CSU: One Door Closes

Allen awoke to an overwhelming sense of peace.

He got out of bed and walked to look out over the lake as he enjoyed the peaceful serenity of his life.

Long minutes passed as he thought about how perfect his life had become in less than a week.

A slight knocking on his door broke him out of his thoughts.

Allen turned and smiled to see Kevin standing in his doorway.

"Come on in Little One. How are you feeling this morning?" Allen asked with a contented smile.

"I feel good. I just... I don't know what I'm supposed to do." Kevin said as he walked to Allen's side.

"Well, I have some errands to run this morning, so if you want to, you can get dressed and come with me." Allen said as he gave Kevin a gentle hug.

"Where are we going?" Kevin asked curiously.

"Oh, to the bank and we're going to stop by an interior design place to drop off the key to my old house." Allen said quietly.

"Just you and me?" Kevin asked quietly.

"That's right. Just you and me." Allen said with a gentle smile.

Kevin hugged Allen again and said, "I love you Poppa."

"I love you too Little One. Now go get dressed so we can get our running done." Allen said happily.

Kevin pulled Allen down and gave him a kiss on the cheek, then hurried out of the room.

Allen smiled, then started to get ready for his day.

* * * * *

"Good morning Jake. How are you doing this morning?" Allen asked as he walked into the kitchen.

"I'm fine. Are you going somewhere?" Jake asked curiously, noticing that Allen was fully dressed.

"Kevin and I are just going to run a few errands. Would you mind watching over things while I'm gone?" Allen asked as he poured himself a small glass of juice.

"Um, sure." Jake said uncertainly.

"I won't be gone long and if there's any trouble, Juana is in her apartment." Allen said peacefully.

"Okay. Do you want me to make breakfast or anything?" Jake asked as he looked around.

"If you want to that's fine. But we have cereal and juice if you want to let everyone get their own. I'll leave it up to you." Allen said with a smile.

"Okay. Thanks Dad." Jake said happily.

"We'll be back in about half an hour." Allen said as he saw Kevin walking into the kitchen.

"I think I'm going to try to make breakfast, so be ready to eat when you get back." Jake said happily.

"That sounds nice. See you soon." Allen said, then gave Jake a quick hug.

Jake smiled as he watched Allen and Kevin walk out of the kitchen, then concentrated as he mentally asked, 'T'hy'la, how do you make breakfast?'

* * * * *

"Lookit!" Reuben called from the utility room doorway.

Kenny, Jake and Xain all looked up at the abrupt exclamation.

"What is it Reuben?" Kenny asked with concern.

"Come on." Reuben said and ran out the door.

"You are in charge while Dad is away T'hy'la. I will continue the food preparation." Xain said seriously.

"Okay. I'll be right back." Jake said, then rushed to see why Reuben was so excited.

* * * * *

Kenny was staring, not sure what to do when Jake walked to his side.

"Ricardo, get away from that dog, you don't know if he's friendly or not." Jake warned as he rushed to Ricardo's side.

"He's nice. He's a Possum." Ricardo said seriously as he hugged the dog.

"No Ricardo, that's not an opossum. That's a dog, a big dog." Jake said as he tried to coax Ricardo to let loose of the dog.

"Nuh uh. He's a Possum." Ricardo said firmly as he continued to hug the dog.

Jake noticed the collar that the dog was wearing and tried to find if there was a name on it.

Kenny was surprised when Jake started laughing.

"What's funny?" Kenny asked with concern.

"Ricardo was right. His name is Possum." Jake said with a smile.

Reuben walked to Jake's side, holding a children's book.

"What's that you've got?" Jake asked curiously.

Reuben opened the book to a particular page and held it out for Jake to see.

The book was a picture book of the letters of the alphabet. On the letter 'O' there was a picture of an opossum. The picture of the animal in the book had the same coloring and general facial features as the large dog.

"Well, I guess we know where he got his name." Jake said as he noticed that the dog was enjoying Ricardo's attention.

"What should we do?" Kenny asked as he hesitantly approached.

"There's an address on the collar. It looks like it's right down the street. Let's wait till Dad gets home, then we can take Possum back to where he belongs." Jake said as he knelt by the dog's side and started to pet him gently.

"You don't think he's dangerous do you?" Kenny asked cautiously.

"I don't think so. Possum looks like he's been taken care of. He's clean and looks like he's well fed and he's wearing a collar." Jake said as he continued to pet the dog.

