Chapter Text
Saturday night in Cape Suzette had a different kind of energy.
By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, the air softened into something warm and easy, carrying music, laughter, and the faint scent of grilled food across the docks. Strings of lights flickered on overhead, casting everything in gold.
And nowhere was that energy stronger than at Louie’s. Baloo had insisted that Elizabeth tag along to see what Saturday night at Louie’s looked like. Promising her she wouldn’t regret it. She didn’t usually go to many parties, but Baloo had made it sound too fun to pass up. So she threw on her sundress again—because honestly, why not?
Baloo landed the Seaduck at the docks on Louie’s island and they walked up to the entrance. They could hear the big band music before they even walked in. Elizabeth laughed, “Wow. Louie goes BIG on his parties!” Baloo grinned beside her. “Told ya. Saturday nights? This is the place.”
They stepped inside—and it hit all at once.
Movement. Sound. Heat. Life.
Brass, drums, something bright and rhythmic that made standing still feel like a mistake. The open-air space was packed, tables pushed aside to make room for dancing. Voices layered over one another in easy, cheerful noise. The place was alive.
Louie stood near the center of it all, laughing with a group near the bar, completely in his element. He spotted Baloo first.
“Baloo, my cuz!” Louie called, already moving toward them.
Baloo lifted a hand. “Louie!”
But before Baloo could say anything else, Louie’s gaze shifted—and locked onto Elizabeth.
There was a flicker of recognition. Then his whole face lit up.
“Well, look who’s back!” he said, pointing at her as he closed the distance. “Elizabeth! Glad to see you’re doing alright. Baloo been treating you okay? He hasn’t worked you too hard yet, has he?”
Elizabeth laughed. “Not yet—I’m still here!”
“I’m glad you remembered me,” she added over the music.
“Remember you?” Louie laughed. “Cuz, you’re hard to forget! First human to walk through here like you owned the place.”
“I did not—” she started.
“You absolutely did,” he said, delighted. “Walked right in, looked around like, ‘Yep, I’ll take one of everything.’”
Baloo snorted.
Elizabeth shook her head, still laughing. “Okay, that is not how that went.”
“Details,” Louie waved off easily. Then, with a warm grin, “Good to see you again.”
Elizabeth cou;dn’t stop smiling and laughing. Louie as so inviting and inclusive. She loved his social spirit. For a moment, everything felt easy. Maybe tonight was going to be a great night after all, like Baloo had said.
But then— That subtle shift again.
Nearby conversations dipped. A few glances lingered. Curious, or perhaps unsure.
Elizabeth felt it settle around her like a weight she recognized all too well now. Her laughter faltered for just a second.
Louie noticed.
And just like that—He clapped his hands once, sharp and loud enough to carry.
“Alright, alright—listen up! what’s with the looks?” he called out, turning just enough to catch the room’s attention. His tone stayed light, but there was something firm underneath it.
He gestured toward Elizabeth. “This here’s my cuz.”
A beat.
“Family.”
That word landed heavier.
Louie pointed loosely around the room. “And at Louie’s place? Everybody treats my family like their family. That means kindness, good vibes… and absolutely no weird looks.”
Silence hung for just a second—Then he broke it with a grin. “Now—who’s ready to party?”
The music swelled back up. Conversations snapped back into place. The moment dissolved as quickly as it had formed. The glances disappeared, replaced with easy acceptance. Like it had never happened.
Elizabeth exhaled softly, then looked back at him. “…Thank you.”
Louie waved it off—but his expression softened. “I meant what I said,” he replied. “You walked in here once already. That makes you one of us.”
She smiled with gratitude at that.
“And,” he added, holding up his hand, “I do think there may be something there. We could be related.”
She raised a brow, amused. “Oh really?”
He gestured between them. “Two arms, two legs…” He gently tapped the top of her head. “One noggin—complete with eyes, ears…” Then he lightly booped her nose.
“…and a nose.”
She laughed.
“But most importantly,” he continued, lifting his hand and wiggling two fingers, “these.”
She laughed again, looking between her hands and his. “Thumbs?”
“Cuz, it’s a strong argument,” he said, leaning in like he was sharing something important. “You ever notice? Not everyone’s got ‘em like this.”
She held up her hand, comparing, and shook her head, smiling. “Okay… yeah, that’s actually a fair point.”
Louie beamed. “Exactly. Cousins.”
Baloo chuckled beside them.
Louie clapped once more, already turning back toward the crowd. “Now—enough talkin’! It’s Saturday night!”
The crowd cheered as the band kicked up even louder.
He pointed toward the dance floor. “Go on—have fun!”
The night unfolded in motion.
Elizabeth didn’t remember when she stopped standing at the edge—only that at some point, she was pulled in.
Baloo, of course.
“C’mon, Liz!” he said, grabbing her hand and tugging her forward. “You’re not gettin’ out of this!”
“I’m not trying to—!” she protested, laughing as he spun her a little too fast.
She stumbled—
Caught herself—
And then she was laughing harder.
Real laughter. The kind that loosened something deep in her chest.
Around them, the crowd moved without pattern but somehow still in rhythm. Claps, spins, improvised steps. Someone whooped when a move landed. All in all, everyone was clearly having a good time, and so was she.
No one cared, no one was watching her, no one was judging. She was just… part of it.
At one point, Louie appeared out of nowhere, catching her hands and spinning her once before sending her right back into the flow.
“See?” he called with a grin. “You remembered how!”
“How to what??” She called.
“To have FUN!”
“I did not forget!” she shot back, breathless.
“Good!” he laughed, already disappearing into the crowd again.
Later, she found herself at the edge of the floor, catching her breath.
Her hair had started to come loose, strands falling around her face. Her cheeks were warm, her lungs still trying to catch up.
She leaned lightly against one of the wooden posts, watching.
Baloo was still out there, completely committed, drawing a small circle of amused onlookers as he danced like he had nothing to prove.
Someone handed her a fruit drink. Conversations came easily—light, friendly, uncomplicated. And for the first time in weeks, she was completely comfortable, at ease. And having more fun than she’s had in years!
Her gaze drifted across the room—over the lights, the music, the movement—and something quiet settled in her chest.
Gratitude.
When she stepped back onto the dance floor, it wasn’t hesitant this time. She moved with it, let it carry her.
And as the night stretched on—music rising, laughter spilling into the warm summer air—Elizabeth danced the night away.
Far beyond Louie’s lights, deep in the jungle—
A faint blue shimmer flickered at ground level.
For a brief moment, the air bent into the shape of a doorway… then collapsed in on itself, vanishing as quickly as it had come.
The jungle fell still again.
Unnoticed.