"Mallory."
"Wake up."
Mallory slowly covers her face. She blinks, closes her eyes, and blinks again. "What?" She asks grumpily.
"Sorry for bothering your sleep. Lupin keeps ringing the doorbell. I think it's an emergency, you should check him."
She lazily sits up, drags her feet off the bed, and heads to the door holding her blanket. "What's wrong Lupin?" She asks half asleep.
"You need to help me, Mallory!" Lupin said, his eyes panicking.
Mallory nods her head as she sits on the sofa holding her blanket. Her eyes start to fall again as Lupin starts to go back and forth the room, mumbling something under his breathe.
"What's going on?" Axel asks as he walks into the living room.
"Oh, thank goodness. Axel, you need to help me!"
"What happened?"
"I-I think someone kidnaps Ted!" Lupin said as his eyes start to tear up a little. "You know how important he is to me, Axel. We need to find him."
Axel glance at Mallory, she tried her best to stay awake but she couldn't help it. She was so tired of roaming around Lupin's mansion that her feet hurt. "Mallory I think you should go back to your room now while I help Lupin find Ted."
"Mallory?"
"Mallory!" Lupin yells making her jump.
"I'm awake!" She said saluting.
"Good. Now, all we need to do is find Ted."
"When was the last time you see him?" As Lupin starts to explain everything in detail, Mallory closes her eyes again.
"Hey! Are you sleeping?" Lupin asked, not believing that Mallory is sleeping in the middle of a crisis.
"No, I'm thinking."
"You seem sleeping though." He raises his eyebrow.
"This is how I think." She said sleepily.
"Oh, really? Then why am I here again?"
Mallory furrows her eyebrows. "Why is he here again?" She tries to whisper at Axel but Lupin hears her.
"How many times do I have to repeat myself, woman? Someone kidnaps Ted!"
Mallory nods her head. "He's here cause someone kidnaps Ted." She whispers right to Axel.
Axel bursts out laughing. "I think she needs to rest, Lupin. We can do this on our own. I'm sure Ted is alright."
"Noooo! I want to come too." She complains like a kid.
"Suit yourself." Lupin heads to the door but stops at his tracks when he realizes that Mallory is wearing ducky pajamas. "Aren't you going to change first, Mallory?"
She shakes her head. "I think I'm beautiful no matter what I wear." She said following them, still sleepily.
When they arrive at the mansion, Mallory's eyes widen. She seems to finally wake up to her senses now. "What are we doing here?"
"We are going to search for Ted," Axel replies as he opens the door for Mallory.
"Who is Ted?"
Lupin rolls his eyes. "For the fifth time, Ted is my teddy bear!"
"You woke us up and drags us here to make a search party because Ted is missing?"
"He's been kidnaped."
She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. "Don't you think he's too old for a teddy bear?" She whispers to Axel.
'Never thought a delinquent-arrogant-brat person like Lupin would get upset over a teddy bear.'
"Ted has a sentimental value to Lupin that's why he's upset."
She glances at Lupin. Even though the guy is always annoying her, she remembers how heartbreaking it was when she lost something important to her too. "Hey, Lupin! I think we should start looking at the curb."
"Oh, yeah! Good thing we have you."
"Don't worry. We can find Ted." She said encouraging the man. When they arrive at the curb, trash bags are scattered around the street. "Let's go!"
The two guys look at each other and gulps. They couldn't imagine themselves diving into a sea of garbage to find Ted. "Should I call the maids to do it instead? It was their fault anyway."
Axel glance at his watch. "I think we should do it ourselves. Besides, they are probably sleeping now."
The three of them focus on carefully rummaging through each bag but after long hours of examining the bags, they couldn't find Ted. "How many bags are left?" Mallory looks sadly at the last bag she's holding.
"I already check this one but I haven't seen Ted."
"I see." They could hear the disappointment and pain in Lupin's voice. He sits on the floor looking at the night sky.
Mallory looks at the bags again. "I think we should try to look again. Who knows maybe we just miss him and his still hiding in one the bags?"
"Forget it, Mallory."
She scoffs hearing his tired voice. "Forget it? How can you easily give up when you're not yet giving your best? Come on be a man, Lupin. We can find him."
