1I haven't written about Randall and his adorable nephew Rex in a while, so let's change that and bring out more Randall sympathy, with some wholesome family bonding between him and his nephew. Hope you all got the tissues ready, now be sure to review, favorite, and follow and enjoy the story!
~Internal Conflict~
At one point, Randall Boggs was on the cusp of achieving everything he'd ever wanted. Getting to revolutionize the industry and having the Great James P. Sullivan working under him. He reveled at the thought of making that stupid pathetic waste fetching him his coffee every day at work. He'd make him suffer for ruining his scare all those years ago. Soon, he'd have everything, he'd be respected and admired and most importantly, he'd be rich.
However, he soon became conflicted. A result of him and Fungus developing a more friendly relationship and the red monster showing kindness and care towards him, admitting they're friends, despite their very rocky relationship. His bumbling assistant became a fine source of companionship to him, though he'd never openly admit it.
Also, the Scream Extractor was making him uneasy. The idea of kidnapping human children and harvesting their screams became less and less appealing to the lizard monster. The machine wasn't tested, they didn't know if it was safe. For all he knew, it could asphyxiate the child. The thought made him sick to his stomach, even more so once he began looking after his nephew Rex.
As he was walking towards his nephew's Scare School, Randall thought about his nephew. How the little squirt was always happy and bouncy, smiling almost all the time and with a vivid imagination, sweet and friendly personality. Rex adored and idolized his uncle. It brought a smile across the lizard monster's face.
"Knowing him, kid's probably gonna be on me before I even catch sight of him." Randall remarked to himself, chuckling as he admired how his nephew's abilities were developing. "He'll be a top notch Scarer."
Heading into the school, he saw multiple monster kids being picked up by parents, or boarding buses to take them home. Squinting his eyes through his large, rounded glasses, Randall tried to see if he could see his nephew, but nope, his nephew's not in sight.
Snickering to himself, Rex peeped out from behind a pole and grinned. Yes, his Uncle Randy's here! He couldn't wait to skitter onto his uncle and cling to him in a nice little hug. His lunchbox in hand made it impossible for him to do a sneak-up hug, but still, he'd catch his uncle by surprise.
The little orange tail wagging, Rex skitters as quickly as he could, briefly hiding behind poles and looking around. Tossing his lunchbox onto his tail, Rex got on all eight limbs as he screamed happily, rushing towards his uncle from behind. "Uncle Randy!"
Randall's tail twitched and his fronds perked up, just as he felt Rex climbing onto him and scaling his back, holding onto one set of his arms and hugging him from behind. Amused, he chuckled and slowly brought his own arms up, placing them on his nephew's.
"Well, hey, little buddy." replied Randall, chuckling as he felt the kid clinging onto him. "I'll give you props for surprising me, but what kind of hug is this? I know you can do better than that."
Now, Randall wasn't the soft or mushy type. But with Rex, it's a special case. He loved his nephew. Just because he's snarky and ill tempered at work doesn't mean he's some cold, unfeeling jerk.
"Whoops!" blushed Rex, giggling as he scampers around his uncle. "Let me fix that!"
Laughing, Randall rolled his eyes and they met with his nephew, as the little tyke threw his arms tightly around Randall's neck. Reaching up and wrapping both sets of his arms securely around his nephew, he pulled him close and hugged him back.
"So, you have yourself a good day at school, kiddo?" Randall asked.
"Yupper! Ending up swiping an extra ice cream cup today at lunch!" grinned Rex, snickering to himself.
His nephew's such a sneaky little lizard monster. Randall gave a proud smile of respect to his smaller orange relative, he brought his finger up and stroked his single frond, as Rex giggled and let out a soft little purr in response.
"Come on, kiddo. Let's head home. Got all my work done, it's you and me the whole weekend." said Randall, as Rex's grin grew all the more wider. "So, what are you up for doing?"
"I don't know. Maybe watch some cartoons and have one of your amazing cupcakes, Uncle Randy." came Rex, looking around, snuggling into his uncle's embrace and giggling quietly.
It might be too mushy or sweet, but Randall didn't care. He adored the kid, Rex just brightened his days up whenever he was around, even if he could be a bit of a handful at times. He's happy to be looking after him, even flattered that he wants to follow in his footsteps.
