A/N: Here is part two of my Sheriff Callie's Wild West fic, and it's way longer than part one. What I had originally planned for this, as stated in chapter 1, happens here in this chapter. Well...most of it, anyway.

So, sit back, eat some cookies or popcorn or whatever, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Sheriff Callie's Wild West. The only things I own are Timothy and his henchmen.

You've Got My Attention

Part 2: The Confrontation

Nice 'n Friendly Corners Hotel

The doors to the hotel room shuddered with each knock. Laying on the bed with a newspaper folded over his chest, the room's occupant, a brown-furred deer, groaned. "Alright, Tim, no need to get your whiskers in a twist," he muttered. He got up from the bed and opened the door.

When he saw Timothy's angry face, he couldn't help but smirk. "Let me guess," he said. "Got rejected again?"

"Shut up, Whitetail," Timothy snarled, stalking into the room. He tossed his hat onto a small bed. "One day, I'm going to get even with 'im..."

"With who?" Whitetail asked. He reached inside the icebox and broke open a bottle of apple cider; it looked like the cat would need it tonight.

"With who? Who else? It's that loudmouthed deputy of hers!" Timothy said.

"The woodpecker?"

"Yeah, him. He thinks he can just interfere in my personal business whenever he likes," Timothy said. "Well, I'll show him! I'll show him and that stupid cactus that follows him around just what happens when they mess with me!"

Whitetail poured some cider in a glass and handed it to Timothy. "Reckon you ain't gonna leave 'til you get your revenge," he mused.

"Darn straight." Timothy paused to down his entire glass in one gulp. He belched and then wiped his mouth with his paw. "An' if I have to use him to get her, then so be it."

"So...what're you gonna do?" Whitetail asked. "Sheriff Callie might not want to talk to ya after whatever you've done. You're not one to be discreet."

"Shut up, I'm thinkin'," Timothy said. He snatched the bottle of cider and filled another glass for himself. Right as he was putting the glass to his lips, his eyes lit up. And then, he smirked. "Heh...well, that ain't too bad of an idea at all..."

"What idea?" Whitetail asked.

"Gather the others an' bring 'em in here. Mark my words, that deputy's gonna wish he never opened his big beak," Timothy laughed, before taking a sip of his cider.

Several days later...

Mornings in Nice 'n Friendly Corners were nice and quiet, with very little going on other than the townspeople walking by. Sheriff Callie smiled as she looked at the peaceful scene from her position on the porch, drinking some ice cold milk from a metal mug. So far, it looked like it was going to be a trouble free day, and she'd need it.

"Mornin', Sheriff Callie!"

Callie's ears perked up at that, and she turned to face Priscilla Skunk, who was walking over to her, pink parasol in hand. "Mornin', Priscilla. How are ya?"

"Oh, I'm jus' fine, Sheriff. It's you that I'm worried about," she replied.

Callie blinked. "Pardon?"

"Well, I was over at Ella's this morning, and she told me all about what happened a few days ago at the saloon! That must've been an awful situation, don't you think?" she said.

Callie sighed. That incident at the saloon was the last thing she wanted to think about right then. "It was. Toby and I had to step in before a fight broke out between the two of them," she replied.

"Oh, thank goodness Peck intervened when he did. Who knows what he could've done?"

"I know. An' that's what worries me," Callie said. "You haven't seen him around, have you?"

"Nope. But I know that if I did, I'd like to give him a nice smack on the head with this," Priscilla said, holding up her purse for emphasis. "Honestly, what kinda fella does somethin' like that, especially in front of a lady?"

"A crazy one, that's for sure." Uncle Bun walked up to them then, carrying a crate full of apples. "I'd say you should stay away from him, Sheriff, but that's right hard, what with him sendin' gifts and all."

"Don't you guys worry," Callie said, standing up from leaning over the railing. "I can handle 'im if he gets to be any trouble, and if he keeps it up, I've got Toby an' Peck to help."

Just then, Toby shouted from inside, "Hey, Sheriff Callie! Breakfast is ready!"

"Alright, I'll be right in!" she answered. She turned to face Priscilla and Uncle Bun. "I've gotta go, guys. Thanks for your concern, though."

"Anytime, Sheriff!" Uncle Bun said.

As soon as Callie had made her way into the office, Uncle Bun leaned towards Priscilla. "Do you think we should've told her our reason as to why Peck defended her?" he whispered.

