge as soon as she reached it, leaving Boober by himself at the bottom. Still, he tried. But he struggled to get any kind of traction under his feet due to how smooth the rock was.

“Jessa,” Boober pleaded when he slipped temporarily.

She looked down to see Boober hopelessly hanging on for dear life on the vine he was climbing on. Without saying another word, she pulled the vine he was on up until he was high enough to grab onto the ledge, Jessa grabbing his other hand to help him. After pulling Boober up to the same level as her and Gobo, Jessa tossed the now vacant vine back down as Boober stared at her, flustered as he was holding her hand.

“This is why I wear shoes,” she said while pointing to her combat boots.

“Come on, you two!” Gobo shouted from a distance. “We’re almost there.”

Jessa stood up and continued on her way, but Boober took a moment to sigh lovingly and grin to himself. His tail wagged furiously, and his heart raced. Why did Jessa have to be so… lovely? After regaining his composure, Boober caught up with Jessa and Gobo. By this point, they had entered the territory where all the steaming pipes were. Boober stayed close to Jessa while she nonchalantly strolled through.

“Okay, this just got interesting,” Jessa said to Gobo.

“Just wait until we get there,” Gobo replied.

“Interestingly frightening,” Boober commented.

“Boober, nothing in here is going to hurt you,” Jessa said to him.

“Tell that to the Fearsome Beast in outer space.”

Gobo reached the hole to Doc’s workshop before Boober and Jessa did, but they weren’t far behind.

“Alright, here we are,” Gobo said to them.

“Are they both out there?” Boober asked him nervously.

“Does outer space really exist?” Jessa asked afterward.

“Both of your answers lie beyond this hole,” Gobo responded as they both peeked through the hole.

Boober saw both Doc and Sprocket and let out a nervous groan. Jessa, on the other hand, looked on in amazement.

“Woah,” she managed to say.

“That’s right. Outer space is real,” Gobo said to her.

“Which one is the Fearsome Beast?”

“The big slobbery hairy one,” Boober answered her.

Jessa looked at Sprocket, who was panting over the female dog models in the catalog he received.

“Hairy and slobbery is the best way to describe that thing,” Jessa said to Boober.

“You two stay here while I go get my postcard,” Gobo said before going through the hole.

Jessa and Boober watched him sneak past Doc and Sprocket, trying his best not to draw attention to himself.

“I’ll give him this, he’s good at sneaking,” Jessa commented.

While Gobo made his way to the waste basket, Doc was having a conversation with Sprocket.

“And get this, Sprocket. Mr. Shimmlefinney wants me to play a tennis match with him. Ha! The nerve!” Doc said to his dog.

At the mention of his name, Sprocket made a gagging sound along with a funny face, making Jessa chuckle.

“That furry drool machine is funny,” she said while Boober hid behind her.

His face was buried into her luscious ponytail, which was a lot softer than he imagined. Not only that, but it smelled good. Almost like Sakura blooms. Boober could feel his face heat up and turn red as he became flustered. To keep himself from becoming more flustered, Boober let go of Jessa and clutched his elbows. But the smell of her hair was now ingrained in his memory.

“Well, Sprocket,” Doc began once again. “I guess I'd better go to the sporting goods store and buy a nice racket. I’ll be back.”

Sprocket barked in response, waiting until his owner was gone so he could sniff around for the fraggles. Gobo grabbed his postcard and headed back to the hole when Sprocket spotted him and bit on his shirt, trying to grab him.

“Not again!!” Gobo shouted.

“Oh no,” Boober said, once again grabbing onto Jessa’s arm. “The beast spotted him.”

Jessa didn’t say anything before stepping away from Boober and running out of the hole towards Gobo and Sprocket.

“Jessa, what are you doing?” He asked.

“Distracting the beast!” She answered Boober before stopping directly in front of Gobo and jumping over him and Sprocket.

Boober watched Jessa leap over them in astonishment, Gobo too looking surprised by her athletic abilities. Jessa landed behind Sprocket on her feet, causing him to let go of Gobo and turn around. Now free of his grip, Gobo retreated to the hole where Boober was.

“Gobo, are you alright?”

“Yeah. Jessa bought me some time to get away,” he replied while panting.

Boober turned his attention back towards her and Sprocket, who were now facing each other in a battle stance. Well, she was. Sprocket was in a playful one. After glaring at him, Jessa’s expression changed into an arrogant smirk.

“Come and get me,” she teased before hauling ass.

Sprocket pursued the chase as Jessa continued to dodge random obstacles in the workshop, even using some of them to her advantage. Even though Sprocket was twice her size, Jessa was a fast runner. While all this was going on, Boober and Gobo watched the whole thing go down.

“Am I hallucinating, Gobo? All I can see is Jessa getting chased by the beast?” Boober asked him.

“No, this is real.”

Sprocket reached out to grab Jessa but missed and caught her hair tie instead. She felt it snap and loosen as her hair spilled downwards. But she was too busy running to think about her only hair tie getting destroyed. Instead, Jessa ran to the other side of the room and under a bookshelf. At least now that she was hidden, she could find a way to sneak back into the hole. Luckily, Sprocket was distracted by her hair ribbon getting stuck on one of his claws, so this provided an easy out from her current spot. Jessa then snuck over to the workbench where Doc usually tinkered, encountering a tape measure along the way. After playing around with it for a bit, she used the tape measure to lift her onto the top of the workbench. And just in time for Sprocket to get her hair tie off his claw and turn around to see her. He barked and tried to bite her, but Jessa was too fast and he missed, falling on the floor. She landed on top of the furniture, the tape measure landing next to her a second later. Boober gasped, his tail wagging profusely, his face almost the same shade of red as his hair, and his jaw dropped.

“Wow,” Gobo said.

Sprocket was a little dazed from the fall, but came back to his senses and tried to go after her again. Jessa stood up and moved her long, straight black hair out of her face so she could see. Now above Sprocket, she pulled out her sword and prepared to morph it into an appropriate weapon. She focused her energy on it, and it emitted the same pale purple light and began transforming into a bat. Sprocket had yet to see her as he was sniffing around for her scent.

“The beast doesn’t know she’s up there,” Gobo whispered to Boober, who was still impressed by Jessa evading everything in outer space.

While Sprocket was sniffing around, she snuck closer to the edge, bat behind her head, and prepared to whack him with it. But before Jessa could execute her attack, she saw Doc coming back and retreated behind a tabletop utensil holder. Sprocket hadn’t expected his owner to be back so soon, and when Doc walked in, Sprocket greeted him with a cheerful bark and forgot about Jessa.

“I’m back, Sprocket!”

Sprocket barked and ran over to greet Doc.

“Well, what do you think, Sprocket?” Doc asked, holding up his new tennis racket.

Sprocket studied it for a moment before barking in approval.

“I know. The lady at the store said this was their best brand.”

While Doc was talking to Sprocket, Jessa saw her chance and snuck off the countertop, landing in a box of the dog’s squeaky toys. Even though the toys were dry, they still reeked of dog breath, making her gag a little.

“I’ll tell you what, Sprocket. Why don’t we go outside and test this. And maybe we can play a game of fetch while we’re at it.”

Sprocket barked happily in response and went to grab something from his toy box. Jessa panicked and scrambled into a corner, but Sprocket didn’t notice her this time. He picked a toy that could get a lot of airtime with Doc’s new racket and ran outside when he opened the door. As soon as they were gone, Jessa climbed out of the stinky dog toy box, her sword morphing back into its original form. She then ran back around the workbench and towards the hole, back to Boober and Gobo. When she got close enough, Jessa jumped and slid into the hole, reuniting with Gobo and Boober.

“Made it!” She said to them.

“Glad you’re okay, Jessa,” Gobo said to her.

“Okay in the sense that would make anyone say, 'what the fuck.' Regardless, I managed pretty well."

Boober couldn’t bring himself to speak to her as he was still shell-shocked at all that had happened. This girl in front of him just faced the Fearsome Beast. Evaded it and made it back alive. Boober felt his heart race like crazy. Jessa then got up to her feet and moved her hair behind her.

“Now I stink of beast breath. I need a shower.”

Jessa walked off back to Fraggle Rock before Gobo and Boober caught up with her.

“But you didn’t get eaten,” Gobo pointed out.

“No, but I hid in a box with a bunch of things that had the beast's breath on them. And the smell was awful!”

“Ew.”

Boober was starting to get over his astonishment and listened to their conversation.

“I lost my hair tie in the process, so there’s that.”

“We’ll get you a new one, Jessa.”

Boober blushed at the sight of her hair, which went all the way down to her waist. Even after contracting the foul smell of dog breath, she looked gorgeous with her hair down. Still, he couldn’t help but cringe at the stench. Oh well, at least while Jessa was washing off, he could wash her clothes for her.

Chapter Text

Jessa took her time washing off as she rinsed the shampoo out of her hair. Boober had given her a strong enough soap to rid her of the yucky dog smell. On top of that, Mokey had picked out a dress for Jessa to wear once she dried off. Feeling the water run down her skin, she relaxed and went underwater for the umpteenth time to rinse her body off. After ensuring the soap suds were gone, Jessa stepped out and began toweling off. Her long black hair needed to be wrapped up for a few minutes before she could dry the rest of her body off, though Jessa had no interest in cutting it. She liked how it looked on her, and having long hair made her feel feminine. Jessa had only worn a dress once, but it wasn't one she desired. After letting her hair loose and wrapping the towel around her body, Jessa glanced at the dress. It was white and floor-length with short lace sleeves. She wasn’t too sure about the lace but didn’t mind everything else. As soon as she was all dry, Jessa slipped on the dress, looking at her reflection immediately afterward. While this dress would suit Mokey perfectly, it didn’t compliment Jessa’s skin tone very well.

“Nope,” she said to herself before grabbing her sword and transforming it into scissors.

She got to work on the dress, altering the top part first. Jessa cut the lace off and separated the top half from the bottom half, making it into a sexy one-shoulder halter top. Once that was done, Jessa took all the strips from the top and sewed them onto the skirt. The strips overlapped each other in the front and back. Jessa smiled down at the now 2 piece outfit, happy with her work. She then turned her sword/scissors into an ink dropper to change the color of the fabric. First, a raspberry pink for the halter top and the pieces of fabric hanging off her skirt. Then, a dark charcoal gray for the skirt itself. Jessa then added a finishing touch to the skirt by adding a gold waistband on top of the skirt. Looking into her reflection once again, she grinned in satisfaction as the halter top accentuated her build, as well as the gold waistband hugging her hips, made her look and feel like a goddess. She then cleaned up her mess and went to find Boober so she could return the soap he lent to her. Jessa passed by the other fraggles, who were in Gobo and Wembley’s room, as Gobo filled them all in on what happened today.

“...and then she got away from the Fearsome Beast! Using a leverage device, and before Boober and I knew it, Jessa was on top of the Silly Creature’s thing.”

“No way!” Red said to him.

“Oh, I’m not kidding Red. Boober will back me up on this.”

“No fraggle has ever done that,” Mokey added. “Jessa must have a lot of experience in the Terrible Tunnel.”

“Yeah, I got to agree with you there, Mokey,” Wembley said to her.

Boober wasn’t in the room, but Jessa walked in on the group as they greeted her. Mokey stood up and walked closer to her upon seeing her clothes.

“That isn’t the dress I gave you.”

“Actually, it is,” Jessa replied. “I just made a few changes.”

Luckily, the dress hadn’t belonged to Mokey beforehand.

“Boober’s washing your other clothes,” Wembley told her.

“Speaking of Boober, I need to give him his soap back.”

“Come on, he’s in the other hole,” Mokey said as she and Jessa left.

Boober had a clothespin on his nose while scrubbing the odor from Jessa’s shirt. The laundry detergent he used got rid of the dog stench, but now it stunk up the whole room. Who would have known that the Fearsome Beast had such disgusting breath? Boober gagged a little while leaning forward to scrub harder.

“I hope she never gets to anything this smelly ever again,” he griped to himself as Mokey and Jessa arrived.

“Hey Boober,” Mokey greeted him. “Jessa’s here to return the soap and shampoo you gave her.”

“Good, just put it on the-”

Boober cut himself off once he looked up at Jessa, all clad in her new clothes and her hair parted to the side. He felt his face heat up and his tail wag furiously. It also didn’t help that her hair hung below her hips. She looked amazing in that outfit, and Boober wanted to compliment her, but the words got caught in his throat, and he couldn’t speak.

“Thanks for letting me use that stuff, by the way,” Jessa said to him. “It helped.”

“No problem,” Boober managed to say, though he was still flustered by Jessa in her long skirt and halter top.

Mokey took notice of Boober’s reaction while Jessa set the things down. Upon smelling what was left of the dog's breath, she recoiled.

“You guys mind if I vacate out of here for a little bit?”

“We don’t mind, Jessa,” Mokey replied before she walked out.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Boober let out a frustrated groan and banged his head against the wall.

“What’s wrong, Boober?” Mokey asked him in concern.

“Mokey, have you ever been around someone who made you feel a certain way?”

Mokey thought on it for a minute but ended up drawing a blank.

“No, not particularly.”

“Well, I don’t know what it is about Jessa, but she… makes me feel things I never thought I was capable of feeling.”

“Oh?”

“Whenever she’s around, I start to feel all warm inside, my heart starts beating really fast, my tail wags like crazy, and my face gets hot. It only happens when she’s around.”

Mokey gasped at his description, her eyelids raising.

“What if she gave me some disease I haven’t read about yet?”

“Boober!” She said happily. “That’s not a disease. You’re in love!”

Boober stuttered in response.

“You love Jessa!”

Before Mokey could make it any more obvious, Boober shushed her.

“Just don’t say anything, Mokey. I don’t want the others to laugh at me.”

“Don’t worry, Boober,” Mokey reassured him. “Your secret is safe with me.”

Knowing her kind and trusting nature, Boober sighed in relief.

“So what is it about Jessa that you like so much?”

“Other than the fact that she’s got the most beautiful long black hair that goes all the way down to her hips, deep dark eyes that anyone can get lost in, and a lovely sounding voice, I love how brave she is. She wasn’t afraid of that Fearsome Beast in outer space. Gobo was about to be killed when she ran out there and distracted it.”

“Gobo was just telling us that.”

“And she came back alive too.”

Boober blushed at the memory of Jessa using the tape measure to get away from Sprocket.

“She’s also very resourceful,” he went on. “She used a leverage thingy to get away from the beast when it was about to eat her too.”

Mokey smiled at Boober as he thought of Jessa.

“How romantic, Boober,” she gushed.

“Remember, not a word of this to the other Fraggles,” Boober replied in a serious tone.

“I won’t tell anyone. I promise.”

“Good.”

Mokey then left to go join her other friends while Boober stayed behind, sighing to himself and thinking about his crush. He couldn’t get the image of Jessa in her halter top and skirt out of his head. He then went back to washing her clothes, grinning to himself and blushing, forgetting about the dog smell completely.

Chapter Text

After hanging out with the other fraggles, Jessa went to the Fraggle Pond to skip a few stones. She went to a more secluded area so nobody could see her use her telekinesis to do so, but eventually stopped so nobody else could suspect anything. She did this for quite some time until Boober showed up. At first, he remained at a distance, gulping and fearing he would say something stupid to Jessa. Still, he approached her.

“Hey,” he greeted her.

“Hey Boober, what’s up?” Jessa replied before skipping another pebble across the water.

Boober walked closer to her and sat down next to Jessa.

“I had to let your outfit soak for a bit,” he said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

“Jeez, was it that bad?”

“Yeah.”

Jessa couldn’t help but blush out of embarrassment.

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I’m in no rush.”

“Good, because it’s going to be a while before you can get them back.”

Jessa then threw another rock across the water as Boober watched it hop 3 times. He then blushed and tapped his index finger together.

“Listen, Jessa,” he began. “what you did out there in outer space. It was… very brave. I never would’ve been able to do what you did.”

Jessa looked at him in surprise before smiling and skipping another stone before speaking again.

“I'll admit that it was a whole new territory compared to the Terrible Tunnel.”

"How so?"

"For one, the atmosphere is different. And two, I have never seen anything like that beast a day in my life. Somebody would have to have massive balls to go out there."

Boober looked away before picking up a rock and trying to skip it, but it only sank.

“How do other fraggles do this anyway?” He asked.

“Like this,” Jessa answered as Boober looked at her.

She then stood up and threw another pebble as it skipped 5 times across the water. Seeing her do this made Boober blush. She must have been doing this for years if she was this good. Jessa rested as she sat down beside him.

“I owe Gobo an apology for being a skeptic,” Jessa said to Boober.

“For what it's worth Jessa, he’s already forgiven you.”

“Really? How do you know?”

“We’ve known each other for years, and Gobo’s never been the type to hold a grudge.”

Jessa smiled at Boober in response before gazing upward. Boober briefly turned away to hide his blushing face. At least he could finally talk to Jessa without stuttering and freezing up like a total goof. He then found himself scooting closer to her, which went completely unnoticed by Jessa. She was in deep thought for a minute before speaking again.

“What’s the gorg’s garden like?” She asked him.

“Scary. At least when the gorgs come out.”

Boober then remembered that he had cooked the last radish the night before and face-palmed himself.

“Oh no!”

“What’s wrong?”

“We’re out of radishes. That means I have to go out where the gorgs are and get some.”

Boober then shuddered at the memory of Junior Gorg trying to thump him with his club. Jessa thought for a minute before replying.

“How bad do you need them?”

After having one-on-one time with Boober, Jessa joined Mokey and Wembley on a trip to the gorg’s garden. Jessa didn’t say much as they chatted, though she was curious to see what a gorg looked like. Having lived very far away from their garden and the fraggles, she never experienced one.

“Have you noticed how funny Boober acts when he’s around Jessa?” Wembley asked Mokey quietly so the latter wouldn’t hear.

Mokey knew of course, but she had made a promise to Boober that nobody else would know of his crush on Jessa. Instead, she hummed in response. Wembley continued while Jessa was deep in thought, not paying any mind to their conversation. Instead, she thought about her and Boober’s earlier exchange.

FLASHBACK:

“Jessa, you get to have the first taste of my souffle,” Boober said while holding her hands.

“Really?”

“Trust me, you’ll love it.”

“Well then, I’d be honored, Boober.”

Hearing her say that made Boober blush, grin like a dork, and his tail wag profusely.

FLASHBACK OVER

Remembering that look on his face, Jessa smiled in endearment. What she didn’t know yet, however, was that Boober took serious pride in his cooking. By the time she snapped back into reality, she, Wembley, and Mokey were at the end of the cave entrance that led to the gorg’s garden.

“Well, here it is, Jessa,” Mokey said to her. “The gorg’s garden.”

Jessa peeked out to get a better look at the atmosphere before her. The first thing she saw was a vegetable garden filled with radishes, turnips, potatoes, and all kinds of produce. On the other side was a Nirvana tree full of leaves, and in between it and the garden was a pile of trash (the Trash Heap) with two rat-like creatures on top of it. On the other side was the gorg’s castle, which appeared to be vacant.

“Two words: very serene,” Jessa said while observing the place. “Let’s go.”

“No wait-” Wembley began, but before he could finish his sentence, Jessa exited the rock and was out in the grass.

She started her way to the garden before Mokey and Wembley followed her, both more cautiously than her.

“It’s a wonder the gorgs don’t catch us,” Wembley whispered nervously.

“Maybe they’re busy,” Mokey said, trying to be optimistic about the whole thing.

“I know Boober mentioned them being scary,” Jessa said to both of them. “If they don’t come out, then we’re in the clear.”

“And if they do?” Mokey inquired.

“Then I’ll fight to the death with them.”

“Jessa, there are 3 of them,” Wembley pointed out. “And they’re huge!”

“Magic sword, remember?” Jessa responded to him. “And besides, I was able to get away from the Fearsome Beast in outer space. That being said, I doubt 3 big gorgs are going to be an issue.”

By this point, all 3 of the fraggles reached the radishes without any interference from the gorgs.

“Made it,” Wembley sighed in relief. “Now which radish do we pick?”

Mokey looked around, humming quizzically until she saw a decent-looking radish big enough to feed all the fraggles for a month.

“This one looks good,” she suggested.

Jessa kept a lookout for the gorgs in case they appeared. So far so good, at least for right now. She then went to give Mokey and Wembley a hand with the radish.

“That’s a hefty one you chose there, Mokey,” Jessa said, impressed.

“Care to help us out?” She asked, struggling to pick it up.

Jessa placed her hands on the radish and lifted it off the ground with ease, surprising both Mokey and Wembley.

“How did you do that?” He asked in amazement.

“I work out a lot,” she answered.

It was more than just her physic alone though. Jessa had a great amount of strength in her from another source. But she wasn’t going to let that information slip out any time soon.

“Let’s get this back before any gorgs show up,” Jessa suggested as they agreed and hauled the radish.

“Funny,” Mokey began. “I wonder why the gorgs haven’t come out to thump us yet.”

“They thump you over needing nourishment?” Jessa asked in confusion.

“Mainly the brown gorg,” Wembley answered. “The pink and blue ones aren’t as bothersome.”

“Either way, we got our radish and we haven’t got thumped yet,” Jessa said in triumph.

A second later, a huge foot blocked their path, putting a stop to their radish hauling.

“Going somewhere, fwaggles?” Junior Gorg asked them in a mocking tone.

Chapter Text

Jessa eyed the gorg before her, Wembley, and Mokey. He was extremely tall and somewhat rotund. He had no pants on, sporting only a beige shirt and shoes the same color as his long shaggy fur.

“So that’s what a gorg looks like,” Jessa said indifferently.

“You fwaggles think you’re so smart, sneaking into our garden and stealing our radishes.”

“Excuse me, I thought us fraggles had as much rights to this garden as you do,” Jessa replied to him in a sassy tone. “And besides, we kind of need this.”

“For what?” Junior asked her.

“For nourishment.”

Jessa continued leading the way back to the rock, Mokey and Wembley behind her. But they didn’t make it very far before Junior used his club to thump them. Luckily though, he missed by an inch.

“Is that an invitation to a fight?” Jessa inquired firmly.

“Jessa, no,” Mokey pleaded, but to no avail.

She set the radish down and walked closer to the gorg.

“These veggies must be a big deal to you if you must kill everything to keep them.”

Before Junior could come up with a decent comeback, Jessa took out her sword, which grew until it was 100x its original size, surprising the other two fraggles.

“I didn’t know Jessa’s sword could do that,” Wembley whispered to Mokey.

“You want an ass whooping, big guy?” Jessa asked threateningly. “Now you’re going to get one!”

Not even a second later, Jessa and Junior were going at it. With him distracted, Mokey saw her chance and directed Wembley to roll the radish back to the rock entrance. When they finally arrived, they stayed and watched Jessa take on the gorg. It was a pretty intense fight, though neither showed any signs of injury yet.

“I’m gonna get you fwaggles!” Junior declared.

He tried to thump Jessa again, but she jammed her sword into the end of it.

“Thump this, you homicidal maniac!” She said before her weapon emitted an electric shock.

The current was strong enough to destroy Junior’s club, making it explode into tiny pieces and startling him.

“You broke my club!” He griped.

“Yeah, and I will gladly destroy any other weapons you have,” Jessa replied.

“Junior!” Pa Gorg shouted from inside. “What’s all that racket out there?!”

“Nothing dad! Just playing with some fwaggles.”

“Yeah, ‘playing.’” Jessa scoffed.

During this exchange, she leaped up into the Nirvana tree and landed on a branch. Meanwhile, Boober showed up upon seeing the radish.

“Oh good, you 3 got my radish,” he said before noticing Jessa’s absence. “Where’s Jessa?”

“Out there with the gorg,” Wembley answered him.

“WHAT?!”

Boober ran over to peek outside to see if he could spot her, but she was nowhere to be found.

“Jessa!” Boober shouted, only for Mokey to cover his mouth and silence him.

“Don’t let the gorg hear us,” she whispered to him.

Boober nodded but kept his eyes peeled for wherever Jessa was hiding. At least he hoped she was hiding and not dead somewhere. Once Junior could get his father off his back, he turned around to face Jessa, only to find her missing.

“Where did she go?” He asked himself before wandering around the garden. “Come out, little fwaggle.”

Jessa watched him from above on her tree branch, snickering the whole time. After a few minutes, she made her sword shapeshift into a mallet, though it remained huge. Upon seeing the light from her sword changing forms, Boober sighed in relief.

“Good, she hasn’t been eaten by the gorg,” he said quietly.

Junior rummaged through the radish patch, unaware of what was going to happen next. Jessa swung her giant mallet and hit him in his behind, causing him to yell and fall forward. Junior fell face-first into the mud pile beside the radishes. Jessa snickered and hopped out of the Nirvana tree, walking back to the rock where the other Fraggles were. But Junior got up and chased after her again, grabbing a nearby stick.

“I’m going to get you, fwaggle!” He shouted, now irritated.

“Yeah, I’d like to see you try, you giant stooge!” Jessa shouted back before turning to run the other way.

Junior nearly slipped but didn’t fall as he ran in the same direction as her. Boober watched in horror, wondering what the hell his crush was doing. Wembley and Mokey had the same reactions, and soon enough, all 3 of them were yelling for Jessa to watch out.

“Jessa, look out!” Mokey shouted as Boober groaned nervously.

Jessa dodged Junior’s attacks, much to everyone’s relief. She even went as far as to transform her mallet back into a sword and use the Immoral Shock on him. Boober hid behind the rock when he saw this happen, only to peek out later when he heard Junior scream. Jessa struck him in the stomach with yet another lightning bolt from her sword, and Junior hyperventilated, falling to his knees and shedding a tear. Boober’s jaw dropped, Mokey gasped, and Wembley almost felt sorry for Junior. But Jessa had no mercy in her eyes as she stared him down.

“It’s all fun and games until it happens to you,” she said apathetically.

Junior’s breathing eased as Jessa walked closer to him.

“If I were you, I would stick to picking on someone your own size,” she said in a grim tone before walking off.

By this point, the pain had subsided in Junior’s stomach as he exhaled in relief and stood up.

“You’re definitely not a fwaggle.” He said, his strength not in his voice yet.

Jessa kept walking on, not even looking back at Junior. Of course, what he said was partially true. Jessa was only half fraggle. The other half of her heritage was something else. Something that she didn’t want the other fraggles to know about. If they knew, then they would be terrified of her. Jessa sighed before she held up her colossal sword as it shrunk back down to its original size, tucking it into her holster as she finally came back to the rock.

“I thought you killed him!” Mokey said to her.

“No Mokey, he’s very much alive.”

“But you hit the gorg. We saw you,” Wembley replied, still a little shaken from what happened.

“No, I hit him with the Immoral Shock.”

“How bad does it hurt?” Boober asked her.

“It depends on the severity of their malevolence. And judging by his reaction, I’d say that gorg has a bone to pick with every single fraggle in this rock.”

Boober shuddered at the thought of being tortured by the gorgs.

“I don’t understand why though.”

“Nobody does,” Mokey added. “That’s just how it’s been for years.”

“Years?” Jessa asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jessa had some knowledge of the gorg’s nature, but she hadn’t known them to be this vicious. She thought back on her battle with Junior that happened just a few seconds ago while Wembley and Mokey lifted the radish.

“Jessa,” Mokey began while struggling to lift. “We need your strength here.”

Jessa obliged, placing her hands on the radish and lifting it with more ease than anyone else. Seeing her physical strength, Boober blushed and watched her in awe, his tail wagging once again. He could have sworn he felt his baloobius glow.

“Boober, where do you want this radish?” Wembley asked, grunting from the strain of the radish.

“Huh?” Boober asked absentmindedly before coming back to his senses. “Oh, in the kitchen. Come on.”

Boober led the way while Jessa, Wembley, and Mokey hauled the giant radish to where he wanted it.

Chapter Text

Boober, Jessa, Mokey, and Wembley made it to the kitchen and he watched his friends set it down. Jessa was the first to slump down to the floor.

“Dang,” she began. “I must be out of shape if I can’t lift that radish above my head.”

“How do you think I feel,” Wembley griped before resting at the table with Mokey, who was too tired to speak.

Boober glanced at Jessa, still panting from hauling the radish. Even after fighting the gorg and helping him get dinner, she still looked all dolled up in her long skirt and halter top. He then glanced at the sword in its holster. Boober couldn’t even begin to imagine what all Jessa could do with it. So far, he had witnessed her sword shapeshift, change size, and shoot out lightning bolts, but not much else.

“Jessa is much stronger than we are,” Mokey said at last.

“You guys still helped,” Jessa replied, sitting up from leaning back against the radish. “So it counts.”

“True.”

“And besides, as long as I’m out there, he isn’t going to bother us.”

“I hope not,” Boober said before brushing Jessa’s hair out of her face, taking her by surprise.

Before anything else could be said, Gobo and Red showed up chanting the hip hip hooray song. Jessa watched them in confusion, wondering what they were celebrating.

“What are you two hip hip hooraying about?” She asked them when they finished.

“Red just broke her swimming record,” Gobo answered her.

“Yeah, you should have seen it, Jessa. I swam faster than anyone in Fraggle Rock can say ‘gorgs suck.’”

“Speaking of gorgs,” Jessa began. “I finally encountered one today.”

“Oh?”

“Let’s just say that you and Gobo missed a lot.”

Jessa had finished filling them in on what happened in the gorgs garden, Boober preparing the radish for supper while everyone else sat at the table, though he listened to every word that came out of Jessa’s mouth.

“So let me get this straight,” Gobo began. “You can shoot lightning bolts out of your sword?”

“Gobo, there’s a lot of things this sword can do,” she answered him. “Most of which I won’t demonstrate right now because it will cause collateral damage.”

“Wow, that must be one powerful sword,” Wembley said.

“Oh, it is, Wembley. Very powerful.”

Boober finished what he was doing and joined everyone else, taking a seat next to Jessa and letting his soup simmer.

“The deadliest form being the flaming arrow of trauma,” Jessa continued.

“What’s the flaming arrow of trauma?”

“When the wielder of the sword has any type of trauma or internal pain, they can transform it into a crossbow equipped with a flaming arrow containing every struggle from their lifetime. Whoever is hit with said arrow slowly dies of extreme trauma. They feel what the holder of the sword feels.”

“That’s so awful,” Mokey said.

“That’s a very gruesome death,” Boober added.

“Yep.”

“Have you used the trauma arrow on anyone?” Red asked.

“Only on those who did or said something that got under my skin. It's not a weapon I use loosely.”

Boober rested his head on his hand and gazed at Jessa while she continued to tell them more about her sword. If he were being completely honest, he thought Jessa looked better with her hair down. The way it rested on her shoulders and covered most of her back made him blush and smile. He then felt his heart beat faster while his smile morphed into a lovestruck grin and his baloobius began to glow, though Boober kept his tail hidden out of sight the best he could. While he watched her, Jessa had struck up another conversation with Gobo about something else. Mokey looked at Boober knowingly just as Jessa noticed the warmth from under the table.

“I don’t want to freak you guys out, but is anyone else’s feet getting warm?” She asked.

“Mine are a little bit,” Red replied.

“Mine too,” Gobo added. “I wonder what’s causing it.”

Jessa looked under the table to see Boober’s baloobius glowing brightly. Boober froze and blushed even deeper, but this time out of embarrassment.

“Woah, that’s new,” Jessa said casually, though this didn’t help his case.

“What is?” Wembley asked before peeking under the table.

Boober got up before anyone else could have a chance to see his glowing baloobius.

“I think the soup is done simmering,” he stammered. “I better go stir it.”

God, how embarrassing! If his tail wasn’t wagging in Jessa’s presence, then his baloobius had to glow and vice versa. Sometimes, it would do both, much to Boober’s chagrin. Jessa stared at him sympathetically before changing the subject to something else. Boober listened to her talk to his friends while trying to recover from the humiliation.

“I’ve got to get this under control,” he thought while watching the chunks of radish float around in the soup as he stirred.

It was after dinner, but Jessa visited for a little while longer instead of heading back to the Terrible Tunnel. They were all gathered in Gobo and Wembley’s room as Gobo read everyone the postcard from Uncle Matt. Red and Mokey were sitting in one hole together, Gobo in his, Wembley on the floor next to Boober, who was sitting in another hole with Jessa as they all listened. Boober had calmed himself down to the point where his tail wouldn’t wag or his baloobius wouldn’t glow, but he tried not to glance at Jessa too much. He couldn’t trust himself not to.

“Dear nephew Gobo,” Gobo read out loud. “During my time here in outer space, I’ve noticed a particular social norm among the silly creatures. They visit these scenic places and engage in very romantic activities together. Kind of like how fraggles go on dates, except not in the way that the silly creatures do. For example, the males ask the females to go with them, and if met with a yes, they both go sit near a large body of water and laugh about nothing for hours. While this mating ritual is vastly different, it is also apparent that in some ways the silly creatures have similar mannerisms as us. Sincerely, Uncle Traveling Matt.”

“Wow,” Jessa began. “I didn’t know the silly creatures were capable of said feelings.”

“Neither did I,” Wembley added.

Boober stole a glance at Jessa, blushing while she listened to Red and Mokey discussing what they just heard. He then imagined himself asking her out. Would she say yes? Probably not. Boober knew for a fact that she would say no. He then sighed sadly as everyone else just chatted away. This went on for a while until Jessa got up to leave.

“Well, today was fun. But I gotta be heading back."

“Wait, Jessa, what about your clothes?” Boober asked her as she stopped in her tracks.

“Oh, that’s right,” Jessa replied while facepalming herself. “I forgot. How close are they to being done?”

“They won’t be dry until morning.”

Jessa looked away, not knowing what to do or say next.

“You could spend the night, Jessa,” Wembley suggested as everyone else agreed.

“Where am I going to sleep though?” She asked.

“Jessa can bunk with us,” Mokey suggested.

“Yeah, we have an extra hole in our room she can sleep in,” Red added.

“Cool, thanks,” Jessa thanked them.

Boober blushed at her grateful smile as the girls left the room to get the hole ready for her. Once it was just the guys, Gobo turned to Boober.

“Boober, if I didn’t know any better, I think you have a crush on her,” he said to him.

“On who?” Boober asked, trying not to let it slip.

“Who else could it be? It’s definitely not Red or Mokey.”

Boober groaned in annoyance.

“Can we talk about something else?” He pleaded.

“I thought I was the only one who noticed it,” Wembley added.

“No, I’ve noticed it too. Boober, you like Jessa."

“Gobo, change of subject. Please?”

“It’s okay if you like her, Boober,” Gobo replied as Wembley agreed. “The fact of the matter is, it’s obvious. I’ve seen what she does to you.”

“I’m going to bed,” Boober griped as he walked off, leaving Gobo and Wembley in their room.

“So Boober really likes her,” Wembley said to him.

“Oh yeah, I figured that out while we were in the kitchen. While Jessa and I were talking, I noticed he was gazing at her the whole time.”

“Yeah, I saw it too.”

“Poor Boober. Well, goodnight Wembley.”

“Night Gobo.”

Mokey, Jessa, and Red had gotten comfortable in their holes and spent the rest of the time chatting.

“I’m sorry we didn’t have enough pillows for you, Jessa,” Red apologized.

“Don’t sweat it. If anything, you guys nailed my preferred level of comfort perfectly.”

Jessa lounged in her hole, covered up with a blanket and having herself a good time with her new gal pals.

“That’s good to hear, Jessa,” Mokey replied to her.

“Now I just can’t wait to have my clothes back.”

“So how bad was that smell anyway?” Red asked Jessa.

Boober happened to be walking by the girl’s room when he heard Jessa talking. Perking up at the sound of her voice, he hid behind the wall and listened to their conversation.

“Red, if I had to describe just how nasty the box of smelly objects is, let’s say you have about 10,000 people and you feed them pork and beans. Then you lock them up in a small room together and they simultaneously start ripping ass.”

“Ew,” Mokey replied with disgust as Red laughed.

“Ripping ass,” Red repeated before laughing again.

“I swear to Ragnarok, that Fearsome Beast has some nasty ass breath,” Jessa continued. “It’s so vile that I can’t distinguish which end I’m facing. The front or the rear.”

This made Red laugh even harder, and Jessa couldn’t help but laugh along with her. Boober, despite not being much of a laugher, couldn’t help but snicker.

“Seriously, it’s like nobody ever told it about toothpaste,” Jessa went on. “Goofy cheese smelling thing.”

Mokey began to giggle a little as Red and Jessa laughed to their hearts' content. After a while, they all began to talk about other things and Boober continued on his way. He didn't go to his hole though. Instead, he went to where the laundry was and watched Jessa’s clothes dry. While most fraggles thought of this as tedious, for Boober it was loads of fun. He could still see the dampness in some areas of her shirt as well as her pants. Though he didn’t understand why Jessa wore a full outfit since fraggles didn’t need to cover up, then again, Uncle Traveling Matt was fully clothed along with shoes. Maybe it was a personal choice. Boober then glanced at her combat boots. Jessa’s entire outfit was black. Black like her hair and her baloobius. Speaking of which, Boober had noticed that Jessa’s baloobius wasn’t very prominent, though nothing seemed to frighten her at all. And he knew for a fact that whenever a fraggle was scared, the baloobius would flare out. Boober then wondered what Jessa was afraid of if she even had any fears at all. As he pondered on this, his eyelids began to feel heavy and he eventually fell asleep. At first, the sleep was dreamless. Boober found this relaxing, but the serene sleep was short-lived when a familiar laugh echoed from his subconscious.

“Oh no, not Sidebottom, he complained.

The last thing Boober wanted was to be bothered by his alter ego.

“Boober, old pal! It’s been a while!!” Sidebottom greeted him.

Chapter Text

Boober frowned at his alter ego hopping around and giggling, the feathers on his hat bouncing along with him.

“What do you want, Sidebottom?” He asked in annoyance.

“Word on the street is that you’ve fallen in love,” Sidebottom answered. “Who is the fraggle that has caught your eye?”

“Can we not discuss this?”

“Oh come on! You can tell me!”

Boober sighed, knowing that Sidebottom wouldn’t let up until he got an answer.

“Alright, fine. Let’s just say that she’s a very brave and athletic fraggle with a magic sword and beautiful long black hair.”

“Oooh, she sounds spicy!” Sidebottom said before hopping around again. “Tell me more!”

“Do I have to?”

“Yes, I wanna know more about your lover girl.”

Boober blushed at the mention of ‘lover girl.’ Nevertheless, he continued.

“I’ve only known her for 2 days, so there’s not much I can say. But I really like her. A lot.”

“So ask her out.”

“I can’t, Sidebottom. She’ll say no. And probably laugh at me.”

Sidebottom remained silent for a minute before speaking again.

“Okay listen, Boober,” he began. “I have a plan that will make that raven-haired fraggle with the magic sword fall head over heels for you.”

“And what might that be?” Boober asked pessimistically, already doubting Sidebottom.

“Just let me out and let me work my magic.”

“WHAT?!”

“Trust me on this, Boober. Women love a guy who can make them laugh. I’ll just have a little bit of fun with her and she’ll be wanting to spend more time with you afterward.”

“No, it’s you Jessa will like. Not me.”

“What difference does it make which one of us she likes? We're the same person.”

Boober thought for a minute. Was it worth letting Sidebottom out just so he could have a chance with Jessa? And more importantly, what would she think about him afterward? Would Jessa love him, much less accept him? On the other hand, Sidebottom did heighten his friends' opinions of him one time after Gobo insulted his home remedies. If he could do that, he might win the heart of the fraggle he loved.

“I never thought I would say this, but help me out here.”

“Is that a ‘yes Sidebottom’ I’m hearing?”

“It’s a ‘yes,’ now go! And don’t screw this up.”

Sidebottom and Boober switched places as he took over his body. Back in the laundry room, Sidebottom woke up with a giggle before running off.

The girls had long since fallen asleep, as well as everyone else in Fraggle Rock. Everyone except Sidebottom, who snuck by the room Jessa was sleeping in and decided to make a little bit of noise.

“This should wake her up,” he said before giggling.

Sidebottom grabbed a nearby vine and pulled it tight enough, letting it go as it snapped and created a low twang. In the next room, Jessa groaned and opened her eyes, sitting up and looking around.

“Mokey? Red? Did you guys hear that?” Jessa asked, only to receive no answer from either of them as they were sound asleep.

The noise sounded again, and she got up to go investigate, taking her sword with her just in case. Sidebottom continued pulling vines until he heard Jessa approach.

“Boober?” She asked after putting her sword away into her holster. “What are you doing?”

Sidebottom turned to face her, only to be stunned by how gorgeous she was. He blushed furiously, his jaw dropped, and his tail wagged like crazy. His pupils would have dilated into big red hearts if his eyes were visible. Eventually, Sidebottom began to grin like a dork, and before Jessa knew it, he began to hit on her.

“Hel-lo!” He flirted while scooting closer to her.

“Hi,” Jessa replied, a little disturbed by his behavior. “What are you still doing up this late?”

“Having a bit of fun, Sugar Lips.”

“Excuse me?” Jessa asked while Sidebottom kissed the back of her hand. “It’s 1 in the morning, Boober.”

“I’m not Boober, I’m Sidebottom.”

Jessa frowned in annoyance.

“Don’t be stupid. I know you’re Boober. You’re not fooling me with this outfit.”

She then noticed the length of his hair and reached out to touch it.

“When did your hair get longer?”

Sidebottom blushed and giggled like a schoolboy as she ran her fingers through a strand of his red hair.

“Now let me touch your hair, Sugar Lips.”

“Uh, my name is Jessa, not Sugar Lips,” she said with a bit of sass in her voice.

Sidebottom heard her, of course, but he didn’t care. Instead, he just played with her hair.

“You’ve got some beautiful locks on you,” he said before burying his face into her scalp.

Jessa was at a loss as to what to do next until Sidebottom attempted to hug her from behind, prompting her to grab his hands before he could complete the gesture.

“So is grabbing on other fraggles your idea of fun?” Jessa asked sarcastically.

“Maybe,” Sidebottom answered before intertwining his fingers with hers.

“Dude!” Jessa yelled, pulling away entirely. “What is wrong with you?!”

“Can you blame me, Sugar Lips?”

Jessa sighed, utterly confused by his behavior.

“You weren’t like this hours ago.”

“That’s because you were interacting with Boober. I’m his fun side that he keeps at the bottom, hence my name, Sidebottom.”

“Clever,” she replied in a deadpan tone as he bounced around.

Before she could do anything else, Sidebottom grabbed her hand and led her.

“Come on,” he said.

“Where are we going?”

“To the gorg’s garden.”

Jessa had no clue what was in store as Sidebottom led her out there. Luckily, the gorgs were asleep, so they could just walk out there undisturbed. However, Junior had installed a trap after his battle with Jessa, making it even harder to go in there.

“Looks like that gorg has been busy,” Jessa said once they arrived.

Sidebottom grinned at her as she observed the trap, trying to figure out a way around it.

“If we’re going to hang out here, we’re going to have to be very careful.”

“I’ve got a question.”

“What is it?”

“What’s funny and slides down a rock?”

Jessa gave him a confused look, but before she could reply, Sidebottom got up and slid down off the rock and into the grass.

“Hey!” Jessa called out. “Did you not see that big trap in front of us?! Get your ass back here!”

“Watch this, Sugar Lips!” Sidebottom shouted as he bounced up and triggered the trap.

Jessa gasped, thinking he had trapped himself, and slid down the rock to free him.

“Boober!”

“Over here!”

Jessa turned to see Sidebottom leaning against the Nirvana Tree as if he hadn’t just set off the trap.

“Are you crazy?!” She scolded.

“Yeah, very crazy.”

Before Jessa could chew him out, Junior walked out upon hearing his trap.

“Shit,” she whispered as Sidebottom put his arm around her and pulled her closer behind the tree.

They both hid as Junior walked outside, giggling in triumph.

“I knew this trap would work,” he said before checking to see how many fraggles he captured.

Sidebottom snickered.

“Little does he know that he has very shoddy craftsmanship,” he said to Jessa, his arm still wrapped around her waist.

Jessa glanced down at his hand on her side, his thumb caressing her. For some reason, she felt her cheeks heat up, but her attention was redirected back to the gorg when he realized what had happened.

“Hey, there’s no fwaggles in here!” Junior fussed.

“That’s because you’re not smart enough to make a decent trap!” Sidebottom shouted after he jumped out from behind the tree.

Jessa watched as the gorg tried to catch him, but he was too fast.

“I’m gonna get you fwaggle!” Junior shouted while failing to capture Sidebottom.

Jessa couldn’t help but smile at him while he evaded the gorg.

“Boober Fraggle, you are quite the enigma,” she said in amusement before stepping out from behind the tree.

“Hey!” She shouted as Junior turned around. “Remember me, big guy?”

Jessa then aimed her sword at the trap and shot a lightning bolt from it, destroying what Junior put together from scratch. Sidebottom cackled in the distance while Junior was upset about his trap.

“No!! I worked so hard on this trap.”

“Yeah, and it looks like your hard work hasn’t paid off too well, has it.” Jessa mocked before joining Sidebottom.

“Good one, Sugar Lips,” he said before holding her hand. “Come on.”

He led Jessa to the radish patch before Junior could see them.

“He sure is pathetic,” Jessa said to him. “And this is what the fraggles are afraid of?”

While they were hiding, Junior got up and tried to find them, but couldn’t. Jessa peeked from behind the radish while Sidebottom still held her hand.

“I’m thinking about doing something very blasphemous,” she whispered to him.

Sidebottom’s tail began to wag as he blushed. Jessa stepped away and pointed her sword forward as it lit up a pale purple and shot out a loud beacon, hitting one of the rooftops of the gorg’s castle and breaking off a few shingles.

“Fwaggles!!” Junior shouted as Sidebottom melted.

He stood there with a lovestruck smile on his face and his baloobius glowed.

“Hey dumbass, we’re over here!” Jessa shouted before grabbing Sidebottom’s arm and running out of the radish patch and closer to the castle.

Junior ran toward the garden by the time they ran past the rock and closer to the castle. But Junior stomped his foot on the ground, the vibration causing Jessa to lose her balance and fall. But Sidebottom caught her before she could hit the ground. Jessa looked up and blushed, as they were in a ballroom dance-like position.

“Sugar Lips, did anyone ever tell you that you look hot with a sword?”

Jessa blushed even deeper, flattered by his comment.

“I’m gonna get you fwaggles!”

“Grab on!” Jessa commanded after standing back up.

With Sidebottom holding onto her, Jessa pointed her sword up at the roof as it transformed into a giant tape measure. The tape shot upwards and connected to a hook, allowing Jessa and Sidebottom to ascend to the roof.

“Woo-hoo!!” Sidebottom shouted before they landed.

Junior growled in frustration as he was unable to reach them. Sidebottom and Jessa laughed at Junior’s tantrum while he hugged her from behind.

“You fwaggles think you’re so slick!” Junior shouted. “Just wait until the next time, I’ll get you for sure!”

“Junior!!” an angry voice came from within the castle.

Out walked two other gorgs, one of which was blue and the other was pink with blonde hair.

“What do you think you’re doing making all this racket?!” Pa Gorg shouted angrily.

“I was catching some fwaggles, Pa.”

“In the middle of the night?!” Ma Gorg asked, just as irritated as her husband. “I need my beauty sleep.”

“She needs a lot of it,” Sidebottom remarked, making Jessa laugh.

“But Ma-”

“No buts, Junior!” Pa Gorg interrupted. “You clean up this mess and go back to bed! And I don’t want to hear another word about fraggles, you got that?!”

“Yes, Pa,” Junior answered begrudgingly before picking up pieces of his trap.

Ma and Pa Gorg went back inside to resume their slumber, leaving Junior to clean up.

“One word, busted,” Jessa said to Sidebottom.

“You said it, Sugar Lips,” he replied before burying his face in her hair.

Jessa blushed before glancing down at his arms wrapped around her waist, her cheeks heating up again.

“What is wrong with me?!” She thought to herself.

Her thoughts were then interrupted by Junior complaining to himself, so Jessa looked for a place to hide until he went inside.

“Come on,” she said to Sidebottom while grabbing his hand. “Let’s get away from the gorg before he spots us again.”

Sidebottom didn’t object and followed her to a spot where neither of them could be seen.

The rest of the night was spent lounging on the roof of the gorg’s castle. By this point, Junior had finished cleaning up the garden and had gone back to bed, leaving Jessa and Sidebottom to joke around and laugh.

“That gorg was so dumb it was easy to hypnotize him,” he told her as she listened. “I’m willing to bet a shovel can outdo him on an IQ test.”

Jessa laughed.

“Assuming the shovel doesn’t get beaten by a rake,” she joked back.

Sidebottom laughed at this before turning to face her, resting his face on his fist, and smiling at her.

“Anything can outwit that gorg, Sugar Lips.”

“Yeah, no kidding.”

A moment of silence passed between them as he gazed at her before she spoke again.

“That was also hilarious what you said about the female gorg,” she admitted.

“She doesn’t have a face as alluring as yours, that’s for sure.”

Jessa blushed, not knowing how to respond. This only made Sidebottom chuckle as he scooted closer and placed two fingers on her wrist.

“Boober…?”

He didn’t say anything and made his index and middle fingers walk up her arm, making her blush even deeper.

“Somebody’s walking on you, Sugar Lips,” he teased.

“Yeah, your fingers,” she replied.

Sidebottom grinned and continued walking his fingers up Jessa’s bicep. When he reached her shoulder, he stopped and placed his whole hand on it.

“What are you doing exactly?” Jessa asked as he leaned in and began tickling her, taking her by surprise.

“Hey! What the?” She protested before laughing.

“Tickle fight!!!” He shouted.

“Tickle fight, my ass,” Jessa said in between laughs.

Sidebottom listened to her laughter while tickling her, loving the sound of her laugh. He kept going until she finally grabbed his hands to make him stop.

“Alright, alright,” she said. “You really had me there.”

“Tickle fights are fun, aren’t they.”

“Yeah, if you’re the one instigating them.”

In his subconscious, Boober decided to peek and take a look at what was happening so far. He couldn’t bear to do it at first in case Jessa rejected his advances. He rose but didn’t take his body back from Sidebottom just yet. Boober was expecting failure, heartbreak, and rejection, but to his surprise, Jessa was smiling, giggling, and chatting with Sidebottom. He was talking to her as she smiled at him. As Sidebottom told another joke, Jessa noticed Boober’s silhouette next to him and had a look of shock on her face. Boober stared back at her, wondering what was going on. It wasn’t until Jessa looked at Sidebottom and back at Boober that he realized that she could see him. But how? He wasn’t interacting with her at all. As far as he could remember, nobody else could see him when Sidebottom was out and vice versa. So how could she? He then thought, if Jessa could see him, could she hear him as well??

“Jessa!” He called out.

However, this proved to be useless as she didn’t respond. Sidebottom finished telling his joke before Jessa noticed he was done.

“Sorry, I didn’t hear you. I was lost in thought.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it, Sugar Lips,” he replied before leaning in again. “Let’s play another game.”

“What game do you have in mind?” Jessa asked as Sidebottom moved her hair and buried his face into her neck, taking her by surprise.

Boober couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“Sidebottom, what are you doing?!” He shouted. “This was not part of the plan!!”

Sidebottom ignored him as he placed one hand on Jessa’s stomach and held her hand with his other one, his baloobius lighting up and his tail wagging. Before she could protest, he began kissing her neck. Jessa gasped, trying not to blush the whole time. Boober frowned and tried pulling Sidebottom back into his mind, but to no avail.

“She’s not a piece of meat!!” He yelled. “Stop doing that to her!!!!”

Sidebottom ignored him, still kissing on her neck. Jessa’s cheeks had turned red while he intertwined his fingers with hers and used his other hand to caress her stomach. The kisses were gentle yet very passionate, flustering Jessa. Boober screamed while gritting his teeth. How in the world was he going to explain this to her once he came back out?!

“She’s going to hate me for sure,” he said to himself.

“No she isn’t,” Sidebottom replied telepathically. “Look.”

Boober looked at Jessa and noticed how flustered she was. Still, he didn’t approve of Sidebottom smooching her without her consent. By the time he began leaving kisses on her jawline, Jessa’s tail started to wag.

“Sidebottom…” she began as he stole another kiss.

“Yeah, Sugar Lips?” He whispered in her ear.

He then nuzzled her neck and rested there, much to Boober’s relief.

“How long have we been out here?”

“No idea.”

Jessa gazed at the horizon, trying to calm herself from what had happened when she saw the sun peeking.

“Shit, have we been out here the entire night?!” She asked in surprise.

Boober and Sidebottom looked to see the sun rising.

“Now’s my cue to come back out,” he said to Sidebottom.

“I’ve done my job anyway.”

“How? All you did was kiss her neck.”

“But I planted a seed in her mind. Now she’ll want to spend more time with you from this point on.”

With that, Sidebottom disappeared back into Boober’s subconscious as the latter returned to the real world, next to Jessa as she was blushing and rubbing her neck where Sidebottom kissed her.

“Jessa, are you okay?” he asked shyly as she turned around.

She noticed that Sidebottom was no longer next to her.

“What was that all about?” She asked him after a minute of silence.

“What can I say? I’m sorry!”

There was a lot of guilt in Boober’s voice when he apologized. He then hung his head down in shame, unable to look her in the eye.

“I understand if you hate me now.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t.”

Boober looked up at her in surprise.

“I should be angry at you, but I’m not.”

“Why?”

How could Jessa answer this? Truthfully, the only reason she could see Boober through Sidebottom was due to her secret that she didn’t want to reveal. Plus, she liked the intimacy. But she wasn’t about to tell Boober that.

“You weren’t yourself during that time, Boober. I kind of suspected something was off.”

Boober looked away in embarrassment, but this was short-lived when Jessa put her hand on his shoulder.

“Just don’t worry about it. Okay?”

Boober couldn’t believe he was being forgiven so easily after… that. After Sidebottom kissed her neck so many times, he thought for sure he would be dead. Yet here he was, still in Jessa’s good graces.

“Okay,” he finally replied.

Jessa then removed her hand, though Boober wished she had kept it on his shoulder. He then looked at her again while her attention was on the morning sun.

“Nice sunrise,” she said as Boober looked at it.

“Yeah,” he replied as they both stared at the sun rising. “Very beautiful.”

Instead of immediately returning to Fraggle Rock, Boober and Jessa stayed on the roof of the gorg’s castle and watched the sunrise, both smiling to themselves.

Chapter Text

Jessa’s POV:

After all that happened in the gorg’s garden, it’s a miracle that I’m not tired. As I walked home in the Terrible Tunnel, my original outfit now clean thanks to Boober, I couldn't stop thinking about him kissing me. Or rather, his least dominant personality, Sidebottom. Because I’m also a shazzle, I can see when someone has 2 personalities in the same body. Until I saw Boober in his subconscious, I didn’t believe that Sidebottom was his own person. I thought he was Boober all along. Although I must give him credit, he keeps Sidebottom hidden pretty well. When we first met 3 days ago, I saw something lingering beside Boober, but I couldn’t see or hear him due to how repressed Sidebottom was. He was nothing more than a monochromatic foggy silhouette that levitated next to Boober. Not to mention the fact that whatever he said was indecipherable. But now that I’ve met Sidebottom in Boober’s body, I can see and hear him very clearly. I then wondered how often Boober lets him out. Given how hard he tries to keep him at bay, I’d say not very often. Once Boober was back in his body, he asked me how I could forgive him so easily after Sidebottom smooched all over my neck. This was a tough thing to clear up because it would have involved me revealing my heritage. I’m a fraggle and shazzle hybrid. A blessing and a curse in so many ways. My mother, Morrigan, was a shazzle, and my father, Lenny, a fraggle. They went against the status quo and married each other. How they didn’t get killed for this sooner, I will never know, since it's a complete taboo for a shazzle and a fraggle to date or even make friends. And to top it all off, they had me. There’s been a rivalry between shazzles and fraggles for centuries, so my parents broke a lot of rules by seeing each other. Regardless of the circumstances, they were loving parents and did their best to raise me. And once I got old enough and my shazzle powers developed, I began defending them from the other shazzles, who were nothing more than heartless goons. The ones in my age group excluded me from everything and made my life a living hell. A memory of the Supreme Lord and Supreme Lady’s son, Zal, pushing me into the mud entered my mind, and I shuddered and felt my baloobius flare up for the first time in years. Holy Ragnarok, I hate him! Good thing he’s dead now, along with his father. His mother, however, was still alive and, as far as I know, still rules over the Shazzle Realm. I hadn’t cared to come back after attaining my sword. The Holy Shazzlin Sword, as it’s called, and it can morph into anything the wielder pleases. And it all happened shortly after my parents’ death. While I had gone to pick tsundere berries, every shazzle in the realm had broken into our house and kidnapped my folks, tied them to stakes, and let them burn to death. I wasn’t much older than adolescence when it happened, and when I saw them there, dad crying and mom cursing all of them with her last breath before she saw me and had the most heartbreaking expression on her face.

“Jessa…” I remember her calling out to me before she succumbed to the first-degree burns along with dad.

I still remember that day in vivid detail, despite my attempts to forget it completely. Once they both died, the shazzles once again shoved me into the mud. I left the Shazzle Realm that night, not bothering to take anything. But I wasn’t going to let this go. Vengeance was mine!! Between the time I left after witnessing my parents die and when I came back to steal the sword, my first Bloodlust kicked in. This was another fact about shazzles. When they experience trauma, they would get Bloodlust. But it wasn’t just a psychological thing; Shazzle Bloodlust had the power to drastically alter one’s appearance and drive them to homicidal insanity. I still remember how beast-like in appearance I became. My teeth had turned into sharp fangs, I had talons for fingernails, and my tail had porcupine spikes on it. Once I got Bloodlust, I returned to the Shazzle Realm, calm and calculated, but guns a blazing on the inside. I used my siren voice to serenade my tormentors to their doom. Zal and his cronies were serenaded to the Pond of Poison just outside the Shazzle Realm. I let the others drown, but I wanted to do more with Zal. I wanted to destroy him, rip his organs out, stomp his sorry face into the mud, and pin him against a wall of stalactites. So I did. It was what he deserved after all that he did to me. Once all was said and done, I let the influence of my siren voice escape his mind so he could die knowing that I killed him. Know that just because he was the son of the Supreme Leaders, it didn’t excuse him from a violent and gruesome death, especially by a victim of his. Let him suffer with that knowledge in the afterlife and make him realize that he was utterly helpless and defenseless. The horrified look on his face was brief but priceless.

“You filthy half-breed,” he tried to snarl at me, but he was far too weak from the beatings I had given him to retaliate.

He died soon after, and I left his corpse there for the other shazzles to find. I sang my siren song again to serenade them all. I couldn’t find Vanda, the Supreme Lady, but I did find her husband. His death was almost as brutal as Zal’s, but not much. As I sang, I grabbed my sword for the first time and stabbed him in the stomach with it. That bastard of a shazzle didn’t so much as object; he just died with a wound in his stomach. Now with the Holy Shazzlin Sword in my hands, I kept singing until I was far away enough from the Shazzle Realm to where I couldn’t be reprimanded. Finally, my Bloodlust disappeared, my features returned to normal, and my mind was clear again. The Bloodlust features floated off my body in the form of purple fairy dust and transformed into a Bloodlust symbol that now rests on my left bicep like a permanent tattoo (big, bold black sword with red drops of blood on the blade). From that then on, I took residence in the Terrible Tunnel with the sword that now belonged to me. My sword. Despite how dangerous and ruthless shazzles are in nature, none of them had ever gone into the Terrible Tunnel. Why? I don’t know. I’ll admit it was intimidating at first, but with my sword, I was able to manage. Now here I am, 5 years later, and I’ve managed to make everything here fear me. They know not to mess with me. I sighed indifferently, the events now a distant memory in my mind. However, I never stopped grieving over my parents. I still miss them. I finally arrived at my invisible bubble of a shield and pressed my palm against it to enter my otherwise peaceful home. Though it was technically in a different dimension. This serene dojo with a calming river, summer sunshine beating down on me, the fields of fully-bloomed flowers stretched out into the horizon, and the sounds of birds chirping happily. This place was a manifestation of my happy place. A place of solace. Away from all the negativity of my past. Something I imagined into a reality, though hidden from the rest of the world. I never expected to make friends at all. But that all changed when I heard the voices of Boober and his friends. Had I done jack shit, Gobo would not be here today. But I couldn’t have another dead fraggle on my conscience. Not after hearing the cries of my dad as he burned to death on that stake with my mother. I then thought about Boober again. But it was impossible to remember him without remembering the kisses Sidebottom left all over my neck and jawline, and I blushed again.

“Crap,” I whispered.

Some archery may take my mind off of the whole thing. I held up my sword, and it transformed into a bow. And I walked around to the back of my house, where my obstacle course was. There were dummies that renewed themselves after every session. Getting my bow ready, an arrow appeared on it, and I pulled the string back. It strained for a minute as I focused my depth perception on the dummy a few feet in front of me. Then I released it as the arrow flew right into the dummy’s face, making it wobble slightly.

“Bullseye,” I said while smirking.

I shot arrows for a long time until I got bored with archery and decided to do hand-to-hand combat with my dummies. I punched them furiously, imagining them as Zal and the other shazzles I grew up with. Along the way, I began using my powers to break them. It started with my fire-bending abilities, then earth-bending, air, and lastly water. Though the water only got the dummies wet, I still considered it a useful attack. I kept at it until the sun began to set, and I decided to call it a day on my pastime. My long-fired arrows disappeared and returned to my bow before it changed back into a sword, and my damaged dummies returned to mint condition. Then I climbed on top of my house to get a good view of the sunset, despite my exhaustion. Watching the sunrise and descending from a rooftop was nothing new to me, but I guarantee that it was a first for Boober. However, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to watch another sunset or sunrise without him coming to mind. Not after the intimacy that occurred. But the weirdest thing about this, I liked it. The way his lips pressed against my skin and his red hair tickled me, and how gentle he was with me. My face heated up again, and my tail wagged behind me. I smiled a bit too while admiring the hues in the sky as the sun slowly disappeared behind the horizon.

“For someone so skittish, he sure does know how to make somebody want him.”

End of Jessa’s POV

Chapter Text

Boober’s POV:

Stupid stupid stupid!!! I vigorously scrubbed clothes against the washboard, still feeling guilty about what Sidebottom pulled. That’s the last time I let him assist me with my love life! I never should have enlisted his help in the first place. I know Jessa said not to worry, but not doing so has never been my forte. I worry a LOT! I can’t help it. And I bet Jessa thinks I’m a huge pervert. She has every right to think so too. I’m amazed that she didn’t strangle me right on the spot. She said she wasn’t mad at me, but I can’t help but wonder. I took the clothes I was washing out of my wash tub, watching the sudsy water rain down off the fabric before squeezing it and attaching it to the clothesline with clothespins. After hanging it up, I sat down and watched the clothes dry on their own. Watching the sunrise with Jessa this morning, with just her and nobody else. It was romantic. I wanted so badly to cuddle her, kiss her, and hold her hands. But I fought the urge. I knew Jessa would try to get away from me if I tried. So I just sat at a distance. I was still put off by Sidebottom violating her personal space. Letting him interact with Jessa was a big mistake on my part. I had plenty of alone time watching the laundry dry until Wembley showed up.

“Boober, there you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

“Why?”

I tried not to sound too bothered, but I don’t think I hid it very well. He sat down next to me while I stared aimlessly at the clothesline.

“Red’s going to do her stunt on the slide. Wanna come?”

“Maybe after the laundry dries.”

The truth is I didn’t want to. I wasn’t in the mood. This is normal for me, though. I’m the most pessimistic fraggle in Fraggle Rock. Also, I couldn’t stop thinking about Jessa. I worried that she’d never return after what happened in the gorg's garden. Sidebottom ruined everything for me, like always.

“What’s wrong, Boober?” Wembley asked me, catching me off guard.

“Nothing.”

I couldn’t tell Wembley what happened. He may be my pal, but how could I explain something like kissing my crush without her consent?! This was an unforgivable act. I turned to Wembley as he gave me a worried look. I wish I could tell him, though. I need to get this off my chest.

“Do you ever do something without thinking and regret it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Jessa and I were in the gorg’s garden last night,” I began. “and, well… I kissed her.”

“On the lips?”

“No, on the neck. But she wasn’t expecting it. It took her off guard.”

Wembley gave me a blank stare, which only made me feel worse.

“And now I’m worried she thinks I’m a creep.”

“You’re not a creep, Boober.”

“I didn’t have Jessa’s consent, Wembley!”

“Okay then maybe you are a creep.”

I let out a defeated whine and banged my head against the wall, only to rub my head afterward.

“So it’s true then. Jessa does think that about me.”

It wasn’t so surprising, to say the least. I may not have been physically present, but Sidebottom is still my responsibility. He was in my body, kissing Jessa and making her uncomfortable. And I could do nothing to stop him.

“I’m doomed.”

“I’m sorry Boober, I don’t know what to say.”

“Come on, you two!” I heard Gobo say. “Red’s about to do her stunt.”

Wembley left with him, but I stayed behind. I then heard Mokey coming up behind me, which was good because I needed her insight on this issue.

“What’s the matter, Boober?” She asked.

I turned around to face her and sighed.

“Did you hear what I was telling Wembley?”

Mokey shook her head in response.

“Last night, I was in the gorg’s garden with Jessa, and I kissed her.”

Mokey gasped.

“Oh Boober! How romantic!!” She said happily before pausing. “Um, why were you in the gorg's garden?”

“I don’t know. It just happened.”

The location was all Sidebottom's idea, but Mokey doesn’t know about him, so I’m not sure she would understand.

“So why are you upset about it then?”

“Because I did it without her consent. Not on purpose, it was an accident.”

“Oh Boober…”

“And now I’m scared she'll never want to come back and see me ever again.”

“Aw, did she yell at you?”

“No. She said she wasn’t mad at me. Jessa forgave me so easily. But I wonder if that isn’t the case.”

“Well if Jessa says she isn’t angry at you, then that’s a good thing. It means she was able to forgive you.”

I sighed, remembering Jessa’s words.

“I just hope she comes back.”

“She will, Boober. Jessa will return, and everything will go on like normal.”

I watched Mokey go on to watch Red’s stunt. Again, I remained in the laundry room, not having any interest in joining my friends. I continued to watch my laundry dry while they all played.

I lay in bed later that night and thought about my love life. Before Jessa, there were 2 specific fraggles I had previous romantic interactions with. Mokey was one of them. We decided to give it a go for a bit, but it eventually became clear that there was no romantic or sexual chemistry between us. By the end of it, Mokey and I both realized that we loved each other more like siblings than anything else and broke up, but on good terms. I’m just glad that we’re still friends, though I’ve never known Mokey to be bitter about anything. The other was Tosh. I had a thing for her for a short while until I found out that she was a lesbian and was dating Lou, another fraggle whom Wembley was crushing on. This sad realization alone is what brought Wembley and me closer together as friends. We were both upset that our respective crushes were gay and dating each other. Wembley sympathized with me and we talked it out. To say that I felt terrible for him as well would be an understatement. Our friendship has been even stronger since then. Now I consider Wembley a very close friend and I will never forget that talk we had. Given these past experiences, I began to feel insecure about my growing feelings for Jessa. I need to know, will she ever be interested in me? Especially after what happened with Sidebottom. I don’t deserve her. I rolled over and sighed loudly. Another thing I’m worried about is Jessa finding out that I like her. It’s bad enough that my friends already know (except Red), but if she were to know, I would never hear the end of it. She won’t reciprocate. Jessa will reject me and find someone else. I hoped that wouldn’t be the case because I love her. She stole my heart in a way that I can’t describe. Seeing her take on the gorg and the Fearsome Beast only made my feelings grow stronger. I don’t know what kind of trials Jessa faced in the Terrible Tunnel to become so desensitized to what I and the other fraggles fear, but she’s the bravest fraggle I’ve ever met. Thoughts of her continued to race through my mind until I finally fell asleep.

End of Boober’s POV

Chapter Text

Jessa woke up in her bed the next morning, staring aimlessly up at the ceiling. Her hair was still down due to a lack of a hair tie thanks to Sprocket, and she had yet to change out of her halter top and long skirt. She then sat up in her bed, stretching and cracking her bones before getting up and walking to her full-length mirror. Her hair still hung below her waist as she shoved some behind her ear and sighed.

“I need another hair tie.”

Jessa turned around and looked at the folded clothes Boober had given to her, walking towards them and picking up her shirt. She buried her face into it, inhaling the scent of the laundry soap Boober had used. She had got a whiff of his scent when Sidebottom smooched her on the roof of the gorg's castle, and to be honest, he smelled good.

“It smells just like him,” she said out loud, her voice muffled by the fabric.

After a few minutes, Jessa removed her shirt from her face and unfolded the sleeves, an idea immediately coming to her head. Jessa grabbed one sleeve and ripped it off, then the other, tying them tightly together and making a makeshift hair ribbon. After putting it together, Jessa took out her sword and transformed it into a hairbrush, flipped her hair forward, and wrapped her sleeves around it, putting her hair back up into a ponytail and brushing it.

“Feels so good to have my hair out of my face,” she said after doing her hair. “When was the last time I ever needed sleeves anyway?”

Now her crop top looked more rugged with the sleeves ripped off, but Jessa liked it better that way. She took off her skirt and halter top and changed into her black ripped skinny jeans and black crop top. While she was fastening her boots, her left bicep began to itch.

“Damn it!” Jessa cussed before scratching.

As she did, purple flakes crumbled off, revealing her Bloodlust symbol.

“No, why now?!”

Jessa finished putting her shoes on before getting another glimpse of her reflection. The tsundere berry juice she used to conceal her Bloodlust symbol had started to crumble off.

“Looks like I’ll be making a trip to the Tsundere Caves.”

Jessa was annoyed that her plans to come back to Fraggle Rock were put on the back burner because of her need to hide her true identity. Nevertheless, she grabbed her sword holster and buckled it around her waist, locking up her house and exiting her homey bubble into the Terrible Tunnel. It was going to be an all-day affair, and while Jessa normally didn’t mind the long trip, today it bothered her. She had a plan, though; stock up on tsundere berries and get the hell out of there and back to her house. So she began her journey.

It was noon by the time Jessa returned to her house with loads of tsundere berries, but she was happy with the quantity. As soon as she entered her house, she got to work on scrubbing off the old tsundere berry juice and applying freshly squeezed juice to her arm where her Bloodlust symbol was. Once the procedure was done, Jessa relaxed on her bed and let it dry. But she was lacking in patience. Of all times to renew her symbol mask, why did it have to be today?!

“Come on, dry off already!!” She yelled.

Jessa then sighed in frustration. Maybe she could air-bend the juice dry.

“That’ll speed it up.”

Jessa bounced off her bed and ran outside, summoning the wind to blow on her bicep. The wind was strong, but effective as the last of the moisture dried up. Her black ponytail flew behind her, and her eyes glowed yellow from the air-bending power within her. As soon as Jessa could no longer feel any wetness, she stopped the wind and smiled smugly.

“I should've done this years ago.”

Finally, she could go visit the fraggles. Visit Boober. Jessa pushed back the memories as she ran to Fraggle Rock, slaying any hostile creatures that got in her way. Nothing was going to stop Jessa from coming back.

Boober walked around the Great Hall, already having finished whatever laundry he had to clean. Despite what Mokey told him, he still doubted that Jessa would return. This saddened him greatly, and he continued to wander around until he saw her casually walk out of the Terrible Tunnel. Jessa was back in her crop top, jeans, and boots with her sword and holster intact. Boober instantly perked up when he saw her, his heart racing. Jessa took a few steps forward, pretending to look bored and apathetic when she was actually happy to be back there.

“Jessa!”

Before she could have a chance to respond, Boober ran up to her and hugged her tightly, grinning while his tail wagged and baloobius glowed brightly. Jessa froze, startled by this greeting, but it felt so… nice. Being hugged. Something she had never received from a nonrelative. Her expression softened the more Boober hugged her.

“I didn’t realize I would be missed this much,” she finally managed to say while returning his hug.

Boober blushed, not wanting to let go of her.

“I didn’t think you would come back,” he admitted, inhaling the scent of the laundry soap on her clothes.

“Why would you think that?”

“Because of what happened in the gorg’s garden.”

“You’re still upset over that?”

Boober looked at her with a solemn expression before looking away, but he still held Jessa.

“Hey,” she began softly while cupping his face, making Boober blush deeply. “We talked about this. I’m not mad at you. If I were, I would have you 6 feet under by now. Why do you think you’re still alive?”

Boober didn’t want to think about what Jessa was capable of with her sword or without it if she were to retaliate physically. If this girl could make it back from outer space unharmed and shoot a gorg in the gut with lightning bolts from her sword, who knows what she would do to him?

“Like I said, you weren’t yourself,” she said a minute later.

