'Home is Where the Heart Is' took place over a single weekend in April, 1996 in alt.devilbunnies time, though it took over a year to actually complete and post.
Those who were involved in this story include:
Due to those Real Life interferences, there were month-long gaps at times between posts in this story and eventually, Amy, Kkatman and I had decided to hold-off further posting until the story was completed.
A little of the background leading up to 'Home is Where the Heart Is':
Amy--Amy heads for Will's Place in MA to "get-over" her date with Patch Fluffbuns and the resulting disaster in which Patch is killed and she mouths-off to Sgt Emerson, her superior officer. Chad Kirvan, Will's piano player, offers to give Amy a ride back to NoCO, after an argument she has with Wynn (I think..it's been a while). On the way, they stop to see Chad's folks in Peru, Indiana.
Aldin and Sallie--While attempting to head back to Maine from NoCO, Sallie and Aldin are captured by PAW forces and taken to PAW. (See The Return) LonGears rewards the squirrels for their service by ordering them shipped to Peru. (See Potal Nightmare)
Special thanks to Andrew "Commandant Herringbone" Weitzman for trying to get us back on track in the fall of 1996.
This story is © 1996-7 by all who were involved.
First HTML-ized 15-18 September, 1997 by Scott Bernier.
Return to Scott's Stories page.
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| 6 | 12 | 18 | 19e | 25 | 31 | 37 | 43 |
"Come on....come on little one....." A peanut was tossed to the ground. A grey squirrel scampered-up, looked around cautiously, and snagged the nut at the feet of the of a young human female. It turned tail and raced-up a nearby tree.
"Mom! Mom! It took it! The squirrel took it!"
"Yes, dear. Come on, time to head home and make dinner." As mother and daughter headed out of the park, the mother couldn't help but wonder what a large squirrel that had been.
High up in an oak tree, two sets of beady squirrel eyes watched the humans depart. The grey split the peanut open and pawed half to his red companion.
"I hate having to beg," he commented with a mouthful of peanut, "and all for just one small peanut." (sighflick)
"Well there's always birdfeeders," his companion replied.
The grey looked to the other. "I'm so sorry it's come to this, Sallie." (sighflick)
The Sallie wrapped her tail momentarily around the grey. "We've been through worse, Aldin. We'll pull through. At least we know where we are."
Aldin perked-up only slightly. "Alas, Peru, Indiana is still deep within bunny territory. We must find a way out of town..." his stomach growled loudly. (slightembaressmentflick) "but first, I guess we'll have to raid some feeders."
The two squirrels departed the park and made their way towards a nearby residential area.
Amy stared blankly at the salad she was making. It had been a busy day. It also seem like she had been asked so many questions that her head spun. Holly sure was a protective mother. Amy shook her head and looked at the salad again. *I thought Chad said his mother rarely cooked. Is this some sort of test?*
Holly had absently started humming and looked like she way trying to look like she knew what she was doing. Amy had answered most of her questions, but when it came to questions of family, Amy had suddenly started dodging the questions. Amy was an adult, surely she would be mature enough to let her parents know where she was. Holly sighed inwardly. This wasn't the first meal she had prepared, but it also wasn't the best, she hoped Chad didn't notice.
"This looks like a good one. Stay here, Sallie, just in case. I'll bring some back for you."
Sallie nodded. Aldin made his way down the tree to a branch overhanging above the feeder. He dropped down on top of the feeder and proceeded to collect sunflower seeds.
Holly looked-up from scrubbing vegetables in the sink to see a large tree rat raiding her bird feeder.
"Get-out of there!" she yelled and grabbed her broom and raced past Amy and out the door.
Amy blinked. "What the...?" she said before she could stop herself then looked around to find herself alone in the kitchen. Amy looked around, drawn out of her revere. Out the window she could see a squirrel in the birdfeeder. Amy shrugged. *At least it's not black...* Amy blinked and stared at the squirrel again. "Wait a second...." Then she raced out the door.
"Get-out of there!"
Aldin looked-up cheeks full of seeds to see a human female running down the back stair waving a broom. He leaped off the feeder and dropped six feet to the ground and proceeded to run, dodging downward swings of the human's broom.
Unfortunately for Aldin, the human wouldn't simply allow him to scamper up the nearest tree. In order to dodge the human's attacks, he found that he was forced to circle back towards the house, where another human female happened to be coming out and down the stairs. This one looked nothing like the other and was younger, maybe 21 or 22 in age.
But this new adversary looked familiar somehow. He had seen photographs of this one before, but that was impossible. When he left NoCO, she had not yet reported back from her last assignment and this was Indiana, not Colorado. But there she was. Aldin couldn't help himself. He suddenly stopped in front of the human on the stairs, looked her in the eyes and asked in his high-pitched little voice, "Amy?....OOOMMMMFFFF!!!!"
Holly had caught-up with the squirrel and slammed the broom down upon him, hard. Squirrel-spittle covered sunflower seeds sprayed across Amy's feet.
Amy eeped and rushed forward to scoop up the squirrel. Holly just stared for a moment, then she started to panic a little.
"What... what are you doing?! That ... thing was eating out of my birdfeeder!" Holly nearly screamed.
Amy inwardly sighed and put on her ky00test, most mornful face. "He was just hungry, and now look. He's hurt... we've gotta help him." Amy even sniffled. *Ugh! I hate doing this,* she thought to herself.
Holly nearly dropped the broom. This was a side to Amy she hadn't seen yet, not that Holly minded. Women should be feminine and not the brash, almost masculine way Amy /had/ been. "Oh, don't you worry, dear," Holly found herself saying, "We'll take him inside and make sure he's okay. If he's hungry, I'll set out some more seeds, he might not be the only one."
Amy smiled slightly. *Chad's gonna kill me, I know he is...but... but if this is who I think it is...* Amy smiled down at the squirrel in her arms that was just now coming to. "This one hopes that one will forgive her for not stopping that broom in time," Amy clicked in ferroti. *Only one way to find out with others around, I suppose.*
Holly blinked, Amy was making the strangest clicking noises at the squirrel, but the squirrel seemed to almost understand them. Holly shook her head as she walked inside, things were getting stranger by the minute.
> "This one hopes that one will forgive her for not stopping that > broom in time," Amy clicked in ferrotti.
Aldin blinked in a semi-daze for a moment. "Grrmmm-chkk. That one has protected this small Yll from harm. This one is greatful to that one," he replied without hesitation in ferrotti. Aldin was impressed with Amy's pronunciation. Better than his own, even though his vocal cords were more built towards the language than hers. He looked about for the other human.
He risked switching to English, but kept his voice low. "Are you Amy Roth?" (curiousflick)
Amy blinked. Then she thought for a moment as she tried to figure out just what the squirrel was saying. Pronunciation was always the easiest in languages for her, understanding what was actually being said was different. At least it was someone on her side. Grrmmm-chkk, she understood, and had said a few times herself at NocO.
Then the little squirrel in her arms squeaked something at her. She wasn't expecting him to speak in English so it took her a moment to realize what he had said. Amy blinked, then and looked down at the squirrel in amazement.
"How... Aldin? Is that you?" Amy whispered as she rushed into the house.
Holly was right behind her, but she went on to a storage closet to get a large box, with some old rags. Then Holly grabbed a bowl full of water and placed the box, with the bowl in it in front of Amy. "Put him in here, Amy. We'll make sure he's fine, then we'll send Chad off to Krogers to get some nuts for the little thing."
Amy did as she was told, not wanting to have to explain why she was talking to the squirrel and the squirrel was talking back. Holly smiled and walked off to find Chad and Paul, leaving Amy alone with Aldin.
"How did you get here, Aldin? I thought you were on your way to Maine." Amy looked around for the rabbit that Holly often kept at home when it wasn't at school. *Good... it's not around. Better safe than sorry,* she thought to herself. "We've got to get you someplace safe.... weird things are happening, Aldin."
"It's not right to leave Sallie outside alone."
"Who?"
"My mate, Amy. There she is, at the door." Amy opened the door. "It's ok, Sallie, we're amoung friends. Sallie, this is Corporeal Amy Roth of NocO, Amy, my mate, Sallie Squirrel."
The head of a little red squirrel peaked in. Disappeared. Then the whole squirrel scampered inside. It drew itself up to full height. "Hello, Corporal Roth."
"Now as to how we got here...." Aldin filled Amy in on all that had happened to him and Sallie since they had left NoCO, but he left-out the details of their detainment at PAW.
"....then Major D. Feet had us shipped to Peru. Fortunately, we wound-up here. However, this is not a safe place for us to be for long. We are still deep in bunny territory and I have news to pass on to NoCO as soon as it's safe to do so."
"I have a lap top with me."
Aldin's tail began to flick about in a random pattern, like it had a mind of it's own (panicflick). "No, it's too risky here. We send a message from this location and we could have a dozen or more buns upon us before nightfall. We've got to get away from here first."
Chad was outside playing hoops with his father, something he hadn't done for quite sometime, and he realized now that he missed it. Paul was just going in for a lay-up when Holly came out of the house, looking a little confused, and a little distraught. Paul dropped the ball in mid-air and walked over to his wife.
"Something wrong, Dear?" Paul smiled at his wife and grabbed a towel which had been laying on the ground to dab his forehead.
"Oh, well, there was a little misunderstanding and I've hurt a poor little squirrel, and Amy seemed so upset by it, that well, we're going to take care of it for a few days, but we don't have anything for the poor thing to eat. I wanted to see if Chad would go with Amy to the store and get /something/," Holly said with a slightly frown.
Chad blinked and coughed in surprise. *Amy, protective of a squirrel? Something's up. This is just wonderful!* was the first thought that sprang to mind. Chad managed a pleasant smile by the time he walked over to his parents. "What was that? I heard I'd just been volunteered for something," he grinned.
Holly smiled greatfully, "I need you and Amy to go to the store, she'll know what to get."
Before Amy could question Aldin further, Chad was calling to her about going to the supermarket. After she left Sallie questioned Aldin in squirrel.
Sallie crossed her paws in the best imiatation of a human crossing her arms as she could manage. {curiousflick} "So. Why didn't you tell her about the general?"
Aldin looked around in an almost panic and replied in squirrel. "Not yet."
{demandflick} "But the others must be warned that the bastard is back."
"When we are far away from here," (squirrelstomp) "then I will, but not before."
"But she has a computer and modem...."
"I'm not about to tell Amy that her Uncle lives. If I did that she may do something crazy like head to Ohio to kill him herself."
Sallie stared at Aldin. "Her uncle?"
(affirmativeflick) "Amy is half bunny. Her mother was LonGears' sister." Aldin proceeded to explain Amy's life history to Sallie while they awaited the return of their hosts.
Sallie paused, considering it all for some time. "So Cheshire was right about the cute Fudd after all."
*Krogers hasn't changed much,* Amy thought as she walked into the store, then blinked. *Then again...* Amy looked around and frowned. Everywhere she looked there were signs of ky00tness. There will always be some ky00tness in a grocery store, but still, the Barney suit walking around, and the Easter decorations, which hadn't been taken down, were a bit much, not to mention the large sale display of SPAM™. Amy grabbed Chad's arm and looked up at him.
Chad barely noticed Amy clinging to him for a moment as he looked around. *Something is definitely wrong here.* Chad's eyes were wide in amazement. Things had changed since he was home last, and he didn't like it in the least. "I have a bad feeling about this," he muttered to himself.
Shrugging, Chad nearly dragged Amy through the store. Amy seemed preoccupied by studying everything but where she was going. And her frown was growing by the moment. If Amy was concerned, things were really bad.
Leaning down, Chad whispered to Amy, "What are we here for anyway?"
Amy blinked and nearly jumped and looked up at Chad with a blank expression then shook her head slightly. "Oh, we're here to get some food for some friends," Amy whispered, her eyes scanning the store as she did so.
Chad nodded slightly, and motioned with his hands, "And that food would be...?"
Amy blinked again, "Oh, nuts of some kind, I guess. I don't know what squirrels like."
Chad coughed again, his eyes growing wide, then she shook his head. "Well, life is sure interesting around you." Chad blinked and blushed, he hadn't meant to say that aloud.
