This chapter didn't take as long as I originally thought it would. Hope you all like it : )

And thanks for participating in the suggesting names for one of Mordecai and CJ's kids. I really like the names.


Regular Show: Surprise

Chapter 10: Change in Plans

Cheezer's

"Then out of nowhere BAM! The entire shop is filled with tapioca pudding," Margaret revealed. She and Don were enjoying a pleasant dinner date at Cheezer's, where the latter was retelling the story of her first day of work at the coffee shop. From Don's perspective, it seemed like quite an interesting first day.

"Ah-ha, ha, ha!" Don laughed. "You serious?"

"Oh, I'm serious. Since then the shop manager banned all pudding from the premises. It also came as to no surprise when the assistant manager got fired that day. I mean it took weeks to get all that pudding completely removed. We even had to replace a lot of furniture and supplies. Plus most of the coffee machines we salvaged needed serious repairs."

"Ha, ha, I bet the manager had a big bill on his plate," Don bantered.

"Oh yeah," Margaret chuckled.

"Well, that is officially wilder than my first day at the accounting firm. And I'll tell you, it's a pretty bizarre way to start your first at your new job," Don said.

"Perhaps you should tell me and we'll see whose first day the was the craziest," Margaret suggested, her eyes staring dreamily into Dons'.

But before Don could respond, a waiter walked up to their table and spoke. "Um excuse me you two but it's closing time. So, I'm gonna have to politely ask you both to leave."

"No worries sir. I gotta get home anyway," Don said, checking his watch. "Working first thing in the morning."

"Ditto," Margaret added.

Paying their bill, with a very generous tip, the two walked out of the restaurant and got into Don's car. As Don began pulling out of the parking lot, Margaret decided to ask something that had been building up inside herself for some time.

"Hey, Don…"

"Yes, Margaret dear?"

"Would you like to… I don't know, come to my place for some 'coffee'?" Margaret asked sheepishly.


A few hours later…

Well, that wasn't part of the plan, Margaret thought to herself. What was supposed to be a simple dinner date with Don had led to her taking him back to hers and Eileen's place for sex; all on a work night no less. And it was beyond amazing.

In truth, the robin had slept with other guys, (though Mordecai wasn't on that list), but none compared to Don. He was like a god in bed to all her boyfriends combined. Which was no surprise given how Don already beat them in every other aspect whether it was in looks, personality, health, skills, all by a landslide. Heck, she even found the way he whistled in his sleep to be adorable. It surprised her that no one had taken a claim on this guy long ago. Yet she got him in her quest to retake Mordecai from his pregnant lover.

"Margaret…" Startled, Margaret looked over, seeing that her "boyfriend" wasn't awake, just mumbling in his sleep, which she found also cute. But then Don spoke again, this time what he said was more than she could take. "Margaret… I love you. We've only been dating for a couple of months but I love you so, so much."

Okay, this was bit much for Margaret. Slowly, and quietly climbing out of bed, to not disturb Don, she made her way down to the kitchen and whipped herself up some hot milk. The hot drinks' soothing effects seemed to do the trick and in no time she was ready to go back to sleep. That is until she saw Eileen entering the kitchen in her sleepwear while giving Margaret the dirty look.

"What?" Margaret asked, not knowing what her friends' problem was.

"I'm disappointed in you," Eileen said bluntly. "You decide to rip your ex-boyfriend, (whom you broke up with years ago), away from a woman who he loves so that you can have him for yourself; a woman who is our friend and trusts us, if I may add. Then to achieve this goal you use an incredibly nice guy like Don, wearing his heart like a cheap dress that you'll throw away when it gets stained. But now… now you're playing with him like a sex doll? It's… it's just horrible Margaret. It's an immoral thing you're doing. And it makes me sick knowing how quick you were to join in on all this, despite you knowing how wrong it is to be doing this."

"Eileen, c'mon we were never close to CJ. The only reason we're hanging out with her in the first place is that she's dating Mordecai," Margaret protested.

"It doesn't excuse the fact what you're doing is bad Margaret," Eileen combated. "Regardless of how she came into our lives, CJ is a part of it now, and I for one welcome her as a friend, not just as my friends' girlfriend," she added.

"Hmmph, you know for someone who claims how horrible this whole idea is, you haven't once done anything to stop it," Margaret countered. "And complaining about what we're doing doesn't count for anything."

To Margaret's surprise, Eileen didn't flinch when she heard this. Instead, the mole girl stood her ground against her robin friend. "Well, what about Don? He has feelings for you, you know this, I know this, everyone who knows him knows it. How do you think he'll feel when he finds out that his entire relationship with you, (with a woman he thought cared about him), is in fact one big lie? Do you think he'll forgive you, much less continue dating you?"