“But I invaded your personal space.”

Jessa sighed sadly and hugged him tighter, which oddly made him feel better.

“Boober, I don’t know what to say that will convince you otherwise.”

Boober remained silent, enjoying the hug.

“I’m just glad you’re here, Jessa,” he said softly, burying his face into her neck.

“Can’t imagine a better place to be.”

They stood there and hugged each other, smiling and blushing the whole time. Boober felt all of his anxiety melt away the longer he stayed in her arms and sighed happily. For the first time in her life, Jessa let her guard down. Despite her shazzle upbringing, she couldn’t help but be vulnerable around Boober. He nuzzled her before noticing the changes in her shirt.

“Jessa, what happened to your sleeves?” He asked while fiddling with the ripped fabric where her shoulder was.

“Made a hair tie out of them. Stupid beast broke my old one.”

Boober remembered. He remembered clearly when Sprocket snatched her hair tie while she was running from him. It was a miracle she didn’t get eaten.

“Besides, I can’t remember the last time my sleeves have ever served me a vital purpose when they were still on my shirt.”

Boober still played with her now sleeveless top, enjoying the snuggles. Soon though, their tender moment was interrupted.

“Boober!” Gobo shouted. “There you are!”

Gobo stopped as soon as he saw him with Jessa.

“Oh sorry, was I interrupting something?” He asked them.

“Nah, I just got here,” Jessa replied while letting go of Boober.

“Good, because I found this map my Uncle Traveling Matt had in his diary.”

“What’s it of?”

“It’s a mysterious cave full of strange berries.”

Boober let go of Jessa so she could investigate the map.

“What all kind of places has that uncle of yours been to, Gobo?” she asked him.

“Everywhere in Fraggle Rock, pretty much. As a matter of fact, he’s explored every tunnel here. That’s why he’s now exploring outer space.”

Jessa observed the map, taking in the details and reading the notes.

“This place looks familiar,” she said before noticing the tsundere berry picture in the corner.

“Have you been there before?”

“Gobo, that’s a tsundere berry.”

“A what now?” Boober asked while walking closer to her.

“Tsundere berry. They only grow in one specific place, and it’s the location on this map. One thing I don’t understand is how Gobo’s uncle survived the Terrible Tunnel to get there.”

“What do they taste like?”

“They’re not edible, but they do have other uses. I use them as a concealer for my battle scars.”

“Gosh, I’m sorry Jessa,” Boober apologized while caressing her forearm.

“Don’t worry about it, Boober. It’s been a few years since I first got them.”

“Do you happen to know any alternative routes to where those berries are?” Gobo asked her.

“There are none. You have to go directly through the Terrible Tunnel to get tsundere berries.”

“Well count me out then,” Boober said, still rubbing Jessa’s arm. “That place is very scary.”

“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to,” Jessa replied.

“And besides, we’re not going today,” Gobo added.

Boober sighed in relief before removing his hand from Jessa’s arm.

“Hey, Jessa!” Red shouted from a distance before nearly crashing into her on her peapod zoomer.

Boober screamed while Jessa simply stepped out of the way to avoid getting hit. Red slammed into a wall, making the others wince.

“You okay, Red?” Gobo asked while kneeling over her.

Red was dazed from the fall but wasn’t injured.

“Red, are you crazy?!” Boober snapped at her. “You could’ve run over Jessa!”

“Boober relax, I didn’t turn into roadkill,” she said to him before facing Red. “Looks like paying attention isn't your strong suit.”

Gobo helped her back on her feet while Jessa looked around.

“I wonder where Mokey and Wembley are anyway,” she said out of curiosity.

“For all I know, he's still trying to decide which shirt to wear,” Boober answered her while leading her to Gobo and Wembley’s room. “But hey, that’s Wembley for you.”

Jessa laughed in response while Red and Gobo watched them.

“Did Boober just…” she began before he finished her sentence.

“Yeah, he did. Just don’t say anything.”

“No wonder he’s been acting stranger than usual.”

“Boober’s right though. You really should be more careful.”

“I was going to stop, Gobo.”

They then walked away towards the Fraggle Pond, where Red wanted to talk to him about a new stunt she made up.

Chapter Text

Wembley stood in his and Gobo’s room, still unable to decide which shirt to wear. He was about to explode mentally when Boober and Jessa walked in.

“Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said he was still trying to pick a shirt,” she said to Boober after witnessing Wembley’s predicament.

“Help me,” Wembley pleaded to Boober.

“You spent all morning doing this?” Jessa couldn’t help but ask.

“I just can’t decide.”

Jessa glanced at the two shirts, both of them identical in color, style, and design.

“They’re the same shirt,” she replied flatly.

“Wembley,” Boober began while walking closer to him. “Since I gave this one to you much more recently after washing it than that one, you should wear it.”

“You really think so?”

“You don’t want to wear a dirty shirt, do you?”

“Well, I guess I don’t. But this other shirt isn’t technically dirty.”

“No, but fabric can gather all sorts of odors easily.”

Jessa leaned back against the wall and watched them, letting Boober do all the work in helping Wembley pick out a shirt. Though if it were up to her, she would have just done the old ‘eeny meeny miny mo’ and chosen a shirt on Wembley’s behalf and called it a day. But Boober had a different tactic. He worked with Wembley on it and helped him decide. Luckily it didn’t take long and soon enough, Boober and Jessa had exited the room to give Wembley privacy to change.

“That was nice of you to help him out,” Jessa said to him.

“One thing about Wembley, he can never make a decision.”

“No shit.”

“But he has a heart of gold.”

They walked closer to Mokey and Red’s room where the former was starting a new painting, humming away.

“Knock knock, Picasso,” Jessa spoke as she and Boober entered the room.

“Oh Jessa, you're back!!” Mokey greeted her happily.

“Of course, I’m back. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Boober and Mokey gave each other a knowing look while Jessa was seemingly clueless.

“Whatcha paintin’?” She asked.

“A portrait of us. I’m all ready to get started, except I’m missing one shade of paint.”

“What color?” Boober asked her.

“Well…” Mokey began while holding up Jessa’s arm. “I need the same shade of purple as Jessa.”

“Where do you get your paint?” She asked her.

“I make them myself. But I ran out of purple yesterday and I don’t have all the ingredients to make anymore.”

Jessa then glanced down at the spot on her left bicep where her Bloodlust symbol was now masked by tsundere berry juice and got an idea.

“Mokey, I think I have an answer to your problem.”

Jessa and Gobo set out in the Terrible Tunnel to gather tsundere berries, but not before Boober gave her one of his lucky charms. Jessa looked down at the bracelet he had put on her right wrist, blushing at the gesture.

FLASHBACK:

“Wait, if you two are going in there at least take a Lucky Flower Pot with you.”

“Boober!” Gobo griped, not believing in any of the superstitions.

“Come on Gobo. Last time you were in there you almost got eaten by that plant.”

Boober then dug out one of his Lucky Protection Bracelets and placed it on Jessa’s wrist.

“Promise me that you’ll be careful,” he said to her while sandwiching her hand between both of his. “If something happens to you…”

Boober couldn’t bear to finish his sentence when Jessa cut him off.

“I’ll be fine, Boober,” she promised. “And Gobo will be fine too.”

“Yeah.”

“Still, you’re going in the Terrible Tunnel. Just take this with you.”

Boober gave Gobo one of his Lucky Flower Pots, much to his annoyance.

“Boober, if you’re going to give me one of your lucky charms, can it be something I don’t have to carry around?”

“Fine.”

Boober took back his flower pot and gave him a pair of orange socks.

“Put these on.”

“So just out of curiosity,” Jessa began while Gobo put the socks on his feet. “What purpose do these serve?”

“The bracelet I gave you will protect you from ghouls and anything that wants to eat your soul,” Boober told her. “As long as you’re in there, keep it on. I’m amazed it didn’t happen to you sooner.”

“Well, I do have a magic sword on me.”

Boober squeezed Jessa’s hand as if the reassurance of her sword wasn’t enough to convince him.

“Please don’t get hurt, Jessa.”

Jessa heard the fear in his voice and felt her heart shatter a little. Before she could say anything else, Boober slowly hugged her.

“Boober?” She asked, her voice soft.

Gobo watched them, knowing full well that Boober had feelings for her. Even if he wouldn’t admit it the night before, Gobo knew. He then wondered if anyone else besides Wembley knew. Up until this morning, Red was oblivious to the situation. Wembley, despite his lack of decision-making skills, knew that Boober loved Jessa. That left Mokey. Gobo couldn’t decide whether she picked up on it as well or if she was oblivious. Either way, Boober wasn’t being subtle about his crush on Jessa.

“Boober, let me tell you something,” Jessa began as he looked her in the eye. “I’ve lived in the Terrible Tunnel for 5 years. Mind you, without so much as a lucky charm.”

Jessa pointed to the bracelet still intact on her wrist.

“Five years?” Boober said, his voice shaking.

“Yeah, that long. But the fact of the matter is, I’m alive. You don’t need to worry about a thing.”

Boober sighed, withdrawing a minute later to let Jessa go into the Terrible Tunnel with Gobo. He remained at the entrance while they walked deeper into that treacherous cave, leaving only when he could no longer see Jessa.

FLASHBACK OVER:

Gobo and Jessa initiated a conversation once they were out of earshot of the rest of Fraggle Rock.

“So I take it you’re not superstitious?” Gobo asked her.

“Hell no.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t take that bracelet off.”

Jessa looked down at the bracelet Boober had given her, blushing at the memory of him putting it on her.

“What can I say? It’s a nice-looking bracelet, superstition or none.”

This wasn’t a lie. The bracelet really did complement her skin tone and go with her outfit. But there was more to it. It was the simple act of Boober offering some sort of protection alone that convinced Jessa not to remove the bracelet from her wrist. But she wasn’t going to share that information with anyone.

“You got a bracelet and I got socks.”

“At least give Boober some credit, Gobo. He was trying to help.”

Gobo was quiet for a minute before speaking again.

“So, five years?”

Jessa side-eyed him before replying.

“I guess that’s considered a lifetime by Fraggle standards. At least when it comes to the Terrible Tunnel.”

“What made you want to live here in the first place?”

“This wasn’t my choice of residence,” Jessa answered before slashing her sword through some overgrown vines to make a pathway. “I live here because my old home was anything but.”

“What happened?”

“It never was a home, Gobo. Not to me anyway.”

Jessa didn’t want to go into too much detail about her past, given how much fraggles feared shazzles. This was her secret that she was afraid to let loose.

“I’m sorry that your old home wasn’t pleasant.”

“You have nothing to apologize for. It’s been 5 years since I ran away.”

“But why the Terrible Tunnel of all places?”

“Where else would I go?”

Jessa jumped down from a ledge and continued her way, Gobo following suit.

“I wouldn’t fit in anywhere else. Where I lived before, I wasn’t accepted. Everyone thought very little of me.”

Gobo gave her a solemn expression while he listened.

“I was an outcast. That’s why I left.”

Jessa left it off there, not wanting to remember her childhood. Instead, she glanced down at the bracelet on her wrist.

“Jessa, you’re more than welcome to come to Fraggle Rock. We won’t judge you, especially not Boober.”

This worried her even more. In the short amount of time of knowing him, Jessa discovered that Boober was timid. But if he knew about her Shazzle heritage, she knew that he would never want to see her ever again. Though Jessa couldn’t blame him. Fraggles had every right to be afraid of Shazzles.

“We should be getting close to the Tsundere Caves,” she pointed out to distract Gobo from her backstory.

“That didn’t take long.”

Gobo was still curious about Jessa’s past but didn’t push it any further, sensing the discomfort in her voice when questioned.

“Good thing the only way here isn’t too far from Fraggle Rock,” Jessa said to him while opening the vines like curtains. “Here it is, Gobo. The Tsundere berry bush.”

Gobo looked on in amazement, the same way Jessa did with Outer Space. The bush was glowing a subtle indigo that illuminated the entire cave. It was located right in the center as well, some berries having fallen off the bush and lost their glow, while the ones that remained on the bush glowed brilliantly.

“So this is where tsundere berries come from.”

“That’s right.”

They both walked in slowly, Jessa leading the way around the bush. Gobo reached out to grab one, but was stopped by her.

“Don’t, unless you want third-degree burns.”

“The berries are hot?”

“The ones on the bush are. The tsundere magic is still settling inside of them. But the ones on the ground are safe to touch.”

Gobo stared at the ones on the ground before grabbing one. It had long since cooled off after falling off the bush.

“Now I know why Uncle Matt drew a berry on this map.”

“I take it that he isn’t scared of the Terrible Tunnel?”

“No, he was. But his wanderlust got to him. That’s how I ended up with a map of the Tsundere Caves.”

“Now that’s what I call dedication.”

“Honestly Jessa, I doubt the Terrible Tunnel has anything on Outer Space. I have a collection of my Uncle Matt’s postcards that he sent me.”

“How long has it been since he first went in there?”

“Man, I don’t know, 3 months?”

Gobo couldn’t remember the exact date, but he did know it occurred somewhat recently. Jessa began picking up some berries and putting them into her sword, which was shapeshifted into a bag.

“These ought to be good enough for Mokey’s painting.”

“She told you about it?”

“Yeah, Boober and I walked in when she was setting her other paints out. But she happened to be out of purple.”

Gobo joined Jessa in picking the berries, using her sack to store them in.

“She said it was a painting of you guys.”

“Did she now?”

Jessa hummed in response. Once they gathered enough berries, they decided to relax for a bit before heading back to Fraggle Rock. She sat down near the cave wall and plopped her sack down beside her, Gobo joining her a minute later.

“You know, I never did ask. Where did you get your sword from?”

Jessa glanced down at her sword in the form of a sack full of tsundere berries before answering.

“I found it after I ran away,” she lied. “It was just lying in a cave somewhere, 10 miles from here. I claimed it, and it’s been mine ever since.”

Jessa had concocted this story long before imagining her home into real life. The one that was guarded by the invisible shield. She wanted to hide the fact that she was of Shazzle descent. From using the tsundere berry juice to hide her Bloodlust symbol to sealing off her residence from anyone who dared to enter the Terrible Tunnel.

“Who would be stupid enough to leave a magic sword behind?” Gobo asked in a baffled tone.

“Beats me, but finders keepers. I’m not giving this sword back.”

“Who knows how many other magic swords are lying around here? We sure could use some when going through the gorg’s garden.”

Jessa looked away, knowing damn well there wasn’t another sword just like hers. The Holy Shazzlin sword had no other duplicates of itself. It was not made to do that. But Jessa didn’t say anything.

“I wonder if that gorg is afraid of you yet.” Gobo wondered out loud.

“It better be. I just can’t wrap my head around why it wants to thump us.”

“Gorg’s nature, I guess. I’ve never met one that actually cared about the life of a fraggle.”

Jessa lounged back against the cave wall and stretched out her legs, crossing them while Gobo stared at his map.

“Where else has your uncle explored?” Jessa asked him.

“All kinds of places, but it would take me forever to name them all. I do have his book on the caves he’s explored if you want to read it later.”

“Cool.”

“He’s actually the reason I got into exploring.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, Uncle Matt would take me to the less dangerous parts of Fraggle Rock. When I was a little boy, he took me to the Siren Tunnels.”

Jessa raised an eyebrow before he continued.

“We were far away enough from the sirens, but we could still hear their voices. They were lovely. I was lulled to sleep, and Uncle Matt carried me back home.”

Gobo smiled fondly at the memory while looking up. Jessa stared at him before smiling.

“Like uncle like nephew.”

Before Gobo could reply, a distant roar was heard.

“I guess that’s a sign that we should head back,” Gobo said, standing up.

“Yeah, not to mention that if we stay here any longer, Boober will start assuming that we’re dead.”

Without another word, Gobo and Jessa headed back to Fraggle Rock. During the trip, she noticed the lack of interference from the monsters that dwelled within the Terrible Tunnel.

“Looks like the plants haven’t found you very appetizing today, Gobo.”

“Or maybe they’re afraid of the murderer with a sword,” he joked as Jessa laughed.

“You’re a dick,” she teased before playfully punching his arm.

“Hey!” Gobo yelled before laughing.

The punch was too light to cause any bruising, much to Gobo’s relief.

“Well if I’m a dick, what does that make you?”

“Oh, I don’t know, a bitch?” Jessa answered humorously.

They both laughed while walking back to Fraggle Rock.

“I hope these berries are the right shade of purple for Mokey’s painting,” Jessa said while peeking into her bag.

“Even if they aren’t, I’m sure she’ll mix them with something to make it how she likes it.”

Boober was with Mokey, tying knots in his tail while Mokey hummed away. He tied more knots for Jessa, despite giving her his Lucky Protection bracelet earlier.

“Boober, don’t do that to your tail,” Mokey pleaded softly.

“Can you blame me for worrying?”

“Jessa will be fine.”

Boober sighed, his tail starting to cramp from all the knots he tied it in.

“One knot ensures safety for them, Mokey.”

Boober was about to tie another knot in his tail when he heard Jessa’s voice.

“We’re back with berries!” She announced before dropping her sack down on the ground.

Mokey opened it and took out a handful of berries, studying the shade of purple they were.

“This is just the shade I need. Thank you guys.”

“You’re welcome,” Gobo replied before she walked off to start her painting.

“Glad to see that you’re unharmed,” Boober said to Jessa as he took her hand.

She smiled back before noticing his tail all tied up.

“What in the name of Ragnarok happened to your tail?!” She asked with concern.

“I tied it in knots so you and Gobo wouldn’t get killed.”

“Boober, you already gave us your lucky charms,” Gobo pointed out.

“And we’re back now, so you can untie it.”

Boober attempted to loosen his latest knot, but it was stuck.

“Oh no. My tail is stuck in knots!”

Boober began to panic when Jessa put her hands on his shoulders.

“Boober, calm down!”

“How can I be calm about this? Someone untie my tail!!”

“Not it!” Gobo shouted before bolting, leaving Jessa and Boober alone with each other.

He looked at her and blushed, just as she did before they both looked away awkwardly.

Chapter Text

Boober sat on his bed, blushing out of pure embarrassment while Jessa sat behind him and untangled his tail.

“That’s one knot undone,” she said calmly before moving on to the next.

Boober didn’t say anything, aggravated that he had to be in such an undignifying position. At least they were both in the privacy of his hole as he couldn’t bear to have anyone else see.

“How are you so calm about this?” He asked her.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re untying my tail.”

“So?”

Jessa untied another knot and continued.

“I don’t see what good this did you anyway.”

“Jessa, when you tie a knot in your tail, it protects you.”

“Whether or not the superstition had anything to do with mine and Gobos' safety can be up for debate, but I do know that you’ve been cutting off the circulation in your tail.”

“Speaking of which, I’ve got that pins and needles feeling. It hurts.”

Jessa sighed.

“I’m working on it.”

Boober let her detangle the knots, still blushing. With each one untied, he felt the blood flow return.

“How many knots did you put on here?”

“A lot.”

“I’m going to let you know right now, Boober, you don’t have to tie your tail in a bunch of excruciating knots just for me.”

“But you’re alive, aren’t you?”

“That still doesn’t justify mutilating your body. And to tell you the truth, my tail hurts looking at yours.”

Boober felt yet another knot being untangled, the pain slowly disappearing. Jessa went to loosen the next one when she grabbed his tail in a way that sent a shudder down Boober’s spine, prompting her to immediately let go upon seeing his reaction.

“Looks like I struck a nerve somehow.”

Boober felt his heart racing, still flustered.

“It’s very sensitive in that area,” he managed to say.

“Sorry Boober.”

If he were being honest, he wasn’t mad. Sure, he hated it when other fraggles touched his tail. But having Jessa touch it made him melt. This is what was humiliating though. Boober had to keep his cool while she was handling the knots in his tail. It was a miracle that it didn’t wag. Maybe the weight of the knots prevented it?

“While we’re on the subject of superstitions,” Jessa began before removing the bracelet and handing it to Boober. “Here’s your bracelet back.”

He looked at it for a minute before replying.

“You can keep it.”

“Don’t you want it back?”

“I have other bracelets just like it. Also, it wasn’t just for protection.”

Boober blushed even deeper before continuing.

“It was a gift.”

He sounded so shy admitting this and Jessa couldn’t help but blush. She looked down at the bracelet in her hand before speaking.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve it, but… thanks.”

Jessa put the bracelet back on her wrist before untangling some more knots in Boober’s tail.

“So you take superstition seriously?”

“I do. I even have a book about it.”

Boober then got up to retrieve his book of superstitions and sat back down on his bed. Jessa continued untying the knots while he flipped to the superstition about tying knots in tails.

“Here it is,” he began before reading out loud. “When someone you know goes somewhere dangerous, tie a knot in your tail so that nothing can harm them.”

“Sounds painful.”

“It is. But it helps.”

Boober then grunted in discomfort.

“Sorry, this particular knot is being stubborn.”

Boober turned the page in his book while Jessa worked with the knot.

“Here’s a superstition on flower pots. I can read it if you want.”

Jessa didn’t believe a word of any superstition, but him reading his book was better than the awkward silence.

“As long as it takes your mind off these knots.”

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes.’”

Boober read the superstition while Jessa worked to untangle the difficult knot in his tail. After a few tries, she got it loose and undid it. Boober kept reading his book out loud, almost forgetting about his tail being in knots, only to remember it when Jessa unlooped his baloobius through each knot. Soon enough, his tail quit cramping and she was down to the final knot.

“Last one,” she said to Boober.

“Good.”

Boober paused his reading to feel his tail being untied, sighing in relief once Jessa loosened it.

“My work is done here,” she announced after letting go of his tail.

“Thank you, Jessa.”

“Anytime.”

“Now where was I?”

Boober looked back at his book before continuing to read. Jessa remained quiet while he read, not having any input whatsoever. She then glanced around at his belongings, wondering how he could fit so much stuff in his hole. It wasn't until Boober got to the bracelet superstition that he had her attention.

“Give this bracelet to your…”

He then blushed before skipping over the next word, which was ‘crush,’ instead replacing it with ‘friend.’

“friend when they wish to venture into spooky places.”

“That’s why you gave it to me, isn’t it.”

“Yeah.”

Boober didn’t dare go into further detail about the bracelet and moved on. Jessa listened as he read.

Meanwhile, Gobo and Wembley were in their room, hanging out. Gobo was strumming on his guitar while Wembley was relaxing in his hole.

“I wonder how Boober is taking the fact that Jessa is getting those tangles out of his tail,” Gobo wondered out loud.

“Gee, I don’t know, Gobo. What do you think?”

“To tell you the truth, Wembley, he’s probably very flustered.”

“Yeah, I bet.”

Gobo strummed away before Red came in.

“Alright Gobo, last chance. Do you want to do the High Five Swing with me?”

“Red, I already told you. It’s too dangerous.”

“Oh come on, Gobo!” Red pouted. “Who doesn’t want to high-five someone while swinging from a vine?!”

“Not me. That’s who.”

“What’s this about high fives and swinging?”

They all turned around to see Jessa leaning in the archway of their hole, Boober walking in past her and sitting down. Red then looked at her and back at Gobo.

“Jessa,” she began while walking toward her. “How would you like to partake in the High Five Swing?”

Jessa raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

“Go on.”

Boober and Wembley were sitting in the Great Hall about to watch Red and Jessa perform the High Five Swing. By this point, Boober had moved past being flustered by Jessa untying his tail.

“Alright Jessa, here’s how it’s done,” Red began. “We both run to the top of those boulders, grab a vine, swing on it, and we high-five each other when we cross paths.”

“Simple enough,” Jessa answered. “I’m game.”

Boober sighed nervously.

“She’s going to hurt herself,” he whimpered.

Red and Jessa took off running in separate directions, Jessa using her sword and morphing it into a pole vault to parkour over the gap between the boulder and the place she was at. Boober blushed and felt his heart race watching her. As soon as Jessa was on the boulder, her sword changed from a pole vault to a boomerang and she threw it. Boober’s tail began to wag as he watched Jessa’s boomerang snag a vine and return to her. Feeling the impact of his tail, Wembley grunted before scooting away.

“Anytime you’re ready, Red!” She called out while holding her vine, her sword being changed back and safely tucked away in her holster.

“How did you get there before I did?!” Red asked, baffled that somebody outran her.

“I don’t know, you tell me.”

Red rolled her eyes before grabbing her vine.

“Ready, Jessa?!”

“Ready!”

They both swung from their respective spots, Red shouting ‘Whoopee’ while Jessa swung in silence. Wembley looked over to Boober, whose attention was solely on Jessa as he blushed.

“Boober, your face is redder than a radish,” Wembley pointed out.

Boober only made a lovestruck noise in response. Jessa and Red were close enough to extend their arms and high-five each other and they did it so perfectly. Afterward, Jessa made it to the other side and kicked the wall to swing back. As soon as she was at a safe enough distance, she let go of her vine and landed on her feet, sliding and leaving a dust trail behind her.

“What’s up!” She greeted the other Fraggles in front of her.

Red landed in the Fraggle Pond with a big splash, rising a second later and smiling.

“Way to land in the water!” Jessa called out in amusement before being approached by Boober.

“Jessa, you could have broken your bones landing from that height,” he said while holding her hand.

She shrugged.

“Not the first time I’ve done shit like this.”

“Too bad Gobo missed it,” Wembley said to her.

“I’m sure Red will tell him about the stunt later,” Jessa replied just as Red made it back to where they were.

“Now that was fun!” She said before shaking herself dry.

Some of it got on the others, Boober blanching and stepping back a little, letting go of Jessa’s hand.

“Get us wet, why don’t you,” Jessa said to her.

“Eugh, Red! You got it all over me,” Boober complained.

“Boober, the water is perfectly clean,” Red replied to him.

“Not with all those germs in there. And there’s no soap!”

Boober then went off to cleanse himself of the phantom germs while Jessa, Red, and Wembley watched him leave.

Chapter Text

LATER THAT NIGHT…

Jessa’s POV:

I was amazed that Mokey and Red left my blanket and pillows as is when I left yesterday, nevertheless, I slept there again since I was too lazy to walk back to my shielded home in the Terrible Tunnel. I felt like being social anyway. After dinner, we all just kind of crashed. Boober went into his hole, Gobo and Wembley into theirs, and I bunked with Red and Mokey once again. If I’m being honest, the girls are pretty cool roommates. I watched Mokey work on her painting briefly before Red and I chatted. She was telling me about the time she and Boober almost died on his birthday, and I listened while removing my boots and socks and undoing my ponytail. I had taken off my holster and set it aside moments ago, my sword still in it.

“I thought for sure Boober and I were done,” Red told me, the memory still fresh in her mind. “But we made it out of there.”

“I can’t think of a worse day to die than on your birthday,” I replied. “Poor Boober.”

After removing my makeshift hair tie, I let my hair fall down my back. Mokey, preoccupied with her painting, didn’t bother interjecting though I knew she wasn’t too fond of that memory judging by her sad sighs. Not that I could blame her.

“Nature’s a bitch, isn’t it.”

“Not all the time,” Mokey replied.

“I thought it was a bitch that day,” Red added. “That rock avalanche trapped us in there.”

“Well, either way, you're both still alive,” I told her.

We continued to yap until Red and Mokey began a conversation about something I couldn’t relate to, so I lay back and rested my eyes and eventually fell asleep.

I don’t know why I needed those tsundere berries so badly, but I did it. I guess it was because mom said they had the power to mask anything, and it was water-resistant. Either way, I should thank her. I made my way back to the Shazzle Realm, not expecting much other than a few punches and derogatory names being thrown my way. That dipshit Zal and his lackeys always had a bone to pick with me due to me being a half-breed. But what I witnessed was much worse. My parents had been dragged out of our home against their will (by brute force, might I add) and tied to a stake. My first instinct was to scream and unleash my powers at the other shazzles.

“What the fuck are you bastards doing?!” I yelled furiously.

I got into a brawl with everyone involved in the murder, but it proved futile as the ropes they used warded against Mom’s powers. And Dad… since he didn’t possess any powers, he was unable to escape. I tried to save them, but no matter how hard I tried, I was too late. I was beaten, bruised, and on the verge of losing consciousness, and my parents were already dead. Before I could so much as stand up, everyone picked me up and was about to throw me into yet another mud pit when I woke up.

A dream. It was just a dream. More like a nightmare! I was still here in Fraggle Rock, sleeping in the same room with Mokey and Red. They were both sound asleep, but I was wide awake, hyperventilating from my nightmare, with cold sweat running down my body, and my heart beating too fast. Why did it have to happen now when I’m in the company of other people?! I then felt like throwing up, so I jumped out of bed and ran all the way to the entrance of the Terrible Tunnel, not even caring to check if anyone saw me. Once I got there, I hurled behind a small crevice and fell to my knees, my hyperventilating getting worse, and I leaned my head against a nearby stalactite. By that time, I could feel tears burning through my eyelids, and my whole body began to shake. I let the tears run down my face for a few minutes, but it would take an eternity for my breathing to settle. Well, at least everyone else was asleep and wouldn’t see me in such a pathetic state.

“Jessa?”

I flinched around and saw none other than Boober standing a few feet behind me. Great. Just great!

“What are you doing?” He asked me.

It was hard to decipher his expression since his hair hid his eyes, but I knew from the frown on his face that he didn’t find my predicament amusing in the slightest. I couldn’t stop hyperventilating though, so I didn’t answer him. Only faced away from Boober and bit my lip. I then heard him walk closer to me, cautiously, might I add. He placed his hand on my shoulder.

“Are you okay?” He asked in possibly the most gentle tone I’ve ever heard.

It nearly broke me as another tear went down my cheek. He must have seen it too, because the next thing I knew, Boober was leading me to his hole. We both sat down on his bed, though he left temporarily to make me a drink to help calm me down, and told me to wait there. So I did. Not that I could do much of anything else right now anyway. I was still too haunted by the memory/nightmare. I shifted into a fetal position, my head down on my knees while I wept some more, but not too loudly as I didn’t want any other fraggles hearing.

“Here,” I heard Boober say as I lifted my head. “This lavender tea should calm your nerves.”

I took it from him and stared blankly into it, the lavender herbs he put in there swirling around, before taking a sip.

“Thanks,” I finally managed to say.

Boober put his arm around me in response while I drank the tea. Bless his soul!

Boober’s POV:

I have never seen Jessa in such a vulnerable state. This wasn’t like her. She drank the tea I gave her but wouldn’t look at me. At least she isn’t hyperventilating and shaking anymore. I then looked at the semi-dry tears on her cheeks and wondered what upset her this much. Maybe a bad dream?

“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked her while she stared ahead aimlessly.

Jessa took a minute before she finally spoke.

“It was… a nightmare,” she said slowly. “A nightmare about a bad memory.”

Jessa then sat her tea down on my nightstand before continuing.

“When I was younger, my parents got killed. And I couldn’t save them.”

“Who killed them?”

I watched Jessa’s lips quiver before she answered.

“Everyone in the place I used to live,” she said with bitterness in her voice. “Before I ran off to the Terrible Tunnel.”

I looked down to see her fists tighten up so much her knuckles began to turn white.

“Jessa,” I said while grabbing her hands.

I wish I knew the words to express to her how sorry I was about her loss. But what could I say? All I could do now was hold her and not say anything. Jessa wouldn’t say anything else, but she did cry silently a few times. I couldn’t help but intertwine my fingers with hers once her fists loosened up and I buried my face into the side of her head. Long black hair met my face first, and I blushed. It was so soft. Such a honey! But I refrained from running my other hand through it. Jessa kept tearing up, but I hugged her. It was all I could think to do.

Jessa’s POV:

I couldn’t stop crying. The tears just kept coming. It should have been me on that stake and not my parents. They didn’t deserve any of this! Even though I got my revenge on the shazzles who took part in the killing, it still didn’t undo anything. I still have to live with the fact that I failed to rescue them. I then felt Boober pull me closer to him and hold my hand. I wish I could tell him more, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t give Boober or anyone else here any specific details. If he knew that I’m half shazzle, he wouldn’t be so inclined to help me out. If everyone in Fraggle Rock knew that, they wouldn’t have welcomed me. More tears ran down my face, but I tried to keep my crying to a minimum. After a few minutes, I rested my head on Boober’s chest, who initially flinched before wrapping his arms around me. I then felt him rub the back of my head, and my crying slowly began to subside.

“I’m sorry,” He said to me.

I hugged him in response. Boober’s scarf sort of tickled my nose, so I moved it behind his shoulder. As I did, I got a whiff of his scent: laundry soap and... hair tonic? I couldn't help but blush, but tried not to be too obvious.

Boober’s POV:

My heart began to race, and I could feel my cheeks heat up. Here I was holding Jessa while she was all snuggled up to me. It was an effort to keep my tail from wagging, though the same couldn’t be said for my baloobius as it glowed brightly. I was afraid Jessa would notice it like she did the day before, but she either didn't see the light radiating off of my baloobius or was too emotional to care. As soon as Jessa returned my hug, I massaged her head. Slowly but surely, the crying stopped. But I still played with her beautiful hair. To my surprise, she didn’t mind it. I watched each strand fall from between my fingers and land back on her. It was quiet for a while until she finally spoke again.

“I didn’t have the best childhood,” she said.

I left Jessa’s hair alone long enough to listen.

“Where I grew up, the other kids gave me a hard time. I never got invited to anything, and they always pushed me in the mud.”

“Gosh,” I replied before hugging her tighter.

“My parents and I were the black sheep among everyone else. Nobody ever liked us.”

“Why didn’t you leave sooner?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“My mom had too many memories there. Before she met my dad, she was one of the most respected citizens of our community. But then my father came into the picture. He and Mom fell in love, and since nobody else was too fond of him, they got shunned as a result. Then I came along.”

I rested my hand on Jessa’s shoulder and caressed it with my thumb.

“My existence made things worse for them. Mom lost the respect of her former friends, but she didn’t care, as she had my father and me. Her family was more important than anything else.”

“And your dad?”

“He loved mom and I just as much.”

I then rested my chin on the top of her head.

“We may have been pariahs, but we had each other. But now they’re gone.”

More tears formed in Jessa’s eyes, but her crying wasn’t as prominent as before. Good. That means the tea I made for her is helping her relax.

“After their death, I saw no reason to stay. So I left and never came back. It’s been 5 years since then, and I still refuse to set foot in the place I was raised.”

“Those people don’t deserve you, Jessa.”

She looked up at me with the cutest expression I had ever seen on her face. It made my heart jump. Her eyes were fawn-like, unlike before, where they conveyed little to no emotion. Up until now, Jessa’s face remained unreadable. But now she has this sad and adorable look on her face. I couldn’t help but place my hand on her cheek.

Jessa’s POV:

I blushed when Boober cupped my face.

“They didn’t know what they had,” he said softly.

This took me by surprise, and I looked away, not knowing how to respond. But what Boober said was sweet. I then felt his thumb caress my cheek, to which I blushed harder in response.

“Did the tea help?” He asked me as I made eye contact with him (or tried to).

“Yeah, a little bit,” I replied before laying my head back down. “Thanks for making it.”

“Lavender is known to reduce anxiety.”

“Good to know.”

Boober’s POV:

We continued cuddling, except now we were lying down. Jessa was on top of me while I held her. Even though this wasn’t planned at all, I couldn’t help but feel… content. Happy even. Like I had everything I ever wanted right here in my arms. I didn’t want Jessa to leave, then I would start missing her. So I savored the moment. I tightened my hold on her while she released a sigh. Her hair was sprawled out everywhere as I began to run my fingers through it yet again. In response, Jessa nuzzled my neck, which made me grin. I felt a blush coming on my face as I looked down at her, only to see a slight smile working its way onto her face. God, she is so pretty! I buried my face into her scalp, wanting to kiss her badly. But I refrained, remembering the incident with Sidebottom. It still boggles me how Jessa was willing to let that go. It still bothers me, but not nearly as much. I kept playing with Jessa’s hair while she slowly drifted off into a nice, relaxing slumber. I thought about waking her up and sending her back to Red and Mokey's room, but seeing Jessa sleep so peacefully at last kept me from doing so. What if she had another bad dream and needed my comfort? At least then she wouldn’t run back to the Terrible Tunnel and sob. I would already be here for her to cry on my shoulder. And maybe make her some more lavender tea. I knew in the back of my mind that these were only justifications for keeping Jessa here with me, but I was also prepared for that scenario to happen again. I finally fell asleep, still holding Jessa close to me. Before I did, I couldn’t help but wonder, why were she and her parents hated so much? Did they do anything wrong, or were they just unlucky? Jessa has yet to tell me that. Maybe she will eventually. But if she is a criminal of some kind, I need to work on my taste in women. However, I have yet to see Jessa do anything bad. I don’t think even striking that gorg with a lightning bolt counts as unruly behavior. She did it to save Wembley and Mokey from getting thumped. She bought Gobo time to get away from that Fearsome Beast and killed the plant that tried to eat him. And she saved me from falling to my death. Maybe she isn’t a criminal after all. Just got dealt a bad deck of cards in life.

End of Boober’s and Jessa's POV

Chapter Text

Jessa was already gone by the time Boober woke up, but he did find a note from her in the spot she slept in. He picked it up and read it.

“Went out to the gorg's garden. I hope you slept well. I appreciate what you did for me last night. You’re really sweet,” he read out loud, blushing at the last sentence.

Boober felt his tail wagging, but he let it since he was in private.

“Sweet huh?” He said to himself before grinning like a dork, his baloobius glowing.

Jessa had woken up early and ventured out into the gorg’s garden, sitting on top of the rock and changing her sword into a bow to shoot some arrows at an apple hanging from a nearby tree, trying to get it down. While she was doing this, she kept thinking about last night. Cuddling with Boober. She hadn’t meant for that to happen, but it did. After one of her arrows landed in the apple, another one spawned on her bow, and Jessa prepared to fire it when she heard Boober’s voice.

“You’re up early,” he said to her.

“I take it you read my note?”

“Yeah, I did.”

Boober blushed, remembering what she wrote about him. Jessa shot another arrow at the apple, but it clung to the branch.

“Dang it,” she said quietly as Boober sat beside her, his Lucky Walking Stick in his hand.

He wasn’t sure how to initiate a conversation with her, especially after last night. So instead, Boober watched Jessa draw back the string on her bow, another arrow intact. He saw the concentration on her face as she let go of the string, the arrow flying across the garden and hitting the apple, but the impact was too light to loosen it from the tree.

“Looks like I’ll have to use the crossbow.”

“Aren’t you worried about the gorgs coming outside?”

“The gorgs are still asleep, Boober. Listen.”

Boober listened just as Pa Gorg snored loudly.

“Jeez, sounds like they need a C-Pap machine.”

Jessa giggled in response.

“People in China can hear all that snoring,” she joked.

Her bow morphed into a crossbow as Boober watched, an arrow spawning out of nowhere right onto it.

“Where do those arrows even come from?” He asked her.

“From within the sword,” Jessa replied before firing the arrow. “This thing has a lot of storage capacity.”

The arrow pierced through the apple and it finally fell from the tree and tumbled around in the grass.

“Finally,” Jessa said before sliding down the rock to retrieve it.

Boober watched Jessa roll her apple back to where he was and haul it up the rock. All of the arrows she fired had disappeared and her crossbow changed back into a sword. When she was close enough, Boober got up and assisted her.

“Thanks, Boober,” Jessa said to him.

Boober’s POV:

How is Jessa so physically strong?! The apple she shot out of the tree is the same size as her. I helped her lift it back up the rock, but my strength (or lack thereof) is not great compared to hers. Jessa took her sword and carved a small piece of apple to eat as soon as we got it to where it wouldn’t roll off the rock. I declined when she offered me some because it had been on the ground. The last thing I want in my system is germs. Yuck!!

End of Boober’s POV

Jessa took a bite out of the piece of apple she cut for herself while Boober watched her, noticing that her sadness and trauma from last night were gone. As if it never happened. Jessa was back to being the cool and emotionless fraggle he initially knew her to be. The lavender tea may have helped. Still, it was so strange to see her go from shaken to completely fine in the span of a few hours.

“So…” Boober began while Jessa chewed on her apple. “How are you feeling now? You know, after last night.”

“Better, I guess,” Jessa replied after swallowing her bite. “It’s just pathetic that you had to see me like that.”

“How?”

“I’m not known for breaking down so easily. Everyone knew me as this hot-tempered fighter who never backed down from anything, so it’s incredibly rare that this happens.”

“You don’t have to be strong all the time, Jessa.”

Jessa stared down at the half-eaten apple chunk in her hand and sighed.

“Yes, I do,” she thought.

All her life, she had to be the strong one. For her parents. She had to be their protector against the other Shazzles. She had to mask her emotions for the sake of the people she cared about. Her thoughts were interrupted by Boober placing his hand on top of hers.

“It’s not good for your health to fight all the time,” Boober said to her softly. “You end up with scars and trauma.”

“I know.”

Boober faced Jessa to see her now fiddling with her apple piece rather than eating it. She stared down at it with discontent, as if she had completely lost her appetite. After a few minutes, she chucked it down in the grass.

“I wonder what’s going to be on my itinerary today,” she said to nobody in particular.

“I know mine is going to consist of laundry,” Boober replied to her. “And if I’m lucky, maybe somebody will bring me a huge basket full of socks.”

“You sure do like laundry.”

“I do. There’s just something so safe and comforting about soapy water.”

Jessa looked at him as he went on.

“And there are no germs in there. Everything is clean.”

Boober began to go into depth about laundry while Jessa listened. She had never seen him this happy about something. It honestly made her blush a little. Boober began describing which soaps were best for certain fabrics when he noticed her expression and paused mid-sentence. His anxiety began to kick in upon assuming she found his laundry talk boring.

“Ah, never mind,” he said to her before turning away.

“Who said you had to stop?” She asked him.

Boober turned back around to face her.

“You looked like you were getting bored.”

“Hearing you talk about it takes my mind off the other stuff. Feel free to continue.”

Boober was quiet for a minute before continuing, albeit more bashfully.

Some time had passed, but Boober and Jessa remained in the same spot. The gorgs have yet to come out of their castle, much to Boober’s relief.

“Those gorgs are lazier than Basset Hounds on a summer day if they haven’t come out yet,” Jessa commented.

“I hope they stay lazy while we’re out here.”

“Especially that brown one. What’s his deal anyway?”

“I couldn’t tell you, Jessa.”

Jessa ate more of her apple before standing up to kick the core off the rock. Boober was impressed with how hard she managed to kick it as it went soaring almost to wear the Trash Heap was.

“Nice kick,” he said to her.

“Thanks.”

Jessa sat back down next to Boober and faced him.

“I know I mentioned it in the note, but I can't thank you enough for comforting me. It means a lot.”

Boober blushed at the memory of cuddling her but tried to not let it be too obvious.

“I couldn’t let you suffer.”

Jessa blushed, touched by this.

“Can we keep this between us?” She asked.

“Sure.”

Boober wasn’t planning on telling anyone anyway. Not only for Jessa’s sake, but he also didn’t want the other fraggles to get the wrong idea. The cuddling was something he planned to keep to himself.

“Well, that laundry isn’t going to wash itself,” Boober said while getting up. “I better see to it. Let’s get out of here before the gorgs see us.”

“I think I’ll stay out here a little longer. You can go if you want though.”

“Please don’t get captured,” Boober pleaded.

“I won’t. And if I do, I can just use my sword and break whatever trap they put me in.”

Boober then glanced down at the bracelet he had given to Jessa, still intact on her wrist. At least she still wore it.

“I’ll be washing socks if you need me,” he said before leaving.

Once Boober was gone, Jessa stared straight ahead and sighed heavily. Since it was just her now, she had the freedom to explore around the garden. Jessa stood up and glanced at the castle to make sure there were no gorg's about. None. So she slid down the rock and parkoured onto the grass. The wind blew on her face and her ponytail flew behind her while she observed her surroundings, putting her hands on her hips.

“How big is this garden anyway?”

Chapter Text

Had Jessa not been at the risk of anyone seeing her, she would have summoned her wings and gone flying. The weather was beautiful today. The sun was shining, there were no clouds in the sky, and it was in the mid-70s. Maybe she could take off if she got far enough away from Fraggle Rock and the Gorg's castle. Jessa began walking away from the rock when she heard the door open.

“Crap,” she whispered before jumping into a pile of leaves.

Junior walked out, humming absentmindedly and carrying a shovel and a sack of compost. Jessa didn’t want to stick around to watch him plant, so she escaped from the other side of the leaf pile. She kept her footsteps quiet so as not to draw any attention to herself. Jessa stayed where she was as soon as she was a good distance from Junior, though she unknowingly got Philo and Gunge’s attention.

“You are in the presence of,” one of them began as Jessa flinched around.

“The all-knowing,” the other said before they talked in unison.

“Trash Heap! Meh!!!”

Before Jessa could reply with a snarky comeback, the pile of trash beside them began moving and rising slowly. Soon, Marjorie’s face was visible and she made eye contact with Jessa.

“Hello, young fraggle,” The Trash Heap greeted her. “What wisdom can I offer you today?”

“Wisdom?”

“Of course. You came here for a reason, didn’t you?”

“Oh! I wasn’t seeking advice. I was trying to get away from the gorg.”

Gunge and Philo turned their heads towards Junior, who was still messing about in the garden.

“I didn’t mean to intrude on your turf like this.”

“Nonsense!” Marjorie replied. “Everyone is welcome here.”

“It’s true,” Philo added.

The Trash Heap then took out her handheld glasses to get a better look at Jessa.

“You’re a very pretty young fraggle,” she said, causing Jessa to be slightly embarrassed.

Before she could reply, Marjorie noticed her sword.

“That’s a nice sword you got there.”

Jessa looked down at her sword in its holster.

“Oh, this?"

“It looks familiar.”

Jessa’s heart skipped a beat.

“What about it strikes you as familiar?”

“That sword looks very similar to the Holy Shazzlin Sword. But I haven’t seen a shazzle around here in 3 centuries.”

“So you know about shazzles?”

“Oh yes. I know everything. After the war, the fraggles won the rights to the gorg’s garden. And the shazzles, well, they ended up having to find nourishment elsewhere.”

“I’m well aware.”

“You are?”

“Yeah. I was taught that from a young age.”

Marjorie set her handheld glasses down and hummed contemplatively.

“Are you a shazzle?” Gunge asked Jessa.

She was silent for a minute, shame in her eyes.

“So that is the Holy Shazzlin Sword then,” Marjorie said.

“Technically, I’m a half-breed.”

Philo and Gunge gasped in unison.

“Oh?” Marjorie asked.

“Yeah, it’s a very long story.”

Jessa turned away, the shame written all over her face.

“You’re not very genocidal for a shazzle.”

“I don’t have any plans on manslaughter if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“None?”

Jessa shook her head in response.

“I have nothing to gain from killing anyone. And besides,” Jessa took out her sword and held it up in full view. “This sword is usually for recreational purposes.”

“Far better use of it than taking the lives of others.”

Jessa then put it away into her holster before the Trash Heap continued.

“Do the fraggles know this about you?”

“No. And to tell you the truth, I don’t want them to know. It’s none of their business and even if it was, they wouldn’t understand.”

“You said you were a half-breed, did you not?”

Jessa nodded.

“I’m part shazzle and part fraggle.”

“A shazzle and fraggle hybrid,” Marjorie said slowly. “How about that?”

“You say that like it’s a good thing.”

“While it isn’t socially acceptable for a fraggle and shazzle to start a relationship with each other, I personally have always wondered what would happen if they did.”

“Do you want to know? Other than the fact that I’m standing right here?”

“Is there more to it?”

“Unfortunately.”

“We’re listening," Philo said to her.

“When my parents met each other, they were met with judgment from their respective loved ones. Mom lost her friends and Dad was estranged from his older brother. Nobody else approved of their romance. And things only got worse once they had me.”

Jessa tried to not dwell on her childhood too much as she told her story.

“The other shazzles didn’t respect me due to my heritage. There wasn’t a day that passed by that I didn’t get pushed in the mud and called a slur of some kind. But I always fought back. Things always ended in a brawl. But then they killed my parents.”

“Who?” Marjorie asked.

“The other shazzles. They couldn’t let the union between my parents go even after so many years. They were tied to a stake and burned to death.”

Jessa stopped her story there so she wouldn’t break down crying. Plus, she wanted to leave out the part about her Bloodlust.

“This is why I don’t associate with other shazzles. They all suck.”

“I can understand why.”

Jessa stared down at the grass, her fists tightening up in rage once again.

“I’m sorry about your parents.”

Her fists loosened as she slowly looked up at the Trash Heap, who had a sympathetic look on her face.

“It’s been 5 years… since they died and I left the Shazzle Realm. I have no desire to return.”

“Fraggle Rock is a much better residence anyway,” Gunge interjected.

“I live in the Terrible Tunnel.”

“Why there?” Philo asked her.

“Because both shazzles and fraggles won’t go in there, for one thing. And I doubt the fraggles would have welcomed me in the first place had they known.”

“You don’t have to tell them right now,” Marjorie said to Jessa. “But sooner or later, your friends will find out. One way or another. If you want to keep your shazzle heritage a secret, don’t use your powers in front of them. And the sword-”

“They don’t know that it’s a Shazzlin sword,” Jessa pointed out. “They’re all under the impression that it’s a random magic sword that I found in a cave.”

“But if you wish to maintain your friendships with the fraggles, you’ll have to come clean at some point. Keeping secrets from the ones you care about has rarely led to anything beneficial.”

Jessa looked away.

“Don’t let your past destroy your future.”

“The Trash Heap has spoken,” Philo and Gunge said in unison.

“Thanks for hearing me out.”

“Anytime, uh… what should I call you?”

“Jessa. My name is Jessa.”

“That’s a rather lovely name.”

Jessa smiled weakly while Marjorie sank back into her hole, walking away a second later. Junior had gone back inside the castle, allowing Jessa to walk across the garden undisturbed.

“‘Don’t let your past destroy your future?’” She asked herself once she was out of earshot. “Meaning what exactly?”

Jessa then heard Junior humming as he walked back out to the radish patch, prompting her to hide under an empty flower pot. Once hidden, she peeked out to see the young gorg pouring compost onto the crops. Nothing noteworthy there. Jessa turned around and moved away from Junior very carefully while still under the flower pot, trying to make it back to Fraggle Rock unnoticed. She managed to make it a few feet before Junior stopped humming and noticed the moving flower pot.

“Fwaggle!” He said while reaching for it.

Jessa turned herself invisible in time for Junior to lift the flower pot. But when he peeked inside, he saw nothing.

“I guess there isn’t a Fwaggle in there,” Junior said to himself before setting the flower pot back down on top of her.

Jessa rolled her eyes at his low intelligence but waited until Junior wasn’t looking before she could get away. As soon as she was out of his line of sight, Jessa turned visible again and ditched the flower pot, running the rest of the way back to Fraggle Rock. She made it in there safely, landing on her feet after leaping in.

“That’s enough gorg’s garden for one day.” She said to herself while walking back to Red and Mokey’s room.

Gobo, Wembley, and Red were in the boys’ room as he read the postcard from his uncle. Wembley listened with interest, but Red groaned in boredom. Jessa walked past when she heard Gobo reading and stopped to eavesdrop.

“I have discovered a giant device that the Silly Creatures go in and it takes them up in the sky. It looks like a wheel and stands at least 50 feet off the ground. Out of curiosity, I decided to check it out. I went in one of the cabs alone and once I got up into the air, I was amazed at the view. I could see all the way out to the horizon and the sun just happened to be in the right direction. All I’ve got to say is never take life for granted. Love your Uncle Traveling Matt.”

“New postcard?”

They all turned to see Jessa standing in the archway.

“Yeah,” Gobo replied. “Red and I went up there earlier.”

“Did that beast try to get you again?”

“Not today.”

“He snuck out there and grabbed that postcard,” Red added.

“Good thing you didn’t need my help this time,” Jessa said to Gobo.

“Did your uncle Matt say what that thing he went on was called?” Wembley asked him as Jessa sat down.

Gobo looked at his postcard again for confirmation.

“No, he didn’t.”

“I don’t know why you even bother reading us those postcards anyway,” Red remarked.

“Oh come on, Red, you know you enjoy them,” Gobo teased.

“I do not!”

Jessa snickered at their bickering, catching Wembley’s attention.

“What’s so funny?” He asked her.

“The way they talk to each other. It’s like hearing an old couple argue.”

“Yes you do, Red.”

“Gobo, I would much rather eat worms from the gorgs garden than listen to your postcards.”

Seeing her frustration, Gobo chuckled.

“Sure you would.”

Red rolled her eyes as Jessa noticed Gobo’s tail wagging while he smirked at Red.

“Gobo, your tail,” Wembley pointed out, much to Gobo’s embarrassment.

“What is it with all the dudes and tail wagging?” Jessa asked. “First Boober, and now you.”

“Hey!” Gobo shouted. “It happens to girls too.”

“Whatever, I’m up for a game of Hidey-Ho,” Red said while getting up and leaving. “Wanna play, Jessa?”

“What’s Hidey-Ho?” She asked.

Chapter Text

Boober was in his hole reading a book on diseases when Wembley and Jessa walked by.

“Hey Boober,” Wembley began as they paused in the archway. “We’re all getting ready to play Hidey-Ho.”

“Wanna join?” Jessa asked him.

“No, I’m in the middle of a fascinating chapter on viruses.”

Boober looked up at her and noticed her sword and holster were missing.

“Where's your sword?”

“It’s on my bed,” Jessa answered him. “I’m not going to need it right now.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to play, Boober?” Wembley asked.

“I’m sure.”

Jessa and Wembley exchanged a look before shrugging and walking off. But Jessa remained there a second longer.

“Boober, you’re more than welcome to play when you feel up to it.”

Boober blushed. Her tone with him was soft, making his tail wag.

“Enjoy your book,” she said before catching up with Wembley.

Boober never liked the games the other Fraggles played as they were too extreme for him. He watched Jessa walk away, his heart racing as he put his hand to his chest. Boober sighed lovingly before resuming his reading.

“I guess Boober doesn’t like Hidey-Ho?” Jessa asked Wembley once they were out of earshot.

“He doesn’t like most games. Actually, all games.”

“All?”

“Boober has his own kind of fun. Safe and cozy fun.”

“Let me guess, his words.”

“Yep.”

A moment of silence passed between them before Wembley spoke again.

“I do worry about him though. He’s always so caught up in those books and laundry. It’s like he never allows himself to have any actual fun.”

Hearing the sadness in his voice, Jessa couldn’t help but feel sympathetic.

“You’re a good friend, Wembley.”

They entered the Great Hall and soon began the game of Hidey-Ho. Red initiated the role of seeker while everyone else hid.

“Hidey!” She yelled after counting.

“Ho!!” Everyone shouted in unison.

Wembley and Jessa hid in the same place as Gobo.

“How long do you think it will be until Red catches someone?" She asked.

“Knowing her, not very long,” Gobo replied. “She’s very good at this game.”

“Hidey!”

“Ho!”

Some Fraggles even came out to run to new hiding places, but Red heard their footsteps and began chasing after them.

“I just hope I don’t become ‘it’ like I did the last time we played,” Wembley said.

“Why’s that?” Jessa asked.

“Because I can never decide which Fraggles to chase after and where to hide.”

Jessa turned back to Red just as she yelled.

“Ho!”

Gobo ran out to a different location while Jessa and Wembley stayed put, though she planned on running out after the next ‘Hidey’.

“Here’s to avoiding getting captured.” She said to Wembley before running out and stopping just a few inches from Red.

She had her back turned while yelling ‘Hidey,’ the others responded with a unanimous ‘Ho!!”

“Ho,” Jessa said a second later as Red turned around and tried to grab her, but to no avail.

Jessa leaped over Red before taking off.

“You’re not getting away that easily, Jessa!”

“Try to catch me then!”

This resulted in a playful chase between them, Gobo laughing in amusement. Mokey and Wembley watched on in amazement as Jessa began leaping up some steep rocks.

“Tell me this, Red.” Jessa began. “Is bouncing up a few levels against the rules of Hidey-Ho?”

“No, it isn’t.”

“Then I guess I’ll have to keep evading.”

Jessa grabbed a nearby vine and swung down to ground level. Red managed to find her way down but lost track of Jessa.

“Hidey!!”

“Ho!!”

Mokey ran past Red unnoticed. Jessa had found another hiding place but unknowingly bumped into Gobo.

“Ow.”

“Sorry, Gobo.”

Red came closer, prompting both of them to move deeper into the cave they were in.

“Hidey!”

“Ho!” Everyone, sans Gobo and Jessa, shouted.

“She’s coming closer,” he whispered.

Jessa began backing away without Gobo noticing, and before long, he was caught.

“You’re it, Gobo.” Red teased.

“Thanks a lot,” Gobo said to Jessa, who only giggled in response.

“You’re welcome.”

“Just you wait, Jessa,” he began while tying the blindfold onto his head. “I’m going to return the favor.”

Gobo then went out and started counting to five, leaving the girls to laugh wholeheartedly.

“One, two, three, four, five! Hidey!!”

“Ho!!”

Wembley saw his chance and ran, and amazingly, didn’t get caught by Gobo.

“Hidey!”

“Ho!”

Red and Jessa ran out of the cave but went in different directions. Red near the pond, Jessa near the Terrible Tunnel entrance. She stayed hidden there for the majority of Gobo’s run as the seeker before getting bored and running out to the other side of the Great Hall.

“Hidey!”

“Ho!”

While all this was going on, Boober walked out of his hole to watch the game from afar, but not participate in it. He just happened to see Jessa zooming right by Gobo, who turned around at the last second before chasing her. Boober felt his heart rate increase again while Gobo tried to catch Jessa. Just like in Outer Space, she effortlessly avoided all the obstacles. Boober’s tail began wagging furiously, and he blushed.

“Come on, Slowbo,” Jessa teased.

“If I'm slow, then how come I'm right behind you?!”

They laughed and continued running around the Great Hall. Boober melted at her enjoyment of the game. Gobo was about to catch her when Jessa jumped onto a vine and started climbing it, rendering Gobo unable to tag her.

“Where did you go?” He asked, only to receive no answer.

Boober watched her climb, anticipating the vine to snap at any given moment. She was almost to the top when it did, taking her by surprise. Boober gasped and was about to call out her name when she made better use of the broken vine. Jessa reacted fast and threw it around a ledge, securing it and swinging safely to the ground. Boober couldn’t believe it as he fell to his knees, his heart going 100 miles an hour. He thought for sure that she was going to be injured. Boober let out a small nervous groan while watching Jessa walk into another cave. But Gobo caught her.

“Ha! Payback for selling me out to Red and calling me slow.”

“No need to thank me,” Jessa replied humorously.

Gobo handed Jessa the blindfold and took off running. She put it on, though she decided to cheat by using her X-Ray vision. Jessa closed her eyes before opening them a second later, her pupils turning white. Since she was blindfolded, nobody could see this change, but she could see very clearly through the fabric. Boober, still recovering from his shock, watched her as she began counting.

“One, two, three, four, five!”

Jessa took a few steps before shouting.

“Hidey!”

“Ho!”

Jessa saw two Fraggles running in the distance, but didn't want to make it obvious that she could see, so she yelled again.

“Hidey!”

“Ho!”

Somebody ran past her, prompting Jessa to run after them. Seeing her chase after the fraggle made Boober’s heart go wild. He could’ve sworn he heard Sidebottom in the back of his mind.

“She sure is beautiful when playing,” he heard him say.

Boober had to agree though. He didn’t say it out loud, but what Sidebottom said was true. Jessa was beautiful. He watched her chase another fraggle around until she caught them.

“You’re it,” she said before removing the blindfold.

Jessa made sure to go back to regular vision before doing so. Once the next fraggle was blindfolded, Jessa took off. After not being able to see her, Boober went back to his hole.

“Boober, if you don’t snatch her up soon, somebody else will!” Sidebottom yelled from his subconscious.

Boober grunted in response, but he knew that Sidebottom had a point. He had to win her heart. But how? All he knew how to do was cook, do laundry, and treat sick and injured Fraggles. What purpose would that serve in attracting a mate?! Boober knew there was only one person he could ask for advice. And that was the Trash Heap.

Chapter Text

Later on, after the game of Hidey-Ho ended, Boober and Mokey walked through the gorg’s garden. Though technically he could have gone by himself, Boober was too afraid of the gorgs to risk visiting the Trash Heap alone. So he asked Mokey to come with him. That and she was the only one he confided in about having a crush on Jessa.

“Are you sure there are no gorgs out there right now?” Boober asked nervously.

“The gorgs are nowhere to be seen, Boober,” Mokey reassured him. “Now come on.”

She dragged him across the way as he whimpered nervously, scared that a gorg might spot them.

“The Trash Heap will know just what to say.”

“I hope so.”

Boober couldn’t go on much longer just admiring Jessa from afar. It was getting to the point where he was struggling to suppress his feelings. He wanted her but didn’t know how to get her to like him back. So this was his last resort. Boober and Mokey made it without being caught by any of the gorgs and were greeted by Philo and Gunge.

“You are in the presence of. The all-knowing. Trash Heap! Meh!!”

Marjorie rose to see Mokey and Boober standing in front of her.

“Hello?”

“Go on, Boober.” Mokey encouraged him.

Boober cleared his throat before speaking.

“Well, I’m really in love with this Fraggle.” He admitted sheepishly. “And I need to know how to get her attention.”

“Aw, young love.” The Trash Heap gushed. “What is she like?”

Boober was silent for a minute before responding. He wasn’t sure how to describe Jessa.

“I just… well- she’s very beautiful.” He began. “She’s not afraid of anything, very athletic, and has this sword that can change into anything. And whenever she’s around, I start to feel…”

Boober trailed off, realizing what he was about to admit.

“You feel…?” The Trash Heap pressed on.

“Happy.”

Boober struggled to say that, but Mokey heard him loud and clear.

“Aww Boober.” She gushed while grinning.

“Did you say that the Fraggle makes you feel happy?” The Trash Heap asked Boober.

He nodded and hummed in response, albeit shyly.

Philo and Gunge had a hint of who Boober was referring to but kept their mouths shut. The Trash Heap did as well but did not point it out.

“Do you know how I can woo her?”

The Trash Heap pondered for a moment before answering him.

“As a woman myself, I can tell you this; take her on a date.”

“What?”

“Girls love it when guys ask them out.”

“Do they really?”

“Take your lover girl somewhere romantic and tell her how you feel.”

“The Trash Heap has spoken!” Gunge and Philo replied in unison.

“Oh thank you so much!” Mokey thanked them on Boober’s behalf.

“Anytime, young fraggles.” The Trash Heap replied before they walked off.

When Mokey and Boober were far away enough from them, Philo and Gunge turned to the Trash Heap.

“Marjorie, should we tell him?” one of them asked.

“No. We are not to get involved.” She advised. “Let Jessa decide when it’s the right time to tell him and the rest of the fraggles the truth about herself.”

“Do you think she ever will though?”

“Only time will tell, boys.”

The Trash Heap deflated into her hole a second later. Meanwhile, Boober and Mokey were talking about the advice he was given.

“Mokey, I don’t know if I can do this,” he said to her. “What if Jessa says no? Or even worse laughs at me.”

“You’ll do fine, Boober,” Mokey reassured him. “And you don’t have to do it right now. You can do it when you’re ready.”

“Where can I possibly take her that isn’t the Great Hall? Or the gorg’s garden?”

“There’s lots of caves in Fraggle Rock that Jessa would probably like.”

“If I’m going to take her on a date, I want it to be somewhere quiet and free of danger. I don’t want us to be interrupted. Not by gorgs, and especially not by other fraggles. No offense."

“None taken.”

Boober sighed, knowing that he was going to have to think of an ideal location for a date.

“On the bright side, you have plenty of time to ponder on that while you find the confidence to ask Jessa out.”

“Or on the dark side, I get rejected.”

“Boober, you don’t know that until you ask her.”

“It’s easier said than done, Mokey.”

They made their way back into the rock, walking past the other fraggles as they carried on with their own shenanigans.

“I’ll explode into smithereens if I do. Or I’ll say something stupid, or lose my ability to speak.”

“The Trash Heap only said how to get her attention, not when to do it.”

“Yeah?”

“You can ask Jessa out at your own pace.”

Boober remained silent, pondering on Mokey’s words.

“I’m also afraid that somebody else will get to her before me.”

They continued to talk about this on their way back.

Jessa, Red, Gobo, and Wembley were in the boys’ bedroom hanging out after the Hidey-Ho game.

“I almost had you when I was the seeker,” Gobo said to Jessa.

“How the hell could you even see through that blindfold?” She asked him.

“I couldn’t, but I could still hear you.”

“I’m still blown away by her jumping onto those rocks.” Red pointed out.

“Yeah, how did you do that?” Wembley asked Jessa.

“Talent.”

Gobo then took out his fizzy drink but didn’t open it.

“Talent, huh?” Red asked her.

“Yeah, took me years to learn that trick.”

“What flavor is that, Gobo?” Red asked, pointing to his unopened beverage.

“Peach.”

Red grabbed it from him, surprising and irritating him.

“Thanks for bringing me one,” she teased.

“I didn’t get it for you!” Gobo growled before grabbing it and trying to pull it away. “Get your own, Red!”

Jessa laughed at them playing tug-of-war over the peach-flavored carbonated drink.

“Gobo, Red, stop fighting over the drink.” Wembley tried to tell them.

This didn’t do anything to ease the fight, and soon enough, the motion was enough to trigger a potential spew. Gobo took his beverage back from Red before noticing the carbonation building up.

“Now look at what you did, Red.”

“That’s what you get for not bringing two of them.”

Gobo snarled and threw it back to her.

“You can have that one then. I’m getting one that won’t spew on me.”

“No way, I don't want it now,” she said while throwing it back to him.

“You made it like this!”

Gobo tossed the bubbling drink back to Red before she yelped and tossed it to Wembley.

“Hey, don’t toss it to me!” He yelled before throwing it to Jessa.

“Me either,” Jessa said before she threw it back to Red. “You started this shit, girl!”

Soon, all 4 of them were tossing it back and forth and arguing until somebody threw the bottle up to the ceiling, the impact causing it to explode and it began spewing everywhere. They all screamed and tried to shield themselves the best they could. Jessa held a random large pillow in front of her to avoid getting sticky, which protected her pretty well. Everyone else, however, got soaked in peach soda. Not only that, but the entire room was now wet and sticky.

“Red, you owe me another peach soda!” Gobo griped at her.

Boober and Mokey showed up before anything else could be said and were surprised by what they saw.

“Why is everything all wet?” Boober asked before sniffing the air. “And peachy?”

“Ask Red,” Jessa answered him. “She started it.”

“I was just picking on Gobo,” she replied.

“Yeah, and you made a huge mess,” Boober said to her in a rather annoyed tone. “This is why you don’t eat and drink in your holes.”

“Yeah!” Wembley added in agreement.

Boober then glanced at Jessa, who was surprisingly dry after Red’s drink exploded all over them.

“How did you not get drenched?” He asked her.

Jessa held up the now wet and sticky pillow in response.

“I guess you have your work cut out for you.” She said to him.

“Now I’m all sticky,” Gobo complained. “I’m going to wash off.”

“Me too,” Wembley said before following him out.

“And I’m getting the hell out of this sticky haven,” Jessa said before leaving the room, Boober following her.

“Never thought you’d walk in on the aftermath of a game of hot potato with soda, didn’t you,” Jessa said to him.

Boober listened to her talk, blushing like an idiot.

“All I can say is that I’m not going to be the one to clean it up.”

“I’m amazed it didn’t get on your clothes.”

“Or in my hair. It would’ve taken at least a whole bottle of shampoo to get all the sticky out.”

“Now I’ll have to use all my rock soap to get the fizzy soda out of Gobo’s and Wembley’s bedsheets. And I’m already low on rock soap as it is.”

“Red owes you some more than since she had to go and fuck up Gobo’s drink.”

Jessa then went into Mokey and Red’s room to get her sword. Boober stood in the archway and watched her fasten her holster to her waist before they both headed to his room. Jessa sat on a nearby rock and watched Boober load his washtub with water.

“I just hope I have enough rock soap for both their blankets and pillows,” Boober said out loud while pouring hot water into his tub. “Maybe I have some back here somewhere.”

While Boober was looking for extra rock soap, Jessa glanced at her reflection in the water, the irises in her eyes changing from black to silver, which was her natural eye color. shazzles were known to have different eye colors, while fraggles only had black. Jessa briefly let the silver shine through before dimming her irises and changing them back to black.

“Now have I not noticed all this rock soap in the storage room?!” Boober asked before setting the huge, unopened sack down. “It must have been from when the gorgs had one of their gatherings.”

“Gatherings?”

“It happened when Mokey went out to pick a radish from their garden, and she overheard the gorgs planning a weekend-long party. So we gathered as much rock soap as we could. Because I didn’t want to get squished by a gorg.”

“I can only imagine what those big Neanderthals out there celebrate.”

“Jessa, would it be any trouble for you to open this bag?”

“Not at all.”

Boober stood back as Jessa whipped out her sword and sliced the sack open with one swipe. He blushed and felt his heart flutter from how little effort it took her to open the bag of rock soap.

“Wow, clean cut.” He managed to say while inspecting the bag.

Jessa put her sword away before Boober scooped some rock soap out and into his wash tub, the suds beginning to form.

“Now I just need Wembley and Gobo to bring their sticky sheets in here.”

Right at that moment, the boys arrived with their sticky clothes and blankets, all clean and changed into fresh clothes.

“Perfect timing,” Jessa said to Boober. “There they are.”

“Here’s all the sticky stuff,” Gobo said before he and Wembley sat it down.

“Honestly guys, if I wanted to get rained on by a spewing soda bottle, I would have put on a hazmat suit beforehand.” Jessa joked.

“Don’t blame us. It was Red.” Gobo replied. “And it’s not like you got hit.”

“True.”

“I’ll let the suds in my laundry water see to that,” Boober said while taking Gobo’s wet, sticky sheets and shoving them into the water.

“In the meantime, we'd better clean the soda out of everything else before it dries like that.”

Gobo and Wembley left, but not before Boober interjected.

“Make sure to use dish soap and not the other cleaner.” He called out. “It leaves a weird residue on the floor.”

His advice went ignored by Gobo, but Wembley took his word on it. Boober went back to scrubbing the sheet against the washboard as Jessa watched him.

“So… Jessa?” Boober began.

“Yeah?”

Now was his chance. He had to ask her out.

“You seem in a much better mood today.”

Boober mentally slapped himself. That was not what he wanted to say!

“Is that supposed to be a bad thing?” She asked.

“No! It’s just… well, last night you were sad and crying. And today you were playing Hidey-Ho with everyone else. It’s almost as if it never happened.”

“I haven’t forgotten though, Boober. I still remember what happened last night. Just because I looked happy earlier doesn’t mean that any negative feelings I have disappear.”

This struck a chord with Boober.

“I don’t show it, but the turmoil is still there.”

Boober let what Jessa said sink in like the sheet in his washtub. He scrubbed a few more times before speaking.

“You hide it very well.”

Jessa remained quiet, watching Boober scrub the sheet. What else could she say? She then lay down on the rock to rest her eyes, exhaling deeply. Boober watched the suds build up in his laundry water, some forming into bubbles and floating up in the air.

Boober’s POV:

I stole glances at Jessa resting while I scrubbed all that sticky peach soda out of Gobo’s bed sheet. What she said about her trauma still lingering within her despite appearing okay on the outside, played in my head over and over like a broken record. Frankly, I’m a little jealous that she can perfectly mask her emotions. Mine show too much. It’s a flaw of mine that I’ve never been able to address. I then thought about Jessa’s expression last night when I told her that everyone in her childhood home didn’t deserve her. That was the most emotion I’ve seen from her so far. She has such a strong poker face that it’s hard to tell what she usually thinks. As for me, I grew my hair out to hide my eyes to avoid other fraggles seeing how I felt. They can’t see my constant anxiety and fear. Not even my closest friends can know the terror that lies within me. So my eyes stay hidden for a reason. After making sure the sheet was free of any disgusting soda residue, I took it out and squeezed it before hanging it up. I then put Wembley’s sheet in my washtub before sitting next to Jessa, who opened her eyes to look at me. The way she lazily gazed up at me was enough to make me weak in the knees. Good thing I was sitting down.

End of Boober’s POV:

“Taking a break already?” Jessa asked Boober.

“Wembley’s sheet got more soda on it than Gobos did, so I’m letting it soak.”

Boober sat crisscrossed on the rock they were both on and made eye contact with her.

“I’m going to make my artichoke soufflé for dinner if you’re interested in staying another night.”

“I’ll be heading back to my place at some point, but I will stay long enough for dinner.”

Jessa smiled up at Boober, who smiled back and blushed. She then noticed some laundry soap suds on his cheek and chuckled.

“What?” Boober asked nervously. “Do I have something on my face?”

