Important Note: This is an alternate ending to chapters 11 and 12 of Hugs and Kisses! If you read this without reading that, this story will make no sense at all.
But if you have read that story, you can go ahead. I've been inspired by Zee126's alternate ending to her story, "Larryboy: Trust No One", called "DeAd EnD" (clever use of the capital letters to spell the word 'dead' backwards). For those of you who read Hugs and Kisses, that ending was heartwarming and adorable. Here, it's anything but. It's very dark and a bit of a tearjerker as well, as it contains major character death, out-of-character moments, and near-suicide attempt. If that's not your thing, you don't have to read. But if you're happy with how the story turned out in the end, you don't have to read it either. Remember, this is an alternate ending, so it's not actually connected with what happened in the story. Like I said before, if you read Hugs and Kisses before you read this, which you REALLY should have by the way, then this story will make a LOT more sense.
Disclaimer:I own nothing of Veggie Tales; that ownership belongs to Phil Vischer and Mike Nawrocki. The only things I own are my original characters, Eddie Russell and Julian Maverick. I will admit that I was thinking of this story all night long, preventing me from working on Thingamabob: Origins.
I hope you enjoy, and please don't attack me for this...
Guide:
Normal: Present-day
Italics: Flashback
Underline: Emphasis
Iheargod175 presents:
~*(Whispers in the Wind)*~
Summary: One small thing can change the outcome of a situation. For Bob the Tomato and the rest of the Big Idea staff, one small thing ended up changing things for the worse...
Tags: AU, BoBerry (Bob/Madame Blueberry), Mr. Lunt/Ellen, very light Larry/Petunia
Rating: T (for character death, OOC, suicide mentions)
Bob had barely reached the top of the stairs when he heard the first gunshot, and then Larry's horrified scream. A split second later, another gunshot was fired, and then a heavy thud as someone fell.
With his heart hammering in his chest, he charged up the rest of the stairs and tried to fling open the door. To his dismay, the door was locked. The tomato's frustration mounted as he began pounding on the door, desperation taking over his very soul.
"JULIAN!" he screamed, "Open this door!"
Julian laughed at the tomato's plea. "Sorry, Bob. But I'm afraid your little rescue mission ended in failure."
Bob's eyes widened in utter horror as he started to put the pieces together. "No...no. Y-You didn't..."
"Oh yes, I did. She deserved it anyway. Anybody who goes ratting me out gets a bullet to the head," Julian retorted. "Unless you back down now, Bob the Tomato, your friend the cucumber will get the same treatment."
Bob felt as though his world was about to crash down on him. Madame Blueberry, his co-star in the movie, his co-worker, and one of his best friends, had been shot. He hadn't gotten to her fast enough, and now...
"Good, I'm glad that we now understand each other," Julian noted, halting his train of thought. "I'll be taking the alternate way if you don't mind." Bob listened as Julian's footsteps receded from the top floor.
When he was sure Julian was gone, Bob started ramming his body against the door, hoping that it would give way when he did so. Just then, he heard Larry's panicked call, and his quickened footsteps as he rushed over to him. The door swung open and Bob crashed into Larry, nearly toppling him over.
"Bob! Are you alright? I heard you screaming and-"
"Where is she?" Bob breathed.
Larry was confused. "What?"
"Madame Blue, Larry! Is she alright?! I need to see her, NOW!" Bob yelled. He jumped up and ran down the hall, turning to see an ugly sight he hoped to never see again.
Madame Blueberry was laying limp on the floor, her eyes shut tight and a terrible wound on her right side. Blood gushed out on the floor, and even on part of the wall. From where the tomato was standing, he couldn't even tell if she was breathing.
Larry was just about to run over to his friend's side when the elevator doors opened to reveal Pa and Mr. Lunt standing there, looking utterly confused.
"Bob, what's goin-" Mr. Lunt's breath hitched in his throat as he saw what happened to Madame Blueberry and the tomato who was standing over her. He then looked to the right and saw the blood splattered on the wall, as well as the bullet casings on the floor. His jaw went slack. "Holy mackerel."
"Mr. Lunt, Pa, call the cops!" Larry ran over to the two. His face had shock exploding all over it. "And call an ambulance! Julian shot Madame Blue, twice!"
"Oh, that's not good at all," Pa muttered. His expression was serious as he looked at Larry. "Get Archie and tell him to get the cops. We'll handle Madame Blue."
"But-"
"There's no time to hesitate, Larry!" Pa snapped, startling the cucumber. "If we don't act fast, she could die! Hurry!"