Priscilla gasped. "Of course we can't, Uncle Bun! She's already got enough to worry about, what with that Timothy hangin' around," Priscilla said. "Findin' out that Peck's in love with her would only distract her!"

Breakfast was a chatty affair. Thankfully for Callie, Toby was yammering on about the newest issue of the Saguaro Ted comics and not what had happened several days ago. Of course, being in a small town such as Nice 'n Friendly Corners meant that one's business was everyone's business.

"...an' what's even crazier is the endin'! They end up gettin' trapped in a mine chocked full of dynamite that's about to explode, an' their only hope, Deputy Hop-a-Long, is miles away!" Toby recounted excitedly. He took another bite of cereal and flipped open the book to the final page in question. "They said the next issue's supposed to come out next month, but I don't think I can wait that long!"

Callie chuckled. "I bet you can manage to wait a few more weeks," she said. "But that does sound like a great storyline, don't you think, Peck?"

Peck jolted, dropping his spoon into his bowl of oatmeal. "Oh, uh, yeah," he replied. He blinked in confusion. "Uh...what were ya talkin' about?"

"You mean you weren't listenin' at all?" Toby asked, sounding somewhat hurt.

"Sorry, Toby. Reckon I went off into my own world for a second there," he said, offering up a nervous smile.

Toby crossed his arms. "Now I'm gonna have ta explain everythin' all over again!" he groaned.

Callie looked over at Peck curiously as he stirred up his oatmeal. He hadn't said much of anything since coming down for breakfast. It wasn't like the woodpecker to become silent, especially around breakfast time; next to Cody, he had the fastest mouth in town.

"Are ya alright, Peck?" she asked. "You're not sick or anythin', are ya?"

"No, I'm fine, Sheriff. Just don't have much of an appetite, that's all," he said. He set his spoon down. "Can I be excused?"

"Only if I come with ya," Callie said. She then turned towards Toby. "We'll be back in a bit, Toby. Afterwards, we'll take care of the chores."

"Sure thing, Sheriff Callie," Toby said.

Callie and Peck left the table, heading for the front porch. Callie closed the door so that Toby wouldn't overhear, and then turned towards Peck. "Alright, Peck. What's goin' on with ya?"

"Oh, it's nothin', Sheriff," he answered. His despondent face showed otherwise, though. "Like I said, I jus' don't have much of an appetite."

"You, not havin' an appetite for trail mix oatmeal?" Callie asked, one eye narrowed.

A beat. "...okay, so I may've had somethin' on my mind," Peck answered finally, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "It's somethin' I shouldn't be thinkin' about, to be honest, but..."

"Peck, if there's somethin' botherin' you, you can tell me," Callie said, walking over to him.

"You won't judge me or anythin', right?"

"Of course not, Peck. You're my deputy, but more importantly, one of my friends," Callie said, patting him on the shoulder. "I wanna help you with whatever's botherin' you."

Peck's face colored briefly, and then he coughed. "W-Well, uh...you might be angry about this, but I was thinkin' about that Timothy fella," he said.

"How come?" Callie asked.

"Well, I couldn't help but think of what he was sayin'," he said. "He said that one day you'd be his."

"Aw, Peck. He's not gonna make me his. Besides, after what he did, there's no way I'm gonna be with someone like him," she replied.

"Thing is, fellas like Timothy never stop," Peck said. "They'll try anythin' to get what they want. And what he wants is you. A part of me thinks that he's just spewin' a bunch of hot air...but what if he isn't? What if he actually does somethin' crazy to get to ya? What if...w-what if he actually hurts you or somethin'?" He hung his head low, worry in his eyes. "I couldn't bear it if somethin' like that happened..."

Callie's frown deepened. "Oh, Peck..."

"I mean, you're an important person in this town. You've got lots of friends here, and people look up to ya, respect ya...heck, I might as well say that they love ya," Peck continued. "A lot of people would be devastated if somethin' happened to you. I know I would be. An' if you were forced to run off with 'im-"

Callie's paws grasped his hands. He looked up at her, expecting anger on her face, but he saw only confidence in her bright green eyes. A small smile was on her face, one of gratitude. "I appreciate your concern, Peck, but you don't have to worry 'bout Timothy comin' after me an' doin' anythin'. I can protect myself; after all, I've always got my trusty lasso by my side. And I know that you'll come in and defend me, jus' like you did a few days ago," she said. She chuckled. "And I know I won't have to ask Toby to do so. So you don't have to worry about anythin' like that happenin'. It won't."

