Inspired by "Black and White," in which Peter and Sidney are escaped lab rabbits who Alice adopts and cares for. Please don't hate!
Disclaimer: All rights go to QuinRose when due.
Dog or Rabbit?
Paring: Alice and Elliot (sorta)
Veterinarian Alice Liddell had always wondered what cute creatures might lurk in the forest behind her house. Despite rumors of wolves, she decided to explore it one day. It was so beautiful, warm, and enchanting, it looked like something out of a fairy tale! The beautiful flowers seemed to glow like jewels. The butterflies almost looked like fairies. The trees seemed to go on forever! And the babbling brook somewhere sounded like the sweetest music in the world.
Around noon, she stopped under a tree to rest and eat the picnic lunch she'd packed. After spreading the checkered blanket, she sat down and began to unpack. After polishing off her turkey sandwich, she began to relax a bit more. The warm sunlight and the soft scents of nature were making her sleepy.
Just a little nap, then I'll head home, she told herself as she curled up on the blanket. In a couple minutes, she was fast asleep.
-_-Zzz
Around 1 o'clock, a young brown hare happened to hop by. Smelling something tasty, he couldn't help but investigate. He'd never seen such a strange creature. It smelt like a female, but she only had fur on her head, and it was super long! She wore weird blue and white pelts that didn't look weather-proof, and those red things on her back paws looked really uncomfy.
Still, this was a curious sight. The young female seemed to be sleeping, and had left her little hoard of food unguarded. He could smell vegatables he'd bever tasted inside that woven wooden thing. He wasn't sure about taking things from a much larger creature, especially since he could smell meat on her breath. but he was so hungry, surely it'd be okay if he had a small snack? Her claws were really short, so he was pretty sure she couldn't scratch him if she woke up to him stealing from her.
With that small reassurance, he stood on his hind legs and jumped into the wooden thing, found a long, sweet-smelling orange stick, and began to nibble. It was delicious! Soon enough, he'd finished the whole thing. Next, he munched a crispy green leaf, then finished it all off with a round, red fruit. He was really full, and was starting to get sleepy. He hopped lazily out of the wood thing, then looked at the female. She was still fast asleep. She must be deaf if she couldn't hear my chewing, he decided. She looked so peaceful, and since he was too tired to go back to his hole and rest, he decided to sleep beside her. He curled up against her soft chest, listening to the slow, steady sound of her heart. Pretty soon, he was asleep, too.
-_-Zzz
Both the hare and the girl were woken by a growl. With, a gasp, Alice sat up, coming face to face with a hungry-looking fox. It was eyeing the plump-looking hare, licking it's chops. Alice glared. She knew it was just part of the natural order, but she wasn't going to let an innocent creature be shredded right in front of her. Without another thought, she threw her basket at the fox, hitting it in the head. That only seemed to annoy the fox... and now it's attention was on her.
"Get lost, fox!" Alice shouted, ready to fight should the need arise. The predator lunged at her, but was knocked down by something that had tackled it. To her great surprise, the young vet saw the hare had jumped on the fox's back, and was now biting at it's neck hard enough to draw blood. The fox yelped and bucked, trying to get the hare off. It rolled, forcing the hare to get off or be crushed. With a bat of it's paw, the fox sent the hare flying.
He landed hard after crashing into a tree, and didn't get up.
The fox would pay for that. Alice swiftly kicked the beast, her force knocking it against another tree. "See how you like it!" she yelled as it scrambled to its paws and fled, tail 'twixt its legs and yelping in fear.
Once it was gone, Alice ran to the hare's side and knelt down. He was still breathing, but clearly injured. He held his left forepaw close to his chest, and the hind leg on the same side looked broken. "You got hurt trying to help me," Alice said sadly, as she gently scooped him up. "Don't worry; I'll take care of you and make sure you get better."
The hare looked up at her cautiously with beautiful violet eyes, clearly nervous but in no shape to struggle. Alice kissed him on the forehead, then wrapped him in her picnic blanket and placed him gently in her basket. "Time to head home."
Alice gently set about bandaging the hare's injured limbs, then checked him to make sure he wasn't hurt anywhere else. When she was done, she gave him some tasty carrots and greens to reward him for being such a good patient. "I'm sorry you had to get hurt for my sake," she murmured, cradling him in her arms as he nibbled on his treats. "I won't let it happen again, because I'm adopting you."
He looked up at her with curious eyes. "Since you remind me of the March Hare from Alice in Wonderland, I think I'll name you Elliot March," she went on. He looked pleased, but that could've been his full belly talking. She carried him up to her room, sat down on her bed. "You know, Elliot, I take care of a lot of animals. Some big as a horse, and some as tiny as a mouse. But of all the pets I've met, you're the bravest."
Elliot gazed at her, deeply touched. He nuzzled his head against her cheek, then licked the tip of her nose in a gesture of thanks and affection. He still wasn't sure what she was, but he'd never felt so comfortable in his life. Whatever she was, he knew she'd never hurt him. As the room became dark, he snuggled against her chest, thinking about how lucky he was, and fell asleep.
A/N: Okay, first chapter's done! I hope it wasn't too sugary sweet, but I wanted to find a way to turn Elliot's affectionate personality into a pet version of himself. Please let me know what you think. And remember: I only take CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISISM. Comments like "This sucks," do not help me get better as a writer. I'm thinking of having Alice discover that Elliot can speak, and maybe have the fox return to get revenge against the human that deprived him of his lunch and the hare that humiliated him. Sound good? Please review!