"I want Possum to stay with us." Ricardo said firmly.

"Ricardo, I bet there's a kid a few houses away who's upset because his dog ran away from home. You wouldn't want someone to be unhappy would you?" Jake asked seriously.

Ricardo reluctantly shook his head.

"We'll make sure that Possum has a good home. If he only lives a few houses away, maybe you'll be able to go visit him." Jake said with a gentle smile.

Kenny hesitantly took another step toward the large dog.

"Don't worry Ken, he's really nice." Jake said with assurance as he stood and took a step away to let Kenny have a chance at petting him.

"Okay." Kenny said hesitantly as he took the final step, then knelt beside the dog.

After holding his hand out where Possum could sniff it, Kenny hesitantly began to pet him.

"There you go Ken. I think you've made a new friend." Jake said with a smile.

"Possum's hungry." Ricardo said as he looked at Jake seriously.

"Hmmm. I bet he is." Jake said as he looked at the dog carefully.

"Can Possum have some food?" Ricardo asked hopefully.

"Dad should be home any minute. We'll ask him if it's okay." Jake said seriously.

Ricardo thought about the answer for a moment, then renewed his hug.

* * * * *

Allen pulled into the driveway of his home to see all the boys gathered around a large dog.

"It looks like you guys have made a new friend." Allen said as he got out of the car.

"Yeah. His name is Possum. Ricardo says he's hungry but I didn't know if you'd want him to come in the house or not." Jake said as he walked to Allen's side.

Allen looked over the dog for a moment, then said, "He looks like he's been well cared for. I think it would be okay."

"The address on the collar is right down the street. I thought that after breakfast that we could take him back to his home." Jake said seriously.

Allen smiled at Jake and said, "That sounds like a good idea. I'll leave it up to you."

Jake smiled at Allen's trust in him and said, "Okay, breakfast is almost ready. Let's all go inside."

* * * * *

"What's this?" Allen asked as he walked into the kitchen and spotted a bowl in the floor.

"I prepared a bowl of food for the canine in anticipation of your approval that he join us for the morning meal." Xain said as he carried a bowl and a tray to the table.

"Thank you Xain." Allen said with a chuckle as he took his seat at the head of the table.

"It looks like we're going to need another chair." Jake said as he took a head count.

"I'll get it." Kenny said as he rushed out of the kitchen.

Reuben and Ricardo walked on either side of Possum through the utility room and guided him to the kitchen.

"His food is right there. We should probably get him a bowl of water too." Allen said as he began to stand.

"I will get it Dad. Please enjoy your breakfast." Xain said as he stood.

"Thanks Xain." Allen said, then looked over the selection of breakfast foods before him.

"This looks great Xain. I was really just expecting cereal." Allen said as he scooped a helping of scrambled eggs from a bowl.

"Cereal does not fulfill the nutritional requirements for a meal. It is preferable to have a substantial meal at the beginning of the day to sustain a healthy energy level." Xain said seriously as he placed a bowl of water in the floor for Possum.

The dog sniffed the bowl of food, then began to wolf it down hungrily.

"He must have been really hungry." Kenny said as he carried a chair to the table.

"Maybe, but I think most big dogs eat that way." Allen said speculatively.

"Do you think we could get a dog?" Kevin asked quietly.

Allen thought for a moment, then said, "I don't see any problem with that. Let's put that on our list of things to do this weekend while we're out sightseeing."

Kevin smiled and said, "Thanks Poppa."

"Aren't you going to eat anything Ricardo?" Reuben asked curiously.

Ricardo turned away from the dog, then looked at his brother with question.

"Aren't you hungry?" Reuben asked with concern.

Ricardo looked around the table full of food, then nodded.

"Why don't you help him fill his plate Reuben?" Allen asked gently.

Reuben smiled and started dishing out the food that he knew his brother liked.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Mona asked as she walked into the kitchen.

Kenny picked up his plate and glass and moved it to the kitchen counter.

A moment later he returned with an empty plate and glass for Mona.

"Here you go Grandma. It's ready for you." Kenny said with a smile.

Mona took the offered seat and smiled at the selection before her.

Allen smiled with pride at Kenny's thoughtfulness as he watched Kenny climb onto the barstool at the kitchen counter.

"You really do eat like royalty." Mona said as she started dishing out food.