“Suds,” Jessa replied before extending her hand and wiping them off his cheek.

Boober felt a shockwave of surprise throughout his body when her hand touched his face to wipe off the laundry suds. Her thumb brushed against his cheekbone, making his heart skip a beat. By the time Jessa flicked the soap suds away, Boober’s face was the same shade of red as his hair. He then felt his tail wagging and his baloobius glowing as he rubbed the spot on his face where her hand was, grinning like a dork.

“Must have splashed on your face while you were scrubbing the sheet.”

Boober tried to calm himself long enough to interact with Jessa without acting like a lovestruck nut job.

“Y-yeah, maybe.”

“At least it wasn’t peach soda being spewed everywhere.”

“Tell me about it.”

Jessa then sat up and turned to face Boober, her sword hanging freely in its holster.

“Good thing I wasn’t there when it happened.”

“Good thing there was a giant pillow for me to use as a shield. I hope nobody was using it.”

“Nah, I doubt it. That was just a spare pillow they had.”

After chatting with Jessa for a bit, Boober got up to scrub Wembley’s bed sheet, but he still conversed with her.

Jessa had gotten ready to go home after supper and was saying bye to Red and Mokey.

“It’s been fun girls, but I gotta head home.”

“I’ll say, you’re good at Hidey-Ho. But not as good as me.”

Jessa and Red shared a laugh when Boober appeared just outside their room.

“Hey, going back already?” He asked Jessa.

“Yep.”

Jessa walked out, and Boober tagged along, wanting to accompany her. They both almost passed by Wembley and Gobo’s room when one of them spoke.

“Were you getting ready to leave without telling us bye?” Gobo asked as he and Wembley both walked out of the room.

Jessa and Boober stopped in their tracks and turned around.

“It’s not like I’m never going to come back.” She replied to him.

“It would be a shame if you didn’t,” Boober said to her before holding her hand.

Jessa blushed and reciprocated the handhold, albeit subtly.

“When you do, we gotta play more Hidey-Ho,” Gobo said to Jessa.

“I can see why you guys like that game. Oh, and by the way, watch out for exploding soda bottles while I’m gone.”

“You don’t have to tell us twice.”

“Yeah, it took us hours to clean up,” Wembley added.

“It gave you something to do, didn’t it,” Boober replied.

“Something not fun.”

“Either way, I’m going home for now. Deuces.”

Jessa and Gobo fist-bumped each other as Boober watched, gently squeezing her hand. She and Wembley then waved at each other before she walked off with Boober.

“Your soufflé was good, by the way,” Jessa said to him.

Boober smiled and intertwined his fingers with hers.

“It’s my most popular recipe.” He couldn’t help but brag.

Jessa stole a glance at Boober while he was looking away to hide how hard he was blushing. Taking notice of how cute he was, she couldn’t help but smile at him.

“I’m not sure when I’m going to come back, but hopefully it will be soon,” she said to him.

Boober then remembered that he still hadn’t asked Jessa out yet. Sweat began to run down his face as they approached the Terrible Tunnel.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you later.”

“Jessa, wait.”

Boober tightened his hold on her hand as she stopped.

“Yeah?”

“This is it, Boober. Go on and ask her out!” He thought to himself.

Jessa waited for him to say something while Boober tried to find the courage, but he failed to do so.

“I hope you don’t get hurt in the Terrible Tunnel.”

“I won’t.”

“I just can’t help but worry about you going in there alone.”

“You get used to it after 5 years.”

“With all those monsters and ghosts?”

“Have you forgotten about my sword, Boober?”

Boober glanced down at Jessa’s fluorite and moonstone-encrusted sword and sighed.

“It’s sweet that you care though.”

Boober thought back to the note she left him this morning and blushed.

“I do. I care about you a lot,” he admitted before hugging her.

Jessa blushed and had to restrain her tail from wagging. But she did hug him back.

“Regardless of what happens in that tunnel, I'll be back.”

Boober made a small noise before burying his face into the side of her neck. He was tempted to plant a kiss right there and right now, but the more sensible side of him told him not to do that. He wasn’t about to invade her space bubble like Sidebottom did. After a while, they let go of each other, and Boober watched Jessa walk deeper into the Terrible Tunnel. Once she was out of his sight, Boober walked away from the entrance and banged his head against the wall. He then heard Mokey approach him.

“I couldn’t do it,” he said to her, already knowing what she was going to ask.

“There’s always next time, Boober,” she said in her warm and dreamy tone before she walked him back.

Boober sighed sadly, not knowing how to express what was going through his head right now.

Chapter Text

Jessa’s POV:

This is getting out of hand! The more time I spend with Boober, the harder it is to hide my true identity. But it’s not just him. All of this saving the other's asses from gorgs and shit makes it hard not to use my powers. I’m going to have to minimize my visits to Fraggle Rock. At least when I’m alone in the Terrible Tunnel or anywhere else, I can let my Shazzle side show. Once I got far enough away, I let my eyes return to their original color, the black in my irises fading into a vibrant silver. The walk home was long, but I didn’t mind. It gave me plenty of time to contemplate things. But before I could even think about what I was going to do from this point on, I remembered something I wished I hadn’t: the anniversary of my parents’ death was tomorrow. I hated that day with a passion!! I hated to be reminded of the fact that I failed them. I continued to walk home, but once I got there, I found two trespassers near my invisible shield. They weren’t Fraggles, but rather thuggish-looking rodents. My eyes glowed red, I raised my hand, and flames ignited in my palm before I sent a surge of fire, hurling towards them. It took them by surprise as they jumped and turned to face me.

“Get the fuck off my turf!!” I shouted, more fire spawning from my hands.

“Or what?!” One of them dared to say.

“Or you’ll know what hell feels like soon enough.”

I began shooting more fire at them, but they kept dodging it. Those jackasses got far enough away from my shield, but I had a different method of attack planned. I growled as the fire in my hands extinguished itself. My eyes changed from red to green, and I stomped my foot on the ground, summoning a geyser field. Hot steam flew up around them, trapping them inside. Now they were scared. I walked closer to the edge of my geyser field and glared at them.

“Did your parents ever teach you to stay away from places that don’t belong to you or the public?” I asked them menacingly.

“Let us out!!”

“Only if you stay away from my property.”

They seemed to ponder it for a moment, but any level of common sense they had was short-lived as they threw an ax at me. But I held out my hand to make it stop halfway and melted the ax into lava.

“On second thought, you’re both better off dead,” I said before triggering a huge puff of steam to blow up under them.

The trespassers screamed in agony as I watched them without any remorse. Soon they were gone, and I let the cave floor return to normal before walking to my invisible shield, the green glow disappearing from my eyes.

“Imbeciles,” I said to myself on the way there.

Who did they think they were messing with my decoy tent like that? Luckily, I had nothing of value inside there. Everything I wanted out of sight from everyone else was in my real home. I pressed my palm against the shield and teleported inside of it, happy to see my dojo, my river, my mountains, and everything else. I loved hanging with the Fraggles, sure. But nothing beats my own bed. I deeply inhaled the night air while walking towards my house. However, I wasn’t ready to turn in for the night just yet. As soon as I walked in the door, I unfastened my holster and laid it and my sword onto my bed before opening a dresser drawer. I dug around until I found an emerald. When I first got the Holy Shazzlin Sword, I went to this bar not too far from the Shazzle Realm, but still far away enough that I wouldn’t run into any other Shazzles. I went there to have a shot or two, but I got off on the wrong foot with Vlon, the bartender/owner. He was about to kick me out until I fought his bouncer, who I’ll admit was pretty strong, but he was still no match for my Shazzlin powers. After seeing that I was a worthy fighter, Vlon let me stay. That’s how I ended up becoming an occasional patron at this particular bar. I grabbed the emerald and exited my habitat and back into the Terrible Tunnel, leaving my sword behind. I knew better than to take that with me anywhere within a 100-mile radius of the Shazzle Realm. If anything were to happen, I could just use my powers instead. I then teleported to said bar. The emerald I brought with me should guarantee some high-dollar hooch. I really need it too, considering what tomorrow is. If I could get my hands on some strong enough alcohol, maybe I could let that horrible day pass me by while I’m drunk. I walked towards the entrance, making eye contact with that same bouncer I had fought all those years ago, but we were on decent terms now. He nodded at me as I walked in, and I nodded back. The bouncer was never much on conversation, but when it came to kicking people out, he was hella strong. Even though the music playing was loud enough to be heard from 2 miles away outside the bar, I didn’t mind it. I made my way to the bar area, passing by all the loud drunks raising all kinds of hell.

“What’s up, jackass!” I greeted Vlon.

He turned around to see me, but continued cleaning empty glasses.

“Hell Fire, I haven’t seen you in a couple of months.”

Hell Fire was my nickname in this establishment. After my first brawl with the bouncer, I was given that alias, and it stuck with me from that point on. Though I never considered anyone in this bar my actual friend. I was nothing more than an acquaintance to them as they were to me. No matter how many times I come here and no matter how long I stay here, I have never left with a new friend of some sort. But that was okay by me since I didn’t trust a single person who frequented this bar.

“Slaughtering beasts is a never-ending task,” I replied to Vlon.

“So it seems.”

Vlon was completely indifferent to my presence, but this was normal. I was just as apathetic towards him. We had some level of respect and tolerance towards each other, but that was about it. And besides, he was twice my age. Possibly 40 or something. I then dug out the big chunky emerald and showed it to Vlon, who was amazed at the sight of it.

“Well, I’ll be fucked!”

“It’s all yours if you give me a 40-ounce bottle of the most top-tier alcoholic beverage you have.”

Vlon pondered for a moment before walking away and coming back a moment later.

“Here’s that 40-ounce of champagne you wanted.”

I turned to see a huge bottle of champagne right next to me.

“Champagne, huh?” I said while taking the bottle and studying it, smiling. “Now you’re just being generous.”

“You said you wanted something of high quality, didn’t you.”

“I did, and thanks. For prosperity's sake, I’ll be saving this for when I get home. In the meantime, I’ll take a Lava On The Rocks.”

Vlon grunted before making me another beverage while I put my huge champagne bottle away.

“I gotta tell ya,” Vlon began. “I didn’t think anyone could ever find that emerald. Those are very rare.”

“Guess I happened to find it at the right time. I’ve had that emerald for a while, but I wanted to put it to an exceptionally good use.”

“Wise choice, Hell Fire,” Vlon said while admiring the emerald. “This baby is gonna look good on my mantel.”

He then handed me my Lava On The Rocks and walked off. I didn’t see Vlon for the rest of the night, but I didn’t care. I sipped my beverage, the alcohol burning my throat on the way down as I people-watched and vibed with the music playing.

It was 3 in the morning when I finally left. I stayed long enough to listen to some music by other bands playing on the sound system, but it wasn’t until Vlon decided to play some undesirable tunes that I decided to bounce. On the way home, I belted out the lyrics to the last good song that played. I had a few more shots before leaving. My judgment wasn’t all that great, but I still had enough sense to know where I was going. I was going home. But my self-control was lacking, so I couldn’t help but sing what I last heard. Surprisingly, I made it home safely, still singing the song, but stopping after I sat down in my house somewhere. Given how wasted I was going to be later on, it would be a bad idea to go to Fraggle Rock. So I had to stay put here in my dojo. Starting to feel a little more tipsy, I pushed my sword and holster off my bed before lying down and finally passing out.

I woke up 5 hours later, my head pounding from a hangover, and my stomach felt like it was on fire. Well, good thing I planned on staying home today. And today was that dreaded day, the day my parents were murdered. I wasn’t going anywhere. Nobody in Fraggle Rock needed to see me drunk and unkempt. My ponytail was messy and loose from where I forgot to undo it, and the bracelet Boober gave me had left marks on my wrist from where I rested my head on top of my hand and didn’t take it off. Speaking of which, it did something unexpected when I fought off those trespassers yesterday. When I shot fire at them and triggered a geyser field, the bracelet started giving off an electric spark and making a buzzing noise. Up until then, I forgot it was even on my wrist. But given that I was preoccupied with teaching those thugs a lesson, I didn’t look into it too much. I then sat up in my bed, the urge to vomit hitting me like an earthquake. I groaned loudly before using my telekinesis to lure a bucket towards me. Once I got a hold of it, I puked the alcohol out of my system.

Truth be told, though, I don’t actually enjoy drinking. It’s just a substance to help me get through hard times. Not to mention the godawful flavor! This is why I pay handsomely for something tolerable to my taste buds. No beer for me. Cheap booze is not my thing. If I’m going to drink, I’d rather have something of quality. That being said, I stared at the unopened 40-ounce bottle of champagne that Vlon gave me. I contemplated drinking it later on when I felt better, but decided against it when a second round of barf came out. Maybe this wasn’t a good time to do so. Oh well, at least I wouldn’t be back at that bar for a long time. Not that I went there very often anyway. Had my life been completely different, I would never have touched alcohol.

Once I was sure I didn’t need to throw up anymore, I set the bucket on the floor beside my bed and lay back down, deciding to sleep off the pounding headache.

“I care about you a lot.”

Those words resonated in the back of my head, and the sincerity in Boober’s voice is what made that phrase ingrained in my memory. As much as I hate to admit it, I was starting to miss him. I missed his snuggles, his voice, his scent. But it would be a while before I could go back to Fraggle Rock. So much for laying low. Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue, and I had no problem keeping my existence off the radar. But this time was different. I couldn’t stay away, no matter how hard I tried. There was something about Boober that I was drawn to. Now I’m conflicted. I can’t choose between seeing where this goes with him or remaining a mysterious loner in the Terrible Tunnel for the rest of my life. Now I know how Wembley feels. I thought about Boober again, my cheeks flushing and my heart racing. I hadn’t felt that way about him until Sidebottom left those kisses on my neck and jaw. But beyond that, getting to know Boober more as a person awakened something in me. Shit! What am I to do?!

End of Jessa's POV

Chapter Text

2 WEEKS LATER:

Boober stared at the spot in his bed where Jessa lay the night she had her nightmare and sighed sadly, missing her very much. It had been 2 weeks since he last saw her, but Jessa’s absence was tumultuous for Boober. He had his book on medicinal herbs in his lap, reading it to take his mind off her. It helped some, but not much. Every time he read something, he would think about a scenario in which he was treating somebody, and the patient in question was usually if not always Jessa. Boober sighed again, pressing his palm against the vacant spot. He then began to wonder if it was such a bad thing to wish that she was here next to him, either talking to him or sleeping. Boober blushed imagining Jessa taking a nap while he rubbed her head, all while reading one of his books. The mental image made Boober smile, but his fantasy was interrupted by a loud fog horn noise.

“Can’t a fraggle read in peace?” He complained before closing his book and getting up to see what all the commotion was about.

His friends had heard it too and were going to the Great Hall.

“Somebody’s calling a meeting,” Mokey pointed out.

“I wonder what it’s about,” Gobo wondered.

“If I had to guess, I’d say something bad has happened,” Boober interjected before joining his pals.

“Still upset over Jessa being gone?” Red asked him.

“No,” he replied, but the tone of his voice suggested otherwise.

“Maybe she’ll come back tomorrow,” Wembley told him, trying to cheer him up.

“I doubt it.”

They all made it to the Great Hall, taking a seat wherever they could.

“As you all know, the summer solstice is coming up. And that means a party should be an order,” an elderly Fraggle announced.

Boober groaned in displeasure, but the other fraggles were excited. Maybe he should’ve skipped this meeting.

“I wonder if I can go back to my hole without anyone noticing.” He wondered to himself.

Boober checked his friends to see if they couldn’t see him in their peripheral vision, but they could, rendering him to stay put until the meeting was over.

While all this was going on, Jessa appeared at the entrance of the Terrible Tunnel but stayed where she was upon seeing that a meeting was happening. It was odd seeing the fraggles sit perfectly still and listen instead of jumping around and making all kinds of noise. Maybe Boober was rubbing off on them? Nah, unlikely!

“If this is some boring religious sermon, I’m coming back another day,” Jessa said to herself before eavesdropping.

But Jessa had walked a long distance to be with the fraggles again, so she didn’t want to go back to her house. She looked up to see a deep nook big enough to hide stuff in and climbed up to investigate.

“I could stick my sword in here for a few hours,” Jessa said quietly, smiling before undoing her holster and setting it and her sword into the nook.

She climbed back down to eavesdrop on the meeting to wait for it to end so she could come out. Luckily it didn’t last much longer and soon, the fraggles went back to doing their own thing.

“Oh, I just love parties,” Mokey gushed while she and everyone else headed back to their holes.

“Me too,” Wembley agreed.

“Yeah, they’re loud and fun and exciting,” Red went on.

“They’re everything I hate,” Boober whined.

“Oh come on, Boober,” Gobo said to him.

“What’s this about a party?”

They all turned to see Jessa standing a few inches behind them. Boober blushed and felt his tail wagging. He wanted to run to her and hug her like he did the first time she returned, but he stayed put to not startle her. While he was looking at her, Boober couldn’t help but notice that Jessa looked thinner than the last time he saw her. Had she lost weight? Not that she needed to since she was already lean. Boober then thought back to when he first met Jessa in the Terrible Tunnel. While it wasn’t blatantly obvious, Jessa was a little underweight. Aside from that, she looked the same as before.

“Jessa? How long have you been here?” Gobo asked her.

“Not very long.”

“So I guess you heard about the summer solstice party coming up?” Red asked.

“I heard you guys talking about it.”

“Why don’t you come, Jessa,” Mokey said to her.

Jessa thought for a minute before walking closer to them. Boober could feel his heart thumping inside his chest.

“I guess I could mingle for a few hours. When is it?”

“It’s a week from now.”

Boober couldn’t help but feel conflicted. He hated loud exciting parties, but if Jessa was to attend, should he? Maybe she would change her mind before then. At least he hoped so. After a few more exchanges, everyone except Boober walked off to their holes.

“I haven’t seen you in 2 weeks,” he said to her while walking closer.

“Yeah, I’ve been busy.”

“Doing what?”

“Keeping every living creature in the Terrible Tunnel away from my turf. And it’s been exceptionally rough the past week.”

Boober was quiet before speaking.

“You look like you’ve lost weight.”

“Oh, have I?” Jessa asked, blushing out of embarrassment.

Though it was true that Jessa had slimmed down some. But it was due to not being able to eat after drinking. After the day she dreaded had passed, Jessa had to force herself to consume something once the hangover and vomiting had passed. It was hard at first, but Jessa could eventually eat without wanting to gag. Boober looked away awkwardly, feeling bad about pointing out something so touchy like that.

“Why did I say that?” He thought while mentally facepalming himself.

Jessa looked around the Great Hall before talking again.

“What have you been up to in my absence?”

“Laundry, cooking, the usual.”

“Worrying about death as well?”

“Yeah, that too. And also worrying about pestilence.”

Jessa chuckled lightly, knowing this quirk about Boober.

“Jessa,” he began while rubbing the back of his neck. “Would you… like to go for a walk?”

“Sure.”

Boober smiled before they both walked off together.

“Did you leave your sword at home?” He asked her while they passed by the pond.

“No, I found this nook at the entrance of the Terrible Tunnel that was big enough to hide it in. I figured that would be a good place to put my sword since I don’t need it right now.”

“What if you need to go to the gorg's garden?”

“Then I’ll stop by and grab it. The gorg’s garden isn’t that far away from there.”

They both reached that same secluded area where Boober first found Jessa skipping rocks and stopped there.

“And besides, how would it look if I was just waltzing in here with a giant sword around my waist? That would send the wrong message.”

“Yeah, I see your point.”

Jessa then sat down on the rock facing the pond as Boober joined her a second later.

“Not to mention that my holster gets uncomfortable after a while.”

“I guess so, that sword must weigh a ton.”

“It’s actually not that heavy. Well, to me anyway.”

Boober gave her a questioning look.

“If anyone other than the wielder tries to grab the sword, it becomes heavier than 2 anvils. They can’t pick it up. That being said, I’m the only one that can use it without any trouble.”

“So it knows who its master is?”

“Something like that.”

Jessa shifted into a more comfortable position as Boober watched her.

“Why do you live in the Terrible Tunnel?”

Jessa frowned at that question.

“What else would I use my sword for?”

“Gorgs.”

“But that’s just about it here. In the Terrible Tunnel, there’s so much more that I can beat up.”

Boober couldn’t help but find her statement a little suspicious. Almost as if what she said was to cover up something else.

“Is that really why you live there?”

“Boober, why does it matter where I live?”

“Because no fraggle should be living in such a dangerous place,” he answered while holding both of her hands. “I… I can’t stand it when you go in there every time you leave.”

Jessa’s expression softened.

“You really are a worrywart, aren’t you,” she said softly.

“You think?”

Jessa looked away before Boober let go of her hands and they both sat in silence for a few minutes before he spoke again.

“Have you ever thought about moving?” He asked her.

“Where would I even move to?”

“Here.”

Jessa looked at Boober in surprise.

“That way you could be safe and sound. You wouldn’t have to worry about fighting off any scary monsters and you wouldn’t be by yourself.”

Boober then put his arm around Jessa before continuing, making her blush.

“You also wouldn’t be alone when you have another nightmare.”

Jessa sighed at the memory of being comforted by Boober and leaned her head on his shoulder, much to his delight.

“You’re giving me a lot to think about here,” she told him.

“Take your time, Jessa,” he said sweetly before resting his head on top of hers and holding her hand.

Jessa blushed before intertwining her fingers with his. Boober grinned and felt his baloobius glowing while they sat there and stared at the vacant and sedentary pond in front of them, their tails eventually twirling around each other.

“I missed you while you were gone,” Boober admitted bashfully.

“Ditto,” Jessa replied, grinning while they sat there in silence for a little longer.

Chapter Text

After spending an hour with Boober, Jessa snuck off to the gorg’s garden. Not to visit the Trash Heap or pick another fight with Junior, but to fly since it was another pretty day. Boober had gone to hang with Wembley for a bit, which gave Jessa plenty of privacy to fly outside. But she was going to fly far away from the garden so if any Fraggles were to come out they wouldn’t see her. Who knows, maybe she could see what the rest of the property looked like. Jessa turned invisible after exiting the rock so she could casually waltz past the gorgs and the Trash Heap. She hadn’t taken her sword with her though since she didn't want to carry it around. She safely made it to the front of the castle, which looked no different than the garden, (sans the Trash Heap), but beyond it was a plain-looking field. Jessa remained invisible until she was off the gorg's property, again turning visible before summoning her wings. Two black bat-like wings with violet outlining appeared behind her before she flapped them. Jessa’s core strength was going into gaining altitude, but since she had done this before, it was a piece of cake. Most shazzles developed wings at the age of 3, but due to Jessa being a half-breed, her wings didn’t come until she was 7. Despite the ability to fly being a blessing, the process of wings sprouting was extremely painful, which is why it was recommended for young shazzles to get a numbing shot before age 3. Jessa winced at the memory of how sensitive her budding wings were. She remembered her mother having to rub numbing cream all over her back and how restrictive her movements had to be because even a slight shift was enough to make Jessa yell in pain. Luckily, the process left as fast as it came, and eventually, Jessa could learn how to fly. Once she was high enough off the ground, she smiled before flying forward. The wind carried her hair as it danced around behind her, tickling her wings a little. Up ahead was a forest, which looked to exceed the horizon. At least until Jessa flew further ahead, it felt so good to be up in the air, flapping her wings and admiring everything below.

“I should come out here more often,” she said to herself before doing a loop-the-loop. “Ha! Now a barrel roll!”

Jessa did just that, having fun performing all these maneuvers. She kept this up until reaching the end of the forest, a gorg village nearby.

“Woah, a village? With gorgs??”

Jessa was intrigued so she flew to investigate, but from a distance above to not be spotted. Unlike the gorgs in the castle, these gorgs were more boorish and dressed poorly. Like rednecks in the South and Midwest. They even behaved as such.

“They sure don’t act like the other 3 in that castle,” Jessa said to herself before speeding up, her wings flapping rapidly.

She observed them some more, weirded out by their behavior. Jessa then wondered if the fraggles knew about the gorg village. Given that they all feared Junior and his parents, she doubted it. Feeling her wings getting tired, she landed on the roof of what appeared to be a market and rested. Jessa watched the impoverished gorgs, finding them boring as they weren’t doing anything interesting. This led to her daydreaming about Boober. While Jessa didn’t have much of an opinion of him at first, that all changed when Sidebottom kissed her on the roof of the gorg’s castle. Remembering this made her blush and smile and her tail started to wag. And despite not being big on pet names, Jessa grinned remembering being called Sugar Lips. She then remembered when Boober comforted her after her nightmare. The lavender tea and the cuddles. Though she didn’t mean for the latter to happen, for some reason it felt… right. Being there with him helped her feel better, regardless of how many details of her past she left out. Boober held her and played with her hair, which helped her fall back asleep. Then there was the conversation from an hour ago.

“Move to Fraggle Rock, huh?”

Though Jessa would be more than happy to accept that offer, she couldn’t. She couldn’t because of her Shazzlin heritage. If she were to leave the Terrible Tunnel, then the fraggles would have to know the truth about her.

“They wouldn’t want me there if they knew.”

Thinking about Boober again, Jessa blushed and sighed, but her thoughts were interrupted by two male gorgs arguing intensely over a female.

“You son-of-bitch! You’ve been sleeping with Bertha again!”

“You’ve been taking her to the pond and showing off all those fish you caught just to impress her! Real manly.”

Jessa got up and walked closer to eavesdrop, smirking the whole time.

“Finally, some entertainment,” she said while leaning against the chimney.

“Yeah, manlier than you, bucko! Bertha wants me.”

“No, she wants a man who is good in bed.”

“Are you saying I have a small weiner?!”

Jessa snickered at the vulgar insults being thrown back and forth, enjoying how stupid they looked. When it was about to get physical, Jessa used her telepathy to get inside one of the gorg’s minds.

“You’re really about to get into a brawl with this guy over a girl?”

The gorg froze upon hearing Jessa’s voice.

“Challenge him to a game of drinking ipecac. And whoever can go the longest without throwing up wins the heart of your beloved Bertha.”

Jessa escaped his mind and watched the event unfold from the rooftop.

“How about we settle this over a battle of strong stomachs.”

“What are you talking about?”

Jessa used her telepathy again with the other gorg.

“He wants to challenge you,” she said. “Drink ipecac with him and try not to barf.”

Jessa exited his mind to watch the interaction.

“How is this going to help me win Bertha?”

“Because…” the other gorg paused before Jessa intervened.

“Because women desire a man with guts. Guts to ingest something meant to harm you. The more strength you have, the better chance you have at finding a mate.”

The gorg repeated this and Jessa slipped out to wait for the other's response.

“Let’s do it!”

The two gorg's walked off and Jessa laughed, knowing what was really going to happen. Her wings flared out and she flew off the roof, following the gorg's at a distance. They purchased two bottles of Ipecac and walked to the fountain in the center of the village to gulp it down, all while glaring at each other. Jessa watched them smugly from the roof of another building, anticipating an extreme puke fest.

“Just you wait, Bertha is going to want me.”

“No, it’s me she’ll want.”

“Come on, puke already,” Jessa whispered impatiently.

The gorgs chatted for a bit until one of them gagged, trying to hold back his vomit. But a second later he puked.

“Yeah! In your face, sucker. Bertha’s mine! She’s all-”

The other gorg began barfing, making Jessa laugh wholeheartedly.

“This is some funny shit.”

Soon, the commotion attracted the attention of the other gorgs, who were baffled by their behavior.

“Why does love have to be so nauseating?” One of them said before hurling.

Jessa couldn’t contain her laughter and started cackling. Luckily, nobody paid her any mind as they were watching the vomit session happening. This went on for another 10 minutes before the gorgs regained their senses and felt like fainting. They had puked into the fountain, all over the ground, and even on some other gorgs, who were less than pleased with their clothes being ruined. Jessa was just calming down from her laughter when a female gorg with long brown hair done in two braids walked up to them. But before she could say anything, one of the guys threw up all over her dress, causing her to scream in disgust. Jessa was shocked until learning her name.

“Bertha, come back! It was an accident!”

This made Jessa hysterical and she laughed some more.

“This is even more fun than shooting fire at Bloodwraithes.”

It wasn’t long until the crowd disbanded, and soon everyone went back to what they were doing. Jessa thought about messing with some other gorgs when she heard thunder rumbling in the distance. Jessa looked up at the sky and saw subtle flashes of lightning and ominously gray clouds building up.

“Time to bounce,” she said while taking off.

She flapped her wings and gained enough altitude to fly back. The gorg village was eventually a mile behind her, but she still had a long way to go before she could even spot the gorg’s castle. Jessa flew, flapping her wings and watching for oncoming birds to avoid. But the incoming storm made it hard to see clearly. By the time the rain started pouring, Jessa began to regret her decision.

“I should have teleported back instead.”

Jessa grunted at the raindrops hitting her wings as they were very sensitive. To avoid any injuries, she free-fell to the ground before landing with a slow glide. Once she was on her feet, Jessa’s wings disappeared out of sight and she looked ahead, trying to figure out where she was. But the rain was coming down hard, pelting her and making everything hard to see. It was also cold, which didn’t help.

“If I get sick from this, Boober will have a field day.”

But Jessa wasn’t about to put that burden on him, so she immediately started going back on foot. This proved to be counterproductive however as she seemed to be getting nowhere.

“Where the hell is that castle?!” She growled while shivering.

Jessa walked a few more steps before stopping.

“Fuck it, I’m teleporting.”

She vanished into thin air and reappeared behind the radish patch. At least she was back in the gorg’s garden. And no gorgs. No surprise since it was raining. Before Jessa thought to walk back to the rock, a loud crash of thunder boomed in the sky and the rain poured down harder. Jessa ran back to the rock, but before she could step inside out of the rain, she heard the voices of Boober, Wembley, Mokey, Gobo, and Red.

“Rain sure is relaxing, isn’t it,” Gobo said to his friends.

“Sure is,” Wembley agreed.

“Not to mention gloomy,” Boober added before sipping his tea. “I wonder where Jessa is.”

“Maybe she went back home?” Mokey assumed.

“Nah, I saw her around here an hour ago. She was heading out to the gorg’s garden,” Red pointed out.

“What is she doing out there?” Boober asked.

“I have no idea, Boober. I got busy with my job while she was out there doing who knows what.”

Boober had a sinking feeling in his stomach. What if Jessa got thumped by a gorg? Jessa could hear Boober’s whimpering and felt bad. But how could she just show up and explain what she had been up to? Not to mention that they were all right in front of the entrance to watch the rain. Jessa began to feel some strain on her scalp from the water buildup in her ponytail from getting rained on. As soon as Jessa saw that their heads were turned, she walked slowly to the rock and stepped in, hearing the tail end of their conversation.

“If Jessa stays out there any longer, she’ll freeze and get sick,” Boober said with concern before Jessa made her presence known. "If she already hasn't been thumped."

“Don’t worry, I was only out there for an hour.”

Boober gasped when he saw how drenched she was from all the rain. Her clothes clung to her and her hair was weighed down by all the rain. Jessa was also dripping.

“More like 2 hours,” Red replied to her. “You’re soaking wet!”

“What can I say, the storm is intense,” Jessa replied nonchalantly while ringing out her ponytail.

Boober watched her do this and blushed when she flipped her damp ponytail behind her. Jessa rang out her clothes before responding to Gobo, who was asking her why the hell she was out there.

“I found a river not too far from here and started skipping some rocks,” she lied while taking a section of her pants and squeezing them hard enough to force the water out of the fabric. “The only mistake I made was walking too far from the rock.”

A puddle began to form around Jessa the more she squeezed her hair and clothes. Once she was sure all of the excess moisture was out, she went to grab her sword and holster, turning the former into a brush to get all the tangles out.

Jessa sat in front of a fireplace, her hands extended outward to absorb the warmth. Even though her hair and skin were close to being dry, her clothes were still damp. Boober watched her while everyone else sat around and chatted about a different subject. Jessa didn’t so much as speak for the rest of the time, which Boober had noticed. He then wondered what she was thinking about. Boober thought about sitting next to Jessa when he heard Gobo mention Sweet Water Lake.

“Since Boober will be cooking pastries for the summer solstice, we’ll have to make a trip to Sweet Water Lake.”

Boober got giddy when hearing this, and then an idea came to him. Sweet Water Lake would be the perfect place to take Jessa on a date. There would be no gorgs to thump them, or any other fraggles to interrupt them. Boober and Jessa could be alone together in one of his favorite places. While he was fantasizing about the date, Jessa had overheard their conversation but didn’t interject. She was still trying to warm up from flying in the rain. The sight of the fire was soothing as the flames danced around and crackled periodically. She sighed and stretched her arms, her elbows popping loudly. Had she been entirely alone, Jessa would fire bend. But she couldn't do that here in Fraggle Rock. She didn’t even hear the other fraggles leave the room while she was rubbing her hands together. Boober stayed, now seeing an opportunity to ask Jessa out. He sat next to her, but nervously tapped his index fingers together. What if he choked on his words and sounded like a gagging cave creature? What if he stuttered too much? What if he got rejected and laughed at? What if-

“You look nervous about something.”

Boober turned to see Jessa now looking at him. Though her expression was unreadable, he could see concern in her eyes.

“Aren’t I always nervous.”

“This is about that summer solstice party, isn’t it.”

Boober turned towards her.

“I couldn’t help but overhear you complaining.”

Boober noticed the light from the fire on Jessa’s face, making her violet complexion appear much more vibrant. He felt his heart race and his cheeks heat up.

“Sweet mother of radishes,” Boober thought. “She’s so gorgeous.”

This made him even more nervous about what would happen if he could even find the courage to let it happen. Boober then felt his tail wag once again. Jessa glanced at his wagging tail and raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything, much to his relief. At least for a second.

“Does your tail always do that?”

“Not usually,” was all Boober could say.

“So it only happens in certain situations?”

Boober didn’t answer, instead turning his attention to the fire in front of him and Jessa.

“It’s because I love you,” he thought, too afraid to say it out loud.

Jessa glanced back at the fire, extending her arm forward to warm it since she was still cold from the rain. Boober snuck another glance at her, trying to not get overwhelmed by her beauty, before taking a deep breath and exhaling.

“So…” he began slowly. “Have you been to Sweet Water Lake?”

“Can’t say that I have.”

Jessa rested her now warmed-up arm and raised her other one to warm it.

“Maybe, I could… I don’t know, take you there sometime?”

Boober was a nervous wreck while asking this. Jessa didn’t move from her current position but gave him a side glance. Her expression revealed a hint of flattery and surprise, but not much else. Boober began to regret what came out of his mouth when she finally responded.

“Sure, I wouldn’t mind a tour.”

His heart skipped a beat and he was so dumbfounded by her reply.

“R-really?”

“Why not? I heard you making all sorts of happy noises when it was brought up in conversation. If something is capable of making you this happy, then it must be truly amazing.”

Boober couldn’t tell if Jessa was hinting that she liked seeing him in a good mood or what, but either way he couldn't help but grin as he looked down at his lap, blushing and letting his tail wag and his baloobius glow.

“In other words, yes?”

“Yes.”

It was an effort to not kiss Jessa right on the spot. At least now he was making progress. He had a date with her! Boober made a mental note to celebrate by baking a radish cake later. For his friends and maybe for Jessa if she decided to stay. Boober grinned at her before noticing that she was still warming herself. She held her hands out to gather enough heat before rubbing her biceps to warm them up. Seeing this, Boober got up and left the room, catching Jessa’s attention and confusing her.

“Where are you going?” She asked him.

“I’ll be right back.”

Jessa sighed before resting her face on her fist, still drawing heat from the fire. At least her clothes were dry now. Granted, they were still damp in some areas, but it wasn’t anywhere sensitive. Jessa then closed her eyes, only to open them again when a blanket wrapped around her body.

“You should’ve asked for one earlier,” Boober said softly to her.

“And get your blanket all wet?”

“Just remember to check the forecast next time you decide to venture out in the gorg’s garden.”

Boober then hugged Jessa from behind, the same way Sidebottom did, but this was more compassionate and less grabby. Jessa had noticed the difference and felt more at ease.

“You should be at least happy to know that I don’t have a cold,” she said while smiling.

“You would if you stayed out in the rain any longer.”

Boober rested his chin on her shoulder, making her blush.

“Good thing I have plenty of medicine for that.”

Jessa held his hand and Boober immediately returned the gesture. His baloobius glowed and his tail wagged, but more slowly as he tried to control it this time.

“So when do you think is a good time to go to Sweet Water Lake?” She asked him.

“After the summer solstice party since I’ll be busy preparing the food.”

“It’s a shame you won’t be attending though.”

Boober was silent, feeling almost guilty for not wanting to go in the first place. But he could not stand it. The loudness, the excitement, and the overall energetic vibe of the gathering. It was too much for him.

“It’s just… too loud. All that noise. The screaming and the cheering.”

Jessa looked at him sympathetically as he ranted.

“I don’t know if you noticed, but I, I’m not like other fraggles. Fun, games, and parties aren’t my thing.”

“I figured, given your lack of interest in the Hidey-Ho game the other day.”

“And I always worry about doom and despair.”

“Why?”

“It’s a Boober thing, I guess.”

Jessa then ran her fingers through his hair, which made him melt.

“Whatever doom and despair comes your way, I’ll end it before it before it ends you. The same applies to everyone else here in Fraggle Rock.”

Remembering her killing the plant that tried to eat Gobo, Boober’s anxiety simmered after Jessa mentioned obliterating future threats. And she had a magic sword powerful enough to do so.

“And when you get hurt, I’ll treat every wound.”

Jessa grinned before leaning back and resting her eyes. Unbeknownst to both of them, Gobo was lingering in the archway and heard their entire conversation. He even heard Boober ask out Jessa, to which Gobo smiled wholeheartedly, proud of Boober for coming out of his shell a little bit.

Chapter Text

Boober was happily stirring cake batter in his kitchen when Wembley walked in.

“You sure are happy, Boober,” he told him before sniffing the air. “And it smells terrific in here.”

“It should, I’m baking a radish cake. And I want it to be perfect.”

“Oh boy, I can’t wait!”

“Wait for what?” Red asked.

“Boober is baking his radish cake.”

“Sounds delicious,” Gobo answered on behalf of Red. “I can’t wait to try it.”

“You’ll be able to try it when it’s completed. In the meantime, I’ll need to add a few spices,” Boober replied while reaching for some nutmeg.

“We’ll leave you to it then, Boober,” Gobo said to him while leaving the kitchen, Wembley and Red following him a second later.

Jessa and Mokey were in their room, the former listening to some poetry that the latter had written. Jessa hadn’t put her holster back on, but she always kept it and her sword with her. She lounged on her bed as Mokey recited her poem.

“Have you considered songwriting?”

Mokey pondered for a minute before responding.

“No, I never thought about it.”

“Because with words like those, it might sound good with some music.”

Mokey hummed contemplatively as Jessa grabbed her sword and morphed it into her bass.

“Keep going with your poem.”

Mokey continued as Jessa plucked a string on her bass. She played while the former recited more poetry, the music matching the tone. When Mokey sang another poem, Gobo, Wembley, and Red stopped by.

“Hey, what’s going on here?” Gobo asked curiously.

“I’m singing my poems,” Mokey answered as Jessa stopped playing her bass.

“It was my idea.” she chimed in.

“Cool, let me go grab my guitar.”

“I’ll get my bongos,” Wembley added before following Gobo out of the room.

“I think maracas should also be included,” Red said before digging around in her hole.

Mokey and Jessa watched her throw random items everywhere until she found them, just in time for Wembley and Gobo to get back with their respective instruments.

“We’re back,” Wembley announced, holding his bongos.

“Great,” Jessa replied while holding her bass. “Let’s play.”

Everyone sat down somewhere and played their instruments according to the tone of the poem. Red shaking her marcas at the silly ones and Jessa providing a bass solo for the more tragic poems. At some point, everyone began singing, Jessa didn’t though, instead just kept playing her bass. Singing in front of people wasn’t her thing. Upon hearing her silence, everyone stopped to look at her.

“What?” She asked while pausing her solo.

“You’re not going to sing, Jessa?” Wembley asked her.

“No, why would I do that?”

“You don't want to make that mistake, Jessa,” Gobo warned her. “I stopped singing for a bit once, and it resulted in a power outage.”

“No singing makes the lights go out?” Jessa asked him skeptically.

“You took my word on Outer Space, so you might as well take my word on this.”

Jessa glanced up at the slightly dim lights and back at her friends before sighing.

“Fine, I’ll sing,” she said begrudgingly while picking her bass back up.

Mokey handed Jessa another poem to sing from. Boober had finished putting his radish cake in the oven and went to go join the others when he heard Jessa singing. He stopped dead in his tracks when hearing it and went to peek from behind the archway. Jessa was sitting on her bed, playing her bass and singing beautifully.

Boober’s POV:

“Be still, my heart!” I said quietly to myself after witnessing Jessa sing.

But I couldn’t help but admire her vocal range. I peeked again to see her continue, my heart fluttering in my chest. My face was warm from all the blushing and my tail went crazy. My baloobius also wouldn’t stop glowing. I didn’t realize I had wandered forward when Jessa finished her song until Red singled me out.

End of Boober’s POV

“I think somebody else likes your singing, Jessa,” Red said as Jessa gave her a confused look before noticing Boober standing in the archway.

“Oh, hey Boober.” She greeted him somewhat bashfully while blushing.

“Hi,” was all he could manage to say.

Boober was far too flustered to speak after hearing Jessa sing. She sounded so wonderful.

“Mokey was reciting her poetry and I suggested playing my bass. Next thing I know, we’re all jamming in here,” Jessa explained.

“Boober, you should get your pan flute and join us,” Mokey suggested as Wembley agreed.

Boober acquiesced, still blushing at Jessa’s lovely singing voice. It was also the first time he had seen her play her bass. He dug around in his hole for his pan flute until he found it and went back to where everyone else was, taking a seat right next to Jessa as she smiled at him. Boober couldn’t help but smile back at her as Mokey flipped through her notebook to find another poem they hadn't sung or played any music to yet. As they did, Boober paid extra attention to Jessa when she played her bass and sang. Red noticed Boober’s expression and whispered to Gobo.

“Boober’s loving every second of this.”

“You think?” Gobo whispered back. “Just look at how happy he looks.”

Jessa continued singing while Boober admired her. By the time she was done, his baloobius was glowing ever so brightly.

“Jessa, you have a pretty voice,” Mokey said to her. “How come you don’t sing?”

Jessa merely shrugged, not wanting to answer the question.

“Fun jam session though,” Gobo said as everyone else agreed.

“Not to mention Boober’s flute playing,” Jessa said while softly elbowing him. “You’re really good at it.”

“Y-you like it?” He asked while blushing.

Jessa hummed and nodded, causing him to giggle. Seeing this, Red made kissing noises, embarrassing both of them.

“Cut it out, Red,” Gobo warned her.

“What?”

“A bit rich coming from you, Red,” Jessa began while crossing her arms. “Considering you and Gobo fight like spouses all the time. I’m surprised you two haven't tied the knot yet.”

“Hey!” Red shouted while blushing just as Gobo did.

Jessa laughed wholeheartedly, albeit with a smug tone.

“I was just fooling around, Jessa.”

“So was I, Red. So was I.”

“And on that note, I think my cake is done,” Boober said while getting up, wanting to avoid any potential conflict.

Boober watched Jessa enjoy the cake he baked, smiling at her the whole time. By this point, Red had gotten over being called out for teasing them both and was enjoying herself, as was Jessa.

“Perhaps I should bake this cake more often,” He thought while feeling his tail wag.

Jessa took notice of Boober looking at her and smiled back, causing him to blush and look away, although he still grinned. Jessa felt a little blush on her face, her heart fluttering a bit.

“Why is he so adorable?” She thought.

While eating her piece of cake, Jessa listened to Gobo and Wembley talk about a cave they both planned on exploring.

“There’s this cave I keep hearing about,” Gobo began before setting his fork down. “And it’s full of singing flowers.”

“Singing flowers?” Wembley asked him.

“Yeah, and they sing whatever is on a fraggle’s mind.”

“Wait a minute,” Jessa interjected. “So these flowers can read minds?”

“Yeah, something like that,” Gobo answered her.

“Interesting.”

“I wonder what song those flowers will sing,” Mokey wondered.

“I’m not sure, Mokey. It depends on what Wembley and I are thinking at that time.”

“I wonder if they will sing about Gobo reading his boring postcards,” Red remarked.

“You know you love hearing them, Red,” Gobo argued.

Jessa sighed indifferently, taking another bite of her cake and watching Red and Gobo bicker. After swallowing her bite, she leaned closer to Mokey.

“They remind me of an old couple,” she whispered.

Mokey hummed in agreement before Jessa reclined in her seat. Nobody else bothered to put an end to the arguing. Boober being too shy to say or do anything, Mokey being used to this dynamic between them, and Wembley appearing nervous. Jessa, on the other hand, was thoroughly entertained. After a while, she decided to say something that would get them to stop.

“Do you two care to take your little kerfuffle to Smooch City? Some of us are trying to eat here.”

Boober almost snickered, but Wembley and Mokey gasped.

“She’s not my girlfriend, Jessa!” Gobo told her.

Red secretly took offense to this but didn’t say anything.

“Okay,” Jessa began. “So why do you accept her invitation to engage in an argument?”

“To defend my uncle and prove a point to Red.”

“Uh-huh,” Jessa replied sarcastically before resuming her meal.

Everyone else quit talking after that exchange, save for Boober, who whispered to Jessa.

“Why did you start that?” He asked her.

“Start what?” She whispered back.

“You know, this.”

Jessa glanced over at Red and Gobo, who were now eating in awkward silence.

“Guilty,” Jessa whispered after seeing them blush.

“Why?” Boober asked again.

“Boober, you think I want to see an argument turn into a makeout session while I’m eating your cake?”

Boober was silent before cringing at the mental image.

“Exactly,” Jessa whispered, catching his expression.

Not that Boober had a problem with kissing in general, but he didn’t want other fraggles to lose their appetite and not finish the food he made for them if something like that were to happen.

“How’s the cake, by the way?” Boober asked, trying to change the subject.

“Delicious.”

Boober grinned before resuming his dinner, happy to see that Jessa had a healthy appetite.

Chapter Text

Boober’s POV:  

I wanted Jessa to spend another night here in Fraggle Rock. More specifically, I wanted to fall asleep right next to her. But I was too afraid to ask. I walked with her to the Terrible Tunnel entrance, fear for her safety building up inside me the closer we got. I listened to Jessa talk while admiring her, holding her hand the whole time. 

“Boober, I know you hate me going in the Terrible Tunnel, but it’s not that scary.” 

“Speak for yourself,” I said to her. 

“It never occurred to me until now, but why were you guys in there when I first met you all?” 

“It was Gobo and Red’s idea. They were trying to see who could stay in there the longest without getting scared. I got dragged along as a witness with Wembley and Mokey. I… I didn’t want to go in there.” 

Jessa squeezed my hand out of sympathy, making me blush as I continued. 

“I wanted to stay home and wash my socks. But Red threatened to tickle me if I didn’t go with them.” 

“Seriously?!” 

“That’s how I ended up going in the Terrible Tunnel with them. We all went too far from Fraggle Rock and then that scary plant appeared out of nowhere.” 

“Oh, I remember. I can still hear my sword piercing the base of the plant when I slashed it.” 

I leaned in closer and intertwined my fingers with hers. 

“I never did thank you for saving Gobo, Jessa.” 

“You don’t have to.” 

I looked at her before she spoke again. 

“Those plants will eat anything and anyone that comes near them. They’re better off dead. One of them tried to eat me when I first came to the Terrible Tunnel.” 

I gasped in horror. 

“Jessa…” I began while holding her. 

“But I killed it. I took my sword, morphed it into a pair of nun chucks, and choked it to death.” 

“How much danger have you faced?” 

“A lot.” 

We finally reached the Terrible Tunnel, but I did not let go of Jessa. I didn’t want to. No matter how much I told myself to withdraw, I only hugged her tighter. I couldn’t help it. 

“I guess I’ll see you later,” Jessa said, though she sounded like she had no interest in leaving. 

We both stood there, Jessa surprisingly not telling me to get off or let go. Soon enough, she began to hug me back. This took me off guard, but I dare not say a word in case it ruined the moment. I wish Jessa would stay. I began to caress her back and she sighed happily. I began to forget where we were, the sounds of the other fraggles playing in the Great Hall not as loud as I zoned out into our embrace. It felt so nice! I inhaled Jessa’s scent and grinned, my baloobius glowing brightly. I was remarkably close to melting into Jessa when she suddenly fell on top of me. 

“Ow! What the hell?!” She griped. 

It took me a moment to register what happened while Jessa got up and turned around to whatever or whomever she was glaring at. 

“Have you two seen our Frisbee?” some fraggle I have never seen before asked. 

Before I could reply, Jessa threw the Frisbee back at them, almost hitting them in the stomach. 

“Found it,” she snarled. “Now take that shit to the other side of the rock!” 

Sensing her anger, the fraggle apologized, and power walked away. Jessa then rubbed her head where the Frisbee hit her, prompting me to come closer and take her hand once again. 

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” she asked me softly. 

“Other than scaring me by falling over, no.” 

Jessa sighed, her body relaxing finally. She looked like she was about to slap that fraggle, though I wasn’t too happy about having our sweet moment interrupted by a game of Frisbee either. Talk about a mood killer. 

“Come on, you need an ice pack for your head,” I said before she followed me back to my hole. 

Jessa took a seat on my bed and waited patiently for me to prepare an ice pack. By this point, she appeared to be feeling guilty about getting mad over the frisbee thing. As soon as I was done, I placed it on her head. 

“Thanks,” she said blankly. 

I didn’t say anything for a while, not knowing what to do with myself. I then thought back to when Jessa had her nightmare and how she ended up falling asleep in here with me. I hoped Jessa didn’t see me blushing like a dork over that memory. I kept daydreaming about it until I heard her shift. Since she wasn’t speaking, I assumed that she felt as awkward about this as I did. Being here in my bedroom again, though this time for a different reason. Instead of a nightmare, it was a frisbee to the head. I then looked down to see Jessa’s holster still intact around her waist, her sword resting inside of it. That giant fluorite and moonstone sword she always carried with her, though I can’t blame Jessa for doing so considering where she lived. I then felt a longing for her to move out of that scary tunnel and here in Fraggle Rock with me. That way I wouldn’t have to fall asleep at night knowing what kind of shenanigans she would face on her way back. And she would be safe and sound. 

“I shouldn't have thrown that frisbee at him,” Jessa said at last. 

I didn’t know how to reply at first, but I could tell she regretted doing so. 

“I think he got the message though,” was all I could say. 

I’m not sure if this helped as Jessa just sighed indifferently. I scooted closer to her and readjusted her ice pack since it was about to fall off her head. 

“You should lay down for a bit,” I told her. 

Jessa stared at me for a minute before lying down on her back and I lay down next to her. She rested her eyes while I watched her, admiring how pretty she looked. Another silence fell between us, but I was okay with it. Although I hated keeping Jessa from returning to her residence, I was also relieved that she didn’t go into the Terrible Tunnel. Having her here calmed me. I was about to doze off myself when I heard Jessa kick off her boots and place her feet on my bed. 

“Why are you taking your boots off?” I asked her. 

“You don’t strike me as the type of person who enjoys having dirt on their sheets, so I’m doing you a favor.” 

I blushed at this level of consideration and thanked her, to which she hummed tiredly in response. Jessa then sat up and removed her holster and set it elsewhere, and I undid her ponytail for her. She seemed surprised by this but let me do it anyway. Just like how Jessa untied my tail, I untied her hair ribbon and set it down on my nightstand. Jessa’s long black hair fell out of form down her back and hung there. It wasn’t frizzy at all like mine, but rather sleek and smooth with a shine to it. The type of hair that wouldn’t need hair tonic or any other product at all. What grew out of Jessa’s head was all natural. I then tried to recall if I saw any other Fraggles with hair like hers, only to come up short. 

“Whatcha thinking about?” Jessa asked me when I remained silent for too long. 

“Laundry.” I lied. 

Jessa didn’t say anything, instead laid back down. Yet she didn’t mind when I laid down next to her and held her hand. It was so smooth compared to my dishpan hands. Years of doing mine and everyone else’s laundry have resulted in dry skin on my hands, but it beats germs crawling about. I then looked at Jessa’s outfit. Those dark rugged clothes she always wore along with those black combat boots. And her black socks… Other than that pink halter top and long skirt with the gold waistband, I wondered if Jessa wore any other colors. Black seemed to be her color of choice. 

“It’s a good thing you wear shoes, Jessa,” I said to her while caressing the back of her hand with my thumb. 

“Why’s that?” 

“Because it gives me more of a reason to keep washing socks.” 

“You seem to favor socks over everything else.” 

“What can I say?” I began while snuggling her. “They’re not as heavy to lift when they're wet and they sure make nice décor in my hole.” 

I watched Jessa stare up at the many half-dry socks on my clothes lines and she chuckled. 

“Though that’s not to say I don’t enjoy washing anything else. Anything that’s dirty, I clean it.” 

Jessa rolled over and returned my snuggle, making me grin. 

“Neat freak.” she teased. 

“Hey!” I couldn’t help but blurt out, and Jessa simply giggled. 

The ice pack was under her head where the sore spot was. 

“Just so you know Jessa, being a neat freak has served me a lot of good purposes over the years.” 

“So it seems, Boober.” She replied before burying her face in my neck. 

From the tone of her voice, I could have sworn that Jessa was flirting with me. I blushed hard at this, instinctually tightening my hold on her. 

“And I suppose you don’t do the same at your house?” I teased her back or tried to. 

This was completely out of character for me. Admittedly, Sidebottom was much better at flirting than I was. 

“Some, but not much,” Jessa answered me a minute later. “I much prefer doing other things.” 

“Like what?” 

I rubbed her back before she began describing her hobbies, archery being one of them. The memory of Jessa using her crossbow to shoot that apple out of the tree came to mind. How accurate her aim was, and how concentrated she looked before shooting that arrow into the fruit. 

“When did you get into archery?” I asked her. 

“Since I was old enough to walk. Mom taught me how to use a bow and arrow.” 

My heart fluttered when I felt her breath on my neck while she spoke. If this is what happiness feels like, then where in the world was Jessa all these years?! I listened to her talk as she slowly got sleepy. My tail wagged at the sound of her sleepy voice, making a thumping noise against my bed. I knew for a fact Jessa heard it, but she looked as if she didn’t care. Too tired to open her eyes and look. I asked her another question regarding herself before I realized Jessa had drifted off to sleep. Upon seeing this, I scooted away so she could breathe, but I cupped her face and smiled. Her jawline pressed against my palm while my thumb slid back and forth across her cheek. I guess in a way, I got my wish. I thanked whatever deity above that she stayed here and leaned in closer to kiss her nose. 

“Goodnight Jessa,” I whispered before turning out the lights. 

I rolled over to give Jessa some space while she slept, but I still watched her. My eyelids got heavier the more I watched her chest rise and fall with each breath. Soon enough, I would be out like a light. Before I succumbed to my slumber, I held Jessa’s hand. Even as I closed my eyes finally, I still held onto it. I wanted Jessa to be the last thing I remembered while awake.

End of Boober's POV

Chapter Text

Jessa’s POV:

“Jessa.” 

I opened my eyes slowly to see Boober trying to wake me up. I hadn’t meant to spend another night in Fraggle Rock, but it happened. I groaned tiredly and covered myself up after Boober uncovered me. 

“Jessa, wake up,” he insisted gently. “I made coffee, and I don’t want it to get to room temperature before consumption.” 

“Shit,” I grumbled tiredly. “What time is it?” 

I didn’t even bother asking Boober why he was so worried about the quality of the coffee. I sat up. A sleepy groan escaped my mouth, and I slumped over into my lap. I took a moment to rub the sleepiness out of my eyes, though it didn’t make much of a difference. Boober then sat down next to me and put his arm around me, making me blush as he pulled me in. 

“I made it an exceptionally strong brew,” he whispered into my ear. 

My heart fluttered as he whispered. Damn, his voice is so sexy! 

“Thank you,” was all I could say. 

My voice was still hoarse from how tired I was. I briefly rested my head on Boober’s shoulder and hummed gratefully. 

“You’ll be awake in no time, Jessa,” he said softly. 

“Is everyone here an early riser?” I asked him. 

“Willingly, no. But we all have 30-minute work weeks here.” 

I looked at Boober in confusion before he elaborated. 

“All of us are required to put in 30 minutes of work each week, and I’ll be doing everyone’s laundry today.” 

Boober rested his hand on top of mine before he continued. 

“So, we won’t be seeing much of each other all day.” 

“That’s okay, Boober,” I replied to him. “I’ll probably head back for the day anyway.” 

Boober hugged me tighter at the mention of me going back to the Terrible Tunnel, but didn’t say anything. 

“I hope you enjoy the amount of laundry that comes your way.” 

“Thanks.” He murmured before nuzzling me. “I will most certainly take joy in it.” 

It was so hard not to giggle at the gesture. Before anything else could be said or done, we were interrupted by Wembley. 

“Hey Boober, did you find that thing you were looking for- “ 

Wembley froze upon seeing Boober and I snuggled to each other. 

“Jessa?” Wembley asked. “When did you get here?” 

I looked at Boober, hoping he would find some way to gracefully lie about the fact that I spent the night in his hole. But he was just as flustered and caught off guard as I was, if not more. I slowly let go of him as he did with me, awkwardness beginning to fill the room. 

“Good morning, Wembley,” I greeted him as innocently as I could. 

“Good morning,” he greeted me back. 

I prayed he wouldn’t pry and interrogate, which he didn’t mercifully. Instead, he asked Boober his earlier question. 

“It should be on my shelf somewhere,” Boober answered before getting up to look for whatever it was that he was referring to. 

He and Wembley conversed while doing this, and that gave me plenty of time to do my hair and put on my boots and holster. At some point, they began whispering, but I paid no mind to it while tying my shoelaces. After fastening my holster to my waist, I took out my sword and morphed it into a hairbrush. 

Boober’s POV:

Man, why couldn’t Wembley have come a few minutes later?! While I was looking for an extra box of grease berries, Wembley and I had a conversation that neither of us wanted Jessa to overhear. 

“Boober, I thought Jessa went back home.” 

“She was about to, but somebody threw a Frisbee at her head, and she needed an ice pack.” 

Wembley, to his credit, didn’t question me any further. Though I know for a fact that he isn’t the interrogative type. That was more of a Red thing. And maybe even a Gobo thing. But Wembley, he never questioned much unless it was something he thought was immoral. 

“Anyway, we got carried away with chatting and we fell asleep.” 

“I don’t care what you and Jessa do.” 

I looked at him in surprise. 

“It’s just nice to see you not so gloomy for once.” 

“Wembley, I- “ 

I cut myself off to see Jessa doing her hair. She brushed away before grabbing her hair tie and putting her hair up in a ponytail. 

“You seem so happy whenever she’s around, and I want all my friends to be happy.” 

I looked at Wembley before giving him a grateful smile. 

“And besides, Jessa’s cool.” 

“Yeah,” I agree wholeheartedly while grinning at her. “She is.” 

Jessa’s POV:

By the time I did my hair, Boober and Wembley were speaking at a normal volume. I got up to my feet just as Wembley left and Boober approached me, smiling and blushing while holding a box of what I assumed to be more of his laundry stuff. 

“Ready for morning coffee?” he asked me. 

“Definitely ready for coffee,” I answered before he took my hand and led me into the kitchen. 

I noticed his baloobius glowing but didn’t say anything. Whatever caused it was none of my business. Plus, I figured Boober would get embarrassed if I asked him about it. We made it to the kitchen, where everyone else was, still drowsy as they all sat around sipping the coffee Boober had made. The coffee aroma met my nostrils, and I inhaled it deeply, smiling and humming in satisfaction. 

“It smells like a coffee shop in here,” I commented. 

I could have sworn I saw Boober blush and smile after I said that. As soon as I spoke, the others turned to me, surprised by my presence. 

“You’re here early, Jessa,” Red said before taking a drink of her coffee. 

“Yeah, so I am.” 

I took a seat at the table while Boober went to go pour me a cup. Gobo yawned before sipping his coffee. The only one who seemed to be wide awake was Wembley, so I assumed he already had some. There was no sign of Mokey anywhere. I was still tired though, so I reclined in my chair as Boober handed me a cup. 

“Here Jessa.” 

I thanked him and took a sip, the coffee burning my tongue a little from how hot it was. It was good, however, and I thanked him. After a few minutes, Red and Gobo were coherent enough to converse with the rest of us. Wembley chatted with them first before they interacted with me. 

“I didn’t expect to see you here this early, eh,” Gobo said to me. 

I just nodded, unable to find the right words to explain myself. Wembley looked away awkwardly, and I knew that he knew. Boober fidgeted with his mug, though he sat close to me. 

“What’s your 30-minute work week going to consist of today?” I asked Gobo, trying to change the subject. 

“I’m going to explore the cave where the singing flowers are. I told you about that yesterday.” 

“And I’ve got pool duty,” Red added. 

I raised my eyebrows in question. 

“My job is to clean the pool.” 

By that time, Mokey arrived, yawning and slumping down into a chair. 

“And Mokey goes out to the garden and picks radishes,” Wembley said on her behalf. 

Mokey merely hummed in question at the sound of her name, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. 

“Looks like you need some of Boober’s brew,” I said to her. 

Boober got up and poured her a cup while I drank mine, my brain becoming more awake. 

“So, everyone has a job here it seems?” I asked. 

“Yep,” Gobo answered. 

“And what do you do?” I asked Wembley. 

“I work with the fire department.” 

I smiled and hummed impressively. I then glanced over at Mokey taking her first drink and humming happily. 

“Your coffee is delicious this morning, Boober,” she said to him. 

“I have to agree with that,” Wembley added. 

“Me too,” I also added before raising my cup in approval. 

“Gosh, I…” Boober stuttered bashfully. 

Before he could complete his sentence, we were all interrupted by a scream that sounded like somebody had just been murdered. I set my coffee down and made a beeline for where it came from. Next thing I knew, I was running through the Great Hall and to the Terrible Tunnel entrance, where some other fraggles were already gathered. I stopped just behind the crowd, who all looked horrified by what they saw. 

“What happened?” I asked the nearest fraggle. 

“Something killed my friend,” they answered while crying. 

“I’m sorry,” I apologized before the fraggle left. 

Boober and everyone else had caught up with me by this point. 

“Jessa, you took off faster than you did from the Fearsome Beast,” Gobo said to me before noticing the cadaver. “Oh no.” 

His face went pale, Boober fainted, Mokey and Wembley began sobbing, and Red was at a loss of what to do or say next. I pushed my way through the crowd to inspect the dead Fraggle’s wound, which was located on his forearm. 

“Jessa, what are you doing?” I heard Red ask with fear in her voice. 

I didn’t answer though, and kept investigating. From what I could make out, there were two spots in the flesh where something had bitten him with its canine teeth to drink the fraggle’s blood, and then proceeded to take a huge bite out of his arm. I knew all too well what type of creature was responsible for this. 

“Bloodwraithe,” I said aloud. 

“Pardon me, miss?” an older fraggle asked me. 

“A Bloodwraithe has been here. And it must have seen this guy.” 

“But Bloodwraithes don’t live here,” somebody else replied to me. 

“No, but they do build nests nearby. And this bite mark matches the size of its maw.” 

I held up the dead fraggle’s arm to prove my point, though none of them were interested in looking at the bloody corpse. 

“With all that being said, I have no doubt that there’s a Bloodwraithe nest nearby.” 

I let go of the body and rose to my feet. 

“It’s about time those suckers went extinct, don’t you think?” 

I got out my sword and tapped the cadaver, the former lighting up and gathering the Bloodwraithe’s DNA to track it. As soon as my sword dimmed, Bloodwraithe footprints began to glow on the ground as they extended deeper into the Terrible Tunnel. Without a second thought, I began following the trail. 

“Give that guy a proper burial while I’m gone,” I said to the fraggles who listened. 

Chapter Text

Jessa’s POV (continued):

It wasn’t long until I was far away from the fraggles while I tracked down the Bloodwraithe that killed one of them. Poor dude. The last thing I wanted was another dead Fraggle on my conscience. I already witnessed my dad dying along with my mom. I suppressed the memory and continued on the trail. Out of all the things that settled near Fraggle Rock, it had to be fucking Bloodwraithes. Just great!! I wasn’t about to let Boober or anyone else be subjected to such a fate, so my plan to end the Bloodwraithes was to use the Extinction Sonic Wave from my sword. One swipe of that and those motherfuckers would be nothing but green mist. Then the fraggles would be safe. Boober would be safe. I sighed, thinking about him again. I never thought I would have it in me to care so much about anyone, but Boober managed to soften me up somehow. I then wondered if he regained consciousness after passing out at the sight of the corpse. I know Boober tends to be dramatic, though I couldn’t blame him for reacting the way he did. I began to wonder how often this sort of thing happens in Fraggle Rock. While thinking about this, I stopped at a stream where the footprints cut off. 

“Shit,” I said before noticing another pair of footprints on the other side. 

With nobody else alongside me, I felt free to teleport to the other side of the stream and continued following the Bloodwraithe’s trail. My feet were starting to ache from all the walking when I heard the idle noises of Bloodwraithes. The sounds grew louder the closer I got, and when I reached their quarters, there were thousands of them crawling, hissing, and growling. So demonic in appearance, dare I say even more ominous than how I looked during my Shazzle Bloodlust. 

“Disgusting,” I hissed before turning myself invisible. 

I waltzed right in to observe the Bloodwraithe nest, completely unseen by those nasty creatures. I had to make sure there wasn’t a stamina crystal already intact somewhere. But alas, there was. It was in the center of the cave ceiling, glowing in its blood-red color. I ran to the top of the nearest cliff, morphing my sword into a spear as it began to emit purple plasma. I hollered before throwing it, my spear piercing the crystal and the plasma radiating from it causing it to explode. While all this was going on, I turned visible again and teleported behind the queen Bloodwraithe and used my talons to slash its backside. It shrieked mercilessly, but I was ready to kick some ass. Among the Bloodlust features I obtained, the talons were the only thing I had any control over. It would take another Bloodlust for me to be able to summon fangs or tail spikes, whichever came next. From that point on, there was nothing but violence and bloodshed. So many Bloodwraithes, yet with my sword and powers, it felt more like a simulation training of some kind. At one point, I bellowed in fury before shooting fire at some of them. It was vastly effective, and they disintegrated into ashes within seconds. I used my other 3 elements as well when I felt the situation called for it. Water bending to drown the Bloodwraithes, earth bending to impale them with stalactites, and air bending to send them crashing into the wall. I even went as far as melting some of the hanging stalactites into lava so it would drip on them and burn them. I kept yelling obscenities at the Bloodwraithes while my spear changed back into a sword and levitated back to me. But before I could use my sword, one Bloodwraithe saw its chance and clawed my left forearm. 

“Son of a bitch!!” I swore. 

I bellowed again soon after, but a bunch of Bloodwraithes began to swarm me. The one that injured me just minutes ago hissed in my face, and its breath was awful! I gagged but teleported away from them. Now was my chance to wipe them all out of existence. I gathered my sword and let it build up its power. Surprisingly, none of the remaining Bloodwraithes tried to stop me. In fact, they all looked mesmerized by the buildup of the Extinction Sonic Wave. I could feel blood running down my arm, but I pushed the feeling aside and focused on raising my sword and sending that death wave across the entire nest. It was loud, swift, and unstoppable. In just mere seconds, there was nothing left but green mist and myself. I walked back to the entrance of the Bloodwraithes nest and fell to my knees, inspecting the cut on my arm. Blood oozed out of the scar, and I closed my eyes and leaned back against a rock. 

“Jessa!” 

I turned to see Gobo coming to my aid. 

“How did you find me?” 

“I followed the sound of the battle. It looks like you took care of those Bloodwraithes.” 

“Boober… is he…?” 

“He’s fine, Jessa,” he answered while tying a piece of cloth around my arm to stop the bleeding. “Well, physically, he is. As soon as I told him where you were, he got upset.” 

I groaned, both from the pain of my scar and from Boober worrying about me. 

“Come on,” Gobo began while helping me up. “We need to get you back to Fraggle Rock.” 

I wanted to ask more questions regarding the unfortunate fraggle who was killed, but saving my energy for walking back seemed like a wiser option. Gobo and I walked back in silence, and all I could think about at that point was Boober. 

Gobo’s POV:

I could already hear Boober sobbing over Jessa getting hurt and yelling at me for not stopping her. But I wasn’t going to let that happen. She meant so much to Boober, and if Jessa didn’t make it, I didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news. 

“Come on, Jessa,” I told her. 

We trampled through the stream I crossed earlier to find her, and I dragged Jessa behind me. It wasn’t long until we got back to Fraggle Rock. Even from a distance, I could hear Mokey trying to comfort Boober while he cried. 

“It’s going to be okay, Boober,” I heard her say. 

“No, it won’t, Mokey.” He replied between sobs. “Jessa is being eaten by those Bloodwraithes as we speak. And now I’ll never get the chance to tell her how I feel!” 

Boober continued to cry while Jessa and I arrived in the room. 

“Look, there’s Gobo and Jessa!” Red pointed out as soon as she saw us. 

Boober raised his head from the tissue he was using for his tears and gasped upon seeing the bloody handkerchief on Jessa’s arm. 

“Jessa!” he yelled in concern while running up to her. “What happened to you?” 

“Bloodwraithe,” she replied hoarsely. 

I watched Boober tend to Jessa before he led her elsewhere, leaving me to fill Red, Wembley, and Mokey in on what happened. 

Boober’s POV:

Oh, why did Jessa have to go and get hurt?! I sat her down somewhere before digging out some bandages and other medical supplies to help with her scar. But before I could even start to treat the injury, I needed to wash all the dry blood off. 

“Hold up your arm for me,” I said as she did so. 

When the wet rag made contact with her injury, Jessa grunted in pain, and I saw her tail curl up behind her. 

“I’m sorry,” I apologized before proceeding. 

Her scar was almost clean when Jessa finally spoke. 

“No, I’m sorry.” 

I looked at her, confused. 

“Sorry for what?” 

“Making you worry while I was in that Bloodwraithe nest.” 

I was silent for a moment, now feeling a bit embarrassed for crying in front of her. I hoped Jessa hadn’t heard some of the things I said. 

“I shouldn’t have wandered in there if I had known it was going to make you cry.” 

I finished cleaning Jessa’s scar and dug out a syringe and some numbing fluid to help with the pain. Jessa looked away before I injected her with the numbing agent. I guess she didn’t like the sight of the needle going into her arm. 

“I thought you were dead,” I finally admitted. 

“Hurt, yes,” she replied. “But dead, no.” 

“What happened in there?” 

“A Bloodwraithe scratched me.” 

I began stitching the scar on her arm while she continued. 

“But they’re all gone now. I used my sword to wipe them all out of existence.” 

“Another one of its powers, I presume?” 

“Extinction Sonic Wave. It can wipe out an entire species. And those Bloodwraithes are no more.” 

I remained silent so I could stitch up her cut with precision. I wanted to be extra careful with her. Luckily, Jessa came back before that scar had the chance to get infected. Judging by her lack of grunts, I’d say I did a rather good job numbing her arm beforehand. 

“What did they do with that guy?” she asked moments later. 

“I don’t know, Jessa. But I’ll bet there will be a funeral at some point.” 

Jessa sighed. 

“A funeral just a week from the summer solstice. If that isn’t the most messed up shit ever.” 

“I know. But tragedy doesn’t know what dates are.” 

“No. And it kind of kills the vibe.” 

I finished stitching up Jessa’s scar and cleaned off the remaining blood before wrapping her arm up in bandages. 

“There,” I said at last. “Remember to replace that every 4 hours, and please don’t go swimming until that heals up.” 

“It’s not like I brought my swimsuit with me anyway.” 

“Jessa,” I began in a serious tone while cupping her face. “Don’t scare me like that ever again.” 

“I saved your ass, didn’t I?” 

“Yes. But you also got hurt. Had you come back much later, you would’ve been at a huge risk of a staph infection.” 

“Aww, look at you worrying about me,” she teased me while hugging me with her unharmed arm. 

I tried to remain stoic, but I couldn’t help but melt and grin as I hugged her back. 

“Can you blame me for making sure you’re nowhere near death’s door?”

“Not really.” 

I looked Jessa in the eye and blushed, my baloobius glowing and her tail wagging. 

“Thanks for treating that scar.” 

“Thank you for avenging the death of a fellow fraggle.” 

Jessa blushed and looked away, and I couldn’t help but giggle. 

