When Mary met Wally
One Friday night, Mary Frances O'Brian was having a fun time playing with her grandma at her house. Mary loved her grandma very much and always had lots and lots of fun with her as she was so kind and loving to Mary and always knew how to play her games the way she wanted to. However, going to her Grandma's house could be sad as that meant that she wasn't with her mommy and daddy because they wanted to go on a "Date Night".
Mary didn't know how to feel about Date Nights. She missed her mommy and daddy very much and even though she had lots of fun with Grandma, and sometimes Uncle Todd or Uncle Robin, it was never as much fun as when her mommy and daddy where there to play with. On the other hand, Mary saw that Date Night made her parents very happy and they dressed real nice and pretty and loved each other a lot more than on other nights. Grandma explained to Mary that Date Nights were special nights because it was when mommies and daddies did romance and had fun together that only they could share.
Mary didn't see why she had to be left out of dates, but if it made her parents happy then it made Mary happy, even if she was a little sad by them leaving.
Tonight's fun was going to be Picture storytime, where Grandma would show Mary a picture book and share stories about each picture. At first Mary didn't like it because her Grandma showed her Lying Things of herself, but the fact that Mary was showed them by her Grandma helped to lessen her dislike and Grandma's fun storytelling made the Lying Things part of the fun as her Grandma could use it to show Mary what happened like with one of the many picture books Mary was read to at bedtime. Mary's Grandma was not as good of a storyteller or have as cool a voice as her Grandpa, but she still said good stories so these were nice times.
Mary awaited eagerly on the couch, hugging Ginger who sat on a pillow next to Marry while Natalie sat on the other side. Grandma returned with another big book. "Settle in Mary, cause tonight I'm gonna share with you the story of how I became a mama." Grandma said, sitting to Mary's left and scratching the ears of Natalie.
Mary gasped in shock, "You a mommy?!" Mary asked. That was impossible! The only mommy in the world was Mommy!
Grandma laughed, "Of course I am. I'm your mommy's mama."
At this proclamation, Mary's mind was completely blown and she fell back in dramatic disbelief. How did any of this make sense? There was only one mommy, one daddy, two grandmas and one grandpa. That was how it worked.
"Everyone has a mommy and daddy, I'm your mommy's mommy, and that makes me your grandma." Grandma explained.
Mary then remembered that Mommy and Daddy called Grandma Mom which was like Mommy. So that meant that Grandma was Mommy and Daddy's Mommy?
"Grandpa Mommy's Daddy?" Mary asked, seeing the logic.
At that Grandma's face had a frown. She didn't answer for a while before saying yes carefully. Did she not remember?
Before Mary could ask further, Grandma opened the picture book and began storytime, with Mary eagerly scooting and leaning forward, hugging Ginger who leaned forward in a perch curiously. Grandma showed Mary fake pictures of her with a big tummy. Strangely, the man Grandma didn't like to talk about, Eddie kept on showing up in the fakes. Sometimes Grandma talked about him, but often times she pretended that Eddie wasn't in the fake picture. Mary also knew her Mommy and Daddy didn't like Eddie, so Mary didn't like him either, but why was he bad?
The page then turned and there was a new photo of a baby. "Who that?" Mary asked.
"That's your mommy." Grandma said.
Mary shook her head, "No, Mommy big girl. Mommy no baby."
"Every big girl was once a baby, and this was your mommy."
At the realization, Mary became crossed. "Lyin thing." She said with a furious pout. How could Grandma tricked her?
Grandma sighed, "It's not a lie Mary, it's a picture. Mommy and Daddy take pictures of you all the time. Are those lies?"
"Yes." Mary said positively. Why would they want a lying thing of Mary when they could just see her?
"Mary one day you're gonna be a big girl, and your mommy and daddy want to see you as a baby girl. So they take pictures so they can see you as a baby, but you'll still be a big girl." Grandma explained.
"Oh." That made sense. Mary guessed that made pictures okay, but she still didn't like Lying Thing Kermit Boxes. Pictures were one thing, but a lying Kermit Box or Music Box were bad because they moved and talked like her parents, not just stay still.
"Say story." Mary requested, and with a smile Grandma continued.