Peck sighed, and a real smile came on his face. "Thanks for cheerin' me up, Sheriff. I guess I was gettin' worried over nothin'."

"I can't blame you for bein' worried. Most of the townspeople are, but I told them that I'll be fine," Callie said. "Nobody's comin' in to take me away."

"That's a relief. I was worried 'bout that for a second there, too," Peck said.

Callie blinked in surprise. "What do you mean, Peck?" she asked.

Peck blinked, and then he blushed. "Oh...uh...shucks, what a way to put me on the spot," he muttered.

"Peck, you can tell me," she said, releasing one of his hands to put one of hers on his shoulder. "If it's anythin' embarrassin', I won't tell anybody."

Peck swallowed. "Okay," he said. Taking a deep breath, he started with, "Sheriff Callie, t-there's somethin' that I've been meanin' to tell you for a while. Truth is, the reason I was worried 'bout that Timothy fella takin' you away is because-"

"Oh, Sheriff! I have somethin' to give-oh...I-I'm sorry. Was I interruptin' somethin'?"

Callie and Peck both turned around to face Cody, the town's mailman, who stared at them with wide eyes. Following his line of sight, they then realized that they were still holding hands. Peck froze up, but Callie took up answering for him. "Ah, no, not really, Cody," she replied. She let go of Peck's hand and walked over to the roadrunner, who was fishing out a large package from inside his mailbag. "What's goin' on?"

"You've got a package, Sheriff," Cody said, handing her the box in question. "Don't know who'd be sendin' it, though. There's no return address!"

"Hmm...I'll check it out," she said. "Thanks, Cody!"

"Anytime, Sheriff! I'd love to stay an' chat, but I've gotta run!" Cody said. "See ya!" And before either of them could say a word, he was gone.

Callie walked inside the office, but paused and then turned towards Peck. "You said you had somethin' that you were gonna tell me?" she asked.

"Oh, uh...n-nothin', Sheriff. It wasn't anythin' important," Peck replied quickly. "You go on' an' see to your package."

"Well, if you're sure, Peck," she said. She made her way inside, placing the package on the floor. "This has gotta be the biggest thing I've ever gotten!"

"What is it?" Toby asked, walking over to the sheriff.

"Only one way to find out," she replied. Using a knife she had on hand, she cut the tape that sealed the top of the box, set the knife aside, and then pried open the package. She gasped. "What in whiskers?" She pulled out a box of chocolates that was nearly as big as the box itself. "Who in the world would send me somethin' like this?"

"Probably another suitor, I reckon," Toby said.

"You know, I'm gettin' right tired of all these suitors," Peck huffed.

"Well, let's hope this one's better than the last one," Callie replied. She pulled off a piece of paper that was attached to the box. "At least he had the decency to leave a note." She opened it and started reading. "'Dear Sheriff, I know that this isn't quite the apology that you wanted, but I do hope it makes up for my crude behavior several days ago. And please send Deputy Peck my apologies as well; I tend to say things that I don't mean when I'm angry. I do hope you'll give me another chance, and if you're up for it, we can still go for that tuna salad sandwich. Signed, Timothy.'"

"Timothy sent you another gift?" Toby said.

"Along with another offer for a date," Callie sighed, a hint of irritation in her voice. "Reckon he's right set on havin' me as his girlfriend."

"Well, he'll just have ta get unset on it!" Peck replied. "Ain't nobody comin' in here an' messin' with the sheriff, not on my watch!"

Callie stared at Peck as he walked out the door. "Peck, what are ya doin'?" she asked.

"I'm gonna go out there an' tell him to back off," Peck said. "It's like ya said a few days ago, Sheriff. He thinks you're some sort of prize, an' you're not. I'm gonna change that thinkin' of his, on account of I'm the deputy of this here town!"

The door shut behind him with an ominous slam. Toby turned towards Callie.

"Uh...you think we should go after him?" he asked worriedly. "Sometimes, Peck gets himself into trouble when he does somethin' like this."

"That'd be the best idea, Toby," Callie said. "Come on."

With that, both Callie and Toby rushed out of the office.

Peck walked into the hotel, where the hotelier, a tan-furred coyote, was currently engaged in paperwork. He looked up briefly at Peck before burying himself in his work again. "Yes, what is it, Deputy?" he asked.