Margaret was caught off guard by this, who ended up dropping her hot milk mug onto the ground, as a result. And as the broken glass and hot liquid spilled over the kitchen floor, she struggled for a response.

"Yeah well... you're dating the mastermind behind this whole deranged scheme in the first place," was all she could think of.

This time Eileen needed a moment to figure a counter for her friend's words. "Oh, well maybe I need to reconsider who I date," she said as she walked out of the kitchen before adding, "And who I call my friends," the last part the mole girl said coldly.

Her words struck a blow to Margaret's heart. Her best friend was turning against her, and she couldn't even blame the mole girl. Even Margaret had to admit that what she was doing was despicable. And what about Don? Eileen was also right about the raccoon having true feelings for her, and she couldn't deny that those feelings were mutual. Throughout the rest of the night, the robin who cried in the bathroom, not being able to face Don, kept thinking about what her friend had told her. Wondering if, in the end, this whole scheme she'd gotten herself into would make her feelings of pain and loneliness worse than before.


The next day…

Channel Six News Studio was a bustling with staff members, (camera operators, news reporters, interns, helicopter pilot, station manager, etc.), busy going about their jobs of running a news station by gathering information, spreading the word on air, and maintaining the equipment needed to do all this. Easy to say, never a dull moment on Channel Six. News reporter Margaret proved this as she diligently preparing a news report in her cubicle, not stoping one moment. It showed how determined she was to pursue her career. It also helped keep her mind away from the shit that was becoming her personal life. Even when her cellphone went off, she continued to work while answering the device.

"You and Don coming to the carnival with me, Eileen, Mordecai and CJ?" Rigby from the other end of the phone.

"Yeah, Mordecai came over to our place this morning and invited us to tag along this Saturday," Margaret responded. "Don's already cleared his schedule that day and my boss is giving me the day off. Though I need to be in the station early the next day so I can't stay too long."

"Just make sure you're there long enough to finish the job. Because it's time to break Mordecai and CJ up for good." Margaret paused when she heard this. "After that, you can dump my brother, and things will be just the way they use to be before you switched schools way back," Rigby revealed.

Margaret was hesitant upon hearing all this. Taking the final move in a plot that she, (at the moment), was having second thoughts on, didn't seem right. "Are you sure about this Rigby?" she asked. "Yu… you know we've only been doing this for like two months and Mordecai just found out about me and Don a few days ago; which he didn't seem to be jealous about." Nor did he seem bothered when he found out that she and Don had slept together the previous night, she thought to herself. "Plus, if I may add, CJ wasn't even there for us to irritate. Maybe we should slow down and take a bit more time before we make the final move. Perhaps five or six more double dates with them."

"There's no time. This morning I overheard Mordecai talking to Skips about writing up his two weeks' notice soon. If we don't strike now, we may lose him forever. Besides I can't take his obsession with being a father anymore. I miss the old Mordecai who always had my back, go along with my crazy ideas, and not wanna leave the Park. This needs to stop NOW! So come to the carnival wearing a slutty outfit and be prepared to get Mordecai out of CJ's cloudy hands."

"Rigby please reconsider," Margaret begged, but it was no use, Rigby had already hung up.

"Sonofabitch!" she cursed.

Putting her phone aside, she tried and failed, to get back to work. But her mind just wasn't in now. She just didn't know what to do, she hadn't planned on liking Don so much that it would be difficult to break up with him. Now, though, combined with what Eileen had said to her last night the robin girl she wasn't sure what she wanted.

"Hey honey," her father Frank Smith, called from the entrance to his daughter's cubicle. "Something wrong? I heard you cursing, and you never do that unless you're suffering," he asked.

"Don't worry Dad, I'm fine," Margaret lied. "Just a bad phone call dad. Nothing to worry about."

Her father wasn't buying it. "Who were you talking to on the phone? And were you talking about that's caused you to swear?" he asked, sounding concerned. "Did that super awesome new boyfriend of yours break up with you? Darn! I really liked Don."

Oh right, Margaret had introduced Don to her family a month ago; and to no surprise, the family had fallen in love with the accounting raccoon, (fugitively). Not even her father Frank Smith, one of the most overprotective parents alive, had no problem with Don; going so far as to call him Son at the end of dinner, invite him to the next Smith family barbecue, and gave him a handshake! "For those who don't remember the episode Family BBQ, a handshake from Frank Smith is a big deal."

"No, it was just a friend," Margaret said, unable to hide the sadness she was feeling, which further concerned her father.

"What did this friend say exactly?"

"Oh, uh… well… the Park's thinking of retiring Skips, the yeti repairman," Margaret lied again. She knew her father would be disgusted if he knew the true reason why she was upset.