Jessa’s POV:

Boober and I flirted a bit after he stitched my scar, which I was immensely grateful for. With those Bloodwraithes gone, I felt happy that the guy in front of me would not end up slaughtered. I looked back at Boober before we leaned into each other. 

“Boober…” 

“Yeah?” 

He then wrapped his arms around my torso while I wrapped mine around his neck. The next thing I knew, we were about to kiss when Red interrupted us. 

“Come on, you two!” she called out. “They’re calling a meeting.” 

Boober and I looked at each other before withdrawing. I don’t know about him, but I was disappointed that we didn’t get to kiss. We both walked out and followed everyone else to the Great Hall. Boober held my hand the whole time on the way there, and I squeezed his hand gently. 

End of everyone’s POV

Chapter Text

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to mourn the loss of Orzie Fraggle.” 

Everyone was gathered in the Great Hall as the funeral was in session. The whole mood was depressing, to say the least; even Boober didn’t like it. He stole a glance at Jessa, who had a sympathetic expression on her face, before facing forward. Some fraggles that had known Orzie came up and gave their eulogies. Some were short and simple; others were long-winded yet heartfelt. Luckily, the body was out of sight inside a coffin. After everyone finished, the Fraggle council released the coffin containing Orzie into the pond, much to Jessa’s shock and disgust. 

“Ew, in the pond?!” She whispered. 

Boober leaned in closer to whisper to her. 

“Now you know why I hate swimming in there.” 

“No kidding,” Jessa whispered back. 

The coffin eventually floated away to a connecting river that led to the Cave of the Afterlife. No living fraggle had ever gone in there, though it was impossible since they weren’t dead yet. Once the coffin was out of sight, the council carried on with other issues needing to be addressed. 

“Since we lost Orzie to a Bloodwraithe, according to Jessa Fraggle, the Terrible Tunnel will officially be off limits. A large boulder will be put in front of the entrance to keep anything from coming into Fraggle Rock and keep the fraggles out of there.” 

Boober gasped in horror at this news, as did Red, Gobo, Wembley, and Mokey. The other fraggles, however, roared in agreement. 

“Hold on!” Jessa piped up, catching Boober by surprise and getting everyone’s attention. “What is putting a boulder in front of the Terrible Tunnel going to accomplish? Those Bloodwraithes are gone. I killed them.” 

“All of them?” an old fraggle asked. 

“Yes, all of them. That’s how I got this scar.” 

Jessa raised her bandaged arm to prove her point. 

“I got clawed by one of them while I was in their nest, slaughtering every single one.” 

“How can one fraggle kill thousands of Bloodwraithes?!” 

“See this sword?” Jessa asked while holding it up. “It can do many things, one of them being the ability to send a sonic wave of death to an entire species. That’s how I was able to wipe them all out.” 

Jessa sat back down before the council had a chance to reply. 

“Even so, that tunnel is still getting blocked off. Nothing but terrible things have emerged from there.” 

“But you can’t do that!” 

“Meeting adjourned! The Terrible Tunnel will be closed off for good as of tomorrow.” 

Everyone was dismissed soon after, but Jessa remained in shock. 

“I’m sorry, Jessa.” Gobo apologized sympathetically. 

“I’m homeless.” 

“Not if I can help it.” Red declared. “That boulder can’t weigh more than a radish.” 

“It won’t do any good, Red,” Boober told her. 

“I bet you had a really nice place, didn’t you,” Wembley asked. 

“Not really,” Jessa answered him. “I was living in a decrepit old tent. It’s not much, but it was all I had. Now it’s gone.” 

Boober hugged Jessa from behind, though it didn’t make her feel any better. 

“We can decorate the hole you’ve been sleeping in, Jessa,” Mokey offered. “We’ll make it nice it homey.” 

“I can’t even think about that right now,” Jessa griped before getting up and walking away, prompting Boober to let go and watch her sadly. 

Jessa had wandered off to the gorg’s garden, pissed off about the boulder thing. Now she had no choice but to remain here in Fraggle Rock. While that wasn’t such a bad thing to happen, it also meant that Jessa was going to have to be twice as careful about hiding her Shazzle genes. 

“If this ban is permanent, I’ll have to tell them at some point,” she lamented to herself. 

But Jessa didn’t want to. Not after she and Boober started getting close. Given his pessimism overall, Jessa figured that he would be the least accepting of her being a hybrid. She couldn’t bear that thought as she sighed. 

“This sucks.” 

Jessa then heard the door to the castle open and raised her head to see Junior and Pa walk outside. 

“Now son,” Pa began as Jessa half listened. “Your ma and I are going into town for a bit, so we need you to watch the castle.” 

Jessa was out of sight in the Nirvana tree so the gorgs wouldn’t see her. She had her sword at least, but in a hypothetical situation where she didn’t have it, Jessa wouldn’t be able to use her powers to fend off the gorgs if they tried thumping her or anyone else. Jessa then held out her palm, her eyes glowing yellow as she sent a breeze flowing across the garden. It blew past the gorgs, though they thought it was the regular wind. 

“I can do that,” Junior answered with such loyalty. 

“Make sure nobody storms into the castle, and make sure no fraggles go into our garden.” 

“Yes, Pa.” 

Pa began to walk back inside when he stopped halfway. 

“Oh, and Junior?” 

“Yeah?” 

“Don’t get too rough in the garden like you did the last time.” 

“I won’t, Pa.” 

“Because your mother was very upset about her crops almost getting destroyed.” 

This triggered the memory of Sidebottom for Jessa and she blushed. 

“I’ll try not to break anything,” Junior told his father. 

“Good. We'll be back shortly.” 

Pa left after that, leaving Junior by himself in the garden. He began to march around and hum, which Jessa rolled her eyes at before teleporting out of the tree and to the stream she lied about being on that rainy day. It was located on the other side of the rock, giving Jessa plenty of privacy to water bend. She held out her hand again, her eyes glowing blue this time as a stream of water began to rise and take the form of a star. It remained like that while Jessa turned some extra droplets into butterflies. The water butterflies flew around her while she morphed the star into a heart, then a flower. Oddly enough, this seemed to placate her. Upon seeing the water flower, the aquatic butterflies flew towards it and landed on it. Jessa chuckled and let the butterflies turn back into regular water, though she still played around with the flower, morphing it into a bridge so she could cross it. Jessa got up and walked on it, her boots squishing against the water along the way. After reaching the other side of the creek, Jessa walked back to where she was before turning the water bridge into mist and encasing herself inside a mist cocoon as it spun around her body. The cold water soothed her as she closed her eyes and felt her hair flow from the force of the mist. Jessa wanted to remain inside of her spinning mist cocoon for a long time, but hearing Junior nearby forced her to stop. The blue in Jessa’s eyes disappeared once the water returned to the stream. She then summoned a wind cocoon to dry herself off. After the wind cocoon disappeared, Jessa was about to earthbend when she heard Junior yell in excitement. 

“Fwaggle!” 

Jessa braced herself for dealing with the gorg, but to her surprise, she wasn’t his target. She watched Junior reach into the rock to grab whoever decided to peek out. It was at that moment that she heard Boober scream. 

“Oh no you don’t,” Jessa said before taking out her sword and sending a ray of energy passed Junior, and it turned around and hit his backside. 

“Ow!” He shouted while jumping away from the rock. “That stung.” 

He then went to investigate around the garden to see who did it, allowing Jessa to come to the rock and check on Boober. 

“What are you doing here?” She asked him. 

“I was looking for you, Jessa. You ran off after the meeting.” 

“Can you blame me?” 

“...No.” 

Boober would be devastated if he lost his home too. No place to do laundry or cook. 

“I can’t imagine not having a place for all my stuff. Nothing to shelter all my clean laundry when it’s drying, or to keep all the ingredients I use in my meals dry...” 

“Not having anywhere to sleep.” 

“Then you get sore from sleeping on the ground.” 

Jessa walked back to the entrance to see if Junior was gone. 

“You’re not going back out there, are you?” He asked her. 

“Why not?” 

“Uh, because there’s gorgs out there.” 

“Two of them left. Only one is out there.” 

“Jessa, you’ll get thumped.” 

“No,” Jessa began while turning to face Boober. “The gorg will answer to my sword if he interferes.” 

Jessa was about to go back out there when Boober grabbed her uninjured arm. 

“Jessa, don’t!” 

“Boober, let go!” 

“I don’t want you out there while you have a big scar on your arm. Or any other time.” 

“I’m not a child Boober!! You can’t stop me from going wherever I please.” 

Startled by her outburst, Boober went silent and released her arm just as Jessa started to regret her tone. 

“I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I have no reason to take my anger out on you.” 

“No, I shouldn’t have been so restrictive.” 

Jessa leaned back against the rock and slumped to the ground. 

“I guess that’s what happens when you lose your only residence. You turn into a bitch.” 

Boober then sat down beside her and leaned his head on her shoulder. 

“You’re not a bitch, Jessa.” 

Jessa only huffed in response, but Boober remained by her side. 

“Today’s just been a rotten day.” Boober continued while caressing her bicep. “Somebody died, and you got hurt and became homeless.” 

“Rotten indeed.” 

“I’m just glad you didn’t end up like Orzie.” 

Jessa then rested her head on top of Boober’s head, which made his baloobius glow. 

“No amount of time could ever be enough to grieve over your death.” 

Jessa felt her anger subside and hugged Boober as he sighed. 

“I would feel the same way if it happened to you,” she admitted. 

Boober melted into Jessa before hugging her tightly. She smiled and felt her tail wagging. It was a sweet moment until Jessa’s stomach growled. 

“I never did eat breakfast.” 

“It’s too late for breakfast. But I can make lunch.” 

Boober smiled invitingly, and Jessa smiled back, taking his hand and walking back to the kitchen with him. 

Jessa had finished her food, thinking about how to keep her powers a secret when Red found her. 

“Jessa, come here. I want to show you something.” 

“What is it?” 

“Follow me and I’ll show you,” Red said while dragging Jessa behind her. 

“Is it another Doozer construction?” Jessa inquired casually. 

“Nope.” 

“A flying pig?” 

“Nope.” 

“Okay, a... zombie?” 

“No!” 

“Alright,” Jessa replied while chuckling. “I’ll stop.” 

The girls walked into Red and Mokey’s room, the boys in there as well. 

“Since you’re going to be here in Fraggle Rock for a while, Jessa, we decided to spruce up your hole a little bit,” Red told her. 

Jessa looked at her hole, now decorated with flowers and faerie lights. There was even a little nook with some books inside it, and Boober had put clean sheets on her bed. 

“We made it all pretty for you.” Mokey gleamed. 

“I drew a picture for you to hang on your wall,” Wembley said while handing her a picture of a dragon. 

Jessa took it and smiled. 

“You also have nice, clean sheets fresh from the laundry,” Boober added. 

“And I put some of my old books in there for you to read,” Gobo said after Boober. 

“And Mokey picked the flowers to hang around your hole.” Red chimed in. 

“I didn’t know what flowers you liked, so I picked azaleas and marigolds,” Mokey added. 

“The marigolds will keep insects away,” Boober interjected. 

Jessa took another good look at her hole and grinned. 

“I don’t know what to say.” 

“You don’t have to say anything, Jessa,” Boober said to her while holding her non-bandaged arm. 

“Looks like you’re stuck with us for a while,” Gobo said to Jessa. 

“I just hope Red and Mokey can stand having me as their roommate for this long.” 

This made everyone laugh, even Boober, as he let go of Jessa’s arm and hugged her behind. 

“I doubt that’s going to be a problem,” Red replied when the laughter died down. 

“Well, either way, my hole looks a lot better than it did when I first spent the night here.” 

“I’ll take that as a sign that you like it,” Boober murmured. 

“I do,” Jessa murmured back. 

Chapter Text

DAYS LATER…  

With the summer solstice not too far from now, everyone was busy with preparations. Everyone except Jessa, who was curled up in her hole reading one of the books Gobo had given her. She couldn’t do much with a big scar on her arm thanks to those Bloodwraithes, but at least she got to enjoy her hole after Boober, Mokey, Red, Gobo, and Wembley made it all nice for her. Jessa was also wearing a different outfit this time since Boober was washing her clothes. A turquoise blue tube top and gray cargo jeans. Her hairstyle, however, remained the same. Jessa glanced at her bandaged arm and sighed before turning the page in her book. The scar still hurt, though not as bad as it did when she first got it. It provided some difficulties though. For example, showering was a challenge since it hurt to wash her arm. Jessa also couldn’t sleep on her side as that would put pressure on the injury. Nevertheless, she managed. It wasn’t until a half hour later when Boober arrived, exhausted from cooking all the food for the solstice. 

“That’s the first time I’ve seen you sedentary.” He said to her as she looked up. 

Boober was in his chef hat and apron, though he removed his oven mitts before coming to spend his break with Jessa. He also had a bit of flour on his face, which made Jessa blush. 

“Can’t exactly do much when you have a big scar on your arm,” Jessa replied to him. “On the plus side, however, it’s given me time to enjoy this hole.” 

Boober smiled before sitting down next to her. 

“Nothing like nice clean sheets is there.” 

“Nope.” 

They both looked away, blushing and smiling before Boober slowly placed his hand on top of Jessa’s. 

“So how’s food duty coming along?” She asked. 

“I’m almost done with the radish bites. They’re in the oven baking.” 

Boober could’ve sworn that Jessa scooted closer to him, and he grinned while his tail wagged. 

“How’s your arm?” he asked. 

“Still painful, but not as bad as it was.” 

Boober stole a glance at Jessa’s arm before turning to face her. 

“Showering is difficult, and I can’t lay on my left side.” 

Boober put his arm around her waist, to which Jessa’s tail wagged. 

“I was so scared when you went in there,” Boober admitted. “With all those scary Bloodwraithes, I thought you were going to get killed.” 

“Boober,” Jessa began while cupping his face. “I’ve dealt with more intense fights than that one.” 

Boober only pulled her closer in response, which made Jessa blush even deeper. 

“I thought I was going to lose you, Jessa.” 

“Don’t worry, you didn’t,” she replied nonchalantly while hugging him. 

Boober melted into the hug and sighed. This is what he needed right now! Time with his crush. He inhaled Jessa’s scent and nuzzled her neck. Jessa rested her head on top of his and giggled. 

“Who would’ve known that chef hat would make a great pillow.” She commented. 

Boober’s baloobius lit up at what she said. 

“I’m glad you find comfort in my uniform.” He murmured. 

Jessa chuckled as Boober caressed her back. 

“You know, I gotta be honest,” Jessa began. “This will be the first summer solstice in Fraggle Rock I’ve ever attended.” 

Boober remained silent, but Jessa didn’t mind. This time with Boober was what she needed. 

“If it makes you feel any better Boober, I won’t be doing any crazy shit any time soon.” 

Boober hummed in response, relaxing into Jessa. She raised her head to look at him and chuckled. 

“Careful, your radish bites will burn if you fall asleep on me.” 

“They won’t be done for another 30 minutes.” 

“If you say so, chef.” 

Boober giggled; loving being called that. Jessa rolled her eyes in amusement and went back to reading her book. 

“Isn’t that Gobo’s book of maps?” Boober asked upon noticing the pages. 

“Yeah, it was one of the books he put on my shelf.” 

Boober couldn’t help but feel a little jealous of Jessa’s friendship with Gobo. The two seemed to have a lot in common and got along pretty well. It made him feel insecure. 

“Jessa, can I ask you something?” 

“Sure, what is it?” 

“Do you like Gobo?” 

Jessa was caught off guard by that question as she gave Boober a funny look. 

“Not in that kind of way. I like Gobo more in a family sense.” 

“Oh.” 

Boober couldn’t help but feel relieved at this news. 

“Why do you ask?” 

“Just wondering.” 

Boober let go of Jessa, but he still sat beside her. She couldn’t help but feel disappointed when he did so. Jessa had never been the cuddly or huggy type, but having Boober hold her made her crave snuggles. 

“You look nice in that color.” Boober complimented her. 

Jessa blushed before responding. 

“Thanks.” She replied. 

At least Boober didn’t have to worry about Jessa falling for Gobo. He sat there for a moment, thinking about when he and Jessa almost kissed. With all that had happened, neither of them had any time to think about it. Boober being busy cooking for the summer solstice and Jessa still adjusting to life in Fraggle Rock since she no longer had access to the Terrible Tunnel. Well, she could go back in there via teleportation or use her sword to destroy the boulder that now blocked the entrance, but it would cause too much of a scene and Jessa wasn’t in the mood to get yelled at. Teleportation was her best bet, yet that would also involve the risk of exposing herself as half Shazzle. Even with the most secluded areas of Fraggle Rock, there would always be a risk of somebody seeing her teleport. Not even the gorg’s garden would warrant her any privacy to do so. With all that in mind, Jessa had no choice but to stay in Fraggle Rock. Regardless, she didn’t mind it. More specifically, she didn’t mind being in Boober’s company. Boober also loved having Jessa here with him. Now he knew for a fact that she wouldn’t get killed by something Fearsome in the Terrible Tunnel. Jessa also made a mental note to not use her powers anymore, at least until they somehow opened the Terrible Tunnel once again. 

“So,” Jessa began as Boober made eye contact with her. “You’re still going to pass on the celebration?” 

“Yeah. Loudness is not my thing.” 

“I’ll let you know how it all goes down then.” 

“I will enjoy hearing about it.” 

Boober and Jessa held hands once again, but before they could say or do anything else, Boober began to smell his radish bites. 

“I better go check on those radish bites. I’ll be right back.” 

Jessa nodded as Boober went back to his kitchen, leaving her to read more of the book. 

Boober had gotten busy with his other tasks and didn’t come back, but Jessa didn’t hold it against him. After finishing the book, she put it away and got up to walk around the Great Hall. Jessa didn’t have her boots on, and it felt weird being barefoot. Nevertheless, she ventured out into the Great Hall. She casually walked past the other Fraggles playing and doing their own thing. None of them noticed her, which was just fine by Jessa. She walked past the Terrible Tunnel, now blocked off by an enormous boulder. She stopped to stare at it for a few minutes before continuing her walk, having mixed feelings about this whole situation. 

“Looks like there’s no going back.” She said to herself. 

“Excuse me?” 

Jessa turned to see the same Fraggle that cried over Orzie’s death approach her with what looked like a geode in her hands. 

“I never got the chance to thank you for avenging Orzie.” 

“You don’t have to,” Jessa replied somewhat indifferently. “Shit like that just happens.” 

“Here’s a geode for killing those Bloodwraithes.” 

Jessa took the geode and stared at it. It was a large rainbow crystal geode that sparkled when held at certain angles. It was very beautiful!! Jessa was already beginning to think how good it would look on her bookshelf. 

“Where did you get this?” 

“It’s a family heirloom.” 

“You… gave me an heirloom? But I’m not related to you.” 

“There’s not very many Fraggles who would go in the Terrible Tunnel and kill a whole nest of Bloodwraithes. You deserve it.” 

“What about your descendants?” 

“I don’t want children. And besides, that’s a very precious geode.” 

Jessa stared down at it again and smiled. 

“I’ll take good care of it. Thanks.” 

The Fraggle grinned and left, leaving Jessa to go back to her room and put the rainbow geode on her bookshelf. She was in the middle of finding a spot for it when Boober finally returned. 

“Hey Jessa, I-“ 

Boober noticed the geode and stopped to admire it. 

“Where did you get that geode?” 

“I was walking around the Great Hall and some Fraggle that knew Orzie gave it to me. As a thanks for destroying the Bloodwraithes.” 

“It’s a honey, that’s for sure,” Boober said while hugging Jessa from behind. 

“A honey?” Jessa chuckled in amusement. 

“Yeah, a honey.” 

“I didn’t expect to be compensated for my kill quest, but with prizes like this geode, I’d say it was worth it.” 

Boober made a small noise while tightening his hold on Jessa. 

“Of course, even without the geode, I’m just happy that you’re not dead.” 

A moment of silence passed between them as they both stared at Jessa’s geode. 

“I meant to come back much sooner,” Boober finally said. “but the laundry needed to be done and I had to make the fruit punch.” 

“Boober, don’t worry about it. Shit happens.” 

Jessa giggled when he nuzzled her neck, both of their tails wagging. 

“Mokey said something about a musical group coming to the solstice.” 

“The Minstrels?” 

“Yeah. Those guys.” 

While they were talking, Mokey walked in to get something but stopped once she saw Boober and Jessa. She smiled seeing how close they had become, fully aware of his feelings for the dark purple Fraggle. She could see his tail wagging while he held her. 

“What kind of music do they play?” Jessa asked Boober. 

“The most enticing orchestral music any Fraggle has heard.” 

“I just love their music,” Mokey interjected, forgetting that she was watching them. 

Both Jessa and Boober turned around in surprise. 

“Mokey?” he asked. 

“How long have you been there?” Jessa asked her. 

“Just a couple of seconds,” Mokey answered innocently. “I just need some streamers.” 

Mokey looked around in her hole for them while Boober and Jessa watched. After digging around for a bit, she noticed the geode on Jessa’s bookshelf. 

“Oh, what a lovely geode!” 

“Thanks, it was a reward for the Bloodwraithe Massacre,” Jessa replied proudly. 

“Isn’t it a honey, Mokey?” Boober asked her. 

“Very much!” 

Before Mokey could admire it much longer, Red caught her attention. 

“Mokey, come on,” she told her. “Those streamers aren’t going to put themselves up.” 

“Coming Red.” 

Mokey followed her out of the room, leaving Boober and Jessa alone with each other once again. Jessa shifted to lie on her back while Boober watched her, smiling and blushing. 

“You look good in that chef uniform, by the way.” 

“Gee uh, thanks,” Boober replied shyly, grinning like a dork. 

Jessa chuckled at his shyness, finding it cute. Boober’s tail wagged once again before lying down beside her. 

“Do you need anything?” Boober asked Jessa. 

“Not that I can think of,” she answered after pondering on it. 

Boober nuzzled her in response, making Jessa giggle. 

“I need to get back in the kitchen.” 

“Alright then.” 

Boober stole a hug from Jessa before leaving, making her blush and grin. Jessa then grabbed another book off her shelf to read, sighing lovingly to herself before opening it and getting lost in the lore of what was written on the pages.

Chapter Text

“Mokey, this dress won’t suit me,” Jessa said to her while looking at the dress in her hands. “It’s not my style.”

After learning about Jessa having nothing to wear to the solstice, Mokey took her shopping. While Jessa was grateful for this, it became clear that they both had different clothes tastes. Still, they both enjoyed themselves.

“You won’t know until you try it on.”

“Alright,” Jessa replied, not in the mood to argue.

In the fitting room, Jessa removed her tube top and cargo jeans to try it on, only to be repulsed at what she saw in the mirror. Not at herself necessarily, but at what was on her body. The dress Mokey had her try on was gaudy. Tacky. At least to Jessa. The dress was too conservative, covering up her midsection, and from the waist down, the dress poofed out.

“Yuck,” she murmured.

“Come on out, Jessa. Let’s see how the dress looks.”

“Or you can come in here and see for yourself. I’m not going out there.”

Mokey walked in to have a look, only to regret choosing on Jessa’s behalf.

“This is a no,” Jessa said before Mokey even had the chance to speak.

“It’s such a lovely dress though.”

“Maybe on you,” Jessa replied before turning back towards the mirror. “But this makes me look and feel like a grandma.”

Mokey stepped out to give Jessa some privacy to change back into her other clothes.

“For what it’s worth, Mokey,” she began while tossing the dress aside and slipping into her cargo jeans. “At least we’re expanding my wardrobe a bit.”

“Yeah,” she replied. “And we’re learning about each other's styles.”

Jessa smiled weakly before putting her tube top back on.

“So are these holiday celebrations always formal?”

“Only the ones that have to do with season change.”

Jessa came out and continued her conversation with Mokey while they looked around. Jessa was having a hard time finding something she liked until she saw a dress that would make her look elegant and bring out her personality at the same time.

“Finally, something decent,” she said while holding it up to get a better look.

It was a teal one-sleeve mermaid ball gown. The sleeve was long and on the side of the dress that would hide her bandaged arm. It was perfect.

“I think I found the one,” Jessa said to Mokey.

Mokey looked to see the dress that Jessa had picked while also holding one for her.

“Ooh, that’s very beautiful,” she gushed.

“And if it fits, it’s mine,” Jessa said before going into the fitting room, leaving Mokey to find another dress for herself.

With all the privacy of the fitting room, Jessa took off her tube top and cargo jeans and put the dress on, which she was able to slip into easily. The dress fit Jessa like a glove, though it needed to be hemmed to better suit her height. She then looked carefully at her figure. Jessa had managed to get back up to a healthy weight due to eating the food that Boober cooked. Her skin also appeared much more vibrant and she didn't look so frail anymore. Jessa almost cried, not able to remember the last time she looked so lively, if ever. Did she always look like death? Jessa ran her hands down her hips, which were now filled out and not so bony.

“Damn…” she breathed.

Even her face, while it still had contour, had filled out. Maybe losing access to the Terrible Tunnel was a good thing after all if it meant looking like a picture of health. Had she still been underweight, the dress would have looked ill-fitting on her. But now that she was a healthy size, it fit her perfectly.

“Did you get it on?” Mokey asked her.

Jessa hadn’t realized how long she had been staring at her reflection until Mokey spoke, and she inhaled and exhaled before stepping out.

“How does it look?” She asked, her tone casual and nonchalant.

Mokey, as well as a few other Fraggles, voiced their approval.

“Great, now I can take this off and take it to the hole.”

Jessa changed back into her pants and top and paid for the dress. Mokey continued looking at the other dresses while Jessa headed back. She ran into Gobo and Wembley on the way, who were walking to yet another cave he wanted to explore.

“Hey, did you buy something, Jessa?” Gobo asked her.

“A new dress,” she answered while holding it up.

“Cool,” Wembley replied.

“Wembley and I are going to see the Singing Flowers. You want to come along?”

“I’ll pass on the trip, but thanks.”

“Come on, Jessa, don’t be such a buzz kill,” Gobo said to her in a joking manner.

“Me? A buzz kill? Never.” Jessa joked back.

“You've been hanging around Boober too much.”

Jessa merely blew a raspberry at Gobo before continuing on her way, but he just laughed. Red was sprawled out in her bed when Jessa returned, who laughed upon seeing her exhausted and sweaty.

“You look like crap,” Jessa teased before receiving a middle finger from Red.

Jessa only rolled her eyes and chuckled proudly.

“I thought you and Mokey went to pick out dresses,” Red said to her.

“I’ve already picked mine out, but she’s still looking at other things."

“You’re not much of a shopper, are you.”

“I don’t mind looking around, but once I see something I want or need, I like to just pay for it and get out.”

“At least Mokey can take you in place of me.”

“I take it you’re not big on shopping either?”

Jessa had started to plan alterations on her dress as she took out a tape measure before Red continued.

“No. Why do that when I could be creating new stunts? That's a better use of my time.”

“Speaking of which, did you ever convince Gobo to do that one you and I did?”

“No,” Red grumbled. “He’s too chicken.”

Jessa snickered before making chicken noises.

“Bock bock bagock indeed.”

“Can you do me a favor real quick?” Jessa asked her. “I need you to hold that tape measure to where my ankles are.”

Red got up from her bed and helped Jessa while she held the dress close to her body.

“If you didn’t want a long dress, why did you buy this one?”

“Because it was the only one I liked, for one thing. And it needs a few adjustments.”

Red gave her a bored hum in response.

“Plus, I’m in no mood to spend all solstice trying not to trip over my clothes.”

“That’s why I wear knee-length dresses.”

“To each their own.”

Jessa grabbed her sword and morphed it into a pair of scissors, and began cutting the excess length off at the bottom.

“What else do you plan to do to it?” Red asked.

“I might add a few clear quartz crystals here and there, depending on how the dress comes out.”

“Speaking of which, I saw that geode on your bookshelf. It looks amazing.”

Jessa smiled before extracting some loose threads from the scraps and tossing them aside.

“It’s my reward for killing Bloodwraithes."

“I still can’t believe you touched Orzie’s corpse.”

“It’s nothing I haven't seen before.”

Red shuddered at the memory of Jessa walking over to pick up Orzie’s bloody and mutilated arm. She may be confident, but she wasn’t willing to make physical contact with dead bodies.

“It’s a wonder you and Gobo aren’t related,” Red commented, causing Jess to stop hemming her dress and shoot her a confused look.

“Excuse me?”

“You have the same mannerisms, and both of you are purple.”

“As if that means anything.”

“You think I’m wrong?”

“I know you’re wrong. Gobo is orange with purple hair. And it’s not even the same shade of purple as my skin.”

This was true. Jessa’s skin was a much darker purple than Gobo’s hair.

“I don’t know why you’re so convinced that I have any relatives here.”

Red didn’t say anything, but she could tell for a fact that Jessa was the female version of Gobo. They had to be related!

“And besides, I doubt Gobo would even touch a dead body like I did.”

“True.”

Jessa continued hemming her dress just as Mokey arrived with her new dress.

“Hey Mokey,” Red greeted her.

“Hey, Red.”

Jessa greeted her with a smile just as Mokey did.

“Did you finally pick one?”

“I did,” Mokey said before presenting a boho-style tank top and skirt.

“Now that suits you,” Jessa complimented.

“Thank you.”

Red sat back down on her bed and watched Mokey admire her new clothes.

“Have you picked out anything, Red?” Jessa asked her.

“I’m just going to wear the same dress I wore last year.”

“You don’t want a new one?” Mokey asked.

“What’s wrong with the one I have? It’s only been worn once, and it still looks new.”

Jessa didn’t have any comments to throw out and continued hemming her dress, but listened to them talk. Jessa rejoined the conversation minutes later when Mokey commented on her progress with the dress.

“I can’t wait to see how your dress turns out.”

“It’s going to look better than when I first bought it,” Jessa replied proudly.

“She’s going to put crystals on it,” Red added.

“I’ll have to be wise about where to put them though. I was going to do the collarbone area, but it’s a one-sleeve dress and one side is going to be under my armpit.”

“Just make sure it doesn’t inconvenience me when I wash it.”

The girls turned to see Boober standing in the archway of their hole, his hands behind his back.

Chapter Text

“How long have you been standing there?” Red inquired.

“I just got here, Red,” Boober answered her.

“I take it you’re not a fan of crystals on clothes?” Jessa asked.

“They’re too hard to get around when washing the fabric. And don’t even get me started on sequins. And rhinestones.”

“Boober, we know how much you hate extra material on clothes.” Red groaned.

“I can make the crystals removable,” Jessa added nonchalantly just as she finished the last of her hemming.

“How?” Boober asked.

“I wasn’t going to stick them all over the dress anyway,” Jessa answered before showing Boober a long, incomplete string of different-sized clear quartz.

“It just needs a few more crystals and some Velcro.”

Jessa then sniffed the air and smelled a lovely aroma radiating off of Boober.

“Why do you smell like apples?”

“Probably because I have an apple pie bite behind my back.”

Boober then revealed it to Jessa, who looked at it in surprise. Mokey and Red gasped quietly while watching them.

“I made one for you in case you were hungry,” Boober said bashfully, his tail wagging as he handed her the pastry.

Jessa blushed before taking it.

“No wonder you smelled so good.” She said before taking a bite.

Boober couldn’t help but smile as he blushed and felt his baloobius glow.

“Maybe I should add apples to my list of ingredients,” Boober commented after seeing Jessa enjoy what he made.

“I’ll say,” Jessa answered after swallowing her bite. “Thanks, Boober.”

“You’re welcome.”

Jessa broke eye contact and blushed just as Boober did, Mokey grinning happily and Red smirking knowingly.

“Need some alone time, Jessa?” Red asked her in a teasing manner.

Boober blushed even deeper while Jessa replied with something witty, and Red rolled her eyes while smirking before she and Mokey left the room. Jessa finished off her apple pie bite just as Boober sat down next to her.

“How did you manage to get an apple of all things?” She asked him.

“It wasn’t easy.” He said while glancing at her half-completed dress.

Boober had been up earlier than usual and he thought about doing some laundry, but then he wouldn’t have anything to do later on besides finishing the rest of his cooking for the solstice. At a loss of how to spend his morning before everyone else woke up, he remembered the morning after Jessa had a nightmare involving her past. He remembered approaching her in the gorg’s garden while she shot that apple out of the tree with her crossbow. He remembered Jessa eating half the apple before kicking the core out of sight. Boober didn’t know how, but he ended up in the gorg’s garden and retrieved an apple that happened to be lying on the ground. He chose a fallen apple by default since he couldn’t climb the tree and lacked a crossbow, much less a magic sword that could morph into one. That was something that only Jessa seemed to possess. Where she got that sword from, Boober didn’t know. Jessa wouldn’t tell anyone more about it other than what it could turn into and what it could do. By the time Boober rolled the apple back inside the rock, he couldn’t believe that he had gone out there by himself. Granted, the gorgs hadn’t woken up yet, but it was still a danger zone for Boober. He had gone into the gorg's garden and got an apple. All for the lovely purple Fraggle herself. Transporting the apple to the kitchen was hard since it was huge. Boober thought he was going to need some assistance, but he managed to get the heavy fruit into his kitchen. That’s how he ended up making an apple pie bite for Jessa. The rest of the apple he stored away somewhere and wrapped it up so it wouldn’t rot. He told Jessa about his journey too as she smiled at him. Seeing her grin like that made Boober blush.

“You know,” Jessa began once he finished. “you’ve been getting quite the arm workout with all that stirring you’ve been doing.”

Boober blushed once more at this comment before rubbing his biceps.

“They are rather sore.” He replied.

Jessa thought for a minute before laying her hands on his shoulders, taking Boober by surprise.

“Hey, what are you-” he began before feeling a gentle squeeze that eased the tension in his shoulders.

Boober hummed in satisfaction, which made Jessa smile.

“You’ve been working too hard for the solstice.” She pointed out.

“Tell me about it.”

After squeezing his shoulders a few more times, Boober scooted closer to Jessa and leaned into her.

“There’s a tight spot in my neck.” He said lowly while resting his head on her chest.

Jessa chuckled wholeheartedly and began squeezing his neck. Boober let out a low groan and melted into her, loving the massage she was giving him. Jessa blushed at how content he looked and felt her tail wag a little bit. Boober felt his heart bumping against his rib cage and his baloobius lit up. She smelled so good! That coconut scent radiating from her hair and the soap she used recently. Boober sighed lovingly while she massaged him. Jessa remained quiet to allow him to relax. Eventually, the soreness and tightness disappeared. Boober was about to fall asleep on Jessa when he heard Gobo and Wembley return.

“Sounds like they’re back,” Jessa said before Boober sat up and gave her some personal space.

“I know I’m not the best at making decisions.” Wembley ranted to Gobo. “What does that flower know anyway?”

“I can’t believe it thinks I like Red.” Gobo ranted. “The nerve.”

“Sounds like your trip went well,” Jessa called out sarcastically as they were passing by.

“Define well,” Gobo replied, still in denial about what the Singing Flowers sang to him.

“I’m a Fraggle, not a dictionary.”

Boober glanced at Wembley sympathetically as he was still uneasy about being indecisive.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have gone with Gobo to the Singing Flowers.”

“I wanted to,” Wembley replied. “I’ll never make that mistake again.”

“I knew that the Flowers sang what’s on your mind, but I didn’t think it was going to be anything like this,” Gobo added before glancing at Jessa’s yet-to-be-completed dress and materials that she left on the floor in front of her bed. “What all this stuff?”

“I was adding a few crystals to my dress,” Jessa answered indifferently.

“Why?” He asked.

“Because I want it to look a certain way.”

Jessa grabbed some idle crystals and her string and continued to put them on there.

“Mokey took me with her to get a dress since I didn’t have one.”

“Well that was nice of her,” Wembley replied.

“Yeah, it was.”

Jessa smiled before grabbing another crystal and putting it on her string.

“Where did you get the crystals?” Boober inquired.

“I’ve had these for a while.” She answered. “These particular crystals make a dazzling glitter when crushed into a fine powder.”

Wembley let out a sound of interest.

“But I’ll spare Boober the trouble of washing around glitter since he doesn’t like it.”

“Thank you.” He replied gratefully.

“You made it clear earlier how much you hate washing clothes with glitter, sequins, and rhinestones on them.”

“My washboard doesn't guarantee that they’ll stay intact once the fabric is clean,” Boober added. “And when I beat the suds out on some rocks, it will only make it worse. If it’s anything like those clear quartz crystals, they’ll break.”

Gobo, being a male, was tuning the conversation out. He didn’t particularly care about fashion or laundry.

“If you guys need me,” he began as Jessa and Boober paused their conversation to hear what he had to say. “I’ll be skating around on my peapod zoomer.”

“Alright then,” Jessa replied.

Gobo left, leaving Wembley with Boober and Jessa.

“I’d hate to break your crystals, Jessa,” Boober said to her.

Jessa smiled in response.

“Sounds like we’re both doing each other a favor then.”

Wembley sat down on the floor in front of them, joining their conversation.

“Good thing I don’t wear sequins.” He added. “They’re scratchy.”

“Can’t say that I’ve ever felt comfortable in sequins myself,” Jessa replied to Wembley.

“Not to mention they get caught in your fur,” Boober added.

Both Jessa and Wembley groaned in displeasure at the thought.

“Don’t remind me.” She told him. “I once had to wear this fugly gown with sequins on it. Let’s just say that it ended up destroyed by the end of the night.”

“What happened?” Boober asked with slight worry.

“I shredded it because it was so gaudy and uncomfortable. Good riddance.”

Jessa frowned at the memory but didn’t dwell on it for too long. Boober then began to wonder how the dress would look on her once it was finished. Given Jessa’s slender and toned figure, he guessed that she would look stunning in it. This thought made him blush, which both Wembley and Jessa noticed.

“Easy there, Boober,” she said to him. “You’re getting too carried away with whatever thoughts you have in your head.”

“I think I’m in the mood to eat some Doozer sticks anyway,” Wembley said before getting up. “I’ll see you guys later.”

“See ya, Wembley.” She replied.

“Bye.”

Now it was the two of them alone again. Had he been by himself, Boober would have chastised himself for having sexual fantasies about Jessa right in front of her. How utterly embarrassing! Before he could say anything else, Mokey’s cuckoo clock went off, reminding Boober that he needed to return to the kitchen.

“Sounds like my break has come to an end.” He said before getting up.

“Thanks for the apple pie bite, Boober,” Jessa told him sweetly.

Boober looked at her, getting flustered by her smile. It was so beautiful! But he tried to keep his composure before leaving the room.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” He replied. “Of course, there’s plenty of that apple to go around.”

The last sentence was flirtatious, to which Jessa picked up and blushed.

“Is there now?” She flirted back.

“Yeah.”

Boober grinned and knew his tail was wagging.

“Just let me know if you want any more apple-flavored recipes.”

Jessa giggled before answering.

“I will.” She said with a wink.

Boober’s heart skipped a beat as he strolled back to the kitchen. Once he was there, he took a minute. Did he really just flirt with Jessa? Boober leaned against the wall with his hand on his heart, which was beating like a drum.

“She does things to me.” He admitted quietly in fear that somebody would hear him.

Once Boober was sure he was calmed down, he returned to cooking what was left of the solstice food.

Chapter Text

Jessa lay in bed later that night, thinking about how her life had changed since meeting the fraggles. She hadn't meant to interact with them after killing that meat-eating plant, but hearing Gobos scream reminded her of her dad being burned on the stake with her mother. Regardless, Jessa had planned to tell them to leave once the plant was dead. This is what she had been doing for years, telling people to fuck off or she would beat them senseless. It was her way of avoiding more torment. But the minute Gobo opened his mouth to thank her, Jessa hesitated to push him and everyone away. Especially since Boober was captivated by her. What was it about fraggles that Jessa couldn't leave for dead? Her thoughts then went to Boober. Out of everyone in existence, Jessa never thought she would fall for someone like him. But it happened. Now she felt some type of affectionate love towards him. Although it never would've gotten to this point had Sidebottom not intervened. He had given Jessa a new perspective on Boober as a person.

“Stupid feelings,” she muttered to herself as Red and Mokey slept peacefully.

Jessa never wanted to fall in love or have even one-night stands. She was too prideful for that. And given how badly she was treated by the shazzles, Jessa had developed anger and hatred towards the rest of the world. After the death of her parents and stealing the Holy Shazzlin Sword out of wrath and vengeance, she secluded herself in the Terrible Tunnel and became a bitter drunk. She began drinking not long after the incident and went to that seedy tavern, getting into fights with anyone who dared to touch her. Jessa's temperamental facade didn't spare her from the likes of perverts who wanted to sleep with her. No amount of punches or kicks to the groin ever stopped some scrub from hitting on her. Jessa never accepted any of their invitations to have sex with them though. She would insult the guy if he used a corny pickup line and if lucky, they would get offended and leave her alone. The more bold perverts, however, have ended up being on the receiving end of Jessa’s wrath. She would beat them into a pulp without any lick of remorse. Just like the shazzles, none of the bar patrons deserved her sympathy or her forgiveness. Jessa hated every single one of them. She hated humanity, and she resented her parents for bringing her into the world. Jessa may have defended them, but she always held resentment towards them. She hated how short-sighted they were. And that short-sightedness is what led them to their demise. Now, 6 years later, Jessa was in Fraggle Rock sharing a room with Mokey and Red. All the things she had done with them and the boys had kept her mind off of her past. Things that didn't involve destroying her body and intentionally scaring others away. She was around people who didn't treat her like garbage. And the more time Jessa spent in Fraggle Rock, the more she felt herself begin to let go of her anger and move on. Not to mention she hadn't even thought about drinking since getting stuck in Fraggle Rock. No more skipping meals either. Before meeting Boober and his friends, Jessa would forget to eat even one meal and spend most of her days drowning in alcohol. This led to her losing far too much weight, but that was no longer an issue since Boober made sure she was getting proper nutrition. He hated seeing her so malnourished and underweight. Now Jessa looked as healthy as ever. She then got up and grabbed her sword, still in the holster, and leaned it against the wall under her bed, pressing her index finger and thumb on the rock as it began to form a line of lava. Jessa dragged her hand across the rock, and more lava appeared, creating an orange glow. Jessa went slowly not to wake Red and Mokey up. She created a nook for her sword to store under and keep it hidden. Not that Jessa was ashamed of it, but given the lack of dangers in Fraggle Rock (save for the Bloodwraithes), she didn't see any need for it. Not even using it as an instrument for entertainment or grooming seemed justified. After the nook was finished, the lava cooled off and took the form of solid rock, the orange light from it disappearing completely. The nook was about the same length as her sword, if not a bit longer as Jessa slid it inside there and quietly moved something in front of it. That sword was better off being used in emergencies than any other time. Jessa would take it with her to the gorg's garden or other dangerous places, but the sword would stay in that nook when Jessa stayed in Fraggle Rock. After hiding her sword and holster, she climbed back into bed and rolled over to her side, her back facing Red and Mokey. The memory of Boober working in his kitchen, flour on his face while he was cooking, all while wearing his chef hat, apron, and oven mitts, came to Jessa’s mind. Remembering how focused he was on getting the food perfect made her blush as she grinned to herself and felt her tail wag. That memory lived rent-free in her head. Jessa remembered having to walk away before Boober could see how flustered she was seeing him cook. How cute he looked with that bit of flour on his face that he somehow hadn't noticed. Jessa had to hide so nobody would see her red face and wagging tail. She let the memory play in her head for a while before hearing someone walk by their room, forcing Jessa to restrain her tail and close her eyes.

Boober had a hard time falling asleep and he was on his way to the kitchen to make some tea when he walked past the girls’ room. He stopped just outside the archway and glimpsed at Jessa sleeping. He couldn't see her face since her back was turned, but he smiled when he saw that she was sleeping peacefully. He wanted to sneak a kiss, but Boober kept walking on. Since Jessa was unable to go back into the Terrible Tunnel, Boober was happy that she was safe here in Fraggle Rock. He was also glad that Jessa seemed to be getting used to not having monsters lurk about while she slept. That was what he feared the most. Jessa getting eaten by a beast in her sleep. Boober couldn't fathom such a thing. Now that she was no longer able to go in there he felt more at ease. But even if the Terrible Tunnel somehow got opened back up, Boober didn't want Jessa to go back in there. He didn't want her to be surrounded by the things he experienced in his nightmares. He hoped that boulder stayed where it was now and never got moved. As selfish as it was, he wanted Jessa to stay in Fraggle Rock forever. Boober thought about this while brewing some tea to help him fall asleep. He also began having second thoughts about skipping out on the solstice since Jessa would be attending. In fact, she was the reason he started to consider. Boober knew that there would be couples dancing at some point during the solstice and he couldn't help but fear that a lot of males and even some females might ask Jessa to be their dance partner. Being as attractive as she was, he knew it would happen. Boober feared that Jessa would accept and fall in love with someone else. Some part of him hated that he was pining over her like this, along with feeling jealous of anyone who looked in Jessa's direction for far too long. He just loved her that much. Boober made his tea and walked back to his room, his heart racing from having Jessa on his mind. Walking past their room again, Boober stole a glance at Jessa, who was now actually asleep and had rolled over on her other side. He blushed when he saw her hair sprawled out everywhere, some of it hiding her face. She looked like a goddess even asleep. Boober felt his baloobius light up, prompting him to continue his way back to his hole. Why did she have to be so alluring?! He drank his tea and began to feel more relaxed, even with Jessa still on his mind. Boober stared aimlessly at his many socks hanging on the clothesline in his hole, getting sleepier each second until that was the last thing he remembered before drifting off to sleep.

Chapter Text

NIGHT OF THE SUMMER SOLSTICE:

Everyone was dressed and ready for the summer solstice except Boober, who was in Gobo and Wembley's room with a laundry basket full of clothes and chatting with them.

“Are you sure you don't want to come, Boober?” Gobo asked him while he and Wembley waited for the girls to arrive.

“I'm positive, Gobo,” Boober answered.

The truth was though, Boober wasn't sure if he wanted to spend all evening in his hole. Not while Jessa was still unspoken for and at the risk of getting drunk from the radish wine they served at the solstice.

“You don't sound positive,” Wembley pointed out.

Before any more could be said, Red and Mokey showed up, all giddy about the solstice.

“Where's Jessa?” Gobo asked them.

“She's making a few last-minute adjustments on her dress,” Mokey answered him. “She'll be right out.”

Boober stared down at his yet-to-be-washed laundry, unsure of what to do. He still had yet to decide whether to go or stay. Mokey and Red, while their hairstyles were unchanged, were clad in their dresses. Red was in a red swing dress that went down to her knees while Mokey wore her boho-style long skirt and camisole. Gobo and Wembley were in their tuxedos, the latter being Hawaiian-themed, of course. Gobo's tux was a bit average, though it still brought out his personality. Boober listened to everyone talk while fiddling with his laundry basket just as Jessa showed up.

“I hope this isn't too formal for the solstice,” she said before stopping right behind Red and Mokey.

Everyone stopped talking and turned to face her. Jessa was in her teal one-sleeve mermaid gown adorned with clear quartz crystals across the top and her hair was styled into an elegant half ponytail. Upon seeing Jessa all dolled up, Boober lost his grip on his laundry basket as it fell to the floor, some of the clothes spilling out. But he was too stunned to notice as his attention was on Jessa. She looked absolutely gorgeous!! Like a queen getting ready to rule over a nation. The only thing she was missing was a crown. Boober felt his tail wagging and his face heating up.

“Wow, you look great, Jessa!” Red said to her.

“Yeah, that color looks amazing on you,” Mokey added.

“I know for a fact Boober likes it,” Gobo said while smirking in his direction.

Jessa looked over to see Boober staring at her as if he had witnessed something phenomenal.

“Don't just stand there like a big goof, Boober!” He thought to himself. “Compliment her!!! Say something!”

But words had failed him. He still couldn't muster anything out of his mouth as Jessa walked over to help pick up his laundry.

“You dropped some clothes, Boober,” she said before picking up the clothes that escaped his basket.

“Tell her she looks nice!!”

Everyone watched as Jessa handed Boober his laundry basket back to him, their hands almost touching.

“Here you go, butterfingers,” she teased lightheartedly before joining the others.

Boober still couldn't say a word, not even to tease Jessa back. That pretty smile on her face almost killed him. He watched her walk off to the party with Gobo, Red, and Mokey. Wembley stayed upon noticing Boober's silence.

“She looks so lovely,” he admitted to his friend sadly.

“So why the long face?” Wembley asked.

Boober remained silent and sighed while staring down at his basket of dirty laundry. He wished he had complimented Jessa. Why did he have to be such a coward? Despite Boober's eyes being hidden behind his hair, Wembley could tell that something was bothering him.

“I’m afraid.”

“Afraid?”

“I'm scared Jessa will end up with someone else after tonight.”

“Boober, you don't know that. She may not dance with anyone.”

Boober only huffed with pessimism.

“I should wash these clothes before the stench sets in. Enjoy the party, Wembley.”

“I will.”

Wembley watched sadly as Boober walked off to his hole before joining the others. He knew he had to do something to help Boober with his feelings toward Jessa, but what? This was going to require some thinking.

“Man, y'all got some wicked rhythms here!” Jessa shouted over the music.

She and Red hit the dance floor, completely engulfed in the vibe. The music was loud and upbeat, perfect to dance to.

“The Minstrels always have some good music.”

Gobo and Mokey watched them dance away, sitting in a nearby booth.

“Where's Wembley at?” Gobo inquired.

“Oh uh, I don't know,” Mokey replied before spotting him. “Oh, there he is.”

“Hey Wembley!” Gobo greeted him nonchalantly. “I got us a booth.”

“Thanks Gobo.”

Wembley took a seat between them and saw Red and Jessa dancing in the crowd.

“Boober didn't want to come?” Gobo asked.

“No,” Wembley began. “But I could tell he wanted to.”

Gobo glanced at Jessa dancing and enjoying herself before replying.

“I think I know why.”

Jessa and Red came back after the song ended, and they were all sweaty and panting.

“Man, what a workout,” Red panted.

“And what a hell of a good tune,” Jessa added before plopping down next to Wembley.

“They should change your name from Red to Sweaty,” Gobo joked.

“I don't see you enjoying the music,” Red replied.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I could use a drink,” Jessa interjected just as a server stopped by with some radish wine.

“Wine anyone?” he asked.

“Um…” Mokey began before declining.

“No thanks,” Wembley said after Mokey.

Red and Gobo had no interest in alcohol, but Jessa accepted the refreshment.

“Sure, I’ll take some wine.”

The server poured some into a wine glass and handed it to her.

“Jessa, you drink?” Wembley asked in surprise as she sipped her wine.

“Only a little bit,” Jessa shrugged.

Lie. Absolute lie!! Though Jessa wasn't going to get super inebriated, just one or two glasses of wine would do, and she would drink them very slowly.

“When did you start drinking?” Gobo asked her.

“A few years ago, but very far and few in between. It’s not like I drink regularly.”

Another lie! Before Jessa could take another drink of her radish wine, a rather large fraggle approached her.

“Want to be my dance partner?” He asked.

“Thanks, but I’m good,” Jessa declined politely.

The Fraggle looked disappointed but respected Jessa’s wishes and continued on his way. After he was gone, Red snickered, confusing Jessa.

“What's so funny?” She asked her.

“Looks like Large Marvin struck out.”

Jessa didn't find this amusing and just sipped her wine.

“Don't mind her, Jessa,” Mokey said to her. “He's an opponent of Red's.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, it's a long story.”

“Here comes somebody else.” Wembley pointed out.

Everyone turned to see another Fraggle head towards Jessa, possibly with the same motive as Large Marvin.

“Would you be interested in a dance?” They asked shyly.

“Kind of busy with my wine, but better luck on the next fraggle.”

Just like Large Marvin, the Fraggle walked away with disappointment.

“You sure are getting a lot of attention, Jessa,” Gobo said with amusement.

“I got asked by only two people, Gobo.”

“Make that three,” Wembley said as Jessa swore. “Here comes Rumple.”

“Wanna dance, cutie?”

“Not with that corny pick-up line,” Jessa replied with disinterest.

Red giggled at Jessa’s answer as Rumple felt embarrassed.

“Hey Rumple,” Red began as he turned around. “If it's any consultation, she also turned down Large Marvin.”

“I’m talking to the sexy purple fraggle, not you.”

“And I’m not interested,” Jessa said to him. “So take a hint and leave.”

Jessa glared menacingly while saying this, prompting Rumple to back off.

“Let's hope that's the last of it,” Jessa hoped out loud.

“What do you mean, Jessa?” Mokey asked.

“I'd rather just sit here, drink my wine, and chill with you guys. I don't want to be asked by 10 thousand people to dance.”

“I'm surprised that those fraggles didn't wait until Couples Hour to ask you,” Gobo commented.

“Couples Hour?”

“That's when the slow dancing starts.”

“And it's so romantic!” Mokey gushed.

“Like I would ever be caught dead with anyone acting all mushy,” Red interjected.

“Come on, Red, you know you want to.” Gobo teased.

“And be all girly and giggly? I don't think so.”

“Not even if I asked you?”

Gobo put a lot of emphasis on the word ‘I,’ taking Red off guard. Jessa took notice and giggled mischievously.

“Yes Gobo, I would love to be your dance partner.” Jessa joked in a high-pitched girly voice and laughed afterward.

Red growled, feeling mortified as Gobo dragged her to the dance floor.

“You better be a good dancer.” Red threatened though she was secretly excited.

“Don't worry,” Gobo began. “I'm a pro to shape of Foxy And Robins.”

Red rolled her eyes, but Gobo could see her blushing as they danced. Jessa, Wembley, and Mokey watching them, Jessa smiling in accomplishment.

“She so wants him,” she said with amusement.

Jessa continued drinking her wine while Mokey and Wembley watched.

“He's really good.” Wembley pointed out just as a female fraggle asked Jessa to dance with her.

Jessa was more polite in rejecting this time as the girl wasn't intrusive like Rumple.

“Even the girls are asking you to dance,” Mokey said in an impressed tone.

Jessa shrugged while looking at her.

“It’s a free country, after all.” She replied. “People are allowed to like who they like.”

Jessa took another drink of her wine just as Zeevo, the most charming and respectable fraggle in the rock approached her. Jessa looked up at him mid-drink while Mokey got flustered by his presence, her tail wagging.

“Hey,” he greeted her. “I don't think I've seen you around before.”

“I haven't been here very long,” Jessa replied.

“Maybe I can introduce you to my friends and maybe… have a dance together?”

Mokey felt a twinge of envy but didn't say anything.

“You seem very nice, and I'm flattered that you consider me a worthy dance partner,” Jessa began before setting her wine glass down. “But I'm declining your invite.”

Zeevo had a look of disappointment on his face but wanted to remain polite. At that moment, Jessa noticed Mokey's reaction to Zeevo's presence and put two and two together.

“Instead, allow me to put in a good word for my friend Mokey here.”

Mokey was surprised as she made eye contact with Zeevo.

“She's artistic, poetic, and one of the nicest fraggles I know. If anything, you would be lucky as hell to dance with someone like her.”

Zeevo took a look at Mokey as she blushed, not knowing what to think about this.

“Hi,” she finally managed to say.

“Hey,” he replied sweetly, noticing Mokey's beauty. “Would you like to dance?”

“Sure.”

Jessa smirked, watching them go off onto the dance floor.

“That was nice of you, Jessa,” Wembley said as she sat back down to tend to her wine.

“I wasn't into him.” She admitted.

“Why not?”

Jessa stared down at her now half-empty wine glass before replying.

“Let's just say that my interest already lies elsewhere.”

Jessa didn't have to name-drop for Wembley to know who she was talking about. It was obvious that she was starting to return Boober's feelings. The only Fraggle Jessa wanted to dance with wasn't at the solstice but instead holed up in his room washing dirty clothes. Wembley thought about what Boober had said earlier and felt bad, knowing that neither of them knew what the other really wanted. It was at that moment that Wembley decided enough was enough.

“Jessa, I'm going to get a radish cupcake.” He said while getting up. “Do you want one?”

“No, I'm good.”

Wembley took off, not to where the food was, but to Boober's hole. The last thing he wanted was for his friend to wallow in misery knowing Jessa was getting asked by many fraggles to dance with them. Boober didn't deserve that. He deserved to be her dance partner and have a good time. Boober and Jessa deserved each other.

Chapter Text

Boober was almost finished with his laundry, though it did nothing to soothe him. Instead of feeling happy from the suds in his wash tub and the satisfaction he got from knowing the fraggles had clean clothes, he was angry at himself. Angry that he couldn't say anything to Jessa. Instead standing there like an idiot and gawking at her. And on top of that, he got clumsy and dropped his favorite laundry basket right in front of her. After ringing out somebody's shirt and hanging it up on his clothesline, Boober glared at his reflection in the soapy water. He then growled and slapped the water, making it ripple.

“Coward!” He ranted. “Why didn't you say anything?!”

“Hey, don't take your issues out on me!”

Sidebottom appeared in the water where Boober's reflection had been.

“Why are you in my washtub?” he asked his alter ego.

“Why are you moping about in your hole while Jessa is out having fun?” Sidebottom asked in frustration. “If you want her, go get her!”

“You don't understand, Sidebottom. It's complicated.”

“You don't think I understand the conflict you're going through?! As I've said before, we're the same person.”

“What do you want?”

“I want you to grow a pair of balls and get out there.”

“Sidebottom…”

“Go and ask Jessa to dance already, damn it! And tell her I said hi.”

“I won't make any promises in that regard.”

“Come on, Boober! I haven't seen Sugar Lips since we went out into the gorg’s garden that one night. I want to see her again.”

“I wish you wouldn't call her that.”

“Why not? She's gorgeous.”

Boober then heard Wembley coming, prompting Sidebottom to vanish from the sudsy water.

“Boober, are you in here?” he asked.

“Wembley? What are you doing back so soon?”

“I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Boober stared at him in question.

“What is it?”

“What you said earlier about Jessa possibly dancing with other fraggles.”

Boober sighed in aggravation.

“This is what you came to my hole for?”

“Hear me out, Boober. Please?”

“Alright.”

Boober prepared to be lectured on his cowardice, but Wembley knew he had to be tactical on this subject.

“Jessa had a bunch of fraggles ask her to dance, including Zeevo. But she turned them all down.”

Boober perked up upon hearing this.

“She… rejected Zeevo?”

Boober knew of Zeevo’s reputation as a popular heartthrob, so for Jessa to not want to dance with someone like him was surprising.

“Yeah, Zeevo asked her to dance and she said no. She paired him up with Mokey instead.”

“Why did Jessa not want to dance with Zeevo of all people?”

“She wants you, Boober. That’s why.”

Boober felt shock throughout his body when hearing this.

“What?”

“Well, Jessa didn't say your name, but when I asked her why she didn’t want to dance with Zeevo, she said she wasn't into him. She also said that her interest lies somewhere else.”

Boober stared at Wembley in disbelief.

“I knew she was talking about you when she said that.”

“Jessa wants me?”

Boober couldn't believe it. Out of all the fraggles in Fraggle Rock, Jessa wanted him. Not Zeevo, the fraggle that all straight women, gay men, and bisexual people wanted. No, she wanted Boober. The fraggle who was a pessimistic Debbie downer. The fraggle who loved anything boring and mundane. The fraggle who believed in superstition. The fraggle who was melodramatic about the most trivial things. The fraggle who feared death and pestilence. Jessa wanted him out of all the 10,000 fraggles that existed. She wanted the anxiety-ridden, laundry-loving superstitious fraggle himself. As it was registering in his head, Boober's tail began to wag.

“Where is she?” Boober asked.

Jessa had finished her first round of wine and waited for Wembley to return, but he was nowhere to be seen. No matter, that gave her the freedom to wander over to the bar and have some more alcohol. Jessa got up and walked past the couples dancing, completely ignoring them and eyeing the bar. While her friends were slow dancing, and while Boober was skipping out on the summer solstice, Jessa could drink her cares away.

Wembley and Boober, now clad in his tuxedo, headed back out to the party to find Jessa.

“She was here a minute ago,” Wembley said upon seeing she wasn't in her seat.

Boober had caught sight of Jessa, who was being harassed by Marlon. Seeing him grope his crush and be such a creep filled Boober with an ungodly amount of rage. His fists tightened as Marlon kept pulling Jessa closer to him when she tried to get away. Without thinking, he stomped over to where they were.

“Get the hell away from me you deranged messiah!” Jessa snarled.

“That's no way to talk to a king,” Marlon gripped before squeezing Jessa’s breasts.

“A king of what? Delusion?”

“You're gonna dance with me, Sweet Cheeks.”

“No, she won't!”

Marlon and Jessa turned to see Boober, Jessa using the opportunity to stomp on Marlon's foot and break free of his grip.

“Did your mother ever teach you how to treat women with respect?!” Boober spat.

Jessa was shocked at his tone. She had never seen him so angry.

“Don't ever touch Jessa like that ever again!”

By that point, Wembley had seen what happened and rushed to Jessa’s aid.

“Jessa, are you okay?”

“Fine now that you guys are here,” she answered as nonchalantly as possible.

“Why don't you go home and stop being such a creepy pervert!” Boober barked at Marlon.

“Who's gonna make me, huh?!”

“Marlon, you are a vile and disgusting piece of-”

“Boober.”

Boober paused and turned towards Jessa, who put her hand on his shoulder and looked at him in concern.

“He isn't worth it.”

“But he was groping you.”

“Yes, he was. But I don't want you to get in a fight and not be able to have fun should you end up with broken bones.”

Boober simmered down, her touch so comforting. Without saying another word, he, Jessa, and Wembley began walking away.

“Get your sexy ass back here,” Marlon griped while grabbing Jessa’s tail.

Jessa yelped, and Boober and Wembley were shocked at what just happened. But before either of them could react, Jessa growled loudly and punched Marlon so hard he flew back. Boober watched in astonishment but felt no sympathy towards Marlon. Even Wembley didn't feel sorry for him. Marlon had a reputation for not only trying to start a sadistic religion that nobody had any interest in but also for being a horrendous incel towards the ladies. With that in mind, they felt he deserved it.

“You fucking shithead!!” Jessa roared. “If I had my sword on me right now, I would slash you to bits!”

Marlon coughed helplessly, unable to breathe as Jessa punched him in the lungs.

“You deserve to be tortured to death.”

Jessa then walked away, still fuming over having her tail grabbed. Boober and Wembley followed her, but not before Boober gave Marlon the middle finger. The commotion caught the attention of a few nearby fraggles, who saw what happened and alerted security as Marlon was supposed to be banned from festivities due to his behavior. Jessa sat back down where she was before, Wembley and Boober joining her.

“I didn't think it was possible to hate someone so much,” Boober said, still in disbelief that he went off on Marlon.

“Tell me about it,” Wembley replied.

Jessa said nothing, which Boober noticed along with her 1000-yard stare.

“Jessa?” He asked while gently holding her hand.

She didn't reply or look in his direction, which worried him.

“I'm sorry,” he murmured.

Wembley watched with concern as Boober tried to get Jessa to snap out of whatever trauma was going through her head. After a while, Boober planted a soft kiss on her cheek, which slowly brought her back to reality.

“He shouldn't have grabbed you like that,” Boober ranted while holding her.

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Jessa said at last.

Boober remained silent, still holding Jessa as she began to speak again.

“If anything, you saved me from being that guy's plaything.”

Boober and Wembley both shuddered at that thought.

“I thought Marlon was supposed to be banned,” Wembley commented.

“He is,” Boober said while caressing the back of Jessa’s hand. “But he keeps sneaking back in.”

“Maybe the council should consider letting the gorgs thump him,” Jessa added.

“I don't condone violence, but that would be very satisfying to watch.”

“Yeah, that Marlon is such a creep,” Wembley added in agreement just as a female fraggle approached him.

“Hey, would you like to dance?” She asked him.

“Sure!” Wembley said, eager to get away from the bad vibe caused by Marlon.

He walked off with her, leaving Boober and Jessa alone with each other. He glanced down at her, pained that she was still uncomfortable from what had happened.

“I'm here for you, Jessa,” he said sweetly while holding her face. “I'm not leaving your side for the rest of the night.”

Jessa tried not to cry while snuggling closer to Boober.

“Good, because I need your company.”

Boober held her tighter, burying his face into her hair. They both sat there in silence as the music played on and the other fraggles partied on. Jessa relaxed into him as Boober kissed the top of her head and played with her hair.

“I love you,” he said though Jessa couldn't hear him over the loud music.

But that was just fine with Boober. He meant to say it at a volume that was impossible to decipher in such a noisy environment. Despite what Wembley had told him, he wasn't ready for Jessa to hear his declaration just yet. Plus, he wanted her to hear it in a quiet place.

Chapter Text

Boober and Jessa remained in the same spot, but now they were happily watching their friends dance with their partners. She was still cuddling Boober, but they had been flirting with each other after Jessa moved past the ordeal with Marlon. 

“So that’s how you got into cooking?” Jessa asked Boober. 

“Yep.” 

Boober had told her about how much he enjoyed cooking. The conversation helped take her mind off being groped, and Boober smiled upon noticing her mood change. He also enjoyed talking to her, even when Sidebottom was nagging at him to let him out. Jessa smiled after they shared a laugh, and Boober melted at her smile. His tail wagged like crazy, and Jessa noticed and giggled. Boober blushed and bashfully looked away but still smiled. After the conversation came to a close, they both observed the dance floor. Dozens of fraggles danced with each other, some even dancing in groups. Despite what happened with Orzie and the Bloodwraithes, everyone was having a good time. Upon seeing the couples dance, Boober glanced at Jessa, who was watching 3 fraggles play a game of pong. While she would normally join, Jessa wasn’t too interested this time. Boober watched her for a bit, wondering if she would still be interested in a dance. He then inhaled and exhaled before asking her. 

“Jessa?” He began. 

“Yeah?” 

“Would a dance be out of the question?” 

Jessa looked at him in surprise, and Boober was ready for Jessa to reject him when she responded. 

“I thought you’d never ask.” 

Boober grinned before standing up and offering his arm, which Jessa took as they headed out to the dance floor. As soon as they found a spot where they wouldn’t get bumped by other fraggles, Boober wrapped his arms around Jessa’s torso and pulled her close to him, Jessa wrapping her arms around his neck. 

“I never got the chance to tell you this earlier,” Boober said lowly. 

“What is it?” Jessa asked, blushing from how low his voice was. 

Boober leaned in closer before answering her. 

“You look beautiful tonight,” he murmured while caressing her back. 

Jessa grinned like a dork and blushed, her tail wagging. 

“Thank you,” she replied sweetly. “You’re looking pretty snazzy yourself, Boober.” 

Boober’s baloobius lit up in response while they danced. 

“So,” Boober began. “I’m not too boring for you?” 

“The way I see it, Boober, you look more handsome when you’re in your element doing the things you love.” 

“You… think I’m handsome?!” 

Boober stood there in utter shock, not sure whether to believe Jessa or not. Seeing his reaction to her statement, Jessa began to feel embarrassed about what she said and broke eye contact with Boober. 

“So what if I do?” 

Boober eventually regained his senses and placed his hand on her cheek, catching her by surprise. Without saying a word, both of them leaned in for a kiss. Boober melted when his lips met Jessa’s, and she felt the same way. The kiss lasted for a minute, but it felt like an eternity for them. Jessa couldn’t help but squeeze Boober a little bit, to which he hummed happily. Once the kiss ended, she smiled at him. 

“You’re never too boring for this loose cannon.” 

Boober grinned and hugged Jessa tightly, stealing another kiss from her jawline and making her giggle. At that moment, the slow music began to increase in both speed and volume, ruining the mood for Boober as he groaned in irritation. Jessa picked up on it and glanced around the room before speaking up. 

“Boober,” she began while cupping his face. “How would you like to go somewhere quiet for a while?” 

“Oh, you read my mind.” 

“Come on, then,” she said while grabbing his hand. “Let’s get out of this crowd.” 

Boober let Jessa lead the way as she gracefully bust through the crowd, something he could never do as he was always bumping into people and objects. Once they were away from everyone, Jessa led Boober to the entrance of the gorg’s garden, which he noticed. 

“Jessa, not the gorg’s garden.” He whined. 

“We’re not going to the garden. I’m taking you to the stream that’s on the other side of the rock.” 

“What?” 

Boober watched as Jessa peeked outside to make sure the gorgs were nowhere to be seen, and before he knew it, they were both going to the stream. 

“So this is where you went the other day,” Boober said upon taking in the scenery. 

“It’s hella nice out here.” 

Jessa sat down in the grass while Boober remained standing, which she was confused by. 

“There’s a lot of germs in the grass,” he said after noticing her expression. 

“You can’t let your germaphobia take over like that, Boober. Your feet are going to get tired.” 

Boober sighed, knowing Jessa was right, and he sat down next to her. He then put his arm around Jessa, which made her smile. 

“Nice night,” she said, “There’s a lot of stars in the sky.” 

“So many constellations,” Boober replied while snuggling closer to Jessa. 

“You know you can find your zodiac in the stars?” 

“So I’ve heard.” 

“When is your birthday?” 

“May 2nd.” 

“So your constellation is right over there,” Jessa said while pointing at the Taurus constellation. 

Boober stared at it in amazement and smiled. 

“When is your birthday, Jessa?” 

“October 31st, so that would make me a Scorpio.” 

“Wait, you were born on Halloween?” 

“I know, crazy.” 

Boober caressed her shoulder before she pointed to the Scorpio star alignment. 

“There’s my constellation.” 

“I can’t imagine having a birthday on Halloween.” 

“It’s no different than a regular birthday. Unless you count Trick-or-Treating as a way of celebrating it.” 

Jessa leaned into Boober and stole a kiss off his neck, which made him giddy. 

“Seems like I have some type of effect on you,” she teased. 

Boober blushed while squeezing her gently. 

“You do,” he admitted. “You’re just so wonderful, Jessa.” 

“Boober…” 

Jessa blushed and felt her tail wag as he took her hand and kissed the back of it. 

“I loved you the moment I first saw you in the Terrible Tunnel,” Boober confessed. 

“That long?” 

“Yeah.” He admitted shyly. “And I fell for you even more when seeing you do your shenanigans without a second thought. The gorg, the Fearsome Beast, that plant. You weren’t afraid of them. You took them all on and came back alive.” 

Jessa listened while trying to not tear up at how sweet and sincere he sounded, but Boober continued to list off her good qualities so it was hard to maintain a poker face. Once he finished, Boober held Jessa’s face and smiled. 

“I love you, Jessa.” 

“I love you too, Boober.” 

Boober didn’t remember leaning in for a second kiss, but it happened. And boy did he not want it to stop! He and Jessa remained lip-locked until a moment later. Jessa grinned at Boober as he grinned back, and she noticed his baloobius glowing brightly. 

“When did you start loving me back?” he asked curiously. 

“Weirdly enough, it wasn’t until you dressed up in those clown-looking clothes and acted all silly that I started liking you.” 

It took Boober a minute to recall what Jessa was talking about, and Sidebottom let out a chuckle in the back of his mind. 

“I knew it!” He bragged. “Women love a sense of humor.”  

Boober ignored him just as Jessa continued. 

“But my feelings grew even deeper when you comforted me after I had that nightmare.” 

“Oh?” 

Boober took her hands and held them, caressing the backs of them. 

“I would have remained in that tunnel puking and hyperventilating like a motherfucker had you not approached me.” 

Boober tried to shut out the memory of hearing Jessa throw up when he followed her that night. He didn’t need to remember how badly she hurled before he saw her. 

“I’ve had nightmares before,” he replied sympathetically while squeezing her hands. “So I know what it feels like to wake up out of a good sleep scared out of your wits.” 

Jessa stared at him before smooching him again, making Boober giggle. 

“I can’t thank you enough for putting up with me that night,” she admitted. 

“I wouldn’t let you lose out on sleep for nothing,” he said softly in her ear, making Jessa blush immensely. “It’s not healthy.” 

Boober kissed her cheek a few more times, making Jessa chuckle. He then ran his fingers through her hair, careful to not mess up her style. 

“It’s easy to see why you changed your mind about coming to the solstice.” 

“I came at just the right time too. That creepy Marlon wasn’t even supposed to be there.” 

“I wouldn’t touch his nasty ass with a 10-foot pole.” 

At that moment, Jessa wished she had the tail spikes from her Bloodlust to impale Marlon’s hands when he grabbed her tail. 

“I hope he didn’t violate you.” 

“He didn’t get that far. I managed to slap his face a few times before you showed up. Gross son-of-a-bitch.” 

Boober kissed Jessa’s temple out of sympathy, and Jessa smiled lovingly. 

“Maybe I should’ve toned down on all the preening if I was going to attract so much attention.” 

“You look lovely as you are.” 

Jessa kissed Boober once more, which made him so happy. 

“Boober!!” Sidebottom yelled from his subconscious. “I want a turn!!! Let me smooch her.”  