"I don't know about royalty, but Xain is making sure that we're getting a good solid breakfast to get us through the day." Allen said happily.

The sound of a bowl scooting on the floor drew Mona's attention and she looked in wonder at the massive dog eating by the utility room door.

"That's Possum. He's just visiting." Jake said with a smile at Mona's curious expression.

"He seems to be right at home." Mona said, then continued to fill her plate from the selections before her.

"Is that what I think it is?" Mona asked as she pointed to a small bowl.

"If you believe it to be grits, then yes." Xain said seriously.

Mona chuckled at the statement and said, "That's exactly what I thought it was. I haven't had grits in years."

"Would you like syrup or cream to accentuate the taste?" Xain asked curiously.

"No. Butter is all I need." Mona said happily.

"I didn't notice the grits, would you pass them this way?" Allen asked with a smile.

"You never liked grits." Mona said before taking a bite of her breakfast.

"I guess my tastes changed as I got older." Allen said as he scooped out a serving of grits for himself.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sleep so late." Juana said as she rushed into the kitchen, pushing Edovina's stroller.

"It's fine Juana. Please sit down and have breakfast with us." Allen said peacefully.

Kevin picked up his juice glass and moved it to the barstool beside Kenny, then got an empty glass and sat it beside the empty plate where he had been sitting.

"Go ahead Juana. There's plenty." Allen said with a smile.

Kevin moved the barstool beside Kenny and turned to watch.

"Thank you. This looks very good." Juana said as she took the seat.

"And we have a guest this morning. This is Possum." Allen said as he indicated the dog by the utility room door.

"Oh my. That is a very big dog." Juana said hesitantly.

"Yeah, but he's really nice." Jake said with assurance.

"Poppa says that we can look for a dog this weekend." Kevin said happily.

Juana looked at Allen with question.

"I think it will be good for the boys to have a dog to play with and take care of." Allen said peacefully.

A knock on the front door surprised everyone gathered around the table.

"It's Billy." Kenny said with a smile as he hopped off his bar stool.

"I'll get another chair." Jake said as he carried his plate to the breakfast bar.

Xain carried his plate and glass to the breakfast bar, then returned to the table with three empty plates.

"How do you guys know it's Billy?" Allen asked curiously.

"Who else would it be?" Kevin asked with a smile.

Allen chuckled and said, "You've got me there."

"You're just in time for breakfast. Come on in." Allen said happily as Billy, Deacon and Lawrence walked into the room.

"I actually came over to invite you out to breakfast." Billy said as he looked at the three empty places set at the table.

"Next time. Come on before it gets cold." Allen said with a grand smile.

"It looks like you were expecting us, so thanks." Billy said as he took his seat.

"Sufficient food was prepared for all who might attend." Xain said from his place at the breakfast bar.

"What's that?" Deacon asked as he pointed.

"Grits." Billy said with a smile.

"I don't know what that is, but just the name says that I don't like it." Deacon said as he looked at the other selections.

"Just take a spoonful and give it a try. It's really good with butter." Billy said as he dipped out a portion for himself.

"Okay." Deacon said hesitantly.

"Oh, and that's Possum." Allen said as he pointed at the dog who was watching everyone curiously.

"When do you get a dog?" Billy asked with surprise.

"He's just visiting. He's a really well behaved dog." Allen said seriously.

"Yeah, he was out in the yard this morning. His collar says that he belongs to someone about four or five houses that way." Jake said and pointed.

Billy thought for a second, then said, "I don't really know too many people in the neighborhood. I don't spend too much time here."

"We're going to take Possum home after breakfast." Jake said casually.

"So what do you have planned for today?" Billy asked curiously before taking a bite of food.

"A day off." Allen said peacefully.

"That sounds perfect." Mona said with a contented smile.

Billy nodded his agreement.

"I was thinking that we could just bum around here this morning and do whatever we feel like, then this afternoon maybe we could swim." Allen said peacefully.

"That sounds perfect." Billy said with a loving smile at Allen.

"What do you think of the grits Deke?" Billy asked curiously.

"I don't know. I think I like them." Deacon said slowly.

Billy chuckled at the response.

"How are you this morning Lawrence?" Allen asked cheerfully.

"Um.. fine. Still not awake." Lawrence said groggily.

"Did you guys stay up late?" Allen asked curiously.

"Yeah. We were talking and stuff. The next thing we knew it was after midnight." Lawrence said with a tired smile.