Larry took another glance at Bob and the motionless blueberry, and grimaced before taking off for the emergency stairs. Pa rushed over to Madame Blue's side, while Mr. Lunt whipped out his cell phone, frantically dialing 911. Pa went over to Bob, who was currently using a spare towel to slow the bleeding.
"Bob, is she still alive?" he asked.
"B-Barely," the tomato whispered. He turned to Mr. Lunt with a heartbroken expression. Tears filled his eyes. "Please tell me they're going to get here on time."
Mr. Lunt didn't know what to say to the distraught tomato at that. He was no doctor, but he'd seen a fair share of gunfights and he knew that Madame Blueberry's injury could be fatal. He swallowed the bile that rose in his throat as he watched Bob return to keeping watch over Madame Blue alive. Seeing such a thing up close was beyond unsettling for him. It was...outright horrifying.
"911. What is your emergency?"
The voice that spoke into his ear startled Mr. Lunt, and he quickly cleared his throat to clear his head. "L-Look, a friend of mine has just been shot by a psychopathic animation boss! I-I don't know if he escaped or not, but...s-she could die if you don't get down here right now!"
The voice on the other end of the line told him to calm down, but the gourd was having none of it. As he continued to pour out the details of the experience he and his friends had gone through, Bob did everything in his power to keep watch over Madame Blue until she awoke.
"Madame Blue, please...please don't die on me," he replied. "Y-You...you and I were supposed to spend time with each other after filming was over. I-I have so many things to tell you, and I-"
The blueberry twitched slightly, and she let out a desperate gasp for air. Bob's eyes widened in shock as her eyes slid open slightly.
"B-B-Bob..."
"Oh, thank goodness," Pa breathed, anxious and relieved at the same time. "Are you feeling alright, Madame Blueberry?"
"N-No, I'm not...I feel pain everywhere," she said. "So..much pain..."
"Shhh, it's okay, Madame Blue," he said softly, brushing a few stray locks of her disheveled hair away. "It's going to be okay. I'm just glad that you're alive."
"Bob...I'm sorry. I-I tried to stop him, but he had...a gun," she breathed. "And I couldn't..."
"Don't worry about that. T-The cops are going to capture him and Eddie. Mr. Lunt's on the phone with them right now," he said, choking back a sob.
"Bob...I-I don't know if I'll be here long enough...for them to get help..."
"Don't say that," Bob pleaded. "You have to stay here for all of us. Please...stay here for me at least."
Madame Blue looked at him with a saddened expression. "Bob...I would give up everything I owned just to stay with you, you know? It's because you matter so much to me...because I love you so much..."
"And I love you, too, Madame Blueberry," he replied. "You're one of the best friends I could ever ask for."
"No. No! That's not what I mean, Bob," she protested, pausing only to cough. Bob's grip tightened slightly as she did so. "I...I don't mean the friendly kind of love, Bob..."
Bob was confused. "You...you mean..."
"Oui." Madame Blue pushed herself up slightly, and placed a kiss on his lips. Bob's eyes widened as she did, not expecting such a thing to happen at a time like this. Before he could even return it, she pulled away from him, looking into his eyes with a wistful expression. Bob's mouth still hung open from shock, as did Pa Grape's.
"I...I love you, Bob, as more than just a friend," she replied.
Bob didn't answer at all, and just stared at her in utter shock. The kiss and the sudden revelation caught him off guard. Madame Blueberry had been one of his friends, and had actually been more like family to him. It never would have occurred to him that she was in love with him.
Before he could say anything, her eyes slid closed, and she went limp in his arms. Bob snapped out of his daze, and tried to shake her awake. "Madame Blueberry?!" he called, panic seeping into his voice.
"Madame Blueberry!" Pa yelled. "Come on, Madame Blue! Don't leave us now! The paramedics are on their way up!"
"This cannot be happening," Bob muttered, shaking uncontrollably, to the point where his grip lessened on Madame Blue. Pa rushed to catch her before she hit the floor. "It just can't!"
"Keep it together, Bob. We need you to keep calm as long as possible,"Mr. Lunt replied. He turned to the unconscious berry, who was currently being held by Pa. The old grape's face was contorted into a look of sorrow, while Bob was softly sobbing to himself, completely overwhelmed by what had just happened.
"Bob, don't worry. We'll get her back," he said. "I swear it."
Bob looked up at the gourd and sniffled. "W-What can we do until the paramedics get here?"
Mr. Lunt took another look at Madame Blue, and for a moment, Bob swore the gourd was shaking. He shook his head to compose himself, and turned towards Bob.