“You got to kiss her the first time,” Boober replied in his mind while holding Jessa. “Let me have my time with her.”  

Jessa groaned contently while Boober played with her hair, loving how it felt. He smiled down at her resting on him as she smiled while resting her eyes. 

“Other than the gorgs, I can see why you like it out here,” he said after a period of silence. 

“Speaking of which, they must be asleep.” 

Boober glanced at the castle in the distance, amazed that the gorgs hadn’t come out. No matter, at least they wouldn’t get thumped. Jessa was about to doze off when she heard Sidebottom chuckle, prompting her to open her eyes and look over Boober’s shoulder and see him blowing a kiss at her. Jessa blushed in response and felt her tail wag. Truthfully, she had seen Sidebottom linger next to Boober the whole night and didn’t say anything. She heard him beg to be let out and saw him make flirty gestures at her. But Boober kept him pushed down. He didn’t want another repeat of what happened on the castle roof. Especially when Jessa didn’t reciprocate at the time. Boober then tightened his hold on her before kissing her. 

“I figured you didn’t like all that loud music, so I brought you out here,” Jessa said to him. 

“I appreciate it, Jessa.” 

“Did you not want to come to the solstice because of how loud it is?” 

“Yeah.” 

Jessa rubbed his shoulders before he continued, which Boober loved. 

“Not only that, but it’s all the hooping and hollering. I hate it.” 

“You were right when you said you’re not like other fraggles. Your pessimism is unmatched, and you like all the boring shit.” 

While anyone else would have found being called boring offensive, Boober took it as a compliment. He smiled and felt his tail wagging. 

“Well…” he began while twirling Jessa’s hair with his finger. 

“You’re not what I expected from a fraggle, but it makes you stand out.” 

“That wasn’t my intention.” 

“I never would have pinpointed you out of all the other fraggles had you been like everyone else.” 

Boober blushed and felt his heart race. This was probably one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to him, and it meant a whole lot coming from Jessa of all people. He blushed even deeper when she leaned in to kiss him. 

“Never change, Boober,” she murmured before kissing him on the lips. 

Boober squeezed Jessa before kissing her back. He felt happy knowing that he had her all to himself and didn’t want to stop kissing her. 

“I never liked change anyway,” he replied sweetly. 

Jessa chuckled in response and kissed his neck, which made Boober giggle. They sat in silence again, watching the stars while snuggling each other. This was so nice and romantic for both Boober and Jessa. Neither of them spoke for the rest of the time, but after a while, Boober could hear Sidebottom getting impatient. 

“Are you going to hog Sugar Lips all night?!”  

“If I let you interact with Jessa, will you promise not to be inappropriate towards her?” Boober asked him in his mind. 

“Who do you think I am? Marlon?! At least I didn’t grab her boobs.”  

“No, but that doesn’t excuse what you did the first time.”  

“I did you a favor, Boober. Now Jessa loves you.”  

Boober thought for a minute. Despite Sidebottom’s method of getting Jessa to fall for him, he did get the job done. Now this beautiful fraggle was snuggling him and stargazing. This was something Boober thought was completely unattainable. He never thought that he would be spending the summer solstice with Jessa. Yet here they were, out in the gorg’s garden stargazing. Maybe he did owe it to Sidebottom. 

“Just give me a few more minutes with Jessa.”  

Sidebottom laughed gleefully, happy he was being given a chance to see Jessa again.

Chapter Text

Jessa and Boober were now lying in the grass staring up at the sky, but she had dozed off. 

“This is something I never admit out loud,” Boober began, not noticing Jessa resting her eyes. “But I’m having a great time.” 

Boober waited for Jessa to respond but heard nothing. He turned to see her resting her eyes before smiling. She looked so pretty with the moonlight reflecting off her face and highlighting her black hair. Boober rolled over and held her face, to which Jessa smiled and giggled in response, though her eyes remained closed. Oh, how beautiful she looked! He then stole a kiss from her before looking around, spotting a flower near the rock. Boober decided to surprise her and went to pick it, but when he reached the flower, Sidebottom began to take over his body. 

“I’ve waited long enough, Boober. Now I want to spend time with Jessa.”  

“Sidebottom no!!”  

But it was too late. Boober had been pushed into his subconscious and Sidebottom was free to do whatever he wanted. He yanked the flower out of the ground and ran over to Jessa, laughing the whole time. 

“What’s so funny?” Jessa asked, unaware of what was going on. 

That is, until Sidebottom glomped on her, causing Jessa to yelp. 

“Boober, what the hell?!” she griped before noticing Sidebottom on top of her, squeezing her like she was his favorite teddy bear. 

“Miss me, Sugar Lips?” he asked sweetly. 

“Sidebottom? What brings you here?” 

“You of course.” He replied before smooching her cheek. “Why else would I be here? And besides, why should Boober get all the cuddles?!” 

“Don’t tell me you’re jealous of yourself,” Jessa replied in amusement while petting his hair. 

“I haven’t seen you in a while, Sugar Lips. I miss you.” 

Sidebottom then nuzzled her, his hair tickling Jessa’s skin. 

“You’re all mine for the evening, baby.” 

“What do you mean ‘for the evening?’ 

“At least until Boober decides to lock me back up again.” 

Jessa had no words for this sort of thing. This was her second time encountering Sidebottom, and Boober was nowhere to be seen. 

“He repressed Boober?” Jessa thought in confusion while Sidebottom kissed her jawline. 

“In the meantime, Sugar Lips, I want to enjoy your company.” 

Jessa couldn’t help but grin before kissing Sidebottom on his cheekbone, to which he giggled as his tail wagged. Jessa stared at and saw his baloobius glowing brightly. 

“You’re a hoot, Sidebottom,” she said sweetly. 

“Of course I am, I’m Boober’s fun side.” 

Sidebottom held Jessa’s face and smothered her in kisses, which made her giggle. 

“I got something for you, Sugar Lips.” 

“Oh?” 

Sidebottom sat up and pulled out the flower before placing it on Jessa’s head. 

“Two beautiful things put together.” 

Jessa smiled and blushed while staring at the flower on her head before Sidebottom rested his head on her shoulder. 

“You’re just as pretty as you were when I last saw you.” 

Sidebottom let his hands feel around Jessa’s body, caressing her curves and drawing circles in certain areas with his index fingers. Jessa gasped at this and felt her tail wag. 

“I love you,” Sidebottom whispered seductively into her ear before stealing a kiss. 

“I love you too,” Jessa replied without realizing it. 

Sidebottom grinned. 

“You want me, don’t you.” He teased. 

Jessa blushed even deeper, but gave him an expression that said, ‘Try me.’ She held his stare and Sidebottom continued his flirting. 

“Admit it, Jessa, you want me badly.” 

“That’s the first time I’ve heard you call me by my name.” 

“Your name is Jessa, is it not?” 

Sidebottom began a series of kisses on her neck as she replied. 

“Yes. And you’re the one to talk about being wanted.” 

Sidebottom was about to smooch her again, but Jessa placed her index finger on his puckered lips. 

“You won the last time,” she began while Sidebottom stared at her, blushing deeply. “Now it’s my turn to fluster you.” 

“I’d love to see you try, Sugar Lips.” 

“That shouldn’t be too hard,” Jessa murmured while running her fingers through his hair. “After all, you love me.” 

Sidebottom didn’t get a chance to reply as Jessa planted a passionate kiss on his cheek, turning him into a giggling mess in no time. He melted at each kiss and Jessa began to see for herself how much he enjoyed them. 

“You really love the affection, don’t you.” she teased. 

“Sugar Lips…” Sidebottom began, too lovestruck by the kisses to continue. 

“That’s payback for kissing my neck on the roof of the gorg’s castle.” 

Sidebottom remained quiet for a while, still smiling from being kissed by Jessa. 

“Good thing you’re so cute.” She whispered before kissing him again. 

Sidebottom was grinning like he never had before, and he was giggling mercilessly. Jessa paused to see him carry on and smiled. 

“I never really thought seeing someone giggle could be so adorable.” 

By that time, Sidebottom stopped giggling and sighed lovingly. But before Jessa could do or say more, he leaned into her and began making out with her. 

“Sidebottom, what are you…” Jessa began in between kisses but found herself returning the gesture. 

They began smooching passionately while their tails wagged. Jessa moaned slightly, which made Sidebottom happy. 

“Nothing is hotter than hearing you moan, Sugar Lips.” He murmured before squeezing her. 

Jessa didn’t reply, instead continued making out with Sidebottom. While this was going on, Wembley peeked out of the rock to look for Boober and Jessa, only to see them kissing. Because they were so far away, Wembley couldn’t see that it was Sidebottom kissing her and not Boober. He watched for a bit, not wanting to interrupt them, until they finished, Jessa giggling and Sidebottom saying sweet things to her. Wembley saw a chance to go over there. Sidebottom complimented Jessa’s face just as Wembley approached them. 

“What are you two doing out here in the gorg’s garden?” 

Jessa turned around to face Wembley just as Sidebottom did, and it hit him like a ton of bricks. 

“Sidebottom?” 

“Hi, Wembley.” Sidebottom greeted him. 

“Wait,” Jessa began. “You know about him too?” 

“Of course I do. He’s Boober’s fun alter ego.” 

Jessa glanced at Sidebottom, who winked at her flirtatiously. However, she couldn’t see it because of his hair. 

“Anyway, I can explain,” Jessa began. “Boober looked like he was about to lose his shit over the loud music, so I brought him out here where it was quiet. And then Sidebottom appeared.” 

Wembley hummed in response just as another song came on. Even from outside, it could be heard. Sidebottom perked up at the noise. 

“Hey, they got some good music playing in there.” He said before hopping up. “Let’s party!” 

Sidebottom grabbed Jessa’s hand as she followed behind, Wembley following them back into the rock. At least they were out of the gorg’s garden. But Wembley felt that he had to warn Jessa about Sidebottom. Though he wasn’t malicious, he tended to get carried away sometimes. 

“Jessa, can I talk to you for a minute?” He asked. 

“Sure, what’s the 411?” 

“I’ve met Sidebottom a few times when Boober and I shared dreams, and-” 

“You can share dreams?” 

“Yeah, any Fraggle can share dreams. You didn’t know this?” 

Jessa shook her head in response. 

“Anyway, Sidebottom is loads of fun, but he does get crazy after a while.” 

“Crazy as in murdering someone, or...” 

Before Wembley could explain any further, Sidebottom yelled from across the room. 

“Hey Wembley, Sugar Lips, come over here and dance!” 

“He calls you Sugar Lips?” Wembley inquired. 

“It’s a long story.” 

They both joined Sidebottom and for a few minutes, everything was awesome. Sidebottom and Jessa danced together, and they all laughed. But once Sidebottom saw the game of pong going on he wanted to join, prompting Jessa and Wembley to look after him. 

“Sidebottom, don’t you dare!” Jessa yelled, but this did nothing to stop him from consuming the alcohol. 

“Sidebottom, why?” Wembley asked in disbelief. 

Sidebottom was about to drink another one when Jessa snatched it out of his hands. 

“I can’t let you do this, Sidebottom,” she said to him. 

“But it’s a party, Sugar Lips. I want to have fun.” 

“There’s plenty of other ways to have fun.” 

“Yeah.” Wembley agreed. 

“Not like this. Yee-haw!!!” 

Before they knew it, Wembley and Jessa were on a wild goose chase. They had to keep an eye on Sidebottom and make sure he didn’t get wasted. Of course, this wasn’t easy. Sidebottom was too fast. 

“I think we lost him,” Wembley said to Jessa while catching his breath. 

“Not yet,” Jessa replied while pointing to her right. 

Wembley saw what Jessa saw. But then something similar appeared in the corner of his eye. 

“No, he’s over there.” 

Jessa looked to see whoever was disappearing behind a rock. 

 “Shit.” She grumbled. 

“Which one is Sidebottom?” 

“We have to split up. You go that way, and I’ll go this way.” 

Wembley went to the right and Jessa to the left. She tried to be as quiet as possible when sneaking up on Sidebottom. But when she caught him, Jessa was shocked to find out it wasn’t him. The Fraggle Jessa found did resemble Boober in some ways, but there were some major differences. Her hair color was a duller shade of red in comparison to Boober’s vibrant red hair. And her skin was more of a full-on blue instead of the blue-green mix. Not to mention that she wasn’t potato-shaped and that her eyes were visible. 

“Oh, sorry,” she apologized while letting go. “I was looking for someone else.” 

“Who are you looking for?” asked the female Fraggle asked. 

“I’m looking for a short Fraggle, bluish green with red hair.” 

“You found her.” The lady replied flirtatiously while referring to herself. 

Jessa was not amused. 

“You’re not funny.” She replied with a deadpan tone. “Tell me where he is.” 

“He?” 

“Yes, the Fraggle I’m looking for is a dude. And his name is Boober. Have you or have you not seen him?!” 

Before the look-alike could respond, Jessa heard Sidebottom’s laughter from a distance. Jessa stepped aside to get a closer look and saw Wembley running after Sidebottom, who was a bit intoxicated by this point and couldn’t run nearly as fast. But Wembley was too slow. Jessa wasted no time running over to a vine to swing on to reach them. 

“Sidebottom, slow down,” Wembley begged. 

“Try to catch me, buddy!” Sidebottom slurred. 

He tried to run again, but Jessa landed right in front of him. 

“This has gone on for long enough.” Jessa lectured before grabbing Sidebottom’s hand. 

“There you are, Sugar Lips. *hiccup*” 

“Man, you are wasted.” 

Jessa began to lead him away from all the festivities while Wembley followed. 

“Where are we going, Jessa?” 

“Boober’s hole.” 

“I’m not ready to turn in yet,” Sidebottom complained. “Let me go!” 

“Letting you get even more drunk is like releasing a bull, so no.” 

“I thought you loved me, Sugar Lips.” 

“I do, and that’s why Wembley and I are dragging you to your room so you can chill out.” 

“I don’t want to chill out! That’s all I ever do!!” 

Wembley and Jessa made it to Boober’s hole as the former locked the door. 

“I want to be out there in the crowd,” Sidebottom lamented. “With all those other fraggles dancing and carrying on. Boober is too damn restrictive. He keeps me locked up in his subconscious and there’s nobody else in there.” 

Jessa couldn’t help but feel bad, and Wembley felt the same way. Sidebottom then pulled Jessa closer to him and hugged her tightly. 

“I want to be in the real world with you, Jessa,” he said softly. “So we can be together and have fun all the time.” 

This was followed by a few neck kisses from him. Jessa looked at him sadly. 

“Way to make me feel like shit,” she said under her breath. 

Wembley stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do or say next. 

“I love you.” Sidebottom declared to Jessa. “And I would love to be the one who makes you laugh until your side hurts. Because I love your laugh.” 

Jessa blushed while Sidebottom kissed her again. 

“I love everything about you, Sugar Lips.” 

“Sidebottom, I- “ 

Jessa was cut off by him kissing her passionately on the lips. Wembley looked away before Jessa succumbed to the kiss. It didn’t last long, but the urgency made up for it. 

“I want Boober to give me freedom. So I can spoil you with my sense of humor.” 

“I’m not the person to grant that type of wish,” Jessa replied sadly. 

“It’s okay, I still love you.” 

Sidebottom then rested his head on her chest but didn’t say anything else. 

“Maybe you should lay down, Sidebottom.” Wembley finally said. 

“I think he’s made up his mind, Wembley,” Jessa replied. 

Wembley glanced at his friend all cuddled up to her, holding on for dear life as if Boober would come back at any given second. Wembley hadn’t realized Boober’s love for Jessa was this intense. Though he knew Boober wasn’t the most subtle person in the world. Wembley remembered his former crush on Tosh, and how he froze in place and gasped every time she appeared. He remembered the time Boober chose Tosh over him as a partner for the Duet-A-Thon (even though he originally had no plans of being in it to begin with), simply because he liked her. But after it was discovered that Tosh plays for the other team, Boober kept his distance and couldn’t talk to her for a long time. Eventually, they were on speaking terms again, though Boober had long since gotten over Tosh. That was a year ago. Now he had a different Fraggle in his life. One that returned his feelings. Wembley still remembered being disappointed that his former crush, Lou, was Tosh’s girlfriend. But he didn’t dwell on it nearly as much as Boober did. Sure, it hurt, but Wembley had never been good at holding grudges. He forgave people so easily, and just like Boober and Tosh, Wembley was still good friends with Lou. They even ate Doozer sticks together from time to time. 

“Can I ask you something?” Jessa asked Wembley. 

“Sure.” 

“Is Sidebottom nocturnal?” 

Wembley thought for a moment. Given that he only encountered Sidebottom in Boober’s dreams, it made sense. Still, he wasn’t sure. 

“I don’t know Jessa.” 

“I’m asking because it’s nighttime right now. And the last time I met him, it was also dark outside.” 

“Huh...” 

Sidebottom shifted, still clinging onto Jessa while she held him. Jessa was surprised that he didn’t throw his two cents in. 

“He’s awfully quiet now,” Wembley stated with concern. 

“The alcohol is getting to him. He might pass out soon.” 

Jessa removed his hat and began running her fingers through Sidebottom's hair, to which he grinned and sighed lovingly. Wembley noticed this and smiled weakly. At least Sidebottom was tamed now. 

“I wish I knew how to get the alcohol out of his system.” Wembley thought out loud. 

“You can’t,” Jessa began. “Only time will allow him to sober up.” 

“So, when you drink, you have to wait for it to get out?” 

“That’s what happens when you ingest hard drinks. I should know.” 

“I thought you said you didn’t drink that much.” 

“On good days. On bad days, I get super inebriated. And let me tell you, hangovers are not fun.” 

“What’s a hangover?” 

“Basically a migraine, but times 10.” 

Wembley shuddered at the thought of a headache that intense. 

“Poor Boober, he’s going to have a hangover.” 

“Not to mention he’ll be peeing out the alcohol he ingested.” 

“Ew.” 

Sidebottom passed out on Jessa during this conversation, though it took both Wembley and Jessa a while to notice. 

“Good thing Boober got caught up on the laundry.” Wembley pointed out. “Otherwise, he would have a cow if he saw dirty clothes lying around.” 

“Yeah,” Jessa replied while rubbing Sidebottom’s head. 

It was at that moment she noticed that he and passed out. 

“Wembley, look.” 

He got a closer look at Sidebottom to see him peacefully sleeping off the booze. 

“He sure does look happy resting on you.” 

“I’ll say. It’s kind of adorable.” 

Wembley threw open the covers while Jessa laid Sidebottom down on his bed, which was easy since he wasn’t awake. After covering him up, Jessa shoved some hair behind his ear and stared at him. 

“Do you know how Boober comes back?” she asked Wembley. 

“No, I don’t unfortunately. It never occurred to me to ask him.” 

“I hope he does.” 

Wembley stole a glance at Sidebottom sleeping before doing anything else. 

“As much as I want to stay for the after-hours of the summer solstice,  it wouldn’t be as much fun knowing that Boober is in this state,” Jessa admitted. 

“The after-hours?” 

“Yeah, Mokey and Red told me about it.” 

“Jessa, that’s when it gets… wild.” 

“It’s nothing new to me.” 

Wembley raised his eyebrows in question, but Jessa didn’t elaborate. It was nobody’s business what she did in her free time. Her lifestyle was hers and hers only. Jessa knew that she would be missing out on the EDM music, the flow of alcohol, and the laughs that she would soon share with everyone else, but a stronger part of her wanted to stay by Boober's side and make sure he was okay. Now was not the time for more partying. She needed to remain in Boober's hole to look after him. There would always be other celebrations anyway. She was willing to make that sacrifice if it meant that Boober wouldn't be alone.

“How did you enjoy that dance with that one chick?” she asked, trying to change the subject. 

“It was fun. She seems to like me.” 

Jessa chuckled wholeheartedly. 

“I knew I smelt pheromones radiating off of her.” 

“Yeah, at least I don’t need a love potion this time.” 

“Love potion?” 

“It happened a couple of years ago. I was helping my friends and, well... I wasn’t receiving any help in return. Then she came along.” 

“Who’s ‘she’?” 

“Lou. Her name was Lou Fraggle. She saw that I was in a predicament and helped me. I don’t know why, but I fell for her.” 

Jessa could have sworn she saw a glimmer of reminisce in Wembley’s eyes. 

“And, the love potion?” 

Wembley felt embarrassed that he even went as far as to use a love potion on Lou. He never told her this of course. It didn’t seem appropriate to bring it up. Plus, Lou was known for being no-nonsense and a tad temperamental. The last thing Wembley wanted was for Lou to yell at him. 

“I still can’t believe I went through with this to this day. Mokey and I went to the Trash Heap and she gave me a love potion to use on Lou.” 

“Dude…” 

“But it never got to her. I spilled it in the pond before I could reach her.” 

Wembley left out the part of the nearby fraggles getting affected and him getting swarmed. It still weirded him out to this day. All of the attention was so foreign to him. 

“Love potion, in my opinion, does more harm than good,” Jessa interjected. 

“You got that right.” 

“Besides, you can’t make people fall for you. That stuff just happens naturally.” 

“The Trash Heap gave me Love Number 9.” 

“Love Number 9? You’ve got to be kidding.” 

“No, that’s what she gave me.” 

“Wembley, that stuff is garbage. It’s nothing more than an infatuation placebo.” 

Wembley hummed contemplatively. 

“It’s not even long-lasting. The Trash Heap must have not read about it in depth before obtaining it.” 

“So if Love Number 9 is a crappy potion, are there any good ones?” 

“There is no good love spell. You can’t manipulate romance. And if there are spells of love, chances are they go against the laws of nature and have bad side effects.” 

“And to think I almost gave Lou the Love Number 9.” 

Jessa heard the guilt in his voice and frowned. 

“Just be happy that Lou didn’t find out if she already hasn’t.” 

“She doesn’t know, and to tell you the truth Jessa, I don’t know if I want to tell her.” 

“Then don’t. She doesn’t need to know every detail of your life. You don’t owe her anything.” 

“It didn’t work out between us anyway. She's a lesbian.” 

“Ouch. Sorry it didn't go the way you planned.” 

“Nah, it’s fine. Lou and I are still friends to this day. She even has a girlfriend.” 

Jessa smiled in response. 

“I guess it worked out one way or another.” 

“At least you don’t need a love potion for Boober. He already loves you.” 

Jessa smiled before glancing at Sidebottom fast asleep in his bed, only to frown sadly upon seeing how helpless he looked. That and the things he said about not having any freedom. 

“Maybe it’s just me, but do you think Sidebottom is lonely in the realm of Boober’s mind? He said something about there not being any people.” 

“Gosh, that would be lonely,” Wembley commented. 

“Though at the same time, I can understand why Boober keeps him away from reality. Sidebottom is a wild card.” 

It was true that Sidebottom was wild, but more in a class clown sort of way. 

“I know how my tomorrow is going to be spent,” Jessa said while staring at Sidebottom. 

Wembley glanced at Sidebottom sleeping before replying. 

“I hope that hangover isn’t too horrible.” 

“You and me both, Wembley.” 

Chapter Text

Boober woke up the next morning, his head pounding and his stomach burning. He groaned in agony, wondering what the hell was wrong with him. 

“What happened?” he asked while rubbing his head. 

He didn’t think that there would be another person in his hole, but to his surprise, Jessa was asleep on the floor next to his bed. Boober didn’t know until he sat up and accidentally kicked Jessa. 

“Ow.” 

This startled him and he turned to see her groaning tiredly and sitting up. 

“Jessa? What are you doing on the floor?” 

“Look who decided to come back to reality,” Jessa said softly while smiling at him. 

She was still in her dress, but she removed the string of crystals and her hair was down. Boober stared at her in question. What exactly happened at the summer solstice? He needed to know. 

“I... have questions that need answering.” 

Jessa’s smile disappeared when she saw him rub his head and sighed. 

“Buckle up then, Boober,” Jessa replied while stretching her arms. “Because it’s going to be a bumpy ride.” 

Boober groaned, anticipating something bad. 

“I did what?!” 

“You got carried away and began drinking. Wembley and I had to restrain you and bring you back to your hole.” 

“Wembley knows too?” 

Boober was beyond embarrassed! He lay in Jessa’s lap while she massaged his head. He couldn’t wrap his head around how Jessa still wanted to be around him after all that. 

“Yep,” Jessa answered. 

“Who else?” 

“Luckily for you Boober, just me and Wembley. Everyone else is unaware.” 

“Thank heavens.” 

Jessa couldn’t stop thinking about Sidebottom’s pleas to be let out more often. It pained her to know this, but what could she say? What could she do? It wasn’t up to her, but to Boober. But she wasn’t going to bring it up with him. Not right now at least, if ever. No time seemed good for something like this. And Jessa couldn’t let on that she knew about Sidebottom beyond Wembley telling her a few details. 

“He left a few hours ago, but I stayed.” 

“You didn’t have to trouble yourself for me, Jessa.” 

“How many times have you troubled yourself for me? You stayed up with me when I was a pathetic sobbing mess after I had that nightmare, you went out of your way to get an apple out of the gorg’s garden just to make an apple pie bite for me, and you gave me that bracelet.” 

Boober let her words sink in before he spoke. 

“You don’t think you’ve done enough? Just know that you have, and it means a lot.” 

“Even if you had to sleep on the floor?” 

“You were drunk, Boober. I wasn’t going to get in your bed with you while you were wasted. I’m not disrespecting your boundaries.” 

Overtime, Jessa had plenty of time to think about her interactions with Sidebottom and the more she thought about it, the shittier she felt. How could she kiss him knowing that Boober was stuck in his subconscious somewhere?! How could she let her feelings overtake her rational thoughts? 

“What was I thinking?” she thought with guilt in her heart. 

While she did feel sorry for Sidebottom being stuck in the back of Boober’s mind 95% of the time, knowing that she didn’t even try to resist his affections made Jessa feel as though she invaded. She was no better than anyone else. She hated herself for not being firm with Sidebottom as he kissed her and flirted with her. 

“Even if I was intoxicated, I don’t want you sleeping on the floor. You’ll wake up with back and joint pains.” 

“Where would I sleep though?” 

Boober opened his mouth but closed it upon realizing she had a point. 

“I skipped after-hours last night,” Jessa admitted. “Because you were passed out drunk and…” 

“And what?” 

“I… I couldn’t leave you like that.” 

Jessa struggled to admit that she actually cared, but Boober figured it out by the tone of her voice. 

“You were looking forward to it too.” He told her. 

“I was. But after Sidebottom took over and got you, well, he got drunk, I didn’t feel like going. Not when you were about to face the consequences of a hangover once you sobered up.” 

“I’m assuming Wembley filled you in about him.” 

“He did, but he didn’t reveal much else.” 

Boober hummed indifferently. His head hurt too much to think about it. 

“How’s your head?” 

“It feels like an anvil was dropped on it.” 

“I’ve been there.” 

“You have?” 

“Yeah, I drink. But I had only one glass of wine last night, which is a personal best for me. I usually drink more than that.” 

“I thought I tasted alcohol on your lips when we kissed.” 

Boober had an inkling that Jessa had consumed some of the radish wine, but now he knew. 

“If it wasn’t pleasant, then I apologize.” 

“It wasn’t. But I enjoyed our kiss.” 

Jessa tugged on Boober’s hair, providing relief from the throbbing hangover as Boober groaned in satisfaction. 

“I did too.” 

Boober smiled out of instinct before rolling over on his stomach and placing his hand just above Jessa’s knee. Her legs were long, he realized. Though Jessa was still shorter than Mokey, she was definitely taller than Boober. He then sighed and began caressing her thigh. 

“I can’t believe you sacrificed going to the after-hours to look after me.” 

“If you’ve been to enough bars, then you’ve seen it all. Besides, you’re more important than booze and bar fights anyway.” 

Boober was absolutely touched by this and almost teared up. 

“I’m important to you?” 

“Yeah.” 

Jessa realized this a second later. Boober held a special place in her heart, even more than she cared to admit. 

“After all that you’ve done for me so far.” 

Boober didn’t have the energy to tell Jessa it was all because he was in love with her, but he wanted her to know. He slowly got up and snuggled close to her in the form of a hug. Jessa’s tail wagged in response and she felt her heart race before she smiled. She then held Boober’s face and kissed the top of his forehead, to which his baloobius lit up. 

“I hate that this happened,” Jessa said after hearing him moan in pain. 

“Ditto.” 

She continued to massage his scalp, which helped tremendously.  But despite that, he began to feel nauseous. 

“Jessa?” 

“Yes?” 

“I need to throw up.” 

“Where do you keep a barf bucket?” 

Boober pointed towards the other side of his hole as Jessa went to retrieve it. Boober groaned while trying to sit up, the movements making him feel worse. His stomach churned and he held it, letting out a groan of discomfort. Jessa sat the bucket down in front of him, just in time for Boober to barf into it. 

“This is so disgusting!” he complained after getting it all out of his system. “Now I have barf breath.” 

“It’s nothing a breath mint or two can’t fix. I have some if you want it.” 

“Please?” Boober begged. “I can’t stand the taste of my own vomit.” 

“Sure.” Jessa replied before kissing his temple. “I need to change out of this dress anyway.” 

Jessa got up and left while Boober glared down at the bucket that was 1/8th of the way filled with puke. He couldn’t help but feel angry at himself for getting drunk. Well, he was mad at Sidebottom for doing that. 

“Why does this always happen to me?” he grumbled. 

Luckily for Boober, Sidebottom was not bothering him today. But he couldn’t help but feel like a loser for drinking. A hypocrite. After he always ranted to others about how they shouldn’t consume alcohol. Now here he was, hungover and puking almost as much as Jessa did when she had her nightmare. Boober sighed, feeling utterly embarrassed. 

“How does she still like me after all of this?” 

Jessa returned a minute later, donning her black outfit and signature ponytail (though she didn’t have her sword on her) as she held a pack of breath mints in her hand. 

“You can take as many as you want.” She said sympathetically. 

Boober put two in his mouth before Jessa sat next to him. 

“How can you look at me the same way you did last night?” Boober asked her. 

“What do you mean?” 

“This wasn’t supposed to happen. I was not supposed to let myself get drunk. And yet here I am, throwing up after a night of booze.” 

“What exactly does this have to do with what I think of you?” 

“Everything. You think I’m a drunk now, don’t you.” 

“No. If anything, I never took you as the type to consume alcohol.” 

“But it happened.” 

“I’m not mad at you for drinking if that’s what you’re worried about.” 

Boober groaned. 

“And Sidebottom… he had to take over my body at the wrong time. I never wanted you to meet him, because he always makes a fool out of me.” 

“I don’t have an issue with Sidebottom, Boober.” 

This was the most honest Jessa had ever been with anyone about anything. 

“How? How does he not frighten you away?” 

“Do I need to reiterate? I’m not scared of shit. And Sidebottom doesn’t provoke any fear. If anything, that’s my job.” 

“Jessa,” Boober began, but couldn’t think what to say as she watched him, now frustrated and confused. 

“Yes?” she pressed. 

Boober tried to say what he felt about this whole situation, but he choked on the words and looked as if he was about to cry. Jessa noticed this and her expression softened. But before anymore could be said, Boober threw up into the bucket again. After wiping his mouth, he plopped back down on his bed and groaned. 

“Looks like you need plenty of privacy to recover.” Jessa said before getting up. 

Boober glanced at her as she attempted to walk away. 

“I’ll come back later and see how you’re doing.” 

“Jessa, wait.” 

Jessa stopped in her tracks and turned around. 

“Please, don’t leave.” 

There was a pleading tone in his voice, and Jessa felt her heart strings being pulled. Boober thought she would walk off and desert him, but to his surprise, Jessa laid down next to him. 

“Anything else you need?” she asked him softly. 

“I just need you.” He answered while holding her hand. “I need you here next to me.” 

Jessa sighed and stayed where she was, next to Boober. 

“Just let me know if you get tired of my company.” Jessa joked. 

“I enjoy your presence too much for that to happen.” 

Jessa chuckled and response and snuggled closer, which made Boober very happy despite his hangover. He wanted to kiss her, but didn’t so as to not offend Jessa with his barf breath. 

“Just relax for a bit, hon.” She said softly. “The wine you drunk last night will be out of your system in a few hours.” 

Boober blushed at the pet name she had given him and grinned before intertwining his fingers with hers. 

“I love you.” He whispered. 

“I love you too.” 

They spent the rest of the morning sleeping in, which was fine with Boober since he felt like shit. Plus, he felt robbed of his time alone with Jessa. Sidebottom stole his thunder and caused him to suffer the aftermath of getting drunk. He made a mental note to scold him later. But for now, he would cuddle Jessa and sleep off the excruciating headache. 

Chapter Text

1 WEEK LATER:

Jessa was out in the gorg's garden shooting arrows from her spot in the Nirvana tree. Though there wasn't a particular target in sight, she continued to fire anyway.

"What are you shooting at?" Philo asked her.

"Whatever and whoever from the Shazzle Realm comes to mind," Jessa answered simply before releasing one of her arrows.

She watched it fly forward into oblivion, imagining killing the shazzles who tormented her for years. Jessa also imagined the sound effects of the arrow piercing through their flesh.

"Man, I hate to clean all those arrows up," Gunge commented before he and Philo shared a laugh.

"Funny you should say that," Jessa replied.

Before either of the boys could interject, Jessa's sword morphed back into its original form, and the long-fired arrows were summoned back.

"So that's how the shazzles fought so efficiently in the war 3 centuries ago," Philo observed.

"Only one of them had this sword," Jessa corrected him. "The rest of them relied solely on their powers."

"Jessa, let me ask you this," Gunge began as Jessa jumped from the branch she was on and flew down to the ground. "If shazzles can bend elements, why do they need a magic sword?"

"The sword is a very sacred thing in shazzle culture." She answered while tucking her wings in behind her. "It's tradition for shazzles to compete for it. The sword symbolizes victory and a promising future."

"And the powers?" Philo asked.

"What about them?"

"Do all shazzles manipulate more than one element?"

"No. I'm what they call an All-Element Bender. Shazzles with those abilities only come once every 10 generations. How it got to me of all people, I don't know. But All-Element Bending shazzles are considered the most fearsome and respected. As far as normal shazzles go, they can only bend one element."

"Oooh, fascinating."

"Because I can control all 4 elements, the other shazzles didn't bother me too badly. But that still didn't erase the fact that I'm half fraggle."

"Can other shazzles fly, or does it have to do with your number of elements?"

"All shazzles can fly. It doesn't matter which element you were gifted at birth. The following shared powers are teleportation, invisibility, X-ray vision, telekinesis, super strength, telepathy, and mental guards."

Philo and Gunge were intrigued by the shazzle lore, and Jessa was more than happy to answer their questions. She had become friends with them and the Trash Heap over time, as they were the only people who accepted her for who she was. Marjorie was asleep in the ground, but Jessa was content with hanging out with just the boys.

"But All-Element Bending shazzles have at least one element that's dominant."

"What's your dominant element then?" Gunge asked her.

As if in answer, Jessa held out her hand. Philo and Gunge watched as her eyes turned red and fire spawned from her palm.

"My dominant element is fire."

Gunge and Philo watched in amazement before Jessa extinguished her flames, her eyes returning to normal.

"There's something else," Philo pointed out. "Why do your eyes turn red when you bend fire?"

"The colors coordinate with the element being used. Red for fire, yellow for air, green for earth, and blue for water."

"How do you know which shazzle controls what element?"

"The shazzles are distinguished into 4 groups: Inferno, Aquatic, Earthbound, and Gale. You can also tell them apart by the color of their eyes and wings."

"How so?"

"The Infernos have red irises and wings. The Aquatics are blue, Earthbound are green, and Gales are yellow."

"Is that why you're purple then?"

"No, that came from my dad's side."

Jessa was 50-50 with her parents. While she inherited Lenny's black hair, purple skin, and torso fur, she also inherited Morrigan's beauty and powers. Another fact Jessa had yet to mention was that while shazzles do have baloobiuses on their tails, they don't have any fur in their midsections, meaning that clothing was required and not optional. Fraggles had the freedom to roam around partially clothed or completely nude, though Jessa didn't consider this liberating at all. Even with her fur covering her private areas, she still preferred to have clothes on. She then thought about Boober, only to blush when imagining him without his fur. He would need more than just his hat and scarf to cover himself up!! Jessa shook the mental image away before continuing.

"My eyes are silver because I have more than one element."

"But you said fire was your dominant element," Philo pointed out.

"It doesn't work like that with All-Element Benders."

Jessa glanced over at the rock to make sure Mokey or anyone else hadn't come out, which looked affirmative. She still had plenty of privacy. Jessa then spread her wings out, but didn't fly.

"Don't let anyone in Fraggle Rock catch you with your wings out," Gunge warned her.

"Or you'll be busted," Philo added.

"There's nobody out here, guys. I just checked."

Jessa let her wings flare out before relaxing them.

"I bet they must be stiff from having to be kept hidden," Philo said to her.

"You guys have no idea."

Jessa was relieved to stretch out her wings after keeping them under wraps.

"What type of shazzle was your mother?" Philo asked her.

"She was an Aquatic shazzle."

Gunge and Philo hummed before Jessa continued.

"Shazzles are given elements depending on what time of year they were born."

"Oh?" Gunge pressed on.

"Mom was a Pisces, so she was gifted the element of water. Pisces is a water zodiac."

"Does this apply to All-Element Benders?"

"All-Element Benders are exempt from the astrology method of element giving. Instead, their elements are determined by whichever element is next on the rotation wheel."

"Rotation wheel?"

"It works like a Wiccan Wheel of the Year. Just like the sabbats, the dominant element comes in chronological order. The last All-Element Bender had Earth as their dominant power."

"How do you know, Jessa?" Philo asked skeptically. "They existed 300 years ago."

"Their legends carry on."

"Do the regular shazzles have abilities that separate them from the other groups?"

"Yes, they do," Jessa replied before making her wings vanish into thin air. "The Aquatic shazzles can serenade people via their siren voices. The Inferno shazzles can melt rocks into lava, the Earthbound shazzles can communicate with plants, and the Gale shazzles can possess the wind."

"And you can do all those things."

"Yeah, I'm a Jack-Of-All-Trades in that regard."

"Do the shazzles breed among other groups?"

"They can, but it's uncommon. It's more socially acceptable for Infernos to stick with their group, as well as Earthbound, Gale, and Aquatic."

"Does any of this stuff tie into Shazzle Bloodlust?" Philo asked her.

"Elements do play a role, but they have nothing to do with Bloodlust. That happens when a shazzle experiences trauma. Bloodlust can alter your physical appearance and make you perpetually angry."

"Woah."

"I got my first Bloodlust when my parents died, and I had talons, fangs, and tail spikes."

"How does Bloodlust stop? Is there a way to get rid of it?" Gunge asked, noting Jessa's lack of beast-like features.

"There is no cure for Shazzle Bloodlust. Unless you count murdering the instigators behind your trauma as such. Once you've killed them, only then will the Bloodlust disappear. You will also gain control of one of the characteristics."

"Lemme guess, you have the fangs."

Jessa let her talons grow out from behind her fingers to show them."

"You got the talons?"

"That's the only feature I have control over right now. To control the fangs or tail spikes, I have to have another Bloodlust."

"Shazzles can have more than one Bloodlust?"

"Oh yeah! There's no limit on that."

"Which Bloodlust feature comes first?" Gunge asked.

"It's randomized. Talons just happened to be the first thing for me."

Jessa then saw Mokey in the radish patch out of the corner of her eye as she turned to see what she was doing. The radish garden was quite a distance from where the Trash Heap was located, so Mokey couldn't hear their conversation. She had gotten comfortable in the grass so she could sketch a rather hearty-looking radish in her notebook.

"That concludes our talk for today," Jessa said to Philo and Gunge. "I'll catch you guys later."

"Bye, Jessa."

Jessa strolled closer to the radish patch to where Mokey was, curious about what she was doing.

"Might as well draw you before I pick you," Mokey said to the radish. "And before Boober cooks you."

"Communicating with the flora?"

Mokey flinched around to see Jessa standing to her right.

"Oh hi Jessa, I was just getting ready to draw this radish before I pick it."

Jessa glanced at the radish, wondering what made it stand out against the others until she inspected it further. It was bigger than the others, and its color was very vibrant.

"I wonder how much that sucker weighs," Jessa wondered.

"I don't know."

Mokey then remembered something.

"Oh, Boober asked me to tell you to meet him in his kitchen."

"For what?"

"He didn't say."

Jessa threw a perplexed glance but didn't object.

"Okay, I'll leave you to your drawing and go see what he needs."

Jessa began her way back to the rock while Mokey began sketching. The sounds of the other fraggles began audible the closer she got to the entrance and eventually became a cluster of chit-chat. Jessa walked through the Great Hall, passing by a gay couple giggling about nothing and 3 fraggles playing rock hockey. It had been almost 2 months since Jessa first stepped foot into Fraggle Rock, and it slowly became her home. She smiled while observing the fraggles doing their own thing. This place was, in fact, a paradise. Jessa noticed Red attempting to dive into the Fraggle Pond and chuckled. Red was concentrating on her pose when the sound of Jessa’s voice startled her.

"Do 5 flips while you're cannonballing!"

"I can do more than 5," Red bragged. "I can do 20."

"Impossible."

"Oh yeah? Just watch me, Jessa."

Since Jessa was close to the pond, she got out her sword, and it morphed into an umbrella. Red jumped off the ledge and did a series of flips, the splash sending a few drops in Jessa's direction, whose umbrella flared out just in time.

"Did you count that?" Red asked after resurfacing.

"No, unfortunately. I was too busy keeping dry."

"Let me try that again, and maybe you can count it this time."

"Can't. I gotta meet Boober for something."

Jessa continued her way, leaving Red to grumble until Gobo offered to do it.

Boober was finishing up the last of his food to put inside a picnic basket while Wembley chatted with him.

"So you and Jessa are going to Sweet Water Lake?"

"Yep. She's going to love that place."

Boober had been giddy about his upcoming date since Jessa agreed to go, and he had been preparing snacks. Wembley noticed Boober's unusually chipper mood and asked what was going on.

"Yeah, she will," Wembley agreed.

"I can't wait until she tastes the water. It's so sweet, and it has a perfect flavor to it."

Boober put the last of the sandwiches in his picnic basket when he remembered something.

"Oh, by the way, have you seen my parasol?"

"No, I thought Red had it."

"What could she want with it?"

"I have a good idea."

Boober and Wembley turned to see Jessa standing in the archway.

"Using it as a parachute for her pool stunts."

"My only parasol, and that's what she's using it for?"

"Calm down, Boober," Jessa replied. "I've got one right here."

Boober glanced at Jessa's umbrella, which was crystal-encrusted like her sword and had a beautiful star constellation design on it. Jessa sniffed the air and hummed.

"What's cooking, good looking?" She said to Boober flirtatiously.

Boober giggled and blushed, his tail wagging furiously.

"Radish stew," he answered sweetly. "And I made some sandwiches."

Jessa's tail wagged while she gazed at Boober. Wembley had enough sense to excuse himself and give them some privacy, leaving Boober and Jessa alone to flirt with each other.

"I'm glad you decided to come to Sweet Water Lake with me."

"It's kind of cute hearing you rave about it."

Boober didn't know how he was still functioning mentally with all this flirting, but he managed. Once everything was done, Boober loaded up his picnic basket and took Jessa's hand as they ventured off to Sweet Water Lake, the noisy chitter chatter of the Great Hall soon behind them.

Chapter Text

Boober and Jessa got settled near the Sweet Water after he scouted out a spot that he deemed appropriate. Jessa pierced the ground with her parasol after Boober laid the blanket down, and he held her hand while putting another around her waist, helping her sit down. Jessa chuckled at this before Boober snuck a soft kiss between her eyebrows.

“Man,” Jessa began a minute later after sniffing the air. “It's a wonder nobody gets diabetes just from breathing in here.”

“I've never known Sweet Water to cause diabetes,” Boober replied while laying out his sandwiches. “If it did, I would stay far away from here.”

Jessa stared back at the pink and red water, watching it slowly drift by. Boober had told her about the lore of Sweet Water Lake on their way here, including the time it went through a drought. That was the worst day of Boober’s life. He loved the place, and seeing all the Sweet Water drained from it made him want to destroy whatever caused it. Half of the things he created in his kitchen were Sweet Water-based. Boober offered Jessa a sandwich, which she accepted and took a bite.

“The water reminds me of rose quartz,” Jessa said while Boober chewed his bite.

He looked at her, waiting for Jessa to elaborate. But instead, she took another bite of her sandwich.

“Rose quartz?”

“Before I came to Fraggle Rock, I used to go to the Crystal Caverns. There are all kinds of gems: rose quartz, amethyst, jade, ruby. Too many to name. But when you find a heart-shaped rose quartz, it's a sign that you will find love in the future.”

“Did you ever find one?”

“I did, but I was in disbelief that it would happen. I took the thing home with me, but I locked it up somewhere so I wouldn't have to look at it. I never knew why I didn't just leave it for someone else to find until I met you.”

Boober looked at her before she continued.

“I guess that rose quartz was trying to tell me something the whole time.”

“Why were you refusing to acknowledge it?” Boober asked softly while holding her hand.

Jessa didn't answer right away, but let Boober hold her. She knew the reason why. Nobody would ever love a half-breed, especially one that was of Shazzlin descent. But she couldn't tell Boober that. He could never know about her genetic background. If Jessa was able to conceal that side of her for this long, then she could pretend that she was wholly a Fraggle and never have to open up about it. Boober kissed her on the cheek when she was quiet for too long.

“Were you holding out for someone else?”

“That's not the reason,” Jessa admitted.

“Then why?”

Jessa regretted ever bringing up the heart-shaped rose quartz.

“I told you the night I had my nightmare, that everyone in the place I used to live hated me. They all said and did things so many times that I started to believe that I was just that; a nobody.”

This was a truth at least. Jessa wouldn't say anymore, but Boober didn't need her to. He hugged her tightly.

“You're somebody, Jessa,” he said quietly before stealing yet another kiss. “I don't care what those people have said, I won't believe them. Because that's not how I see you.”

Jessa looked at Boober at last.

“I'm not sure if this is weird, but when we first met that day, I felt that there was something special about you. It goes beyond the fact that I find you pretty. There was something in your soul, something that I was drawn to. I can't put my finger on it, but I know that I won't let you go. I don't want to.”

Boober hadn't loosened his grip on Jessa, but she made no fuss about it. She let his words sink in. As comforting as they were, she couldn't help but wonder if Boober would still make that declaration if he knew everything about her. That was something Jessa had no answer for. At least until it was proven, though she wanted to prevent that from happening. Boober began to caress her bicep, which made her smile out of instinct.

“Your affection is so intoxicating it's adorable.” She said sweetly.

Boober's tail wagged in response, and she chuckled.

“Is it helping any?” he asked lowly, his head resting on her.

As if in answer, Jessa squeezed his hand, which Boober took as a ‘yes’ and squeezed it back.

“How are the sandwiches?”

“Tasty,” Jessa replied before smooching Boober.

The feeling of her lips on him was enough to make him lose IQ points, and Boober felt his baloobius glowing. Without realizing it, he hugged Jessa from behind, to which she smiled before eating the rest of her sandwich.

“I don't think I ever told you why I like this place so much.” He said while cuddling her.

“Other than the taste of the Sweet Water?”

“I like this place because it's calming. The sound of the water puts me at ease and I love the smell.”

“Does it relax you?”

“Very much.”

Boober and Jessa cuddled a little while longer before resuming their meal. He was happy to see Jessa enjoying the stew he made.

“I don't know if I ever told you this Boober, but you're an amazing cook.”

Boober flung his arms around Jessa before she could take another bite, but she grinned and hugged him back.

“I'm glad you think so, Sugar Lips,” he whispered while stroking her upper back.

Jessa blushed immensely and felt her tail wagging.

“Sugar Lips, huh?” Jessa replied, trying not to sound flustered, though she failed miserably.

“Too much?” Boober asked her, now regretting giving her that pet name.

“Not at all,” Jessa reassured him.

Boober slowly grinned and kissed her cheek, which earned him some on the neck from Jessa.

“You're the cutest fraggle in the rock.” She murmured.

Boober melted and squeezed her, both of them eventually dozing off to the sound of the Sweet Water flowing past them. To say that this date was a success would be an understatement. Boober gazed down at Jessa napping on him before taking her hand and kissing the back of it passionately.

“I love you,” he told her while caressing her.

Boober listened to the water before he too, drifted off into a light slumber.

Chapter Text

After taking a little cat nap, Boober listened to Jessa talk about other places she visited before meeting him. He was lying down on his back, head in her lap while she played with his hair. Boober had taken his hat off and was holding it on his stomach. His baloobius hadn't stopped glowing at all, and for once, he didn't care.

"Bouncing Gorge is definitely one of my favorite places, next to Crystal Caverns," Jessa admitted while stroking Boober's hair.

"What's Bouncing Gorge?"

"It's a place full of mushrooms that are so buoyant you can bounce 10 feet in the air."

Boober smiled up at Jessa, admiring her beauty and loving the head massage he was getting.

"I've lost count of how many times I've bounced off those mushrooms. Hell of a wild time."

Jessa remembered this fondly as if it were a treasured childhood memory. This was the first time he heard Jessa talk about her past in such a positive way, even if it had nothing to do with where she came from.

"I wish I could take you guys there. Too bad the Terrible Tunnel got blocked off."

"I thought the Terrible Tunnel was full of nightmares."

"The shallow parts of it are, but when you go deeper and get past all of the ominous stuff, you'll find some beautiful and fun places in there."

"Is that why you chose to live there after your parents were killed?"

"Part of the reason. I also chose the Terrible Tunnel because I knew nobody would ever dare to go in there and track me down, should they find new ways to torment me."

Jessa's mood changed near the end of that sentence, and Boober noticed. He sat up and leaned in to kiss Jessa's cheek.

"Jessa, if you ever want to talk about it, I'm always here to listen," he said while holding her hands.

"Thank you," she replied.

The truth was, though, there would never be a good time to talk about it. There would never be a good time for Jessa to tell Boober the truth about herself, much less anyone else in Fraggle Rock. Despite her adamance, Jessa couldn't help but feel guilty for keeping him in the dark like this. She loved Boober and hated that she had to deceive him. Boober pressed a kiss onto her temple, to which she melted.

"I love you," Jessa told him.

Boober couldn't help but squeeze her in response.

"I love you too, Jessa."

Boober could say this so many times, and it still would cover what he felt for this girl. Jessa was very special to him. They both leaned in for a kiss when they heard a barking sound from a neighboring cave.

"What is that?" Jessa asked.

"If I'm not mistaken, that sounds like Waggleby."

"Waggle-what?"

"Waggleby. He's my pet."

Jessa smiled sweetly just as Waggleby approached her and Boober.

"You never told me you had a pet."

"It's quite a long story," Boober replied while petting Waggleby. "He came to my cave one day while I was hanging up some laundry, and he scared the living daylights out of me."

Jessa merely raised an eyebrow, noting Waggleby's cuteness. It wasn't until after Boober finished petting the cave creature that Waggleby noticed Jessa. He gave her a curious glance before walking over to sniff her.

"We got off on a rough start," Boober continued. "I was busy cooking with Flava flowers, and Waggleby kept messing everything up. My hole was a wreck."

Boober continued to tell his story as Waggleby sniffed Jessa. He could smell her past trauma, her emotions, everything. Not that Jessa or Boober noticed. However, Waggleby barked happily and jumped in Jessa's lap, taking her by surprise.

"Social little critter isn't he," she commented while petting him.

"Yeah, Waggleby really likes you."

Boober then scooted closer and put his arm around Jessa.

"I can't blame him, though. I really like you too."

Jessa grinned and rested her head on Boober’s shoulder just as Waggleby licked her hand.

“What made you and Waggleby start to get along?” Jessa inquired.

“After I told him to leave, he went and picked some more Flava flowers for me to use in my recipes. That was when I started to see him as a friend.”

Waggleby got up and began sniffing around, leaving Boober and Jessa to chat some more. They shared a few kisses before Boober rubbed her arm upon seeing how much it healed.

“Your scar is healing up rather nicely.”

Jessa looked down to see her arm. The scar had become less noticeable and didn't hurt nearly as much.

“I've got you to thank for that,” Jessa replied sweetly.

No longer did she need wrap-around bandages, but now only needed a patch to prevent infections from happening. Boober made sure of that. Jessa also had done a good job of keeping her injury clean. Despite its healing, Boober was still shaken from Jessa getting scratched by a Bloodwraithe. It scared him to no end that she could have potentially died. To have the woman he loved killed by one of those ugly beasts. Jessa noticed his solemn expression as he stared down at her arm, still caressing it, and placed a hand on his cheek.

“Boober, if it makes you feel any better, I was scared that one of those Bloodwraithes would hurt you. That's why I went in there and killed all of them. Not only because of you, but I didn't want the one place I came to like and call home get destroyed.”

Boober stared at her for a minute before embracing her.

“I'm glad you're here in Fraggle Rock, Jessa. And here to stay. I never want you to go back in the Terrible Tunnel.”

“Not like I have a choice anyway. It's blocked off.”

Jessa had gotten over this with time. She accepted the turning point in her life. Now she was a resident of Fraggle Rock and Boober’s girlfriend. The Terrible Tunnel was no longer her place to live. Granted, her shielded mental home was still intact despite her absence, but Jessa wouldn't bother trying to return if she wanted. She liked it in Fraggle Rock.

“But even if the Terrible Tunnel was open, I still see no reason to leave. Fraggle Rock has really grown on me.”

Boober's tail wagged before he spoke.

“Oh Jessa,” he replied happily before kissing her right cheek.

They hugged before Boober offered some Sweet Water to Jessa, giving her a spoonful as she sipped it.

“It has a nice flavor to it, doesn't it,” Boober said while watching her savor it.

Jessa hummed in response while smiling, making his heart skip a beat.

“This was a good spot for our date,” Jessa added while gazing at Boober.

He gazed back while both of their tails wagged. This was the happiest he felt in eons. Well, the happiest he felt when he wasn't doing laundry or cooking. Boober then placed his hand on Jessa’s.

“I'm thrilled that we're dating now,” he admitted.

“Ditto.”

Boober and Jessa spent more time at Sweet Water Lake and played with Waggleby before he went home, leaving the fraggles to head back before dark set in.

Chapter Text

Boober and Jessa had long returned from their date, and while Boober was doing whatever laundry needed to be washed, Jessa was chilling in her hole with Red and Mokey.

"So how did your date with Boober go?" Red inquired in a way that sounded like she was ready to tease Jessa, not maliciously, but more like a lighthearted picking.

"About as you would expect from any date, Red. It was romantic."

Mokey gushed in response while Red smiled. Jessa was sprawled out on her bed, her hair down, and she was wearing some pajamas, which were nothing more than a dark gray T-shirt and burgundy pants. They were comfy and tomboyish enough for her. Red wore the same manner of sleepwear, though it wasn't as randomized as Jessa's, while Mokey wore a nightgown. Out of the 3 girls, Mokey was the most feminine. Jessa couldn't recall ever seeing her in a pair of pants, though given that Mokey didn't even bother to wear a shirt under her cardigan, it was useless for Jessa to ponder on. Fraggles in general just didn't dress up all the way, but this was something that Jessa would never adopt, even though did indeed have fur. One of the few features she inherited from her fraggle father. Shazzle genes were known to be dominant in nature, completely overpowering any traits and characteristics of other species. Though Jessa had never liked her torso fur growing up, shaving it off when she was old enough to know how to use a pair of scissors and a razor, she had come to accept it when it meant fooling people into thinking she was an ordinary fraggle and not some half-breed freak of nature. It became even more important now since she was now in Fraggle Rock. Jessa had never been more grateful for that fur covering her midsection as she could very easily pass off as just a fraggle. But that still didn't erase her urge to cover up. Jessa would feel very weird being half-naked or even without clothes. She was still getting used to being barefoot half the time.

"Did you and Boober kiss?" Red asked Jessa.

"It wouldn't be a date if we didn't."

Jessa blushed, smiled to herself, and felt her tail wag remembering how Boober's lips felt on hers.

"Judging by your wagging tail, I'd say the date went perfectly."

"I'm glad Boober has found someone," Mokey added, looking up from her diary. "You make him very happy."

"I do?"

This was news to Jessa. Of course, she had known that Boober's spirits would rise whenever she was around, but she didn't know the extent.

"Yeah, I can't remember the last he smiled this much."

"I can't remember the last time Boober has ever smiled about anything," Red interjected. "Not counting when he's doing laundry or cooking."

"I didn't realize my mere existence affected his mood."

"Love does that to people," Mokey said in a dream-like tone.

"While we're on the subject of romance," Jessa began while sitting up. "How are things between you and that dude I paired you up with at the solstice?"

"Zeevo?"

"Yeah."

Mokey began to tell her and Red about the dance she had with him, and they listened. From what she described, Mokey seemed to enjoy the bond she developed with Fraggle. She finished her story, and the girls began chatting about something else. Red was bragging about beating Large Marvin in a swim race when Jessa sat up.

"I'm surprised he can even gain that much speed," she interjected.

"I know, right?" Red replied. "I'm also surprised he didn't leave Doozer stick crumbs in the pool."

Jessa chuckled indifferently. The conversation soon came to a close, and while Red and Mokey began to feel drowsy, Jessa was still wide awake.

"I think I might go for a walk before bed," Jessa said while standing up.

"You're not tired?" Mokey asked.

"It takes a lot to wear me out."

Before any more could be said, Jessa strolled out. But she wasn't going for a walk. No. She was going to see Boober. Jessa didn't care one bit that she was in her pajamas. She walked past Gobo and Wembley's room while they talked about random stuff. Boober had finished his laundry and was on his bed reading a book when he heard a knock outside his hole. He looked up to see his girlfriend lingering in the archway and grinned.

"Want a bit of company before bed?" Jessa asked.

In response, Boober scooted over and patted the spot next to him, and Jessa climbed in. As soon as she got comfortable, they shared a heartfelt kiss and snuggled each other.

"Whatchya reading?" She asked sweetly.

"Common colds," Boober murmured while rubbing Jessa's bicep.

He then went on to explain what he had read so far, and Jessa listened.

"It's amazing how something so insignificant can ruin your day," Boober continued. "I mean, look at this."

Jessa glanced at the pictures Boober was pointing at.

"First, you have mucus coming out of your nose, then your voice sounds awful, you lose your sense of smell, and of course, there's the headache."

It had been a while since Jessa got a head cold, much less any other illness. All those years in solitude had given Jessa protection from transmittable diseases. Because no other non-animalistic beings would dare enter the Terrible Tunnel. That was one good thing that came out of living there. Jessa then thought about the things that shazzles were susceptible to. Boober would love to get his hands on those medical books. Too bad this was something she had to keep from him. Jessa looked at the next section just as Boober finished describing the details of the common cold.

"What's Pebble Pox?" She asked him.

Boober looked where the title was and exhaled through his nose while gently squeezing her.

"A very contagious disease," he began solemnly. "But there is a cure for it."

Boober read the treatment out loud, and Jessa listened, running a finger through his hair. Boober melted a little when feeling this, but still read on. Even with all of the hair tonic he was wearing, Boober's hair still felt soft. Jessa blushed and smiled weakly while twirling her finger in his locks. Thick, beautiful red hair. Jessa inhaled the scent of his hair tonic before resting her hand.

"I love it when you play with my hair," Boober admitted after he finished.

"Your hair smells good."

Boober blushed and chuckled before replying.

"I never knew you found the scent of hair tonic to be sexy," he flirted.

Jessa giggled in response, prompting Boober to kiss her.

"What do you put in your hair?"

"Nothing," Jessa replied. "It's just hair."

"It's so shiny," Boober said while playing with Jessa's hair. "And soft."

She gazed lovingly at Boober while he fiddled with a few strands. Jessa's hair had a blueish shine when held at an angle where there was light, and he found this fascinating.

"Your hair is a honey, Jessa."

Jessa responded with a smooch, which made Boober's heart skip a beat.

"Thank you," she cooed.

They were silent for a while before Boober told Jessa more about the diseases he read about. Jessa let him ramble on, mostly because she thought it was cute. That's just what Boober was; adorable. Jessa gazed at him while he rambled, loving his company. Her tail wagged behind her, which Boober noticed and pulled Jessa closer. After a few more minutes of conversation, Jessa yawned.

"I better head back into my bed before Mokey and Red wonder where I am."

She kissed Boober before getting up, but Boober stared longingly at her. He wanted her to stay, and he wanted to cuddle her.

"Jessa?"

Upon hearing her name, Jessa stopped and turned around.

"I suppose you wouldn't want to fall asleep in here, would you? With me?"

Jessa didn't even remember crawling back into bed with her boyfriend and getting comfortable on his chest, but here she was, snuggling Boober.

"Can't get enough of me, can you."

"No," Boober admitted while playing with Jessa's hair. "I can't."

He kissed the top of her head before leaning back, holding her on top of him like he did all those nights ago before they began dating. A few more talks were had before they both succumbed to sleep. But they were both happy. Before Boober fell asleep, Jessa nuzzled him before speaking.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Sugar Lips," Boober replied sweetly before they finally fell asleep.

And they both slept like logs that night.

Chapter Text

1 month later:

Everyone was out in the Great Hall enjoying themselves. Boober would usually stay in his hole where it was quiet, but he wanted to be close to Jessa. He snuggled her while eating some Doozer sticks and Jessa chatted with Wembley. They were discussing something that never once occurred to the residents of Fraggle Rock.

"If Doozer sticks are made from radishes, how do the Doozers get them?" Jessa asked.

"Gee, I don't know," Wembley replied.

"Maybe I can ask."

"Don't bother," Boober interjected while caressing her. "Doozers don't talk to us."

"Why not?"

"Nobody knows why, Jessa. It's always been that way."

Jessa glanced at the little green creatures building something nearby, confused about their lack of interaction with those outside their species.

"I guess Fraggles aren't hard-working enough for them," she half-joked.

Wembley chuckled while Boober grabbed some more Doozer sticks, not for himself, but for Jessa.

"Would you like another Doozer stick, my love?" he asked sweetly.

"Sure," Jessa replied with the same level of sweetness as Boober held it close to her mouth.

Jessa took a bite and chewed, savoring the flavor. Boober watched her eat it before stealing a kiss on her cheek, which made her tail wag. He fed Jessa the rest of the stick, only to receive a kiss in return once she swallowed it.

"And who says chivalry is dead," Jessa murmured while hugging him.

Boober grinned and blushed, his baloobius glowing brightly. Wembley had been oblivious to their tender moment, his attention on Red instead, who was getting ready to perform a dive into the pool. Boober and Jessa looked on a second later as she made her announcement.

"She's going to drown," Boober said after she finished her speech.

"No she isn't, babe," Jessa replied.

Red jumped off the rock and did the same number of flips she did the day Jessa and Boober went to Sweet Water Lake and landed in the water with a splash.

"How many flips was that?" Wembley asked after clapping along with everyone else.

"I have no clue," Jessa replied. "But it was impressive."

Gobo and Mokey were nearby waiting for Red to come up out of the water, but she didn't. This worried Boober and the others.

"I knew it," Boober said while squeezing Jessa's hand. "Red is drowning."

"Don't jump to conclusions just yet, Boober," Jessa replied. "Maybe it's part of her stunt?"

But Red still didn't resurface, and Gobo couldn't wait any longer as he ran for the pond.

"I'm coming, Red!" He shouted before diving in.

Once underwater, Gobo swam around to look for her, which didn't take very long. He saw Red floating near the bottom, but she was unconscious. Gobo's heart sank, but he swam over to inspect what had caused this. Her ankle was tangled in a vine and even when Red couldn't struggle against it anymore, it still clung to her. Gobo took out his pocket knife and cut the vine off before dragging Red back up to the surface. By that time, everyone had gathered around the pond, fearful of what might have happened. This was confirmed when Gobo swam back up with Red in his arm.

"Help me out here, guys!" He shouted to his friends.

Jessa pulled them both out of the water, but Red was unresponsive.

"Oh no," Boober lamented. "She's unconscious."

"Is there anything you can do?" Jessa asked him.

"Red!" Gobo shouted while shaking her. "Red!"

But it was no use. Mokey had started to sob along with Wembley, and Boober did what he could to bring her back but to no avail. There was too much water in her lungs. Jessa clenched her fists, knowing how to save her: using her water-bending ability. After Boober's methods proved to be futile, Jessa held out her hand and her eyes glowed blue. Nobody noticed it at first, but it quickly came to their attention once the water flowed slowly out of Red's mouth and floated in the air. Boober gasped in both horror and astonishment, just as everyone else was. Once all the water was out of Red's lungs, Jessa waved her hand swiftly in the direction of the pond, to which the water flew and it landed with a splash. Jessa put her hand down and her eyes returned to normal, but this time, she let her silver eye color show and didn't conceal it with black.

"Jessa, how did you-" Boober began to ask, but was cut off by her.

"I'll tell you later."

"Jessa," Boober insisted.

"Later," she pressed.

Red coughed before regaining consciousness and found her friends surrounding her.

"What happened?" She asked, completely dazed from her near-death experience.

"You got caught on a vine in the water," Gobo replied to her. "So I jumped in and pulled you out."

"But you were close to dying," Boober added, still in shock over what Jessa did.

"And Jessa, well..."

Gobo couldn't finish his sentence before they all looked over at Jessa, who now stood a good distance away.

"What did she do?" Red asked, not grasping what had happened.

Jessa didn't answer her question, instead crossing her arms and looking away like a sullen child.

~

"You're what?" Boober asked.

"I'm half fraggle and half shazzle," Jessa answered with about as much enthusiasm as an atheist being dragged to church. "My story is very long, but I'll tell you what I can."

They had all gathered in the girls' room. Jessa sat on her bed facing everyone else, who sat on the other side of the room. Boober couldn't help but feel betrayed. His girlfriend, a shazzle? Why had she kept this from him?! Did Jessa think he was that stupid?! The magic sword she had made sense once Jessa explained its origins.

"I thought you said you found that sword after you ran away," Gobo interjected.

"No, I stole it from the other Shazzles after they killed my parents."

"Why did you keep this from us, Jessa?" Boober asked in a hurt tone. "From me?"

"Do you know of any Fraggle that would accept something like me into their herd?"

Boober opened his mouth to say something but came up short. Jessa began the rest of her story and explained the Shazzles to them. However, she did leave out the more graphic details.

"My parents were horny idiots who decided to commit the ultimate sin and have me. And I grew up as this. A half-breed. As you would expect, that led to a lot of hate from the Shazzle's end."

"What were your parents? Wembley asked. "Which one of them was which?"

"Dad was a Fraggle, and my mom a Shazzle."

Jessa then grabbed her sword and pressed a crystal on the handle that acted as a button, and it opened up as an object levitated before landing in Jessa's hand. It was a photo of Morrigan and Lenny before they had Jessa. Lenny was black and dark purple like his daughter while Morrigan was blue. Her wings and eyes were blue because she was an Aquatic Shazzle, though she had long brown hair that was the same texture as Jessa's.

"This is them," she said solemnly.

They all looked at it before Gobo broke the silence.

"Your dad looks familiar," he said.

"How?"

"He looks like this fraggle I saw in one of Uncle Matt's journals."

Gobo then got up and left the room to retrieve said journal while Jessa glanced at Boober, who refused to look in her direction. The hurt he felt was indescribable. It hurt Jessa to see this, and she looked away.

"That hole under your bed wasn't there," Mokey pointed out.

Jessa looked under her bed.

"I created it for my sword."

"How?" Red asked, who was just as hurt as Boober about Jessa's deceit.

Instead of a verbal answer, Jessa pressed her palm on the wall. Boober glanced over to see lava form around Jessa's hand as it pressed further into the stone, leaving a molten handprint.

"You- you can melt rocks too?" Wembley asked nervously.

"There are a lot of things I'm capable of regarding element bending."

"But I thought Shazzles could only control one element," Mokey told her.

"Most of them are only granted one element at birth, but every 10 generations, an All-Element Bender exists. That's what I am."

Boober gasped.

"Shazzles can also fly," Jessa went on. "They grow their wings at 3-years-old."

Before she could explain any further, Gobo came back with a journal and sat beside Jessa.

"It was on one of these pages, Gobo said to her while flipping through to find the picture of Uncle Matt and the same purple Fraggle that was in Jessa's photo. "Here he is."

Jessa examined it, only to be shocked at how much he resembled her dad.

"No way," she thought out loud.

"Let me see your picture, Jessa."

She gave it to Gobo before he started comparing.

"How does your uncle know my dad?" She asked him.

Gobo took Matt's picture out of the journal and read the back of it.

"Matt and Lenny out exploring. Two brothers getting ready for yet another adventure."

"Brother?" Jessa asked in surprise.

"Wow, so you two are cousins," Wembley said.

"Looks that way," Gobo replied. "But how?"

"I knew it!" Red shouted. "I knew you two were related somehow."

"So let me get this straight," Boober said at last. "You're an All-Element Bending hybrid and related to Gobo and Traveling Matt?"

"I didn't know about the family part, Boober."

"You didn't answer my earlier question: why did you keep all of this a secret?"

"Because fraggles are afraid of shazzles. I was hoping this would never come to light. I was hoping I would never have to talk about this. But Red had to go and scare us shitless by drowning."

"It's not my fault those vines got caught on my ankle!"

"Did you think we were stupid, Jessa?!" Boober asked her.

"No!"

Purple flames ignited around Jessa's body, scaring Boober and the others.

"I have my reasons for not telling anyone anything!" She snarled. "Nobody else needs to know what I am. They don't know me or what I went through. I don't expect any of you to understand. My past is my own business!"

With that, Jessa snatched her sword and holster and stormed out. She passed by everyone else in the Great Hall, not even bothering to acknowledge them. She stomped to the Terrible Tunnel, which was still blocked off by the boulder. That damn blasted boulder. But Jessa found a nook that was hidden away beside said tunnel. Without a second thought, Jessa slammed her palms onto the rock, and it melted into lava, creating an opening for Jessa to get back in. Jessa didn't wait for the lava to cool before entering, as some of it dripped on her, but this wouldn't inflict any injury as Inferno and All-Element bending shazzles were immune to lava. She simply flicked it off and continued walking, but not before removing the bracelet Boober had given her and leaving it on the ground. She couldn't bear to wear it after deceiving him. She didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve him. The further Jessa went in the Terrible Tunnel, the harder she cried. At least no one could hear her. Jessa had no idea where to go at this point. She didn't want to go to her other home. It would feel too weird now that she had gotten used to the company in Fraggle Rock. So she wandered around the Terrible Tunnel, crying her heart out. Perhaps she would be better off dead. Perhaps Jessa would continue walking until her legs gave out, and not stop for any breaks. She would go ahead and die of exhaustion and a broken heart. Jessa kept walking, not bothering to draw out her sword. If something planned to kill her before exhaustion set in, she would let them. She was a worthless liar anyway. She didn't deserve anyone. 

Chapter Text

It had been almost 2 weeks since Jessa disappeared, and Boober was still brooding over it. Sure, she didn’t tell him about being half Shazzle, yet Boober found her absence even more heart-wrenching. He sighed roughly before squeezing the shirt he was scrubbing. Boober wanted to stay mad at her, but he couldn’t. Talking about it was out of the question since Jessa stayed away from Fraggle Rock.  

“Did she just not trust me?” Boober asked himself sadly while staring down at the damp shirt in his lap. “Oh, why do I care?!”  

Boober tried to not think about it, but no matter how hard he repressed his thoughts, they would always come back like a tsunami.  

“She lied to me,” Boober ranted while climbing into bed.

It was very late and everyone else was asleep. But even in the daytime, Nobody bothered to mention Jessa or even bring her up in conversation. Not after she left, probably for good. Some part of Boober couldn’t help but feel hurt that Jessa was gone. It would take a long time to get over her. But even if he did, nobody else could replace her. He grunted weakly before going to sleep. Maybe sleep would help him forget about the whole thing. But alas, Sidebottom had come to pester him.  

“Go away, Sidebottom!” Boober snarled at him.  

“Wow, you’re even grumpier than usual. Somebody stick a pole up your butt?”  

“Ha ha ha!” Boober replied sarcastically.  

“No but seriously, why the attitude?”  

Boober huffed before giving his answer.  

“Jessa is half-Shazzle and she never told me.”  

“Then how do you know?”  

“I don’t appreciate your humor!”  

Sidebottom, for once, backed away with his hands up.  

“I can’t believe she kept this from me!” Boober vented. “Jessa kept a huge part of herself a secret. Why would she not tell me?!”  

“Sounds like you’re more upset that Jessa didn’t trust you rather than you knowing what she is.”  

Boober didn’t reply, but let his words sink in.  

“You can stay mad all you want to, Boober, but I know that look on your face. You miss her despite what happened.”  