There were many interesting and fun stories of Mommy as a baby. A lot of it sounded like what Mary went through each day, and she was surprised that her Mommy was just like her. It was also a good thing because if she was like her when she was a baby, then that meant that Mary could be like Mommy when she was a big girl!
After many pages, a new person appeared with Mommy holding another baby. Considering Mary just saw her mother as a baby, she gasped in the realization, "Daddy Baby?" Mary asked with excitement.
Grandma laughed and shook her head, "No, that's your Mommy and Uncle Todd."
"Uncle Todd?" Mary asked in confusion. Mary loved him very much as he was a cool and fun uncle, but why would he be with Mommy as a baby?
"I'm Uncle Todd's mama." Grandma explained, blowing Mary's mind further.
"You Uncle Robin, Uncle John, Uncle Gavin, Uncle George, Uncle Will-"
Grandma shook her head, "No Mary, just Uncle Todd's. Uncle Todd is my son, he's your mommy's brother."
Brother...Mary had heard that word before. Brandon was Shannon's brother, Mommy called Uncle Todd brother and Daddy had Uncle Gavin. Was that a kind of friend?
"Mommy and Uncle Todd friends?" Mary asked.
"Of course, best friends. They did everything together and love each other so very much."
"Where Daddy?" Mary asked.
"Your mommy and daddy didn't meet each other until they were a big girl and big boy. Your Grandpa and Grandpa-Grandma have picture books of your Daddy as a baby, next time they come I'll ask them to bring one. Right now, this book is just your mama and Uncle Todd." Grandma explained.
Grandma then explained the many stories of her Mommy and Uncle Todd's adventures and how they grew up as great friends. During the story time, Mary had an epiphany. She had lots of friends, real and play friends, but she didn't have a baby friend. Everyday it was her, Mommy and Daddy, Ginger and Natalie, Grandma, her play friends, and others who came like Brandon and Uncle Robin, but it was never a baby friend. Mary saw lots of baby friends on the Kermit Box, and her Grandma made a Baby friend sound like so much fun. Why couldn't she have an Uncle Todd? Someone who was just like her and they could have adventures everyday?
At some point during the storytime, Mary started to get tired and fell asleep. When she drowsily awoke, she felt the sensation of being carried and then felt a familiar loving kiss on her head.
"Mommy?" Mary asked, too tired to have her eyes open up fully and be wide awake.
"Yes Mary it's me. Mommy and Daddy are home and we're gonna tuck you in and say goodnight." Mommy said, placing Mary in her crib.
"Goodnight Mary, we love you so very much." Said Daddy.
"Wuv you." Mary tiredly said as her mommy placed a blanket over her and Daddy gave her her favorite Kermit doll to snuggle with.
Mary almost went to sleep until her developing mind used all of its power to remember what happened earlier that day and she jumped up in alarm. "Mommy, Daddy!"
The lights turned on and Mary had to squint greatly cause of the new lights but she could barely make out her parents dressed in pretty clothes. "What is it Mary?" Daddy asked.
"I wanna Uncle Todd." Mary requested.
Mommy and Daddy chuckled, "We can have Uncle Todd come over and visit tomorrow, Mary."
Mary stood up and angrily stomped her foot. "Bother." Her parents thought she wanted her Uncle Todd, but Mary wanted a Uncle Todd. Why did they always misunderstand her when she was trying to say important stuff, why did they never get her?
"Mommy has Uncle Todd when Mommy baby, I wanna Uncle Todd for Mary." Mary stressed.
Mary's toddler eyes could now just make out her parents, who both seemed a bit shocked and sad when she asked for an Uncle Todd. Why would that make them sad? Getting a baby friend should be easy.
Daddy then crouched down so he was looking at Mary face to face through the crib, "Mary, your mommy and I want to give you an Uncle Todd really badly. We can't give you one today, but we promise that when we can we'll give you one."
"Pwamiss?" Mary asked. Kermit always said that promises were very important and Mommy and Daddy took them just as seriously as Kermit and friends.
"Promise." Daddy affirmed.
Well, that was easy. "I love you Mommy and Daddy." Mary said, then fell softly onto her crib mattress and curled up in her blanket, satisfied by her parent's words.
After the lights closed and they made sure Mary was sleeping easily, Bruce and Carrie retreated to their bedroom, both troubled by what Mary had asked. "I know Mary is smart, but I didn't think she'd want a brother or sister this early."