Amy stared at Chad for a moment, her eyes wide and then turned and blushed. Quickly, she searched the shelves to see where in the store she was, and frowned. *Why would there be just a couple of bottles of Vanilla Extract and the rest sold out. It's not like this is Fudd Territory,* she thought to herself. Absently she reached up and grabbed the three remaining bottles. *At least it's the real stuff, the imitation stuff just doesn't work as well.* At that thought Amy blinked, she hadn't realized she had even begun to think about the possibility of a fight until now. *Well, I am trying to be a Fudd.*
Chad watched Amy turn and cursed himself for being so foolish. *How else am I supposed to let her know,* he thought back to himself. Shaking his head he sighed. Then he blinked at Amy as she grabbed the last bottles of vanilla extract. *This isn't good if she's getting this stuff.* Amy turned back around, her eyes seemed more worried than ever before, and placed the bottles in the little handy-basket Chad was carrying.
"Come one," Amy whispered, "It's time to get a little prepared."
Chad could only nod. He always worried about his home, but it was one of those worried that you never took seriously. And now, looking around, he kicked himself for not worrying enough.
Amy looked down one isle, then another and finally ducked down one and grabbed a couple of bags, one was a bag full of walnuts, the other full of sunflower seeds then quickly turned, passing Chad, and went back to looking for something. Finally, she ducked down the isle where the toys where. Grabbing two water pistols, she tossed them into the basket and looked about her. *I need to get Chad something better to protect himself with, at least I brought some Moxie™ with me.*
Chad just followed Amy blindly, not knowing what to get, and ready to openly admit it to Amy, had she asked. Amy looked around one more time, then headed for the check out stand. Chad walked briskly to catch up with Amy. When he was finally next to her she whispered back at him, "We need to get to a hardware store." Chad blinked and looked more confused than ever. "Don't worry, Chad," she whispered then turned to face the checker.
"Paper or plastic," someone asked Amy. "Plastic," she said without even looking in that direction as she watched the checker ring up the purchase.
Brandon was glad his shift was coming to an end. He'd had enough of bagging SPAM™ and Barney items. He was also glad the store wasn't busy, so he wouldn't have to stay longer than he needed to. It was, after all. As Brandon watched the next couple to come to the checkstand he was working at he sighed inwardly. By the look of the girl, obviously a college student, this was going to be another Barney purchase. He had to admit, he'd not seen anyone that ky00t before, but he was starting to get sick of ky00t.
"Paper or plastic," he asked her blandly.
"Plastic," she said without even looking up. She was certainly preoccupied by something.
Brandon nodded anyway, it was part of his job and got a bag ready to fill and blinked as the items came his way. Three bottles of vanilla extract, two water pistols, a bag of sunflower seeds and a bag of walnuts. This wasn't a normal purchase now a days. *I'll have to tell dad he hasn't bought all the vanilla extract.* Without thinking, Brandon leaned over and looked down at the girl's shoes. *Those certainly look like steel-toed boots. Nah... she's too ky00t to be...*
Brandon was suddenly aware of the man with the girl standing next to him, a perplexed look on his face. Sheepishly Brandon handed him the bag of groceries. The man nodded and turned to the girl who was going over the receipt. Then she looked up at him, her ice-blue eyes slowly growing wider and her face started to pale. Brandon blinked.
Amy went over the receipt. Something Lucy had gotten her in the habit of doing. When she looked up she started to smile at Chad, but the person next drew her attention. There, standing right in front of her, was a living breathing replica of the pictures she had seen of her father. Amy could feel the color drain from her face, and she knew what she must look like. But she had never expected... this.
Chad was confused. He admitted this. Why would Amy have such a reaction from someone he was sure she had never met. He certainly hadn't met this kid, and you didn't see him looking like he had just seen a ghost.
Brandon blinked and wondered what was going on. He would certainly have to tell his father about this. However, what he was going to say, still seemed strange.
Amy blinked, then looked away. *This couldn't be...* Amy stopped that thought before it had a chance to finish and darted past Chad and the other person, headed straight for the door. *Well, there's one explanation I'll not be able to get around...* she thought to herself.
Chad ran to catch up with Amy, leaving a perplexed bagger behind. "Amy...," he whispered when he thought it was safe enough, "what was all that about. You looked like you had seen a ghost!"
Amy sighed and stopped. *Well, here goes.* Amy looked up at Chad, and felt her heartbeat quicken, the concern in his eyes wasn't something she had expected. Amy took a deep breath, "Chad, have I ever told you about my /real/ parents?"
Jack waded through his inventory, yet his mind wasn't on what he was doing. Jack was still puzzled over Paul's son, Chad's reaction to the remark of MTC music. Something was up with that young man, and he needed to find out. But not now. He was worried even more about his youngest. Girls normally have cutish traits, but it seemed things were just getting worse with Sara. Jack finished the inventory and rubbed his eyes. *No one's bought even a normal axe or hatchet in the last month. Something is up.*
With a yawn, Jack looked around the hardware store. Not a customer. *Well, it is Friday afternoon. What did you expect?* Jack finally decided to busy himself with cleaning the store windows.
Jack smiled as he stepped outside, it was a wonderful spring day. *Days like this are too good to be wasted, perhaps I'll close early and go home.* That thought quickly disappeared as his son, Brandon, pulled up in front of the store, still in his uniform for work. *Odd, Brandon hates wearing that thing.*
"Brandon, so nice of you to drop in on your old man," Jack said warmly as he started to clean the windows.
Brandon looked around then walked up to his father. "Dad, we've got to talk."
Jack blinked. "Sure son, I'm always here for you. What do we need to talk about?"
"Something that we need to discuss inside," Brandon quickly replied.
Jack nodded, frowning as he did so, and quickly walked into the store, then back to what was called his office. It was just a closed in space cluttered with surplus supplies, really. Sleeping bags and lanterns, axes, and flower pots, amoung other things littered the room. There was a desk, with a computer, a phone and a neat pile of papers. Jack took the seat behind his desk and motioned for his son to sit down, which did no good because Brandon instantly started pacing the small room.
"Dad, you're not gonna believe what happened. I'm not sure I do. It's just so... bizarre!", Brandon blurted out.
Jack grinned, "Try me, son. I'm sure I've got a tale or two that will surprise you. " Jack leaned back in his chair, trying to look relaxed. *No need getting the family worried about my own paranoia.*
Brandon turned to his father, who was leaning back, hands behind his head and opened his mouth, but he was still unable to find the words he was searching for.
"Uh, well, I was, uh, at work, and this girl, this really cute girl, and I mean, ky00t, not cute, if you know what I mean, bought some, um, vanilla extract, and some water pistols, and um, some walnuts and sunflower seeds. And she was really cute, Dad," Brandon managed to stutter.
Jack raised an eyebrow at his son. "Brandon, if you want advice about asking people out on dates, I'll be glad to give it, but you haven't seemed to need that before. And there's nothing odd about buying vanilla extract, she was probablly baking something and ran out..."
"No! Dad, you don't understand! She bought the last 3 bottles, I went and checked. And she had steel-toed boots, well, they looked like steel-toed boots. And she did buy those water pistols..." Brandon interjected.
Jack was starting to get intrigued. "Alright. So she might know about the Evil that Fluffs™. What do you want me to do about it? I don't want to accidently be contacting a symp and letting the buns know that we know how evil they are."
Brandon sighs, "Dad, that's not all of it. When... when she looked at me she turned pale. Just like she was seeing a ghost! And I've never seen her before in my life, I know it!"
*Things keep getting stranger and stranger, next he'll be telling me the squirrels are on our side,* Jack thought to himself. "Well, I don't know who is in the war anymore, but, maybe she's somebody's daughter that I knew. What's she look like?"
Just then the little bell above the front door rang, indicating someone had just walked into the store. Both Jack and Brandon walked out of the office, Jack to help the customer, Brandon didn't want to sit in the office alone, he wanted to finish this conversation. Brandon nearly ran into his father, who had suddenly stopped cold in his tracks as he stared at something, or someone. Brandon followed his father's gaze and blinked as he whispered, "That's her, Dad... Dad?"
>Amy sighed and stopped. 'Well, here goes.' Amy looked up at Chad, >and felt her heartbeat quicken, the concern in his eyes wasn't something >she had expected. Amy took a deep breath, "Chad, have I ever told you >about my real parents?"
Chad blinked at this. This was a subject Chad had never thought of bringing up on his own, and hoped that Amy would bring it up; trust him enough to tell him her story. He just didn't expect it as they were walking out of Kroger's. Chad looked around quickly and motioned to the car. Once there, Chad drove Amy to a park in town and took her to a secluded spot, where no bunnies could be seen, and sat her down.
Amy was a bit nervous. The last time she told someone about her family, he had ended up dead, and before that, there was a battle going on. As all insecure women, Amy thought that perhaps she was just bad luck. Then as she looked up at Chad, smiling down at her, she promptly forgot her insecurities for a breif moment, then she looked away. Amy took a deep breath and began.
"Well, as you know, I'm adopted. My father was a Fudd and my mother was a devilbunny, LonGears' sister, LoriLop. My... My father's name is Jack Therington. Until recently, I thought both parents were dead, but... but my dad might be alive. Well, actually, I think he is, or some of his family, at least."
"You see, I got this file from the mentat that was taking care of my mother, his name was The Rabbit. Actually, it was from Aldin, but Aldin just found it and forwarded it to me at NoCo before he left. Anyway, The Rabit said he thought my dad was still alive, this was in 1978, because the ambush that had been set up for him had failed. All the buns that had attacked had been killed and a man's tracks where found going away from the scene. The Rabbit had them tracked up to Canada, and that's where I thought he's been, but... but... seeing that person in the grocery store... he looks just like my dad. But... that's why I was so startled. I never actually expected seeing my dad, or someone who looked like him."
Chad frowned. In his mind, Chad debated telling Amy about the man he had met at the cafe. He had to admit the bagger at Kroger's was a younger version of the man at the cafe. But... what if it was just a plot to get to Amy. She was a Fudd officer, surely there would be some use for converting her. Chad shook his head, and then relized Amy was staring at him, waiting for a response. Quickly Chad thought back to the conversation he had half been listening to.
"Um... Are you sure you want to go to the hardware store now? I mean, those squirrels ...." Chad searched for an excuse.
"Aldin and Sallie," Amy interjected.
Chad blinked. "Yeah... Aldin and Sallie... Aldin? That was Aldin?! What's he doing here!"
Amy shook her head and smiled. "It's a long story, and I'd rather Aldin and Sallie told you. But first, I want to get some stuff. It's really difficult to get an airline to let you bring a fireaxe with you, let alone a bow and arrows. I just want to be prepared, okay?"
Chad looked at Amy and slowly smiled back. How could he refuse that smile. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Chad wondered if Amy was being her normal self or if she was trying to use Cute on him. And in that same place in the back of Chad's mind he decided he didn't care either way.
Therington's Ace Hardware wasn't far from the park where Chad had taken Amy, but the quick drive over seemed to take forever. The entire drive Amy was busily making a list of things she would need, or wanted, mumbling the entire thing to herself. Chad was quite amazed at the list she came up with. Half the items on the list he didn't know Amy knew how to use, and he had a sinking feeling she didn't.
Chad pulled up to the hardware store and took a deep breath. *Well, here goes,* he thought to himself. Amy was still pouring over her list as he walked around to the side of the Blazer, so Chad took the liberty of opening it for her. Amy nearly jumped out of the Blazer and practically ran into the store. Chad was hard pressed to catch up to her, if it wasn't for the door, he doubted he would have.
Amy stopped as she walked into the hardware store, looking around and trying to orient herself. Then she looked down at the first item of her list. She felt Chad put his hand on her shoulder. Amy looked up and smiled at him, then looked back down at her list.
Chad smiled back at Amy, but doubted that she caught it before she continued re-reading her list, so he started looking around himself. Chad heard the door to the office open and close, and smiled as Jack rounded one of the corners and nodded to him. Chad was about to speak, as the bagger came around the corner, obviously Jack's son now that they were side by side, but he blinked instead. Jack was staring at Amy, and as Chad looked down at Amy, Amy was staring back. Then he heard Amy whisper to him, "That's him, Chad... that's my dad."
Chad didn't know what to think. It did occur to him, though, that even if he did know what to think, the very process of thinking would likely cause his brain to explode. No sooner had Amy confided in him about her family's history than history came out of Jack Therington's office and stood there, looking every bit as stunned as Amy and Chad were.
Jack stood there staring blankly at the young couple who had entered the store. The young man was Paul's son, Chad. And the young lady...