“No, I don’t.”  

But his heart felt otherwise. That was what Boober couldn’t acknowledge yet.  

“Maybe Jessa has a lot more going on in that pretty head of hers than that meets the eye,” Sidebottom added.

“How would you know? You’ve never been inside her head.”  

“Boober, I spend 95% of my time trapped in here. You don’t think I can tell when someone is struggling internally?”  

“Are you trying to tell me something or are you just talking in metaphors?”  

“That’s for you to decide. If you decide to see where Sugar Lips went off to.”  

“Who knows where she went.”  

Boober’s lips quivered slightly before he continued.  

“Why would she confide in me?”  

~

Mokey was alone in her room the next morning drawing in her notebook when Boober visited her.  

“Hi Boober,” she greeted him sympathetically, knowing his situation.  

Boober didn’t reply, instead walking over to Jessa’s now solidified handprint and pressing his hand into it. Her fingers were longer than his, though still dainty. Boober hung his head and sighed in despair, prompting Mokey to hug him.  

“Is it bad that I miss her?” Boober asked sadly.  

“No. I miss Jessa too,” Mokey admitted.  

Boober’s hand remained in Jessa’s handprint. This was the first time he heard anyone say her name since she left.  

“She hasn’t come back,” Boober said hoarsely. “I wonder if Jessa ever really cared about us at all.”  

“I'm sure she did. She cared about Red enough to sacrifice revealing herself to save her.”  

“Is Red still upset about this whole ordeal?”  

“I have no idea. I haven’t asked her about it.”  

“She betrayed us…” Boober said slowly, though it conveyed much less malice and more longing.  

A longing that Mokey picked up on.  

“Before she left, Jessa said she didn’t expect anyone to understand her. I wonder if she was referring to something in particular.”  

Boober remembered Jessa’s nightmare and what details she cared to reveal at the time.  

“Jessa had a nightmare once,” Boober told her. “And it was so bad that she ran to the entrance of the Terrible Tunnel and threw up before crying.”  

Even now, this still broke Boober. How torturous that nightmare must have been for Jessa for her to have such a strong reaction.  

“It was a nightmare about her parents getting killed. It still haunts her.”  

Mokey hummed contemplatively.  

“Then there’s the matter of her getting bullied by other Shazzles.”  

Saying these things out loud made Boober realize that Jessa was even more troubled than he thought.  

“I need some time to think about this,” he said as Mokey finally let go. “Thanks for letting me vent, Mokey.”  

“Aw, anytime Boober. Just let me know if you want to talk about it some more.”  

“I will.”  

Boober went back to his hole while Mokey stared at her yet-to-be-completed painting. She hadn’t bothered to add more to the canvas since Jessa’s departure. It was a sad sight indeed. Nevertheless, she went back to sketching in her diary.

Chapter Text

Jessa had collapsed in an unknown part of the Terrible Tunnel, unknown even to her, and sobbed. She dwelled on everything in her life. Her pain went beyond just breaking Boober’s trust and keeping her Shazzle genes a secret. Jessa was surprised that she even had the energy to cry considering how weak she had become. Her legs were incredibly sore from walking so much and all the weight she gained in Fraggle Rock had since disappeared, resulting in her becoming frail and bony again. She didn’t bother seeking nourishment anywhere because, in her mind, she didn’t deserve any food. She didn’t deserve breaks, water, or any type of luxury.

Life had never been kind to Jessa. From the moment she was born, the other Shazzles gave her grief for being half Fraggle. That grief continued until she left, but living in the Terrible Tunnel didn’t improve things. It only allowed Jessa to give in to her inner demons and become a drunk. Fraggle Rock was the only place in the world she was truly happy.

Thinking about Boober again, Jessa cried before screaming in anguish, her emotions causing the stone ground around her to melt into a large lava lake. It bubbled in fury while it grew in size. Jessa let it spread 10 feet from her before making it stop. If anyone bothered to track Jessa down, they couldn’t cross her lava lake. They couldn’t get close to her. From an aerial surveillance point of view, it looked like a target. So much hot lava around and right in the center of it all was Jessa sitting on solid ground.

Why did she agree to accompany the Fraggles in the first place the day she met them? Why didn’t she just ignore them and go on about her day? Not that it would change anything, but she certainly wouldn’t be feeling like she hit rock bottom. Now Boober was understandably angry at her for not telling him the truth. But time would go on. Boober would get over her and find someone else. Someone who wasn’t a lying brute like her. Meanwhile, Jessa would die forgotten in the middle of her self-made lava lake. This hurt her deeply as she loved Boober.

“I fucked up,” she admitted out loud, not caring if anyone heard. “My whole life is a shit show.”

She got so angry at herself that her talons appeared. Had she not been in love with Boober, a second Bloodlust would have happened. Love was the only thing preventing it.

Jessa lay down on her back, staring aimlessly up at the cave ceiling and waiting for death to come and claim her soul. If she couldn’t be happy or have any peace in this life, then perhaps death was a far better option.

~

“Boober, are you serious?!” Gobo asked him.

“Have I ever been the type to kid, Gobo?”

“No, but, you’re talking about doing something far out of your comfort zone.”

Boober had come to a decision days after his talk with Mokey: he was going to find Jessa and convince her to come back. He had told his friends his plan and they were shocked.

“I know, but I… I have to find her. It’s killing me knowing she isn’t here anymore.”

“But we don’t know where Jessa ran off to. How would you know where to find her?”

“Knowing what Jessa is capable of, that shouldn’t be too hard,” Red added.

“You don’t think she ran off to the Terrible Tunnel, did she?” Wembley wondered out loud.

Immediately after saying it, everyone got quiet and put 2 and 2 together.

“Oh no,” Boober said before crying a little.

Mokey comforted him in response.

“My girlfriend is in there,” he cried while whining his tears away.

Alongside planning to retrieve her, Boober realized he still loved Jessa more than anything. He loved how sweet she could be and how she didn’t judge him for his interests. He loved that she skipped the summer solstice after party to look after him. He got to know who she really was before knowing that she was half Shazzle. What Jessa was didn’t define her as a person, but her actions did, which have been nothing but selfless.

“If I don’t go in there and bring Jessa back, who knows if she’s still alive or not.”

“Funny how the tables have turned,” Gobo commented. “Because I remember he once made a vow to never go in there.”

“Love does make people do crazy things,” Red replied.

“Boober, if you want to go find Jessa, then I support your choice,” Mokey said to him.

“Really?” Boober asked in surprise.

“Me too,” Wembley added.

Gobo rummaged around for his pickaxe while Red cracked her knuckles.

“As long as that boulder is still blocking the Terrible Tunnel, we’ll have to mine through it.”

“Gobo, that will take forever!” Boober whined.

“What other choice do we have?”

“If only Jessa left some kind of trail.”

“Maybe she did,” Mokey added, trying to be optimistic.

“Let’s hope so,” Red interjected.

The Fraggles headed out to the boulder to start mining it. Luckily, the other Fraggles were too busy lollygagging to notice them, which provided a bit of relief for Boober.

“Boober, I never thought that one day you would actually go in there,” Wembley admitted to him.

“Under normal circumstances, I would stay as far away from the Terrible Tunnel as possible. But Jessa is in there somewhere. Hopefully still alive and not dead. I wish I had been more understanding of her problems.”

“She wouldn’t tell you what she was going through though. Or any of us.”

“That’s what I’m worried about. If she isn’t willing to talk about it, then it’s something catastrophic.”

While this discussion was happening, Gobo glanced down at the picture Jessa left behind. The fact that she was his cousin was a lot to take in. What would Uncle Matt think if he already didn’t know about Jessa? Gobo had also kept the other photo out of his uncle’s journal. No matter how many times he looked at them, the Fraggle was in fact, Jessa’s late father.

“My cousin is in that cave,” he thought out loud.

“You still have that picture?” Red asked him.

“Yeah,” Gobo replied. “I never thought that I of all people would be related to a Shazzle.”

“I thought Shazzles went extinct after the war 3 centuries ago.”

“That’s what we all thought. But Jessa said they went underground. Farther underground than us.”

“I never thanked her for saving my life.”

Gobo looked at Red, who had a look of guilt on her face.

“If Jessa does decide to come back, I’d like to learn more about my late aunt and late uncle.”

“Speaking of, how do you think your uncle Matt will respond to Jessa?”

“I’m not sure, Red. But I won’t tell him yet until Boober brings her back.”

Gobo prepared to mine the boulder while everyone stood back, trying their best to avoid his pickaxe as he swung backward. But before he could even attempt to make a dent in the boulder, Mokey got everyone’s attention.

“Hey, I found another entrance!”

Boober rushed over before anyone else did.

“She must have lava bent her way out of here.”

Boober inspected the molten archway before replying.

“That’s definitely Jessa’s work,” he confirmed.

Boober had analyzed her handprint long enough to know that it wasn’t ordinary lava work.

“I guess we’ll go in and find Jessa now,” Wembley said.

“Wembley, I don’t know how to tell you and everyone else this, but this needs to be a solo trip,” Boober told him.

“What?” Wembley asked as Mokey gasped.

“I’d rather not risk the rest of you accompanying me. This is the Terrible Tunnel we’re talking about. “

“Boober Fraggle,” Red piped up. “You mean to tell us that we came all this way not to be invited to find Jessa?!”

“That’s not what I meant, Red.”

“What Boober is trying to say is that he needs to be alone on this journey,” Mokey explained.

“And besides, Jessa may not open up if all five of us went. She needs somebody close to her to listen.”

Boober entered the Terrible Tunnel, inhaling deeply and exhaling nervously. He hated this Tunnel with a passion, but his love was in there somewhere. His mate.

“I’m not sure when I’ll come back if I ever do. But I want you guys to know that you are all great friends. Wembley, you’re the best pal any Fraggle could ask for.”

“Oh Boober,” Wembley said before sharing a bro hug with him.

“Mokey, you’re like a sister to me. And you’re a good wingwoman for helping me find the courage to ask Jessa out.”

“Boober, it was my pleasure,” Mokey replied sadly while they shared a hug.

“Red, you and I may not have much in common, but you’re still someone I value.”

Red had to look away so nobody would see her tear up, but Boober could tell it meant a lot to her. They hugged at last before he faced Gobo.

“Gobo, I promise to find your cousin and do what I can to bring her back.”

“Thanks, Boober.”

After getting these things off his chest, Boober went in and began his journey. He didn’t get very far when he realized that he had no idea exactly where Jessa went.

“This is going to be harder than I thought,” he admitted just as he spotted something on the ground in front of him.

Boober bent over to pick it up and he realized it was the Lucky Protection bracelet he gave Jessa weeks ago. But the crystals on it had absorbed her emotions and thoughts, so they turned completely different colors.

“Her bracelet.”

Boober then made a silent wish while holding it close to his heart.

“I wish I could find Jessa,” he prayed. “And I wish I knew whether or not she’s still alive.”

The bracelet ignited the same purple flames that Jessa radiated that day and flew outwards. This frightened Boober as he flinched and yelped, though the flames didn’t burn him. In fact, they didn’t feel hot at all. The flames then descended to the ground and created a trail. A trail that picked up Jessa’s tracks. Boober took comfort in having the bracelet on hand, both from superstitious belief and that it had Jessa’s scent on it. So off he went, following the purple flame trail. At least he had some sort of guidance. Had Jessa not taken it off, finding her would have been hopeless. While he followed the flames, Boober tried to think of the right words to say to Jessa. Something to bring his beloved back to Fraggle Rock.

Chapter Text

Boober wished Jessa had picked a less dangerous place to live in before Fraggle Rock. Half of his journey was spent hiding from whatever frightened him. His only solace at this point was the purple flame trail leading to where Jessa went. Inhaling deeply once again, Boober emerged from behind the rock and continued following the purple fire.

"I don't expect any of you to understand!"

Those words kept ringing in Boober's head. He may not know everything about Jessa, but it wouldn't hurt to talk with her, right?

"I hope she doesn't push me away," he hoped.

With each step Boober took, the purple flames behind him extinguished. It was at that moment he wondered if anyone or anything else could see the flames. Immediately, he began to panic.

"What if something eats Jessa before I get to her?"

Without realizing it, Boober began power walking and following that fire trail. He didn't dare call out her name out of fear that he would draw attention to himself. The last thing he needed was to be someone's dinner. On and on Boober went, hoping Jessa was nearby. But she had wandered far, worrying him even more.

"What if she's already dead?" he thought before realizing something. "But then how would I have this trail?"

Boober didn't waste any time pondering on it and kept walking. If Jessa was still alive, then there might not be much time before something did happen, and he wasn't going to let her pass on into the next world without at least making up. He didn't want Jessa to die thinking he hated her. Boober glanced at the Lucky Protection bracelet in his hands that still radiated purple flames from Jessa wearing it.

"I wonder if this absorbed her powers."

It had to be. There was no other way the bracelet would emit purple fire, much less regular fire. Aside from the bracelet, Boober had his Lucky Walking Stick and orange socks. If he was going to be in a place like this, he needed all the protection he could get. The purple flame trail kept going, and Boober followed. He needed to find Jessa soon.

~

Back in Fraggle Rock, Gobo was in his room writing a letter to Uncle Traveling Matt about Jessa, though didn't plan on sending it. At least, without her permission.

"Dear Uncle Matt,
I know it's been a while since you've last heard from me. Well, let's just say things got busy. We met this girl named Jessa, and as it turns out, she's my cousin and your niece. Her father, Lenny, along with his wife, passed away 6 years ago. Jessa has since avenged their death, but she secluded herself in the Terrible Tunnel for years to come. Anyway, we all invited her to Fraggle Rock after she killed a giant carnivorous plant that tried to eat me. Things were going well for a bit. She began a relationship with Boober and became Red and Mokey's roommate. But Jessa hid the fact that she is half Shazzle. None of us knew about it until Jessa started water-bending to save Red after she nearly drowned. Jessa told us most of her life story but ran off back to the Terrible Tunnel afterward. Now, Boober is in there trying to find her. I never thought I would be writing his name and Terrible Tunnel in the same sentence. But he's in love with Jessa. I can tell she loves Boober as well. I'm not sure whether he'll return with Jessa in tow or come back empty-handed, but I hope she does come back. I would like for the two of you to meet.
Love, your nephew, Gobo."

Gobo put his pencil down and sighed as Wembley walked in.

"How long do you think Boober will be in there?" Wembley asked his best friend.

"At least until he finds Jessa."

Both of them exchanged worried looks before Wembley noticed the letter.

"Writing to your uncle?"

"Yeah," Gobo began. "I couldn't find a graceful enough way to tell him he has a niece. It was also hard to tell him that his brother is dead."

"I'm an only child and that makes me sad hearing about it."

"That being said, I'm not sure if I want to send this to him."

"Boober and Jessa will come back, won't they?"

"Only time will tell, Wembley. And to tell you the truth, I'm worried for both of them."

"Me too."

Gobo knew that his best friend wasn't simply agreeing with him just for the sake of it. These were his own words. Wembley worried for his friends just as everyone else did.

"Imagine if your uncle and Jessa met," he wondered out loud.

"That would be quite a scenario."

"What do you think they would say to each other?"

"I have no clue."

Wembley climbed up into his bed to lounge while they chatted.

"I'm not even sure if Uncle Matt is interested in meeting her. That's why I'm afraid to send him this letter."

Gobo glanced down at the letter in his hand before speaking again.

"Maybe I'll wait and see if Jessa comes back with Boober."

Gobo then put it away in a drawer facing Wembley.

"Are you up for Peapod Zooming in the meantime?"

"Gobo, I can't skate," Wembley replied.

"I'll teach you then. Come on."

Gobo grabbed his Peapod Zoomer and headed to the Great Hall, Wembley following him out.

~

Mokey had resumed the painting she started the day Jessa arrived in Fraggle Rock a second time while Red sat on her bed and rambled.

"I still can’t wrap my head around why Jessa wouldn't tell us that she was half Shazzle."

Mokey hummed before dipping her brush into some paint.

"Red, you know how everyone has secrets they don't want to tell anyone, even those close to us?"

"Yeah?"

"Jessa was obviously ashamed to admit what she was. Maybe there was a reason for it."

"Such as?"

Mokey added color to a certain place in her painting before dipping again.

"Maybe it has to do with the fact that Shazzles and Fraggles don't like each other. Maybe Jessa was afraid we wouldn't like her."

"Boober already made that decision. I wonder if he found her yet."

"I hope he has. He loves her so much."

"Tell me about it."

"Jessa also needs to know that we like her regardless."

"Shazzle or not, she needs to get back here. Because I've come up with some cool stunts that involve her using her powers."

Mokey smiled, knowing this was her friends way of saying she accepted Jessa being half Shazzle and continued her painting.

Chapter Text

Jessa had dozed off after a bit, but her lava lake remained intact around her. She was lying on her side in a fetal position as the lava boiled on, threatening a firey death for anyone who dared to cross it. Even if Jessa had the energy, she would not open her eyes. She had no reason to. There was nothing to see beyond her self-made lava lake, the only light source in the Terrible Tunnel's darkness. Jessa remained asleep until she felt a tug at her side. But it wasn't from a physical being. It was a tug from a source of magic. Shazzle magic, to be exact. Alert suddenly giving her enough energy, Jessa opened her eyes, sat up, and looked in the direction from which the tug came. But there was nothing. Jessa growled before lying back down to resume her rest. But the tugging started again minutes later, forcing her to sit up and see what or who was causing it. To her surprise, purple flames came racing toward her before stopping a full inch away from the lava lake.

"Either I'm tripping on something awful, or someone is stupid enough to come looking for me," she said quietly.

"You're not tripping, Jessa."

Jessa stifled a gasp as Boober appeared on the other side of the lake of lava, though he was smart enough to keep a good distance from it.

"What are you doing here?"

"Why else would I be here? I came to find you."

"Why?"

Her tone had that same sharpness as it did the day they first met. Defense, Boober realized it was. She didn't speak that way to be mean but to protect herself.

"If you came all this way to end things with me, just say it and be on your way," Jessa told him after he took too long to answer.

"No. That's not why I found you. And before you assume anything, please... Jessa. Just listen to what I have to say."

"Fine."

Even from where he stood, Boober could tell that Jessa had lost far too much weight. Seeing this broke his heart.

"I thought the truth about you would hurt the most, but it doesn't. What hurts is knowing that you were suffering this whole time and weren't able to vent to anyone about it. Because you swore yourself to secrecy about being half Shazzle."

"I had no choice."

"If you had a choice, would you have told me?"

"It's not that simple, Boober. Being what I am means I don't belong anywhere but here in this blasted tunnel. Shazzles don't respect me, and Fraggles fear me. I can never have a moment of solace."

"I'm not afraid of you, Jessa."

Jessa wasn't sure if she heard him correctly as she gave him a blank stare.

"I'm not afraid of you," Boober reiterated. "I'm afraid of losing you."

Jessa looked away so he couldn't see her tears.

"I'm that important to you?" She asked, the sharpness in her voice now absent.

"Very."

Jessa's lips quivered, but she kept her sobs at bay long enough to look neutral before facing Boober.

"Is there any way you can make this lava go away so I can come closer?" He asked.

Jessa seemed to ponder for a moment before extending her hand. Boober watched as her eyes glowed red, and a bundle of lava rose to form a bridge. It kept rising until it was a safe height from the lava below. Jessa's eyes then changed to blue, and water flowed along the bridge to quickly solidify it and cool it off.

"This is your best bet," she answered him.

Boober waited a minute before approaching the solidified lava bridge, surprised by how it didn't scald his feet. He crossed it slowly, taking in the lava that still boiled under him. He felt nervous that one of the bubbles would grow to be an enormous size and pop, its impact radius affecting him. It didn't happen though, much to his relief as he made it to the other side and took a seat next to Jessa, the solidified bridge melting back into lava once Boober was safely away from it.

"When was the last time you ate?" Boober asked, noting Jessa's weight loss.

"As if it matters."

"It matters to me. You can't be wasting away in here. You'll die of starvation."

Boober took her hands before continuing, Jessa reciprocating the gesture.

"Come back to Fraggle Rock with me, and I'll cook something for you."

Jessa found it hard to maintain a neutral expression as he caressed the backs of her hands with his thumbs. That and the sweet longing in his voice made it difficult. She hung her head down to prevent Boober from seeing the hot tears forming in her eyes, biting her lip so hard her teeth almost pierced the flesh. Boober placed his hand on Jessa's cheek and angled her head up.

"I don't know how you're still alive at this point."

"Shazzles can withstand harsh conditions."

Jessa broke eye contact while saying this, and Boober gave her a peck on the cheek.

"How can you still love me?" She dared to ask.

Boober pulled Jessa in for a hug before answering.

"I don't care what you are," he began while rubbing her back. "I care about how you're doing. And I care about you being in my life."

Boober tightened his hug, and Jessa couldn't control the tears as they slid down her face.

"I love you, Jessa."

Something tightened in her chest, and she began sobbing. Boober held Jessa while she cried, not saying a word. The lava around them had yet to calm down and solidify, but nobody's attention was on it at the moment. Jessa was too busy crying, and Boober was too busy comforting her.

"I never wanted to lie to you, Boober," Jessa admitted after she had time to calm down. "Or keep any secrets from you. If this wasn't such a big deal, I would've been upfront with you and everyone else."

Boober didn't reply, expecting Jessa to let everything out at her own pace.

"Remember that day at Sweet Water Lake when I told you about getting called names so many times that you started to believe it?"

"Yeah?"

"That was my experience with the Shazzles. Day in and day out, I would get called all kinds of names. The abuse was also physical. That tsundere berry juice I use is to cover up the scars from fights I've had with them. If I can't be anything other than an ill-tempered half-breed, then that's what I decided to be when my folks died. I began acting like everything they said I was. I couldn't bring myself to care about the well-being of others who wandered the Terrible Tunnel because I was still raging from years of abuse. That anger is still here, and no matter how much time passes, I will never forgive a single Shazzle for what they did. They deserve to rot in the fiery underworld."

Boober couldn't help but feel a rage building up inside of him. Not at Jessa, but at the rest of the Shazzles. If he had the powers that his girlfriend possessed, he would wipe them all out with one swipe. Boober was not a violent person by nature, but when something or someone he loved dearly was being threatened, it didn't take much to piss him off.

"Is all of this why you've been so tight-lipped?"

Jessa hummed in response, still clutching Boober.

"I'm sorry for not telling you any of this."

Boober stared down at the bracelet in his hand, which had since extinguished and become dormant once again. The purple flame trail no longer existed, which Boober thought was a good thing because he didn't want anything to spot the two of them and kill them.

"That bracelet I gave you helped me find you."

"What?"

"It absorbed your thoughts and feelings the whole time you wore it. I don't know how I did it, but a trail of purple fire led me here."

Jessa withdrew from Boober before explaining.

"That's another part of Shazzle lore," she began. "You made a wish from deep within your soul to find me. That's how you were able to find me."

"I did say my wish out loud," Boober admitted while placing the bracelet back on Jessa's wrist. "This looks very good on you."

Jessa blushed, especially when Boober wouldn't let go of her hand. Oh, how she missed him!

"I want you to know that I love you," Boober told her earnestly.

Jessa's eyes sparkled, causing Boober to blush. Her silver irises would pierce through anyone if she glared at them hard enough. Strangely enough, he found them pretty. Pretty and hard to turn away from.

"I love you too, Boober."

Slowly but surely, Jessa and Boober embraced each other and shared a long, passionate kiss. During said kiss, the lava around them began to solidify back into rock. The air around them got cooler, and soon enough, it was pitch black. It wasn't until the kiss ended that Boober noticed the change.

"Is it just me, or did it get cold and dark?"

"Just take it as a sign that I've calmed down."

Boober, not liking that he couldn't see Jessa, clung to her like a stubborn apple on a tree.

"Can we get out of here now?" He begged.

"Yeah, we've been here long enough."

Jessa then teleported both of them elsewhere. Boober was surprised that she did this and confused that she didn't just teleport back to Fraggle Rock.

"Jessa, this isn't Fraggle Rock," he said to her.

"No," she admitted. "I wanted to show you something first."

"What is it?"

"This is where I've lived for the past 6 years before coming to Fraggle Rock."

Boober glanced ahead to see an old ramshackle tent in disrepair.

"Jessa," he began sadly. "I know you told us your living situation wasn't peaches and cream, but I didn't know it was this bad."

Jessa watched him daintily pick up the ripped-up tarp as he continued.

"You have no clean clothes, no running water, no soap, no stove to cook your meals on. How do you live like this?"

"There's something else you don't know, Boober."

Boober turned to Jessa, awaiting her explanation.

"This tent you see right here. It's a decoy."

"A decoy?"

Jessa took his hand before extending her free one outward to press against her shield.

"My real home is in here."

Boober and Jessa faded into the shielded home and out of the Terrible Tunnel. Boober was admittedly terrified until he saw the atmosphere beyond where they were previously. There was a dojo, a non-polluted river, one lone Sakura tree next to the said dojo, and a voluminous mountain miles from the property, which was surrounded by a luscious forest. The place was lovely! Dare he say it rivaled the gorg's garden.

"What is this place?" Boober asked in wonder.

"Something I created years ago when I first came here. It's a manifestation of my happy place."

"Let me guess, another Shazzle ability," he inquired while catching a cherry blossom petal that was flowing in the breeze.

"Yeah, but it's very uncommon for Shazzles to do this. Only the most ridiculed outcasts are capable of pulling it off."

Boober dropped the petal and began to wander around and check everything out, much to Jessa’s amusement.

"So this is where you've been living all this time?"

"It does explain why I don't look and smell like a hobo."

"It explains a lot," Boober replied to her before returning to Jessa and holding her hand. "Care to give me a tour of your house?"

Jessa smiled sweetly in response before leading Boober to her dojo.

Chapter Text

Jessa gathered a clean outfit and soap while Boober prepared to cook something to feed her.

“How many people have you invited in here before me?” Boober asked her out of curiosity.

“None,” she replied.” You're the first.”

Something like pride shot through him, but he didn't let it show.

“This is the first time I've invited anyone into my home. My shield is invisible so nobody else knows it's there. Unless someone gains my trust, they're unable to see and touch it.”

“Is that why you showed me this place?”

Jessa looked away before replying.

“Yeah,” she said sheepishly. “Very few people, if any, have told me they don't care about me being a hybrid. It means something.”

Before Jessa could continue outside, Boober approached her and held her hand.

“It means a lot that you trust me, Jessa.”

Jessa shot him a surprised glance before smiling, to which Boober returned with his tail wagging. Jessa chuckled.

“I forgot how much I miss that wagging tail,” she admitted.

Boober blushed but didn't say anything.

“I hope this isn't too personal a question, but what makes your baloobius glow?”

Boober glanced at his baloobius, which glowed for the first time in weeks. It dimmed the day Jessa left Fraggle Rock and when Boober got over his anger at Jessa's deceit, he became sad that she wouldn't return. The light in his baloobius remained dim and dormant. But now, it was glowing brightly.

“It glows when I feel happy about something, which for me, is strange.”

“What makes you happy?”

“Clean laundry, people enjoying the food I make…”

Boober got closer to Jessa and wrapped his arms around her as he listed off the things he enjoyed, to which she blushed.

“And you,” he said sweetly before kissing her.

Jessa's tail wagged while she returned Boober's kiss. He squeezed her upon feeling her fingers in his hair. Eventually, they pulled away and grinned at each other.

“I love you,” they both said at the same time.

Jessa giggled knowingly before heading outside.

“I'll be in the river washing off. Feel free to make yourself at home.”

Boober watched her leave before continuing his meal prep. He normally wouldn't have tampered in other people’s kitchens, but Boober couldn't stand seeing Jessa so thin to the point of wasting away. She needed some food. Oddly enough, she didn't seem to mind that he was using whatever he could find to make a decent meal. Jessa's kitchen wasn't like his at home. While it was bigger and open concept, she lacked a few ingredients and utensils that Boober had in full stock. Beyond the kitchen area, Jessa’s dojo was very bare aside from functional furniture. She didn't seem to own that much stuff in particular. But Boober understood why given what her sword was capable of. Why should she have so many items when the Holy Shazzlin Sword can turn into whatever she needs? Her place was minimalistic compared to his hole in Fraggle Rock, with his hoard of good luck charms, books, and whatnot. As attached to his stuff as he was, Boober hated that he couldn't sort his belongings out and organize them.

Jessa's POV:

I'm not sure why Boober immediately went into cooking mode the minute we both walked into my dojo, but I let him. Mostly because I was starving! I haven't eaten in so long that my head hurts and I feel sluggish. Hopefully, Boober would be too distracted with his cooking to see me strip off my clothes through the window. I then grumbled to myself, realizing how stupid it is to be so prudish of my body when I have fur covering my sensitive areas. Why do I think like this?! I let my hair down before stepping outside to bathe in the river, to which I noticed Boober blushing while his tail wagged. I sighed lovingly. He's so cute when he's all flustered! Maybe I can tease him after I'm clean.

I stuck my foot in the water, only to hiss in response to how cold it was. No matter, I'm half Shazzle after all. I can warm the water by using my powers. I adjusted the temperature to my liking before dipping in, the warmth welcoming me like a sherpa coat in cold weather. I groaned loudly, not caring if Boober could somehow hear me through the walls of my dojo. Before I could allow myself to relax, I began washing my hair and scrubbing my body. Once I was sure every inch of me was clean, I finally took my sweet time soaking in the warm soapy water.

Boober's POV:

I was in the middle of dicing onions when I noticed Jessa in my peripheral vision through the window. More specifically, I noticed how she looked without her clothes covering her body. This isn't a big deal for Fraggles considering our torso fur, but seeing Jessa in the nude was definitely a shock. Not in a bad way though. She looked hot. She had a nice hourglass build to her that perfectly fit the shape of her fur. I tried not to gawk at Jessa while I tried to put together a casserole, but it proved to be about as easy as convincing Wembley to decide on something. My tail began wagging again and my face turned hot from all the blushing.

“My god, she looks beautiful,” I whispered.

It also didn't help that her hair was flowing in the wind—that long gorgeous black hair. I could feel my heart racing as I set my knife down and put my hand over my chest. I must look like the biggest idiot right now staring at her. My mouth formed into a grin while I watched her. I forgot what I was doing beforehand, only to remember once I saw how skinny her limbs looked. I went back to cooking my casserole. Good thing Jessa isn't a picky eater. Though she probably couldn't afford to be given how far away she lives from the gorg’s garden. No direct access to radishes. Man, that would be terrible! No fraggle that I know of has ever lived on a diet without radishes.

I then opened the fridge to get something, only to be greeted by many large bottles of expensive alcohol. Some of them looked like they had never been opened, while others were half empty. Jessa had told me she drinks, but I didn't think it was this much. Why had she hidden this from me too? I took one bottle from the fridge and looked at it, wondering how much alcohol Jessa normally consumes. Panic struck me the moment I realized that she was an alcoholic. Given what she has revealed to me about her childhood so far, I can't say that I'm surprised. But still, Jessa has to know that alcohol is bad for her health. I then got scared at the possible state of her liver and kidneys.

My thoughts were interrupted by Jessa returning from her bath, donning her clean outfit, which was a pair of jean shorts and a mint green shirt.

End of Jessa's and Boober’s POV

“I guess you found my booze stash,” Jessa said in embarrassment.

“Why do you have so many?” Boober couldn't help but ask.

Jessa didn't reply, instead opting to look away. Boober sat the bottle he was holding back down in the fridge and closed the door.

“So this is how you spend your time? Skipping meals and drowning yourself in alcohol?”

“It's all I've got.”

“You know booze isn't good for your health and it doesn't taste good from what I've heard.”

“That's not why I have it. Granted, I did spend a good portion of the crystals I found in Crystal Caverns on this stuff. But I don't drink for the taste. I drink to forget.”

Boober didn't even have to ask to know what Jessa meant.

“All that booze you found helps me forget how shitty my life has been. For a few hours, I can not be so angry and bitter. I can be… blissfully ignorant. Nothing bothers me when I'm drunk. I let my senses go to crap from ingesting alcohol and everything's fine. Until I sober up.”

Boober looked down to the ground to let her words sink in. By the time he came up with a reply, Jessa had stepped out to the porch. She stood there glaring at the sun, which had started to set. Why couldn't she have created a wine cellar for her drinks when she made this home? While she was dwelling on this issue, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist.

“I know you have a lot of tragedies in your life,” Boober began softly while caressing her. “And I didn't mean to get upset about the alcohol. I'm just worried about what it's doing to your health.”

“It hasn't killed me yet.”

“Would you be willing to stop before it does?”

“It's not that easy.”

Boober held Jessa’s hand before she continued.

“Alcohol isn't the same as any other beverage where you drink to quench your thirst. It's a coping mechanism.”

Boober offered a kiss on her neck as a form of response. The smell of her shampoo made him smile, and Jessa blushed at the kiss.

“If you ever think about quitting,” Boober began sweetly while intertwining his fingers with Jessa's. “Let me know. I want to help you recover.”

Jessa hadn't expected to tear up, but she did. Boober saw a tear run down her cheek, prompting him to comfort her. It was at that moment Jessa realized why she fell in love with Boober. He was sweet, caring, and willing to help her with her drinking. On top of that, he was intelligent. Jessa kissed Boober's cheek, making him blush.

“I don’t deserve someone like you,” she admitted.

“I beg to differ, Jessa.”

Boober leaned in and passionately kissed her.

“I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Boober.”

They shared a kiss before heading back inside.

“I need to finish dinner so you can have something to eat. The last thing I want is for you to die of starvation.”

Jessa chuckled.

“Want to hear what my personal best is for how long I survived without food?”

Chapter Text

Jessa and Boober were on her bed after they both ate his casserole. Now here they were, talking and cuddling each other. Jessa was on Boober's lap while he held her.

"My casserole would've tasted much better if I had more ingredients on hand," he said while caressing her back.

"It's still a very far cry from what I've had to hunt and kill the past 6 years."

Boober knew this was a compliment, and he blushed, especially when Jessa kissed his cheek. They sat there in complete silence for a moment before Jessa remembered something and got up.

"Where are you going?" Boober asked her.

Jessa began digging around until she found a small chest and morphed her sword into a key to unlock it. Inside was the heart-shaped rose quartz she found that one time in Crystal Caverns. Boober gasped upon seeing it as Jessa showed it to him.

"Jessa, that's a honey!"

"This is the heart-shaped rose quartz I told you about at Sweet Water Lake."

Jessa sat the chest down on the bed and let Boober look at it, and seeing him admire it made her smile.

"When did you find this?"

"Two years ago, but I haven't touched it since then. Until now."

Boober held it in his hands and kept looking at it until Jessa clasped her hands on top of his, prompting him to look at her.

"Very pretty, isn't it," Jessa murmured while gazing at him.

"Yeah," Boober replied sweetly.

While they gazed at one another, the rose quartz began radiating a white light, taking both of them by surprise.

"What's happening?!" Boober asked, dropping the crystal onto the bed and hugging his girlfriend.

Jessa watched her rose quartz glow as pink and red hearts began to float from it and surround them.

"Jessa?"

"I know about crystals and what they do, but I have yet to experience anything like this."

Soon enough, the whole dojo was covered in the rose quartz energy. Everything was red, and the hearts still floated everywhere. Boober looked at Jessa, only to kiss her instead. Jessa did the same with Boober until they began making out. Good thing they were alone. Despite their passion, they were still aware of what was happening. It wasn't long until Boober and Jessa were both nude and intimate.

~

The rose quartz had settled down and become dormant once again while Boober and Jessa lay down, still on a high from what they had just done. She was lying on top of him while he held her and stroked her hair.

"That was..." he began but was too lovestruck to think of an adjective to describe the experience.

"Wonderful," Jessa answered for him, about as lovestruck as her boyfriend.

"Yeah. Absolutely wonderful."

They both cuddled each other and enjoyed the moment. Boober remained lovestruck until a thought popped into his head.

"Jessa, it just now occurred to me that I might be a father."

"Because we had sex?"

"Yeah, that's what happens when-"

"I can self-abort, Boober."

"Excuse me?"

"Female shazzles can terminate pregnancies without surgical interference."

It took Boober a minute to process what she just told him.

"How is that even possible?"

"Shazzles have a wide range of abilities, including things regarding their anatomy. The males who wish not to impregnate anyone can self-vasectomize."

"Do you want kids, Jessa?"

"No, being a mom isn't my calling. Also, I'd rather not put any future generations through all the crap I've endured growing up. No child deserves that."

Boober stayed silent for a moment. While he entertained the idea of being a dad at one point in his life, he decided against it after realizing how loud and messy children can be. This was another reason Boober and Mokey ended things with each other long ago. She wanted kids, and he didn't. At least with Jessa, this wouldn't be an issue.

"And besides," Jessa continued. "I like how things are now. Just you and me."

"Me too," Boober admitted sweetly while smiling.

Due to the elevated mood Jessa was in, it began to rain pastel glitter outside. Boober noticed it in the reflection of Jessa's mirror that hung on the wall in front of them.

"Why is it so glittery outside?" Boober asked.

Jessa raised from his chest to glance out the window.

"For once, I don't have an answer."

Before Boober could inquire any further, Jessa slowly got up to investigate. Boober followed her, his arm wrapped around her waist.

"It's pretty," she observed before extending her hand.

"Jessa, no," Boober warned. "What if it's dangerous?"

He watched nervously while she walked out in the glitter rain, but Jessa was unharmed. In fact, she seemed to enjoy it. Seeing the light in her eyes made Boober smile.

"It's safe, Boober," Jessa told him. "It's not the type of glitter that clings to you."

Boober stood there for a minute before edging outside. Jessa watched him, grinning sweetly as Boober tried not to let the glitter rain bother him. He reached Jessa and held her hands.

"I'm always afraid of everything," he admitted sheepishly. "But when you're in the equation, Jessa, I find myself stepping outside of my comfort zone."

"Oh?"

"During the solstice, I was afraid that you would end up dating some other fraggle. I was afraid that I would embarrass myself in front of you and you wouldn't want to date me. I was going to let you be happy with someone else if you chose, even if it would kill me. But then Wembley showed up and-"

"Wembley?"

"Yeah. He came to my hole and told me that you wanted to dance with me. You have no idea how elated I was to hear that."

Jessa smiled after that sentence.

"I came out of my hole to find you, but then that thing happened."

Boober didn't dare go into detail about Marlon in case it killed the mood or upset Jessa.

"It made me so angry what was happening to you. Then, when you left Fraggle Rock, I couldn't stand the thought of you in such a scary place. You may be powerful, but it doesn't mean I don't worry about you. Not to mention you were going through so much. I guess what I'm trying to say, Jessa... I love you. I love you to the point of going all this way in the Terrible Tunnel just to tell you how much I care."

Jessa leaned in to kiss Boober, to which he immediately returned.

"Boober, you're clearly a lot braver than you realize," Jessa murmured into his ear, making him blush and his tail wag.

Jessa giggled at his reaction before stealing another kiss. Boober could feel his knees buckling in response as he grinned like a dork.

"I love you, Boober," she declared sweetly before he picked her up and carried her bridal style back into her dojo.

Boober hadn't realized what he'd done until Jessa was lying on her bed, laughing happily. But he crawled in next to her and spooned her, to which Jessa gazed at him.

"Jessa, has anyone ever told you that your eyes are two silver honeys?"

Jessa blushed before replying.

"No, you're the first."

Boober smiled, his baloobius glowing and his tail wagging.

"Speaking of which, I've always wondered what yours look like."

Boober flinched and stopped smiling.

"M-my eyes?" He asked nervously.

Jessa raised her eyebrow in reply.

"You're not really missing much, Jessa," Boober tried to tell her. "My eyes are nothing of importance. They're just regular fraggle eyes."

Jessa didn't buy his claim as he sounded very nervous.

"I won't tell anyone about your eyes if that's what you're worried about."

Boober groaned shyly, but Jessa sat up and leaned in.

"Can I?" She asked sweetly while holding her hand up to move Boober's hair out of his face.

But Jessa would go no further until he permitted her to. Boober sighed.

"Go ahead."

He didn't sound too sure, but Jessa went in anyway. She parted his bangs and saw his eyes, which looked like normal fraggle eyes, but there was a difference. Boober's eyes carried years of anxiety and depression, while the eyes of other fraggles contained joy and happiness. Despite this contrast, Jessa blushed and smiled. She found his eyes alluring.

"I'm sorry if my eyes are offensive to you," Boober apologized self-consciously.

"Boober, the only thing you should be apologizing for is hiding such handsome eyes from me."

"What?"

Boober became so flustered that his tail wagged furiously.

"Whatever your reason is for hiding them, you should know that I think they're cute."

Jessa said this in such a seductive way, making Boober grin and blush even harder than he already was.

"Gosh, Jessa... I..." he stuttered, unable to express how much he appreciated the compliment.

Jessa saw the flattery in his eyes as he looked away shyly, making her heart race. Boober didn't get a chance to finish when Jessa kissed him. Boober melted and returned the kiss, Jessa letting his bangs drop in front of his eyes again.

"You make it so easy to fluster you, Boober."

He responded with a hug, to which Jessa chuckled. Boober began leaving kisses on her neck, taking her by surprise. By the time he finished, Jessa was very flustered, her tail wagging and her cheeks pink from blushing.

"Apparently, you're easy to fluster too," Boober murmured into Jessa's ear before smooching her cheek. "I love you so much, Sugar Lips."

"I love you too," Jessa replied without realizing it.

Boober ceased his kissing but still held his girlfriend and rubbed her shoulder. It was quiet now, and neither of them wanted to break this romantic silence.

~

They had both fallen asleep at some point, but Boober woke up before Jessa did. He glanced at her before moving a strand of her hair away from her face.

"She's so beautiful," he whispered to himself before stealing a kiss.

Jessa made a small noise and smiled but didn't wake up. Boober sighed lovingly before getting up. He didn't have much to do except wash Jessa's outfit.

"I wonder where she keeps her wash tub," Boober wondered while quietly rummaging through her dojo. "And her washboard."

Boober kept looking around until he found both items, along with some laundry soap. He tried to be as quiet as possible so he wouldn't wake Jessa. Boober stole another glance at his sleeping beauty and smiled, his baloobius glowing as he walked outside. It was nighttime at this point, and Boober feared that a predator would emerge from the forest, sneak up behind him, and eat him.

"I hope nothing swallows me up while I'm out here."

The glitter rain had stopped hours ago, and what remained of it disappeared as if it never happened. Boober filled the washtub with some water from the river, loaded the soap, and got started. As he scrubbed Jessa's top, Boober glanced up at the sky from time to time, admiring the stars and waxing gibbous moon. If he were being honest, this place was pretty. He didn't know the full extent of how this place came to be other than Jessa telling him she created it. Maybe he could ask her later when she woke up. If Jessa wanted to open up about it, that is. Boober sighed, ringing the sudsy water from her shirt before slinging it against the rocks, removing any excess moisture so he could hang it up. After placing her wet shirt onto the porch railing to dry, Boober got started on her pants.

"At least Jessa will have a clean outfit," he muttered to himself before getting started by a distant owl hooting.

Boober's heart raced out of fear, but he carried on washing Jessa's pants, determined not to leave a single odor behind on the fabric. Once all was said and done, Boober emptied the wash tub somewhere and headed back into the dojo. He took the clean wet clothes with him, of course, and hung them elsewhere indoors. Boober smiled pridefully at his work before yawning and crawling back into bed, spooning Jessa and kissing her cheek. She had remained asleep the entire time, and Boober stroked her hair before falling asleep.

Chapter Text

Jessa and Boober were relaxing under the Sakura tree the next day, enjoying each other's company. Earlier, she had asked him if he was ready to return to Fraggle Rock, but Boober insisted on staying at the dojo for a little longer.

"I didn't know you would like this place so much," Jessa said sweetly while they cuddled under the Sakura tree.

"How could I not? It's so peaceful here, not to mention romantic."

The last part he said quietly, but Jessa heard him and grinned. Boober played with her hair while she occasionally kissed his neck.

"Did you enjoy your flight this morning?" Boober asked while massaging her scalp.

"Sure did. I haven't flown since the last time I was in the gorg's garden."

"You've flown out there where the gorgs are?"

There was worry in Boober's voice, and Jessa looked up at him.

"None of them have spotted me so far."

Boober tightened his hold on Jessa in response.

"Good thing you can turn invisible," he told her.

Jessa hadn't planned to discuss her powers with Boober until he asked about them, which surprisingly didn't take long. She figured that he would wait a couple of years or so to have this chat, but he seemed curious.

"What else can Shazzles do?"

"You've witnessed the teleporting. It's a huge time saver."

"How many places have you teleported to?"

"Too many to count. But there are rules in place for teleportation."

Boober glanced at her curiously.

"First, never teleport to a place you've never been to physically. Because teleportation is based on memory, and if you attempt to teleport to said location, you never arrive there. You get stuck in the teleportation dimension."

Boober gasped but didn't stop Jessa from info dumping.

"Rule number 2: if you wish to take someone with you when teleporting, make sure you're in physical contact with them so they won't be left behind. Rule 3: never teleport to a spot that you can easily walk to because it's considered lazy and a waste of power."

"And flying?"

"I don't think I told you about the growth of Shazzle wings. It's a very painful process, similar to babies teething."

Boober stole a glance at Jessa's backside, though she long tucked her wings out of sight.

"Shazzles began sprouting them at age 3, but mine didn't come until I was 7. That was the worst month of my life."

"It takes a month for Shazzle wings to develop?"

"Yes. And winging Shazzles are given anesthesia to alleviate the pain. But since mine came much later, I was refused medical treatment."

"What? Why?!"

"It had something to do with me not being fully a Shazzle myself. Mom broke into the medical facility and stole the anesthesia. It helped, but it just showed me how racist and close-minded Shazzles are."

"Does it still hurt?"

"No. Once the wings are developed, you don't feel anything. Then we're taught how to fly."

"How did that go?"

"Putting flight into practice is a huge workout, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes a breeze."

Boober buried his face in Jessa's hair while rubbing her back.

"That was much easier than developing the wings."

"I bet."

Jessa giggled at his muffled voice, finding it cute.

"Shazzles have rules for flying too. We're forbidden to fly in the wintertime because the cold air causes frostbite on our wings. They're very sensitive. We also can't fly when there's lightning in the sky, though I've broken that rule once already."

"Why?"

"I was bored."

"Jessa!"

"Did you know that there's a gorg village 3 miles from the castle?"

"...No. I never go out there unless I have to."

"That day I flew in the storm was when I was flying back from the gorg village. It wasn't storming when I went there."

"Are you crazy? One; the gorgs could have spotted you and killed you. And two; you could've gotten struck by lightning."

"But I survived, didn't I?"

"That's not the point, Jessa. The point is that you should be more careful. I don't want to wake up one day and find you in the afterlife."

Boober's tone softened with each word, and Jessa blushed.

"When I came into the Terrible Tunnel to find you after you ran away, I was expecting to get eaten immediately after entering. And I wasn't expecting you to be alive."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Jessa grumbled while crossing her arms.

"But I survived, and I found you. That was my blessing."

"Oh."

"In a different universe, I wouldn't have been so lucky. I don't even want to imagine the downward spiral I would go through afterward."

Jessa leaned in to kiss his cheek before smiling at him.

"You're not taking me seriously, my dear."

"Boober, you're getting too anxious. All these what-if scenarios are-"

"Is it so bad that I don't want you to get hurt and die?!"

Jessa looked away, but Boober put his hand on her cheek.

"As your boyfriend, I have every right to worry about your well-being."

He said this so sweetly that Jessa's heart raced. Before she knew it, she kissed his cheek. Boober couldn't help but giggle while his tail wagged.

"Just don't let it take over your life, okay Boober?"

"I can't make any promises there."

"Worrywart," Jessa teased while snuggling closer.

Boober only hugged his lady in response.

"I love you," he murmured lowly, making Jessa blush.

She then smiled and hugged Boober back.

"Is it bad that I don't want to leave this place?" Boober asked after several minutes of silence.

"No," Jessa replied. "When I created it, I meant for it to be a place of solace."

"It's beautiful."

Jessa grinned at Boober before kissing him.

"Boober?"

"Yes, Jessa?"

"Don't tell anyone else about this place."

~

"Boober and Jessa are trapped in there," Wembley told his friends. "We need to go after them."

The four fraggles began their journey in the Terrible Tunnel to find their friends.

"I wonder how far they went," Gobo wondered out loud.

"Not too far, I hope," Wembley said to his best friend.

"Jessa must have been crazy if she thought she could live here in the first place," Red interjected.

They continued on their way to find their friends, wondering if Boober had found Jessa and whether or not she had decided to return to Fraggle Rock. These were things that wouldn't be answered until they saw both of them. Two hours passed before Boober and Jessa were reunited with the other fraggles. While Boober was happy to see them, Jessa remained at a distance, weary of them given what happened the last time she saw them.

"How did you find us?" Boober asked.

"It wasn't easy, but we did," Red told him.

Jessa didn't speak and watched Boober chat with his friends. Seeing him happy made her smile.

"Jessa," Mokey began as the raven-haired hybrid turned to her. "Are you... feeling alright?"

"Yeah," she lied.

The truth was, though, Jessa wasn't sure how to feel at this moment. Sure, she was happy to see everyone, but were they happy to see her?

"Listen," Jessa began. "I didn't mean for you to find out about any of this. None of you were supposed to know what I am."

"It's okay, Jessa. We forgive you."

Jessa shot Mokey a surprised look, not expecting such kindness.

"You do?"

"Of course we do," Red chimed in. "What kind of people would we be if we didn't?"

"Shazzles."

Boober and Gobo were having a chat while Jessa chatted with the girls.

"I'm proud of you, Boober," Gobo admitted. "You went in here and found Jessa. I remember years ago you made a vow never to set foot in here."

"I still hate this tunnel, but I couldn't let Jessa be alone in here."

"You did the right thing."

"You sure did," Wembley added.

Boober stole a glance at his girlfriend before smiling. He felt some type of fulfillment in his heart, knowing what he did for Jessa.

"I wouldn't be here today if you hadn't used your powers," Red admitted. "And you didn't give me the chance to thank you."

Jessa stared at the ground, not saying anything.

"Yes, you saved her life," Mokey added.

"I don't exist to play the hero, but you're a group of people who don't make me feel worthless. You're all worth protecting."

Jessa struggled to admit that she cared about them, but they got the hint and hugged her. The boys soon joined the hug, and Jessa smiled. Before any of them could say anything else, something roared in the distance.

"What was that?" Boober asked fearfully.

"It's our cue to leave," Jessa answered. "And we better be fast."

The fraggles power walked back to Fraggle Rock, but whatever made its presence known snuck up behind them and grabbed Wembley. He screamed, alerting everyone else.

"Wembley!" Boober shouted.

Jessa was already ahead of the monster when it stopped in its tracks upon seeing her.

"How did she get there without us seeing her?" Red asked, to which Boober explained her ability to teleport.

"Jessa, help," Wembley pleaded, unable to free himself of the beast's tentacle.

She didn't reply, instead raising her fist as flames ignited around it, her eyes glowing red, and she punched it in the nose so hard it yelped. The others winced before Wembley was dropped on the ground. Jessa smirked, knowing said monster would be too distracted from the pain to notice them running away.

"What was that you said about not being a hero?" Wembley asked.

"Just go," Jessa instructed him. "This is going to get violent, and I don't need you guys in the middle of this gore fest."

The monster roared again in fury, but Jessa drew her sword and slashed his chest.

"Jessa, no!" Boober shouted though he had enough sense not to step any closer between her and the beast.

"Guys, don't just stand there. Get going back to Fraggle Rock. I'll catch up eventually."

"No, absolutely not," Boober objected. "You're coming with us, Jessa. I'm not letting that thing hurt you."

"If I don't kill it, then it will follow us back. Then we'll have a repeat of the Bloodwraithe incident."

Boober wanted to say something to make Jessa reconsider her choice to take on something so dangerous, but before he had a chance to Mokey screamed while narrowly avoiding being grabbed.

"Run. Now."

Without another word, the five fraggles began running towards their home. Jessa's talons came into view, and she wasted no time clawing this beast.

BOOBER’S POV:

I heard Jessa yelling while my friends and I made a run for it, but the farther I ran, the more worried I became. That thing was going to kill her, and what am I doing?! After hearing what sounded like a limb being torn off, I stopped in my tracks and glanced back. Considering the size of that hideous monster, I expected Jessa to be injured, but imagine my relief when I saw that she still had her arms and legs. The monster, however, wasn't so lucky. It took me half a second to realize I was standing out in the open, so I hid behind a nearby stalactite. I couldn't watch my lady get injured, but even with my eyes covered, I could hear the screaming, the roaring, and the bones crunching. I prayed to my lucky charms that Jessa wouldn't be reckless enough to get injured like she did with the Bloodwraithes. All that terrifying noise carried on for a bit until I heard nothing. I was afraid to peek at first, but I had to know if Jessa was still alive. To my relief, she was, but she just stood there, seemingly admiring the now-impaled monster against the cave wall.

"Jessa?"

She took her time to respond, but I walked closer to her before she opened her mouth.

"It's dead."

Jessa then spread out her wings and flew up to retrieve her sword, which had grown in size to accommodate her battle. As soon as she wedged it out of the corpse, her sword shrunk to its original size as she flew down and water bent. I wasn't sure what she was going to do with it until she submerged herself inside a water cocoon, cleaning all the blood off. While it did make Jessa appear clean, I was still skeptical about how sanitary she was since she didn't have any soap on her.

"I still have that soap you used the first time you came here," I said to her as we started walking back to Fraggle Rock.

"Thanks," she replied.

We mostly walked back in silence, but I didn't mind. She wasn't wearing her original outfit, but she packed it into her sword. After our passionate time in Jessa's dojo, I put my hat and scarf back on before we left. She was wearing the mint green shirt and jean shorts from earlier, though her hair was back up into a ponytail. Though I'm not too fond of the Terrible Tunnel, I love the place Jessa created. A thought then hit me: if Jessa was going to live in Fraggle Rock, what was going to happen to her dojo and everything else in there?

"Jessa, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Are you... going to live in Fraggle Rock?"

"As long as I'm wanted there, yes."

"I want you there."

"Then it looks like I'm officially relocating."

"But what's going to happen to your dojo? Will it... disappear?"

"Oh that's not going anywhere. Once a Shazzle creates a happy place for themselves, it can't be moved or destroyed. It's permanent. The only way it will cease to exist is when said Shazzle dies."

"So as long as you're alive, that place will stay intact?"

"Correct."

I let that information seep into my brain before smiling.

"Is it okay if we visit there again sometime?"

"Absolutely. That dojo is my vacation home now that I've agreed to live in Fraggle Rock with you and everyone else. And to tell you the truth, I've missed my bed in Red and Mokey's room."

I couldn't help but grin at the last part.

"And another thing," she continued. "I would like for my dojo to be our love pad. You know, just a me and you thing."

My cheeks were heating up at the thought, but to say that I wasn't elated would be a big fat lie.

"Now I understand why you wanted me to keep that place a secret."

Jessa giggled, and it was the cutest thing I ever heard.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Jessa."

End of Boober's POV

Chapter Text

"So, who is the Storyteller again?"

"She knows all kinds of fraggle lore and what caves are nearby and far away. If she knows all that stuff, then she's bound to know something about Uncle Lenny and Aunt Morrigan."

Gobo and Jessa were on their way to see the Storyteller. Aside from spending time with her boyfriend, Jessa had been discovering more about her father's side of the family. After going through Traveling Matt's old journals, the two cousins decided to visit the Storyteller.

"I hope she's not busy," Gobo said before ringing her doorbell.

"Coming!"

The Storyteller peeked outside to find Gobo and Jessa standing at her front door.

"Gobo Fraggle," she began while opening the door. "What do I owe the pleasure?"

"We were wondering if you know anything about a fraggle named Lenny. He's my other uncle."

"Lenny Fraggle? You mean the one who ran off with a Shazzle all those years ago?"

"So you do know my dad," Jessa piped up. "It's a much smaller world than I thought. Either that or this is a very tight-knit community."

The Storyteller took a good long look at the purple fraggle before her.

"You're not from here, are you?"

"No."

"This is Jessa, Lenny's daughter, also my cousin," Gobo introduced.

The Storyteller began to spill some ancient facts about Lenny and Traveling Matt, some of which were eye-opening. Others were just mundane stuff. Gobo hadn't realized how close his two uncles were in their youth. Not that he ever asked about Lenny in the first place, and even if he did, Gobo doubted Traveling Matt would ever open up about such a thing.

"Wow, they were such a duo," Gobo commented after hearing about all the stuff they did. "What happened?"

"It started when Morrigan Shazzle came into the picture. Matt and Lenny were caught in a rough current while exploring one day, and suddenly, the water stopped being so chaotic and became tranquil. Neither of them knew what had happened until a Shazzle appeared out of nowhere. Lenny fell in love with her, but Matt was suspicious of Morrigan. From that day forward, Lenny began sneaking back there to see her. They had a secret relationship. Poor Matt wouldn't find out about it until 6 months later. He tried to remind Lenny that his lover was a Shazzle, but he wasn't having it, saying she was different. But things were different back then. Fraggles were much more wary of Shazzles than they are today."

"How do you know all this stuff?" Jessa asked.

"I'm the Storyteller. It's my job."

"I mean the more personal details."

"Because your uncle confided in me. I was close to him and Lenny growing up. Those were the good old days."

Jessa was less surprised than Gobo since her mom had already her that story from a young age. However, Traveling Matt was never mentioned. That part surprised her, at least.

"Interesting," she finally said. "Mom told me how she and dad met, but Uncle Matt was never mentioned."

"Why is that?" The Storyteller asked her.

"If I had to guess, they probably didn't want me running off to Fraggle Rock."

Before Jessa could continue, she remembered something that she had forgotten years ago: Morrigan's diary.

"But I do know this, mom used to keep a diary."

"A diary?"

"Yeah, it's back in the Shazzle Realm. But I have no interest in stopping by. Too many bad memories."

"That's a shame because we could really get some insight on what happened the day your parents met," Gobo told her.

"And read another person's diary? Are you nuts?!" The Storyteller asked him.

"Privacy won't matter since she's already dead. My father, too," Jessa said grimly.

The Storyteller was sympathetic.

"I'm so sorry about your parents, young... er, what should I call you?"

"If you want to refer to me by name, Jessa. But as far as titles go, Fraggle is just fine. I don't use the Shazzle title."

"So you're a hybrid?"

Jessa hummed in a bored tone.

"She's also an All-Element Bender," Gobo added.

Jessa filled her in on that lore, which the Storyteller found interesting.

"Shazzles aren't such common knowledge to fraggles anymore, but they were centuries ago. I'll have to update my papers later."

"Glad I can fill you in and debunk all those myths you believed in for so long," Jessa replied.

"And another thing, young fraggle," The Storyteller continued. "If I were as lovely as you, I would have Traveling Matt wrapped around my finger."

Gobo choked on his Doozer stick that he was munching on, and Jessa just stared at her with a deer-in-headlights expression.

"I'm sorry?" Jessa asked.

"I can only wish to have your kind of beauty so I can attract a man like your uncle."

"You're a bold one, aren't you."

"We gotta get going anyway," Gobo interjected while grabbing Jessa's arm. "Thanks again."

"No problem."

"What was that all about?" She asked him once they were out of earshot.

"She's had the biggest crush on Uncle Matt for years. I guess I should've warned you about that."

"You think?"

"I wasn't expecting that at all."

"Well, either way, we got some answers and confirmed the things we speculated."

"Yeah."

Gobo released Jessa's arm as they walked back to his and Wembley's room.

"By the way, that letter you were going to send to him?" Jessa inquired.

"I'm not sure if I want to send it now," Gobo admitted. "This seems like a very touchy subject, and I don't think he would be in the mood to hear about Lenny's death."

"That and I have a feeling I'll remind him too much of dad."

"Maybe if I word the letter more carefully..."

"You can try it if you want Gobo, but I can't promise how the outcome will look. Uncle Matt is going to react the way he does, and if he doesn't want to meet me, that's fine."

"Are you saying it wouldn't hurt to try?"

Jessa only frowned in response, but Gobo had already made up his mind.

"I'm going to give it a go and see how the letter turns out. Come on."

"Why do you need my help?"

"Because we're family, Jessa."

"We're talking about writing a letter, a one-person job."

"But you can draft it out and see if I need to change anything."

"Fine, I'll help."

Wembley was playing on his bongos when Gobo and Jessa returned.

"So..." he inquired.

"Some of the things in Uncle Matt's journals turned out to be true. And now we gotta write the letter."

"And the visit ended on a rather awkward note," Jessa added. "The Storyteller is a huge simp for our uncle."

Gobo suppressed a giggle while Wembley only glanced at her in confusion, not knowing what the word meant.

"So what have you written so far?" Jessa asked her cousin.

"Here, take a look."

Jessa took the letter from Gobo and read it before handing it back.

"The only thing you have to update is my whereabouts. Other than that, you're golden."

"Boy, wait until Traveling Matt hears about having a niece," Wembley commented excitedly.

"I'm not sure what his reaction will be," Gobo admitted.

"Same," Jessa added. "We can only assume from here.

"When are you going to send the letter out?" Wembley asked.

"Might as well be right now," Gobo answered him while sticking the paper inside an envelope.

"It's your call, Gobo," Jessa told him.

Gobo wrote the address of the last place Uncle Matt had given him in his last postcard before putting a stamp on it.

"Ready Jessa?"

"As long as I don't have to smell like dog by the end of it, sure."

"You mean you hate the smell of mutts?" Gobo joked, only for Jessa to reply with a snarky reply, and they both laughed.

~

"Boober, have you seen Jessa?" Red asked him.

"She's with Gobo seeing the Storyteller. Why do you ask?"

"I need her for a new stunt I came up with."

Boober stared at Red in confusion.

"It involves Jessa using her wings. She's going to fly me up all the way to the roof of the Great Hall, and she'll drop me as I do a fantastic dive into the water. Then she'll water-bend, so I'll dive in the waves."

"Red, this has to be the most reckless thing you've ever thought of, even by your standards."

"What's so reckless about diving into the water?"

"Don't you remember what happened the last time you did a stunt in the Fraggle Pond? Jessa had to revive you."

"The only reason that happened is because there were too many water vines. But I got rid of them."

"And they'll grow back, and the same thing will happen again."

"Boober, really?"

"Yes, really. You can get seriously injured from doing a stunt that extreme."

Red only groaned in annoyance. But before any more could be said, Mokey came into the room with a huge smile on her face.

"My painting is finished!" She announced joyfully. "Who wants to see it?"

"I do!" Red said, not wanting to get lectured at a second longer.

Boober followed behind them, curious to see what his friend had painted. Wembley was already in the room admiring the canvas, which had all of them, including Jessa, on it.

"I call it Friendship," Mokey told them.

Red and Wembley were commenting on how exquisite said painting looked while Boober walked closer, wanting to get a closer look at his girlfriend. Mokey captured her beauty perfectly, and the tsundere berries Jessa gave her matched her complexion.

"You like it, Boober?" Mokey asked him.

"I love it," he answered. "I wish Jessa could see this."

"Where is she anyway?"

"She and Gobo went to see the Storyteller. Something having to do with her dad."

"Jessa and Gobo went to Outer Space," Wembley interjected. "They're sending that letter to Traveling Matt."

"I wonder how he would respond to knowing that Jessa is his niece," Red wondered.

"Gee, I don't know Red," Wembley answered her.

"Probably shocked, I'm sure," Boober added.

"Or pleasantly surprised," Mokey said.

While this was going on, Gobo and Jessa walked into the room, but neither of them paid any mind to the discussion.

"Nice painting, Mokey," Jessa finally said after a few minutes, causing everyone to turn in their direction.

"Oh, thank you," she replied. "This has to be one of my best paintings yet."

Jessa hadn't noticed herself in the picture until staring at it for a few seconds. Luckily for her, nobody noticed her solemn expression as they were too busy chattering. Something tightened in Jessa's chest, and her eyes burned with tears. But she walked out of the room before anyone could see her cry.

BOOBER'S POV:

I was in the middle of chatting with my friends when I saw Jessa leave. No explanation or anything. Just a speedy departure. I didn't think much of it until I saw her lips quiver from a distance, and I followed her.

"Jessa!"

She stopped long enough for me to catch up to her, but I approached her slowly.

"What's wrong?" I asked her while hugging her from behind.

Jessa remained silent, but I didn't push her to speak. She needed her time to collect her thoughts. I buried my face into her neck, the smell of her perfume making me blush.

"I wasn't expecting to be included in that painting," she finally admitted.

"Why?"

"Do I really need to explain, Boober?"

She didn't say this maliciously, but I regretted asking when she'd already told me half her problems.

"I wasn't expecting anything to come out of my first visit to Fraggle Rock."

"What do you mean?"

Jessa nodded.

"I lived in the Terrible Tunnel for a long time, but every now and then, I would come across some people. But I never stuck around long. But when I came here, it felt... different. I don't know why, but it did."

"In what way?"

"Like I... wasn't here for someone else's benefit. I was here because because I was valued. I'm not used to that."

Jessa then took my hand and caressed it.

"But I'm glad I met you all. And I like the painting Mokey made."

"Me too, Jessa."

I kissed her neck and squeezed her gently, which made her giggle.

"Geez, I'm getting all sappy over a painting."

"Mokey has a way of bringing out emotions with her work."

She intertwined her fingers with mine, and my baloobius glowed.

"Would you be opposed to a few cuddles right now, Boober?"

"Not at all, Sugar Lips," I whispered before stealing a kiss off her cheek.

Before I knew it, I was leading Jessa to my hole, my arm around her waist.

End of Boober's POV

Chapter Text

5 WEEKS LATER:

Jessa's POV:

My eyelids slowly opened, and I stretched out my limbs before relaxing. After everything that had happened, things finally started to settle down. If anything, I feel closer to everyone now than I did before telling them my secret. At least they accept me as I am. I stared aimlessly at the ceiling of Boober's hole while recalling the drama, wondering how I got so lucky to have ended up here. But I wouldn't change it for the world. My attention shifted to Boober, who was still asleep and snuggled very close to me. Hearing his surprisingly relaxed breathing, I grinned and held his face, kissing his nose. He remained asleep, but I didn't mind. I rolled over to gaze at him. My man. Without realizing it, I began twirling his hair with my finger, triggering a low hum from Boober, but he didn't wake up. Instead, he instinctually tightened his hold on me. My tail wagged in response, and I kissed him again. I couldn't stop loving on him! I then air-bent to create a subtle breeze to move his hair from his eyes, which were closed, but that didn't bother me. I wanted to get a closer look at him before he could feel the top half of his face being exposed. He's so handsome it hurts! After getting a good long look at Boober, I nuzzled his neck and rested my eyes for a while. I hadn't realized I dozed off again until I felt Boober smooching me. I hummed happily in response, smiling like the biggest idiot ever.

"Good morning, Sugar Lips," he murmured.

"Good morning, handsome," I replied.

Boober's tail wagged wildly, and it was so cute. His hair hid his eyes again, but I didn't bother using my air-bending abilities to move it. I knew Boober wouldn't be too happy if I tried that. Instead, I just lay in bed with him, having a lazy morning before everyone else woke up. I let him kiss me, and I couldn't help but giggle.

"You know," I said after Boober ceased his kissing. "I can get used to mornings like this."

"Oh?"

Before I could say anything else, Boober leaned in and kissed my lips.

"Everything's better now that you live in Fraggle Rock," he admitted while spooning me.

"Good, because that smile of yours is adorable."

Boober sighed lovingly and held me tighter. God, if I could lay here all day, I would!

"I love you," I told him out of instinct.

"I love you too, Jessa," he replied before we kissed.

We lay in his hole and cuddled for what felt like an hour. It probably would have been 2 or more had Gobo not interrupted us.

"Hey Boober, have you seen Jessa?"

I sat up as soon as he asked that question, and Gobo gave me a confirming expression.

"I'll leave if you two are busy."

I turned to Boober, who simply hugged me from behind but said nothing.

"Is whatever you have to tell me important?" I asked my cousin.

"Well," he began hesitantly. "It's about Uncle Matt."

"Okay, that's important. Go on."

"I went to Outer Space this morning and got this postcard from him. It says he's coming back for a visit."

I nearly choked on the air hearing this news, and Boober must've sensed my shock because he began massaging my shoulders.

"He's... coming here? To Fraggle Rock??"

"Yeah, I'll tell you about it when you and Boober get done with whatever you're doing."

Gobo left a second later, allowing me to collect my thoughts. I don't think I remember hearing Red and Mokey walking by, but Boober nuzzled me.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"To tell you the truth, babe, I'm not sure whether to be excited or nervous."

Boober held me a little while longer, and I rested on him.

"Just make sure you don't stutter when interacting with him," he told me a minute later.

For some odd reason, this made me chuckle.

"Since when do I, Jessa Fraggle, stutter?"

"Never," Boober answered with sincerity.

I blushed in response.

"I wish I could talk as smoothly as you, Sugar Lips."

"I don't know, you sound kind of sexy when you speak," I admitted while caressing the underside of his chin with my index finger.

Boober gave me a lovestruck grin when I did that, and I couldn't help but giggle, especially with his tail wagging.

"It doesn't take much to fluster you, does it," I teased.

Boober sheepishly admitted something before I stole a kiss from him, which made his baloobius glow.

"I guess I'll see you later," I murmured.

"Yeah, those clothes aren't going to wash themselves. I better get started."

Boober and I parted ways for the time being, and I made my way to Gobo and Wembley's room. Wembley wasn't there, but Gobo was idly strumming on his guitar, humming what sounded like a song. But he was mumbling the lyrics, so I couldn't decipher what song he was playing.

"Is that the same song you played my first day here?"

"Sure is," Gobo answered as if I hadn't just interrupted him. "Want me to read you the postcard he sent me?"

I nodded and sat down somewhere.

"Dear nephew Gobo," he began as I listened. "I received your letter about Jessa, and I must say, this is a lot for me to take in. I'm sorry for never telling you about my younger brother Lenny, and it pains me to know that he is no longer with us. The reason I hid this information from you is because I never wanted you to set foot in the Shazzle Realm. I won't go into specific details just yet because it would take me much longer to write back to you. Anyway, how is Jessa doing? From what you described in your letter, it sounds like she had a less-than-stellar upbringing. But I'm happy to hear that she is doing better now. With all that being said, I will be visiting Fraggle Rock very soon. I hope Jessa doesn't mind my presence. See you soon, love your Uncle Traveling Matt."

I took a moment to respond to what I just heard, not expecting a visit from my uncle this soon.

"Sounds like he really wants to meet me," I finally said.

"He does."

I then made eye contact with him and smirked.

"Cool."

Gobo smiled back knowingly, and I chuckled.

Gobo's POV:

I didn't expect Jessa to take this so lightly, but she did. Good thing, too, because I was stressing out about it. Now I can finally relax.

"So what time is he coming?" Jessa asked me.

"I have no idea," I answered her. "It depends on the traffic in Outer Space."

Before Jessa could say anything else, Red ran into my room and startled both of us.

"Jessa, want to help me with my new stunt?"

"Oh, and what is your stunt?" Jessa asked her, intrigued.

"You fly me all the way up to the ceiling in the Great Hall, then you drop me into the water while you water-bend."

"Red, are you crazy?" I couldn't help but ask."

"If you want to come back as a ghost and sign your own death certificate, just say so," Jessa added.

"I'm not going to die, Jessa. It's just a trick I learned."

"And if you think I'm going to use my powers in the Great Hall in front of everyone, you're sadly mistaken."

"What's the big deal? Everyone already knows anyway. They saw what you did when I was unconscious."

"Go ask them if they care, and then get back to me."

I'm not sure if Jessa was serious or just being sarcastic. Red only groaned and walked away, leaving us in here in my room.

"I don't need any more backlash about myself," Jessa admitted coldly.

"You're not going to find much of that here," I said to her as a way of consolidation, but I'm not sure if it helped.

Jessa just looked away, as if that wasn't enough to console her. After a minute, she got up to go fly out in the gorg's garden, leaving me to resume my guitar playing.

End of Jessa's and Gobo's POV

Chapter Text

Red's POV:

I wish Jessa wasn't so apprehensive about using her powers in public. If I were a shazzle myself, I would flaunt them! Now, there are so many people waiting to see the diving maneuver I planned with her.

"Hey Red," somebody asked me. "Where's Jessa?"

Before I could even think of how to answer this, I had an idea.

"Before I answer your question, let me ask you all this: have you ever seen a fraggle and shazzle hybrid?"

I wasn't entirely sure where I was going with this, but if these fraggles could see past my friend being half shazzle, I might convince her to lighten up.

"No."

