Primal.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything except any OC's, the plot/storyline and maybe some other things I can't think of atm. Everything else belongs to the Mouse and other owners respectively.
Prologue.
"Cheese and crackers." sighed the bunny as she ran a paw across her damp forehead.
Stuck in Sahara Square at midday, the hottest time of the day, during the lunch hour rush, on her way to pick up and order? And on top of that, stuck with a 7 year-old bunny who apparently did not know the meaning of the phrase 'keep still?' No, no it was not a good day for Miss. Beatrix Bunton, who sighed once again in exasperation as she noted her daughter drifting away again.
"Suzie." she warned. The little bunny instantly froze, knowing that tone of voice all too well; one more step, instant grounding. Suzie turned her head around slowly, her little pink nose twitching in innocence. "What?" she asked just as innocently, though she knew very well what she had been doing.
"You know very well what," said her mother, repeating verbally her daughter's thoughts. "If I catch you trying to wander off again you'll get no dessert after dinner tonight. No pawsicle, just dinner and then straight to bed," she threatened as she waggled a finger in her daughter's face in warning.
Suzie pouted.
"But Tilly told me all about this new toy shop in Sahara Square called Claws 'R Us! She said it's where she got the brand new action figure for Kung Fu Panda 3 and it's right there! Can we go look Mum please?" she begged as she pointed out said shop, her feet jumping in an excitable jig.
Her mother sighed and rubbed her eyes tiredly.
"You just had your birthday; you have all those other figures from the movie at home. Why in Zootopia do you need this one?" she asked.
"Because," Suzie drawled, clearly not impressed with her mother's lack of knowledge concerning toys. "This one has voice and karate actions; non of the ones at home do that!"
"I'll say again; you just had your birthday. You're not getting it."
"But Tilly-"
"I don't care about what Tilly has or what Tilly gets because I'm not her mother; I'm your mother you're not getting it. End of story Suzie and that's final," her mother snapped, patience finally lost to the heat of the day.
Ears drooping in defeat, Suzie muffled an 'okay' to her mother and shuffled sulkily to her side, clasping the paw held out for her to hold.
As they walked along the pavement, Miss. Bunton couldn't help but feel a small pang of guilt. A sudden thought came to mind, and she smiled softly to herself.
"You know..." she started slowly, glancing casually at Suzie to spot any reactions. Nothing so far.
"...Christmas is coming up soon."
Aha. A small twitch of the ears. She grinned a little wider.
"If you're a very good bunny from now up till Christmas..."
A glance, ears erect; she now had Suzie's full attention.
"I'll tell Santa Paws all about your good behaviour and ask if he'll put it under the tree when he visits."
A gasp. "REALLY?!"
Bingo. Moody crisis averted. A full blown smile made its way across Miss. Bunton's face.
"But," she warned as she pulled Suzie to a stop in front of her. "I don't want to hear anymore about this action figure or any other toy, and no more asking for things until Christmas; understand?"
Suzie nodded with so much gusto her ears shook wildly around her head. Her mother laughed softly as she pulled Suzie into a tight hug, one which Suzie responded to immediately, sinking deeply into her mother's warmth and love.
"That's my smart little bun," her mother whispered as she began tickling her daughter's sides. Giggles immediately rose around the two.
"Mum stop that t-tickles please!" Suzie laughed as she tried fruitlessly to escape.
With laughter and chuckles, both started up the high-street again, with Suzie now happily skipping and humming as she held her mother's hand.
~ ᴖᴥᴖ ~
"What do you mean you don't have my order?!" Miss. Bunton raged. After reconciling with Suzie, both had made their way to their original destination; Peter's Post Box, a small postal office located on the high-street of Sahara Square, and the current reason behind Miss. Bunton's short fuse.
The one receiving said anger, a wiry-haired stoat by the name of Lurie, seemed to cower under Bunton's harsh glare.
"T-there seems to h-have been a mix up in a few orders m-miss," he stated feebly. "We're currently t-trying to s-sort it all out and get to the bot-tom of it a-all, b-but un-nfortunately that means your o-order is delayed for a minimum o-of t-wo weeks at least..maybe more."
"Two weeks?!" cried Bunton. "I can't wait that long! My client wants his order by next week and I need my order now to finish his order for next week!"
"I'm sorry miss," Lurie replied. "But there's n-nothing I can do. I can try calling the m-manager-"
"Yes please do," she snapped, temper as frayed as an aged carpet.
"Right away miss!" squeaked the poor stoat, physically relieved to turn away from the angered bunny and to the more placid (if kinder) telephone. Such a kind telephone...
Sighing frustratedly and closing her eyes tiredly, Bunton turned her head to Suzie, who had been sitting quietly beside her...
"I'm so sorry for taking so long sweetie. I'll only be a few minutes more and then we'll go on home okay?"
...or so she thought.
She opened her eyes.
No Suzie.
She looked around the shop for her daughter. Nothing. A small wedge of panic settled in her chest. "Suzie?" she called as she looked around a little more wildly.
"Excuse me," she asked turning to two elderly sheep behind her. "Did you see a little bunny walking around in here? With black fur, green eyes? Wearing a yellow dress?"
They hummed and looked at each other thoughtfully. "Now that you mention it," one began. "I do believe I recall seeing something of that description walk out the door I few minutes ago. Don't you Betty?" she said, turning to her companion.
Betty nodded instantly. "Oh yes," she rasped. "I do recall because I remember thinking 'my what a lovely colour' when I saw the dress. Very pretty. It also reminded me of the daffodils in my garden," she added.
"Out the door?" Bunton echoed in confusion. Why would she...
As she looked out of the window she noted that, just a couple of shops down the opposite street, lay a vibrantly coloured toy shop.
"Oh that is it," she hissed angrily. The two sheep looked at her in surprise.
"Pardon my dear?" one asked warily.
Bunton sighed. "It seems my daughter decided to take off to that new toy shop over there after I specifically told her not to. She is most definitely grounded when we get home!"
Betty patted her paw fondly. "No matter what gender or species, children will be children!" she chuckled. "Go on and catch her; we'll keep your space open at the till, won't we Bea?" Her companion nodded, a toothy grin on her face.
"Make sure to give her a good box on the ear; always worked when my little ones strayed out of line!"
Bunton smiled. "Thank you both so much. I promise to be quick; you can even help me with the guilt treatment," she winked slyly as she walked towards the door, hearing laughter behind her.
Once outside she made a beeline for the shop, her foot just crossing onto the road when -
Screech!
Jumping backwards, she just managed to avoid the large red van careering towards her at a ridiculous speed. Sprawled on the pavement, she turned her head to follow the van, mouth open to scream obscenities at the driver -
And she froze.
Green, terrified eyes, a little pink nose and a mouth open in a silent scream stared at her from the van's rear-window, until it all disappeared under a huge hairy paw, which dragged the little face below the window and out of sight.
But Bunton knew that little face, had had it memorised since the day she'd first seen it clearly in the hospital 7 years ago, all wrapped up in a fluffy white blanket and held tenderly in her arms.
She screamed.
"SUZIE!"
~ ᴖᴥᴖ ~
Hey guys. This is the same story as the one I deleted, which I deleted because I didn't like it, then I deleted it AGAIN because I had no faith in myself as a writer and kept stressing out over it because I'm a stickler for perfection so...yeah.
So I apologise in advance if chapter updates are not often and more so sporadic, but I hope you enjoy what I do have uploaded!
- OFM.