"Three things: pray, pray, and pray that she will pull through."
"You don't need to tell me twice," Pa muttered.
The doors to the elevator slid open, and three scallions carrying a stretcher rushed out of it. It didn't take them long to see the blood on the wall and the wounded berry. The group moved Bob, Pa and Mr. Lunt aside as they got out the necessary tools to revive the blueberry.
"Please, God," Bob prayed as he was pushed aside by the paramedics, "please, let her live."
Bob burst out of sleep, sweat pouring down his forehead and eyes wide with fear. His heart was going a mile a minute and his breath was coming out in short panicked gasps. After realizing that he was in fact in his room, he let out a long, resigned sigh and stared down at the sheets. Upon noticing several spots of wetness on his sheets, he realized that he was once again crying. He pulled out another tissue and wiped his eyes.
"Ten months," he said finally, his voice a choked whisper. "And here I thought I would get over it in ten months..."
It had been ten months since Eddie Russell showed up. Ten months since Julian Maverick made his personal appearance at Big Idea. Ten months since the incident that nearly destroyed Big Idea.
Ten months since Madame Blueberry was killed by that madman.
No amount of therapy, no amount of condolences and no amount of pep talking could rid Bob of his nightmares. Each one was worse than the last, sometimes killing his friends along with her. Even though Julian and Eddie had been arrested months ago, it did little to comfort Bob. He only wished he had gotten there faster. He wished he had ran after her when she'd chased down Julian, rather than sending Larry to do it for him.
Most of all, he wished that he could've told her the four little words that he knew she'd want him to say.
But in the end, it was too late.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Lunt. Madame Blueberry's gone."
The white sheet was already covering her when Bob burst through the door. Surrounding the body of the actress were the doctors and Mr. Lunt. The gourd stood there for a long moment, not moving an inch even as the doctors gently ushered him and Bob out of the room to administer the last rites.
"M-Mr. Lunt?" Junior's voice was almost inaudible, even though it was silent in the hallway."Is...Is Madame Blueberry-"
"No." The gourd's tone was flat and sorrowful. "She's...she's gone."
It didn't take long for everyone's self control to break at that. Laura and Junior burst into tears, leaning against their parents for support. Their parents did everything they could to console their kids, all while holding back tears of their own.
Lovey and Petunia were both leaning on Archie for support, crying. The male asparagus stared at the door through a wall of tears, some of them pouring down his face. Pa Grape was trembling with sobs, as were Mr. Nezzer and Khalil, who had their heads bowed in respect. Jimmy and Jerry slowly swallowed their snacks, having lost their appetites. Behind them, the French Peas had their heads bowed, the tears flowing from their eyes.
At last, Mr. Lunt walked off, his expression sorrowfully furious. He slammed his body against the wall in anger once before storming out the doors, which slammed ominously behind him.
Bob stared at Madame Blue's hospital door, shaking slightly. She was gone. She had been with him the entire ride to the hospital, but afterwards, she'd fallen unconscious. Everyone had been hopeful that she would wake up, especially since Eddie Russell and Julian Maverick had been captured by the police not long after the shooting. They were all hoping to tell her the good news, but now...
The tomato didn't know what to do. He had been to many a family funeral, but this was completely different. He had been the love of her life, and only on the way to the hospital did he realize just how deep her love for him went.
The worst part of it all, though, was what Mr. Lunt had told him as they rushed down the stairs when he'd asked if Madame Blueberry was telling the truth. He remembered the look the gourd gave him as they left, as though saying, "You should have found out sooner."
"It's true, Bob. Madame Blue's held a torch for you for a very long time."
"W-What? H-How-"
"She'd had a crush on you since her very first show. I knew about it because she told me on weekends. In fact, Pa, Larry, Mr. Nezzer and I were the first people to know. However, you didn't return her feelings, and only considered her as a friend. We all tried to give you little nudges, but..."
"S-She was in love with me for over fifteen years and she never told me?! Why didn't you tell me, Mr. Lunt? You knew!"
"She asked us not to. We were all hoping you'd wake up and see for yourself, or that she'd tell you flat out. I didn't expect her to...you know, tell you right before she passed out."
The memory of that conversation played endlessly in the tomato's head. Everyone had known about Madame Blueberry's love for him. Even his best friend had known, and he had probably tried to tell him on more than one occasion.
Everyone had been in the know...except him.
The fact that he found out not long before she died made this all the worse. He couldn't talk to her about his feelings for her. He couldn't spend that quality time with her like he'd promised. He couldn't accept her feelings and actually give a serious relationship a try now.