"I think I need to hang out at Billy’s place. These old ladies were in bed by ten last night." Mona said frankly.

Billy and Deacon laughed at the statement.

"It was a long day." Allen said in his defense.

"Are you finished with your plate?" Xain asked from Allen's side.

Allen nodded and moved slightly so Xain could take his empty plate away.

Within a minute, Jake, Kenny and Kevin were also helping to clear the table.

"I'll be done in a second." Billy said, then hurried to take another bite.

"There's no rush Billy. We're just getting the empty dishes out of the way. Take your time." Kenny said as he picked up the empty plates from Reuben and Ricardo.

"Yeah. It's better for us to do it like this than waiting until everyone is finished before we start cleaning up.... It's logical." Jake finished with a grin at Xain.

Billy smiled and said, "Thanks Jake, that makes perfect sense."

"Did you guys figure out if you want to go to Camp Little Eagle or not?" Billy asked casually.

"I'll go if Lawrence does." Kenny said immediately.

Lawrence looked at Kenny with confusion.

"Me too." Kevin said with a serious look at his brother.

"What's so special about me?" Lawrence asked cautiously.

Kenny looked at Deacon, waiting for him to explain.

"I talked to the guys and we decided yesterday that if you don't like Camp Little Eagle, then we'll find someplace that you do like and go there with you." Deacon said quietly.

Lawrence looked at Deacon with confusion, then realized what he was really saying.

"So, if Camp Little Eagle didn't want me because I was a cross dresser, then all three of you wouldn't go?" Lawrence asked in confirmation.

"No. All of us. I don't think Jake or Xain would want to go to a school that wouldn't take you just because of the way you like to dress." Kenny said seriously.

"Yeah. We all like you Lawrence and we won't let anyone hurt you." Kevin said firmly.

Lawrence smiled at Kevin and said, "Thanks guys, but I don't think it's going to be a problem. Cory made me a member of Clan Short so I could help other people like me. I think that Camp Little Eagle is the perfect place for me to go to school because it's where I'll have the best chance of helping people. But if anyone ever gives me any trouble it's good to know that I'll have all of you watching out for me."

"So have you all agreed that you want to go to Camp Little Eagle?" Allen asked cautiously.

"Yeah. The guys seem nice. Trent and Jose and Obie are really funny." Kevin said with a big smile.

"And Dylan is there." Kenny said more quietly.

"Oh, yeah. Poppa, can Dylan come over and visit us sometimes? He's our friend and I think he'd feel better if he didn't have to stay at the Camp all the time." Kevin said seriously.

Allen looked at Jake with question.

"Kevin's right, I think it would be good if Dylan could come over and hang out with us. He's from my old neighborhood and went through a lot of the same stuff that I did and I think it would help him if we had a chance to talk about stuff away from the camp." Jake said with concern.

"Are you talking about the Chinese boy from the next block?" Juana asked cautiously.

"Yeah. But he was only doing the stuff he had to back then. He's really okay." Jake said quickly.

"He was always kind to me and my family." Juana said quietly.

"If we can clear it with the camp and if Dylan wants to come over, then I see no problem with it." Allen said cautiously.

"Thanks Dad. He's really alright. I promise." Jake said seriously.

"That's all I need to know." Allen said with a smile at his son.

"Are you done?" Kevin asked from Billy's side.

"Yeah. I couldn't eat another bite." Billy said happily.

Kevin smiled as he took Billy's plate.

"How about you guys?" Kenny asked as he stood between Lawrence and Deacon.

"Oh yeah, I'm done." Deacon said as he pushed away from the table.

"Me too. Everything was great." Lawrence said with appreciation.

"Then why don't we go into the living room for a while and relax. I don't think I'd be able to do much else after a meal like this." Allen said happily.

"I believe Edovina needs to be changed. I will attend to her needs before starting the dishes." Xain said seriously.

"Don't worry about the dishes T'hy'la. You did most of the cooking, so we'll do the dishes." Jake said with a gentle smile.

"We want to help too." Deacon said as he stood.

"We can get it..." Jake began to say but was interrupted.

"Either you let us help or we won't be able to eat over here anymore. We're either family or we aren't." Lawrence said firmly.

Jake looked at Lawrence with surprise, then broke into a smile and said, "Well, if you can say something like that, you're family."

"Yeah. How are you at loading a dishwasher?" Kenny asked with a smile.

