Author's Note: This is intended to be an original story, but it was clearly inspired by existing fandoms.

Wren was so excited for the day to be over. Nervously, she looked out the window and back at the clock while the teacher droned on about some boring fact about US history.

Just a few more minutes until freedom. She thought.

She tapped her fingers on the desk, keeping time with the imaginary rhythm in her head. She kept daydreaming about her Critter Captors game and couldn't wait to get home to play it. Scenes of the pixilated images from the game screen kept dancing in her head.

Maybe this time I'll finally be able to find a Maneki Meowie Doll. I've heard they're in the game somewhere, even though they're super rare.

She watched the clock tick past the last second and gave a small sigh when the bell finally chimed. They were officially out for the weekend.

Quickly, she grabbed her backpack and made her way toward the exit. In just a few short minutes, she'd be home and able to play the game.

...

Once she got home, she found a note from her mom.

Hi, sugar-plum, I got called into work on an emergency. I should be back in a couple of hours. Hold down the fort until then, okay?

Both her mom and dad worked, and they often kept odd hours. It wasn't unusual for her to be home alone right after getting out of school. It wasn't a big deal, though. She could take care of herself. Besides, the latest version of Critter Captors was calling her name, and this meant there would be no one around to tell her to stop playing to go do boring stuff, like chores or homework.

Wren left the note and quietly went upstairs to her room.

There was the game console waiting for her. Giddily, she switched it on and began playing.

I'm gonna find that Maneki Meowie Doll.

She completed quests, solved puzzles, and collected dolls until the sun went down, and she didn't even notice how late it was getting.

Hmm...still no Meneki Meowie Doll. She furrowed her brow in disappointment.

A quick glance out the window while taking a break caught her off-guard.

It's already nighttime?

She didn't realize how long she'd been playing. Her parents hadn't announced their presence, so they were probably still at work, which wasn't unusual for her dad, but her mom was usually back by this time.

I better call Mom and see if she's okay.

Wren went back downstairs and pulled the family emergency cellphone out of its hiding place. Carefully, she typed in the number.

In a few minutes, someone picked up the phone.

"Hello, Nurse Ewes speaking," a woman's voice said.

"Oh, hi mom, I was just calling to check on you," Wren said nervously.

"Oh hi, sweetie, yeah, I'm just finishing up my shift. I had to cover for a coworker who couldn't come in due to a family emergency," her mom said.

"Be careful, I don't want you getting sick," Wren said.

Her mom gave a small huff.

"Oh, don't worry about me, honey. I don't want me getting sick, either," her mom said.

There was a small pause.

"...so, when are you coming home?" Wren asked.

"I should be home in about an hour. Have you eaten?"

Wren paused. Come to think of it, she hadn't eaten. She hadn't even felt hungry.

"N-no," she answered slowly. She didn't want to accidentally give away the fact she had been doing nothing but playing video games since she got home.

"I'll pick something up on my way back; how does that sound?"

"G-great," Wren said.

Just then, she heard people talking in the background.

"Sorry, sweetie, I'll see you soon," her mother said.

A small click signaled the end of the conversation.

Wren sighed. Her mother was so busy at her job at the hospital that she barely had time for anything else.

Speaking of time, she should probably put Critter Captors down for the night. She could always pick it up in the morning since it was the weekend and all, and she didn't want to appear distracted when her mom came home. Something was still nagging at her, though.

How do you get the Maneki Meowie Doll? She asked herself.

Silently, she crept back up to her room and turned on her laptop.

How to find Maneki Meowie Doll in Critter Captors. She typed.

Eventually, she came to a website titled Critter Captors Gaming Secrets and clicked on a few links. There was an instruction manual on how to get certain rare dolls to appear, including the Maneki Meowie Doll. She eagerly read the instructions.

According to this, you're supposed to find the sailor on the cruise ship, trade him three potions, and fight three of his monsters. Then, you are supposed to go back to the island after the cruise ship leaves and look under a certain trashcan. There, you'll find the Maneki Meowie Doll. She read.

She took a pen and a piece of paper and copied those instructions so that she would have them the next time she played the game.

Just as she finished copying the instructions, the doorbell rang.

Mom? Wren asked. Who else could it be this time of night?

...

She again rushed downstairs to meet her mother, who was struggling with a handful of bags.

Wren picked up two of the bags so that her mother didn't have to try to balance everything and get through the front door. There was a pleasant smell coming from the ones she was holding.

"I stopped by Pandora's Bread Box and got some dinner," her mom said.

"Yummy," Wren said dryly. It sounded more like an observation than an expression of joy. She felt like she needed to sound more like a teenager and less like a little kid. After all, she was twelve now.

Her mother gave her a quizzical look, but Wren was too interested in the food to notice.

She took another whiff of the delicious food smells coming from the bags before carefully opening one.

"Hey! Grilled cheese and tomato soup, delicious!" This time she sounded excited.

Her mother gave a soft smile.

"Well, let's dig in," her mother said.

Wren suddenly remembered how hungry she was as she tore into her grilled cheese sandwiches. She hadn't eaten since lunch, and it was almost her bedtime. She greedily devoured her dinner while her mom sat by playing with a salad with her fork.

"So...how's school?" her mother asked suddenly.

Wren tried talking with her mouth full.

Her mother shot her a disapproving glance and loudly cleared her throat.

She took the hint pretty quickly and swallowed the contents of her mouth before continuing.

"It's...okay," Wren said.

"Are you making good grades? I don't want any surprises on the report card," her mom said teasingly.

"Yeah...my grades are fine..." Wren said carefully.

"Anything else you'd like to share with me?"

She wriggled in her chair a bit and faked a yawn.

"Nope, I'm fine," she said, "just, ahh, tired."

Her mother sighed.

"I worry about you, you know? You spend a lot of time by yourself, and we hardly get to see you because of our jobs."

"I'm used to it, Mom," Wren answered.

Her mother gave a sigh.

"I know you are, dear, but I'm...still worried about you. All this time alone can't possibly be good for you."

Wren gave a small sigh and attempted a weak smile.

"I'm fine, Mom, really, you don't have to worry about me."

"...but I'm your mother; that's practically my job," her mother said dryly.

Wren smiled and gave a polite giggle.

Her mother sighed again.

"Well, I guess I should be happy that you're okay. A lot of kids your age couldn't even be trusted with this much freedom. I'm happy to have you in my corner, kid."

"I'm...happy to have you and Dad, too, Mom."