Brandon deflected off of his father and stepped to the side. Then he saw what was holding Jack's attention, and he could not help but join his father in staring at the young lady. She was definitely ky00t, but why was his father reacting like this?
Amy did the only thing she could possibly do in the situation: "Exc-c-c-c-cuse m-m-m-me, sir. W-w-we'd like t-t-t-t-t-to see your f-f-f-fire axes, p-p-p-please."
Therington's Ace Hardware closed early that day.
Behind locked doors, Jack and Amy questioned each other, each making absolutely sure that the other was who they hoped against hope that they were. Chad and Brandon merely stood to the side -- spectators as people that they each cared for faced ghosts that were long since thought put to rest. Finally, the suspicious tensions between Amy and Jack dissipated, leaving a vacuum in the room. And the two Fudds filled the vacuum in the most sensible way possible: with tears of joy.
Amy, being who she was nearly rushed forward an bowled over her Jack, who she now knew was her father, in a great hug. Jack smiled and returned the hug, a smile slowly coming to his face. Chad wanted to run forward and hold Amy himself, but he knew, this was a time for father and daughter, and he shouldn't interrupt.
Jack looked down at his daughter, it felt good to even think that. "Amy? Why are you even here, so close to Central Command, er... P.A.W.?"
Amy looked up and grinned, "I'm on vacation." Then Amy blinked and looked at the ground. "I... my... I went on an intelligence gathering mission, and... things didn't turn out too well, so... so I took a vacation."
Jack blinked, his daughter actually going on missions, intelligence gather missions, for some reason, that made him proud, and worried at the same time. "What happened? Where you hurt? Do your commanders know? Does anyone know where you are?"
Amy waited until Jack had finished his flood of questions and answered them in turn, "I went on a 'date' with one Major Fluffbuns, it was a intel mission for both of us, and we both knew it. I didn't get much out of him 'cept stuff to put in his dossier, then, after I had left, a group of rogue fudds, who had better have been punished, killed him, and the information I had was useless, I yelled at one of my CO's, which is what hurt me the most, and left, leaving a note for Commander Andersen. So, they know I left, and I hope no one knows where I am! You can imagine the trouble if anyone did..."
Jack shook his head, something in Amy's eyes, barely visible, reminded him of something in himself, and he didn't quite like seeing that in his daughter, but he would save that question for later. "You.... you're mother...?"
Amy sighed, she had not wanted to answer this question. "I never knew her, Lon killed her, and... and I was the only child to survive. I didn't know any of this information until last year... and most of it I know from a file that Aldin found for me...." Amy's eyes widened and she looked around, "Aldin! Oh, Chad! We've got to get back to Aldin and Sallie! I don't want that bun that your mother has getting it's paws on them!"
Jack let go as Amy turned around to start talking to Chad. "Ahem. Aldin? Sallie? Friends of yours?"
Amy turned back around and nodded. "Aldin worked at Namakata around '80. He's a squirrel, and my good friend, Sallie is his mate."
Jack nearly choked on those words and as he looked over at his son, Brandon was nearly doing the same. "Squirrels?!"
Amy nodded. "Only the black squirrels help the buns anymore. Besides, Aldin's got an interesting background, but ya'll'll have to talk to him 'bout that. Um, Chad, is... is it okay if Jack and Brandon come over?"
Chad, who had thought, understandably so, that he wasn't really a part of this conversation blinked, twice. "I... I am sure that will be fine. Um... maybe we could say Jack was going to take care of the squirrels? They are safer at his place than my parents... I think."
Amy nodded happily and went over to Chad and hugged him tightly. Chad was sure he had a goofy grin on his face as Amy hugged him, but he really didn't care, he was enjoying the moment too much to care.
"Let's go, then?" Amy said excitedly, almost as a little child.
Jack nodded, then stopped. "Brandon, go home. Tell your mother we're having guest for dinner, but nothing else, I should be the one to tell her this."
Brandon nodded, still a bit confused, and shook his head every time he looked at Amy, then headed for the door, with the rest of the group.
Outside, a small rabbit, barely old enough not to be a kit, pressed his
muzzle up against the plexi-glass door. The pianist, the half-breed Fudd, and the
troublesome family had made contact with each other. This was the type of
intelligence which could be parlayed into a promotion if used properly. And
using it properly meant notifying his superiors.
From: LeatherPaw@LSW.org (Sgt. LeatherPaw) Organization: LimestoneWarren
"Incoming tightbeam from Field Leader Furball."
Sgt. LeatherPaw looked up from his desk. "Patch it through."
LeatherPaw flipped open his laptop and waited for the transfer to be
completed. Furball was in charge of monitoring the progress of the infiltration of
Peru. Thus far, things were going splendidly
The laptop beeped, signifying the completion of the transmission. LeatherPaw called it up and decoded it.
His next action was to test the structural integrity of the office's door by means of an airborne desk chair. Having done that, he reread the tightbeam:
****************Tightbeam to Sgt. LeatherPaw***************
*****************BUNIX Encryption Activated***************
Sir
There are some. Devlopments. Here that you should be aware of. Firstly, I assure you that the Base of Operations here on Grissom AFB has not yet been detected. However:
1) Our scouts have noticed a certain degree of anti-bun activity from one family. The patriarch in particular is being very suspicious. He is the owner of the local hardware store, and he has placed his entire supply of fire-axes on sale. Also, he has been witnessed purchasing excessively large amounts of vanilla extract and also several Mormon Tabernacle Choir albums. Our preliminary file search has turned up nothing on this apparent Fudd. If you can unearth anything about him, it might aid us in being able to effectively deal with him. His name is Jack Therington.
and
2) There have also been reports of a blue truck with Will's Place emblazoned on the side being parked outside the house of the pianist's family. Chad Kirvan is in Peru. He has a companion, as well. Checking the files, it has been determined that his friend is Amy Roth, a coporal in the AoF. No anti-bun activity has yet been detected from either individual, but we remain prepared to deal with them.
In reference to point 1, we do have a potential weakness to exploit. This Therington has apparently revealed the truth about DB's to his family, and they are moderately skilled in combat. Except his 10-year old daughter. Needless to say, there isn't a bun in the Therington house, but reports indicate that the daughter, Sara, has been visiting the buns owned by her friends. She seems very susceptible to the ways of the ky00t. If necessary, I believe that she can be swayed to help us.
Furball, out.
*****************BUNIX Encryption Decativated****************
******************End and Transmit Tightbeam******************
LeatherPaw leapt in a combination of outrage and joy. He finally had the
proof that he wanted about the pianist being a Fudd. But now was not the time he
wanted to find it out. And this Therington person was a wild card which he
REALLY didn't need to deal with. Accessing the files he had access to, he was
unable to unearth any information on a "Jack Therington". He
****************Tightbeam to PAW Command**************
*****************BUNIX Encryption Activated*********************
We are in the process of subverting a town here in Indiana for use as a base; however, we are experiencing a problem, the nature of which we are unable to completely discern at the moment. This is the reason for this tightbeam.
There is apparently a man in the town who has had Fudd training, and before I send my troops in to deal with him (and whomever else is involved), I need to know what they're getting into. My files have no record of him, so I ask that you check for information.
His name is Jack Therington.
Please respond soon. Thank you
Yours in Frith...
Sgt. LeatherPaw
Head of Indiana Militia
******************BUNIX Encryption Deactivated***************
*******************Tightbeam End and Transmit*****************
LeatherPaw rested on his haunches and
Amy awkwardly flipped her braid over her shoulder. She had been wearing her hair long for nearly a year now, but she was particularly nervous and was doing everything awkwardly. After all, it was not everyday one met their real father completely by accident in a hardware store.
Chad and Amy had talked most of the way back to Chad's house about what they were going to tell Chad's parents. They had decided to tell them nothing. Chad admitted that now he knew that Jack was Amy's father, he could see it in her demeanor and mainly her eyes, but he said it was only because he knew their relation.
Amy sat in the car, lost in thought, as Chad hopped out and opened the door for her. *Why is he being such a gentleman now? Or...has he always been like this?* she asked herself as she smiled up at Chad. He smiled back more animated than he had been in a long time. *Oh no...* was the next thought as her heart skipped a beat. *This can't happen, his family is in enough danger now, but... if... this can't be happening.*
Jack followed the young couple in his own car, which gave him time to think. He had told Kristen long ago that Lorilop and his children with her had died, well, he thought they had all died. He wasn't sure what to do. He was so proud to see that his daughter had decided to fight for human survival, but he was also saddened that she had to get involved with the war at all. And now it looked like this family of his will be forced into the war as well. He needed to talk to Amy and test her. There was going to be fighting, he was sure, and he wanted to see how prepared she was to defend herself. He couldn't let her fight outright. Perhaps the Kirvan's boy was an ample fighter.
Jack parked the car and nearly jumped out of it, his long legs making it easy to catch up with Amy. Jack stopped the kids before they went into the house, deciding that these words were better spoken outside than inside Paul's home.
"Amy, Chad, I want both of you to come over for dinner tonight, give some excuse, any excuse you can, but not the truth. If what you say is correct, Amy, that bun in the house is a devilbunny, and I don't want to have it listening to any conversation it shouldn't be listening to. I'll tell you more of what I want when we get to my house, so let's make this short," Jack said as the three of them stood in front of the porch.
Both Amy and Chad nodded; Amy almost dutifully, and Chad a little confused. Jack nodded to himself slightly, then motioned to the door. Chad smiled and opened it up and walked in, everyone else following.
"Mom, we're back. We've got a visitor, too." Chad said loudly as he walked in, then held the door open for Amy with a broad grin, watching her as Jack walked in, then he closed the door and walked to Amy's side.
Amy tried to hide her blush at Chad's grin, she just couldn't so she quickly turned away and walked over to the box with Sallie and Aldin in it. There, she kneeled and looked down into the box with a wide grin. "Grrmmm-chkk, Aldin, Sallie." Amy quickly glanced back at Jack, who was smiling, and she smiled even broader. She missed the cold flash in Sallie's eyes, which were gone when Amy turned back and whispered to Aldin and Sallie in Ferrotti, "I have someone I want you to meet." Amy motioned to Jack as she said this so Jack knelt beside her and peered into the box, a little skeptical. "Aldin, Sallie, this is Jack Thereington, my father."
Aldin began to translate to Sallie in squirrel, but Sallie stopped him by replying to him in Ferrotti. Sometime later she would explain about CapeWarren's single ferrotti to him. Aldin then looked about and then turned to Amy and Jack and replied to Amy in Ferrotti the best he could.
"Grrmmm-cckk, friend Amy. This one is happy for friend Amy, if that one is friend Amy's father. Forgive this humble Yll for this one's doubt, Jack. The Kyrl-Lth supposedly killed that one long ago, these ones are far behind Kyrl-Lth's lines, and this one has smelled Kyrl-Lth within this Ssss. This one would advise friend Amy to be cautious and not speak too openly."
Amy blinked then nodded. For a brief moment, she had managed to forget that she might be in danger. That all of them might be in danger, in fact. Amy nearly kicked herself for forgetting that simple but possibly deadly fact. Amy started chewing on her lip nervously and looked over at Jack.
Jack was a little rusty on the ferrotti, but he understood enough. Jack frowned slightly, wholely understand the grey squirrel's worries. In fact, they mirrored his own about the squirrels. Absently Jack stared past the box, rubbing his chin, thinking. *Amy trusts them, I must, also. Amy... my little girl...* Jack nodded to himself and turned to give Amy a reassuring smile, then turned to talk to the squirrels.
"This one's Ferrotti is quite poor, it has been quite a while since this one had cause to use it. Now, this one understands that one's worries, so this one is not going to pressure that one any, but this one would think it more safe if that one came out to stay at this one's home. This one promises that this one has no ... Kyrl-Lth at this one's home, nor will this one ever." Jack glanced over at Amy, "Well, not full Kyrl-Lth, at least. And this one assures you, this one is who this one says this one is, nothing more, nothing less." Jack glanced back at Chad, wondering what his part in this war was, he seemed too cautious at times, which left Jack with an almost sour taste in Jack's mouth.
Through Jack's reply, the grey squirrel stared at Jack...no more like looked through him with its beady eyes....almost like a devilbunny sizing an opponent. It broke off the stare as Jack finished.