"You ought to have seen Fungus Jr. and I scare the crud outta Joey!" replied Rex, remembering the games he played with his two little pals.
It was kinda ironic, wasn't it? Rex's friends with Mike's nephew Joey and the son of his idiot assistant. Still, after a little episode with Mike and a locked bathroom, they'd made up and became old chums once more, which only brought them closer since their nephews were friends with each other.
Mike even got him into his wearing his old glasses again. He didn't mind, they made seeing much easier and plus, it brought him back to his more innocent and warmer roots as a monster.
"You know, if you wanna have them over for the weekend, we have can them drop by for a little play date?" suggested Randall, it was good for his nephew to make friends and form connections. He wished he hadn't screwed up as badly as he did when he was younger.
"Really? You mean it?" Rex gasped, before squealing as he hugged his uncle even tighter. "Thanks, Uncle Randy, you're the best uncle ever!"
Feeling his heart warming up at that compliment, he blinked a couple times and sniffled. "Don't mention it, kiddo."
He might not be his actual kid, but Rex really was his baby, for the most part. Bringing his finger up, Rex grinned and grabbed onto his finger, giggling in his uncle's arms as the larger purple monster made a face.
The recent connections he's established with Mike and Fungus, along with the fact he's caring for his young nephew was bringing about a change in Randall. Mike even jokingly remarked how fatherhood was bringing out a softer lizard boy.
"Hey, Uncle Randy?" Rex called to his uncle.
"Yeah? Want some ice cream?" Randall answered, offering a frozen treat for his very spoiled little squirt.
"Ice cream! But I wanna be on top of your head!" giggled Rex, sticking his forked tongue out and attempting to make a scary face.
Happy to grant his nephew's request, Randall placed his nephew atop his head. The giggling and bouncy little lizard monster looked around as he grinned, his little orange tail wagging, making sure not to knock his uncle's glasses off by accident.
Uncle Randy's the coolest! The scariest and most intimidating monster around, fast and sneaky. Yeah, Sullivan was cool and all, but nowhere near as cool as his uncle. Nobody's cooler than him, in fact, Sullivan was an ant in comparison to his uncle, who was a dinosaur by monster standards.
Going over to an ice cream truck and buying his nephew a cone of rainbow sherbet. Heh-heh, his nephew was gonna be scampering across the ceiling tonight. Maybe it's his own fault, he spoils the kid rotten.
"Thanks." Rex thanked his uncle, taking the tasty treat and begins munching on it.
The more time Randall spent with Rex, the more conflicted he became about the project. It was serious. Fungus even said, imagine his own nephew being restrained and the machine being used to extract his screams. The mere thought almost made him puke, he was shaking afterward. Part of him wanted to abandon the project, but another part of him desired to be on top, to be above Sullivan. But what was more important?
On top of that, he worried that if he did kidnap a child, how could he look at Rex and not hate himself. Rex's a kid, for fear's sake! The human children might be different, but they're still kids, regardless! Just what would his nephew think of him if it ever came out about him being involved in this criminal matter? He didn't want Rex to think any less of him, he wanted the child to have a better and happier time growing up than he did.
These weighed on him for a while. He had monsters in his life that mattered, monsters who cared about him and whom he cared for in return. Fungus constantly worried about his well being, often warning him not to get too stressed out and lay off the coffee.
"No school, no homework. Just the whole weekend was my favorite uncle in the whole world... My Uncle Randy!" Rex remarked, burping as he finished his ice cream treat. "Excuse me!"
Randall handed his nephew a napkin to wipe his mouth. He's such a cute kid. Adjusting his glasses, he continues walking as they reach his apartment building and he breathes a sigh of relief.
"Your Uncle Randy's all ready to spend the weekend making you a giggling and squirming little squirt. Hope you're ready, kid." remarked Randall, as Rex just looked down and his eyes met his uncle's, putting on a grin and hissing playfully.
"You got such big eyes, Uncle Randy." giggled Rex.
"And you got such a big mouth, kiddo." Randall joked.
The two laughed, as they entered the building and took the stairs up to Randall's humble apartment. The lizard unlocked the door and pushed it opened, stepping inside with his troublesome little nephew in tow.