I then proceeded to explain, and my plan turned out better than I expected. Instead of being wary, everyone was curious. I told them what Jessa told me the day she left, but I left out the more personal details about her life. They had nothing to do with my stunt anyway. As soon as I was done speaking, I told Wembley to go find Jessa.

End of Red's POV

Jessa had come back from flying when Wembley spotted her.

"What's up," she said in a way of greeting.

"Red needs you for something."

Jessa frowned, knowing what that something was.

"Why can't do it with Gobo?"

"Because he isn't a shazzle."

Jessa started her way back to the girls' room, but a few fraggles stopped her.

"Is it true that you're a hybrid?" one of them asked.

"What?"

Soon, Jessa was bombarded with questions about herself, but she only glanced at Red, who was standing at the pond. Jessa teleported to her before the other fraggles could get their questions answered.

"Do I even want to know what you told them?" she asked her friend.

"I only told everyone about your abilities. Not the other stuff."

Jessa gave her a blank stare, but Red only smiled in response.

"Come on, do the stunt already!" somebody shouted.

After some begging, Jessa relented and grabbed Red before spreading out her wings and flying.

"I never thought I would be doing this in Fraggle Rock of all places," Jessa said to Red as she ascended.

"Now is when you start water bending."

Jessa's eyes turned blue and the water in the fraggle pond began moving.

"Tell me, how is this a stunt?" Jessa inquired. "It's just me dropping you in wavy water."

"I'm supposed to do the 20 flips I've been practicing."

There was a minute of silence before Jessa replied, the only sounds were the fraggles on the ground cheering and the flapping of her wings.

"You take your work seriously," Jessa replied as soon as they got high enough for Red to do her flips. "That being said, who am I to disappoint you and everyone else?"

Jessa dropped Red when given the signal, and Red did her 20 flips. Before she could hit the water, Jessa manipulated the liquid to become buoyant so Red could bounce off before safely splashing in. Red wasn't expecting it, though she nor anyone else saw an issue with the slight change. Red bounced while posing and finally splashed into the water, earning her and Jessa applause. Jessa landed and tucked away her wings before Red got out of the water.

"That was cool, guys," Wembley told the girls while the water returned to its stationary state.

"Yeah, it's not every day you see an occurrence like that in Fraggle Rock," Gobo added, having witnessed the whole thing.

Jessa looked at her cousin, feeling bad about her attitude from earlier.

While Red and Wembley were chatting, Jess approached Gobo.

Listen Gobo," she began. "Sorry for being such a jerk earlier."

"Ah, it's fine. I know Uncle Matt coming to visit was such short notice."

They walked away from the crowd as they continued talking.

"It's not that I mind him coming here, which I don't. It has more to do with my past experiences with family reunions growing up."

"Oh?"

Jessa then shared a memory with Gobo that played like a video inside his mind. Jessa was very little and had to be restrained by her mom due to an unknown shazzle making a distastefully racist comment about her. Jessa screamed and swore vengeance on her soul. The memory was brief, but it told Gobo everything he needed to know about why Jessa had been tense earlier.

"Jessa, you can share memories with people?" Gobo asked as if that were more important than what he had just seen.

"Yeah, all shazzles have that ability. They can also read minds, but I have no interest in what other people are thinking half the time."

"When do you use it?"

"Only when necessary. Like if somebody was having a mental breakdown I can go into her mind and see what's wrong. I haven't done that though. And I only go into the minds of enemies."

"So what happened to that mean relative of yours?"

"She got poisoned by her son who unfortunately had his wings clipped off after getting caught with his male lover."

"What?!"

"Same-sex relationships aren't accepted in the Shazzle Realm, another reason why I wanted to leave. The homophobia is disgusting."

"What does this have to do with your racist relative?"

"She's the one who outed him for being gay. As punishment, his wings were clipped off, so he can never fly again. But he got his revenge by poisoning his mom's drink and killing her. I'm not too fond of him as a person, but he earned my respect that day."

"Shazzles are messed up, no offense."

"None taken, and it's true. Shazzles are preprogrammed with the psychopathic gene."

~

A few hours had passed and Jessa was chilling on her bed in Red and Mokey's room, offering a ball of water for Mokey to use so she could clean her paintbrushes.

"How many paintbrushes do you own?" Jessa asked out of curiosity.

"A lot, but I have so much paint. I can't clean them in the fraggle pond because we drink that water."

Even though Mokey had planned to just gather some in a bucket, Jessa had offered to water bend for Mokey to have clean paintbrushes.

"Thank you for doing this, Jessa."

"Anytime."

Mokey hummed an unknown (to Jessa) song while she scrubbed the paint off the bristles, and Jessa was focused on her water bending until she felt a smooch on her neck. This caused the water levitating in her palm to splash a little but not do much else.

"Careful Jessa," Mokey reminded her.

"Sorry."

Boober had come to snuggle her for a bit, and Jessa grinned. He didn't say anything and just watched Mokey clean her paintbrushes. She was almost done, and once Mokey got them all clean, she thanked Jessa and went to go watch the Doozers. Once they had the privacy, Boober kissed her cheek passionately and squeezed Jessa, to which she blushed and giggled.

"I heard you helped Red with her stunt," he said quietly.

"Did Wembley tell you?"

Boober hummed, still clinging to his girlfriend. Instead of verbally explaining how it went down, Jessa shared the memory with him.

"I didn't know you could do that," he said after the memory got done playing in his head.

Jessa explained how memory sharing works like she did with Gobo, and Boober oddly found this fascinating. Jessa then shared with Boober the memory of their date at Sweet Water Lake, which he enjoyed reliving.

"I hold that memory in high regard," Jessa admitted before kissing Boober.

"Me too, Jessa."

Jessa then laid down on her bed and invited him for a snuggle, and soon Boober was cuddled next to her.

"I don't think we've ever cuddled in here," Jessa commented.

Boober only nuzzled her in response, but Jessa hummed happily. Blissful silence filled the room, and she was about to fall asleep when Boober spoke at last.

"I like that you're getting comfortable with using your powers around here," he said to her.

Jessa didn't reply immediately, only letting his words sink in while Boober stole another kiss. He wasn't sure if he said the right thing until Jessa squeezed his hand.

"I've got Red to thank for that," she said finally.

Boober and Jessa cuddled for a while before he went to deliver clean clothes to other fraggles and Jessa went back out into the Great Hall.

Chapter Text

A FEW DAYS LATER:

Gobo was in his room packing his bag. Since Jessa had mentioned not wanting to go to the Shazzle Realm to retrieve her late mother's journal, he decided to make the trip in her place. How hard could it be anyway? Boober walked by, and Gobo asked him for a few leftover meals he could take with him.

“Why in the world would you want leftovers?” Boober asked him in bafflement.

“I'm going to the Shazzle Realm to see if I can find aunt Morrigan's diary. Uncle Matt's visiting any day now, so that will be useful when he asks Jessa about her.”

“Gobo, those other shazzles will kill you. And what does this have to do with leftover food?”

“It's a long trip from here, Boober. Why do you think I'm asking.”

“What will Jessa say if she finds out you went there?!”

“The shazzles can't be any more dangerous than Poison Cacklers and Bloodwraithes.”

“That's where you're wrong!”

The boys turned to see Jessa standing in the archway, glaring at Gobo.

“If you go there, boy, you won't be coming back.”

“You think I can't make it to the Shazzle Realm by myself?” Gobo asked her.

“That's not what I'm saying, Gobo.”

Boober watched his girlfriend walk in as she continued.

“Going to the Shazzle Realm as a fraggle is a serious death wish. And those Poison Cacklers and Bloodwraithes you mentioned? They're only a scratch on the surface compared to what I grew up with.”

Boober held Jessa’s hand out of sympathy, to which she melted.

“Is it so important for you to know more about my mom?”

“Can you blame me for being curious?”

“After what happened to my parents, I can't allow you to go.”

What was Gobo going to do now? It's not like he could ask Jessa to go get it for him. While he was pondering on this, Boober hugged Jessa from behind.

“I never thought he would be this insane,” she admitted to him.

“Gobo, why don't you think about this before you go, in which case you'll get too scared and decide to stay home.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Will you not do this if I just go and get that dang journal?” Jessa asked her cousin.

Boober and Gobo looked at Jessa in surprise before either of them said anything.

“Jessa, no,” Boober began while squeezing her.

“Hey, if it keeps anyone else from going to the Shazzle Realm, I might as well.”

Boober knew without a doubt that she was dreading it, and he dreaded the idea of her venturing into the place that gave her nightmares to this day.

“Jessa, I wouldn’t ask such a thing from you,” Gobo said to her. “Why do you think I’m the one going?”

“It still doesn’t change anything. Those other shazzles will find you and find every facet of torture in the book. That’s how mean they are.”

Boober shuddered in response, to which Jessa squeezed his hand in comfort.

“And I don’t want any of you getting involved in this.”

~

“You’re doing what?!” Red asked.

“Since Gobo wants to know more about my side of the family, I’ll be taking a quick trip to the Shazzle Realm and getting mom’s diary.”

“I didn’t know you’re mother owned a diary,” Mokey replied to her.

Everyone had agreed that Jessa would be the one to retrieve it. Gobo was a bit stubborn, but he relented. Boober remained by her side since the decision was made, which Jessa didn’t mind. He didn’t want to let go of her. Not for one second.

“I hate that you have to do this,” he admitted to her.

“I won’t be long babe,” Jessa replied while rubbing his shoulder. “I can just teleport there, turn invisible, grab the journal, and come back.”

“Now I can see why you didn’t want me going there,” Gobo said to her.

“Please be careful, Jessa,” Mokey said.

“I will.”

Boober kissed Jessa’s cheek before letting her get up from where they were both sitting.

“But before I go there, I need to take this off.”

Jessa began removing her sword and holster.

“Why are you removing your sword?” Wembley asked.

“The sword contains magic that all shazzles can sense, even when its owner isn’t easily seen or heard. So I can’t risk taking it with me.”

After putting it under her hole, Jessa mentally prepared herself for teleporting, the memory of Boober kissing her giving her enough courage to do so. Once she was gone, Boober hung his head down, his lips quivering.

“She’ll be back, Boober,” Mokey tried to reassure him.

But this did nothing to stop what came out of his mouth next.

“Why did you make her do this?!” He shouted at Gobo.

“I didn’t make her, Boober, she volunteered.”

“She wouldn’t have had to go to the Shazzle Realm if you had left it alone!”

Before anyone could say anything else, Boober stormed out to go do some laundry to calm himself. What if Jessa died before she got back? What if the other shazzles caught her and were holding her hostage? These thoughts wouldn’t leave his head, and Boober felt tears running down his cheeks on his way to his hole.

Chapter Text

Jessa spent an hour lingering outside the Shazzle Realm before actually entering it. The trauma from all those years ago came back to her like a tidal wave, resulting in a panic attack. But she managed to get over it (or not let it bother her at least) before walking to her old home. Jessa had already turned herself invisible beforehand, so nobody saw her. Jessa hadn't realized how much time had passed since she had last been here, and that was only to kill a few shazzles. Jessa didn't dare dwell on that memory too much and she kept walking until she arrived. The little house that she spent her childhood in had gone to China since the death of her parents, and nobody else had bothered to maintain it. This didn't surprise Jessa at all. Being as quiet as she could, she opened the door, dust flying everywhere and long-forgotten belongings scattered about.

“I hope mom didn't hide it in a place that would take all day for me to find,” Jessa whispered to herself.

Though she knew in the back of her mind that it was unlikely. Jessa hated this, as she wanted to just grab the diary and go back to Fraggle Rock. Back to Boober and everyone else. Back to home.

Jessa took a moment to take in the surroundings, somewhat saddened at what her old residence had become. But the sound of shazzles flying overhead reminded Jessa to use her X-ray vision to locate what she was looking for. Jessa couldn't use her element-bending abilities as it would draw too much attention. She had to be sneaky and silent. Luckily, it didn't take her very long to find her mom's diary, and Jessa took and and began power walking out of there. Before she could even exit the Shazzle Realm, something caught her eye. It was a tombstone decorated with beautiful flowers of all kinds. Everything from roses to morning glories to daffodils. Despite her desire to get out of there, Jessa couldn't help but walk towards the grave.

“I wonder who was so honored to have such a beautiful grave,” she thought.

Compared to this one, the other headstones looked dull. Jessa crept closer, careful to not utter so much as a hum. Nobody else seemed to be visiting the graveyard at this time, but Jessa wasn't going to risk exposing herself. But despite the grave's beauty, the name on it was what angered Jessa. Zal! The very shazzle who bullied her and made her life a living hell all these years. The ring leader in most of her misfortune. Jessa hadn't realized that she had begun fire-bending and destroying Zal's grave. She didn't care how pretty it was, the person lying under it was hideous on the inside. A wretched evil soul. Jessa obliterated Zal's headstone out of fury before teleporting elsewhere, her rational thinking absent for the time being.

“Zal gets a pretty grave, but my parents don't even get a proper burial?!” Jessa vented to no one. “He should be the one without so much as a grave, much less a single flower! No amount of flora can erase what he put me through in his lifetime!”

Jessa's powers exploded while she raged and punched the walls of the Terrible Tunnel.

“Shazzles suck! I hate them all!”

Jessa's fire-bending reached its peak at this point, and no more words could express her wrath. From this point on, she began screaming, punching, and kicking anything near her. Jessa was going to do this until she ran out of energy and until her voice gave out. She had to get it out of her system before returning to Fraggle Rock.

~

Boober washed the last of whatever dirty clothes he had, but he felt sore. Not physically, but sore about his outburst from earlier. He wished he hadn't yelled at Gobo about Jessa going to the Shazzle Realm. But beyond that, Boober felt as if he hadn't given his girlfriend enough credit. Here he was, dating this baddie, and what was his response to whatever danger threatened Fraggle Rock? Be scared for her safety. Even though this was justifiable to an extent, Boober had yet to praise Jessa for the things she had done.

“I hope she's okay,” he thought to himself out of habit.

But it had been two hours since Jessa teleported to the Shazzle Realm, and if Jessa was dead, then he had every right to be angry at Gobo for letting her do this. Boober got up and emptied his washtub when a pair of familiar footsteps approached him.

“Boober?”

Boober froze and almost cried, not even realizing that he ran to hug Jessa tightly, who was initially startled but returned his hug. Jessa's heart broke upon hearing his sobs.

“Worrying about me again, hon?”

“That among other things,” Boober admitted after calming down.

Jessa's voice was hoarse from all the screaming she did, and her muscles were sore. But the rage was gone and all that was left was sorrow. Jessa then took Boober’s hand and squeezed it, a gesture he found comforting.

“I meant to come back much sooner, but something happened.”

“What happened, Sugar Lips?” He asked softly while holding her.

Jessa didn't know how to express her situation verbally, so she shared the memory with Boober.

“That person was an old nemesis of mine. He was the son of the Supreme Lord and Lady,” she explained once Boober got a good glimpse of the memory.

“How did he die?”

Jessa didn't answer, which Boober found worrying.

“Jessa, you didn't, did you?”

“I was dreading this talk. But I guess I can't keep everything a secret, especially since Gobo is now invested in our family tree.”

Jessa let go of Boober and began walking out, but Boober stopped her.

“Wait, Jessa?”

Jessa turned and looked solemnly at Boober.

“How horrible was that person to you?”

Jessa was surprised that Boober didn't shun her for her actions and stood there dumbfounded. Upon seeing her expression, Boober walked closer and held her hands, caressing them with his thumbs.

“I killed somebody 6 years ago, and this is how you respond?” Jessa couldn't help but ask.

“From what you told me so far, shazzles have a violent nature. But in your case, it must have been perilous if you had to end somebody's life.”

Jessa looked at Boober blankly, but her chest tightened.

“I don't feel remorse for what I did, and I hate that I have to tell you this. But sometimes you can't feel guilt for murdering those who made your life their own playground for sadistic torment.”

Boober kissed her cheek softly, and Jessa began sharing the memories of Zal, his parents, and the rest of the shazzles tormenting Jessa, all in chronological order. Jessa even included the memory of her finally killing Zal during her first Bloodlust.

“That bad, huh?”

Jessa nodded.

“Now you get the picture.”

Boober found the memories unsettling and gruesome, but he didn't let go of Jessa.

“Shazzles get Bloodlust when something traumatic happens in their life. I got my first Bloodlust after my parents died.”

“Is that why you looked so jagged in the last memory?”

Jessa nodded again.

“So if something were to happen to me or Gobo, you would get Bloodlust?”

“Without another doubt. That's how Shazzle Bloodlust works. If someone takes someone you love and care about away from you, you become an angry psychopath.”

“Jessa, promise me you will never be mad about my death, whenever that will be.”

“Easier said than done, Boober. Once you get Bloodlust, it doesn't go away. Not until you kill the murderer of your loved one.”

“So this only applies to when people are killed? Bloodlust doesn't come if it's a natural death or something like that?”

“No. We still grieve, but if no murder or foul play was involved, the Bloodlust won't manifest.”

Boober sighed, inhaling the scent of shampoo on Jessa's fur.

“But as long as I'm alive Boober, I'll do what I can to keep you from getting murdered.”

Jessa held him close and Boober blushed.

“I promise, babe.”

As a thank you, Boober kissed her passionately on the cheek, making Jessa smile and chuckled at last.

Chapter Text

EARLIER:

Jessa has retreated to the Gorg's garden after returning from the Shazzle Realm, still sour about seeing Zal's grave. Her limbs felt like jello after her tantrum in the Terrible Tunnel, and Jessa screamed so much that she knew for sure that her voice had gone out. No matter, she didn't feel like talking anyway. It was nighttime now, and she simply glared up at the full moon. It was all she could do at the moment. After handing Gobo her mom's diary, Jessa wasn't sure if she felt like coming back into the rock. Perhaps she should stay out here unless Boober made a fuss about her catching a cold. Speaking of which, Jessa hadn't seen him since she got back. Not that she bothered to look for him. She was still too emotional about what she saw in the Shazzle Realm to do so. But even then, Jessa didn't want to inflict her drama on the poor guy. He had enough problems with his anxiety and paranoia. Maybe once Jessa calmed down, she would return to her friends, family, and boyfriend.

“Jessa?”

She turned to see Gobo peering out of the rock but didn't say anything.

“Boober made radish bisque, you want some?”

“Maybe later,” she replied, only to cough afterward from how strained her voice was.

“Man, you sound like you've been gargling a bag of nails.”

Jessa grunted weakly, and Gobo sat next to her.

“I didn't read aunt Morrigan's diary,” he admitted after a moment of silence. “I should've never made you go there.”

Unable to use her voice, Jessa communicated with Gobo using her telepathy.

“I don't blame you for being curious. You're an explorer after all.”

Gobo turned to her before speaking.

“Boober didn't approve of it, but I thought he was just being his usual nervous self. But after thinking about it for a bit, I realized I made a mistake. He was right.”

“Neither of you are in the wrong. You were only curious and he was worried about my well-being. That's your respective nature.”

“It doesn't excuse anything. And now Boober is mad at me.”

“Why?”

“He was worried, that's why.”

Jessa glanced down sadly as if to ponder.

“I'll talk to him later.”

“Don't worry about it, Jessa.”

"I'm not angry at you, Gobo. Remember that."

Gobo smiled before they were interrupted.

“Gobo, are you out here?”

The two turned to see Mokey behind them, still in the rock.

“Oh, hey Jessa,” she greeted her.

“Hi Mokey.”

“Boober was very worried about you.”

“So I've heard. How is he?”

“He seems to have calmed down some, but he wants to see you.”

Jessa couldn't help but feel relieved at that.

“Why are you not talking?”

“Her voice is strained,” Gobo explained.

“Oh.”

Jessa didn't remember heading inside with Mokey and Gobo but found herself heading for Boober’s hole.

~

NOW:

After reuniting with each other, Boober fed Jessa some radish bisque and gave her a warm tea with honey to help her throat. Now they were cuddling in his bed, Boober smooching all over her and Jessa loving every second of it.

“Feeling better, my love?” He asked her softly.

“Yeah,” Jessa replied, her voice slowly coming back. “Thank you for dinner and tea.”

Jessa caressed his cheek while saying this, making Boober melt.

“Your health is very important,” he murmured before kissing her lips.

Jessa moaned before hugging him, and Boober ran his fingers through her fur and rubbed her back. Jessa felt his hand up her shirt but kept kissing Boober. Soon, she ran her hands through his fur as well, only to be pleasantly surprised by how soft it was.

“Your fur is so soft,” she commented sweetly.

“I used conditioner while showering."

Jessa hummed in reply and stole a kiss.

“I love how you always look after me.”

Boober kissed her jawline in response before speaking.

“I never told you this earlier Jessa, but I'm proud of you.”

Jessa looked up at him in confusion.

“For what?”

“For going somewhere that you never wanted to go back to. For Gobo.”

“It's nothing to be proud of.”

Boober buried his face into Jessa's neck and smooched her.

“Bravery seems to run in the family.”

Jessa blushed at his muffled voice and hugged him.

“It wasn't as easy as you would believe.”

“I'm still proud of you, Jessa.”

Boober began kissing her neck.

“I don't say this enough, and I want you to know it.”

“I'm just happy coming back to you and everyone else at the end of the day.”

Jessa and Boober grinned at each other before sharing a kiss, their tails wagging.

“You're the sweetest, Boober.”

Boober instinctually tightened his hold on Jessa and hummed deeply. They didn't talk for the rest of the night but enjoyed each other's company. Jessa didn't let go of Boober, nor did he let go of her. They eventually fell asleep, their hands still in each other's fur.

Chapter Text

2 DAYS LATER:

Gobo waited by the hole that led to Outer Space for his uncle. Today was the day that Uncle Traveling Matt would meet his niece. Jessa got wrapped up in learning how to ride a peapod zoomer with Red, so she didn't go with Gobo. Of course, he hadn't told her that he was going to see him. Gobo saw this as an opportunity to surprise their uncle. He anticipated the look on his face when he saw her for the first time. He also anticipated Jessa's reaction to Traveling Matt. What would they say or think? How would this meeting go? Gobo hadn't had any time to ponder on it when Sprocket started barking.

"Sprocket, will you knock it off!" Doc shouted in frustration. "I'm trying to work here."

Sprocket turned around, buying Traveling Matt some time to safely go to his nephew.

"Gobo!" He shouted while running to him.

"Hey Uncle Matt. Long time no see."

Matt made it into the hole, and the two shared a hug before walking back to Fraggle Rock.

"So where's this niece of mine?"

"Red's teaching her how to ride a peapod zoomer. I didn't tell her that I was coming here today because I wanted to surprise you both."

"I hadn't realized how much time had passed since Lenny and Morrigan started dating. I guess too much time."

"Yeah, Jessa's in the same age group as the rest of us."

"To tell you the truth Gobo, I wasn't sure if I wanted to come back and meet Jessa."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"Lenny and I didn't exactly leave off on good terms. We argued about his relationship with Morrigan, and he went to the Shazzle Realm with her after finding out that she was pregnant. I wish I had been more supportive, but I wasn't. I regret the things I said to him. And now I can't properly apologize to my younger brother."

"I'm sure if Uncle Lenny were alive, he would probably forgive you."

"I'll give him this though, at least he was involved in Jessa's life. Most men leave their women after they find out that they're with child."

"Since when? Fraggles don't do that."

"Not fraggles, but some of the Silly Creatures unfortunately have no interest in raising children. It's a sad thing I've witnessed during my time in Outer Space."

"I don't have any children, but I can't imagine not raising them."

"I guess the Silly Creatures are less inclined to family matters."

"Sounds like it."

~

Red and Jessa were doing a series of tricks on their peapod zoomers while Mokey, Boober, and Wembley watched.

"Jessa's a fast learner," Mokey commented.

"Yeah, I didn't expect her to get the hang of it so soon," Boober replied.

But he was proud of her regardless. Boober took another bite of his Doozer stick while Jessa skated around some obstacles, impressing him and everyone else. Boober had insisted that they both wear a helmet and some knee and elbow pads, which annoyed Red. Jessa restyled her hair into a fishtail braid so the helmet would fit correctly on her head, and Jessa grinned when Boober complimented it and kissed her. Though she could have technically let her hair down, Jessa didn't want to have to brush out any tangles later.

"I bet you can't do this trick," Red called out from ahead.

"We'll see about that, Pigtails."

Jessa stopped her peapod zoomer to observe Red's maneuver. She skated off a ledge and flew through the air, but Red miscalculated her velocity and crashed into a rock. Or she would have if Jessa hadn't used her lava-bending to create a hole into said rock, allowing Red to go through and land safely. By that time, Gobo and Traveling Matt arrived.

"That's her over there," Gobo pointed out.

Matt glanced over at Jessa with her hand extended outward and her eyes red from using her fire-bending ability.

"I take it that she's an Inferno shazzle?"

"No, she can manipulate all 4 elements."

"I thought shazzles were only gifted one element at birth."

"Jessa will explain that to you later."

Red skated back to where Jessa was, though she was a bit frazzled from her sloppy landing.

"You really gotta work on her landing, Red," Jessa told her before taking off to do the same thing.

She executed the stunt perfectly, much to everyone's amazement.

"How long has Jessa been riding a peapod zoomer?" Matt inquired.

"Actually, she started today. Red wanted to teach her how."

Matt smiled at his niece, who had yet to notice him. Jessa skated back to where everyone was and removed her helmet.

"I could've done it like that," Red pouted.

"Uh-oh, piss poor sportsmanship already?" Jessa teased, earning a laugh from Gobo and Wembley.

"Hey! I'll have you know that I'm a team player."

Jessa finally noticed the man standing next to Gobo.

"Jessa," Gobo began. "I would like you to meet our uncle."

"Gobo, if I had known that you were going to go into Outer Space, I would have gone with you."

Everyone watched as Matt and Jessa scanned each other over, neither of them knowing what to do or say next.

"So you're the fraggle who explores?" Jessa began after a deafening silence.

"Yeah, I take it Gobo has educated you on my adventures?"

Jessa nodded. Before anyone else could do or say anything else, Matt hugged her, taking her by surprise.

"I have a niece!" He cried, to which everyone slowly smiled.

Gobo grinned, happy that the meeting went better than expected.

~

Jessa and her uncle were sitting in Boober's dining room, drinking the tea he had made for them before giving them privacy.

"So how long have you been here in Fraggle Rock?" Matt asked his niece.

"I forgot how long it's been, but this place beats the Shazzle Realm."

"So I've heard."

"You and dad used to be close?"

Matt turned away before replying.

"Yeah, we used to. But I wasn't exactly supportive of his relationship with your mother. I thought I was protecting Lenny, but it was my fault for never getting to know Morrigan as a person."

"Can't say that I blame you though. Other than my mom, shazzles aren't really worth your time."

"Why do you say that?"

"They weren't exactly gracious to me during my time there, and I left after my folks died."

"How did they die?"

Jessa shared the memory of Morrigan and Lenny dying in the Shazzle Realm with Uncle Matt, which he was disturbed and angered by. Not at her ability of memory sharing, but at the death of his brother and sister-in-law.

"In response to their murdering spree, I stole the Holy Shazzlin Sword out of spite," Jessa told him before summoning her sword to her.

"A strong weapon like that could obliterate an entire nation," he pointed out.

"Exactly, and if they don't have it, what good are they for anything else? And besides, I earned it after all the crap they put me through."

"I'm sorry to hear about your past Jessa. And if I had known about you sooner, I would've made things right with Lenny. Now I'll never get the chance to do that."

"If there was life after death, I'm sure he would forgive you."

"Yeah, fraggles aren't known for holding grudges."

"That's more of a shazzle thing."

Matt turned to Jessa curiously.

"Shazzles have something called Bloodlust. Whenever something traumatic happens and somebody is directly responsible, shazzles get Bloodlust and kill them. And it doesn't go away until that person is dead."

Jessa grabbed a nearby spoon and scraped off her dried-out tsundere berry juice to reveal her Bloodlust symbol.

"I got this when they killed my parents."

Matt had no idea that shazzles were capable of feeling trauma, much less any other emotion. But he knew better than to say it out loud, should he offend Jessa.

"What happened afterward? Did you bury their bodies?"

"No, I didn't get a chance to. By the time I regained consciousness, they were already burned to ashes. Burying them wasn't an option. I had no other purpose in the Shazzle Realm after that, so I made my exodus. I planned to keep going, but I got my first Bloodlust and came back. I got my revenge on a select few shazzles, but I didn't kill all of them."

Matt hummed, strangely unbothered by her story, which Jessa couldn't help but be baffled by.

"You're not running for your life?"

"Why should I? I'm an explorer. I've been to Outer Space and faced many obstacles. If I can do that, then I can accept that my niece is half-shazzle."

Jessa kept her face neutral, but her throat bobbed.

"I may not have been the best older brother, but I hope I can be a better uncle for you, Jessa."

"It's never too late to own up to your mistakes, I guess."

Matt could tell that this meant a lot to her. Despite her resting bitch face, he could see the emotion in Jessa's eyes.

"Can I confess something?" She asked.

Matt listened eagerly.

"I never understood why mom wanted us to live in the Shazzle Realm. When we could have just lived here, maybe I would be a different person, and you and dad wouldn't have such a strained relationship."

"In a different universe, that would have been the case. But life has a strange way of determining our fates."

"Ain't that the truth."

Jessa hadn't expected to get along with her uncle so well, but she wasn't complaining. Matt drank his tea before speaking again.

"I forgot how good Boober's tea is," he admitted. "I've been in Outer Space for so long I hadn't realized how much I missed it."

"Then maybe it's for the best that you returned."

Matt smiled at Jessa, who smiled back.

"You and Gobo are the only relatives I can stand to be around. I don't have much to do with the shazzle side of the family."

"What about Lenny and Morrigan?"

Jessa turned away and bit her lip.

"I love mom and dad, but I don't understand their way of thinking sometimes. It's complicated."

"I know where you're coming from, Jessa. Lenny was never the brightest fraggle. Whenever we traveled, I would be the one reading the maps while he ran around. But his company was still enjoyable."

Matt sighed sadly at the memories, and Jessa noticed.

"Too bad they don't have a resting place, then I could take you to them."

"Yeah."

A moment of silence passed between them before Matt spoke.

"So, Boober huh?"

"Can you blame me? He's adorable."

Though he would never say it out loud, Matt was amazed that somebody as weak-hearted as Boober would pursue a relationship with Jessa. Nevertheless, he was happy for them. Jessa smirked at the memory of her and Boober kissing at the summer solstice for the first time before changing the subject.

"What's it like in Outer Space?"

"Very strange," Matt replied while facing his niece. "Strange yet interesting. It's crazy to know that there is life outside of Fraggle Rock."

Jessa hummed flatly, but her expression otherwise showed interest. Matt began describing all the places he had been to, the people he encountered, etc. Neither of them had realized how much time had passed until Boober told them it was time for him to start supper.

"We won't hog your dining room anymore, babe," Jessa replied.

Boober blushed and smiled at his girlfriend before replying.

"You can still come back when I summon everyone to eat dinner," Boober teased before smooching the back of Jessa's hand, to which her tail wagged.

Before long, Jessa and her uncle were wandering around the Great Hall and having more small talk. It wasn't too loud, so they could hear each other just fine. Just as Matt was explaining how different constructions in Outer Space were from Doozer ones, they both ran into the Storyteller, who was elated to see her crush return from Outer Space.

"Matt, it's been forever and a day since I last saw you!"

Matt didn't even get a chance to greet her back before she glomped him. Jessa chuckled, reminded of when Sidebottom glomped her on the night of the summer solstice. That had been a while ago now. She then couldn't help but miss Sidebottom a little and wondered if Boober had found a way to keep him from taking over his body.

"I wish you wouldn't do that, as old as I am," Matt said to the Storyteller, who only remained hugging him.

"Aren't we all?" She asked him happily.

Remembering the Storyteller's crush on her uncle, Jessa excused herself and gave them plenty of privacy to catch up with one another, teleporting elsewhere.

~

Jessa was telling Gobo and Wembley about her time with Traveling Matt, which then ended up with them chatting about how the Storyteller glomped him.

"She did what?" Gobo asked, suppressing a laugh.

Jessa shared that memory with him, and Gobo couldn't help but laugh.

"I shouldn't laugh," he admitted despite doing so. "She could've broken his back or something."

Wembley asked about it, and Jessa also let him see the memory. He didn't laugh like Gobo did, but he liked seeing the Storyteller happy. Red and Mokey then came in to join the conversation, and Jessa told the girls everything. They hung out for an hour before Boober announced that dinner was complete.

Chapter Text

THE NEXT DAY:

Jessa and Uncle Matt were on their way to the gorg village after she told him about it. While Matt was averse to the idea of flying there, Jessa made sure to hold onto him while getting them there. She offered to teleport them there instead, but deep down, she knew she was too tired to do so. Last night, Sidebottom emerged from Boober's mind and gave Jessa a hickey on her neck, resulting in the two of them having sex. Boober may have thought that Sidebottom was trouble, but Jessa liked having him around. Boober having two personalities was what made him the whole package, and Jessa loved that about him. She blushed at the memory of getting intimate with Sidebottom, but her thoughts were interrupted when Uncle Matt broke the silence.

"Looks like you and Boober had a lovely time last night," he pointed out, noticing the hickey on her neck.

Jessa didn't reply, not knowing how to have a conversation like this with her uncle. Instead, she kept flying until she got to the village.

"Ah, so this is where gorgs originate from."

"There's a whole bunch of them too."

Jessa landed on the roof of a nearby building once they reached civilization, and Matt was intrigued by the copious amount of gorgs.

"I hadn't realized how many gorgs existed."

Matt immediately began jotting something down in his notebook, Jessa glancing at him curiously.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Taking notes, niece Jessa. This gorg village is quite the discovery. Everyone in Fraggle Rock must know."

"Just don't expect me to fly them all here," Jessa joked.

Matt couldn't help but chuckle. If there was one thing Jessa inherited from Lenny personality-wise, it was his wisecracks.

"I wonder how many gorgs there are," Matt wondered while staring ahead at the unsuspecting giants.

"If I had to guess, about 500, including the 3 in the gorg's garden."

Matt wrote this down while Jessa paced to the side of the roof. Nothing interesting was happening this time, but Jessa wasn't looking for entertainment. She was merely observing. She had her fun with the gorgs once.

"With the help of my niece, who is half-shazzle, I was able to locate a village full of gorgs. There are so many of them! Even as I'm writing this down, I still can't fathom how many there are. A fraggle who would come here must have a death wish."

Matt continued writing in his notebook while Jessa walked to the other side, catching a glimpse of the female gorg who got puked on weeks ago. Jessa hadn't thought about her or the other two male gorgs in a while, and to be honest, she didn't care. The gorgs were nothing more than oversized simpletons to her. Upon stopping a centimeter from the edge, Jessa spotted a cart full of radishes. These weren't as hearty as the ones in the garden, and some of them had brown spots on them. The leaves were also semi-wilted, but the commoner gorgs didn't seem to mind. Of course, they weren't royalty and didn't have access to better produce. Jessa then imagined Boober's reaction if he ever saw such pitiful-looking radishes. He would deem it unsafe to eat and complain about the lack of proper care it got before getting picked. Jessa snickered at this, finding the scenario cute.

"What's so funny, Jessa?"

"Those radishes look sad."

Matt glanced down at the cart full of radishes before a gorg rolled them away.

"I take it that these gorgs don't have the luxury of healthy plants."

Matt took more notes in his notebook before closing it.

"Fly us over there, Jessa."

Jessa spread her wings and flew her and Uncle Matt to the steeple of the gorg's wedding hall, landing where the bell was.

"Anything you want to take notes on here?"

"Gorgs must be aware of the concept of marriage," Matt thought out loud before writing in his notebook again.

Jessa didn't let her mind wander into that category. In fact, she was still thinking about her cuddles and sex with Sidebottom. She hadn't seen him since the summer solstice, and Boober did eventually tell Jessa more about him. It was hard for Boober at first, but Jessa assured him that she accepted him and didn't think he was nuts. After that chat, Boober didn't feel so awkward about it and smooched Jessa before she left.

"There's not much to report on here," Matt said before turning to his niece. "To the fountain!"

Jessa grabbed her uncle and flew them to the town fountain. On their way there, Jessa flew past an unsuspecting gorg who did a double take.

"Was that a couple of fraggles?"

Jessa landed swiftly onto the dry part while the gorg who noticed them started questioning his peers about whether or not he saw them.

"I just saw two fraggles flying," he said to someone.

"That's silly, fraggles don't fly."

This sparked up a debate among the gorgs, but Jessa paid them no mind.

"We might want to be careful about how we migrate from building to building," Uncle Matt pointed out. "The gorgs are starting to notice our presence."

"Teleportation it is, then."

Jessa stared down at the water while Matt wrote something else in his notebook.

"At least their water is clean," she said before water-bending and creating butterflies.

Matt agreed before he noticed what Jessa was doing.

"Jessa, it's not safe to do that here."

"I doubt these idiots would notice a water butterfly," she said before it flew away.

They explored around a little more, but once they reached the tavern, a gorg noticed Jessa and Matt.

"Hey, there's fraggles over there!"

"That's our cue to leave," Jessa said before grabbing her uncle and flying out the window.

"Have you seen enough of the village yet?"

"For right now, yes. Perhaps it's best to come at night."

"Uncle Matt, you are one-"

Something hit Jessa's face before she could finish her sentence, but the impact wasn't enough to make her crash land.

"On second thought, maybe we shouldn't come back at all. The gorgs are attacking us."

Jessa flew away from the impact radius and set her uncle in a nearby tree.

"Give me a moment," she told him before flying back to where the gorgs were throwing pebbles.

"Jessa!!"

She didn't listen, flying to the gorgs and melting the pebbles into lava. Jessa grabbed her sword, and it grew to the same size as it was when she first fought Junior. The sword and her fire-bending ability collaborated, and Jessa morphed into a giant firebird. Uncle Matt watched in amazement as his niece let out an ear-piercing screech, causing the gorgs to wince and cover their ears. She then waved her wing and sent a swerve of flames towards them.

"That's not a fraggle!"

"Run!!"

The gorgs took off before Jessa flew around, breathing fire onto the more daring gorgs who refused to leave her alone. This went on for only a few minutes, but to Matt, it felt like an hour. Once the gorgs were put in their place, Jessa returned to her original form and flew back to where her uncle was, and carried him back to Fraggle Rock.

"Listen, Uncle Matt," Jessa began. "What happens in the gorg village stays in the gorg village. I don't want anybody else in Fraggle Rock to know this."

"When did you learn to do that?!"

"When I first got the Holy Shazzlin Sword."

Matt gave her a questioning look before she continued.

"When a shazzle has the sword, it amplifies their abilities."

"There's still so much about shazzle lore that I'm completely unaware of."

"Maybe Gobo will let you read mom's diary when he's done with it."

Meanwhile, in the gorgs garden, Mokey and Boober were watching out for Jessa and Matt while the former was humming contently and drawing in her notebook. Boober had enough sense to worry about his girlfriend and her uncle. They were in a gorg village for goodness sake!

"Oh Mokey, what if those gorgs captured Jessa and her Uncle Matt?"

"Didn't Jessa bring her sword with her?" Mokey asked.

Of course she did. Boober remembered seeing her fasten her holster to her waist before sticking her sword in it. But that didn't stop him from worrying. And with each second that passed that he didn't see her, Boober worried that something happened to his love. When he thought about starting a search party, Jessa appeared with Matt in her arms and descended swiftly.

"There they are," Boober said with relief.

Jessa landed on her feet not far from Boober and Mokey, setting her uncle down before grinning at her boyfriend.

"Hey, my love," she greeted sweetly as Boober gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"How was your trip?" Mokey asked Uncle Matt.

"Eventful," he answered, still gathering his thoughts on what happened.

Mokey chatted with him, and Boober and Jessa had a tender moment.

"Looks like you came back unharmed," Boober told her.

"Not sure if getting hit in the face with a pebble counts as unharmed."

Boober then noticed the bruise on her cheek and caressed it.

"I've got something that will help, Jessa. Come on."

Boober led her back into the rock as Mokey and Matt followed.

Chapter Text

Boober treated Jessa's bruise while she gazed at him, which he couldn't help but find cute.

“Either those gorgs hit you good or I gave you too much anesthesia,” he said, noting Jessa's smile.

“It's not the anesthesia,” she replied, leaning in closer as soon as Boober was done. “And I'm still in my right mind.”

Boober grinned as Jessa kissed him and sat back so he could resume the treatment.

“Was the village as scary as I anticipated?”

“If you don't enjoy getting pelted by gorgs, I guess that counts as scary.”

“Jessa, will this be the last time you go to the gorg village?”

“Depends on whether Gobo or Uncle Matt requests a flight there. Otherwise, yes.”

Boober got Jessa an ice pack for her bruise and kissed her nose.

“At least it's my face and not my wings,” she said softly while gazing at Boober.

Boober recalled Jessa telling him about the anatomy behind shazzle wings and winced. She would be in such bad shape if that pebble hit one of her wings.

“I wish I had the knowledge on how to treat a wounded wing,” Boober said while holding her hands. “Because I want to make sure you're in optimal health.”

Jessa's eyes sparkled in response, and Boober noticed it along with her blushing. Before he could say anything else, Jessa kissed him on the lips, which he happily reciprocated.

“The fact that you care so much is the sexiest thing about you,” Jessa purred.

Boober hummed happily and hugged her.

“How's your scar, Sugar Lips?”

Jessa held out her arm to let him inspect it, which Boober did.

“It's healed up nicely,” he observed before grabbing a pair of scissors and cutting the string out.

“I never did ask, how long have you been into medicine?”

Boober cut the string and threw it away before answering.

“Since I was a child.”

He then began his backstory of when Boober first learned of a cure for strep throat. Jessa listened intently, blushing at him nerding out over medicinal plants and remedy teas. As soon as he finished, Boober placed his hand on her cheek where the bruise was and caressed it.

“Now you know why I'm scared of gorgs.”

“You have every reason to be. I just had an advantage.”

Boober glanced at Jessa’s sword lying nearby, completely dormant now that she wasn't doing anything with it.

“You never told me that the Holy Shazzlin Sword can collaborate with your powers.”

“That sword has such a long history with shazzles. But it wouldn’t hurt for me to elaborate.”

Jessa then explained said ability to Boober. Before he could reply, Matt stepped in to check on her.

“How's Jessa, Boober?” He asked, Gobo coming in behind him.

“The bruise isn't as severe as I thought,” he answered, his arm around her.

“That's good news,” Gobo answered on behalf of his uncle.

“I guess you won't be doing any stunts for a while.”

Everyone turned to see Red entering the room.

“Relax girl,” Jessa replied. “I just got bruised, not beaten into a pulp.”

The girls chuckled in response, but Boober pulled Jessa closer to him.

“You can be so reckless, Jessa.”

“I'm not doing any extreme stunts for the time being, Boober,” Jessa whispered to him.

This relieved him somewhat, and Red didn't hear it as she was conversing with Gobo.

“The Storyteller is going to have her work cut out for her once I tell her about the gorg village.”

“You mean you haven't told her yet?” Jessa asked.

“No, I feel that this is something all of Fraggle Rock should know.”

“As long as we don't have to go there, I'm fine with that.”

“Don't worry, Boober. This is not to convince anyone to go. That is merely a personal choice.”

“It must be a big deal if you want to call an assembly over it,” Jessa couldn't help but state.

“It's a big deal for fraggles with a knack for adventure, niece Jessa.”

Uncle Matt began to walk out shortly, but he stopped in his tracks and turned to his niece.

“I need you present at the meeting I'm about to call.”

He then left, and Boober and Jessa stared at each other, confused. Red and Gobo had left long before Matt did, so it was just the two of them again.

“Since you hate meetings, Boober, I won't badger you to come.”

“Thank you, Sugar,” he replied with a kiss on her forehead.

“How's your bruise, Jessa?” Mokey asked.

Wembley had followed her in here for the same reason.

“As Boober said, the severity is low.”

The two looked at Boober, who nodded in response.

“Well, I'm glad you're not hurt too bad,” Mokey said with relief.

“Me too,” Wembley agreed, his agreeable nature kicking in.

Jessa smiled at them, grateful for everyone's concern.

“And Jessa has a meeting later,” Boober said on her behalf while resting his head on her shoulder.

While Jessa told them what the meeting was about, Boober stared at the hickey on her neck. He hadn't meant to be so rough with her last night. Well, technically it was Sidebottom who did it, but Jessa enjoyed every second of the intimacy. She assured Boober that he wasn't in trouble and that she liked it. Jessa said something, to which Mokey and Wembley replied and walked off. Boober zoned out while looking at Jessa's hickey, but her kiss on his forehead brought him back to reality.

“I'm going to rest for a bit. Catch ya later, koibito.”

“Koibito?”

“It means sweetheart in Japanese.”

Boober watched her walk out with her ice pack and grinned, his tail wagging. Oh, how he loved her!

~

While Jessa was napping in the girls’ bedroom, Boober instructed a few other fraggles on laundry techniques, teaching them what detergent to use and how long to let clean clothes dry. After they got the hang of it, Boober chatted with Tosh for a bit.

“I heard you got a girlfriend, Boober,” she said while scrubbing what looked like Large Marvin's vest on the washboard. “What's her name?”

“Jessa.”

“How long have you two been together?”

“Since the summer solstice.”

“Wow, that long?”

Boober nodded, blushing and grinning at the memory of their first kiss.

“She's amazing, Tosh.”

Tosh smiled, listening to him talk about his girlfriend and how she made him feel.

“How are things between you and Lou?” Boober asked after he was done.

“We celebrated our 1-year anniversary yesterday.”

Boober smiled, happy for his friend. Tosh then stopped scrubbing to ask another question.

“Isn't Jessa the shazzle hybrid I heard about?”

Boober nodded.

“What made her want to come here?”

“It's not my story to tell, Tosh. And Jessa's very private about it.”

Tosh nodded then resumed her scrubbing.

“Maybe she'll tell everyone when she's ready. It's rare for a shazzle to be associated with fraggles.”

Boober knew this was unlikely. Jessa had her reasons for not sharing her life story with the rest of Fraggle Rock, and Boober wasn't about to disrespect her boundaries.

“Yeah, perhaps,” he lied.

“Where is Jessa now?”

“She's taking a nap. Matt had her fly him somewhere to explore.”

“I didn't know Gobo's uncle was back.”

“Yeah, he got homesick and wanted to come back.”

Boober wasn't sure if it was the right time or place to mention that Jessa was Matt's niece, so he kept that information to himself. In the middle of their conversation, Tosh's attention was on something (or someone) behind Boober.

“Tosh, what's wrong?”

Boober turned to see Jessa approach him and beamed.

“Koibito!”

Jessa blushed as Boober kissed her.

“Looks like I rubbed off on you,” she said sweetly.

Boober sighed lovingly and buried his face into her, which Jessa loved. Tosh stared at the violet-skinned raven-haired fraggle and blushed. Though intimidating at first glance, she was gorgeous.

“Did you enjoy your nap?” Boober asked her.

Jessa nodded.

“The meeting is about to start, but I wanted to see you beforehand.”

“I'm glad you stopped by, Sugar Lips,” he flirted before kissing her hand.

Jessa's tail wagged in response and she said something very sweet to him, making him melt.

“I'll let you know how the meeting goes, Boober.”

Jessa bid him a see-you-later and left, leaving Boober to sigh happily to himself.

“She's beautiful,” Tosh said once Boober regained his composure.

“Very beautiful,” Boober agreed.

Tosh congratulated him, which Boober greatly appreciated, and before long, they began discussing other stuff.

Chapter Text

After the meeting, the fraggles and Jessa were all chilling in Gobo and Wembley's room.

“I'm not sure why you had to call a meeting just to tell the other fraggles about the gorg village,” Jessa said to her uncle while giving Boober a head massage. “It just seems unnecessary.”

“Why let information like that go untold, niece Jessa? New places, good or bad, must be recorded in my books.”

“That explains why you have so many,” Gobo added, knowing his uncle.

“I can't believe Jessa found that gorg village weeks ago and never told us,” Red said.

“To be fair Red, that was before I revealed to you that I'm half shazzle.”

Boober hummed before snuggling closer to Jessa, taking her by surprise as she blushed. His baloobius hadn't stopped glowing since Jessa initiated a head massage, but she found it adorable.

“Seeing Jessa demonstrate her powers also gave me new ideas on what to paint,” Mokey pointed out before telling everyone the colors she planned on using.

Boober grinned. While Jessa had given him the option to skip the meeting, he showed up halfway through and happened to walk in on her showing off her firebird transformation. Traveling Matt was explaining to everyone how it worked. While it was scary, Boober also couldn't help but admire the way she looked. He had gotten used to Jessa using her powers by this point, but even then, she was still careful to not frighten Boober with them. Jessa then changed back and landed on the ground just in time to see her boyfriend in the audience. Boober stood there blushing for a minute before he took a seat next to Wembley.

“Did you know Jessa could do that?” Wembley asked Boober.

“No, this is my first time seeing it.”

The meeting didn't last too much longer after that, and soon everyone went back to what they were doing.

“Glad to know that I'm your muse,” Jessa said to Mokey.

“Your firebird transformation is very aesthetic, Jessa. It would make a great picture.”

Jessa grinned in response.

“Can you do the same with your other abilities?” Wembley asked curiously.

“Loch Ness for water-bending, storm cloud for wind, and giant worm for earth.”

“You never told us that your sword can collaborate with your powers.”

“I hadn't meant to withhold that information, Gobo. At least post-origin revelation.”

Jessa rested her arms and Boober sat up, putting his arm around her waist.

“I still have those tsundere berries left from when you first came here, Jessa,” Mokey said to her.

“Seriously?” Jessa couldn't help but ask.

“I thought they would have expired by now,” Boober added while caressing Jessa's waist with his thumb.

“Oh no. I made them into paint before they even had the chance to rot.”

“If you ever need me to make a pose for your paintings, Mokey,” Jessa began. “Just know that I can't stay in firebird mode for too long. It saps my energy.”

“What about the other three transformations?” Boober asked her.

“Same deal. I only summon them in very dire situations.”

“So wait a minute,” Matt began. “How were you able to fly back after defeating those gorgs?”

“Because I was only a firebird for a few minutes. Prolonged transformation leads to energy depletion for shazzles.”

Boober gently squeezed Jessa, causing her to blush and her tail to wag. Boober smiled at her, his tail wagging as well.

“That sucks that such a powerful thing can be so straining.”

“Tell me about it, Red.”

“Do all shazzles experience this, or is it just a you thing?” Gobo asked.

“Every shazzle experiences it, which is why we save the transformations for catastrophes.”

“Good call,” Boober said before remembering something. “Hey Mokey, did you say you picked more radishes earlier?”

“Yes I did.”

“Good, because I mastered my radish gumbo.”

“Are you going to make it tonight?” Jessa asked him.

“No, but I will another night.”

Soon the conversations died down and before everyone knew it, it was time to go to bed. Matt retired to his old hole, noting how nice it was to be back home for the time being. At least until he went back into Outer Space. Jessa planned to sleep in her hole with Red and Mokey, but a few kisses from Boober were enough to convince her to slumber with him instead. Mokey and Red paid no mind to it since they were used to Jessa alternating between her bed and Boober’s hole. The two snuggled closer and shared a kiss, telling each other good night. Jessa was out like a light, but Boober remained awake for a few minutes longer, admiring his girlfriend. He held her face and played with her hair before smooching her.

“Good night, Sugar Lips,” he whispered before falling asleep.

~

Vanda snuck around Fraggle Rock, trying to locate Jessa since she caught wind of her destroying her son's grave. It didn't take long for her to find the purple hybrid snuggled up to a blueish green fraggle.

“I should kill her right here and right now,” she whispered to herself with an evil grin on her face. “But what fun would that be?”

Without another word, Vanda began chanting quietly and soon enough, Boober disappeared from his spot.

“She'll have to return to the Shazzle Realm and find him herself. Then I'll kill them both.”

After ensuring that Jessa would have hell to pay, Vanda teleported out of Fraggle Rock and back to the Shazzle Realm.

Chapter Text

Jessa rolled over in her sleep, expecting Boober to be beside her. But upon feeling the vacancy in his usual spot, Jessa opened her eyes.

“Boober?”

After receiving no answer, Jessa got up and looked around. Maybe he got up early and was making breakfast. Well, that would explain his absence in bed if there was an aroma of food being cooked. But there was none. At this time of day, it was unusual for Boober not to be in his kitchen. Or at least doing laundry.

“Koibito?”

Jessa peeked in the kitchen to see if Boober was in here, but he wasn't.

“Huh, peculiar.”

Jessa went to Red and Mokey's room to question them on his whereabouts, only to be met with empty holes.

“Red? Mokey?”

The girls were nowhere to be seen, and Jessa started worrying. Gobo's and Wembley's room was no different. Belongings present, but residents absent.

“Okay, this is getting weird,” Jessa said to herself. “Where could they be?”

She went to Matt's hole to inquire about the whole thing, but found that her uncle was also gone.

“Uncle Matt?”

Now Jessa was starting to panic internally. Where the hell did everyone go? And why did they not give her a heads up on where they would be? She didn't waste any time pondering on it before running around Fraggle Rock looking for her peers. But she couldn't find them. She even resorted to asking mutual friends if they had seen anyone, only to be met with a no. By the time Jessa felt like her head was going to blow up out of frustration, somebody caught her attention.

“Are you looking for Boober, Wembley, Red, Mokey, Gobo, and Traveling Matt?”

Jessa turned in the direction from which the voice came, but found no one.

“Who said that?”

“Down here!”

Jessa angled her head down to see a red-headed doozer looking up at her.

“Let me guess, you don't know where they are either,” Jessa assumed.

“No, I don't.”

Jessa began walking away when the doozer spoke again.

“But I did see another shazzle come through here last night.”

Jessa froze in place with a look of terror on her face. Another shazzle? But how?

“Did you say, another shazzle?”

“I know what I saw! I tried to tell the other doozers, but they won't believe me.”

Jessa went back to the doozer and sat down.

“Tell me everything,” she insisted.

“My friends and I were out late last night playing on the machinery, and we saw a yellow-winged shazzle come in here. She was very evil-looking.”

“Yellow-winged shazzle,” Jessa replied.

“Yes, she headed towards what I believe to be your holes.”

Jessa hummed for a moment before speaking.

“I believe you, but let me do something real quick.”

“Okay, what is it?”

Jessa used her powers to enter the doozer's mind to see who, of all people from the Shazzle Realm, would come to Fraggle Rock. She found the doozer's memory of last night, and to Jessa's horror and anger, the shazzle in question was Vanda. Upon seeing this revelation, Jessa exited the doozer's mind and had a look of terror on her face.

“It was Vanda,” she said.

“Who?”

“The Supreme Lady of the Shazzle Realm. She dragged her ass all the way here and, and…”

Jessa couldn't even think about what all she had done to Boober and everyone else. Rage then boiled inside of her, and purple flames surrounded her body.

“If that air-bending bitch did anything to them,” Jessa began while summoning her sword.

The doozer watched in amazement as the Holy Shazzlin Sword levitated towards Jessa. She clutched it tightly and held it upright.

“She is going to have serious hell to pay!”

“Are you going to conquer her?”

“I'll be doing more than conquering. When I come back, there won't be any other shazzles left.”

Jessa teleported to her hole and grabbed her holster before teleporting back to where she was.

“Thanks for filling me in, uh… what is your name?”

“Cotterpin.”

“Well, Cotterpin, your nightly adventures did me a favor. Now I'll go and do Vanda a favor of my own.”

She said this with so much menace that it almost freaked Cotterpin out. Before the doozer could say anything else, Jessa left Fraggle Rock and began her way to the Shazzle Realm.

~

Boober woke up, confused as to why he wasn't in his fraggle bed. And where the hell was Jessa?!

“Sugar Lips?”

Instead of hearing his girlfriend's voice, he heard Wembley's.

“Boober?”

“Wembley?”

“Where are we?” Red asked, just as unaware of her surroundings as the boys.

Boober looked around, trying to make sense of what was going on. But nothing looked familiar to him. They were all trapped inside some enchanted cage with no way to escape, and the entire atmosphere was filled with shazzles. Aquatic, Earthbound, Inferno, and Gale. Just as Jessa had described, the Inferno shazzles’ wings were crimson red, and they had rose colored irises. The Gale shazzles had gold-yellow wings and canary irises, Aquatic ones had cobalt wings and azure irises, and Earthbound shazzles had emerald wings and seafoam irises.

“Are we… in the Shazzle Realm?” Traveling Matt asked.

“I don't see any shazzles,” Wembley assumed before 4 of them flew over to where the fraggles.

“Well we'll well,” one of them said in a sinister tone. “Look what the Supreme Lady delivered.”

Boober and Wembley trembled, but Red, Gobo, and Mokey were having none of it.

“You let us go right now!” Red shouted.

“Or what, fuzz butt?!”

Two of the four shazzles were Inferno and the other two were Aquatic and Earthbound, respectively. The fraggles had yet to see a Gale shazzle.

“Don't you call her that!” Gobo shouted, his arm around Red.

“What did we ever do to deserve this?” Mokey asked.

“Lainj, you want to drown them so they can quit talking?”

“Gladly,”

The Aquatic shazzle began water-bending, her azure irises glowing, when Vanda interrupted them.

“That won't be necessary, kiddos,” she called out while flying over. “I'll take it from here.”

The fraggles got a good, long look at Vanda. She was a Gale shazzle indeed. Yellow wings and eyes, though she had coral skin and gold blonde hair styled into a bob. Boober trembled and whimpered, afraid of what she was capable of, and for once, everyone else felt the same. Even Traveling Matt, who had explored many dangerous places and encountered dangerous people, was shaking.

“Fine, let us know when that half-breed shows up so we can kill her too.”

Boober gasped.

“Oh no, Jessa!”

“Where is my niece?” Matt asked, just as scared as the other fraggles.

“She's probably curled up somewhere, crying and wondering where we're at,” Boober said out of panic.

“No, that's a you thing, Boober,” Gobo told him.

“Yeah, if anything, Jessa's probably on her way here right now,” Mokey added, trying to be optimistic.

“I want to get out of here,” Boober whined. “It's scary.”

Boober wasn't wrong, though. They were trapped inside a magical cage, unable to escape, and about to be slaughtered by shazzles. Where, oh where was Jessa?!

“Now then,” Vanda began while cracking her knuckles, making Boober wince. “I'm not a very patient woman, so let's get this over with. And I can finally stick it to Jessa.”

“You wouldn't!” Gobo spat.

“I would, you orange dipshit.”

Red growled, wanting to punch Vanda in her face.

“Infernos, attack!” Vanda shouted.

As if by command, all the Inferno shazzles began fire-bending, and with the help of Vanda herself, she air-bended to make the flames race towards the fraggles, ready to end them once and for all.

“I never got to tell Jessa how much she means to me,” Boober cried. “And that I want to spend the rest of my life with her.”

“Gobo,” Red began after hearing what Boober said. “I… I like you. More than as a friend.”

Gobo held her face and kissed her.

“I feel the same way, Red,” he admitted sadly.

Red's lips quivered.

“Now we won't get to have fun or do anything anymore.”

“But at least we have good memories together.”

Gobo held her hands while saying this, and they smiled weakly at each other. Boober continued to sob and tremble, and soon enough, everyone huddled close, preparing for a fiery death. Beyond the cage was a sea of flames. Every Inferno shazzle was fire-bending, and Vanda was air-bending to control the direction in which the flames burned. Everything was heating up and getting warmer. The fire was growing closer, and the fraggles began sweating, but despite the discomfort, they still held on to each other. Boober anticipated 1st degree burns at any given second, but before any damage could be done, Vanda and the Inferno shazzles paused when they sensed something that they thought was lost years ago.

“It… can't be!” Vanda spat.

“What happened?” Gobo asked before Mokey gasped.

“Look,” she said while pointing in the distance.

The ground began to rumble, and Vanda stopped air-bending, though the fire from the Inferno shazzles had yet to fizzle out. The rumbling grew more and more intense until a tsunami of water burst out from a nearby tunnel and swept over the ground, completely extinguishing the flames. On top of the highest wave was Jessa in her Loch Ness Monster form, and the Holy Shazzlin Sword morphed into a glowing trident. She had a look of vengeance on her face as she eyed Vanda, who was in utter shock that she had the sword this whole time.

“Hello Vanda,” Jessa spat, her voice slightly distorted from being in Loch Ness form. “It's been a few years. To what do I owe the displeasure.”

“You know her?” Boober couldn't help but ask.

Jessa turned to see him and everyone else caged up, breaking her heart.

“Boober?” She whispered in despair.

“You had the Holy Shazzlin Sword this whole time?!”

Jessa whipped her head and glared at the Supreme Lady of the Shazzle Realm.

“You would be amazed at what losing your parents can do to a person,” Jessa replied coldly.

“Surrender the sword, Jessa! Or your little fraggles become ashes.”

“Fine, but let me do something first.”

Jessa spawned a monsoon stream from her trident and hit Vanda with it, pelting her hard and causing her to crash into a wall. Jessa then turned to the Inferno shazzles, and glared at all of them.

“Perish! All of you!!” She shouted before making the water rise.

Before anyone knew, the Inferno shazzles were submerged in the water and drowning, some of them begging for mercy. But Jessa showed no remorse, simply staring them down and watching them die. Red watched nervously, remembering her near-death experience in the Fraggle Pond. Jessa saved her life, but she could also manipulate water to kill. The coughing and gagging stopped after a few minutes, and once every Inferno shazzle was dead, Jessa snapped her fingers and the water whisked away into a hole in the ground, taking the corpses with it. Once the water was gone, Jessa changed back into a fraggle and shazzle hybrid, her trident returned to sword form, and her voice wasn't distorted anymore.

“Jessa!” Matt shouted as she turned around. “Somehow we ended up here in the Shazzle Realm, and I thought we were going to burn to death.”

Jessa sprinted to the cage they were all trapped in, morphing her sword into a key.

“Nobody's burning on my watch,” she insisted. “Never again.”

“Oh, Sugar Lips!” Boober shouted.

“I was so worried about you all,” Jessa admitted. “I thought Vanda killed you and that I was too late.”

Before Jessa could unlock the cage, Vanda got up and teleported to Jessa and manhandled her.

“You half-breed scum,” she growled.

“If you're expecting an apology, Vanda, keep dreaming. Because I'm not sorry for what I did. And your precious son was just as bad as you. I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.”

Vanda growled viciously, but Jessa wasn't fazed.

“I don't know why you non-hybrids hated me so much, but I do know this; I don't give a rat's ass.”

Jessa's eyes lit up in rose red, and she fire-bent, scorching Vanda's wings, causing her to bellow and drop her.

“So why don't you wallow in your bigotry while we get out of here.”

Jessa attempted to unlock the cage and free the fraggles, but an Aquatic shazzle put out the flames on Vanda's wings before any serious damage could be done, allowing her to attack Jessa.

“Jessa, I'm so happy to see you,” Boober said to her.

“We all are,” Red added.

“I'm happy to see all of you, too,” Jessa said. “And I'm sorry about all of this.”

“Give me that sword!” Vanda shouted while sending a whirlwind Jessa's way.

“Jessa, look out,” Wembley shouted while pointing at it.

Jessa turned around and glanced at it, spreading her wings and flying upwards to avoid it. By the time she was safely off the ground, the whirlwind hit a group of Earthbound shazzles, causing them to be flung everywhere. This made Jessa chuckle as she watched them.

“Wow, you must be getting old, Vanda. You're aiming sucks.”

Vanda growled and flew towards Jessa, creating a Blister Breeze to hurl at her.

“You have a lot of nerve coming back here not only after killing my husband and my son, but also stealing the Holy Shazzlin Sword.”

Jessa swerved to dodge the Blister Breeze.

“Only because you and everyone else killed my parents first, so that makes us even.”

Jessa grabbed her sword and pointed at Vanda's face.

“But I guess you don't operate like that, do you.”

Jessa retracted her sword and morphed it into a mace.

“You shazzles made my life a living hell since the day I was born. Now it's my turn to return the favor.”

Jessa growled and swung her mace, but missed as Vanda dodged the attack.

“Your mother made a huge mistake, she did. If she had stayed in the Shazzle Realm and married someone here, I would be talking to you right now.”

Jessa didn't reply, instead turning invisible and flying behind Vanda and swinging her mace. The fraggles watched as she went flying across the Realm, screaming in pain.

“Maybe if you hadn't been such a Karen and kept your son in check, things would be different,” Jessa replied indifferently. “But it seems that politics and going ga-ga over the Supreme Lord were more important to you.”

“At least Jerolie got the love and attention he deserved. Something Morrigan never gave him. He loved her, but she didn't give him so much as one glance in his direction. Meanwhile, I gave him everything!”

“And did he return your love?”

“Of course he did!”

The tone in Vanda's voice sounded something like denial, which Jessa picked up on. Instead of saying something, however, she chose to fly over to the Supreme Lady.

“I'd love to talk about love triangles, but that ain't me, dawg,” Jessa said after landing on her feet in front of her.

“Fine then,” Vanda spat. “I'll just fucking kill you.”

Chapter Text

Boober’s POV:

I hadn't realized how much Jessa was holding back on her powers until now. It was a lot to take in. But she was doing a good job fighting the other shazzles. After scorching the vines that an Earthbound shazzle trapped her in, Jessa landed on the ground and stomped her foot, summoning a geyser field. I didn't know she could do this, but I'm not surprised at this point. Jessa is capable of a lot. The geysers shot up super high, hindering some of the shazzles and even burning them. Even though Jessa was eliminating them, her main focus was on Vanda. That woman scares me, and I hope Jessa gets rid of her. I'm still shook from almost being burned.

End of Boober’s POV

Jessa stood amid her geyser field, glaring at everyone who was affected. Yet somehow Vanda managed to avoid it. No matter, Jessa was an All-Element Bending shazzle. She could still beat her. Flying into the air and out of the impact radius, she used her X-Ray vision to search for the Supreme Lady.

“Where are you?” She asked quietly before getting sprayed by an Aquatic shazzle.

“Ready to go for a permanent swim?” they asked menacingly.

Jessa only glared in response, her eyes glowing yellow and summoning a freezing wind that caused the Aquatic shazzle's water to freeze onto their body.

“By the time that ice thaws, I won't be around for you to take vengeance on.”

The shazzle screamed before their entire body was enclosed in ice, rendering them useless. The frozen shazzle then fell to the ground, the ice not taking any damage. Jessa didn't stick around to witness it, though, finding a place to land and rethink her strategy. Sure, she wanted to kill Vanda, but these other shazzles had to go first. Just like she did with the Inferno shazzles, Jessa unanimously froze the rest of the Aquatic shazzles before burning the Earthbound shazzles. She couldn't risk using the Extinction Sonic Wave with Boober and everyone else still in the vicinity. This had to be handled tactfully. As for the Gale shazzles, Jessa had to lava bend to loosen a few boulders. As soon as they were easy to manipulate, Jessa air-bent and made the boulders crush them. It took a few tries, but once there was but one Gale shazzle left, Jessa's geyser field silenced and became dormant. But Vanda snuck up behind her and snatched her sword.

“You may have defeated everyone else, but you're not leaving with this sword. In fact, you're not leaving at all.”

Vanda then swiped the sword through Jessa's hair tie and cut it, loosening her hair.

“Did you think you could come back here and raise all kinds of hell?”

“Did you think I would come back here at all, if not for the fact that you took these poor fraggles and caged them up? If anything, you brought this on yourself.”

Jessa teleported elsewhere, leading Vanda to search for the hybrid.

“You came into my territory, kidnapped my loved ones, and you still want to play the victim. No shazzle is deserving of any sympathy.”

“That's where you're wrong!”

Before Jessa could respond, Vanda tried to slash her, only for the former to teleport behind her.

“Be careful, my love!” Boober called out.

“That scaredy fraggle is your lover?” Vanda asked Jessa.

Instead of replying verbally, Jessa's eyes glowed green, and her fist turned to stone.

“None of your business or concern, Vanda.”

Jessa threw a punch, but missed as Vanda flew back.

“In fact, why don't you just stand still so I can break your nose.”

Vanda raised the sword and morphed into a storm cloud, catching Jessa slightly off guard.

“Since you've got to be in Loch Ness form, this will make us even.”

“Jessa, no!” Boober yelled.

Jessa briefly glanced at Boober and communicated with him telepathically.

“I'll try to end this as quickly as possible. I love you.”

Boober’s lips quivered.

“I love you too, Sugar Lips.”

Vanda was in the middle of her storm cloud transformation and laughing maniacally, allowing Jessa to turn invisible.

Gobo's POV:

Before Jessa turned invisible, I noticed her Bloodlust symbol glowing.

“Uncle Matt, what does it mean when a shazzle's Bloodlust symbol glows?”

“According to what the Storyteller has told me so far, it means they've encountered an old nemesis. Jessa didn't tell you?”

“No, we didn't discuss that yet.”

“What about Jessa's Bloodlust symbol?” I heard Boober ask over the chaos Vanda was creating.

“It was glowing, just like your baloobius does when you're at peace.”

“What?!”

“Whatever Jessa's doing, I hope she does it quickly,” Red added, followed by Wembley agreeing with her.

“Come on, Jessa!” Mokey chanted. “Whatever you plan to do, you can do it!”

I couldn't see where my cousin went, but I knew she hated this Gale shazzle. After what happened with our relatives, I don't blame her.

“Jessa!” I called out. “Do whatever you want with Vanda. I know it's something violent, but go ahead. Before she puts another dent in our family tree.”

“For Lenny and Morrigan, niece Jessa!” Uncle Matt added.

“That was the plan anyway,” she responded telepathically.

End of Gobo's POV

Vanda began striking with lightning, but Jessa remained invisible.

“You're going to have to show yourself at some point,” the Supreme Lady called out, her voice distorted.

Jessa, still invisible, flew through the minefield of lightning, rage boiling inside of her. Vanda floated in the air and struck where she felt Jessa would be, but to no avail. She flew closer to Vanda, talons emerging from her fingers while her Bloodlust symbol glowed brightly. She was going to have hell to pay.

Chapter Text

The fraggles watched Jessa fly into the storm cloud before an agonizing shriek was heard. Boober gasped but knew that it wasn't his girlfriend's voice. A few seconds later, Vanda's power weakened, and it was revealed that Jessa had pierced her wings with her talons. The storm cloud disappeared, the thunder silenced, and the lightning dimmed.

"You were saying about me not leaving the Shazzle Realm?" Jessa asked her coolly after turning visible.

They both landed on the ground, but Jessa wasn't done. She snatched her sword from Vanda and morphed it into a crossbow, an arrow spawning on it. But not just any arrow, it was the flaming arrow of trauma.

"Is that the flaming arrow of trauma?" Red asked.

"This ends now," Jessa declared before shooting it at Vanda, who began screaming in agony as visions of unpleasant memories appeared in her head.

Jessa stepped away and shot a regular arrow at the cage's lock, destroying it and freeing the fraggles.

"Are you guys alright?" She asked as Boober hugged her tightly.

"I'm happy to be out of that cage," Gobo replied while Boober smothered Jessa with kisses.

"And those shazzles were not nice," Mokey added.

Jessa returned Boober's affections and kissed him.

"Let's go home," she said while gazing at her boyfriend, who grinned happily.

They all got up and attempted to leave, but Vanda had stopped screaming long enough to remove the arrow from her body and glare at Jessa, who was walking off with the fraggles and the Holy Shazzlin Sword. Despite her injuries, she had enough stamina to teleport behind Jessa and steal her sword. Jessa felt it happening, and before she knew it, Vanda had pulled her back by the hair and slung her to the ground.

"What the hell, you old crone?!" She shouted as Vanda pointed the sword intimidatingly close to her nose.

"You've killed my son, my husband, and everyone else in the Shazzle Realm! How do you plead, brat?!" Vanda shouted.

"Guilty. Without regrets."

Vanda didn't waste any more time before raising the sword, about to kill Jessa. She closed her eyes and prepared to be slaughtered. Jessa then heard the sound of the sword blade slicing through flesh, except it wasn't hers. She opened her eyes and felt her heart sink at what she saw.

"Boober! No!!"

Jessa teleported to him while he lay there, bleeding and in serious pain.

"Boober, what were you thinking?!" Jessa asked him.

"You were about to be killed," he replied weakly. "I couldn't bear that scenario."

"So you jumped in front of Vanda and got yourself hurt?"

Boober slowly raised his hand and caressed her cheek.

"Jessa," he began, his breathing unstable. "I love you."

"I... I love you too."

Jessa began crying as she cradled Boober in her arms, the others equally upset, while Vanda grinned smugly.

"Please, Boober, don't die on me."

Boober couldn't speak but managed to stay conscious a few minutes longer. Wembley and Mokey began sobbing along with Jessa, and soon they gathered around Boober.