They start to look at each bag again. "If I'm a teddy bear where will I hide?" She thinks hardly until the Reaper shows up.
"Still looking for Ted?"
"Hey! Look my guardian angel is here to save me. Do you have superpowers to see where Ted is?" She whispers joking at him.
"I wish I have a teddy detector but sorry I don't have one."
"Have you tried looking at the bag beside the tree?"
She hurriedly gets up and goes to the direction of the Reaper points. When she felt a soft toy, she gasps and did a victory dance. "I found it!" She yells.
The two men look at the bear she's holding. Lupin laughs when he saw Ted. "I can't believe you found him!" He gently takes the worn-out teddy bear in her hands as he hugs it tightly, not minding that it stinks.
"Good job finding it." Axel pats her back.
"Thank you but I got a little help from my friend." She glances at the Reaper and smiles at him gratefully. The Reaper sends a playful wink before disappearing.
"Thank you so much, Mallory. I'll keep him safe from now on."
"Do you mind if I fix him?"
"Eh, no need. You already did a lot when you found him."
"B-But his arm is torn. I'm afraid it will fall anytime now."
He hesitantly looks at her. "A-Are you sure? I mean I don't want to trouble you."
"No worries. I got this." He looks at her for a moment then hands her Ted.
"Fine but if anything happens to him I'll hunt you down." She giggles at his childish complaint.
"I didn't know you have a cute side too, Lulu." Axel teases.
"Stop calling me Lulu!" Lupin yells.
Mallory smiles at the two childish men in front of her. She looks at the sky and then herself. "GAHHHHHH!"
The two men look at her confuse. "What's wrong?"
"I-I'm still wearing my pajamas!"
Lupin laughs and mimicking what she said a while ago. "It's okay. I think you look beautiful no matter what you wear."
"Shut up, Lulu! Do you have any extra clothes I can borrow? I can't walk around wearing only this especially with you two around. People might get the wrong idea.
"I need to take a bath too. I stink like hell." Axel said as they start to head back.
"Hey! Why don't you say we do something fun today." Mallory suggests looking at the two men after they finish taking a warm bath.
They sat in the rooftop talking about random stuff while looking at the sky. Soon, Mallory points at the view in front of them as the sun blooms on the horizon, golden petals stretching ever outwards into the rich blue. "Wow." She said, totally amazed at the sunrise that is extraordinary today.
"I never watched the sunrise before."
"You always party too much that's why you always wake up late, Lulu," Axel replies.
"I remember you said you have a maze here? Why don't we all go together and play a game?" Mallory suggests again.
"Game?" They said at the same time.
"The first one who gets to the finish line will get a prize."
"Well, that is easy," Lupin smirks.
"We will do a paintball game while we figured out where is the finish line."
"I heard that before. Paintball is a shooting game in which players eliminate opponents from play by hitting them with spherical dye-filled gelatin capsules that break upon impact, right?" Lupin explained.
"Right!"
"Does it hurt?"
"Not at all! We are going to wear protective equipment. Do you have one here, Lulu?" She said trying to annoy Lupin by calling his nickname.
"Of course! We have everything you need here. And stop calling me Lulu!"
After they wear protective equipment, the three of them look at each other. "See you in the finish line, losers!" Lupin was the first one who enters the maze, he took a right turn and immediately yells. "I'm going to beat you guys."
Axel chuckles as he looks at Mallory. "Let's go."
Mallory holds her gun tightly. "Good luck, Axel. I'll see you in the finish line." She waves her hand as she took the straight path.
"Then I guess I'll go here." He turns to take the left path trying his best to avoid his two competitive friends.
The moment Lupin and Mallory see each other in the middle of the maze, they start shooting at each other. "Give up, soldier. I'm going to win this game!" Lupin said, throwing paint bombs at her direction.
"Hey! That's unfair. How can you have paint bombs and I can't?" They stand up firing at each other until they run out of ammo. When then get tired, they look at each other while catching their breaths.
"That was fun!"
"So where is the finish line?"
Lupin smiles. "Follow me."
