"We's only got Vincent and Chip left, since them ol' twins been adopted out. You ain't never met Chip, but you remember lil' Vincent. The impala kid." Jerome led the bitter crocodile through the house. Two voices could be heard from the other room. One was that disgusting snake child, and the other was...

"Vincent, you remember Tyrone." Jerome held a huge paw out in front of the croc. It couldn't be sure whether it was an introductory gesture, or a protective one.

"Ugh. The gazelle brat." The croc groaned. He held his webbed claws up over his eyes. The child had a very different thing than most herbivores did; he had a fire burning inside him. His eyes were more like those of a carnivore, angry, but determined.

"I sure do." The little animal stood in a defensive position. He was less than half Tyrone's size. If the snake wasn't a belly-crawler, surely he'd be larger than this animal.

Speaking of the snake, he started to blab. "Hello again! This is our new roommate, and we're gonna have tons of fun, Vincent. He's gonna make marshmallows for us!"

Indignant, and now a little confused, Tyrone turned his back on them. "This kid has never liked me, Jerome." He hissed toward the bear. He was speaking about the bratty antelope, of course.

"No, Chip! He's not!" The small animal snipped. He shot an arm toward the croc, sharp hoof pointed at him. "We don't like this guy. He's a crook!"

"No, he's a croc! I asked him myself."

That was actually a little funny. But big bad guys don't laugh when little kids are funny, so Tyrone kept his jaw shut. "Crook means bad guy, Chip." The antelope grumbled. Out of his own anger, he finally addressed Tyrone. "And I'm not some lame, crummy gazelle. I'm an impala. You know, like that super cool car you'll never afford."

It wasn't the best comeback, but it struck a nerve. The last time Tyrone had a car was when he was with his grandmother. That was a long time ago. "You're thirteen, maybe fourteen now, right?" He refused to face the children. He had no respect. "Nobody will ever adopt you."

It was true, wasn't it? Once orphaned children became teenagers, people didn't want them. There was too much baggage. There were extreme emotional issues. The reptile only spoke the truth. The others didn't see it that way. "He really is a bad guy..." The blue snake slithered up around the impala, and squeezed. He wasn't a constrictor, but snakes were all muscle. One could only assume it was a hug. Vincent returned the gesture.

Suddenly, a giant hand with huge claws pressed down on the croc's head. "Tyrone! A word!" Jerome was not a happy camper. The huge carnivore pushed the croc out of the room. He didn't want the kids to see this.

It wasn't often that Jerome used all of the strength in his body, especially not just to prove a point. But some animals just needed a warning. Tyrone especially needed a wake-up call.

"Stop pushing! I yield, I yield!" The croc griped. It wasn't funny. Not to the bear. In moments, Jerome shoved the other carnivore so hard, that he flew against the wall.

Tyrone groaned, his nose smashed and bloodied. He used the wall to stand. He shook the dizziness out of his head. He wasn't actually planning to yield that easily. He was too much of a prideful smart-aleck for that. "Yeah yeah, you're real strong. What's the lesson here, Teddy bea-"

"Ty-rone. Maybe I wasn't all that clear earlier." The bear's muzzle rippled in a snarl. He slammed his claw against the wall, right beside the croc's head. "While you's here, you gon' play nice. To all of my loved ones."

"You will get yer act togetha, or you will get gone. If you ever disrespect my kids, I'mma show you teeth an' claws. If you think you can't afford a car now, whew, lemme tell you, boy, hospitals ain't cheap." The threat lingered in the air for moments. Tyrone's body was tense, but he didn't give in. That was fine. All Jerome wanted was for him to listen.

"An' if you still feel the need to show up a kid? Man up already. You're grown. You know how life works much betta' than he do." The bear's beady black eyes rolled.

Tyrone nodded. He knew the other carnivore was serious. His kids were the most important thing in his life, after all. Even though none of them were his own. Tyrone watched the larger animal disappear into the kids' room to speak with them.