As he trudged through the snow after his big brother, Babyface could feel a lingering heat in his cheeks. Stupid cold…that was it. Stupid snow. There were already several inches of the stuff, and it was coming down hard now.
Bankjob was hauling a stack of logs over his shoulder, muttering darkly to himself. "Draft…fire…I'll show you…"
"Let me help you out, Bankjob!" the tubby little Beagle yelled, scampering up. He needed to get back on his brother's good side, fast.
"Well, one thing's obvious, we can't do the job in this foul weather," Bankjob said bitterly, ignoring the younger Beagle's offers to help. "And so they won't be leavin' anytime soon. Not 'til this damn storm subsides."
Babyface looked up at his brother thoughtfully. "I don't think they're so bad."
Bankjob rolled his eyes. "A 'course you don't." He stopped in his tracks and looked back down at his brother. "Look, Babyface. Things might've been all hunky-dory a long time ago, but these dames lie, they cheat, and they pretend to…" he cut himself off, shaking his head. "Forget it. They're just bad people."
"Isn't that a good trait in our family?" Babyface pondered.
"Just don't listen to a word they say," Bankjob said. "She'll make you miserable."
Babyface cocked his head. "She?" He looked hard at his brother. "Do you mean...Bouffant?" Bankjob did seem especially sensitive towards her.
"Nevermind!" Bankjob's ears folded back. "What do ya think you're doin' out here, anyway, runt! I'll be scraping you off the bottom of my snowshoes if ya don't watch it!"
xxx
"Drat!" growled Babydoll as the car sputtered and choked. "Drat, drat, drat!"
"Looks like the car won't start," Boom-Boom said, leaning forward worriedly.
"Nice observation!" Babydoll snapped back at her. With a frustrated groan, she threw herself back into the seat and crossed her arms.
"Well, the roads are probably too dangerous, anyways," Bouffant tried to mediate. "We wouldn't get very far, 'Doll."
"Anywhere is better than here! It's a total waste of time!" Babydoll whined, kicking the dashboard with her high-heeled shoes and climbing out of the car. "And now we're stuck here!" Babydoll slammed the door. "Screw this!"
Babyface and Bankjob were making their way back to the cabin when they heard raised voices and shouting.
"What the-?" Bankjob quickened his pace. The two Beagles rounded the corner just in time to see Babydoll trying to weasel her way into Bankjob's car with one of Bouffant's hairpins, her two sisters standing back and watching.
"Then we'll just have to take theirs!" She said, slamming open the front door triumphantly.
"HEY!" Bankjob barked, dropping all the tinder on the ground in shock. "Git away from there!" The girls all spun around.
"Uh, it was all Boom-Boom's idea!" Babydoll shouted, putting her hands up in the air, an automatic reaction. She glared at her blonde sister. "Great thinkin', ya big ditz!"
Boom-Boom's eyes fell in shame. "Gee, I'm sorry."
"Tsk, tsk," tutted Bouffant. "Well, let's let bygones be bygones, hmm, Bank?"
"Oh, gimme a break!" Bankjob snapped, taking a threatening step forward.
With high squeals, the girls all pelted back into the house and slammed the door shut right behind them. Right on their tail, Bankjob slammed into the door and banged his fists against it. "Do ya really think ya can keep me outta my own house?!"
The door opened a crack and Bugle's face appeared, grinning broadly. "Having some trouble?"
"Save it," Bankjob snarled, pushing past him. "Those girls are on such thin ice they might as well be swimmin'." He turned to the Beagle Babes, who were sitting back at the table with innocent smiles on their faces. "You gals wanna freeze out there, be my guest!"
"Well, they've got moxie, that's for sure," Bugle replied, looking bemused.
Bouffant's eyes twinkled mischievously as she watched Bankjob haul the rest of the firewood in. "Well, I wouldn't say this pitstop is a total waste of time."
Babyface squirmed past his two older brothers and into the relieving warmth of the house, looking around.
"A'rite, Bugle, Babyface, grab some wanted posters and help me start a fire," Bankjob ordered, leaning over the stone hearth.
Babyface looked back to the table where Boom-Boom had been sitting, but the blonde Beagle Babe had disappeared.
Shrugging, Babyface grabbed some old dry sheets from the pile, and together he and Bugle fed the fire until it was roaring.
"How 'bout some entertainment?" Bugle suggested as the group of Beagles gathered around the fire. He began snapping his fingers and began to recite his latest masterpiece of freeform scatting. "Badada, bababebop a wop!"
