TLoZK: It's Hamtaro time! I actually tried writing this story several years ago, and it was absolutely crap-tastic. Now that I've improved my writing ability, I've decided to give it another go. There will be plenty of romance dotted throughout this story. Hope you all enjoy.

Stan: The following is a non-profit fan-based parody. Hamtaro is owned by Ritsuko Kawai. Please support the official release.

TLoZK: Thanks, Stan. Story time!

Hamtaro: The Amazing Adventure

Chapter 1: A Blessing or a Curse?

"W-what? Are you sure Maxwell?" Hamtaro shouted.

"There's no doubt about it. You, Hamtaro, are in love with Bijou." the bookish Ham-Ham known as Maxwell affirmed.

Hamtaro had been confused as of late, mostly about this strange feeling he started getting whenever he was near Bijou. The classy French hamster had always intrigued Hamtaro, though it was usually because he wanted to know about France. He'd initially just thought it was the place where French fries came from (and he technically wasn't too far off with that assumption), but lately he'd been thinking more about the more...aesthetic aspects of Bijou; her pretty eyes, her cute accent, her cheerful personality, her charming smile. Whenever he did, though, he got a strange feeling in his stomach, like he had swallowed a bunch of butterflies and they were all flapping around like mad chicky-chickies. He had gone to find Maxwell, hoping the brains of their little gang would know what was happening. The answer had been simple, but it was certainly not the one Hamtaro had been expecting.

"How are you so sure?" Hamtaro asked again, quieter this time.

"Simple. The feeling you described is exactly the same one I used to get when I was near Sandy." Maxwell explained, referring to his girlfriend.

Hamtaro simply nodded. Maxwell stood up and walked off, deciding to give Hamtaro some time alone to collect his thoughts. After all, it couldn't be too easy for someone like Hamtaro, who had been oblivious to things such as love for as long as any of the Ham-Ham's could remember, to fully understand it immediately.

Hamtaro sat alone, wondering if being in love with Bijou was necessarily a good thing. He knew Sandy and Maxwell had been extremely happy ever since they started dating, but there was another memory that he couldn't push away.

~Flashback~

Hamtaro had just returned home from another day of fun with the Ham-Hams. He sat in his cage, like he had the last few evenings, pondering this strange new feeling he had whenever he was near Bijou. Laura entered the room like she did every day after school, greeting Hamtaro, then opening his cage and picking him up to nuzzle him gently as she sat on her bed.

Then the phone rang. Hamtaro could hear Laura's mother answer it.

"Hello? Oh, hi Kana. Yes, I'll get her. Laura, telephone." Marian called.

"I'll be right back, Hamtaro. Don't go anywhere." Laura said, setting Hamtaro on her bed before exiting the room, closing the door behind her.

Since the door was closed, Hamtaro couldn't realy hear what Laura and Kana were talking about, but he definitely heard the loud "What?!" that Laura shrieked out, as well as the slam of the phone onto the receiver. The door burst open. Laura flung herself onto her bed, facefirst into her pillow, almost forgetting that Hamtaro was there. Hamtaro was confused at first, until he heard what sounded like crying.

'Oh no, Laura!' Hamtaro thought.

Quick as a flash, Hamtaro was at her side, nuzzling her cheek.

Laura turned her head a little, then reached her hand out and hugged Hamtaro to her forehead, being careful not to squeeze him too hard.

"Oh, Hamtaro, it's terrible! Travis...Travis is moving away!" Laura choked out through her sobs.

Hamtaro nuzzled her sympathetically. He knew Laura was very fond of Travis; the term she'd used was 'crush', and after inquiring about it with Maxwell, he learned it meant that Laura secretly really liked Travis.

"Laura? What's wrong?" Marian asked, walking into the room.

Laura tried to answer, but all she could do was continue to bawl into her pillow.

Marian placed her hand on her daughter's back, gently rubbing it in an attempt to help Laura calm down.

After a few minutes, Laura's sobs slowed down. She slowly shifted around so she could sit up.

"Are you ok, Laura?" Marian asked. Forrest, Laura's father, had heard the commotion and had just entered the room as well.

"What's wrong?" he aksed, concern evident in his voice.

"It's...Travis." Laura mumbled.

"What happened? Did he reject you?" Marian asked, knowing full well of her daughter's crush.

"No, he...he's moving away!" Laura nearly shouted, feeling more tears threaten to fall.

"Oh, honey." Marian gasped, hugging Laura tightly, with Forrest following suit. Hamtaro nuzzled against Laura's hand as a reminder that he was still there.

"It's not fair, mom! I was just starting to feel brave enough to tell him I like him, and he has to move!" Laura continued with a slightly raised voice.

The doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." Forrest said, standing up from the hug.

Forrest tugged open the door, his eyes widening a bit when h saw Travis standing just outside.

"Hello, Mr. Haruna. I'd...like to speak to Laura, if I may." Travis mumbled.

Forrest nodded, leading the boy back toward's Laura's room.

"Laura, you have a visitor." Forrest said.

Laura looked up, expecting to see Kana having arrived to offer some more moral support, but was shocked to see Travis.

"Travis? Aren't you moving?" she asked.

"I am, but I wanted to talk to you one last time before I left." Travis answered.

