Warning, upsetting flashback
Ginger and the other hens had just showed Rocky how to play cricket, though it took longer than expected since the American rooster wasn't familiar with too many things in the United Kingdom but he was happy to learn new stuff. He would occasionally glance over at his new mate while they played but the ginger hen was too focused on the game to take notice of his brown eyes staring at her
Rocky broke away from his thoughts after hearing, "Game! Ginger's team won! Great job guys!"
Ginger high fives the hens who were on her team. She felt great to have beaten Rocky and his team even if he was still new to the game and how it worked. She ducked under the net and approached the rooster, a smile on her face. "Hey fly boy. You did well."
Rocky blushed a little at his nickname and rubbed the back of his neck. "You did good too, babydoll. But I think I need a lot more practice if I'm ever going to beat you." He said and looked the hen in her eyes.
Ginger giggles and tucked herself into Rocky's side, leaning against him for a moment as Rocky puts his wings around her. She didn't know how long they stayed like that but came to after hearing Rocky clear his throat.
"Shall we go for a quick dip in the pond?" Rocky asked as he moved his wings away from his mate
Ginger nods and grabbed one of his wings as they walked away from the sanctuary and carefully down to the water's edge that surrounded the little island
"I could do without the rocks. They're a little pointy." Rocky complained and stepped over them to avoid the irritating pokes on his feet from the gravel
Ginger chuckled and shook her head at him. She slowly walked into the water but didn't didn't go too far out, staying near the bank. Rocky joined her and scooped up some water in his wings as he lightly washed his feathers with the cool refreshing liquid. It was quiet between the two as they washed themselves until Ginger broke the silence
"Rocky? Do you think maybe we could...uh well..." The british hen stammered and tried to find the right words to tell her mate
Rocky shook out his feathers and listened patiently to Ginger while he washed his tail feathers
Ginger sighed in defeat and hung her head in shame. "Forget it. It's nothing."
Rocky took notice of her behavior in her tone of voice and looked in her direction. It wasn't like Ginger to give up on...well anything. Even something as a conversation considering how much of a leader she is to the other hens. Something was bothering her and the rooster knew it. But what could keep this feisty strong headed hen from giving in to the agony of defeat?
He moved closer to her, a worried expression on his face. "Ginger, what's wrong? You know that you can tell me anything. Even if it's about grass." He jokes in an attempt to make her feel better.
Ginger smiles a bit and looked at him. How did she get so lucky as to meet a rooster especially as handsome and funny like Rocky? She may have disliked him at first but now she couldn't bear to be apart from him for more than an hour or so. She reached a wing up to his face and gently caresses his cheek, making him lean into her touch and closing his worrisome eyes for a moment. She slowly moved her wing back to her side and took a deep breath. How could she tell him that she wants to have chicks with him when they have only been mates for a few weeks?
Rocky took a step forward and held Ginger's wings. "Hey, I'm here for you. You know that. I will always be with you, doll-face."
Ginger nods and gave his wings a gentle squeeze. 'Here goes nothing.' She thought, looking straight at Rocky.
"I- I want to have chicks with you." She said calmly, almost quietly as Rocky just barely heard her
"Really?" He asked out of shock. Rocky never thought she'd want to have chicks with him considering they were still getting used to being a couple. And that the chicks on the sanctuary were his as Fowler was too old to reproduce so it was Rocky's responsibility to fertilize their eggs with no other roosters being around.
"Yes. I know it's a little weird since you're the father of everyone's chicks but I love you. You're my husband and I would love to have chicks with you." Ginger replies
"Well, then let's have chicks." He smiles
Ginger gasped, tackling Rocky as they both fell into the shallow end of the water, laughing joyfully. The couple shared a long passionate kiss before getting up and out of the water and heading back to their hut.
Two foxes from across the sanctuary saw the chickens and licked their chops, stomachs rumbling on cue at the sight of the scrumptious birds. They didn't know how the chickens got there but it would certainly be an easy meal, every fox knows that chickens don't fly.
"Those will be enough to feed us for a month at least." Sly drools
"Yeah! Why hunt when there's an island full of chickens?" Trixi agreed with her brother
They both slunk away into the bushes to think of a plan to outwit the dumb birds, unaware that several of the chicks playing near the edge had spotted the foxes. They exchanged glances before running to their mothers, chirping spastically. The chicks told the hens what they saw once they caught their breath. A red dog with a bushy tail? Maybe their chicks were out in the sun too long or they needed a nap. They went to Rocky and Ginger's hut to hopefully get some answers
Bunty knocks on the door and waited for them to answer. There was some mumbling before hearing feet walking to the door. Ginger opened the hut door and looked at the hens in surprise. What were they doing here? Why were their feathers ruffled? Why did they look anxious? Rocky went over to his wife
"What's going on?" The rooster asked, crossing his wings
"The chicks said they saw strange looking dogs with red fur and bushy tails. I think they were out in the sun too long." A dark feathered hen told the couple
Ginger and Rocky exchanged looks. This wasn't good. Foxes. They both knew that foxes preyed upon chickens, Rocky's parents warning him from his days on the barnyard and Ginger's mother telling her daughter stories of those red furred devils raiding chicken huts and those alike in the day or at night. But they don't remember seeing any from when they first arrived on the sanctuary.