"Excuse me, I'd like to know where a fella named Timothy is stayin'," Peck answered. "The townsfolk told me that he was in here."

"Timothy...Timothy..." The hotelier pushed aside a messy stack of papers to check his log book, running a claw under every name listed. "Ah, bingo. He's here. He's staying in Room 236."

"Thank ya kindly, sir," Peck said, walking up the stairs.

Before turning back to his work, the manager turned towards Peck. "Is it legal trouble, Deputy?" he asked.

Peck paused. "You could say that," he replied carefully, and then continued on his way up. It wasn't long before he reached the second floor and he walked down the hallway, checking every door.

His deal with Timothy wasn't legal trouble, per se, although charges of harassment could be applied. No, his deal with this cat was on a personal level, and today he was going to handle it once and for all, no matter what he had to do.

It didn't take him long to find the door. He knocked on it three times and waited for someone to answer. A few seconds later, a calm "Come in" filled the air. Peck turned the doorknob, finding that it was unlocked, and stepped inside. The room was spacious and filled with bright colors, and came complete with a vanity, a closet, a king-sized bed, and several sitting chairs near the window.

And sitting in the chair closest to the window was Timothy, who was sipping from a cup of coffee. He paused when he saw Peck standing there, and his lips formed a smile. "Ah, Deputy Peck. I didn't expect ya to be there. To be honest, I was hopin' it'd be the sheriff," he said.

"You think she'd come lookin' to spend time with you, after you've been harassin' her repeatedly?" Peck demanded.

Timothy shrugged. "I can't help it; ladies love me," he said simply.

"More like they don't have a choice but to," Peck snarled.

"Oh, I give 'em a choice...for the first few times, at least," Timothy said, stirring his coffee cup casually. "Whatever I want, I get."

Peck couldn't help but feel sick to his stomach. "Well, you wasted yer time on Sheriff Callie. She obviously doesn't love ya. And you ain't gonna get her, either," he said.

"I assume she got the gift I sent her?" Timothy asked, taking another sip.

"Yeah, an' she didn't like it one bit."

"More like you didn't like it one bit," Timothy countered. He set the cup down and gave Peck a condescending look. "Honestly, Deputy, why can't you get over my liking her?"

"Because after what you've done, comin' after her even when she told ya no, an' threatenin' to make her yours...honestly, why would I allow someone like you to try courtin' her?" Peck snapped. "She doesn't love you!"

"She certainly doesn't love you, either," Timothy said. He paused. "You know what I think, Peck? I'm thinking of that same thing I told you about a few days ago. You don't want me around the sheriff because you hope to get her for yourself." He laughed. "Typical. You think you're better than me."

Peck's hand balled into a fist. "For your information, I am better than you. I'd never force Callie to be mine, 'specially if she told me that she didn't like me that way," he said.

"And why would she like you? You two ain't even the same species!" Timothy said. "Imagine a cat like her with a woodpecker like you. It's enough to make one shudder, right?"

Peck's balled fist shuddered again. "You'd better take that back..."

"I'm pretty sure the sheriff knows the standards," Timothy continued. "She wouldn't be caught dead with you as her boyfriend. I wouldn't be surprised if she rejected ya the same way she rejected me. In fact, I'd laugh."

Heat flared onto Peck's face. "E-Even if she did...I wouldn't go after her, not like you have," he said. "I value her as a person, not...not a conquest! An' she's more than jus' the person I love, she's my friend! An' I'd never do somethin' to damage our friendship, unlike you, who'd shower her with unwanted attention 'til she snaps an' decides to go with ya jus' so you can leave her alone!"

Timothy sighed. "Now that we've got out points across, I'll have to ask you to leave. I have an appointment with the sheriff," Timothy said, standing up.

"You ain't goin' anywhere, Timothy." Peck stepped into the room, his eyes set into a hard glare. "This is gonna be the only time I say it: back off. You ain't gettin' to her, not while I have anythin' to say about it."

"Like I said, Peck," Timothy said, smiling, "whatever I want, I get."

The door slammed shut. Peck whirled around to face a large deer with a baton raised over his head. He slammed the baton into Peck's head, sending stars in his vision. In his blurry state, he didn't see two other cats coming towards him with bats. He had no time to defend himself; a whack to the head from both sent him to the floor, his head exploding with pain.

