One Amazing Animal

In memory of Hamley the giraffe. R.I.P :( If any of you don't know, Hamley the giraffe died yesterday (8/11/10) after being struck by lightning, you can find articles online and theres links off the proboards WAH forum.

Bascially gonna be Danice talking about him.

Danny and Alice were sat on the veranda of Leopards Den, their ramble shacked yet picturesque home, curled up together talking. A sad atmosphere hung in the air, the whole family were deeply upset by the death of the giraffe that was so special to them, but the most affected had to be Danny and Alice themselves, who had found him with no way of helping; if it hadn't been for Hamley, they wouldn't be together now.

"It's gonna be weird without him." Alice commented sadly as she stared out over Leopards Den, her eyes directed to the north where the Copy sat, the place Hamley had loved, the place where she and Danny had declared their love for one another under Hamley's approving eye.

"I know." Danny whispered quietly. "He did so much for us..."

"Yeh... I remember the first day he came." Alice said softly circling her fingers on Danny's chest as she fell into deep thought. "It was the auction, I'd bought him behind your back and we were both sulking... you were being all sulky and then Rowan came..." Alice stopped a moment. "Me and Dupe took him out into the bush, and then, we went in the storm, and we saved him... it's weird too think a storm took him..."

"I remember him coming back that morning." Danny added, "I walked outside and saw you stood there, god I can't even begin to describe how I felt, I remember just smiling like a love struck idiot. He looked so happy with you there." Danny swallowed. "Then we were gonna take him back to the copy but Georgina wouldn't let me go."

"Yeh, and then I argued with Rowan... and set off on my own..." She smiled. "I talked to him all the way there, telling him how crap my life was, how I loved you and I didn't think you loved me, bitching about Vanessa. He agreed she was a bitch at the time."

"Did he really?" Danny chuckled.

"Yeh he told me." Alice smiled softly as a tear trickled down her cheek. Hamley had been such a huge part of her life, he'd been a bit of a best friend to her. Followed her all over as well.

"Then you let him go, I came and that's when it all started." Danny spoke softly, "And he's been in our life's ever since."

"Sticking his nose in our business." Alice chuckled. "I can't believe he's gone!" Alice began to cry into Danny's chest as he held her tightly.

"He's only gone in the body Alice, he'll always be with us... in here." He pointed to her head, "In here." He pointed to her heart, "And, he'll be all around us, in spirit."

Alice nodded, she knew he was right.

"But, it's..." Alice's voice broke. "It's not going to be the same."

"I know." Danny whispered squeezing his eyes tight, his voice scratched and hoarse, he stroked her hair gently as they spoke.

"I mean, we'll never feed him again, laughing at the way he licks your hands and won't leave you alone until he's had his fill. We'll never have a random conversation with him." Alice sighed. "He'll never intrude on us."

"Yeh, like the time we were operating on Freddy the Zebra, and he popped his head through an open window and got stuck!" Danny smiled as Alice chuckled remembering. "We had to cut him out, you feeding him as I tried to get him out!"

"And when we left the window open in our room!" Alice smiled. "We thought like Olivia or Charlie were playing a trick on us and we were not in the best position or covered too well haha!"

"Oh yeh I remember." Danny grinned as Alice continued.

"We both like jumped apart and you hit you head on the back of the bed and we sorta just pulled the duvet up and then he popped his head through the curtains! How he did it we'll never know!" Alice chuckled.

"Ahh yes! And the time he chased that guy up the tree!" Danny added. "I remember when you got a mouthful of him too!"

"Oh god! I know!" Alice giggled. "We're were about to kiss and we were sorta going in slow mo for some reason, and then I got this taste of fur and a massive tongue on my face!"

"Ahh yes! Luckily I saw him in time!" Danny chuckled.

"Yeh well he weren't much different to you really I don't suppose." Alice teased. "And he was way sexier!"

"If it wasn't Hamley I'd be offended!" Danny chuckled.

Alice nodded, "He was a legend, our legend."

"He was your boy though... mummy's boy!"

"I think he loved his daddy!" Alice smiled. "I remember you feeding him... and insulting him... the early bird catches the worm, or the giraffe with worms at least! Poor Hamley!"

"Hey, come on." Danny took Alice's hand, she stood up with a confused look upon her face. He pulled her into the study and sat down at the computer. Alice sat on his knee as Danny ran through all the files.

"Aha!" He grinned, "Here we go."

Alice smiled as she looked at the pictures on the screen. Danny had filed all the Hamley pictures together in case they needed them for a brochure. There were hundreds of all the family with him, funny ones of him, cute ones. Both Danny and Alice were crying steadily by the time it finished.

"We should frame a couple. One for the animal hospital and one for the house." Alice commented.

"Yeh! Look here's one we took just last week, with all of us there with him!" Danny pointed out, "Would be a great one for the house."

"Yeh definitely!" Alice smiled, this one for the animal hospital.

She moved the mouse to a picture she'd always adored. It showed her and Danny with Hamley, they looked in love and happy, laughing and smiling. Hamley was looking down on them excitedly. He looked stunning.

"I love that one." Danny agreed softly. He reached out slowly and touched Hamley, Alice placed her hand over his and both looked up at one another.

"We'll never forget him." Alice mumbled.

"Never, he was one amazing animal." Danny spoke softly. "Rest in peace Hamley."

Danny and Alice looked to him on the computer screen... he'd never leave Leopards Den.

A/N – I know it's a bit crap and short but I have loads to do! :( x