Worst of all, he couldn't tell her that he loved her as well.
At last, Bob found something to do. He walked over to the other side of the lobby, sat on the bench that was there, and cried.
Bob got up from his bed and walked out of his bedroom, hearing the snores of his house's other occupants: Pa, Mr. Lunt and Jimmy. Recently, the three had decided to come over to his house to cheer him up, and their festivities went long into the night. Too tired to drive home, they decided to sleep over and Bob allowed them to take the spare room and the living room.
He smiled wistfully for a moment, remembering what it was like when Madame Blueberry and Larry had come to stay at his place that time he'd gotten sick. The smile disappeared when he remembered that because of his tendency to overwork, this had given Eddie and Julian the leeway to invade Big Idea and take away everything he held dear.
One of those things was, of course, Madame Blueberry, but the other thing was his best friend, Larry the Cucumber.
Larry's personality did a complete 180 after Madame Blueberry had died. He loved her as a friend, too, and seeing the shooting up close had shattered his world to pieces as her death did to Bob all those months ago. His friends did everything they possibly could to comfort the cucumber and restore his spirit, but the problem went deeper than that. Larry blamed himself for the whole incident the days following the event, saying that he'd had a dream that everything was going to happen a week before, but that he never told anyone out of fear of being laughed at. He also blamed himself for not taking the bullet for Madame Blue, as he could have saved Bob so much suffering and pain.
Bob watched helplessly as the cucumber became a hollow shell of his former self. Gone was the cucumber whose easygoing and silly attitude cheered everyone up. That cucumber was replaced with a bipolar loner with violent tendencies, making him a danger to the staff. After one fight that nearly caused Mr. Nezzer to go blind in one eye, the corporates who owned Big Idea decided to fire him. They let him go with a decent paycheck for their last film, aptly titled "The Bad Seed", in which he played a character that matched his current personality to a T.
Larry's last day at Big Idea was the second worst day in Bob's life. Everyone was a total wreck that day, especially Junior, who looked up to Larry like a big brother, and Petunia, Larry's ex-girlfriend. The two of them were to be married just around the corner, Bob remembered, but Larry's personality disorder had ruined that chance. Petunia tried to be there for Larry, but couldn't take it anymore and broke up with him. Not long after that, she left Veggie Tales to get another job. Remaining at Big Idea brought about too many memories of Larry for her.
When Bob told Larry the news, it shattered him. It was the final blow that convinced him to leave Big Idea for good, which was why he didn't fight back against the corporates' decision.
Bob sighed as he recalled Larry's exact words before he left for good: "I'm sorry, Bob. I can't do this anymore. I don't want to be a danger to you and the rest of the staff. Everything, from the downturn of Veggie Tales, to my breakup with Petunia, to...Madame Blue...it's all my fault. I need to get out of here and pull myself together. The next time I come back, I won't be the same cucumber you see before you, Bob. Until then...don't expect an email."
True to his word, Larry never even called Bob or sent a message confirming his whereabouts six months after he left. As for Petunia, she was doing well, although her demeanor had also taken a turn for the worse. She hadn't been able to move on from her breakup with Larry after all, and every attempt to find love failed. Eventually, she too left the city. Bob had no idea where she was now, as she had obviously changed her number and wasn't answering any of his calls.
Bob then realized that he couldn't talk about Larry's or Petunia's dilemmas without mentioning his own problems. A month after the funeral, he shut down all production of 'Carrotblanca', which was to be their most expensive and extensive show to date. He couldn't continue the film after he lost his co-star. It hurt him too much.
This move ended up hurting the company badly, as they lost more than they earned. That, coupled with Larry's problems, only succeeded in turning many Big Idea supporters away. Within months, the company was going bankrupt. The films became too expensive to produce, and Bob's friends all went looking for work elsewhere. Soon, the corporates shut down Big Idea, ending Veggie Tales for good.
That was the straw that broke the camel's back for Bob. He'd lost the girl he loved, his best friend, his job, his dreams, and even his friends in the span of several months. All of this was too much for him to deal with, and the only way to escape, it seemed, was to end it all.
He'd planned on doing it on March 14th, a week after all of his dreams had been blown apart. But some timely intervention had stopped him from doing the unthinkable.
Bob walked up to the building that used to be Big Idea's headquarters. In his hands was the medicine bottle that he was going to use. He looked up at the barred doors and the windows with wooden planks nailed across them. They resembled his dreams and hopes that were now locked behind barred doors, never to come out again. Tears began to pour from his eyes, but he hastily wiped them away. He didn't want to lose it before he actually started.