"This one believes the words and intentions of that one," Aldin replied. "This one would switch to English if not for the possible Kyrl-Lth in the other room. This one has contemplated killing the Kyrl-Lth but has not for fear of upsetting these ones' current host. This one is not sure if friend Chad's family knows about the Kyrl-Lth's evil ways and does not wish to bring them into danger." Aldin's tail moved up and down and to the sides rapidly in a twisting sort of fashion (cautionflick). He then turned to Sallie and added in squirrel. "We can trust this human, Sallie."
Jack glanced at Amy after Aldin said something, well, chittered, something at the red squirrel, at which Amy shrugged. *Well, I still have to trust them. After all, what harm could two squirrels do?* Jack looked around. "Are we ready then? Let's go." With that he picked up the box and walked out to his car, leaving Amy and Chad to fend off Paul and Holly.
Having gathered up the squirrels and suffered through Holly's hugs and dodging her questions, Amy was nearly exhausted. It had been a long day, and a roller-coaster ride of one as well. Looking out the window Amy yawned and idly wondered what next was going to happen.
Chad glanced over at Amy, a sinking pit in his stomach. Through all the day's excitement Chad had stood back, not really saying much, and now it was coming back to ache his heart. Chad shook his head and looked back at the road. He would have to let Amy know how he felt, and soon, if just to relieve his own heart ache. The worst part of all was not knowing how she felt.
Both cars stopped, one after the other, in the Therington drive-way. Brandon came out to meet his father, a semi-worried, semi-confused look on his face. Jack handed Brandon the box with the squirrels in it, and his face was the perfect picture of total and utter confusion. But, being an intelligent lad, Brandon didn't ask any questions outside.
Once Brandon turned to go into the house, Jack walked over to Amy and Chad. The latter was opening the door for the former. *I wonder if she realizes she's breaking his heart. What IS his role in this war?* Jack shook his head to clear the thoughts and smiled at them both, and motioned them towards the door. "Shall we go in?" he asked in a most fatherly manner.
Amy stared at the door for a moment and nodded. She hadn't thought she would be so nervous about meeting a family she didn't know she had. After a gulp, she nodded and said, "Let the truth be known."
Chad and Amy stood outside after dinner. Amy needed to get away from everything, even though she had offered to help clean. And Chad because he needed to be near Amy.
It was a clear and lovely night, a soft breeze stirring the clean night air. Amy shivered, but not because it was cold outside. No, it was more cold inside by far. Dinner had been a near disaster. Kristen, as gracious as she tried to be, nearly choked on her food when Jack told her who Amy was. Not to mention the loud outburst from Sara, and the amazed, shocked stare from Jason. Brandon remained quiet and skeptical, he had heard everything before. And in fact, it was Brandon that had sent Sara to bed early, because neither parent had come out of the bedroom since Kristen went in and Jack followed after her, though their voices could be heard.
Chad removed his jacket and draped it around Amy, who gave a brief nod, thoughts elsewhere then where and when she was. Chad sighed to himself and went back to looking at the stars. The Therington home was in the country, and Chad had nearly forgotten how many stars there were in the night sky. It was a picture that never ceased to amaze him.
Again, Chad looked over at Amy, wishing that he somehow knew which comforting words to say, the pain and fear on her face were nearly tangible. Amy sighed, and the lines remained. Chad's heart was breaking with every passing moment. Amy needed some happiness, she deserved it, and he wanted to be part of it, but he didn't know how.
Taking a chance, Chad reached out to lay a comforting hand on Amy's shoulder. Almost immediately Amy turned to him, the tears she had been trying to hide shimmering in the starlight. And for the second time since coming to him to get away, Amy cried in Chad's arms.
Kristen was sobbing, holding up a pillow to weakly throw at Jack Why hadn't he told her? But then, how could he know? She was not really angry at Jack, but more afraid for her own children. What that poor child, Amy, must think of her. And with that thought, she realized she had been behaving like a spoiled child would and sat down heavily on the bed.
"Kristen?" Jack whispered quietly, not daring angering her again, though he hadn't meant to the first time.
Kristen looked up through her tears at Jack and sighed and sniffled at the same time, making a rather unlady-like noise, causing both she and Jack to lift the corners of their mouths.
"Jack, I'm... I'm so sorry." she whispered back when she finally could.
Jack shook his head. "Dear, don't worry. I should have told you, privately, let you cope with the idea, first." With that, Jack reached out to his wife, and held her hand, a comforting feeling in and of itself.
Kristen smiled weakly and grabbed a kleenex from the nightstand beside the bed and wiped her face. "What she must think of this selfish old woman," she said, trying to add humor to the situation.
Jack laughed, something he desperately needed to do. Something he had not been doing enough of for the last couple of days. "Kristen, my wife, I am sure she understands. She is at least part human."
Kristen grinned more broadly and stood up, walking over to a mirror and cleaning up her appearance. "Well, I think I owe her an apology." she said serious, though her expression was still one of humor. She looked in the mirror again and saw Jack quietly laughing on the floor and quickly spun around to him, placing her hand on her hips and saying in a motherly fashion, "What do you find so funny, young man?"
Jack sat up from where he was on the floor, grinning impishly. "Oh, nothing, ma'am," he said behind his most charming smile he had given in a long time.
Kristen gave Jack a mock smile and started for the door. "Come and gloat, why don't you," she said when Jack didn't get up and follow her. This statement, of course, caused an immediate reaction and Jack was right on her heals when she walked out of the room.
Once Sara had finally decided to stay in her room, Brandon came back to clean up the table, which he was surprised to find had already been done. In the kitchen Jason was scrubbing away on plates and pots, staring at them blankly.
Brandon came up from behind Jason and said quietly, "Isn't that what the dishwasher is for, Jas?"
Jason looked over, still dreamy-eyed. Then he looked down at the dishes frowning. "Yeah, but it helps me think. And I need to do a lot of it."
Brandon put a hand on his little brother's arm and actually smiled. "That's what you do best, Jason. I'm sure Dad will explain everything when he sees fit. We've got to trust him. Besides, she seems nice enough. She didn't say a word, didn't try to explain when she knew it would make things worse. Heck, she bought the rest of the Vanilla Extract at Kroger's and some squirt guns. She can't be all bad."
Jason grinned at this, and took the opening he saw. "Yes, and I'm sure it's just killing you that she's you're sister. What, with her being so cute and all."
Brandon grinned back. "Nah, I don't go for girls wearing steel-toed boots."
Both brothers laughed and glanced to the porch, where both their guests were just standing looking at the stars. This lead them to look at the box near the door. Brandon nudged his brother and motioned for him to follow. Jason, having nothing better to do and being only 15 years old, obeyed.
Grinning at his brother, Brandon peered into the box curiously. There were two squirrels quietly chittering to each other. One grey, the other red. Brandon looked over at Jason, who was a practical living image of Spock with his upraised eyebrow and blankly curious look on his face.
"What is so special about those squirrels you think?" Brandon whispered to Jason.
Jason just shrugged at Brandon.
The trip to the Therington household was shorter than Aldin and Sallie had expected. They did note that the home was out in the country. Instinctively, both squirrels noted which trees where closest to the house as they were brought inside and set-down on the kitchen floor. The waft of a really good human meal permeated the kitchen. Aldin's stomach growled. Sallie looked at him as he (blushflick)ed and pardoned himself.
Dinner was taken into the dining room, but Amy remembered to provide Aldin and Sallie with the nuts she had purchased earlier at Kroger before joining their hosts in the dining room. Both squirrels dug-into what was their first good meal in what seemed like weeks. After the humans moved into the dining room, both squirrels chittered quietly to one another in squirrel.
(cautionflick) "Be prepared to leave on a moments notice," Aldin said between mouthfuls of walnuts and sunflower seeds. Sallie looked at him in that way that females of any species do when they know their significant other is holding something back. Aldin ate some more as both caught indecipherable bits of the conversation at the dinner table. Aldin then continued.
(wellflick) "Jack Therington took the meeting of his long lost and thought dead daughter rather well, but that doesn't mean that the rest of his family will."
About ten minutes past and the conversation in the other room changed tone. First they heard a young female, probably Sara, chatter excitedly as someone else choked on their food. Then there was some stomping of feet up the stairs and into a room above followed by a second set of feet. Then more chattering from Sara. Neither squirrel could catch the whole thing, but both kept glancing back and forth between the open window above the sink and the dining room door. After a while there was utter silence. Both continued to eat, but they did so uneasily.
Both nearly bolted for the sink when the adolescent male, Jason, walked into the kitchen with an armload of dishes. He ignored the squirrels and went to work washing the dishes. He was followed shortly by Amy and Chad, who each deposited a load of dishes near the sink. Amy excused herself for a little while stating she needed some air. Chad followed her out onto the porch.
Aldin and Sallie continued to talk more quietly as they gorged themselves on the nuts and seeds they had been given. However, both kept an eye on Jason and also Brandon after the latter walked into the kitchen and conversed with his brother.
"I am not as worried about our safety now as I was before. With Amy just outside, a quick chitter and she'll come to our aid if need be," Aldin stated as he finished one last nut.
Sallie just looked at Aldin and chittered back, "How can you be so sure? She doesn't exactly appear to feel welcomed here."
Both noted that the two brothers were approaching them. They pretended to not notice and continued to talk.
> Grinning at his brother, Brandon peered into the box curiously. >There were two squirrels quietly chittering to each other. One >grey, the other red. Brandon looked over at Jason, who was a >practical living image of Spock with his upraised eyebrow and >blankly curious look on his face.
"Welcomed or not, she will take us with her where ever she goes. Sallie, she and I in some ways are like brother and sister. Rabbit Mentat saved both our lives and we were treated like his children while in his care. I had helped her research her past before she found her real father. She has been kind enough to provide us with shelter and dinner...."
Aldin paused as the elder of Amy's two half-brothers whispered to the other.
> "What is so special about those squirrels you think?" Brandon >whispered to Jason. > > Jason just shrugged at Brandon.
Aldin and Sallie both looked up in unison at the two brothers. Brandon and Jason froze.
"Other then we can talk?" Aldin spoke in English in a high-pitched voice while curling his tail into a question mark and flicking it out (curiousflick).
"They...they...they can...." Jason babbled.
"Just like devilbunnies," Brandon finished the semi-spoken sentence. "Dad told me about the squirrels."
"Then you know," Aldin continued, "that the devilbunnies made us what we..."
Jason found his voice again. "But don't squirrels work for.."
"As slaves!" Sallie interjected. "My parents were killed by them. The majority of the squirrels are unwilling slaves, forced to do the will of their masters or be punished severely." Sallie tail slapped against the side of the box loudly a few times {angerflick} as the old memories of the days when she was a slave at Capewarren when it was bunny-run welled-up from within.
Aldin let out a sigh as his tail flicked once (sighflick). "Alas, a few of our fellow squirrels, the black squirrels, foolishly and blindly follow the orders of the devilbunnies willingly."
"YOU CAN TALK!!!!!" screeched Sara from between Brandon and Jason. She had been able to sneak-up on the group unnoticed. Sallie was already half-way to the window as Aldin leaped against the screen door in surprise.
The questions poured forth rapidly from the excited Sara. "Do you know Alvin? What about Slappy and Skippy? Can you fly like Rocky? How were you able to lift the vacuum in the Clusters commercial...."
"Sara, I thought I told you to stay in bed," Brandon scolded her.
Sara gave him her cutest little pout. "But it's Friday. There's no school tomorrow and it's only 8. 'Sides, I knew you two were hiding something else way cool. First Amy, now two talking squirrels...." Brandon glared at her. Sara sighed. "Can I at least ask them their names?"
"Aldin Busheytail at your service." Aldin bowed slightly. "And this is my mate, Sallie Squirrel." Sallie nodded. "Now then, Sara, you should probably do as your brother said. We will still be here in the morning." Aldin continued trying to help. He did not wish to deal with a ten year old human at this time of night. It was going to be difficult enough dealing with the adults. He yawned and flicked his tail. "It's well past our bedtime too. Squirrels normally wake-up just before sunrise and are asleep soon after sunset."
"But..."
"And what is my little girl doing still up?" Jack Therington asked from the dining room door. Kristen was next to him. They had caught the last few sentences of the conversation. "Come hug Dad and Mom goodnight."
Sara ran up to her parents and hugged them. "Can I take them up to bed with me?" she pleaded. Behind her, the two squirrels were shaking their heads no pleadfully.
Jack curled her hair with his fingers. "Not tonight dear. They need their rest, as do you."