"And we can't give it to her for a year at least." Carrie said sadly.
Bruce adopted a guilty look, feeling terrible that both his wife and daughter wanted a new Gosling and he had to deny them because of Star Wars.
Carrie hugged her husband and kissed him softly on the cheek, "Don't feel bad, I want to make Star Wars just as much as you and a two year gap is a perfect time to get the most important parts in raising Mary done and be ready for another baby. We can get her a baby doll for Christmas so she can play pretend in the meantime." Carrie suggested.
Bruce nodded in agreement, then he stewed over the exact words that Mary had used, "You know, what if she doesn't want a baby brother or sister persay?"
"What do you mean?" Carrie asked.
"Mary just asked for an Uncle Todd when you were a baby, Mom said she was showing your old baby pictures to Mary. Maybe she just wants someone her age to play with? All she has is family and our friends, but they're all big and they'll never have the same bond with Mary like you and Todd." Bruce pointed out.
Unfortunately for the O'Brians, it was tough to find other families in their exact state to bond with. Their neighborhood had few kids and those who lived near were well above Mary's age. Almost all of their friends either didn't have kids or if they did they were well above Mary's age. Going out and striking friendships with other parents in public was also a tough sell when they saw you first as Han and Leia.
"You got any ideas?" Carrie asked.
"Well there's Julia, she's a nice girl?" Bruce suggested.
"Also three years older." Carrie pointed out.
"There's this new hire in the writer's room named Mavis. She has a daughter a few months older than Mary, don't know her too well but we could set up a playdate." Bruce added.
"What about Wally?" Carrie said in remember.
"Who?" Bruce asked in confusion.
"Our Godson who we haven't seen up until this point." Carrie reminded.
"I thought his name was George Lucas III?"
"It is, but they call him Wally for George Walton, both to make it easier to differentiate and so they don't out him as George Lucas in public. We haven't seen him because he's in San Francisco with his parents, but now him and Marcia are in town so why don't we invite the family over, have Wally see his godparents and Mary gets a friend." Carrie suggested.
"Sounds great, let's do it at the Christmas party, give Mary something to do while we're talking." Bruce agreed, then gave Carrie a chaste kiss in thanks. "Still, who names their kid Wally?"
George Walton Lucas III or Wally as he believed himself to be as that was what his family called him was a rather quiet child. Many who met Wally remarked in amazement at how quiet he was as Wally hardly ever cried aside from food or a dirty diaper, just living his life happily taking naps and playing with his mommy and daddy.
Wally's world was rather small, even for a baby. Almost all he knew were his parents, his grandpa and two grandmas and a lot of aunts and uncles and cousins. He didn't travel outside much, his giant home being practically his only world, but that was okay for Wally. He liked his house, he liked traveling in all the rooms, and he liked living each day with his mommy and daddy. Mommy and Daddy were silly and fun, the outside world was big, bright and scary. Wally liked his home.
Unfortunately for Wally, something had changed recently. His daddy had been gone for a number of days, and while he always came back, Wally was sad when he couldn't find him around the house and he had to wait. He could have been okay with just his mommy, but Mommy had started being gone for some days too, leaving Wally with his grandparents. Some days it was okay because he could just nap and wait until they got back, but some days they were gone and he was rather scared and fussy.
The thing that hurt most about his parents being gone was that he didn't have anyone to play with. Both Mommy and Daddy knew how to play with Wally in all of his favorite ways, especially Daddy with his cool space toys and color books where he made fun stories where Wally could go on adventures. Wally tried to play with the toys on his own, but he could never make the voices his Mommy and Daddy did and didn't know how to make a story or what to do on an adventure, which made him sad.
Fortunately, recent days had seen Wally spend almost everyday with his mommy and daddy, although it involved going to a different house and Wally was nervous because everything looked and felt different even if he had a lot of his toys with him. Wally didn't understand why things had to change, why couldn't everyday be just the same?
Little did Wally know that soon most of his problems would go away when he made his first friend, when for once his mommy and daddy took him with them to see his Uncle Bruce and Aunt Carrie.