But right when he started to open the top to the medicine bottle, there was the squealing of tires on the pavement, and then the frantic slamming of a car door. Bob didn't bother turning around. If people wanted to watch, then let them watch.
Something grabbed him from behind and spun him around. Bob barely had a moment to get a sound out of his throat before something hard and heavy came down upon his face. The action had caused him to drop the medicine bottle, and its contents spilled on the ground.
When Bob finally got the stars out of his vision, he found himself staring wide-eyed at the person who'd stopped him from doing the unthinkable.
"Bob! What in the world are you thinking, man?!" Mr. Lunt screamed at him, shaking him to get his point across. "Or are you actually thinking at all?!"
Bob started to speak, but Mr. Lunt cut him off. After letting him go, he walked over to the spilled prescription drug. He then scooped up the pills into the bottle, and then, with Herculean strength, he flung the bottle as far as he could, watching as it crashed into a trash can. There was a distinct metal clang as it crashed inside.
Mr. Lunt turned towards him, very angry and upset. "What else do you have on you?"
"I...I don't have anything else," Bob answered.
The gourd wasn't convinced, and walked over to Bob to frisk him for any other things that he had. The only thing he found in Bob's pocket was the note that he was going to leave if anyone discovered him after he took his own life. Mr. Lunt crumbled the note up and threw that in the trash as well, then turned to Bob.
"What were you thinking?!" he yelled again. "Do you really think that ending your life will make things easier for us?"
"Mr.-"
"Don't say another word!" Mr. Lunt interrupted harshly. "Look, you're not the only one going through hard times. Ever since Madame Blue died and we lost Big Idea, I haven't been able to find another job for months! The economy's gone south, and I'm considering moving out of town to hopefully reunite with Ellen. She...she's been going through some stuff." At this, the gourd's expression turned downwards into a saddened expression, but only for a moment. "But if you kill yourself, Bob, you will only add on to the problems that everyone's going through. You will create more pain in our lives because we've already lost so many of our friends. Do you think Madame Blueberry would want you to kill yourself? Do you think she would be happy if you died? Better yet, do you think God would want you to kill yourself? Do you think He'd be happy about that?"
Bob shook his head.
"Of course not! She'd want you to live, Bob. God wants you to live. Everyone has lost someone they love, be it best friends, a family member, or their lovers. But we're not supposed to let grief overcome us, Bob. We're supposed to use those experiences to strengthen us, rather than let it overcome us. And if you need help, that's what He's there to do. He's there to comfort you and give you rest. Trust me, I know what it's like to have nobody left but Him to hold onto. And of course, He puts certain people in your life to help you along too, Bob. We're those people, Bob, and we want to help you," Mr. Lunt said. "So, if you need to vent, then vent. If you need to cry, then cry. But please, don't do it alone. I don't want to lose you like I lost Larry, man."
"Do you really mean that?"
"Every word, Bob. You have all of your friends to help you through this. And of course, you can't forget the man upstairs either," Mr. Lunt finished.
When he said that, something in Bob snapped like an overstretched rubber band. The next thing he knew, he fell to the ground, months of restrained anger, grief and remorse pouring out of him. Mr. Lunt just stood next to the tomato for two whole hours, comforting him until he had no more tears.
After he was done, Bob sniffled heartily and asked, through his sobs, "S-S-So, w-what do I do now?"
The gourd sighed. "Well, for one thing, let's get back to your place. Then we can discuss what to do from there."
Bob pulled on his jacket and his hat, recalling the memory. After getting home and making sure anything that Bob could use to hurt himself was put away, Mr. Lunt got on the phone with the local pastor of the church and explained the whole situation. Bob still didn't know what to expect when the pastor actually showed up to do a house call with him. But when the pastor explained that many of his friends had come to him for help as well, Bob once again began to cry. After he'd managed to calm down, the pastor led him and Mr. Lunt in prayer. They asked for God to forgive them, and to give them the strength they needed to get through this situation together.
Afterwards, Bob began to definitely improve his attitude. Gone were the days where he fantasized about ending his life. Now, he was drafting plans to revive Big Idea and eventually win the rights for Veggie Tales so they can produce movies again. He also did some job hunting of his own, and found a job in graphic arts that brought in some money for him to support himself.
Mr. Lunt had also started to go about his own changes. He and Ellen had finally made up for his infidelity that caused their breakup, and soon they were back together. The gourd had also set about trying to reunite the other members of Veggie Tales to tell them about Bob's plan to revive the show.