Sara knew better than to try pouting a second time. So she sighed. "Goodnight, " she said and darted out the door and up the stairs.
"As for you two," Jack addressed Aldin and Sallie, "it's time to explain yourselves."
Sallie yawned and flicked her tail sleepily. Aldin chittered soothingly at her. "I'll deal with this, you get some rest." Sallie curled-up and almost immediately fell to sleep.
Aldin gave The Therington family the short version of his personal history at Namakata Labs: How his parents had been murdered by human poachers; how Rabbit Mentat had taken him in; etc. up through his falling-out with Rabbit's replacement; the time he spent as a human; the eventual destruction of Namakata and his changing back into a squirrel; his search for Sallie; their time at NoCO; and their capture by buns in Kentucky and he brushed briefly on their imprisonment at PAW.
Aldin then explained what he knew about Sallie. How she had been a slave of the buns in eastern Massachusetts. How Cheshire had freed her and the others. How much he loved her despite she being a member of the War of Four. How he had tried to convince her to leave that organization.
"..and that is probably why she remains a member of the Fouriers. If The Army of Fudd had liberated her warren, things would probably be different."
Jack gave him a judgmental look. "How did you escape from PAW?"
(sighflick) "We didn't. We were sentenced to a typical devilbunny execution....slow and agonizing. We were thrown into a kevlar-lined shipping box with a couple holes in it and submitted to the mercy of the US Postal System. The package was apparently labeled: 'TO PERU'. We only survived for the postmaster of your town was kind enough to open our package and let us out."
Before Jack could question further, Aldin added, "Mr. Therington, you can question us further in the morning." Aldin yawned and flicked his tail. "I do not wish to remain this far behind bunny lines any longer than I need to." He began to curl-up next to and partially around Sallie. "I do not wish to endanger your family, nor do I wish to endanger Amy. However, the longer we stay with you, the more danger we may bring you into. The buns know who I am. They hunted me down once, and will do so again. Especially since I have seen PAW and have lived with the chance to tell about it. Sallie and I must get to NoCO as soon as possible to file our report. The less I tell you..." he yawned again and started to drift-off, "...the less your family may be endangered..." He drifted off into sleep.
By the time Amy came in red-eyed followed by Chad, the grey squirrel was snore-chittering slightly.
Fire! Fire all around him. And....Fudds and Devilbunnies! Humans and Buns screaming in pain as the unquenchable fire consumed them. He looked-up to see fiery whirlwinds above the flames carrying the ashes of its victims away. And in the whirlwind, a muzzle, gun-metal grey in color, that seamed to cackle at him. He was afraid, frozen in place in fear as the flames enveloped him, but passed him over and continued to sweep along the endless plain, leaving him intact.
A familiar-looking rabbit, but one he couldn't quite recognize appeared next to him and spoke. "Thanks to you, no humans can stop us! With our leader recovered, all have bowed in our wake! For that, Mentat, you shall be spared the price the others shall pay!"
The scene whorled around the two to show a world of cuteness, but not just ordinary cuteness, but extreme ky00tness. Grass, trees, and flowers in unnatural, soothing, ky00t pastel colors. Warrens and devilbunnies frolicking everywhere. And the humans. The humans were now nothing more than cattle, casually walking up to the buns, cooing and awing, holding a bare foot daintily forward to be nibbled upon by the buns.
The bun next to him (delight-hop-spin-poof). "Isn't this wonderful! And none of it could have been accomplished without your help!" The bun looked to his silent companion. "Ah, I see what your problem is." (knowingfluff) "Come!"
The scene changed again. They were now underground either in a warren tunnel under construction or a mine. Working down here were hideously malformed creatures, missing splotches of fur; chipped teeth; short, rounded ears; yellow rummy eyes; and no tails. They dragged along in their duties, being whipped by devilbunnies if they slowed or dropped their loads.
The mentat was horrified. "No...no...."
"Yes! Yes, this is all thanks to you and your work, mentat. We've won!"
As the bun completed his sentence, two of the slaves approached them as if to pass, pushing a cart. They both looked-up blankly to the bun and then turned to the mentat and their eyes narrowed.
"Iiiittttt'ssss Hhhhhhiiiiiiimmmmm!!!!!" they exclaimchittered, stopping the cart. This immediately caught the attention of a few of the whip carriers who used their lashes mercilessly to no avail. The mentat recognized the chittering. Squirrels! These creatures were once squirrels! Dred came rushing up out of the depths of his being.
The two slaves continued to chatter as they where whipped. "The traitor has come!" Which was echoed by the other slaves, "DEATH TO THE TRAITOR!" as they scampered over their guards, ignoring the whips. The mentat was buried under the living rug of the creatures that once were squirrels and....
He awoke with a start, panting profusely. The pads of his forepaws were soaked. His mate stirred slightly next to him but remained sleeping. He looked-up to the clock on the kitchen wall: 5:15am. He looked outside to the countryside in predawn and let himself out the screen door. Aldin needed to climb through the trees and try to shake the images of the nightmare out of his head.
The sunrise through the mist of the fields surrounding the Therington place helped to calm the squirrel and he knew what he had to do. Thus resolved, he made his way via the trees to the elder Therington's bedroom window, which fortunately was a short leap from the tree. The screen slid-up with ease and Aldin leaped in and onto the bed.
*Not a smart move,* Aldin thought quickly to himself as two large (to a squirrel) human hands whipped-out and grasped him by the neck.
--Aldin Busheytail
Squirrels do too sweat! But only through their paw pads.
A light came on and Aldin saw that Kristen Therington had a supersoaker in his face while Jack had his hands firmly in place around the squirrel's neck, thumbs in position to *POP* him if he had been a devilbunny. Aldin didn't move.
"Explain yourself." Jack stated in a low threatening voice as he loosened his grip ever so slightly on the squirrel.
"I came to talk to you," Aldin rasped-out in his high-pitched voice, "about everything."
Jack glanced to his wife a moment. She lowered the supersoaker and he set the squirrel down on the bed.
"Speak."
(appologeticflick) "Not here. I wish to speak to you alone."
Jack Therington rolled his eyes slightly. SQUIRRELS! he thought to himself. He got up and dressed. "If this is some trap..."
(understandflick) "I understand, I've heard it all before from both sides of this war."
The two went outside into the morning mist that was quickly burning away. They walked some distance from the house to a picnic area Jack had built some years before. Jack carried his well-used axe with him and layed it in front of himself as he sat at the picnic table. Aldin sat upon a stubble of a former branch on the maple tree that shaded the table and he spoke.
Aldin told everything to Jack Therington about himself in as great detail as possible without boring the human. He also talked about his and Sallie's captivity at PAW, including General LonGears' condition. Jack grasped his axe handle tigheter and tighter as his knuckles whitened as he listened to the squirrel's tale and gritted his teeth as the squirrel confessed to saving the bun's life.
Aldin continued by explaining his relationship to Jack's daughter, Amy. How until yesterday they had never met face-to-muzzle. How he feared she'd react if she learned that her uncle lived. He explained how he needed to report to NoCO; not just to fill-in reports on what happened to him and Sallie these past few months; not just to give some details of portions of the inside of PAW; but to turn himself in for possible trial.
"As I told you before, Mr. Therington, Sallie and I were resigned to die rather than serve the enemy when we were captured, but we were not offered that choice. I've lived a long life for a squirrel and I'm prepared to die. I deserve death for what I have done, but the information I do have on PAW must be delivered to NoCO without Amy knowing about what that information is, at least until we are away from bunny territory."
"You have that information, now, and you could probably send it to them. My life is now in your hands." Aldin fell silent.
Jack Therington by now was huffing and puffing with rage. He jumped-up and swung his axe, sinking the blade 2 inches into the trunk of the tree, mere fractions of an inch from the squirrel. Aldin didn't budge, he didn't even blink as the axe passed by him. Having released his anger in the swing, Jack just stared at Aldin. *Does this squirrel really want to die?* he wondered to himself. The squirrel had showed no fear.
Jack reached-out and removed the axe from the trunk of the old maple. "It is not up to me to judge you, Aldin. Come we must get the others up if we are to get you on your way." He motioned to Aldin to leap onto his shoulder and they headed back towards the Therington home from which the smell of bacon cooking wafted in their direction.
Amy was half aware of the smell of bacon in the air. The other half of her consciousness was busy trying to puzzle out why her pillow was moving. So, as any tired person knows, Amy accepted both facts and started to drift back to sleep. That's when her pillow nearly jumped and made a startled noise. This indeed was odd, so she slowly moved her head around and opened her eyes. Amy nearly jumped herself.
Right in front her, Sallie was chittering at Chad to wake up. Well, that's what Amy /thought/ Sallie was saying. *One of these day's I'll have to learn squirrel,* drifted the thought through her mind. What startled her more, actually, was the fact that Chad was acting as her pillow. Blushing, Amy quickly stood up and started to rebraid her hair, turning away from Chad.
Sallie blinked at the sudden movement, then at the blushing Amy and shrugged to herself. She'd done what she was asked to, both the humans were awake and so she wandered back to where Jack was in the kitchen talking with Kristen, while Aldin watched.
There was a clamor, then Sara came literally bouncing down the stairs, wet hair and all. "Good morning!" she yelled out. Amy tried not to wince and hold her ears. *I'll have to talk to Andersen, my own sister might be an Omega weapon,* Amy mused to herself. Sara grinned around, as if pleased at the reaction of her family, then bounced over to Amy.
"Come on! You need a shower, I'll show you where it is. Can I braid your hair? Better get your clothes. Do you wear a lot of make-up? Do you like Sailor Moon? I do! It's my favorite show..." Amy sighed as the young girl grabbed her hand, and her backpack, and started to drag her away. Amy turned and gave everyone who was looking a mournful look. And she thought she heard some quiet laughter come from the direction of Ja... her father.
Jack only waited a moment, then walked out and set a hand on Chad's shoulder. "Come on, I'll show you to a shower. With Sara around, we've got a few hidden," he said with a wink. Chad wasn't exactly sure if he should jump up and be greatful, or laugh at the joke. He decided to do a little of both, and followed Jack down to the basement.
Kristen just hummed to herself, in the kitchen, though she did watch Aldin and Sallie anxiously. The two squirrels watched back, Aldin subconsciously smacking his lips. *What do you say to an intelligent squirrel,* she thought to herself. As if reading her thoughts, Aldin tried to strike-up a conversation, but stopped before he started, not knowing what to say, feeling rather ackward in this situation. He could sense Kristen's uneasiness and feared adding to it.
Kristen couldn't come up with anything to say herself, so, she went back to concentrating on breakfast. Kristen was quickly startled when Brandon came up behind her and gave her a hug. Not only was this unusual for any high school senior, but Brandon had given up on hugging Kristen a long time ago. She spun around to see Bradnon's smiling face.
"Morning, Mom. Breakfast smells good," he said with a chipper attitude.
Kristen raised a suspicious eyebrow at Brandon. Something was up, maybe something small, but something nonetheless.
Brandon grinned back at her. "Oh, all right. I've decided to take yours and Dad's advice. I'm going to let Colorado State know that I'll accept their scholarship."
At first, Kristen wasn't sure what to think. Then she managed to speak, and was amazed at how calm and motherly her voice sounded. "Have you told your father?"
Brandon blinked. "No, not yet. I just decided. I thought you'd be happy, Mom."
Kristen smiled. "Oh, don't get me wrong, Dear. I am! I am terribly happy, but I bet your father will be even more so." Kristen grinned even more when Brandon looked absolutely confused as she gave him a hug.
"I'll bet he doesn't know about NoCO, yet, Sallie," Aldin chittered quietly to his mate.
Jason trudged up the stairs from the basement and looked around, and shrugged to himself. Sleepily, he said, "So who's in the shower?"
Kristen smiled at her younger boy. "I believe that would be Chad. You slept in again, so you'll have to wait your turn."
Jason nodded. "I can live with tha...." Jason's reply was rudely interrupted by a yawn, so he waited patiently, and finished it when his mouth was done. "That. I'll just shower on a full stomach." And to emphasize the point, Jason patted his stomach.
Kristen grinning and started to shoo her two sons out of the kitchen. "Well, if you would get out I could finish cooking breakfast instead of burning it. Go on, get!"