"Just watch me go." Lawrence said happily and moved into position.

* * * * *

"I feel that I should be helping in the kitchen." Juana said quietly as she took her seat in the living room.

"Let the kids do it Juana. Once we're all going to work and school, there's going to be plenty for you to do around here." Allen said seriously.

"Besides, it makes them happy to be able to help out. I wouldn't want to take that away from them." Mona said gently.

Juana nodded her agreement.

"Dad, Ken and I are going to take Possum over to the address on his collar. We'll be right back." Jake said as he poked his head into the living room.

"I thought you were doing dishes." Allen said curiously.

"I was going to, but there's not enough jobs for everyone so Ken and I thought we could go do this." Jake said frankly.

"Do you want one of us to go with you? I mean, you don't know these people." Allen said cautiously.

"Don't worry Dad. Ken has his phone and I can call Xain through our bond if there's any trouble." Jake said with a smile.

"Okay, but be careful." Allen said seriously.

"I will." Jake said with a smile and hurried out.

"He'll be fine." Mona said quietly.

"I know he can take care of himself, but I can't help but worry." Allen said helplessly.

"You did the right thing. Jake needs to know that you trust him to do things on his own." Mona said honestly.

"I know." Allen said with resignation.

* * * * *

"What do you guys want to do now?" Kevin asked as he wiped down the kitchen counter tops.

"I don't know. What do you feel like doing?" Deacon asked curiously.

"I kinda feel like playing a game." Kevin said carefully.

"What about Monopoly?" Deacon said with a beaming smile.

"You'll have to show me how to play... and maybe read for me." Kevin said timidly.

"No problem. We'll show you how to play and all of us will help you read." Lawrence said happily.

"Can Ricardo play too?" Reuben asked slowly.

"Let me see. Ricardo, how many is this?" Deacon asked and held up three fingers.

"That's three." Ricardo said with a smile.

"Good enough. If you'll show him what to do, he can move your piece for you." Deacon said with a smile.

"Yeah. That sounds good." Reuben said happily.

"I'll go get the game and we can play." Deacon said as he hopped up from the table.

* * * * *

"Did you remember to drop off the key to the interior decorator this morning?" Billy asked as he relaxed back into the couch.

"Yeah. First thing." Allen said in a drowsy voice.

"Any idea of what he's planning to do?" Billy asked as he turned to glance at Allen.

"Not a clue. Damon just said that he ordered everything he would need yesterday and that he'd start work later today." Allen said with a smile.

"So it doesn't bother you to have this work being done without knowing exactly what he's doing?" Billy asked cautiously.

"No. I know that Damon is very good at what he does. Even though some of his designs are a little bit over the top, they're always really good." Allen said peacefully.

"I guess I'll just have to go with it. I just hope the guys will like it." Billy said as he rested back again.

"From the way you describe them, they'll probably be happy with anyplace that has a roof and a refrigerator." Allen said frankly.

Billy considered the statement for a moment, then said, "Yeah, pretty much."

* * * * *

"We're back." Jake said as he walked into the living room with Kenny on one side and Possum on the other.

"What happened?" Allen asked curiously.

"No one was home." Jake said simply.

"Oh. I guess you'll have to try again later." Allen said in a relaxed tone.

"Where is everyone?" Jake asked curiously.

"You know, I don't have a clue. I never heard them leave the kitchen." Allen said in realization.

"Come on." Billy said as he hopped up from the couch.

Allen was following a step behind.

Allen, Billy, Jake and Kevin all stood in the doorway and watched as the boys were sitting around the kitchen table setting up the Monopoly board.

Billy smiled as he felt Allen pull him into a gentle hug.

"I wanna be the doggie, I call him Possum." Ricardo announced loudly.

"Okay Ricardo, since you're going to be moving Reuben's piece for him you can have the dog... I think I want the cannon." Kevin said as he looked through the playing pieces.

"Will you get me the top hat?" Lawrence asked as he unwrapped the bundles of play money.

Kenny tugged on Jake's arm then tilted his head, silently asking him to 'come on'.

Jake smiled and walked to the table at Kenny's side.

"Did you save me the shoe?" Jake asked as he approached.

"Yeah, no one got it yet." Kevin said happily.

"There's too many of us." Lawrence said as he looked around.

"That's okay, I'll be your banker." Deacon said as he walked behind Lawrence and gave him a hug.