They walk together totally covered with paint. By the time they reach the end of the maze, they saw Axel drinking tea. "You two having fun?" He chuckles looking at them.
Mallory and Lupin look at each other as an evil plan starts to form in their heads. "Why don't we paint our friend over there, soldier."
"You got it, Lulu!" Mallory smiles stealing Axel's gun and starting to fire at him while Lupin throws his last paint bombs at him.
"Hey! I thought we're done once we reach the end of the maze?"
"Oh, we are done. We are just giving you your prize." Lupin laughs evilly.
Everyone had a fun day, Axel and Mallory bid their goodbye and drive back home. She smiles looking at the teddy bear.
"Just a little more... And we are done!" She holds up Ted in the air with a proud smile on her face.
"Wow, Ted looks brand new now." The Reaper appears in her side, his eyes lighting at the sight of the teddy bear.
"Thank you. It took me hours to finish it."
"I'm really impressed with your sewing skills." Mallory blushes a little at his compliment.
"Anyway, thank you for helping me find Ted."
"I only pointed out the bag you missed. It's nothing."
"I'm still thankful. You're the best guardian angel ever." She smiles hugging the bear tightly to her chest.
The Reaper suddenly becomes silent. He looks away rubbing his cheeks awkwardly. "Is everything okay?"
The Reaper mumbles something under his breath but she doesn't catch it. "Sorry, what was that?"
"I said are you going to wash Ted?" She washes the teddy bear carefully in the bathroom sink and hangs it on the towel railing to let it dry. "There you go! I'm sure you will dry completely tomorrow."
"You did such a great job, Mallory. I'm sure Lupin will appreciate your effort."
"I wonder why it means so much to Lupin? He's completely a different person when he saw Ted."
"Perhaps it means very dearly to Lupin because someone important gives it to him." Mallory looks at him curiously.
"Who do you think it is?"
The Reaper shrugs his shoulder. "Don't you think it's better if you ask Lupin himself."
"I guess you're right."
"It's getting late. You should probably sleep now." She nods her head as she lies in bed.
The next day, Mallory excitedly wait for Lupin to stop by. "Hey, Lulu! Thanks for coming here soon."
Lupin scoffs. "It's not like I like to rush here. It just happens that I was around the neighborhood." She smiles a little at his bluff. "Why do you want me to come over?
"Surprise! I fixed Ted."
"W-Wow..." His breathless word from his lips makes Mallory nervous.
Lupin moves closer to her and hugs her tightly. "Thank you." She can feel her heart beating like mad at his sudden reaction. She pats his back awkwardly.
"Are you alright, Lulu?" He pulls away, small tears are forming at his eyes.
"Why did you do such effort for a jerk like me?"
"Because I know how much it hurts when you lost something important to you." Lupin's eyes widen.
"What is it?"
"Y-You better take care of Ted from now on, Lulu." She said changing the subject. They sit in comfortable silence, Lupin keeps his eyes on the teddy in his hands.
"This is a gift from my friend..." He pauses. "H-He died two years ago." Lupin has such a broken smile, she can't even speak.
"He was the first one who sees me for being me."
"Damn it! Crying in front of a girl." Mallory gently wiped his tear away, offering him a smile.
"I'm sorry about your friend but hey we are here for you. I'm sure your friend will be sad seeing you cry."
Lupin laughs a little. "That's exactly what that guy would do." He stands up and gives her a short bow.
"Next time I'll bring you a gift as a token of my appreciation."
"I simple thank you would do."
"I already thank you enough. I should probably think of something to give you now. See you later, Mallory."
She smiles, shaking her head. "Stubborn as always."
The next day, Axel and Mallory got a big surprise in the kitchen. "Are you crazy Lupin? Why would you buy so many chocolates? Are you trying to kill us?"
"Trust me. It wasn't intentional."
"You call bringing 10 boxes of chocolate unintentional?"
Lupin sheepishly rubs the back of his head. "I wanted to celebrate for finding Ted but I don't know your favorite flavor."
"Well, I just wanted to surprise you guys."
"We're really surprised," Axel said massaging his temple.
"You should be because I have another announcement!"
"What is it?" Mallory asks excitedly.
"I'm officially moving in here!"