In the meantime, Bob and Mr. Lunt became close, although not to the extent that Bob and Larry were. Mr. Lunt, though he was just as broken about Madame Blue's death, would visit, and offer to get Bob out of his house for a while. Not long after, Pa, Jimmy and Jerry started coming around to offer their support. When Bob lost his job as a graphic designer due to the company he was working for going out of business, his friends helped him heal. With everyone supporting him again, Bob rekindled his friendships with the staff, although he still missed his best friend Larry terribly.
But even though he trusted what remained of his friends, there was one thing that he couldn't tell them about. He was afraid that if he told Mr. Lunt about it, the gourd would think he was insane. In fact, Bob himself almost thought he was insane.
The reason for this was because he kept seeing Madame Blueberry everywhere he went.
They were short hallucinations, he knew, but at times, he couldn't help but wonder if they were real. Every time he'd see her, she was healthy, alive, and unharmed, like she'd been before the incident had occurred. Every time he'd see her, it'd be out of the corner of his eye, so that it would make his head turn to see her.
And every time he turned to look at her, she disappeared from sight, leaving him alone again.
Sometimes, she offered a sad, encouraging smile, but the other times he'd seen her, she looked completely hurt at his broken state. It was as though she regretted leaving him if she knew he was going to be suicidal. Sometimes, he saw her looking in his direction. Other times, he saw her watching one of his friends. Sometimes, she'd do both, looking at him from the corner of her eye and then turning to look at something else. But then, she would disappear.
Bob sighed as he opened the door. The road trip down memory lane was making his head hurt. He needed to get some fresh air and get out of the house. He closed the door, locked it, and turned around to start walking.
Not a soul was out as Bob walked down the street, heading towards the park. On nights like tonight, when he was feeling particularly restless, he liked to take long walks to clear his head of the sad, painful memories.
But just as he was made it to the park entrance, he saw her again out of the corner of his eye. He stopped, and turned to see if it was really her.
Madame Blueberry was standing there, with yet the same sad smile on her face like before. Before Bob could call out to her, she then turned and walked away from him, cutting through the park.
"Madame Blue, wait!" Bob yelled, and ran after her. She disappeared into the thick trees, and Bob found himself having to go through thick overgrowth to keep track of her.
When he found her, he realized that they were on the other side of the street, where the town cemetery was. Bob still had no idea why they would build a cemetery right across the street from a public park, but he could care less about that. He watched as the blueberry in front of him disappeared inside the gates.
He continued to follow her, watching with curiosity as she led him across the field of gravestones and markers. Halfway through the graveyard, she stopped in front one headstone, and he stopped as well, reading the name on the tombstone.
Madame Geneva Blueberry
May 14th, 1973-June 12th, 2011
Dedicated co-worker, friend and sister
"That's why I give thanks everyday."
Bob stared at the gravestone, and then at her wide-eyed. She still had that sad, comforting smile on her face, even while he felt like he was going to burst into tears. Swallowing back a sob, he forced himself to speak to this hallucination, if only it would bring him peace at last.
"M-Madame?" he stammered slightly.
"Hello, Bob," she replied, her tone comforting.
"W-What are you doing here? You're supposed to be...you know..."
"I still am, unfortunately. But...I was given permission to see you again, just to make sure that you all are getting along fine without me," the blueberry explained.
Bob felt tears well into his eyes. "M-Madame Blue...I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" he blurted, not caring how loud and desperate he sounded.
"Why are you sorry, Bob?"
Bob stared at her as though she were crazy. "Why am I sorry?! Isn't that obvious?! This is all my fault! Everything that happened ten months ago is my fault!" he screamed. "I couldn't save you from that madman!"
Her reply was calm. "No, it's not your fault. If anything, it's my fault," she said. "I ran after an armed vegetable not thinking. I really didn't think he was going to shoot me for sending Eddie to jail. Worse, I put Larry in danger as well."
She looked at Bob, a very sad expression on her face. "I also know how much you've been hurting since I've left you. Thank goodness Mr. Lunt came to find you."
Bob blinked. "Y-You saw that?"
Madame Blue nodded. "I saw everything. I've been trying to find you, to tell you that everything is going to be alright between you and your friends. But you were still in shock and grief. I had to let you snap out of it before I could come to see you," she replied.
"Madame Blue, I wish I had come with you that day. I would have never sent Larry up there had I known what Julian was going to do."