"A-alright." Laura mumbled.

Travis stepped forward, grabbed one of Laura's hands, and stared directly into her eyes.

"Listen, Laura. I'm not any happier about this than you. My dad got a promotion at work, but the new office is in a different town. I don't want to leave. I have friends here, and more importantly...you're here." Travis started.

"Me?" was all Laura could say.

"I should've told you a while ago. I like you, Laura. A lot. I thought love was something ten-year-olds didn't need to care about, but I was wrong. What I feel for you is real. I don't know how yet, but I promise you this. One day, we will see each other again. Even if it takes years. Don't forget me. I won't forget you." Travis explained.

Laura was dumbstruck at Travis's heart-pouring. Before she could think, she found herself brushing her lips across his cheek.

"Alright." Laura mumbled, before flinging her arms around Travis's neck.

"I'm gonna miss you so much!" she wailed.

"I'm gonna miss you too. But this isn't goodbye forever. I keep my promises." Travis reassured.

She and Travis walked slowly toward the front door, hand in hand. Marian picked up Hamtaro as she and Forrest followed the two children.

As they reached the door, Laura desperately hugged Travis one last time, tears streaking her cheeks.

"I'll wait for you no matter how long it takes!" she cried out.

"I'll come back to you no matter what gets in my way!" Travis echoed her tone of voice, his emotions starting to get the better of him.

Travis started out the door, briefly turning around to plant a quick peck on Laura's lips, then dashing off. The door would have slammed shut if Laura hadn't caught it. As Travis continued into the distance towards his soon-to-be former house, Laura called out to him.

"Travis...I love you!" she shouted.

Despite the increasing distance between them, and Travis's sobs threatening to erupt from his throat at any moment, his answer was clear as day.

"I love you, too, Laura!"

"Hamtaro. Hamtaro!" Bijou's voice shook Hamtaro from his memories.

"Huh?" was all Hamtaro could mutter in his sudden daze.

"Are you alright? You were just sitting here and staring at the wall. Is it really that interesting?" Bijou asked.

"No, it's nothing. I'm fine. I was just remembering the day Laura's friend Travis moved away." Hamtaro muttered.

Bijou simply nodded. She remembered what Hamtaro had told her of that day. She knew that day had been one of Hamtaro's worst memories. If there was one thing Hamtaro hated, it was seeing someone he cared about so sad, especially when there was nothing he could do about it.

"Well, all we can do is hope Travis can keep his promise." Bijou said, placing her paw on Hamtaro's shoulder sympathetically.

Hamtaro smiled up at Bijou, making her blush and look away.

'He's so cute when he smiles! Oh, Hamtaro, why can't you see what you mean to me?' she thought.

Hamtaro was having similar thoughts.

'I know what Maxwell said, but what if Bijou had to move away like Travis did? It already almost happened once. I couldn't bear it if it happened for real.'

"Well, um, I think I'll go see what Boss and Oxnard are doing." Hamtaro mumbled before heading over to the clubhouse door and stepping outside.

Hamtaro knew he needed help. Help he couldn't get from Maxwell. He looked around the field, eventually spotting the one Ham-Ham that might know what to do and walking over to him.

"Stan, I need some help." Hamtaro told the self-proclaimed 'Ham-Ham love guru'.

"Help, huh? I dunno how I'd be much help. Dexter and Maxwell are the ones who know a lot of stuff and solve problems." Stan replied.

"Well, actually I need help with a love problem." Hamtaro informed.

"Oh. In that case, you came to the right Ham-Ham. Though, I'm kinda surprised you of all Ham-Hams are asking for that kind of help. I thought you were as oblivious to love as a cat is to a hamster's deisre to not get eaten." Stan joked.

"If I had a sunflower seed for every time I've heard that." Hamtaro said, displaying a rare amount of snark.

"Anyway, what seems to be the problem?" Stan asked.

"Well, Maxwell told me I'm starting to fall in love with Bijou, but-" Hamtaro began.

"Bijou, huh? Can't say I'm surprised. She's a cutie, that one." Stan cut in.

"Can I finish please?" Hamtaro asked, slightly exasperated.

"Yeah, yeah." Stan sighed, used to being dismissed in such a way.

"Anyway, when he told me that, I was afraid. I told you about what happened with Laura and Travis, right?" Hamtaro asked.

"Yeah. That was just too bad. It was a crime against love!" Stand shouted overdramatically.

Hamtaro just sighed.

"I just can't bear to think of losing Bijou like that. She already almost moved away once. So did I. I would be really sad if she and I were together and then had to be apart like that..." Hamtaro explained.

"That is a problem. Luckily for you, I have the solution. All you need to do is-" Stan began to explain. He was cut off by someone shouting.

"Ham-Hams! I need your help! It's terrible!"

TLoZK: Who could it be that screamed? Well, it's clearly someone who isn't part of the Ham-Hams, as he/she is calling out to all of them. And for those wondering, yes, Travis really did move away in a Japan-only episode of the anime. It's as sad as it sounds. No, he didn't have an emotional love scene with Laura, but even I have to take some creative liberties once in awhile. I hope you enjoyed. I stayed up an hour extra to finish this chapter, so you'd better appreciate it! See you next chapter!