He heard muffled laughter, and he groaned. "Ugh...you...y-you tricked me..."

"An' you fell for it, hook, line an' sinker," Timothy said. He turned towards the deer. "Whitetail, get a bucket. I told ya I was gonna make a couple of bucks offa his feathers."

"Y-You wouldn't-"

"Oh, I would. An' I bet Sheriff Callie will agree to go out with me when she sees you," he said. He leaned in close to Peck's ear, a mocking smile on his face. "Of course, she'd do it only so her poor, stupid deputy doesn't lose any more of his dignity, but in time, she'll learn to love me." He chuckled. "She'll learn, jus' like the others."

As Whitetail started plucking off his feathers, Peck mentally sent up a prayer. Callie, if you're out there, help!

The doors to the hotel slammed open again, and the hotelier looked up in irritation. "What's going on now?"

"Excuse me," Callie started, "but have ya seen my deputy?"

"Your deputy..." The coyote scratched his chin. "Ah, right! He went upstairs looking for someone named Timothy. I gave him the room number an' everything! He's up in Timothy's room. Room 236."

Toby turned towards Callie. "That sure explains where he went," he said.

"Come on, Toby! We've gotta find 'im before it's too late!" Callie cried.

She and her deputy rushed up the stairs, heading directly for Timothy's room. Skidding to a stop in front of it, Callie knocked on the door.

"Peck? Deputy Peck, are you in there?" she shouted, knocking on the door.

A loud, muffled cry came from inside, followed by a thump, and someone hissing "Shut yer beak!" A second later, Timothy said, "Come in, Sheriff. I'm always open to visitors."

Callie opened the door, and what she saw made her and Toby gasp in shock. Peck was in the center of the room, hog tied and missing most of his feathers. Surrounding him were two other cats, colored a cream orange and a light grey, respectively, and a whitetailed deer who stood behind Peck with a bucket that was filled with his feathers. The woodpecker looked up forlornly at the calico. He tried to speak, but his beak was taped shut.

Timothy stepped in front of Peck then, a smile on his face. "About time ya showed up, Sheriff," he said.

Callie's paws balled into fists. "What have you done to Peck?" she demanded.

Timothy and his crewmembers laughed. "Oh, he shot off his big beak when he wasn't supposed to," he said. "So, I decided that we'd teach him a lesson."

Toby stepped forwards, a rare angry expression on his face. "Let 'im go!" he cried. "He was jus' defendin' the sheriff from someone like you!"

"No, he was stickin' his beak where he didn't belong!" Timothy snapped. He paused, took a deep breath and then said, "Listen...I can make this whole situation go away, Sheriff. I'll let Peck go an' return the feathers I plucked...if you promise to go out with me."

Callie shuddered. "Not a chance," she said, disgust in her voice. "Why would I want to go out with you after what you've done?"

"Because if you don't..." Timothy reached down and plucked one of Peck's feathers out. The woodpecker let out a muffled shout of pain, and the cat laughed. "I can keep goin' 'til they're all gone. An' goodness knows that it'll take weeks for those feathers to grow back." He plucked another feather out of Peck's head. "So, what will it be, Sheriff?"

Peck shook his head frantically, his voice muffled. Toby turned towards Callie. "Don't do it, Sheriff!" he pleaded.

Trust me, I don't want to, she thought. She looked at Timothy and then at Peck. But I've gotta get Peck out of here. Sighing, she said, "Alright, I'll do it."

Toby gasped, while Peck's eyes widened in fear. Timothy brightened. "Wonderful!" he said.

"But only if you hold to your end of the bargain," Callie said, glaring at Timothy.

"Right, yes, of course," Timothy said. He turned towards Whitetail. "Whitetail, cut 'im loose."

Whitetail pulled out a knife and cut through the bindings that held Peck's wrists and ankles. Both sets of limbs hit the floor with a hard thud. "Heh, he looks more like a chicken than a woodpecker now," he said.

He prepared to rip off the tape covering Peck's beak, but that was when Peck's right foot slammed into his chest, sending him flying backwards. Everyone gasped in surprise as the deer crashed into the wall.

Timothy snarled as he glared at Peck. "You were waitin' for 'im to cut you loose, weren't you?"

Peck peeled off the tape covering his beak. "Yes, I was! An' now that I'm free, I'm gonna take care o' you an' your lot once an' for all!"

"Not a chance! Heinz, Jacques, get 'im!" Timothy yelled, turning towards his two feline companions.