"It was probably their imagination. Nothing to worry about, gals." Rocky reassures the worried British hens
The once tense hens have now relaxed, feeling no need to be afraid anymore of being preyed on. They went back to their busy carefree lives. No harm would ever come to them anymore now that they were free of the Tweedys. Or so it may seem... the chickens were unaware of becoming the snacks of two hungry foxes from a nearby island
A chick ran up to the couple, chirping and jumping up excitedly, causing them to smile at the adorable little chicken. One day they'll have chicks of their own to admire and play with.
"Papa! Come watch me, come watch me! Mac's giving turns on the catapult!" The chick chirps
"Alright, I'll watch." Rocky smiles
The chick ran off and Rocky followed after. Ginger walked behind her husband, wanting to accompany him. "Do you really think there are foxes around here?" She couldn't help but ask
"Relax, I'm sure it was nothing. The only dangerous thing around here is Bunty." Rocky looks back at Ginger and held her wing. She smiles and took her place at Rocky's side, earning a chuckle from the rooster.
The next day...
Ginger moaned and rubbed her stomach. She had been feeling cramps all morning and it was painful for the British hen. She usually didn't feel like this when she normally laid eggs but this was certainly different. Rocky added some more bedding to Ginger's bunk and the hen tried to get comfortable but she was still in pain. Rocky stayed by her side, holding her wing for comfort. He didn't like to see his wife in pain or discomfort. Ginger closed her eyes and squeezed Rocky's wing several times before standing up. Rocky gasped in awe at the sight of an egg. Ginger sits back down to keep the egg warm, her mate giving her a gentle peck on the cheek. The hen laid three more eggs and Rocky stayed with her while she kept them warm.
"Oh, I can't wait for them to hatch!" Ginger beamed with excitement
"You and me both, doll face." Rocky said
They heard a loud noise coming from outside and looked at each other. The American rooster got up and went outside to investigate while Ginger sat on the eggs. The hens had gathered around two strange creatures, mumbling to each other what they could be. Rocky approached the crowd and stopped in his tracks as he saw what they were, his heart skipping a beat. Foxes. This brought him back to his barnyard days
flashback*
Young Rocky explored the barnyard, straying away from the other chickens and the safety of the coop. He giggled as the little rooster wandered over to the fence that surrounded the property, a gentle breeze whipping the grass. But Rocky stopped when he saw a flash of red. He wasn't sure what it was but he knew it probably wasn't friendly. Rocky then heard distressed crows and squawking coming from the chicken coop. He hurried back to the coop to see a fox exiting the chicks home with one of his siblings in its mouth, dead. Rocky suddenly recognized the red color from what he saw in the grass. He was too dazed to realize the fox had ran off and the other had been eyeing the chick. Rocky was interrupted from his daze from the clucking of his mother
"Rocky! Get inside!" She cried out
Rocky had started to make his way towards the coop when the other fox leapt out of the grass and ran straight for the little rooster. Rocky looked back and gasped, running for his life.
"Momma!!!" He yelled for help
The fox was about to snatch the chick when a gunshot went off. The farmer had shot the red devil dead. Rocky stopped running and looked at the dead fox in horror. His mother ran over and nuzzles her baby worriedly
"Are you alright, my little dreamer?" She asked softly. Her voice was always comforting as it was smooth as silk. Rocky looked up at his mother and nodded
"Yes momma." He said
Rocky's father approached, a look of anger and disgust on his face. "How many times do I have to tell you?! Stop wandering off! You almost got yourself killed, boy! Worthless excuse of a rooster!" He bellowed
Rocky sniffles and buried his face into his mother's feathers
"It got Shane." He sobbed, rubbing his head against her
Rocky's mother gently rubbed his back and tried to comfort her son, glaring at his father. Rocky's father glared back and returned to the coop. The chick sniffles and looked up at his mother, wiping away his tears
"Don't listen to your father. You're going to be a wonderful rooster when you grow up. Being different from the others is what makes you unique. You'll always be my little dreamer." She smiled down at her son
Rocky nodded and watched as the farmer dragged away the foxes body. He would never forget what those demons did to his brother
end of flashback*
Rocky felt someone shake him and looked to see who it was. It was no other than the roundest but sweetest hen he's ever met, Babs. She was also the dullest hen too
"Are you alright, Mr. Rhodes? You look like you saw a ghost." She asked, knitting away on a little hat
Rocky nodded and ran a wing through his comb. He turned his attention back to the foxes. Oh how he disliked them with a burning passion
"What a lovely little colony of ladies we have here!" Sly said in an attempt to gain the dumb birds trust
The hens stayed quiet, murmuring amongst themselves on wether or not to trust these strangers. "My brother is right. You ladies have out done yourself." Trixi chimed in, surveying the crowd of chickens. Her eyes landed on Rocky and she tilted her head, a smile creeping across her face
"You look familiar, rooster..."
Dun dun dun!!!!! I tried to make this chapter as exciting as possible!!!