"Will you be my banker T'hy'la?" Jake asked Xain with a loving smile.

"I will be your everything." Xain said peacefully.

"Later..." Jake said with a wink.

Allen turned and gave Billy a quick kiss, then devoted his attention to the boys playing the game.

"Kev, I'll be your banker and read for you if you need it." Kenny said seriously.

"I don't have a banker." Reuben said as he looked around.

"Don't worry Reuben. I'll be your banker too." Kenny said with a smile.

Reuben smiled and nodded his agreement.

"Let's go." Allen whispered and guided Billy back to the living room.

* * * * *

"Is everything okay in there?" Mona asked as Billy and Allen walked back into the living room.

"It's fine. I would have thought that a group of this many boys would be tearing the place apart and driving us all crazy but they're in there entertaining themselves and cooperating with each other." Allen said peacefully.

"They've adjusted the rules of Monopoly to include eight people and they even gave Ricardo a job." Billy said with a tender smile.

"What are you going to do about the ox?" Mona asked as she looked at the large dog sitting quietly by the living room door.

"The boys can try to take him home again after they're done playing their game." Allen said peacefully.

A long moment of silence fell over the room as everyone sat and considered the events of the past few days.

"Don't be surprised if I start spending a lot of time in Orlando." Mona said distantly.

"We'll always have a place for you." Allen said with a gentle smile.

"And all the boys love having you around." Billy said honestly.

"I love spending time with them too. But what I was really thinking is that my manager can run the bar just fine without me constantly being there. I think that maybe it's time for me to start taking some time for myself to do the things that I really want to do." Mona said distantly.

"That sounds nice. I think that after all these years of devoting every waking moment to that bar that you deserve to be able to get up and go if you want to." Allen said peacefully.

"It hasn't been a burden. I really haven't had anything else that I've wanted to do. I've passed up a few motorcycle rallies and monster truck shows because I didn't feel comfortable leaving the bar, but I could have worked it out if I really wanted to." Mona said distantly.

"I know what you mean. I'm the same way with my work. I'm under contract for some of it but the rest is just there, needing to be done, so I do it. I don't really need all the jobs I do but I don't have anything better to do... well, at least I didn't until this week." Billy said with a tender smile at Allen.

"Are you planning to make some changes?" Mona asked curiously.

"Nothing major. I think I'm just going to slow down a little so I can spend more time at home. I'll still do my major projects, but I won't take on the little jobs to fill my time like I've been doing." Billy said in thought.

"I'm glad. I like having you and the boys around." Allen said with a loving smile at Billy.

"We like being here too. Coming over here is like having a real home." Billy said with contentment.

* * * * *

All the adults continued to talk casually as the boys played their game.

"Dad, we're going to try and take Possum home again." Jake said from the doorway.

"Is your game over?" Allen asked casually.

"Yeah. Deacon and Lawrence beat the stuffing out of all of us." Jake said with a smile.

"Deke will do that. He's a real hardass when it comes to Monopoly." Billy said frankly.

"It was fun. He took it easy on Reuben and Ricardo so it's okay." Jake said gently.

"I'm glad you had a good time. I think Juana is making lunch, so don't take too long." Allen said seriously.

"Yeah, she's got some soup cooking that smells great. We'll be back before you know it." Jake said with a smile.

"Okay. Just remember to be careful." Allen said cautiously.

"I will Dad." Jake said with a smile, then took hold of Possum's collar to guide him out of the room.

* * * * *

"This is it." Jake said to Kenny as he looked at the house number on the curb.

"Let's go. I'm really getting hungry." Kenny said as he started up the walkway.

Jake pressed the doorbell and waited for a moment as he looked around at the neat little house.

"Hello?" A woman said curiously as she answered the door.

"Hi. I'm Jake and this is my brother Ken. We found your dog." Jake said with a friendly smile.

The woman looked confused for a moment, then broke into a happy smile and said, "Oh, that's wonderful. Rory's going to be so happy to know that Possum is back. Please come in, I know he'll want to thank you."

"No, that's alright..." Jake began to say.

"Come on Jake. We don't know anyone here." Kenny said urgently.

"Okay Ken. I wouldn't want to pass up the chance to make a new friend." Jake said with a smile.

The End

Author's Note: So ends the story of 'One Door Closes' but not to worry,
the adventure continues in 'A New Door Opens'.