"Sheriff, run!" Peck cried before he was pounced on. He squirmed and struggled under the two cats, who were trying to pin him down. "G-Get goin' while you still can!"

"I ain't leavin' you here, Peck!" Callie said, pulling out her lasso. "An' I'm not about to let these fellas have their way!"

"Neither am I!" Toby said, getting into a fighting stance.

Timothy rushed forwards, aiming for the sheriff, but Toby got to him first, tackling him to the ground. Timothy yelled in surprise and pain as they flew through the air. Whitetail, who was sitting up, was knocked back down by his boss and Toby.

Peck tried to fight back, but the cats on top of him were kicking and scratching him left and right. Jacques raised his boot high in the air, his spur aimed at Peck's face. "Here's somethin' to remember us by, Deputy!" he said, laughing.

He didn't get to hit him in the face. A familiar gold noodle lasso latched around Jacques' leg, and before the feline could react, Callie yanked the lasso, sending him falling to the ground. Heinz had no time to move before she tied him up with the lasso; even with all his struggling, he couldn't move.

Peck sighed with relief as Callie came over to him, and extended his hand to hers. "Thanks, Sheriff," he said. He looked down at himself, noticing that he had almost no feathers, and he sighed. "I-I know I look worse for wear right now, but-"

Callie embraced him in a hug. "I don't care 'bout how ya look right now, Peck! I'm just relieved you're alright!" she said. "You have no idea how worried I was..."

"Sheriff, I-"

A loud shout interrupted Peck's sentence. The next thing he knew, something sharp hit his back, and he screamed in pain. He turned around to find the source of the disturbance, and both he and Callie gasped in shock.

"Toby!" they both cried. The cactus was sitting behind Peck, looking dazed. He had a few bruises on his body, and some of his thorns were missing.

"Ugh...s-sorry, Sheriff. Sorry, Peck. I tried ta hold 'im off," Toby said.

"You put up a good fight, Toby," Timothy snarled, picking thorns out of his fur. "But you'll have ta do better than that if you wanna stop me!"

Peck helped his friend get off of the floor as carefully as he could. He looked up at Timothy, anger on his face. "You...you hurt my best friend, on top of harrassin' Sheriff Callie, an' pluckin' off all my feathers..." He stood up from the ground. "Now you've gone an' done it. Now you've made me mad!"

Timothy laughed. "Oh, now you're mad? This ought to be-"

Peck lunged for Timothy, and his hands grasped his shoulders with a vise-like grip. The force of his tackle sent him crashing into the wall again, this time leaving a dent in it.

"Peck!" Callie shouted.

Timothy looked up at the woodpecker, glaring back at him with an equal amount of anger. "You-"

"This is for what you did to Callie!" Peck shouted, and swung. There was a loud crack as his fist met Timothy's face. "This for what you did to Toby!" Another punch. A third punch sent Timothy's head slamming into the floorboards. Peck took hold of Timothy's vest and lifted him up to his face level. "You can do whatever you want to me, but when it comes to them-"

"You'll regret those words, Peck," Timothy said.

Callie's eyes widened. "Peck, watch out!" she shouted.

That warning alone saved Peck's life. He shoved Timothy backwards just as the cat's claws came flying upwards, aimed at his face. Though he leaned backwards to avoid the blow, his wing, unprotected by his feathers, was not so lucky. He yelped in pain and fell backwards, grasping the wound.

"You think that's bad, Deputy? You ain't seen nothin' yet!" Timothy said, getting to his feet. "I've got more where that came from!"

Peck got his feet as well, flexing his injured arm. "Funny, 'cause so do I!"

"Fellas, you've gotta stop!" Toby yelled.

"Shut up, cactus!" Timothy snapped. "This is between me an' Deputy Peck!"

"Nobody's talkin' to my friend like that an' gettin' away with it!" Peck snarled.

"What can you do? You only have one good arm!" Timothy said. His claws extended. "You got off lucky, Peck. But when I hit you this time, I aim to kill you."

Toby gasped. Almost immediately, Callie tossed him a pair of handcuffs, which he almost dropped. He looked at the calico cat in confusion. "Uh, Sheriff-"

"Toby, snap those on Jacques and Heinz," Callie ordered. There was no argument in her voice. "I'm gonna untie 'em an' stop Timothy once an' for all."