"That's the problem, Bob. Nobody knew what Julian was going to do. Also, I think that Larry would be hit much harder if you died instead of me. I would more or less guarantee that would be the end of Veggie Tales," Madame Blue pointed out.
"It's because of what happened to you that Veggie Tales is over," Bob said bitterly. "I...I mean, Larry did a complete 180 when you died. He started hurting people, and the corporates couldn't keep him anymore because of the complaints. He and Petunia broke up, and then he moved away. I haven't heard from him in months. With all that happening, our fanbase waned, parents complained, and the corporates gave in and shut down Big Idea for good. What do you think would've happened if I died instead of you?"
"Oh, it would be much worse. In fact...I think Larry probably would have tried to kill himself, because he'd feel so empty without you," she said. "You're his best friend, Bob. Every single one of his so-called 'best friends' left him when he went to college. You're the only one who stuck with him through thick and thin. If you died, Bob, Larry would head for the brink and never return. I can certainly guarantee that."
Bob stared at her, wide-eyed. "Wow...I didn't think about that," he answered slowly. The thought of his best friend doing what he'd nearly done was enough to make him sick. He shook his head, trying to think up another subject to talk about. "Do you think we can revive Veggie Tales, Madame Blue?"
"Yes, you can. But I would say wait until the rest of our friends return to town, Bob. They are just as involved in this as you are," she replied.
"But-"
"You will know when it's time, Bob. He'll tell you when it's time to start," she answered.
Bob knew just who she was referring to by 'he'. "Ah..."
The only sound that could be heard in the graveyard was the whistle of the wind. The two stayed silent, looking at each other, waiting for one to say something.
Then finally, Madame Blue said, "You know...I never did get to say goodbye to any of you, or hear what you had to say to me after I told you I loved you."
"I know. That was the worst part," Bob explained. "I...I don't think words can express how much I miss you. We all do...so much."
Madame Blue smiled. "I know. You all were such great friends to me, especially you, Bob. I couldn't imagine living without you."
Bob nodded, and then he closed his eyes, fighting the urge to cry again. Seeing her again was just too much for him to handle. He wanted to run over to her and hold her as though she would disappear if he let go. He wanted to be with her and actually start a relationship, the one she'd been wanting for years. He wanted to give her this and more.
But when he opened his eyes, all he saw were her gravestone and the flowers that he'd laid on it recently. He looked all around, but she was nowhere to be seen.
She was gone again, this time for good.
"I finally have an answer for you, Madame Blue," he whispered into the wind. "I love you, too."
Sniffling, he turned around to leave the graveyard, but that was when he saw a figure running towards him. The figure was tall and skinny, and looked very familiar, but Bob couldn't tell who it was. He stepped closer, which made the figure quicken its pace.
"Hello?" he called out, which turned into a yelp of surprise as the figure grabbed him and pulled him into a hug. Bob was about to shove him off, but that was when the figure spoke.
"Bob! There you are! I've been trying to get in contact with you for days! Where have you been?!"
Bob's eyes widened, and he turned to look up at the figure. His mouth trembled and his eyes watered as he saw who it was.
"L-Larry?!"
Larry the Cucumber nodded. He looked like he had spent the last six months not shaving, as he had a stubble of his face, but there was a joyful smile Bob hadn't seen in ages. He struggled to hold back tears as he said, "Yeah, it's me, Bob. I'm back for good this time."
Bob couldn't help it. He burst into tears of joy, burying his face into Larry's jacket. It wasn't long before Larry started crying, too. For six long months, the two of them had been apart, both of them nearly going to the brink and both of them was sure that their friendship was down the drain.
But now, as they joyfully welcomed each other back, they both felt as though the world wasn't such a bad place after all.
After they let each other go, Larry looked Bob in the eyes, smiled, and said, "Madame Blue told me to tell you that she loves you very much, and that she wants nothing more than to see you be happy."
Bob nodded, wiping his tears. "I know. She told me just before she left," he explained.
Larry looked at Bob with a quizzical expression. "You saw her?"
"Yeah...it's kind of hard to explain, and this is going to sound weird coming from me," Bob said, walking Larry out of the graveyard, as it was starting to get chilly. "But for the last few months, I kept seeing Madame Blueberry..."
One Year Later...
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm honored to announce that Big Idea is officially reopened!" Bob declared. "Larry, if you will?"
"Gladly!" Larry walked over to the red tape that covered the front door of the building, a large pair of scissors in hand. With a bright smile on his face, he cut the tape. Everyone clapped and cheered, and Jimmy and Jerry popped open an array of champagne bottles, sending corks flying into the air.