Both sons grinned insolently and stood facing their mother, not willing to move, their faces set mischievously. That all changed, however as a strong man's hand landed firmly, but gently, on each of their shoulders. At that moment, both Jason's and Brandon's faces seemed to wither from mischievousness to guilt. "I do believe your mother asked you to do something, boys," came a gentle and amused voice. Jack winked at his wife, just before the two boys ran off in opposite directions.
Jack walked up to Kristen, smiled and opened his mouth to say something. However, he was rudely interrupted by a scream from the bathroom.
A gruff bun viewed the scene through the glass to the contamination unit in the infirmary. His mottled grey, white and black fur reflected off the glass as he viewed med-buns in bio-suits tending to the command staff of the Indiana buns. How in Frith did LeatherPaw and his staff all contract pasteurella was beyond the bun. But he knew what he had to do. But he couldn't simply assume command on his own. He was an outsider, one who attended to the settlement of the refuges of his home state of Maine. He doubted in his mind that the remaining Indiana buns would simply allow him to take over, even if he was the only milbun of any rank left in the region.
Twenty minutes went by and one of the buns in biosuits went through decontamination and met with the bun.
"Sgt Puffin?"
"Yes..Mentat Whitestripe"
"Sir, we got to them in time, but Sgt LeatherPaw and company will be layed-out for several weeks in recovery. They contracted pneumonia on top of pasteurellosis. If we hadn't diagnosed it when we had, we'd have had to quarantine the whole warren and the sergeant and his staff would be dead. As it was, the fever brought on by pneumonia made LeatherPaw delirious so I had to have him heavily sedated."
"But devilbunnies are immune to pasteurella."
(iknowfluff) "This is some new strain that is resistant to nearly every form of antibody we've got. Fortunately, there was a Spam-derived antibody that worked. I'm sending samples of the bacteria down to the Bunny Center of Disease Control in Atlanta for further study."
"You said LeatherPaw was delirious, Mentat, did he say anything?"
"He said much, but most of it was delusional gibberish brought on by the disease. He said something about having to stop the Fudds and capture someone/bun called Therington among his outbursts before we sedated him. If we hadn't sedated him, the stress from the outbursts could have caused him more harm."
"Thank you, I'll need a full report to submit to P.A.W."
"You mean you're not assuming command?" (incredulousfluff)
"How can I? This isn't my warren nor my territory. I need approval from higher up, even for a temporary take-over. Now if LeatherPaw had said something..."
(sighfluff) "No he didn't. I understand, Sergeant." (goodluckfluff)
SGT Puffin turned paw and headed for the com center to break the news to PAW.
*****BUNIX™ TIGHTBEAM TO ADM MARLIN*****
From: SGT Puffin, head of Maine Refuges, LimestoneWarren, Indiana
Sir, (salutefluff)
(gravefluff) We have a problem here in Indiana. SGT LeatherPaw and his entire command staff have been stricken with a variation of pasteurella and will be unfit for command for several weeks. A copy of Mentat Whitestripe's medical report on this is enclosed.
As such the Indiana buns are now leaderless. Being the top ranking bun left in Indiana, I could assume command, but not without your go ahead, sir, for I don't know how the Indiana buns, all very loyal to their commander, would react without proper authorization and LeatherPaw is in no shape to appoint a temporary replacement.
With your approval, I shall carry-out LeatherPaw's plans for the ky00tification of central Indiana and the elimination of what few Fudds there are in the region. But I don't know what LeatherPaw's exact orders were and would need a copy of said orders before I could carry them out.
Also Mentat Whitestripe reported that before he could sedate him, LeatherPaw kept mumbling about having to capture someone/bun named Therington. Could you perhaps help solve the mystery surrounding this Therington.
Respectfully yours in Inle and Frith, (salutefluff)
SGT Puffin, Maine Refugeebun resettlement commander
*****END TIGHTBEAM AND ENCRYPTION*****
From: herringbone@alcatraz.mil (Commandant Herringbone) Subject: Re: HiWtHI: Tightbeam to Admiral Marlin
*****BUNIX ALPHA PRIORITY TIGHTBEAM TO SGT PUFFIN*****
: (gravefluff) We have a problem here in Indiana. SGT LeatherPaw : and his entire command staff have been stricken with a variation of : pasteurella and will be unfit for command for several weeks. A : copy of Mentat Whitestripe's medical report on this is enclosed.
[austerefluff] This is Commandant Herringbone. Enclosed in this tightbeam is an official Bunny Militia Temporary Assignment Order, with the Admiral's digital BUNIX signature. You are hearby appointed acting commander of the Indiana militia forces.
: With your approval, I shall carry-out LeatherPaw's plans for : the ky00tification of central Indiana and the elimination of what : few Fudds there are in the region. But I don't know what : LeatherPaw's exact orders were and would need a copy of said : orders before I could carry them out.
[salute] May Inle see human entrails dripping from your fangs, Sergeant.
: Also Mentat Whitestripe reported that before he could sedate : him, LeatherPaw kept mumbling about having to capture someone/bun : named Therington. Could you perhaps help solve the mystery : surrounding this Therington.
This is of the utmost importance. All further communications are to be routed to Alcatraz. No mention of Therington in any form is allowed. If you are questioned later, say that you targeted all Fudds in the area as normal for a regular assault operation. The packet will give you access to LeatherPaw's records; review and destroy.
[grimfluff] One other thing. All members of the Therington family are to be annihilated, especially the patriarch Jack. You may take this to include children and infants. Be discrete; if you feel such measures may be exposed, kidnap the minors for brainwashing and symp adoption.
Herringbone out.
*****END TIGHTBEAM AND ENCRYPTION*****
Puffin read through the tightbeam from Herringbone and raised the tip of his left ear slightly before replying.
**BUNIX ALPHA PRIORITY TIGHTBEAM REPLY TO COMMANDANT HERRINGBONE***
> [austerefluff] This is Commandant Herringbone. Enclosed in >this tightbeam is an official Bunny Militia Temporary Assignment >Order, with the Admiral's digital BUNIX signature. You are hearby >appointed acting commander of the Indiana militia forces.
[salutefluff] Thank you sir.
> [salute] May Inle see human entrails dripping from your >fangs, Sergeant.
Inle shall see that and more, [sound of claws sheathing and unsheathing] sir!
(On Therington and company....)
[Puffin thought through his next words carefully, held back his questions, knowing better than to ask them before replying simply:]
I understand, sir.
[salutefluff] Puffin out.
*****END TIGHTBEAM AND ENCRYPTION*****
Puffin sent the message on its way and commented to himself, "Firth what has LeatherPaw gotten us into!?"
He depressed the intercom switch and called in LeatherPaw's secretary. She entered, Puffin showed her his orders.
(shimywinkfluff) "What do you ask of me, Sergeant?"
Puffin was all business. "I want you to get me every folder we've got on LeatherPaw's plans in here in five minutes. Then I want a copy of those orders sent-out to all warrens divisions under LeatherPaw's command." The doe hesitated. "Now, Frith-damn it!" (STOMP!) The doe rushed-out of the room.
Another paper went-up in smoke in the pink ash tray in front of SGT Puffin. Only three hours had passed since Herringbone's tightbeam. In that time Puffin had absorbed all the information on LeatherPaw's plans and orders. Puffin (fluffed) in contemplation to himself. LP's plan seemed simple enough. For the past month, Cuton enriched Spam™, normally only reserved for those symps with the best potential as future bunnies, had been shipped into the state and had in time replaced all supplies of normal Spam™ on store shelves. Humans eating two or more "recommended" servings of this Spam would begin to behave as those exposed to a minor Cuton bomb explosion on the scale of 50 or so (fluffs), well under the Omega Treaty Violation level, but still high enough to make said humans very susceptible to cuteness in all its other forms.
According to LeatherPaw's timetable, Peru was to be the first town to undergo conversion. That coming Sunday evening in fact, if Puffin could stick to LeatherPaw's time schedule. Sunday evening there was going to be a community-wide pot-luck dinner at the town recreation center. Nearly everyone would be there along with a few invited guests from nearby towns who LP had planned on using as his eyes and ears in those towns until their turn for conversion came.
To ensure that everyone would have more than enough Spam™ to eat, LeatherPaw's agents in the field had been heavily promoting the product in ads and in the stores. Some Kroger's were offering a buy one can, get one free sale. Reading through the initial reports, Puffin believed that the majority of the casseroles at that dinner would contain some amount of Spam™ in them.
Puffin immediately sent-out orders to make sure that a symp DJ would control the music played and that symps were in charge of the refreshment stand which should feature a lot of Snapple™ products. This Snapple™ couldn't be obvious, of course, at least not until after the Fudds had been singled-out and eliminated.
Puffin knew better than to relax. It didn't matter how simple a plan seemed, there was always the chance for something to go wrong, especially when Fudds were involved. And most especially when Fudds that higher-ups didn't want you talking to PAW about were involved. Puffin wanted to know what this Therington had done to incur such wrath, but he knew better than to ask. Perhaps he could squeeze the information out of the Fudd before he killed him. Just something to wonder about. All in all, Puffin had made his moves and the Indiana buns were now behind him. Now it was time to see if the Fudds would react.
> Jack walked up to Kristen, smiled and opened his mouth to say >something. However, he was rudely interrupted by a scream from >the bathroom.
Glancing only briefly at his wife, Jack ran to the bathroom and pounded on the locked door. He could hear a muffled whimper and what sounded like jumping coming from whoever was in the shower. Then the water stopped. Jack was nearly pushed to the floor as the bathroom door flew open and out came what looked like an angry Amy wrapped in a towel.
Amy was most definitely mad. And she had good reason. Her scalp felt like it was almost on fire. She could just imagine the blisters forming right now. In fact, she felt a little bit of burning and itching starting down her neck and back. Amy was barely aware of clenching both the door handle and the towel around her body as she looked around for someone to yell at.
That was when Amy saw Jack near the door. Glancing around, then seeing only him, Amy had no choice but to lash out at her father.
"Praytell," Amy demanded coldly, "who's bright idea was it to put HVE in the shampoo?!"
Jack blinked. He had thought it a good idea, to be honest.
Amy didn't even hesitate, walking back into the bathroom, grabbing the shampoo bottle, coming back out, and shoving it in Jack's face. "Do you know what an HVE burn FEELS like?! Well?! DO YOU?!"
"It's sort of like having hot bacon grease splatter you, but it continues to burn and...."(droopappologeticflick) Aldin interjected, but ceased with a glare from Amy.
By this time everyone was gathered nearby watching. Well, everyone except for Chad, who was just now coming up the stairs from the other shower. Looking around Chad saw the crowd and did what any curious person would do. He went over to watch.
That was a mistake. Chad was still semi-towel drying his hair. Once he caught a good glimpse of what was going on, he blinked. Twice.
There, in the hallway, Amy stood, holding a towel around her with one hand, and holding a shampoo bottle to Jack's face with another. Chad could feel the blood rising to his cheeks and stood there dumbfounded for a moment.
Finally, Chad gathered his wits about him, and said in a hoarse and pleading voice, "Amy!"
Amy opened her mouth, ready to continue her tirade on Jack, and froze. Slowly, as the color in her own cheeks started to turn from pink to bright red, Amy glanced over at Chad, and yelped. Amy jumped and ran behind the door. "Chad! What are you doing? Go away! I'm not dressed yet!"
Jack couldn't help himself, and started laughing, at the situation. He had no idea why the two of them had been avoiding the fact that they obviously cared for each other, but this was all too funny.
The combination of laughter and embarrassment, made Chad turn and head back down the stairs. His mind was in a slight fog. In this state he missed the fifth step and tripped, tumbling to a heap at the bottom of the stair case. Something snapped and he cried out in pain.
This, of course, stopped the laughter above as everyone moved quickly down the stairs to see if Chad was alright.
Amy put on her clothing as fast as she could. She was genuinely surprised when she walked out of the bathroom to find everyone huddled on the stairs. So, as all humans tend to do at times, she followed the masses as it were and walked over to the stairs and looked down. Amy eeped.
Pushing everyone out of her way, Amy clamored down the stairs, barely avoiding a tumble herself, that and stepping on Aldin. Quickly she knelt down next to Chad and grabbed his hand. Glancing at Chad's leg, it was obvious what was wrong. Amy muttered under her breath and barely noticed Jason's blush at her profanities.
Jack was already examining Chad for further injuries. Chad did wince at a couple of bruises, but the worst damage was the break. Shaking his head slightly, Jack sighed. He needed Chad if there was a fight. 'I hope I've trained the boys enough, they've got to protect the girls,' Jack thought.
