### *Tobias: Reunion with Old Friends*

Tobias sat in the living room, tossing his repaired plush cat between his hands. Life with Fiona and Rory Kain as his temporary guardians was starting to feel routine, but the absence of his parents left a hole he couldn’t quite fill. When the doorbell rang, Tobias barely looked up—until Rory’s cheerful voice called out.

“Tobias! You’ve got visitors!”

Curiosity sparked, and Tobias quickly stood, his tail flicking behind him. As he reached the door, his eyes widened in surprise and joy. Standing there were two of his closest friends: Bruno Hearthstone, the brown bear Medico Penitatas, and Martha Whispertuft, the Gravitos rabbit and his tech-savvy neighbor.

“Martha! Bruno!” Tobias exclaimed. “What are you guys doing here?”

“We heard about your parents,” Martha said gently. “We wanted to check on you.”

“And maybe brighten your day,” Bruno added with a warm smile.

---

### *Catching Up*

The trio settled into the living room, where Rory had brought out snacks and drinks. Tobias felt an overwhelming sense of comfort seeing his friends again after so long.

“I can’t believe how long it’s been since we all hung out,” Martha said, leaning back on the couch. “Feels like forever.”

“Yeah, the last time was before all the Salibad stuff,” Bruno said, his deep voice thoughtful. “You’ve been through a lot.”

Tobias nodded. “A crazy few weeks, for sure. My parents... Starfleet...” He trailed off, his ears drooping slightly.

Martha reached out and patted his hand. “We’ll figure this out, Tobias. You’re not alone.”

“You’ve got us,” Bruno added. “And Virt. We’ll get through this together.”

Tobias managed a small smile. “Thanks, guys. I really needed this.”

---

### *Memories and Laughter*

For the next hour, the three reminisced about their adventures. Laughter echoed through the room as they recounted the time Tobias accidentally knocked over a model Bruno was building or when Martha’s tech experiments went hilariously wrong.

“Remember when you built that toy robot and Tobias broke it the same day?” Bruno teased, his grin widening.

“Hey! I said I was sorry!” Tobias protested, his cheeks flushing.

“And I said it was fine,” Martha replied, smirking. “But you’re lucky Bunn-E was easy to fix.”

Bruno chuckled. “We’ve all come a long way since then, huh?”

“Yeah,” Tobias said, his smile fading slightly. “A lot’s changed.”

---

### *A Serious Conversation*

As the laughter died down, the conversation turned serious. Tobias filled them in on his parents’ arrest, his suspicions about Meryl Quinton, and the role the defused bomb had played.

“We need proof,” Tobias said firmly. “Virt’s working on it, but it’s going to take time.”

“We’ll help however we can,” Bruno said. “If you need anything, just say the word.”

Martha nodded. “You know I’m good with tech. If Virt needs me to hack something, I’m in.”

Tobias’s ears perked up slightly, a genuine smile spreading across his face. “Thanks, guys. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

---

### *Permission to Return Anytime*

As the visit came to an end, Fiona and Rory entered the room. Fiona’s sharp gaze softened as she looked at Tobias’s friends. “It’s good to see you with people who care about you.”

Rory grinned. “You’re welcome to come back anytime, as long as your parents or guardians give the okay.”

Bruno nodded enthusiastically. “Thanks, Mr. Kain. My dad won’t mind.”

Martha smiled. “Same here. I’ll let them know.”

Tobias’s tail swished happily as he stood to walk them to the door. “I’m glad you came. Don’t stay away too long, okay?”

“We won’t,” Martha said, giving Tobias a quick hug. “We’ll be back before you know it.”

“You take care of yourself,” Bruno added, patting Tobias on the shoulder. “And let us know if you need us.”

---

### *A Renewed Sense of Hope*

As Tobias watched his friends walk away, he felt a renewed sense of determination. With Bruno, Martha, the Kains, and Virtuoso by his side, the fight to clear his parents’ names didn’t feel so impossible.

Tobias turned back to the house, gripping his hammer tightly. “We’re going to get through this,” he thought, his resolve strengthening. “Together, we can handle anything.”