A few days after Mary requested for an Uncle Todd the O'Brian house decorated in all manner of Christmas colors, lights and sets for the small Lucasfilms seasonal get together. While Bruce and Carrie scrambled to get the house clean and ready, Mary dressed in a colorful Santa dress and played pass the ball with a patient Natalie who gently either knocked back the ball towards Mary with her snout or carried it to Mary if it went far, causing Mary to laugh and smile each time she was able to do it.
At first Mary was rather sad and pouty seeing her mommy and daddy dress up pretty, but it turned out not to be a date night and instead be a party, meaning Mary could come and play too like her parent's burf-day parties. Mary was really excited to run around and play dragon and scare everybody, but she didn't know why it was a Christmas party. The advent calendar still had chocolate kisses that Mommy and Daddy gave to each other each day so it wasn't Christmas, why would they throw a pretend Christmas party?
Although if today was Christmas, that made Mary hopeful because when she went with her parents to meet Santy Claus at the mall, she had asked him for an Uncle Todd friend and he promised she'd get lots of friends so perhaps today she'd get an Uncle Todd as a present. Just in case she was a naughty girl, Mary had asked the Jesus guy at Church for an Uncle Todd since Mommy and Daddy always asked him for help, so no matter what Mary would get an Uncle Todd!
"Wally?"
"You really want George to call George, Junior?"
Bruce frowned. "But Wally?"
Carrie shrugged. "Well, it's what they call him."
Mary looked up to her parents in curiosity. Who was this Wally guy? Was he a big friend like Brandon or a BIG friend like Uncle Robin?
Mary heard the door open and she crawled to follow her mommy and daddy and see what kind of fun friend was coming over today. She saw a pretty lady she had never seen before, followed by Uncle George. Mary narrowed her eyes at the sight of the bearded man. She liked Uncle George, but he always liked to pull mean tricks on her and get her to like the Lying Things. Why couldn't he see that Lying Things were bad?! Why would Mary want a Fake toy when she had her real Mommy and Daddy here?
"I hope we're not late. And I call him Wally because why would I call him Junior."
Mary then gasped as she looked up and saw that for once Uncle George didn't have a Lying Thing, he had a baby! It was a baby boy who was just her age and height. Uncle George brought an Uncle Todd! Today was Christmas and Santy Claus and Jesus Guy made her wish come true!
Uncle George set the baby down and Mary got on her two stubby legs and ran to greet the new friend. He seemed rather shy and scared, looking up and reaching for Uncle George, which made him caught off guard when Mary tackle hugged him in excitement.
"Hi, I Mary!" Mary announced rather happily after she gave a kiss on the cheek, which she thought boy-girl friends like mommy and daddy did, making her new friend turn red in a funny way. "You my Uncle Todd friend!" She stated, claiming Wally with the title.
Wally shook his head, "No, I Wally Lucas."
"Wally, you my Uncle Todd friend. We super friends!" Mary said happily.
Wally looked at her in confusion, "What is friend?" He didn't know what the word was, but lots of people in the Star Wars box called each other friends.
Mary gasped, he didn't know what a friend was? "Friends people play with you, have fun happy time." Mary informed.
Wally was intrigued at that, "Mommy and Daddy friend?"
Mary shook her head, "Mommy and Daddy my friend, Uncle George and pretty lady you friend." Mary responded, not understanding that Wally was talking about his parents and not hers.
Wally looked a bit down at that, but before they could talk more, they were interrupted by the adults who crouched down and fawned over the two kids babbling, most of their conversation having been in baby talk.
"Hi Mary, I'm your Aunt Marcia and I'm your Godmother. It's so nice to finally meet you after so long." Marcia greeted with a smile and playful handshake with Mary's tiny hand.
"Hi!" Mary said happily, but she was confused. First Grandma tells her she's her mommy's mommy and know this Aunty Marcia says God made her Mary's mommy? How many mommies and daddies' were there and what were the rules?
"Hi Wally, I'm Aunt Carrie and this is Uncle Bruce. We're your Godparents" Carrie greeted with Bruce giving a wave.
"No! You my Mommy and Daddy!" Mary protested, generating a laugh out of everyone present. Mary fumed at the adults laughing at her, why did they never understand when they were wrong?
Meanwhile Wally was completely starstruck at the sight of Bruce and Carrie, "Han and Leia!" He said happily, though as someone who was not as advanced as Mary, his words were more "Ha a la" As he jumped up and down in excitement and pointed to Bruce and Carrie with a smile. These people weren't strangers, they were his friends from his space toys! He played with them everyday and now he got a chance to play with them big!