Clicking her tongue, Amy looked around in time to see Aldin dragging a couple of bandannas towards Jack. Seeing what Aldin had in mind she stood up and looked around for a subtle splint. Not seeing much she frowned. The frown deepened as she heard Sara giggling.
"I know what to do! They taught us this in Girl Scouts! Rulers make great splints!" And with that, Sara bounded back up the stairs, returning a few moments later with 4 rulers, two plastic and two wooden ones. "Aren't you glad I'm a packrat now, Mom," Sara giggles in a most disgustingly cute manner.
With Sara's advice, of course, Jack set the splint and helped Brandon and Jason lift Chad upstairs and into the car. Kristen brought a drink and some aspirin for Chad. And the entire time, Amy's mind raced. How do you protect someone who can't even stand?
(Several hours later at Peru Medical Center...)
A man in a white smock opened the door connecting the emergency room to the waiting area. He looked about and asked, "Therington and Kirvan families?"
Jack Therington and company along with Chad's parents, Paul and Holly, stood-up. The doctor addressed them.
"It was a clean break. He'll be in a cast for about 6 weeks..." he droned on to Chad's parents about the care that Chad would need. "...and we'd like to keep him overnight for observations."
"Can we see him?" Holly asked.
"He'll be set-up in a room in about 10 minutes. Then only two at a time for no more than 10 minutes each. Then he'll need his rest."
Amy paced the waiting room while Chad's parents were in visiting him. It was only fair, of course, that they should see him first. Even though they protested and said Amy could have the honors. Amy wondered, slightly, if there was a conspiracy going on trying to push she and Chad together.
After a few moments Paul and Holly came out of the room, grinning slightly. *Chad always did have a way of cheering people up,* Amy thought to herself. Then she realized everyone was staring at her, waiting for her to go visit Chad. Clearing her throat, Amy did her best at walking calmly into Chad's room, and quietly closed the door.
Chad lay on the hospital bed, leg in cast and propped up in the air. He was smiling slightly, though he still looked to be in a little pain. "Well, I'll never look at you in a towel again," Chad said, obviously trying to cheer Amy up.
Amy smirked and walked up to him. "Oh, don't worry about it. I shouldn't have yelled at you. The doc says you'll be laid up for 'bout two weeks or so."
Chad nodded.
Amy sighed. "Brandon's gonna be headin' out to Colorado State. He got a scholarship."
Chad raised an eyebrow.
Amy looked at Chad and sighed again. "You know Leatherpaw's out here somewhere. I'm a known Fudd. If I'm with you, you're in danger. You can't protect yourself, and I dunno if I can protect you. I'm... I'm gonna go with Brandon back to NoCo. Everyone will be safer that way."
Chad did a good job of covering up his crushed emotions. "Perfectly logical," he managed in a quiet voice. *Great, how can I tell her I love her?* Chad asked himself. For a brief moment Chad looked away from Amy. When he turned back, opening his mouth to say those three words, he saw the door being quietly closed.
Adventures in Squirrelsitting
Aldin and Sallie had been left behind with Jason and Sara at the Therington residence while the others had accompanied Chad to the Emergency Room. Jason had left the two squirrels to Sara's mercy while he went to watch sports on tv. The two squirrels were put through the normal play activities...tea party, dress-up, and acting-out favorite (Sara's favorite) tv show, Sailor Moon (much to Sallie's dismay) before Aldin made a suggestion.
"Are you good at sewing?" (curiousflick)
Sara rambled on and on how much Kristen had taught her for a while. Aldin then asked her to make some squirrel-sized backpacks and Sara jumped on the idea and went to work, giving the two squirrels a breather.
Sara was now finishing the final seam and folded her handiwork rightside out. In her hands was a mini-backpack in bright pastel colors. She held it up for inspection for Aldin, beaming cutely with pride at what she had sewn using her mother's sewing machine.
Aldin accepted the backpack and started testing the seams, tugging it this way and that. It held-up wonderfully, even when Aldin tried clawing at it gently. The cloth didn't snag nor tear. He smiled (approveflick)ing.
"This is wonderful, Sara. Now can you do another one, slightly larger for me?" Aldin batted his tail at her (pleadflick) and pawed the first pack over to Sallie. Sallie shuddered at the pastel flower pattern. Fortunately, Sara didn't notice as she bounced happily back to the sewing machine.
"At this rate I'll have my sewing badge finished before the others get back!" She began cutting fabric, pinning and sewing.
{ickflick} "It's just too cute...the blinding colors...we won't be able to blend into anything wearing this." Sallie chitter-whispered to Aldin.
(hushflick) "The colors aren't the best choice," Aldin responded quietly in squirrel. (ponderflick) "But it is well sewn and will stand-up to normal abuse. Besides, we can dye them once we're out of town on the road. Play along, keep her happy. Her folks and Amy have already been gone for hours, they should get back at anytime now. Of course, if you'd rather play Sailor Moon with her again..."
{shiverflick} "Anything but that." She put the pack on and turned to Sara. "It's so...cool to have one of these!" (small squirrelly bounce) "but, I've got to see how well it works. I'll go fill it with the leftover nuts from last night!" Sallie darted out of the room before Aldin could protest being left alone with Sara. She peered back around the corner to grin coyly at Aldin before leaving for good.
Sara took about 20 minutes to sew the second one together using the same bright pastel flower pattern as the first. Aldin put it through the same tests as the first one before putting it on and praising Sara. Before Sara could think of what to play next, she heard the door open down below. She rushed-out of the room grabbing and carrying a protesting Aldin down stairs.
Sallie, meanwhile was hunting around the kitchen when the noise of the door signaled her hosts' return. She scampered quickly around, dodging between cereal boxes left out from breakfast and leaping onto and off of a precarious stack of pans to clear the sink. The pans rocked and she held her breath. But they didn't topple. {whew}
Acorns aside, if they were leaving, they would need a weapon. This entire trip, ever since leaving Oregon, had taught her that anyone is vulnerable in transit, regardless of how certain and safe it was believed to be. And every squirrel knew that humans kept their most dangerous weapons in the kitchen.
She skidded to a stop when she heard footsteps on the stairway. No more time to waste looking. She peeked over the edge of the counter and pawed open the drawer. The first bladed thing that caught her eye, she took. A potato peeler. Sallie looked at it in desperation. Well, it would have to do. Cheshire would approve at any rate. She quickly tried to pry the blade out from the handle.
The X-Master 2000 series of potato peelers are designed to have replaceable blades. A number of other useful attachments are available as well, such as a poker and a can opener. All this for $19.99. The result of this was, naturally, that the blade slide out with no effort whatsoever, sending Sallie and her impromptu weapon over the edge of the counter with a thump!
{ouchflick} Sallie scampered to recover the blade as it stopped sliding under a corner of the cabinets. Stuffing it in her backpack she scampered out to meet the family. And tried to look casual.
Jack, Kristen, Brandon, and Amy walked through the door. Jason came-out of the living room to greet them, but was interrupted by a commotion on the stairs as Sara burst-out with a hundred questions on how Chad was doing, while Aldin was chittering pleadfully for her to let him down. Sara's mouth ran a-mile-a-minute as one question after another poured-forth along with a report on what she and the squirrels did all day.
"How long is Chad going to be in the hospital? How big is his caste? Can I go visit him and sign his caste?.....Me, Aldin and Sallie played Sailor Moon and then we played dress-up...you should have seen how cute Aldin looked in the pink gown. Then I sewed a couple of backpacks for them....See!" She held-up a mournful looking Aldin and showed them the backpack on his back.
Jack shook his head and sighed. He opened his mouth to answer his daughters questions just as Kristen stepped up and did so for him. "Well, Dear," she said "Chad should be out of the hospital soon, and we'll call and ask if you can visit, and his caste isn't all that big, Deary." Now it was Kristen's turn to sigh as her daughter described her day. "That's nice, Dear. I'm sure the squirrels enjoyed it very much. And that's a lovely backpack."
Amy suppressed a chuckle and held her hands forth to accept Aldin who Sara gave-up reluctantly. She then proceeded into the other room to continue talking to her folks leaving Aldin with Amy. Sallie came bounding in at that moment also.
"So my kid sister kept you two busy?" Amy grinned.
"You don't know the half of it!" Sallie chittered back. "I never realized how subdued Sharree's niece was."
At that Amy raised an eyebrow at Sallie and gave the squirrel a very disbelieving look.
Aldin paused for a moment carefully wording his response. "She can be quite...enthusiastic in her play." (shudderflick) "And she could out-cute some bunnies. I'll bet your father is worried about her."
Sallie scowled. "I'm worried about her! Maybe we should drop her by Capewarren for a while. She's in desperate need of treatment."
Amy frowned at Sallie. "I am not letting my sister go to Capewarren for treatment." She's a little girl. They're all like that. I think." Amy cleared her throat. "Besides, I don't want her around Sharree's niece. Who knows what the two of them can come up with together."
Amy with the squirrels on her shoulders walked back into the other room into the middle of a discussion.
"But all my friends are going to be there." Sara pouted.
"We can't take the risk. We're staying home tomorrow night," Jack responded.
"What are you talking about?" Amy butted in.
"There's a community-wide pot-luck dinner and get-together at the recreation center tomorrow night, Amy." Kristen answered. "The town has hired a DJ and will be providing drinks. Each family is suppose to bring a covered dish to share with their neighbors. It's suppose to be a fun time. All the more reason why Jack suspects it could be a bunny trap. Here's the leaflet on it." She handed Amy a piece of paper.
Aldin read it over Amy's shoulder. "It could be a bunny trap. But look here...A blessing over the meal and all in attendance will be spoken by Father Felix Argyle Ignatius Macceli the new pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish in Mexico (Indiana). Jack, if your family attended, you could get all that vanilla in the upper cupboard in the kitchen blessed at once."
Jack stared at Aldin. "How would you know about the vanilla?"
Aldin tapped his nose lightly with his tail. "Extreme sharp sense of smell. Besides, if you don't show-up without a good excuse and it happens to be a bunny trap, the buns would suspect you of being a Fudd for sure."
Sallie {cautionflick}ed. Better bring some axes under a tarp in the backseat. Just in case. Best be prepared. If it is a bunny plot, this might be the best time to catch them out in the open. Take out the threat."
"Please...." Sara begged.
Jack's eyes searched the ceiling for a moment. "Kristen, dear, better start thinking about what you'll be cooking. It looks like we're going...."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you. Yes, this is going to be cool!!! Wait until my friends meet you two!"
"Oh, no. You can't drag them along."
"But, but..."
"I've agreed we will go, but that's where I'm drawing the line."
Aldin jumped in. "It's best we don't go, Sara. Sallie and I don't want the whole town to know we're different from other squirrels. And we'll need to get our rest for we're going back to Colorado with Amy."
Sallie looked doubtful.
Amy smiles at Sallie in a reassuring way, then whispered, ever so quietly in ferrotti, "But if that one happens to find that one's self at the dinner, and there are rabbits, this one will be grateful."
Amy was in the kitchen, humming along with the radio as she helped Kristen prepare for dinner. Cooking meals for a family, was surely better than cooking for NoCo. Not only where the quantities smaller, the food was usually better anyway. Amy came to the conclusion that she enjoyed to cook, if just for herself and her family. Thinking on family, Amy instinctively glanced over her shoulder to see that Aldin and Sallie had enough nuts and anything else they wanted to eat. Unbeknownst to Aldin, Amy had grown to like the squirrel and thought of him, just to herself, as a brother, of sorts. After all, they certainly didn't look anything alike.
As if on cue to break the serenity of her thoughts, Sara came bouncing into the kitchen, loudly. Running up to Kristen first, Sara looked under her mother's arm to see what she was working on. Wrinkling her nose at the smell of broccoli quiche, Sara bounced over to Amy to look at what she was cooking.
"OH! Cherry pie? Is that really cherry pie? Cool! And look at the pie crust! It's just so cute and ... and ... well, cute!" Sara blurted out as she looked over Amy's shoulder.
Amy blinked. She hadn't thought she was making a cute pie crust, she was just making it. After all, she had been thinking of other things, rather than pie crusts. Sighing, Amy looked down at her creation and frowned slightly. It wasn't necessarily cute ... but the traditional cut-out pie crust had a certain look to it that made Amy scowl.
Shaking her head, Amy said, "It's just a pie crust, Sara. Pie crusts aren't cute."