Larry put down the scissors and walked over to his best friend. "You should be proud of yourself, Bob. You did such a great job at restoring everything to its original state," Larry said.
"Hey, it was the least I could do. After all, God wanted us to do that," Bob replied. "I also dedicated it to Madame Blue's memory, as well as my dad's. I told you that he passed away not long after the building was finished."
"Yeah. Once again, I'm really sorry to hear that, Bob," Larry mentioned. "I know how close you two had been."
"We almost didn't rekindle our relationship, since I almost killed myself due to depression," Bob said. "That part really didn't sit well with my dad. But I owe it to Mr. Lunt for getting me back on track, you know? He saved me from doing the unthinkable."
"At least I know that you didn't fall to depression either," Larry said. He smiled slightly, but there was a very sad look in his eyes that couldn't be missed.
"Are you still thinking about Petunia?" Bob asked.
"Yeah. I don't know if she's really ready to try again. I mean, I did almost hurt her while I had that personality disorder. When I talked to her last week, she was much more polite to me, but...I think she's trying to keep our relationship as professional as possible," Larry explained. "Not that I can blame her."
"Don't worry, Larry," Bob said, coming over to his friend's side. "If Mr. Lunt and Ellen can move on from the past, I'm sure you and Petunia can, too. I mean, the two of them are going to have kids soon."
The two looked over to see the happy couple standing aside, talking to each other. Last year, Mr. Lunt had finally proposed to Ellen, and they had gotten married. Five months later, they announced that soon they would be having their first child. Mr. Lunt said something that made Ellen blush, and then she playfully shoved him away.
"Oh, you really think you are a ladies' man, don't you?" she teased, laughing.
"I don't think; I am!" he retorted, pulling her into his arms again. "Of course, when little Lunt Jr. grows up, I'm going to teach him how to get the girls."
"Oh, and what if it turned out to be a girl?" she retorted.
Mr. Lunt went silent for a moment, and then he said, "Well, I would teach her how to choose the right guy when she gets older. But until then, no boyfriends until she's 20."
"Of course," she replied. "Ooh, only five more months! I'm so excited!"
"Me too," Mr. Lunt replied, and the two gourds leaned over to kiss each other.
Bob chuckled, and inclined his head towards the building. "Come on, Larry. Let's head inside," he said.
"Yeah, I think it'd be best if we left them alone," Larry replied, and he and Bob turned away from the scene.
As they walked up the stairs, they heard Ellen giggle, "Your mustache tickles, Lunty." The two best friends sighed and chuckled together.
Out of the corner of his eye, Bob swore he saw Madame Blueberry again. He turned to his left, but the only people he saw were Jimmy and Jerry, who were currently irritating the caterer putting food on the table. He stopped briefly, making sure that he wasn't seeing things.
"Hey Bob, are you coming?" Larry shouted from inside.
"Y-Yeah, I'm coming," Bob replied. After taking another look around, he walked inside the building, the door slamming shut behind him.
Far off in the distance, where no one could see her, Madame Blueberry smiled. "Congratulations, Bob. You've finally found happiness again," she said.
And with that, she walked away into the sunset.
THE END
Well, I think that was a pretty good wrap-up for Hugs and Kisses. Hopefully, with this out of my head, I can focus on Thingamabob: Origins now...
If I made you cry writing this, I'm sorry. I probably would feel pretty bad if I read something like this for the first time, too. But hey, Bob and the others moved on, Eddie and Julian were arrested, Bob and Larry both came back from the brink, and Big Idea is back, so it has a somewhat happier ending. Still, I really hope I don't come up with stuff like this again. Veggie Tales is so lighthearted, and putting up stories like this makes me look like some cruel person...
But basically, if Julian didn't gloat and killed Madame Blue as he'd planned, Bob and Larry would go insane with guilt and nearly lose everything they cared about. Larry would end up being bipolar, thus destroying his relationship with Petunia and his friendship with Bob. After losing the support of everyone he loved on top of losing his job, Bob would attempt to kill himself. Big Idea would shut down completely, and everyone would look for work elsewhere. Oh, and the confession from chapter 11 didn't happen either, which is why Madame Blue told Bob her feelings just before she died. It's amazing how one little thing can change the whole outcome of a story.
Actually, I'm considering writing up a short series on this, which will make it an AU to Hugs and Kisses. Will I write it? I don't know. It depends on everyone's reviews.
R&R, or leave constructive criticism if you'd like, and as usual, no flaming. Next time I do a one-shot, it won't be as morbid and heartbreaking as this...
God bless, Iheartgod175