Mary was still cross that no one was getting each other right, "They Mommy and Daddy!"
Bruce kneeled and gave Mary a kiss on her forehead which helped to calm her down, "Listen Mary, Wally is our guest and he's family." Bruce began.
"Wally friend?" Mary aske for confirmation.
Bruce smiled, glad his daughter was quick on the uptake. "Yes Mary, Wally friend. Now this is a strange new place for Wally and we're going to have a lot of people coming. So I want you to play with Wally and be a good girl for me, okay sweetie?"
Mary nodded, causing Bruce to smile. "That's my girl."
Mary then turned to Wally, who wanted to try and ask Bruce and Carrie to play but was unsure and afraid, "Come." Mary urged, pulling on Wally's sleeve.
"What you do?" Wally asked.
"We play tour game. I show all house and friends. We be friends and fun." Mary insisted.
Wally was scared and unsure, looking to his parents who simply nodded and encouraged him to have friend. He didn't know what he was getting himself into, but he finally got to play with someone who wasn't his mommy and daddy and they had Han and Leia as parents, so she had to be cool.
Thus Wally crawled and followed a confident stomping Mary who proudly showed Wally everything in her house. "This is kitty Ginger, that doggy Natalie. That Kermit Box. That Couch Castle."
What followed was the most most, strange, exciting and intense play that Wally had ever done. Playtime was usually quiet and relaxing fun, with his mommy and daddy simply telling stories or moving toys and cars which made him smile. Mary by contrast was a very active and excitable person who wanted to make a game out of anything and moved and played at a very fast pace when Wally wanted to take it slow and easy. It was definitely a huge step out of his comfort zone, but it was an interesting an new experience with lots of cool moments like racing, playing ball or riding the big spotted doggy with Mary which was funny from how scarry it made Daddy.
A neat thing about Mary was that she also told stories and made adventures like mommy and daddy, but there was little structure or reason and they had very tense and vivid imaginative journies as they could understand one another and had lots of inspiration from boxes. If this was what having friends meant, then Wally very much liked having a friend.
Eventually, the two ended up in Mary's room, which was big and colorful with lots of toys and silly pictures painted on the wall. "Let's play Wriggling!" Mary excitedly suggested, bouncing up and down in place.
Wally tilted his head, "Wriggle, what that?"
Mary walked over to her toy chest and picked out a familiar Kermit friend, "We pick up fluffy toys and move talk them with pretend." Mary then shook Kermit and did her best imitation of Jim, "Hewo, I Kermit da frog." Mary said in a silly voice.
Wally laughed and clapped, having seen Sesame Street and Muppets before so he knew exactly who Kermit was, "I know that game, me go get toy friends." Wally happily said, trotting to get his most favorite toys while Mary wriggled Kermit to a nearby Ginger.
After a minute, Wally came crawling back and carrying a trio of his favorite toys with him. "Here my friends." Wally said, proudly showing off the toys to Mary.
Only Mary wasn't happy to see them, but horrified at the familiar sight, "Lying Things!" She said in accusation, then angrily walked over and yanked the Han and Leia toys from a surprised Wally, throwing them with all of her might, which landed pretty much two feet away.
Wally looked at Mary with hurt and betrayal,"Wha?"
"Lying Things Bad! They look Mommy and Daddy but they NOT Mommy and Daddy! They Stinky Bad Fakers!" Mary protested in a tantrum.
Wally didn't understand why his new friend hated the toys. They were his most favorite special toys, the toys Daddy made for him and what he used to tell his fun stories that always made Wally happy. When his parents were gone they kept him company and prevented him from being sad, helping him to be a brave little Jedi.
"But they my toys, they my friends." Wally said in a sniffle, then crying as he hugged his Luke toy.
Wally would find loving comfort in the form of Ginger who walked over and licked Wally's tears and nuzzled the sad boy's face, which helped him to stop crying from the tickles but he was still sad. Ginger gave Mary a rare disapproving glare, the kind that Mommy gave when she was a naughty girl.