By this time, Kristen was now looking over her shoulder, and the squirrels had wondered up as well. Aldin flicked his tail and shrugged to Amy, then went back to his little house, that Sara had made last night for the squirrels to sleep in. It was entirely a cute little cardboard cut out house, but it provided a bit of sanctuary for the squirrels. Sallie looked over the crust and cooed at it. Then gave Amy a look, letting her know she was teasing before chasing after Aldin. Kristen looked at the crust, then looked at Sara and shook her head in dismay.
"It's fine, Amy. It's what I do, personally, on my pies. Though, I've never heard Sara call it cute before," Kristen said as she laid a hand on Amy's shoulder, then went off to finish up her dish.
Amy sighed in relief. She had insisted on making a dessert as well, since the Theringtons seemed to be considered a large family in the area, especially now that Amy had been included. Kristen, with a greatful smile, had agreed. Amy looked down at the pie crust again, as Sara hopped off, and sighed. *If I'm cute, and do cute things, will I really be able to fight in a battle? Maybe that's why Bill never let me...* she thought to herself.
Putting the finishing touches on the pie crust, Amy put the pie in the oven, and went to prepare for the dinner. Amy weeded through the little clothing she had. She wanted to be prepared for anything, but she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to look conspicuous, wearing her uniform. After much deliberation, Amy finally settled on a pair of jeans, her steel-toed boots, and one of her better t-shirts. On the off chance she'd need it, Amy grabbed her AoF jacket and placed a hatchet in the inside pocket.
A small voice startled her. "Preparing for anything? Good."
She turned to see Sallie scampering onto the nearest bedpost. "On the other hand, your jacket screams Army of Fudd. Might want to wear something less obvious. Unless you want the bunnies to know what you are." The squirrel flicked and gave a smile. "Or worse, want to deal with all the curious questions should everything be normal."
Amy blinked in surprise and looked down at her jacket and sighed in acknowledgement. It practically had "Army of Fudd" written all over it. Maybe Brandon or Jason had a jacket she could borrow.
Amy finally smiled at Sallie. "I'm glad someone around here has the wits to help me out. I would have ruined everything, and most likely gotten us all hurt or killed." With that she shook her head again. "I hate this war, always having to hide and be in fear for your life."
With a weak grin to Sallie in thanks, Amy walked out of her room, happening to see both Brandon and Jason in the same place. After asking for a jacket, she was presented with two, one from Jason, and one from Brandon. Admittedly, Brandon's was far to big, so she thanked them both and borrowed Jason's, which also had an inside pocket. Amy was glad that some things just never went out of style.
> Shaking her head, Amy said, "It's just a pie crust, Sara. Pie crusts >aren't cute." > > By this time, Kristen was now looking over her shoulder, and the >squirrels had wondered up as well. Aldin flicked his tail and shrugged to >Amy, then went back to his little house, that Sara had made last night for >the squirrels to sleep in.
Aldin just shook his head as he entered the cute little cardboard house. He didn't see how the pie crust could be considered cute. He (sighflick)ed as he settled down again.
"What's wrong?" {concernedflick} Sallie chittered. The conversation they had been in before the distraction all but forgotten.
Aldin looked-up. "You're right. We're going to have to go to provide back-up for the Therington's in case the bunnies try something at the dinner. It's just that..." Aldin trailed-off.
"Just that what?" Sallie tried to lead him on.
(scuffpaw) "Just that I had hoped we could spend one quiet evening together in relative safety. A night like we haven't had since leaving NoCO." There was a smile in his eyes. "Call me selfish."
Sallie pounced on Aldin and hugged him. "Let's go tell..." Sallie suppressed the urge to {shudderflick}. "Sara"
(dismayflick) "Isn't there another way?"
"I know what you mean, but it's the only way, unless you want the whole family to know."
"They won't be leaving for about an hour, let's wait until then. Other wise we might have to" (shudderflick) "play with Sara again. In the meantime," (yawnflick) "I'm going to get some rest and I suggest you do likewise."
Sallie shuddered that time at the thought of playing Sailor Moon with Sara again. "Not that."
"Then rest. I've got a feeling it's going to be a long evening."
"Not just yet," {HUG} "I've got a couple more things to do."
Sallie departed as Aldin begin to chitter slightly in his sleep. Some time later after talking to Amy, she snuggled down next to Aldin and also napped.
"ALDIN!!!! SALLIE!!!! BYE!" Sallie and Aldin hit the roof of the cardboard house with a start, causing the roof to pop-off.
Sara was standing over the structure giggling with excitement. "We're leaving for the dinner! See you later!"
"Wait" Aldin squeaked. "We've decided to come."
"But, Dad said I can't take you."
Aldin waved Sara down to his level and whispered in her ear. "Then we'll have to be real secret-like, won't we?" (conspiratoryflick) "Any space in the fanny pack?"
Sara opened it up and shook her head as Aldin wrinkled his nose. "No, it's full of vanilla extract."
"How about a knapsack?" Sallie piped in quietly. "You could say you found carrying the vanilla in the fanny pack too heavy."
Sara giggled and stifled it a bit late. "Great idea," she whispered.
She grabbed her schoolbag and opened it and placed the vanilla extract in it and then held it open for the squirrels. She looked in on them after they got in.
"But what about when we get there?"
"Open the bag-up underneath the table," Aldin answered.
Sara giggled again. "Great idea!" She heaved the bag on to her shoulder a bit hard and the two squirrels inside (oommmffeedd!) and she bounded out the door to the waiting car.
"I'm beginning to wonder if this was really a good idea," Aldin whispered to Sallie on the ride over.
> With a weak grin to Sallie in thanks, Amy walked out of her room, >happening to see both Brandon and Jason in the same place. After asking >for a jacket, she was presented with two, one from Jason, and one from >Brandon. Admittedly, Brandon's was far to big, so she thanked them both >and borrowed Jason's, which also had an inside pocket. Amy was glad >that some things just never went out of style.
After changing and washing up, Amy went to check on her pie, at just the right time and pulled it out of the oven. She set it aside to cool, while she went about stowing a fire-axe under the seat in Brandon's car, whom she was riding to the dinner with, along with Jason. Jack thought it would be quite normal if Brandon was his own ride in, and he didn't want Brandon alone. *More like he doesn't want me alone*, Amy thought to herself, but never voiced it. Carefully she laid the jacket on the front seat, and went back inside, to await everyone else.
Jack was passing out the water guns to the family. Sara and Kristen were to leave theirs in the car, Jason and Brandon were to sneak theirs in, along with Jack. Then, Jack had Sara fill her fanny-pack, which she always carried, with bottles of vanilla extract, then he, himself, filled the pockets of his jacket, along with the other three members of the family. Amy openly admitted that she was relieved that she didn't have to carry any Vanilla Extract, and Jack never asked her to touch any after the shampoo incident. After surveying to be sure everything was in order, Jack gave the word to gather the food and leave.
With a smile, Kristen handed Amy her pie, and gave her instructions to follow her into the building, so she'd know who to give it to, then she went and brought her own quiche from the kitchen and herded Sara out of the house. Amy followed Kristen out, and nodded in thanks to Brandon as he held the doors open for her. With a smile over her shoulder to Jason, and then to Brandon, they were off. Brandon kindly kept the music down, and managed to put in a Mormon Tabernacle Choir tape in. Amy never could quite understand why MTC didn't affect her, but some of the more loud and obnoxious music did.
The drive over to the community center, was uneventful, and the Therington party was quite relieved for this fact. As they all huddled into the building, Amy noted that the entire town really was here tonight. The place was filled to the brim, and then some. Blindly following Kristen to the large table where the food was being set out. Looking around Amy noted the exits and the air vents, and all the possible places where bunnies could overrun the room. Amy nearly walked over Kristen as Kristen came up to the table and caught Amy still studying the battlefield. With an apology Amy set the cherry pie down where she was told, and almost grabbed a glass of punch, then quickly frowned as she saw some women pouring Snapple™ into it. Blinking once, and inwardly cursing herself for not suspecting that, Amy decided to follow Jack in his stakeout of the food.
By the frown on Jack's face, Amy knew things were not good. Following his gaze around the table, Amy saw why. It seemed almost everything contained Spam™. This was indeed a bad sign. Amy looked up at Jack, and Jack shook his head. It looked like the family was making a break for Kristen's quiche.
Amy blinked as something, or someone tugged at her arm. Turning around, Sara was positively beaming at her. "Hey! I've got a place for all of us to sit. Brandon and Jason are already there, and if we don't hurry, all the girls will sit down and fight over who sits next to Brandon!"
With a smile at her brother's predicament, Amy followed Sara to the designated spot. Brandon quickly scooted over from a particularly ditzy sounding blonde, to let Amy sit next to him. Amy grinned slyly at her brother, and decided she'd play this up a little bit.
Resting a hand lightly on Brandon's arm, Amy said in her most bellish southern drawl, "Why, Brandon, that is most kind of you to save me a seat." Brandon blinked, and Amy could see Jason behind him ready to start laughing.
Clearing his throat, Brandon beamed one of his own nearly irresistible smiles at her, ignoring the other girls at the table. "Oh, I would feel lost if you wouldn't have come to sit with me. After all, I've seen the way the other boys look at you."
It was Amy's turn to blink, and try to ignore the glares the girls around Brandon were giving. Recovering herself as quickly as she could, Amy laughed her most melodious laugh and continued with the drawl, "Well, I just happen to prefer how you look at me, Brandon."
By this time, the girls had gathered that Amy would not recognize their glares, and had been giving excuses and leaving. With a sigh, and a quiet laugh, Brandon turned back to Amy. "Don't ever do that without warning me again! It's more fun when I'm warned," he said with a wink.
Jack and Kristen came back to the table and sat down next to Sara, and across from the 3 older Therington children.
Jack's eyes were already grooming the crowd in the room, searching for those with outfits of bright colors, or those who seemed to smile in a decidedly ky00t manner. Having sufficiently surveyed the area, Jack leaned into the table and spoke quietly to his family.
"Now, your mother worked hard on her quiche for tonight's dinner, as did Amy and her pie.. I suggest you show respect to both of their efforts and take some onto your plate," then he glanced at Sara sternly, "And eat all of it this time."
Amy glanced around, wondering if everyone knew why Jack was so worried that they ate only Kristen's food, then she noticed Brandon and Jason, both of whom seemed to take this in stride, as if used to such a command from their father. Sara on the other hand was making a face as she glanced under the table. Amy shrugged that off as typical Sara behavior, then started glancing around herself for doors and exits. With all these people in here, it was going to get stifling, and she'd want to leave to get some fresh air at sometime.
Then the voices started to settle as a man stepped up to the podium. Smiling incessantly he cleared his throat then, in a slightly squeaky voice, spoke into the microphone, "I'd like to thank all of you for coming to our town dinner! This year's dinner is already going to be better than last years, I can tell! After dinner, there will be conversation, and games, should anyone want to play, and singing to promote community closeness. And before we begin, I would like to thank Marge Spurnberg for all her help tonight." Then the speaker turned to the side and motioned for someone to step forward. "Now, Father Macceli, will give us a prayer."
A man in a dark suit, with a white collar stepped up to the podium. Shrugging Amy turned to Jack, who motioned for Sara not to bring the vanilla extract out just wait. Quietly he whispered to Sara, who nodded. Then Father Macceli began his prayer. Amy bowed her head, and folded her arms, as was traditional for her denomination, then opened one eye and glanced carefully about. Sara had put the vanilla extract on the table, and was putting a finger to her lips, staring at the backpack. Again, Amy shrugged this off as typical Sara behavior, and turned her head slightly to look at the walls and doors. Several people stood, glancing around, as if searching for people who would dare not act reverently during a prayer. *Busybodies,* Amy thought to herself. Then she noticed one door was slightly ajar, as if being held for someone, yet she didn't see a single person walk through the door. *Odd,* she thought, then turned back to look at the table as she noticed one of the "prayer guards" watching her intently.
Then, the prayer was done, and people were dismissed to the food by table. Somehow, the table the Theringtons sat at was one of the first to be able to go get food. Glancing curiously at Sara, Amy wondered if the girl has some unknown knack of always getting in the front of the line, when Brandon leaned down to whisper to her.
"We always let Sara choose a table. She talks to everyone, so she knows which tables are going to go first. She never fails," Brandon said quietly, with a huge grin.
Trying to