Immediately, Rex's one frond perked up and he sniffed the freshly baked cupcakes his uncle had made before coming to pick him up from school. Grinning and letting out a little squeal, he skitters off his uncle and rushes over towards the tray fast as lightning.
"He might be faster than I was as a kid." remarked Randall, impressed with his nephew's speed. "And you're gonna be off the walls hyper."
Rex provided a much needed break for the lizard monster. Being away from James P. Sullivan and of course, the work on the machine. He was glad to not be occupied with it at the moment, plus he was becoming more unnerved by it the longer he worked on the project and dealing with the constant pestering from his superior.
Following after his nephew, Randall opened the fridge and gave him a juice box, giving him three cupcakes on a plate. Taking one off the tray himself, he looked at the cupcake, before eating it as he thought back to his days as Randy Boggs, the nerdy and shy yet friendly monster he was.
"Love your cupcakes, Uncle Randy!" Rex mentioned, taking another bite from his second cupcake and licking the icing up.
"Glad you're enjoying them." replied Randall, reaching forward and petting him on the head. Rex purred and smiled, reaching up and hugging his uncle's hand. "Aw, come on, if you want to hug me, at least do it where I can return it."
Rex let go and put on an innocent yet goofy smile, his sharp teeth showing. He couldn't wait to show his uncle what he made today in class, it was a little present for best the best uncle ever and being the coolest monster!
Finishing his cupcake, Randall felt nostalgic, baking was once of his favorite hobbies. He liked to bake, it certainly helped eased the stress of life and brought a smile to his face whenever he did it. He wished his night during that party that his cupcakes weren't ruined and he wasn't embarrassed by Mike and Sullivan.
"Uncle Randy, could you teach me how to bake one day?" Rex asked, letting out a burp as he finishes his juice box.
Randall froze when he heard that? He could just picture the mess it would be, though it might make for a cute time as well. It melted his heart to see how much Rex admired and looked up to him, even if he wasn't the kid's father, he sure felt like a father a lot of the time.
"I'll show you the ropes later. Right now, let's do something fun." Randall suggested.
"Piggyback ride!" excitedly exclaimed Rex, holding all four of his arms out.
Randall shrugged at hearing that. He wasn't the biggest fan of piggyback rides, nor was he used to giving them. One night, he and Joey were on him and he was almost like their reptilian train, scurrying around the apartment as the two kids screamed happily.
"All aboard the Randall Boggs Express! Choo! Choo!" Randall smiles, reaching up and grabbing Rex, making him squeal, waving his arms around pretending he's flying.
Placing Rex on his back, the smaller lizard monster threw both sets of his arms around his uncle, smiling as the purple lizard monster scurries through the apartment, making his nephew happy as the kid's squeals and screams of joy brought a smile to the lizard monster's face. Thank fear that Fungus wasn't around to see him doing this.
"Faster, Uncle Randy! Faster!" yelled Rex.
Randall scurries up walls and on the ceiling, with Rex tightly clinging onto him. He yelled and squealed, as Randall squints his eyes through his glasses and speeds up, turning invisible, with Rex laughing as he held on.
Uncle Randy's the greatest! To Rex, there's nobody more amazing nor awesome as his uncle. He loves Randall immensely, the lizard monster isn't just his uncle, he's his best friend. He couldn't wait to show off the gift he made for him.
Eventually, the Randall Boggs Express reached it's destination, the couch as Randall and Rex both unwind and plop down on the couch. Rex smiled and cuddled up close to his uncle, as the larger lizard monster put an arm around him and pulled him close. Rex purred softly and reaches for his lunchbox, grabbing it with his tail and bringing it up to the couch.
"You bring something home with you from school?" asked Randall, seeing Rex going through his lunchbox.
"Uh-huh! Today in class, we all made friendship bracelets and I made you once since you're my best friend in the whole world." revealed Rex, taking it out. "Check it out!"
Showing the bracelet off, it was blue and purple with a little hint of green, with lettered white beads decorating the pattern, spelling out 'My BFF Uncle Randy! I love you!', with a couple loose purple strings hanging off the bracelet.
Randall carefully took the bracelet and looked at it. As silly as it was, it moved the lizard monster to tears, forcing him to remove his glasses. He turned away, sniffling as tears fell from his eyes.
"Uncle Randy, you're crying..." Rex uttered, seeing his uncle crying. Oh-no. Did he not like the bracelet.