Mary stared at Wally in bafflement, what did she do wrong? Wally was the stupid one for liking Lying Things, they were bad and awful copies and no one should play with them! Then again, Mary saw lots of people on the Kermit Box playing with them, and whenever she went out there was always a kid playing with a Lying Thing, and they liked it.
Mary looked down at her favorite Kermit doll who blankly stared back at her. How would she like it if Wally threw away her friend Kermit and called him bad? She wouldn't at all, and thus Mary knew she did a bad thing.
Recalling how her parents or Uncle Robin cheered her up when she was sad, Mary walked over and picked up the Han and Leia toys. It felt very wrong to be holding a Lying Thing, but Mary knew she had to make her friend happy. She walked and sat in front of Wally, who curled up and hug his Luke tight for fear Mary would yank him away too.
Then Mary raised the Leia doll to Wally's face and wriggled it, "Hello, I Mommy, I a beautiful fairy princess and need friend for magic quest."
Unknowing to Mary who had never watched Star Wars, she somewhat described Leia accurately and very similarly to how Wally played Star Wars with his parents. Thus he cautiously extended his Luke toy outwards and wriggled it, "I Luke Skywalker, I great brave Jedi who save Princess and defeat Darth Vader."
Mary then plopped down Kermit next to them, "And I Kermit the frog shall join adventure." Mary said once more in her silly voice, making Wally laugh and smile.
Later Bruce would walk in and discover a tired Mary and Wally wriggling their toys while surrounded by a scattered field of stuffed toys, blocks, figures and games that looked like a big mess to Bruce but to Mary and Wally was the vibrant and colorful world that they had made and lived in with their wriggles.
With the party still set for several more hours but the two babies getting tired, Bruce decided to tuck them both into the crib for naptime along with reading a story, Wally using up the last of his energy to sit eagerly at attention as Han read him a silly story about a cat and a hat.
At near midnight when all of the guests had left there was just the O'Brians and Lucas'. Both parents traveled to the nursery where they were greeted with the most adorable sight of Mary and Wally sleeping facing and hugging each other under a blanket. After saving the memory with a polaroid, Marcia quietly scooped up Wally and the two parents thanked each other for a good party.
At that moment Mary was dreaming her usual dreams of flying a dragon, but this time Wally was flying at her side on a beautiful black and white dragon.
Wally was a weird friend. He was not loud and adventurous like Mary, but he was quiet and shy, unsure of what to do and not experienced in many games. But he was always willing to play with a push from Mary, and unlike the grownups who mostly played their way or sometimes didn't understand what Mary wanted, Wally always knew and was willing and happy to let Mary be a leader, which she liked very much.
It was nice having an Uncle Todd friend, and now Mary never needed to be sad about Daddy working or Date Nights because she now had a best friend she could always play with.
Mary's hand unconciously grabbed for Wally, but all she was met with was empty air and the crib mattress. Confused, Mary's hand kept on searching for Wally's and when she didn't find anything she woke up and after a short period of orientation, was shocked that Uncle George and Aunt Marcia were stealing Wally from her!
"No! Wally!" Mary cried out in alarm.
The adults turned to her in shock and a sleeping Wally was stirred awake but the noise. Mary reached and grabbed, then causing Carrie to lift her up while Mary struggled to escape and get Wally back. "My Wally, MY Friend!" Mary yelled accusingly at George and Marcia who were a bit stunned at the tantrum.
"Mary, it's Wally's bedtime and he has to go home with his mommy and daddy." Carrie kindly said.
The words left little impact to a frustrated Mary, "Mommy Daddy here, Wally stay, Wally my Uncle Todd." Mary protested.
"Mary Francis O'Brian." Bruce said sternly, making Mary freeze at the first half of her full name being called out. Bruce crouched a bit and looked Mary in the eyes, who tried to shift her head away in protest as tears welled up in her eyes, "Mary, I know Wally is your friend and you two had lots of fun today, but he's gotta go home. Uncle George and Aunt Marcia are his Mommy and Daddy."
"WHA?!" Mary said in shock, looking between her parents and Wally's in confusion. Wally had a mommy and daddy?! But their names were Uncle George and Aunt Marcia, not Mommy and Daddy. What were the name rules and why did people keep on changing them?
"They love him very much and they want to be home with him. How would you like it if Uncle Robin wanted to make you stay with him forever?" Bruce asked.