"It's a good thing I've been teaching other fraggles to do laundry," Boober said. "Should something happen to me."

"I didn't think it would be this soon," Gobo admitted, choking on tears.

"Me either," Red added before crying.

"Oh, Boober, why did it have to be you?" Mokey cried.

"And why not Vanda?!" Wembley added.

Matt didn't say anything, but he cried as well. Boober heard them, but it didn't take long for him to succumb to his wound and die. Upon feeling his last breath, Jessa kissed him and set him down. Now her Bloodlust symbol was illuminating while a storm began brewing. But the fraggles were too grief-struck to notice. Jessa kicked off her boots and let her Bloodlust manifest, talons reappearing along with tail spikes and shark fangs while she screamed in anguish.

"Aw, look," Vanda mocked. "You're grief-stricken and want to kill me."

Jessa huffed angrily before charging at Vanda. Though Jessa was strong and swift without Bloodlust, the effect gave her twice as much brute force and agility. Vanda had the Holy Shazzlin Sword in her hands and used it to counterattack, but it proved futile. Jessa was fueled by grief and rage. How dare she kill the love of her life! It didn't take long for the fraggles to notice the ongoing battle between Vanda and a Bloodlust-ridden Jessa.

"Looks like Jessa got her Bloodlust," Matt noted, still sad about Boober's death.

Red, suddenly angry, ran over to the two fighting shazzles.

"Red, where are you going?!" Gobo shouted.

"I'm going to avenge Boober!"

She didn't care if she would be next, or if Jessa insisted she stay out of it, Red wanted that yellow-winged shazzle gone. Vanda managed to get the upper hand until Red snuck up behind her and bit her tail.

"You disgusting little fraggle!" She shouted.

Jessa didn't so much as object when they both began fighting Vanda.

"That's what you get for killing my friend and calling Gobo a dipshit!"

"Looks like it's 2-1," Jessa pointed out, her voice distorted from the Bloodlust.

"Bring it on. I still have the Holy Shazzlin Sword."

Vanda couldn't fly away due to Jessa hurting her wings, so she ran. But the girls chased her, Jessa running inhumanly fast. Gobo joined the fight not too long after, and he and Red were doing their best to keep up with Jessa. Meanwhile, Mokey, Wembley, and Traveling Matt watched. Mokey still held Boober despite him being dead. Jessa used her powers to retrieve the sword, but it wasn't until Gobo and Red tugged Vanda's tail that Jessa reclaimed the sword and pinned Vanda against the wall.

"You should have died 6 years ago with your family," Jessa snarled. "Too bad it took losing the love of my life to get to this point."

Vanda air-bent, sending Jessa, Gobo, and Red flying backward.

"Correction: You should never have been born. Fraggles and shazzles should never breed. That was your mother's mistake."

Jessa glared at the Supreme Lady, but Vanda was about to slaughter them again. The three huddled together, preparing for death, but a shield appeared out of nowhere, causing the sword to violently deflect and hit Vanda on the forehead, giving her a scar.

"Jessa, did you do that?" Gobo asked.

"No, whose shield is this?"

A ghostly figure then appeared, but Jessa recognized her right away.

"Mom?"

Morrigan didn't say anything but offered to help her daughter up.

"So that's Aunt Morrigan," Gobo said in amazement. "Nice to meet you. I'm your nephew, Gobo."

Morrigan smiled warmly in response. Traveling Matt watched from a distance, sadness and regret filling his heart, as if he wasn't sad enough already. Before he could do or say anything else, another ghostly hand placed itself on his shoulder. Matt turned around and was surprised at who he saw.

"Lenny?!"

Wembley looked around for Boober's ghost but didn't see him anywhere.

"Where's Boober's ghost?" He asked.

Lenny looked at Boober's corpse before pointing at it, revealing that his soul had not left his body yet. Mokey gasped happily.

"Does this mean we can still save him?" Mokey asked hopefully.

Lenny responded with a nod before pointing at something else. The living fraggles looked on to see a floating emerald that had been let loose by Jessa, Gobo, Red, and Vanda fighting.

"What is that, Lenny?" Matt asked.

Morrigan teleported to him and shared information on said emerald with Matt via telepathy. Once he was filled in, there was hope in his eyes.

"That emerald can resurrect Boober and restore his physical health," he told Mokey and Wembley, who was about to run and grab it.

But he stopped once Traveling Matt began speaking again.

"But the Life Sustaining Emerald must be used wisely, as it only comes around every millennium. And they're single-use only. Once the emerald is finished serving its purpose, it loses its color and crumbles."

"This is for a worthy cause, Traveling Matt," Wembley told him before rushing towards the emerald.

Morrigan teleported back to where she was, giving Matt and Lenny some space to work out their differences. Vanda got up and spotted Wembley heading towards the emerald, attempting to summon another Blister Breeze when Jessa lunged at her. Morrigan offered her power against Vanda, which helped tremendously, and Jessa got to put Vanda in her place. After getting soaked by the ghost of her ex-friend, Jessa Roundhouse kicked Vanda and stole back her sword. By this point, the Gale shazzle was weakened by her injuries.

"Morrigan, how could you?" She asked. "You and I were best friends. You had everything here in the Shazzle Realm. You even had a hot Supreme Lord looking your way."

Morrigan rolled her eyes, knowing that she would have never been happy ruling over the Shazzle Realm with Jerolie. She didn't even like him. Her true love was none other than Lenny, as she was his.

"You chose to run off with a fraggle instead."

"Oh, shut up!" Jessa shouted before raising her sword and stabbing Vanda in the chest.

"You don't get to decide who loves who," Jessa snarled. "Furthermore, you don't get to abuse their offspring or let your own children do it for you."

Vanda tried to snark back but was too critically injured to do so. Red and Gobo stomped over to her and glared at Vanda.

"You also don't get to kidnap fraggles," Gobo added angrily. "That being said,"

"Stay out of Fraggle Rock!" Red finished before she and Gobo unanimously stomped on Vanda's face.

Morrigan and Jessa smiled before the latter leaned closer to the dying Gale shazzle.

"Also, this is MY sword."

Jessa then removed it from Vanda's chest, but it made no difference as she died seconds later. Upon Vanda's last breath, Jessa's Bloodlust features turned into purple fairy dust and floated off of her.

"Jessa, what's happening to you?" Red asked in concern when Morrigan communicated with her telepathically. "Oh."

The fairy dust settled on Jessa's arm near her Bloodlust symbol, which was now dormant, and formed a new marking.

"Tally marks?" Gobbo asked upon inspecting it.

"That means I've had two Bloodlusts in my lifetime," Jessa explained.

"Hey guys, look what I got!" Wembley shouted.

Jessa gasped and teared up.

"A Life Sustaining Emerald?!"

Before Wembley could reply, Jessa flew to him.

"Don't just stand there, give it to me."

Wembley gave her the emerald, and Jessa flew to Boober and landed next to him. Mokey let go of him before Jessa placed the emerald in his hand, and it glowed brightly before working its magic on Boober. Everyone watched in anticipation while this happened. Boober's wound closed up, and the blood around him disappeared. He then began moving and groaning, to which Jessa smiled and held him tighter.

"It's working," she said.

Soon enough, Boober was revived and woke up to Jessa grinning down at him.

"Sugar Lips?"

Jessa greeted him with a kiss on the lips, to which he reciprocated. The emerald continued restoring Boober's health while they kissed. As it did, Boober could feel his body recovering.

"I thought I lost you, koibito."

"I thought I was dead."

"You were, but Wembley found the Life Sustaining Emerald."

Boober glanced at the glowing jewel in his hand.

"So that's how I cheated death."

Jessa giggled and stole another kiss from him.

"How can I ever repay you, Wembley?" Boober asked him.

"Technically, it was Lenny who found it."

"Lenny?"

Lenny then appeared beside Boober, who was startled to see a ghost.

"It's okay, babe, he won't hurt you," Jessa said to him.

Lenny glanced at him before smiling.

"He's my dad."

Once it registered in Boober’s head, he took off his hat and greeted Lenny. Matt approached Morrigan and attempted to make amends, but couldn't find the right words. Despite this, Morrigan could tell it was genuine and hugged him. All was forgiven despite the lack of verbal communication on the ghosts' end. Lenny and Matt were on good terms again, and Matt accepted his brother's relationship with Morrigan. Even though Lenny didn't say anything, Boober could tell that the ghost approved of him as Jessa's partner. Boober hadn't noticed that his health had been fully restored until the Life Sustaining Emerald lost its color and crumbled out of his hand.

"Was that supposed to happen?" He asked.

"Yes," Jessa answered. "That means you're fully recovered."

Morrigan and Lenny then bid everyone farewell and began walking away, but Jessa stopped them.

"Wait! Where are your bodies?"

The ghosts looked at each other before Morrigan held out her hand and summoned their respective skeletons from an obscure location. Jessa stepped closer to the pile of bones and knelt.

"You two need a burial elsewhere."

Morrigan and Lenny smiled before hugging their daughter, and Jessa teared up once more. The fraggles watched on, crying as well.

"Someday, we'll reunite," Jessa said to them.

Morrigan gave her a peck on the forehead before walking off into the afterlife with Lenny. Once they were gone, Jessa morphed her sword into a bag and put the bones in there.

"I guess we can return to Fraggle Rock," Matt noted.

"I want to show Boober something first," she told him.

"It’s not more death and pestilence, is it?" Boober asked her.

"It's none of that, Boober," Jessa reassured him. "Come with me."

Chapter Text

“Jessa, where are we going?”

“Have you ever wanted new reading material, Boober?”

“…Yeah.”

“Well, here we are, the Shazzle Library.”

Boober gasped in awe at the enormity of the library. Jessa joyfully watched him as he ascended the stairs to the doors, eventually following.

“With a building this size, there's bound to be a million books in here.”

“Just say which genre you prefer, and we can take some home with us.”

Boober stopped and looked at her.

“Seriously?”

“Why not? You've endured more than enough today, and it's cute seeing you so happy you're reading.”

Jessa blushed while saying this, and Boober walked over and held her hands, gazing at her.

“Thank you, Sugar Lips,” he said before kissing her.

Jessa melted and felt her tail wag. Oh, how she loved him. After the kiss, Boober leaned on Jessa and held her, his tail also wagging. Jessa chuckled when he caressed her back.

“Are there any books on shazzle health? Or what type of medicinal plants they use?”

Without another word, Jessa teleported them to the section Boober requested, and he was amazed at how many there were.

“These are so fascinating,” he said before reading the title of each book out loud.

Boober grabbed each book that piqued his interest, which was quite a bit, so Jessa teleported elsewhere and came back with a cart to haul the books in. She knew that Boober would have a fit if his news books were touched by the remains of her parents, though she couldn't blame him. By this point, Boober had a stack of books in his arms, and he began struggling, prompting Jessa to help him. She stacked them neatly into the cart while he collected a few more.

“I wish I could take all of these home with me,” he admitted. “But there isn't enough room in my hole.”

“You can always store them in my dojo.”

Remembering this, Boober grinned. Before he could gather more books, Gobo and the others approached them.

“So this is what you wanted to show Boober,” Gobo said to Jessa.

“I saw some paint that moves by itself,” Mokey pointed out just as Boober finished collecting the books he wanted.

“That's called animated paint, Mokey,” Jessa replied. “It brings paintings to life when applied to a canvas.”

“Can I bring some home?”

“The other shazzles are dead, so anything we want is ours for the taking.”

“Alright!” Red shouted before running off somewhere.

Jessa took a few sentimental items from her childhood home, Boober had new books on shazzle diseases to read, and Mokey was excited to create animated paintings. The only ones who didn't grab anything were Wembley, Gobo, and Traveling Matt. By the time Red came back, everyone was ready to leave the Shazzle Realm.

“You didn't find anything?” Wembley asked her.

“Nah, nothing good that I can use in Fraggle Rock.”

“Well then,” Jessa began. “Let's get the hell out of here.”

Boober began pushing his cart of books, Mokey had found a bag for her animated paint, and Jessa stuck her belongings inside of her sword while everyone else walked out empty-handed. At the entrance, Jessa stopped and turned to get one final look at the Shazzle Realm. Nobody was living here now. No survivors (not counting the fraggles and herself), and it was about as empty and lifeless as Point Nemo. But Jessa had everyone and everything she needed back in Fraggle Rock. What use could the Shazzle Realm be to her now?

“Jessa, are you coming?” Red asked.

“I am,” she began before walking back in. “Just give me a few minutes.”

Boober watched nervously as she re-entered the Shazzle Realm, but then she stopped just a few inches away from the exit.

“What is she doing?” Gobo wondered out loud.

Jessa's hair began blowing in the breeze, and her eyes glowed red, but no fire came out of her palms.

“Sugar Lips?”

Jessa raised her sword and jabbed it into the ground, and volcanoes immediately erupted. Boobed screamed, as did the others, and they all ran off to a safe distance. Lava began oozing everywhere and flooded the entire place.

“Jessa! No!!” Boober yelled.

“Young lady, you get out of there right now!” Matt shouted.

“I'm not committing suicide,” she told everyone telepathically. “I'm making sure this place doesn't exist anymore.”

“Jessa, please,” Boober begged. “I don't want you getting scorched by that lava.”

She let all her rage soak through the sword and let it travel to the ground before pulling it out and running out of there. The lava went all the way up to the cave ceiling and solidified once it reached the entrance, not going beyond that point. Now the Shazzle Realm was filled with hardened lava and closed off from the rest of the world.

“Jessa?”

“I'm ready to go home now,” she told the others as her hair became stationary and her eyes returned to their natural silver color.

Nobody objected as they all walked back together, but it wasn't long until Traveling Matt realized.

“Jessa, I'm not too familiar with this part of the rock. How far away are we from home?”

Jessa stopped upon realizing that they were all at least 100+ miles away from Fraggle Rock.

“Very far, Uncle Matt,” she replied.

“How far?” Wembley asked her.

“More than a hundred miles.”

“We'll never get home in time for me to cook dinner,” Boober griped.

“Hello, I can teleport,” Jessa reminded him.

“Can you teleport all seven of us back to Fraggle Rock?” Gobo asked.

“I can, but I need serious concentration. I've never teleported this many people with me before. Everyone huddle up, and have a tight grip on your belongings.”

Boober and Mokey tightened their hold on their objects, respectively, while huddling in a big circle. Jessa closed her eyes and envisioned Fraggle Rock. How it made her feel and the things she liked about it. All these pleasant memories were enough for her and everyone else to teleport home. Soon enough, they all vanished into thin air, away from the Shazzle Realm.

Chapter Text

A FEW DAYS LATER:

Jessa lay in her bed, staring solemnly at the ceiling while Red and Mokey slept peacefully. After coming back from the Shazzle Realm, Jessa received praise for her rescue. But no amount of positive attention from the Fraggle Rock populace could stop her from feeling down. The worst part about it was that she had no clue what was causing it. Surely Jessa should be happy that the shazzle race was no more. She was the only one left in existence, hybrid or not. Jessa turned her head towards her roommates, wondering how they were possibly okay after all that had happened. A twinge of envy ran through her, as she was still unable to go to sleep, and it was already 2:00 in the morning. Giving up on slumber, Jessa got up, retrieved her sword from under her hole, and headed for the gorg's garden. There was a task she had been meaning to fulfill, but had no time to do it. Now seemed like a good time, even if it was storming. Thunder boomed outside, and rain poured heavily, even heavier than when she flew back from the gorg village several weeks ago. Jessa didn't bother using her powers to shield herself from the monsoon. The ground was muddy and slick, but Jessa had enough experience navigating environments like that from her time living in the Terrible Tunnel. She stomped around, looking for a good place to bury the remains of her parents. A flash of lightning almost blinded her, but Jessa wasn't afraid of storms. Not even when a loud crash of thunder sounded shortly after. The thunderstorm didn't faze her at all. Not the raindrops pelting her, not the wind freezing her now soaking wet skin, and not the mud dirtying her feet. None of those things were enough to make Jessa return to her hole. Boober would have a huge fit over the state of her pajamas later, but Jessa needed some distraction right now. A distraction from whatever was eating at her. After wading through the wet ground for a bit, Jessa climbed the rock in search of the perfect spot for her parents' burial. She needed it to be somewhere the gorgs would never find it, but also accessible to her fellow fraggles. Well, mostly Gobo and their Uncle Matt. Being on top of the rock, the rain cleared some of the mud off Jessa’s feet, though they were still stained. She had a difficult time seeing due to the raging storm, but she finally found a place when lightning flashed. Saving herself a trip, Jessa teleported to said location, turned her sword into a shovel, and began digging. The rain picked up, but Jessa continued to dig, using her powers if need be. The soil was too heavy to lift while wet, but Jessa used her shazzle strength. As soon as the grave was deep enough, she teleported out of there and summoned Lenny's corpse. It levitated into the grave, and Jessa buried it. Next was Morrigan, and she did the same thing. By the time Jessa finished both of their graves, the storm calmed down. Now she needed to make headstones. The wood from logs would be too wet from the rain, as would the rocks.

“Guess I'll have to save that task for another time,” Jessa lamented before making her way back into the rock.

Now she was muddy and soaking wet, but Jessa water-bent some of the mud off of her before coming back inside. It made no difference, however, as Boober would complain. He would scold her for being so careless with her clothes, but Jessa wasn't at all bothered by this. She didn't mind his laundry habits. After making sure there was no trace of excess mud or water on her pajamas, Jessa stripped naked and left them in Boober’s dirty laundry basket before taking a shower. The warm water felt welcoming in comparison to the frigid rain. She washed up and stood amid the hot water, letting it relax her muscles after all that digging. By the time the hot water ran out, Jessa was finally tired, so she dried off, found some other clothes to put on, and went to sleep.

Boober was serving breakfast to everyone when he noticed Jessa had yet to come and eat.

“Mokey? Red? Did Jessa sleep in your room last night?” He asked them.

“She's still asleep,” Red answered with her mouth full.

“At this hour?” Gobo asked her.

“Honesty Red, I wish you wouldn't talk with your mouth full,” Boober told her.

“Jessa seems… off lately,” Mokey noted.

“Yeah, she's been acting like that since we all got back from the Shazzle Realm,” Wembley added.

Boober became worried.

“You mean she's sick or…?”

“Not sick, but down,” Mokey answered him.

Boober removed his apron and oven mitts before walking to her hole. Just as the girls had said, Jessa was sleeping in her bed. Boober wondered why she hadn't gotten up yet, especially since her breakfast was getting cold.

“Sugar Lips,” he whispered while gently waking her up.

Jessa groaned weakly, but didn't open her eyes.

“I made your favorite: radish waffles.”

Jessa finally rolled over and rubbed her eyes, and Boober waited patiently. She sleepily gazed up at him and grinned.

“Yay, waffles,” she replied tiredly.

“They'll be cold waffles if you don't eat them soon enough.”

“Alright, I'm coming.”

Jessa got up and began her way to the dining room, Boober catching up to her a second later.

“Jessa, have you been feeling alright?”

“I just had a rough night, koibito. That's all.”

Boober could tell she was lying, but didn't want to make a big deal about it in case he pushed her away.

“I just want to make sure you're not hurting. You're my girlfriend.”

“My bones aren't giving me shit, and neither is my skin. So what does that tell you?”

“Just… don't be afraid to let me know when something is bothering you. I can't stand it when you never tell me about your problems.”

Jessa blushed as Boober held her hands while saying this.

“Don't suffer alone anymore, Jessa. I don't want that for you. I want you to be able to open up to me.”

“Boober,” Jessa began. “I can't promise anything, because making promises only leads to disappointment. But if something is bothering me, I'll… try to open up.”

Jessa struggled to say the last part, but it was enough for Boober to feel slightly relieved. Without another word, Boober kissed her, and they joined everyone else in the dining room.

“Morning Jessa,” Mokey greeted her.

“Morning,” Jessa replied with a yawn before sitting down.

Boober handed her some syrup, to which she thanked him and put some on her waffles. Hardly any conversations were had as everyone was eating, but that was fine with Jessa. She didn't feel like talking, at least right now. Boober watched her eat, concerned about her recent behavior. Not that Jessa was doing anything drastic, but she seemed less engaged these days. Since reading the books he got at the Shazzle Realm, Boober had learned more about shazzle health. That being said, new worries began filling his head. Boober hoped that Jessa wasn't developing an illness of some sort. After everyone finished and left, Boober scooted closer to Jessa and stroked her hair. She didn't object, instead snuggling closer to him. He didn't know what to say right now, so he just held her. It was the least he could do until Jessa felt comfortable enough to tell him what was bothering her. Jessa held Boober tightly, finding this rather comforting.

“So, what are you doing today?” She asked after a long silence.

“There are clean clothes I have to deliver, then I'll be washing more socks.”

Jessa hummed softly in response.

“What about you, Sugar Lips?”

“I'm going back to bed. I didn't sleep until 3:00 this morning.”

“No wonder you're so tired.”

“I couldn't sleep, so I got up and went to the gorg's garden to bury my parents.”

“Why would you want to bury them out there?”

“They deserve to be resting outside, even if they are ghosts now. Plus, I wanted it to be somewhere private.”

“What if the gorgs find their graves?”

“They won't. I chose a spot where they never go very often.”

Boober thought for a minute. He wondered if Jessa was suffering from insomnia or if something was keeping her awake. But until she revealed her troubles, he had no choice but to comfort her the best that he could. Boober buried his face in Jessa's hair and smooched her.

“I love you,” Jessa replied while grinning.

“I love you too,” Boober cooed.

He stole another kiss off her cheek while his baloobius glowed.

“I'd better let you deliver those clean clothes before you receive complaints.”

“Sleep well, Jessa.”

Boober held her face and kissed her, and Jessa returned the kiss. After she left, Boober went back to his hole and began gathering the clothes he had washed, folding them neatly into a bin.

Chapter Text

Jessa woke up from her nap quite some time ago and was now carving her parents' names into pieces of wood. She felt a little better than she had earlier, but still had a dull sadness within her. The sound of Jessa caught the attention of Lanford, who was sleeping. 

"What are you doing carving all that wood?”

Jessa sighed in annoyance before replying.

“Nice to see you too, Lanford.”

She didn’t bother engaging with him any further and continued to carve into the wood. Jessa had encountered Lanford a few times since becoming Red and Mokey’s roommate, and while she didn’t necessarily like him that much, she didn’t have a rivalry with the talking plant like Red did. Jessa merely tolerated Lanford for the most part.

“No, but seriously, what are you doing?”

Jessa didn’t answer, hoping he would shut up and go back to sleep. But Lanford kept trying to talk to her.

“Seems like Mokey is the only fraggle around here who treats me with respect.”

“I wonder why,” Jessa replied sarcastically.

Lanford began ranting, but Jessa turned her sword into earmuffs to cancel out his yapping. Since he didn't have eyes, he couldn’t see what she did. At that moment, Jessa wondered why Mokey would bring such an annoying plant home with her, especially since Lanford and Red never got along with each other. Grinning at how muffled his voice was now, Jessa simply hummed and continued to carve names into the headstones. Red walked by, but continued on when she saw Lanford in the room. It took a while for him to realize that Jessa wasn't listening, but when he did, he gave up and went back to sleep. By the time she was almost finished with Morrigan's name, Mokey arrived.

"Hey, what are you doing Jessa?"

"Making headstones for my parents' graves. I buried them last night," Jessa replied while removing her earmuffs.

Mokey walked closer to observe Jessa's work.

"It's not much, but there's only so much I can carve before my hand gets tired."

At that moment, Mokey noticed the earmuffs on Jessa's neck.

"Why do you have earmuffs on?"

Jessa briefly stared at Landford, who was now sleeping again, before answering Mokey.

"My ears were cold," she lied.

Jessa didn't see any reason to complain about Landford like Red did, as Mokey defended him every time. Red came in as soon as she realized that Landford was no longer interacting with Jessa.

"Oh good, Landford is sleeping," she said before noticing the headstones. "Are those for your parents?"

Jessa nodded.

"I had a hard time sleeping last night, so I went outside to the gorg's garden and buried them. The storm didn't help, but I got through it."

Jessa then air-bent to clean up all the wood shavings, creating a whirlwind to carry them to the trash bin.

"That's the first time I've seen you use your powers since..."

"Since the Shazzle Realm?" Jessa asked solemnly.

"Yeah."

Jessa sighed indifferently. Since coming back with everyone in tow, she had been unable to use her powers, let alone her sword, for anything. Not that she had lost the ability to do so, but rather that she was afraid to. Jessa removed the earmuffs from her neck and let them change back into her sword before putting it away.

"You haven't used your sword very much either," Mokey pointed out. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm just..." Jessa began as Red, and Mokey awaited eagerly for an answer. "Still getting used to the fact that I'm the only shazzle left in existence, even if I am a half-breed. It's a lot to take in."

Leaving her headstones on her bed, Jessa began to leave.

"Where are you going?" Red asked her.

"For a walk."

Uncle Matt was in his hole writing in his journal about his experience in the Shazzle Realm and how Jessa rescued them. It was wild, to say the least. Just as he stopped to rest his hand, he spotted Jessa walking past his hole. She didn't stop to say hello though, as she was very deep in thought. Matt glanced at her in concern, but before he could say anything, she was already gone. Gobo stopped by not long afterward.

"Hey Uncle Matt, what's up?"

"Just writing about the Shazzle Realm, Gobo."

"Oh?"

Gobo stepped closer to peek at his journal entry.

"As scary as it was, it was also fascinating," Matt said to him. "Maybe when I'm done, I'll show this to the Storyteller."

"I don't know what's fascinating about being trapped inside a cage and almost being burnt to a crisp."

"We survived, didn't we?"

"Yeah, and we have Jessa to thank for that."

"Speaking of Jessa, she passed by a few minutes ago."

"Jessa hasn't been herself since we got back from the Shazzle Realm. Maybe she's going through something."

"I'm not sure why she went passed my hole, considering the only place in that direction is..."

Both Gobo and Matt realized where Jessa was going.

"The gorg's garden!!" they shouted in unison.

Jessa walked through the gorg's garden, not caring if Ma and Pa Gorg were currently outside. They weren't nearly as troublesome as their son anyway. She didn't bother listening to their conversation and kept walking. Jessa was on her way to see the Trash Heap. Maybe she can figure out what's going on.

"Well, look who it is," Philo greeted her.

"Nice to see you guys too. Is the Trash Heap awake?"

The rats looked at each other before answering.
"You are in the presence of,"

"The Almighty..."

"Trash Heap! Meh!!"

Marjorie rose and grabbed her spectacles.

"Why hello, Jessa. It's nice to see you again."

Jessa smiled weakly in response.

"Something the matter, dear?"

"A lot."

Marjorie and the boys listened eagerly.

"I already told you about my origins. Well, everyone in Fraggle Rock knows about it now."

"Uh-oh, cover blown," Philo commented.

"That's not the issue though."

"Oh?" the Trash Heap asked.

"It was a shock to everyone at first, but they came to accept it. And for a while, I was okay with using my powers openly in Fraggle Rock. But then Vanda kidnapped everyone and-"

"Who's Vanda?"

"The Supreme Lady of the Shazzle Realm."

All 3 of them gasped in horror.

"She took Boober, my uncle Matt, Gobo, and the rest of my friends. I went back to the Shazzle Realm and took my vengeance on the rest of the shazzles. Vanda killed Boober, and I got my second Bloodlust."

"Jessa, I am so sorry about Boober."

"Oh no, it's fine. He's been brought back to life after Wembley found a Life Sustaining Emerald."

"So Boober is still alive?" Gunge asked her.
Jessa nodded, and they all sighed in relief.

"Under the influence of my Bloodlust, I killed Vanda. Gobo and Red helped too."

"So no other shazzles are left?"

"No. I'm the only one left in existence."

"So what seems to be the trouble, Jessa?"

"I don't know how to explain it, but I can't bring myself to use my powers anymore. Not even my sword. Not that I have any reason to now, but I..."

"You...?"

Jessa realized at that moment why she felt so down: Boober's death. Well, would-be death. No amount of riches in the world could be enough for Jessa to repay Wembley for finding that emerald. She already lost her parents, but losing Boober would hurt twice as much.

"I need to repay Wembley somehow," she thought.

"I almost lost my boyfriend. It just didn't hit me until after we got back, and now it's bothering me. I got up at the ass-crack of dawn to bury my parents' remains just so I could be distracted from it for a bit."

"Where are they buried, Jessa?" Gunge asked.

Jessa pointed to said location as they turned their heads.

"Good choice, the gorgs never go there."

"And it's hidden," Philo added.

"Uncle Matt will be happy to know that his brother has a resting place now."

"Brother?" Marjorie asked."

"Oh yeah. Funny story: Gobo and I are cousins. My dad and Uncle Matt are brothers."

"Now that's even more interesting. How did you find that out?"

"The day I told everyone about what I am, I showed them a picture of my parents, and Gobo put two and two together."

"How nice! You have family here now!!" Marjorie cried happily.

For the first time since coming back from the Shazzle Realm, Jessa chuckled. It felt nice to smile and laugh.

"Jessa," Marjorie began. "My advice is to tell Boober, your uncle, and everyone how much they mean to you, protect them, and don't take them for granted."

"Boober means the world to me," Jessa admitted. "And I am not going back to living in the Terrible Tunnel now that I have a solid social circle."

Jessa was about to walk off when she turned around and hugged Marjorie, taking her off guard.

"Thanks for letting me vent."

"No problem, young fraggle."

"Jessa better not have been kidnapped by a gorg," Gobo said as he and Traveling Matt looked for Jessa.

"They say that once a fraggle gets caught by a gorg, they never come back. She may be half shazzle, but I still can't help but worry."

"We all do, Uncle Matt."

The two fraggles kept looking for her, but none of them saw Junior Gorg until it was too late.

"Uncle Matt, help!!"

"I caught a fwaggle!!" Junior yelled while bouncing up and down.

Junior began listing all that he was going to do with Gobo, and Jessa saw what was happening. She flew into the air and summoned a gorg-sized whirlwind to knock him over. Junior yelled and lost his grip on Gobo, who was sent flying, but Jessa caught him.

"Jessa! Thank goodness."

"What are you doing out here?"

"Uncle Matt and I were looking for you."

"Uncle Matt's out here too?"

Gobo pointed downward, and Matt called out from the ground. Without another word, Jessa descended and landed next to their uncle.

"I heard from Gobo that you two were looking for me," she said to him.

"We thought you got thumped or kidnapped by that gorg."

"Kind of hard to thump something that can bend elements."

"Jessa, are you sure you're okay?" Gobo asked her.

She stared at them for a long time before eyeing the rock behind them. Remembering the Trash Heap's words, she led her family back to Fraggle Rock. Now was a very good time to talk about things.

Chapter Text

Everyone was gathered in the girls' hole while Jessa admitted her problems to everyone. It wasn't an easy task for her as she wasn't used to having people to rely on. Nevertheless, she kept on.

"Jessa, why didn't you tell us?" Mokey asked her sadly.

"I'm not good at talking about things, but that's already been showcased."

"Jessa, I'm here for you," Boober offered while caressing her face. "Just remember that."

"We all are," Red added.

"And to tell you the truth, I'm still shook over the whole kidnapping thing myself," Gobo admitted. "Sometimes I wake up and I swear I can feel Vanda's presence."

"Me too," Wembley also admitted, though not for the sake of agreeing with Gobo, but because he actually felt the same.

"I can still feel myself dying from when she killed me," Boober admitted.

"That's a territory I hope to never cross again," Traveling Matt said while removing his hat. "And that's coming from me of all fraggles."

"I can still feel the heat from all those Inferno shazzles," Red said fearfully.

"It's enough to make me throw my blanket across the room in the middle of the night," Mokey added.

"So none of you are okay, it seems."

Everyone shook their heads in response.

"But it feels better to talk about it," Gobo pointed out.

Jessa turned to Boober and glanced at him solemnly.

"The worst thing about all of this is that I almost lost you, like I did my parents,” she said while holding his face and caressing his cheeks with her thumbs.

"I thought I was a goner too," Boober replied sadly. "But it was a stroke of luck when Wembley found that emerald."

Jessa turned to Wembley and rested her hands on his shoulders.

“I owe you a set of Doozer sticks,” she said to him.

Wembley smiled before Jessa let go of him.

“But you're the one who saved us, Jessa,” Red said. “We wouldn't be here if not for you.”

Jessa didn't say anything, already knowing this fact. Boober hugged her, and she hugged him back. Soon, everyone joined in on the hug. Jessa didn't mind in the slightest, happy to know that she wasn't the only one suffering. After what felt like half an hour, the hug ended, and Jessa glanced over at the headstones she had been carving into earlier. Upon seeing how janky the names looked from using a regular tool, Jessa took out her sword and summoned a laser to finish the job. Everyone watched in amazement while she did this, and after she was done, Boober hugged her from behind.

“Your parents will love those headstones, Jessa,” he said sweetly while caressing her.

“What can that sword not do?” Gobo asked her.

“That's why they call it the Holy Shazzlin Sword.”

Mokey began digging around her hole for something while everyone was talking.

“Can I see it?” Wembley asked as he tried to lift off Jessa's bed.

“NO!” Jessa and Boober screamed in unison.

Wembley failed to lift the sword due to it sensing that someone other than Jessa was holding it.

“It's so heavy,” he grunted before managing to lift it a little.

Unfortunately, it was too strong for Wembley, and he lost his balance. The sword slipped out of his hands and almost hit Traveling Matt, but Jessa used her telekinesis to stop it. Matt swallowed hard as the sword levitated away from him and back to Jessa.

“Matt, I'm so sorry!” Wembley apologized, feeling immensely guilty.

“This is why nobody else touches the Holy Shazzlin Sword,” Jessa said to him. “Please don't do that again.”

She said this more out of concern than anything, and everyone heard her tone.

“I'm sorry, Jessa,” he apologized once more.

“You're forgiven, Wembley. Come here.”

Jessa gave him gentle nuggies, to which he laughed. Boober sighed happily, blushing at his girlfriend being so playful.

“Put a ring on it, Boober!” Sidebottom side to him from his subconscious.

Boober blushed in response but didn't object. He grinned at Jessa.

Jessa then let go of Wembley when Matt approached him.

“I've experienced way worse, Wembley. No harm done.”

They hugged just as Mokey found what she was looking for.

“I made this for your parents' headstones, Jessa,” she told her while holding them up.

Jessa stared at them before tearing up, hugging Mokey tightly.

“They look beautiful. Thank you.”

Mokey smiled and hugged Jessa back. After they let go of each other, Jessa teleported all of them to the burial site.

“Where are we?” Red asked.

“Mom and dad's resting place,” Jessa answered.

Boober noticed the freshly placed dirt and didn't dare step closer to it. He may have almost experienced it in the Shazzle Realm, but he still feared death. There have been a few times when he had a nightmare about dying in that awful place and woke up in a cold sweat. If Jessa was sleeping in his hole with him (which she was most of the time), he would cuddle her for comfort. Sometimes Jessa would even wake up and return the cuddles, making him feel better. But it was also because Jessa needed comfort from him as well. She had nightmares about waking up and finding everyone she cared about dead. Comfort snuggling had become a regular thing between them.

“Isn't this the gorg's garden?” Traveling Matt inquired.

“Correct, Uncle Matt,” Jessa replied before taking the flower arrangements from Mokey.

“It's a shame I never got to meet them,” Gobo said sadly while Jessa jammed each headstone into their respective graves. “When they were alive, that is.”

Once the wooden crosses were secured in the dirt, Jessa placed the flowers on top of them and knelt. She closed her eyes and remained silent. Boober kneeled beside her and did the same thing out of respect for his girlfriend. Soon, everyone was kneeling and mourning with Jessa. Boober held her hand and caressed it, which made Jessa feel better. Knowing that she was able to save other people she cared about put her at ease. He even went as far as to remove his hat. Traveling Matt cried and patted Lenny's headstone.

“It's a shame you never got to live to see your gray years like I am now,” he said to the wooden cross. “But I'm glad you're buried close to home.”

Gobo put his hand on his uncle's shoulder in reassurance, to which the aging fraggle smiled. Mokey spread more flowers on the graves while Red and Wembley gave their condolences.

“I never thought having other people around while visiting a grave would make me feel better,” Jessa admitted.

“Death is not something to mourn alone,” Boober murmured before kissing her cheek sympathetically.

Jessa melted and leaned her head on his shoulder, which he loved.

“You're so sweet, Boober. Thank you for helping me through this.”

Boober blushed and grinned. Finally, everyone stood up and began their way through the gorg's garden, but Junior was out planting turnips.

“Just our luck,” Boober griped. “A gorg is out here.”

“You know what that means, everyone.”

Knowing what Jessa was referring to, they all huddled close and she teleported them back to Fraggle Rock.

LATER THAT NIGHT:

“How far have you gotten in those books you brought back?”

“So far, I finished a book on shazzle diseases, and I plan to start the mental health one tomorrow.”

Jessa and Boober were in his bed having a late-night conversation. After visiting the burials today, Jessa felt better. It made her wonder how she survived 6 years of solitude in the Terrible Tunnel.

“I'm glad you're enjoying them, koibito.”

Boober smiled at Jessa and rolled over to face her.

“You have no idea how much I've missed that beautiful smile,” he said to her.

“Easy to be happy when I've got you.”

Jessa kissed him, and Boober giggled in response. Jessa chuckled at his wagging tail and glowing baloobius.

“To tell you the truth, Boober, I don't know how I survived by myself all these years.”

“I can imagine it was very difficult.”

Jessa nodded, but snuggled closer to him. Boober hummed happily and held her. He sure loved nights like this.

“It's hard to believe that just several weeks ago, I met you all in the Terrible Tunnel for the first time.”

“I remember that day clearly,” he replied while rubbing her back. “I thought you were the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.”

Jessa blushed and felt her tail wagging.

“Now here we are, just enjoying each other’s company.”

Boober glanced down at her face and grinned, stealing a kiss from her.

“I love you.”

“If I'm the most beautiful girl, that makes you the most handsome guy.”

Jessa began kissing all over Boober, which flustered him to no end. He absolutely loved every second of it. Jessa loved his giggles and kept kissing him.

“I love you too, Boober,” she murmured before stealing one last kiss. “Hearing you giggle like that makes me happy.”

Boober simply gazed at her, too smitten to say anything after she smooched all over him. Jessa returned his gaze and played with his hair.

“I'm glad all this stuff from my past has been dealt with,” she admitted while stroking his hair. “Now I can just live my life here in Fraggle Rock as your girlfriend.”

Boober sat up and kissed Jessa on the lips, which made her tail wag.

“Me too, Sugar Lips,” he said sweetly.

He couldn't agree more, of course. Boober lay back down and patted his chest, and Jessa rested on top of him. Now it was his turn to play with her hair.

“I will never tire of how soft your hair is.”

Jessa sighed lovingly, relaxing and nuzzling him. This brought back a certain memory for Boober. It was the night Jessa had her nightmare about the Shazzle Realm and her parents dying. This led to her falling asleep on him here in his hole. They weren't even dating then. But it was still a pleasant memory for him. They were doing the same thing now, but this time, they were happy. Jessa had fallen asleep, but Boober didn't mind. He lay there and admired how lovely Jessa looked when sleeping. How did he get so lucky to be her boyfriend? After a while, Boober felt his eyelids getting heavy, so he kissed Jessa and blew out his candle, hugging her tightly as he drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Text

2 WEEKS LATER:

Jessa was in Gobo and Wembley's room playing cards with them. Boober had taken an overnight trip to Lilac Cavern to retrieve more bleach nuts since they were in low supply, so Jessa had to think of other ways to pass the time. Before he left, she gifted him a telepathic amber, so Boober would be able to talk to Jessa telepathically while he was gone. Needless to say, the amber had gotten so much use. Many intimate thoughts were exchanged between the two of them, and Boober was happy knowing that Jessa was alright back at home. They still missed each other, though, and Jessa couldn't wait for Boober to return. She checked in on her boyfriend and asked about his findings so far, to which Boober replied that he had found many and was on his way home today. Jessa responded with a gleeful giggle. For the last two nights, she slept in Red and Mokey's room, even though Boober told her that she could sleep in his hole while he was gone. It wasn’t the same without him though, but she did lie on Boober's bed and inhale the scent of his pillowcase and sheets. They smelled just like him: laundry soap and hair tonic. Jessa didn't dare linger for too long, though, as the aroma would only make her miss Boober even more.

“Do you have a 2 of hearts?” She asked Gobo.

“Nope, go fish.”

Jessa drew a card as Wembley asked her for a 3 of clubs.

“Go fish.”

Wembley drew a card, but before Gobo did his turn, he noticed Jessa's expression.

“Still missing Boober, I see?”

“You think?”

“Shouldn't he be coming back today?” Wembley asked.

“Yep,” Jessa answered. “Boober told me that he's on his way back to Fraggle Rock.”

“Wait, he told you?” Gobo asked.

“I gave him a telepathy amber before he left, so he and I have been keeping contact through that.”

They continued their card game until a couple of unknown fraggles dressed in armor visited their hole.

“Jessa Fraggle?” one of them asked.

The three fraggles looked at each other in confusion.

“Who's asking?” Jessa inquired.

“The World's Oldest Fraggle has assigned us to summon you to the Warriors’ Right of Passage after he heard about you rescuing your friends from the Shazzle Realm.”

The boys gasped in astonishment, but Jessa was still confused.

“What exactly is the Warriors’ Right of Passage?”

“It's a ritual that only the bravest of fraggles can attend. If you pass, you become Fraggle Rock's honorary knight.”

“And if I don't?”

“Jessa, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Gobo told her. “Not very many fraggles get chosen for the Warriors’ Right of Passage.”

“So what will it be, toots?” the armored fraggle asked her.

“Never call me that again,” Jessa replied in annoyance. “As for the Right of Passage, I'll do it.”

“Alright, here's your scroll.”

Jessa took it and stared at it as the armored fraggles left.

“I'm not sure what this Warriors’ Right of Passage entails, but wait until Boober hears about it.”

Jessa left the room as Wembley thought of something.

“Gobo, how come you never got chosen for the Warriors' Right of Passage?”

“Because I'm an explorer, Wembley, not a warrior.”

“But you're a brave fraggle too.” 

Gobo looked on proudly while saying it, and Wembley noticed.

“Irregardless, Jessa deserves this.”

Boober grunted while dragging his wagon full of bleach nuts. At this point, he couldn't wait to return to Jessa. He missed her smile, her laugh, her beautiful face, and her lovely scent whenever he cuddled her. Nevertheless, he found a good number of bleach nuts to last him a year.

“Only a hundred more miles to go,” Boober said while panting. “I'm coming, Jessa.”

He almost wished she would come and teleport him back. But Boober didn't want Jessa to sleep on the uncomfortable ground, or else her back would hurt. At least, that was his experience anyway. That and he didn't want to take advantage of Jessa’s powers. He hated to ask such a favor. Still, he missed being in her presence. Before meeting Jessa, Boober never minded the solo trips to Lilac Cavern. Now that he was in a relationship, it felt lonely. It was hard for him to fall asleep without her snuggling him, and vice versa.

“Maybe next time, I'll invite her to come with me,” he thought.

After Boober crossed a stream, he heard Jessa’s voice inside his head.

“You're not going to believe what just happened.”

Boober’s tail wagged as he grabbed the telepathy amber and responded.

“What happened, Sugar Lips?”

“I got selected for the Warriors' Right of Passage.”

Boober dropped the amber in shock. His woman? On the Warriors’ Right of Passage? This was huge news! Coming back to his senses, Boober picked the amber back up and replied.

“Congratulations, Jessa!! When are you going to be doing the ritual?”

“According to my scroll, I will do it in 2 days.”

Boober sighed in relief. That was plenty of time for him to get back to Fraggle Rock in time to see Jessa do the Right of Passage.

“I'm less than a hundred miles from home. I'll be back as quickly as possible, my love.”

“I can't wait to see you, Boober!”

Boober grinned and giggled.

“I love you."

“I love you too, handsome.”

Now Boober had even more urgency to return. He didn't dare stop to rest and kept on going with his bleach nuts. Despite his excitement, many worries filled his head. What if Jessa didn't pass the ritual? Or even worse, what if she got severely injured or killed? Wanting nothing more than to relax in Jessa's arms at this moment, Boober shook off those terrible thoughts and kept going.

Jessa was on her bed, lava-bending some graffiti on the wall. She had a lovestruck smile on her face as she wrote her name, then Boober's, and drew a heart around both of them. She then sighed lovingly before Traveling Matt visited her.

“Jessa, Gobo told me about you getting chosen for the Warriors' Right of Passage, and I just wanted to stop by and congratulate you.”

“Thank Uncle Matt,” Jessa replied while sitting up.

“He also let me read your mother's diary, and while I was hesitant to do so at first, curiosity got the better of me.”

“Seeing as how she forgave you in the afterlife, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Dad forgave you too.”

“Yeah, I suppose you're right.”

A moment of silence passed between them before they changed the subject.

“My niece, on the Warriors’ Right of Passage.”

“I wonder who I'll be up against. Hopefully Marlon, so I can get back at him for pulling my tail during the summer solstice.”

“You won't be going up against other fraggles, niece Jessa. You will be fighting a Poison Cackler.”

“Really? No wonder they call it a right off passage.”

“Indeed. But since you're half shazzle, you're going to do just fine.”

“I plan on winning, Uncle Matt. Anything to make our family look good.”

He smiled at her just as Red and Mokey arrived.

“Jessa, this is so exciting!” Mokey shouted happily while hugging her.

“I'm assuming Gobo told you guys about the Warriors’ Right of Passage too.”

“No, Wembley told us,” Red corrected her.

“Uncle Matt told me that I will be fighting a Poison Cackler.”

“With your shazzle powers Jessa, that shouldn't be too hard,” Red assured her.

Jessa wasn't worried about any Poison Cacklers though, given her abilities. She was more worried about Boober making it home in time to witness her Warriors’ Right of Passage ritual. She made a mental note to check up on him through her telepathy powers later.

“Matt, are you in here?”

All four of them turned to see the Storyteller peeking her head in the entrance.

“We haven't had much time to catch up since you've been kidnapped.”

“That reminds me, would you like to see where my brother is buried?”

The two older fraggles left, leaving Jessa, Mokey, and Red to chat.

“I hope Boober makes it home in time to see me fight a Poison Cackler.”

“He'll be home soon, Jessa,” Mokey reassured her.

“Knowing him, he never stops for a break because he's always so eager to come home,” Red added.

Jessa smiled before getting up.

“How would you two like to join me by the river outside in the gorg's garden? I can show off my water-bending.”

“That sounds wonderful!” Mokey replied happily as they all ventured outside.

“I just passed Sweet Water Lake, so I'm not too far from home now. I miss you, Sugar Lips.”

“I miss you too, Boober.”

Lying back against a nearby rock, Jessa blushed and grinned at the sincerity of Boober’s voice in her head when he said those words. Any moment now, he would be back in Fraggle Rock with his much-needed bleach nuts. In the meantime, she was outside with Red and Mokey, showing off her earth and water-bending powers. Red loved how Jessa could shift the water into whatever shape she wanted. Mokey then requested to see the plants grow in real time, so Jessa manipulated the flora. It was enchanting to Mokey, and this became a good pastime for the girls. For all the damage she had done to the Shazzle Realm and its residents, her powers also acted as purely innocent entertainment.

“Want me to make it rain?” She asked her friends.

“Do it!” Red shouted.

Jessa’s eyes turned blue, and the water rose from the river, spewing droplets once it was gorg height. Mokey and Red played in the rainy water and giggled, making Jessa very happy. She then began wondering what would've happened to her if she hadn't come back from the Terrible Tunnel when Boober found her. Well, there wasn't any other answer besides death. Jessa would've died had she refused to come back after admitting her genetic background and life story to the fraggles. But she was happy that Boober ventured through the cave and convinced her to return. She wanted to come back, regardless of whether she could be open with her powers or not. The fact that Boober put his fear of the Terrible Tunnel aside for her made Jessa melt in admiration. How somebody as fearful and worrisome as him would dare to step inside such an ominous place to bring her back would forever be a core memory to Jessa. One thought led to another, and she remembered the hole she burned into the wall leading to the Terrible Tunnel the day she left.

“I need to fix that later,” she thought.

Jessa ceased her water-bending and took a short break, which was fine by Red and Mokey since they were all wet.

“We should do this more often,” Red told Jessa.

“Glad I could provide some entertainment,” she replied.

“Maybe next time, you could take us flying."

Jessa shot her a confused look.

“All of you?”

“Yeah.”

“Boober won't be down for being dragged into the sky, so it would be a no from him. But I will gladly take anyone else who wants to.”

Red grinned in response as Jessa continued.

“But I am a very fast flyer, so it wouldn’t be for everyone.”

Red and Mokey exchanged looks when Jessa perked up at the sound of Boober’s voice in her head.

“I'm home, Sugar.”

Chapter Text

Jessa and Boober were snuggling each other on her bed, him sitting on her lap and resting his head in the crook of her neck while she played with his hair. Boober hummed happily while his baloobius glowed. It hadn't stopped glowing since he got back from Lilac Cavern, but Boober couldn't care less. He was happy to be with Jessa again.

“I know I’ve only been gone for 2 nights, but I really missed you Jessa.”

Jessa kissed his forehead before replying.

“Those were the longest 2 nights of my life,” she admitted. “I'm glad you made it back home safely.”

“It would be stupid if I didn't put on my lucky socks before leaving.”

Boober began caressing her bicep as he continued.

“Thank you for the telepathy amber. It was nice to hear your voice while I was away.”

Jessa stole another kiss from him, making him giggle.

“I love it when you giggle like that,” she murmured.

Boober raised his head to look at Jessa before kissing her on the lips. She melted and returned the kiss while he placed both of his hands on her cheeks.

“I missed you too, Boober,” she said sweetly once they pulled away.

“I know you did, Sugar Lips,” he murmured before kissing her cheek.

Jessa giggled in response as Boober hummed lovingly and nuzzled her neck. She then looked at the vase sitting on her bookshelf, which was filled with flowers Boober had given her earlier. He came back with not only bleach nuts, but a bouquet as well. They were purple roses that only grew in one particular area of Fraggle Rock, and it was adjacent to Lilac Cavern. Boober wanted to surprise his girlfriend with such beautiful flowers, so he picked them for her. The look on Jessa's face when he presented her with the flowers lived rent-free in Boober’s head. She was so happy that she kissed him in front of everyone, which turned him into a blushing and giggling mess. Jessa grinned a moment later, cherishing the memory as well.

“Where did you find those flowers? She asked sweetly.

“I don't remember how I stumbled upon it, but there is a cave next to Lilac Cavern where purple roses grow. The petals reminded me of you.”

Boober held Jessa's hand and caressed it, making her blush.

“I also wanted to bring you back something. So I picked the roses.”

“I love them,” Jessa replied before kissing him. “Thank you.”

Boober nuzzled her in response. Until now, he had been mostly silent due to exhaustion from traveling to Lilac Cavern and back. After reuniting with each other, Jessa took him to her hole and let him rest on her. Boober was more than happy to cuddle her, though he dozed off for a bit. Jessa didn't mind as she simply rubbed his back and played with his hair. Boober slept peacefully on her chest while she admired him. An hour or two later, he woke up, but refused to get up because Jessa was holding him. He then apologized for falling asleep, but Jessa wasn't upset at all and smooched him. She at least wanted to spend a little time with him before training for the Warriors’ Right of Passage. Boober was still worried about her getting hurt and/or not passing.

“Jessa?”

“Yes koibito?”

“Did anyone tell you that you'll be fighting a Poison Cackler in the Warriors’ Right of Passage?”

“Uncle Matt told me.”

Boober hugged her in concern.

“Please be careful,” he begged. “I don't want to get injured or killed.”

“Would it make you feel better if I wore the bracelet you gave me when we first met?”

Boober stared at her wrist, which contained the very Lucky Protection Bracelet he gave her many moons ago. Despite the beads not being their original colors anymore, it still served its purpose. That's what Boober believed anyway. The Lucky Protection Bracelet was once mostly brown with a bit of black and grey. Now it was blue, purple, pink, green, yellow, orange, and red. Neither of them had any idea what the correlation to the color change was aside from Jessa's powers affecting it. Other than the beads being so colorful now, it didn't do much, if anything at all. Since Boober found her in the Terrible Tunnel after she ran away, Jessa refused to take it off, though she wore the bracelet for a different reason. She wore it because it was sentimental to her. That bracelet was the first thing Boober ever gifted Jessa, so it held a special place in her heart. Boober slid his finger on the beads, the smooth texture calming him a little.

“Yes it would,” he said while doing this.

Jessa nuzzled his head as if to comply.

“Did you have any nightmares while I was away?”

“They're not as frequent now,” Jessa replied while massaging his shoulder. “Our comfort cuddling must be paying off.”

This wasn't a lie. Having Boober next to her was comforting when she dreamed about that unpleasant place and what happened. Boober, along with the rest of the Fraggle Five, still experienced nightmares of the Shazzle Realm, but since their talk about how it affected them afterwards, things weren't as tense. Jessa had begun exercising as a coping mechanism, which Boober noticed as her clothes seemed less snug these days. But it was healthy weight loss at least. He was also happy that she still had her appetite. As for everyone else, they had other ways of coping with their time in the Shazzle Realm. Mokey expressed herself in her painting and poetry, Red swam many laps in the Fraggle Pond, Gobo strummed on his guitar, and Wembley talked to Lou about it since she was a good listener and always very helpful. Boober recalled a new recipe he tried recently to cope with his own encounter with death, smiling as everyone enjoyed what he made from scratch. Uncle Matt had been very busy with the Storyteller these days since they all returned, but he still made time for his niece and nephew. They had family time in the evenings after he hung out with other fraggles his age. Gobo and Jessa never minded since he had been away from home for so long and wanted to spend time with those he grew up with. After a while, Boober held Jessa's hand and intertwined his fingers with hers, smiling contently a minute later.

“Let me know if you need any more good luck charms,” he told her. “I have plenty of spares.”

“The bracelet will be plenty, but thank you, cutie.”

Boober melted and giggled when she kissed him. Right at that moment, Red walked in and grunted.

“Boober, Jessa, I love you guys, but if you're going to be smooching all over each other, please take it somewhere else.”

“Fine, we'll go to Boober's hole,” she replied before teleporting both Boober and herself to his hole.

Not even a second later, the couple appeared on his bed.

“You didn't have to teleport us here, Jessa.”

”I know, but I'm quite comfortable with you on my lap.”

Jessa caressed his cheek while saying this, and Boober sighed lovingly in response.

“Want to lie down and be even more comfortable?” He asked her softly.

Jessa grinned knowingly before lying on her back, Boober joining her a minute later and spooning her. They spent the next hour like this before Jessa went to train for her ritual, and Boober went to sort out his bleach nuts while she was doing that.

Everyone in the Great Hall watched Jessa perform her 50th pull-up on the bar above the Fraggle Pond, Red cheering her on. Despite how long she had been doing this now, Jessa had yet to feel exhausted. She aimed to do more than 50 and see how far she could go. All that therapeutic exercise paid off as well. Uncle Matt and the Storyteller approached the crowd as his niece reached the 55 mark.

“That niece of yours is very strong,” she said to him.

“I guess being half shazzle has its benefits,” he replied while smiling at Jessa.

Wembley and Lou, along with her girlfriend Tosh, also watched her do the impossible amount of pull-ups. Truthfully, Jessa hadn't meant to attract so much attention; it just happened. Even with her hair tie long gone thanks to Vanda and her scalp and the back of her neck drenched in sweat, she kept going.

“I wonder where Jessa learned to do that,” Lou wondered out loud while holding Tosh close to her, who snuggled closer in response.

“Shazzles are known for their brute strength,” Tosh replied. “Boober told me.”

While it was true that Boober shared some common shazzle knowledge with his friend, he didn't dare mention anything personal about Jessa's life. He couldn't. Not because she would hold him at gunpoint if he did (though Boober had no doubt that she would be livid), but because he didn't want to hurt her. He loved her too much to do so. Jessa had suffered enough and deserved some solace. By the time she reached 78, Jessa's arms began to feel wobbly. Perhaps she should call it a day on her training once she reached 100 pull-ups.

“Come on Jessa, you reached 80 pull-ups. You can make it to a hundred!” Red called out.

Jessa didn't reply, but kept on. The other fraggles cheered her on the more she did. Their excitement reached its peak when she reached 90. Finally, 97, 98, 99, 100! After the last pull-up, Jessa let go of the rail and free-fell into the pond, letting the water cool her off and cleanse the sweat off her body. She emerged a minute later, the applause from everyone making her nearly forget that she was soaking wet.

“See Jessa, you can beat that Poison Cackler in the Warriors’ Right of Passage.”

Jessa was now out of the pond and squeezing her hair, though she didn't say anything. She needed to catch her breath.

“I bet Gobo and Traveling Matt are going to be proud.”

“Good thing I have a week to get all this training in,” Jessa finally said before walking off to shower.

Chapter Text

Boober was in his hole reading the books he brought home from the Shazzle Realm, intrigued by all the medicinal information found on each page. He reached a section about how a shazzle's physical and emotional health can affect their element-bending abilities.

“Fascinating,” he mused before turning the page. “Shazzles must hydrate with water to waterbend as well as be in a tranquil state of mind.”

Boober had never encountered Jessa having difficulty with her powers, but that didn't stop him from worrying. So he read on.

“To fire-bend, a shazzle must eat enough spicy food and experience a strong emotion such as rage or passion. For air-bending, they need to spend enough time outdoors and be mentally grounded. Earth-bending involves consuming plenty of vegetation and becoming one with nature.”

Boober paused his reading and let his mind wander. Vegetables were a major part of a fraggle's diet, so there was nothing to worry about there, especially since Jessa no longer lived in the Terrible Tunnel. However, Boober planned to spice up her food a little when cooking for her. Jessa was going to need her fire-bending at its peak for the Warrior's Right of Passage. As far as her emotions were concerned, Boober had no control over them. That was all Jessa's responsibility. Nevertheless, the books were very interesting to Boober and gave him more insight to shazzle health should Jessa ever need him to look after her when she got sick. Luckily, the diseases shazzles were prone to were no different than the ones that fraggles suffer from. Shazzles, despite being powerful, were not immune to Pebble Pox and still required Dooganberry tea for a cure. At least Boober didn't have to ask Jessa to undo her filling in of the Shazzle Realm just to get some unheard of medication if whatever sickness she contracted was strictly a shazzle illness and not a fraggle one, though that may still be a possibility someday. In the meantime, Jessa was just as healthy as anyone should be. Boober exhaled, turning the page and reading more of his book.

“Shazzles begin sprouting their wings at age 3 and require a numbing shot to prevent the excruciating pain that comes with it.”

This wasn't news to Boober as Jessa had already told him about her rather unpleasant experience with growing her wings. Remembering this, Boober winced. Especially since Jessa had sprouted her wings much later than the other shazzles. His heart began to break for her. Had he been the one in charge, he would have given her the anesthesia she needed. How dare they make her suffer! He began reading more about it when he heard Jessa humming in the girls’ bedroom. She had the habit of doing that when she thought no one else was around, but Boober loved it. He loved the sound of her voice. Smiling and blushing, he continued to read his books. Strangely enough, Jessa's humming helped him focus.

It was dinner time, and Boober was serving everyone, but he tweaked Jessa’s dish a little to help enhance her fire-bending. Upon the first spoonful, Jessa noticed a difference.

“I don't remember this soup being so spicy," she said. “Did you do something different?”

Before Boober could answer her, Red piped up.

“My soup isn't spicy,” she commented.

“Neither is mine,” Wembley added.

As soon as it was made clear that nobody else got the spice in their soup, Jessa shot Boober a confused glance.

“I've been reading those books from the Shazzle Realm,” was all he could respond with.

“What's that got to do with anything?” Gobo asked.

Jessa immediately began fire-bending, but not directing it to anyone or anything. The flames floated idly in her palm before she made them stop. Everyone watched, unsure of what to do or say next as Jessa took another bite of her soup and fire bent again, but this time, the flames shot higher and radiated more heat.

“Boober, you made firebending soup for Jessa?” Wembley asked him while Jessa ceased her fire-bending. “How did you learn that recipe?”

“It's the same soup I always cook, Wembley,” Boober corrected him. “I just added spice to Jessa's dish so her powers can have a bigger impact when she fights that Poison Cackler.”

Jessa blushed and smiled in response.

“Warriors’ Right of Passage aside, this will be a very useful delicacy in the wintertime,” Jessa added before kissing his cheek.

Boober giggled softly while grinning, and his tail wagged. He then sat down next to her and ate his own serving. No spices were added to his as well as the other fraggles.

“I just thought of something,” Gobo said after consuming some of his dinner. “Jessa got her second Bloodlust in the Shazzle Realm.”

“What about it?” Mokey asked curiously.

“That means she has another Bloodlust feature in her control.”

“I completely forgot about that,” Jessa admitted while using her spoon as a mirror.

“What are you doing?” Boober asked her.

“Trying to see if I have the shark teeth,” she replied while clamping her teeth together.

But nothing happened. Jessa then looked behind her and raised her tail, focusing on it until spikes protruded from it, startling Boober a little.

“Where was that when Marlon grabbed my tail during the summer solstice.”

“He did what?!” Red asked.

“It's a long story,” Jessa replied before summoning her talons.

“This will come in handy for the Warriors’ Right of Passage.”

Jessa then put her talons and tail spikes away before resuming her meal. Boober was sort of glad he wasn't alive during Jessa's second Bloodlust. He watched her eat the soup for a while before finishing off his own, happy that she enjoyed the change he made to it.

Chapter Text

LATER THAT NIGHT:

Boober and Jessa were asleep in his hole, and while she was sleeping peacefully, Boober was experiencing a nightmare. It was so bad that he was shaking and whimpering in his sleep. In his nightmare, Jessa was fighting the Poison Cackler in the Warriors’ Right of Passage and was doing a decent job when the creature suddenly got the upper hand and flipped her to the ground. Jessa was now badly injured and couldn't get up. The Poison Cackler then towered over her and attempted to eat her. She had a horrified expression on her face, and Boober yelled her name from the audience. He suddenly found himself awake and trembling, his baloobius flared out more than a spring flower after blooming. How could he go back to sleep now?! Boober glanced at Jessa, still sleeping as if she had nothing on her mind. Some part of him envied her for that. However, he snuggled close to Jessa and held her for comfort. Now he was even more terrified of her doing the ritual. If only there were some way to convince her to back out. He thought about this while caressing her stomach. Jessa felt his cuddles and grinned, rolling over on her back before Boober resumed holding her.

“Why did you agree to this?” He asked her as if she were awake and listening.

Jessa remained asleep, breathing slowly and silently. She never snored. Boober kissed her cheek out of habit and ran his fingers through her hair.

“I don't want you to die, Jessa,” he said much quieter than before. “I wish you didn't accept the Warriors’ Right of Passage. That Poison Cackler is going to hurt you… and…"

Boober couldn't finish his sentence before he teared up, and soon enough, he began weeping. He couldn't help it. While he wept, Jessa opened her eyes and was confused to find her boyfriend crying at her side.

“What's gotten you so worked up at this hour?” She asked tiredly while patting his head.

Boober hadn't realized how disruptive he had been until he heard her voice, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment. He didn't say anything and took in the head pats she gave him. It surprisingly made him feel calmer.

“How much of that did you hear?” He asked after a period of silence.

“I only heard you crying. Was it a nightmare?”

Boober felt bad that he found relief in this. What would Jessa say if she knew that Boober didn't want her fighting that Poison Cackler?

“Why did you agree to do the ritual?” He asked before he realized what came out of his mouth.

Jessa paused her head pats, causing Boober to tense up. He shouldn't have said that.

“I don't know, to tell you the truth.”

And she meant it too. Jessa had no particular reason to join on her own merit. It also didn't help that Gobo and Wembley hyped it up. She could've said no, but given that she wasn't entirely aware of all of Fraggle Rock's customs yet (thanks to a childhood spent in the Shazzle Realm), she wasn't sure if denying was even an option.

“All I know is that some fraggles in armor told me that the World's Oldest Fraggle wanted me to participate.”

The World's Oldest Fraggle?! Now Boober had no chance of keeping his girlfriend out of harm's way. Whatever the old geezer says goes. His authority went a long way.

“I guess this means you have no choice in the matter,” Boober told her solemnly.

“What do you mean?”

"When the World's Oldest Fraggle requests something, you have to go through with it.”

“And that upsets you?”

Boober was quiet for a moment before answering.

“Jessa, don't get me wrong. I'm happy that this opportunity was given to you, but I hate to see you out there with… that thing.”

Jessa's eyebrows rose in realization.

“You're worried again.”

“You think?”

Boober felt like he said too much at this point. Before he could think of what to do next, Jessa rolled over and hugged him.

“You adorable worrywart,” she cooed after smooching him. “Can I make you some of that lavender tea you made me that one time?”

Boober turned to face her and nodded a moment later. Some lavender tea did sound good right about now.

“I'll be right back,” she said before teleporting to his kitchen.

Boober lay in his bed and waited, still shaken up from his nightmare of Jessa getting killed in the Warriors’ Right of Passage when she came back with a cup of lavender tea.

“I made it the best I could,” she said while handing him the beverage. “But I doubt it's any better than how you make it.”

Boober took a sip, and she was right. While she did use the right herb, she didn't use enough of it to encourage relaxation.

“There's not enough lavender in it,” he pointed out.

“Sorry, I'm not too familiar with this stuff.”

Boober glanced at his tea and back at Jessa when she continued.

“Maybe you can teach me once this is all over.”

Boober set his tea down and held her hands, grinning at her.

“I would love to,” he said sweetly while his tail wagged. “And if you want to learn any other recipes, I can teach you those too.”

Jessa giggled, but Boober took it as a yes and kissed her. Forgetting the tea completely, he wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her neck. Boober was already thinking about the cooking techniques he could demonstrate to Jessa. It made him so happy to know that he got to teach her this stuff. Jessa grinned, happy that Boober was in a better mood now despite her subpar tea, though it wasn't the reason for his mood change.

“I am going to kick that Poison Cackler's ass, then you can teach me not to make shitty tea,” Jessa said while hugging him back.

Boober raised his head to smile at her. Her hair was messy from sleeping, but she still looked so beautiful. Without thinking, he kissed her again.

“I'll be cheering for you, Sugar Lips,” he murmured.

“I know you will,” Jessa murmured back. “Now go to sleep so you won't be drowsy tomorrow.”

Boober lay down, but the excitement prevented him from dozing off.

“It's kind of hard to fall asleep when I keep thinking about our time in the kitchen together,” he admitted.

Jessa stared at his unfinished tea and back at him before lying down next to him.

“Perhaps I should try something else,” Jessa said before her eyes turned blue.

Boober was about to object when she began singing. But it wasn't her voice. He then realized that she was using her siren ability. Jessa was singing a lullaby, but it was unintelligible to Boober since it was in a language he didn't quite understand. Nevertheless, he found it relaxing. The harmony melted his anxiety away, and before he knew it, Boober was fast asleep. The nightmare was now a distant memory to him, replaced with blissful nothingness and occasional scenarios of him and Jessa cooking together. After she knew for sure that he was asleep, Jessa stopped singing, and her eyes turned back to silver.

“Goodnight, chef handsome,” she whispered before stealing a kiss and cuddling him.

It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, and Jessa wrapped her tail around his beforehand. Even though she sucked at brewing tea, she could at least rely on her siren serenade to calm Boober into a relaxing sleep. She then let herself fall asleep once more after watching him for a few minutes. Without her knowledge, Boober placed his hand on top of hers, though it wasn't a conscious gesture. It was simply second nature.

Chapter Text

Jessa planned not to bring her sword to the stadium for the Warriors' Right of Passage. Boober had helped amplify her element-bending abilities through his cooking, though some of it she did on her own. That being said, her powers were more than enough. Before she could leave the girls’ bedroom, Boober stopped by to give her something.

“Jessa?”

She turned and smiled in greeting.

“I meant to give this to you when we got back from the Shazzle Realm.”

“What is it?”

Boober handed her the box and watched as she opened it. Inside was a lilac crocheted scrunchie. Upon seeing Jessa smile, he melted.

“Boober, this is so pretty.”

“I know you like having your hair tied back, and since Vanda destroyed your last hair tie, I figured I would crochet you another one.”

“You know how to crochet?”

Jessa sounded impressed, and as Boober explained how Mokey taught him, he fixed Jessa's hair for her. She blushed and grinned while he did this, and when he finished both his story and putting Jessa's hair into a ponytail, she gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.

“I love it, Boober. Thank you.”

Boober grinned in response, blushing and giggling.

“Shall we go to the stadium?” Jessa asked, while holding out her hand.

Boober still feared the outcome of the Warriors’ Right of Passage, but the scenarios of him teaching Jessa how to cook overpowered his anxiety. This was something he wanted to do with her for a long time.

“I hope I can get a good enough seat to see you,” he replied while taking her hand.

“There's no rule saying I can't put in a good word for you guys getting premium seating.”

Boober gave her a surprised look, but before he could reply, they caught up with everyone else.

"There you are, Jessa," Gobo said to her. "Ready to fight the Poison Cackler?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied nonchalantly as they walked to the Fraggle Rock Stadium.

"Uncle Matt and the Storyteller are waiting for us. They found a great spot."

"He's been spending an awful lot of time with her. Do you think they're-"

"No, not likely."

Gobo didn't want to think about his uncle and the Storyteller being romantically involved. Red rolled her eyes in response.

"Any special moves you plan on doing, Jessa?" Red asked her.

"Being unpredictable creates more suspense and is far more entertaining, so you won't know until it happens."

Boober squeezed her hand before speaking.

"Jessa, whatever you do, please don't get killed. I don't want my nightmare to come true."

Mokey gave him a sympathetic glance as they entered the stadium. Jessa's hand was replaced with Mokey's arm as Boober looked back at her, going the other direction. She winked at him, though it did little to ease his anxiety.

“If it makes you feel any better Boober, Jessa's powers are now amplified thanks to you.”

“I can't take all the credit, Mokey,” he replied. “All I did was add spice to her soup last night.”

They all sat down as the stadium became silent.

“Fraggles of all ages,” said an armored fraggle. “Welcome to the Warriors’ Right of Passage. As we all know, only the strongest and bravest of fraggles are granted this opportunity. That being said, let's welcome our newest resident in Fraggle Rock, Jessa!”

As if on cue, Jessa appeared from nowhere via teleportation, and everyone clapped. Boober took a second to admire her before paying attention.

“Jessa Fraggle, it's rumored that you're from the Shazzle Realm and possess shazzle powers, granting you the ability to save the lives of Boober, Wembley, Gobo, Mokey, Red, and Traveling Matt.”

Jessa nodded in response before returning a wave to her uncle.

“That being said, are you ready to take on a Poison Cackler?”

“Yes sir.”

Boober began biting his nails when the Poison Cackler was released. He still remembered when one chased after the wizard because it liked the taste of his smoke bombs. Luckily, Jessa had none on her (not that she needed any). The Poison Cackler charged at Jessa, who started out using her martial arts skills before actually using her powers.

“I didn't know Jessa knew karate,” Mokey said while watching her.

“Neither did I,” Boober replied.

Jessa threw some fire at the Poison Cackler, affecting it and some nearby vines, which she noticed right away, and water bent to douse them before the flames could spread.

“I need to be careful with my firebending,” she thought.

Perhaps she shouldn't have eaten so much of her spiced-up soup. Jessa then opted for earthbending, summoning vines to catch the Cackler. But it got away just in time and knocked Jessa off her feet. Boober gasped in horror, remembering the scene from his nightmare.

“It's exactly how it went down in my nightmare,” he said. “Jessa is a goner.”

But before the Cackler could even take a nibble out of Jessa, she glared at the beast and stood up, temper flaring as purple flames surrounded her body.

“You are not going to eat me,” she growled before using her telekinesis to hurl a boulder at the Cackler.

Some fraggles winced when the impact happened, but Boober was more than relieved that Jessa reacted in time.

“Did that happen in your nightmare, Boober?” Red asked him.

“No. No it didn't.”

The purple flames disappeared as Jessa calmed down, taking a moment to observe the Poison Cackler before it came to its senses. It shrieked, causing Jessa and everyone else to cover their ears. Then, it stomped its foot, which was strong enough to create cracks in the ground. Jessa looked at them and back at the beast.

“Wow, cracks in the ground. Haven't seen that before,” she said sarcastically.

But to her surprise, the ground crumbled and revealed a deep ravine. Jessa gasped and began flying upwards.

“What kind of creature are you?!”

“Uncle Matt, I didn't know Poison Cacklers could stomp a ravine into existence,” Gobo said to him.

“I didn't know that either, nephew Gobo.”