Suddenly, Rex let out a yelp as Randall tearfully embraced his nephew, hugging him tightly to his chest. Choking back a sob, more tears came from Randall's eyes, he hugged his nephew close.
"Rex..." Randall breathed out through his tears.
"Uncle Randy?" Rex asked.
"Am I a good monster?" questioned Randall. How stupid. Asking a kid if he was a good monster, of course Rex would say he was.
"You're not a good monster, Uncle Randy, you're an awesome monster!" Rex proudly stated, snuggling into his uncle's warm embrace.
If only Rex knew the kind of monster he truly was. A snarky and selfish jerk that hates someone over an accident, or that he's actually no better than a common criminal. Even if the kid didn't understand, he wanted to open up to him and see how Rex would react.
"I wouldn't say I'm that amazing." frowned Randall.
"Why?" questioned Rex, frowning himself. Why was his uncle sad all of a sudden?
"Let's just say, I've made mistakes." revealed Randall, putting his glasses back on and placing his hands on Rex's arms. "Back in college, I joined a group of bad monsters in an attempt to become part of the crowd, it costed me my best friend. Now, I'm apart of something I can't say, but the more I'm working on it, the more I want to abandon it. I felt like all I needed was to be better than Sullivan, but things are changing and I don't know what to do."
Randall really didn't know what to do. The project was on his mind, but he's changing, becoming warmer and friendlier to be around, forming connections with Mike and Fungus, deep ones at that. Even becoming a little less hostile towards Sullivan. He's also caring for a kid whom he loves like a son.
"I know you think I'm the greatest monster whom ever lived, but the truth is, I'm not all that great." Randall continued. "I want to be respected and liked, but I wanna do it the right way."
He was possibly overwhelming Rex by revealing all of this to the kid, though it felt nice opening up on his feelings. He hoped Rex wouldn't think ill towards him.
"I'm sorry, kiddo. I hope you don't think any less of me." sighed Randall, stroking his nephew's frond.
Rex didn't even say anything, he just remained there, cuddled up in his uncle's embrace. Rubbing his head against his uncle's belly, Randall looked down and his eyes met his nephew's, with the hug tightening.
"Uncle Randy, I love you. You're not bad, you're good and got a big heart too. That won't ever change. I promise." Rex swore to his uncle, doing a salute. "You already are the best monster in the world to me and it's not because you're cool and scary, it's because you're my uncle and I love you!"
Naivety was such a wonderful thing. Randall breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a little better knowing that his nephew still loved him and all that. He picked his nephew up and held him close.
"I love you too, kiddo. Thank you." whispered Randall, choking back a sob and tearfully cradling his young nephew.
Rex gave a smile and purred softly, wagging his little orange tail. Randall looked at the bracelet his nephew had given him, carefully taking the keepsake and slipping it onto one of his arms, it fit.
"No matter what, I'll always love you!" promised Rex, purring as he got teary eyed looking at his uncle. "And do what makes you happy! My teacher says for me to follow my heart and that's what you should do too!"
Follow his heart? Randall looked down at Rex and smiled at him, maybe the kid had a point. He didn't want to hurt anybody and besides, things in his life are going in his favor for once, even if he's still the runner-up at the company.
"I'll keep that in mind, kiddo." replied Randall, grabbing a newspaper and folding it into a hat, placing it on his nephew. "And there you go."
Rex adjusts the hat and smiled, as Randall brought his finger down and tickled his nephew's belly, with the little orange lizard giggling and squirming in his arms, holding onto his finger as he grinned.
It might be a hard choice, but Randall knew what he had to do. For his nephew, he'd do this. He's not gonna repeat his mistakes, he's finally gonna follow his heart. The bracelet on his arm gleamed in the light briefly as the two lizards enjoyed themselves.
"And I'll treasure the bracelet forever." whispered Randall, hugging his nephew warmly and nuzzling him. Rex just hugged his uncle tighter in response.
The end.
I'd like to think Rex would be a deciding factor in Randall's involvement in the project, and that he'd abandon it to have a happier life and be with his nephew. Hope you enjoyed this wholesome uncle-nephew bonding, and as for me, I'm gonna order a new Randall plush! It'll bring my total to three and that's it for me. RandallBeast19, taking flight!