Mary sniffled as she knew the answer. She loved Uncle Robin but she didn't want to spend every single day with him, she wanted to do it with Mommy and Daddy.
"Wally Friend. Wanna play Fun." Mary protested.
At seeing the sight of his hurt friend, Wally reached out and tried to comfort her, being held in place by Marcia who along with George smiled at the bond of friendship made in such a short time.
"Well, why don't you guys just come to our house tomorrow and they can have a playdate? That way Mary and Wally see each other again and she knows she's not losing a friend." Marcia suggested.
"Are you sure? I don't want to inconvenience you with something last minute." Carrie asked, to which she was given a mean stare by Mary. Why did her mommy want her friend to be away.
"It's fine, house could always use some company. Besides, I think Wally wants this just as much as Mary." George said, with his son looking at him and Marcia with puppy dog eyes, silently pleading to have his friend.
"Alright, it sounds like a playdate. You hear that Mary, tomorrow after you wake up, we get to go to Wally's house and play with all his toys in his room." Carrie said encouragingly to her daughter.
Mary still didn't like that she had to let Wally go when he was her friend, but if she was gonna see him again then it would be good. Mary's Grandma didn't live with them but Mary knew she would see her most days and wouldn't lose her, maybe Wally would be like the same.
"Bye Wally." Mary waved sadly, knowing she had to let her best friend go, to which Wally waved back. The goodbye lasted a few more minutes so that the rugrats could give long and proper goodbyes, but with the late time even Mary started to fall asleep, but she could rest easy knowing she would see her friend in the morning.
The next day saw a rather fun addition of Princess and the Dragon with the Lucas family joining in on the fantasy adventure. George took up the role of a wise old wizard, Marcia was a proud and noble elven archer, and both served as mentors and companions to Wally who took up the role filled by Brandon as the brave Jedi Sir Wally who was on a quest to defeat the evil dragon and save Princess Leia from the Darth Fairy. It was a rather unconventional fusion of science-fiction and fantasy but Wally insisted on it and since Jedi were Knights this was okay in Mary's book.
The climax of the adventure saw Jedi Master Wally crawl up a pillow mountain to come face to face with Mary the scary big dragon on top of a couch as the last obstacle to free the fair princess.
"Please save me Sir Wally, or else I shall be the Dragon's feast." Princess Carrie cried out for her savior while she was in the maniacal clutches of the evil Fairy King.
"Rawr, Rawr!" Mary roared at Wally in her purple outfit while flapping her arms, imagining she was breathing heavy fire at the young boy, who in excellent play reacted near perfectly to Mary's imagination, shrinking and backing up a bit to avoid the flames.
Mary was having so much fun. She got to play her favorite game with her new best buddy and Wally was the best Dragon player ever! He played the knight hero with all the seriousness that Mary had to hope to get from Brandon and he was genuinely frightened by Mary the Dragon, it was so cool and fun!
While Wally was indeed frightened for his life that Mary would eat or burn him, much of the game spent running away from the dragon and thus pushing him to train with Wizard George and Archer Marcia, he also had a very fun time. He got to play with both of his parents, play with Han and Leia, and he experienced new stories and great imagination that he had never known before, all while finally becoming the hero that he always wanted to be as Luke.
Having fled from Mary for most of the game, Wally didn't know if he could save the day and wanted to quit and let the Dragon win, but Daddy had said that a Jedi doesn't know fear and always fight for what's right, thus Wally had to be hero or else he wouldn't be a Jedi and there'd be no princess saving.
Instead of shrinking and hiding, Wally stood his ground and raised a plush lightsaber. While Mary usually liked for her playmates to run in fear of the dragon, Wally was being a story hero and that got her smiling and happy.
"Dragon Mary, I Jedi Wally Skywalker. I have Force and lightsword, I am good and I defeat you!" Wally proclaimed, and crawled forward to start bonking Mary with the plush saber as she roared back and breathed fire while they engaged in a friendly tussle. This went on for a while until Mary noticed that Wally was sand and frustrated over not winning, so for once without prompt by her parents, she decided to concede and in a very dramatic fashion, played being slain by Jedi Wally with the lightsaber piercing her heart, falling down and playing dead, thus allowing Wally to defeat the Fairy King and rescue the Princess.
Thus was the beginning of a beautiful lifelong friendship.
