"You guys, what are we gonna name the puppy?"

"Mama!" Franz says.

"No." Elsa laughs. "Not Mama you silly boy.  Daddy, what do you think we should name him?"

"I think you should pick his name, Mommy."

"Okay!" Elsa smiles and holds the puppy up, she looks into his big sweet eyes and thinks.

"Theodore."

"Theodore?"

"Yes!  Theo or Teddy for short!  Isn't that cute?"

"It is!  Good job, honey."

Elsa giggles. "Thanks!"

Marlena smiles and reaches for the puppy.  Elsa sits him next to her and Marlena grabs him.

"Gentle, baby."

"Ahhhh!" She giggles and licks the pup.

"Hey don't do that!" Elsa laughs. "He's our friend, not your snack, love."

***

The new year came, Valentines was here in a blink.  It is now early spring, and things are tough as far as business goes.

"I'm going to have to find more people to join our troupe, Jimmy.  We can barley pay the bills lately."

"Where are we going?"

"I'm going to go up north."

"You have your eye on someone?"

Elsa sighs. "Yeah.  Twin boys.  Early twenties.  They're just like Bette and Dot."

"Oh.  Well we can load up the kids and head over."

Elsa smiles softly. "Thanks babe."

Just a few days later the Darlings were on the road.

"This has been the worst road trip I've ever been on." Elsa says holding her head.

"Yeah they've been assholes."

Elsa hits Jimmy's arm. "Stop that.  They're little and they hate being stuck in a car all day." Elsa says as she bounces Franz on her lap.

"Baby, you should go back with your brother and sister... Now that you've finally calmed down."

"NO!" Franz fusses.

"Oh my goodness!"

"Just leave him with you, I can't take hearing another one of them cry today!"

Elsa laughs. "Well I'm sorry I'll have to leave you all at the hotel while I meet these boys."

"Elsa Please!" Jimmy begs. "Go tomorrow!"

"No, no, no my darling.  I must go today!  We can't afford to wait any longer."

Jimmy pouts. "Can't you take one at least?  I can't do it all by myself."

"Fine, I'll take Fritz."

"He's the easiest one!"

"You said to take one!  I chose Fritz!"

"Fine!"

Elsa laughs. "You'll be okay."

"Yeah I will.  Good luck, mamas."

"Thanks."

**

Elsa pushed Fritz in his stroller as she walked into the facility the boys were in.

Fritz being the happy baby he always is, smiled, babbled and pointed to everything they past.

Elsa smiled and said, "What are you saying Fritz?  You are such a happy boy!"  She then made it up to the front desk.

"Hello." Elsa smiled.

"Mama!" Fritz reached for her.

Elsa picked him up before turning back to the woman.  Fritz smiled and touched his mother's face lovingly. "I am Elsa Mars.  I-"

The woman looks at Fritz's hands and stops Elsa.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry but we don't accept anyone under five years old."

"Huh?  What are you talking about?" Elsa says with a puzzled expression.

".. Wait.  You thought I was here to leave him?"

"You're not?"

"Why would you think that?  There's nothing wrong with him."

".. Okay.  Well.. why are you here?"

"I.. I.." Elsa looked around at the place, and her head began to spin.  I have to step out for just a moment."

The woman gave her a strange look.  Elsa walked out and went straight to her car.  She sat Fritz on her lap and cried.

"Mama?" Frits stands up and holds her face with his hands.

"Hi baby.."

"Mama?" He touches her tears.

"It's okay, baby.  Mama's fine."

Fritz smiles and lays on her chest.  He then reached up and placed his hand on her lips.  Something he always loved doing when being nursed or cuddled.

Elsa took his hand and kissed it multiple times. "I love you so much, my perfect boy.  Mama would never ever send you to one of those places!  You are normal and you are perfect in every single way.  Don't you ever forget that, Fritz Micheal Darling.  I love you!"

**

"Theo NO!  Marlena, out of your mouth!  Franz!  Stop getting into things!" Jimmy shouts just before the door opens.

"Hey!  Oh thank God!" Jimmy says to his wife. "Why are you back so soon?  Did you talk to them?"

Elsa doesn't respond.

"Els?  Are you okay?"

"I can't do this anymore, Jimmy."

"What are you talking about, Elsa?"

"I can't keep doing a show where I flaunt perfectly normal people around for the audience to point and laugh at!  Just because a person is different, doesn't mean they're not normal.  They still have feelings!"

"Where is all this coming from?"

Elsa let's out a sob.

Jimmy takes her free hand and sits her down on the bed.

"Honey, calm down.  Talk to me.  What happened?"

"The woman there.. she-she thought.." Elsa cries.

"What?"

"She thought I was there to leave Fritz."

"Why?"

"Because that's what people do.  They see their children are different and they get rid of them.  I never think of my baby as being different, and when she told me that.. my heart just broke.  He was so happy, he always is!  Then I realized how horrible I've been all these years."

"What do you mean?"

"I take advantage of people like you and Fritz.  I do it for the money.  Oh Jimmy, I'm a horrible person!"

"Elsa, you are not!  This is just how things are, babe.  My kind will never be accepted."

Elsa let's out a sob and looks down.

"You've told me that before, and I did hurt for you.  But now it's my son, and I just can't take someone being mean to him."

"You're the best Mommy, Mars."

Elsa shakes her head and holds Fritz to her chest as she gently rocks him. "I love him so much.  I want to protect him.  I don't want anyone to hurt our baby, Jimmy!"

Jimmy places his hand on Elsa's shoulder. "We'll do our best to protect all of our children, Els.  That's our job as parents.  But Fritz is okay.  Don't make yourself sick over things that aren't happening."

"I'm his mother, Jimmy!"

"I know you are, and I know this hurts you more than anything.  Look, let's just get some food and relax the rest of the day.  We'll head back home tomorrow and I'll work on getting more side jobs.  We don't need those boys, and you don't have to go back to that place.  We'll make it work."

Elsa nods. "No."

"No?  Alright.."

"I'm ending this now.  I'm ending the freak show, Jimmy."

Jimmy's eyes widened a bit. "What?"

"You heard what I said.  I can't do this.  I can't be the bully.  I'm done."