Timothy growled. "You try that, Sheriff, an' I'll gut you, too!" he shouted.

Callie released the bindings on Jacques and Heinz. Before the two could escape, Toby rushed over to them and snapped on the handcuffs. "I don't think you two are goin' anywhere for a while," he said.

Callie turned to Timothy then, her grip on her lasso tightening. "Timothy, you're under arrest," she said.

"I don't think so, Sheriff!" Timothy cried. He lunged for her, his one claw outstretched.

Callie barely had time to ready her lasso before Peck leapt in the way, shouting, "Not on your life, Timothy!" He caught Timothy in a flying tackle, and the two flew through the air and hit the wall. There was a loud crash as the wall gave way, and both Peck and Timothy went through it, screaming as they fell. Another loud crash filled the air as they hit the ground.

"NO!" Toby screamed.

Callie ran over to the hole in the wall, her lasso trailing at her heels. "Peck! Timothy!" she yelled. She looked down at the ground and saw both Peck and Timothy lying there in a heap of debris. Timothy was groaning in pain and trying to move, but Peck was face down on the ground, motionless.

Terror the likes of which she'd never felt before gripped her then, threatening to take her breath away. Her eyes watered with tears as she mouthed one word: "P-Peck..."

In a matter of seconds, the residents of Nice n' Friendly Corners were running out to see what had happened, having heard the crash. Horrified gasps filled the air.

"Oh my goodness!" Uncle Bun cried. "What in the world happened here?"

Priscilla gasped. "It's Deputy Peck! An' he's been plucked clean of his feathers!"

"An' it's that crazy suitor that was after the sheriff!" Dusty exclaimed. "Reckon they must've had a fight!"

"Someone, go get Doc! These two could be seriously hurt!" Baxter Badger cried.

Toby looked at Callie. "W-What do we do now, Sheriff?"

"T-Take those two down the office, Toby," she said. She answered with her back to him, her eyes focused on her deputy. "An' make sure they don't go anywhere."

"W-What about you?"

When Callie turned to face him, tears were falling down her face. "I-I've gotta go an' help 'em," she said. "I-I've gotta go an' get them outta there!" She then ran out of the room, her lasso flailing behind her.

Toby made his way downstairs with Jacques and Heinz, and it was then that he ran into the manager, who was running up the stairs. "What kind of racket was that?" he muttered, turning down the hallway.

"Um..." That was all Toby got to say before the coyote's scream of horror filled the entire hotel.

"WHAT HAPPENED IN HERE?!" he yelled.

Toby ushered the cats out of the hotel as fast as he could. "Move it, move it, move it!" he urged, throwing open the door and getting them through the door.

As he walked to the sheriff's office, he got a glimpse of Callie helping Dusty and Dirty Dan lift Peck onto a stretcher, while Farmer Stinky and Baxter Badger were lifting Timothy onto the other one. The worry on Callie's face was unmistakable, and her eyes were glossed over with tears.

Toby sighed, shaking his head as he led the cats to the office. "Peck...please don't leave us," he said. He sniffled. "I-I wouldn't know what to do if ya did..."

End of Part 2

This chapter was supposed to be titled, "Sudden Actions, Hidden Feelings", but then I realized that Peck doesn't actually confess to Callie in this chapter-he started to, but he was interrupted by Cody (bad timing, dude). The main event was the Peck vs. Timothy fight, hence why this chapter was renamed to "The Confrontation".

I wasn't exactly planning to have Timothy go this far off the deep end. Really, I wasn't. But when I was writing the scene where Peck confronted him, I decided to expose more of him. And when I wrote the part where he tortured Peck in front of Callie, I decided to make him to be more of a sadistic type who thinks he's got it under control but he absolutely loses it when his plans go wrong. In other words, he ended up turning out similar to Julian Maverick, my Veggie Tales OC, only difference being that he likes controlling people rather than money (although he is greedy, too).

I tried to balance this out a bit with some fluff and humor, but a part of me was really itching to get to the Peck and Timothy fight. And I know I said I wasn't going to make this a T story, but I'll have to bump it up now because of what happened in this chapter. *sighs* I need help...

The third part will deal with the aftermath of such a fight, especially since Peck tackled Timothy straight through a hotel wall and into the street. Oh, and it'll be heavy on Callie/Peck feels. This chapter did an okay job of that, but it was mostly on Peck's side.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Constructive criticism is great!

God bless, iheartgod175