"Isn't he like immortal?" Frank asked, buying his daughters' fib. "And why do you have to get involved?"

"Well, immortality isn't an exception from age restrictions regarding retirement. And since I'm a good friend of Skips, the Parks crew wants me to help them break the news to him, and soon. I just don't know what to do."

"Humph, typical using a kind-hearted to do someone else's dirty work. So dishonourable makes me sick. But don't worry sweetheart. You're not a scumbag like the park guys, you'll make the right decision. People can always count on you to be honourable."

It took all of Margaret's effort to hide the guilt she felt when her father said all this. "Yeah I guess you're right, thanks dad," she said, hugging her old man.

"No problem dear," Frank said, hugging her back. "I mean I didn't raise a daughter who knowingly hurting others for selfish reasons. Now c'mon, Mr. Samielson is calling for a meeting in his office pronto."

That little talk didn't help Margaret one bit. Heck, it only made her feel worse than ever. Throughout the entire meeting, and the rest of her workday, Margaret wasn't in the game. She kept thinking about how quickly things were moving with this scheme, what Eileen said about her not being the person she called her BF, how her father believed she would never do anything morally wrong, and her new feelings for Don, (a guy she was supposed to be pretending to love).

By the end of the day, Margaret had had enough and decided to do something about this shit she was in.


Outside the Park gate

After looking around, the news reporter, at last, found her boyfriends' brother leaning against the Park entrance, attempting to avoid work, (like always). Walked up to him she waited a moment till he noticed and acknowledged her.

"Hey, Margaret, what's up?"

"Rigby, the deal is off," she said with a stern voice.

"Okay, whatever…" Rigby said, his mind taking a bit longer to take in what he was hearing than normal. "Wait, what?!"

"You heard me; I'm done trying to use your brother to make Mordecai and CJ jealous so that they'll break up. I'm choosing Don over Mordecai. CJ and her baby can have Mordecai. I don't care anymore."

"But, but, but without you who will make CJ jealous enough to dumb Mordecai? I doubt I can find a cheap prostitute that can do the job. If you leave the plan falls apart and I lose my best friend."

"Not my problem," Margaret said. "And don't ever compare me to a prostitute."

"Oh please, you've been acting like one throughout this whole scheme. You flirted, you made out, and slept with my brother.

Margaret's face froze when she heard this. She hadn't told anyone about what happened the previous night. "How do you know about that?"

"Don't ask," Rigby said. "What matters is that you did, and more with Don, a guy you don't love. The only difference between you and a hooker is that I haven't been paying you money to do any of it."

With reluctance, Margaret had to admit, Rigby wasn't wrong. "You're right you weren't paying me money. I was doing it to get Mordecai back. Someone I loved but made the mistake of throwing away. Though now I got someone else who makes me happy. Someone who I won't let slip away this time. So, I'm D. O. N. E. Done!" She started to walk away from Rigby, who struggled to find a way to get to come back.

"But... but... but... if you don't I'll..." An idea suddenly popped into the raccoons' head. "If you won't continue with this plan I'll tell Don that you were using him like a bikini top to attract Mordecai."

Margaret turned around upon hearing this. "You wouldn't. If you do, I'll tell Mordecai how you've been trying to destroy his relationship with CJ. No way he'll wanna be friends with you after that."

"Pfff, I'm gonna lose Mordecai anyway once he quits the Park and his bastard is born. At least if I go out with this plan, I won't be alone. So you still in or not?"

As much as Margaret hated it, she knew better than to walk out on a deal she'd made with Rigby. "Fine. But once Mordecai and CJ are through you have to swear never to mention this little scheme of yours ever again. Oh, and also, we no longer friend's after this. I'll only tolerate you as my best friend's boyfriend, and my boyfriend's brother. Got it?"

"Yeah sure, whatever. Just help me keep Mordecai from leaving me and you can do whatever you want afterwards. Deal?"

Margaret accepted Rigby's hand, then stormed off without another word. She was too angry to be around the little rat, though she didn't return to hers and Eileen's place, she knew her roommate would just give her disapproving looks. She chose not to go find Don either because she feared, that at this point, she might spill the beans and ruin everything. Instead, she went to East Pines park, walking around aimlessly to kill time. She eventually found herself a bench in front of a lake to sit on while the sun set. It was a beautiful piece of scenery with the orange glow from the sun bouncing off the lake waters, touching all those within reach. Most would find it peaceful and relaxing; though, given the crap Margaret had on her social plate, the robin just wasn't satisfied.

"What have I gotten myself into?"

Dun, dun, DUN!


Stay tuned for Chapter 11: Carnival of Confusion.