Babydoll, warming herself in the glow of flame, rolled her eyes. This guy never ceased to be annoying. "Will ya cut that out?"
Bugle grinned, seemingly amused by her reaction. "I take it you don't like music."
"I like music," Babydoll responded shortly, "And that ain't it!"
Bankjob and Babyface looked at each other and exploded with laughter.
It was funny how a little warmth made a house felt more like a home.
And so the Beagles all but forgot about the worsening storm right outside their door.
xxx
"Um...hello? Anybody in here?"
Babyface looked into the bedroom timidly, seeking out the third Beagle Babe. "We got a fire goin', if you wanna-" He tapered off as he caught sight of Boom-Boom sitting on the bottom bunk, staring out the window with a far-off look.
He knocked gently on the doorframe, but she made no response. In the corner, the radio was quietly mumbling, interrupted by frequent bouts of static.
"Boom-Boom?" He stepped towards her, and she looked up, her eyes a little wet and red like she had been crying.
"Oh, hi." She sniffed. "Sorry. I didn't hear you come in." She rubbed her eyes with her sleeve, leaving behind a small trace of mascara. "I must look like a mess."
Babyface entered the room, watching her.
"Why do you let them call you names?" he said after a moment of silence.
The scene back at the car had been gnawing away at his mind for the past hour.
She forced a smile and shrugged.
"Well, they're right, aren't they?"
"I don't think so!" Babyface said, surprised by her response. "I think..." He trailed off. "Well, it wasn't even your idea to carjack Bankjob, was it? But you took the blame anyway."
"What makes you say that?" Boom-Boom asked, her eyes widening.
Awkward about being put on the spot, Babyface looked away. This was gonna sound stupid. "Um. You just don't seem like that kinda person…"
Boom-Boom lowered her eyelids and gave him a sweet smile. "Thanks."
"Well, I get yelled at a lot too," Babyface replied, looking back up at her.
Boom-Boom giggled softly. "I noticed."
Babyface couldn't help grinning himself. "Yeah...well, it's not always my fault. Bankjob says I'm a brat but a buncha times he's the one to mess up!"
"You're not," Boom-Boom said, looking at him kindly.
Babyface hesitated. "What?"
"You're not a brat. I think you're sweet."
There was a pause, and Babyface met her eyes. She'd always been so nice to him...she didn't seem like a bad person. Bankjob had to be wrong.
"Y'know…me and my sisters, we all look up to you guys," Boom-Boom said. "We wish we could be half the crooks you guys are."
It sounded a little silly to Babyface, but the admiration on her face still made him blush a little, and he looked away quickly, not sure what to say.
"Um… I forgot to thank you for that cocoa earlier."
"Oh, of course!" Boom-Boom said, rubbing away the last traces of tears from her face. She cocked her head towards the radio. "You know, I just love to sit down with a hot cup and listen to the local news sometimes. Especially the police scanner. It always soothes me." She giggled. "I guess that's kind of dumb, huh?"
"Not that dumb," Babyface said, sitting down beside her. He mentally kicked himself for such a blunt response. Boom-Boom laughed, a genuinely cheerful laugh that made Babyface's stomach tingle.
A faint jingle for an advertisement emitted from the radio, and Boom-Boom closed her eyes and began to hum along. Perhaps without even noticing it, she stretched out her hand and ran it over his briefly.
Babyface looked up at her as she opened her eyes, drawn into them, and he felt himself getting shaky. His heart was beating loudly in his ears.
He didn't pride himself on being very mature, and his brothers might just be right when they called him a kid. But when he looked at her, he thought it might be nice...to try growing up a little.
"It was nice of you to hear me out," she said softly, looking at him with gratitude. She brought her hand over his forehead, and began to smooth out the curly, stray hairs on his head gently. She smiled. "You know, you always were so proud of that hat of yours. It's really special, isn't it?"
Babyface winced a little at the mention of his propeller hat. Sure, when he was little, he thought it was cool. And sure, he was still quite attached to it. But now that she brought it up...
"It's stupid," he said, feeling self-conscious. "I mean... I got it at a carnival."
Boom-Boom smiled at the idea, having never been to one herself. "Well, consider me jealous!" Then her smile widened. "Ohhh, my gosh," she giggled. "You're so cute when you're blushing!"
Babyface's eyes went wide as saucers. "I'm not blushing!" he said, louder than intended, as he tried to hide his face. "And... d-don't call me cute!" There was something about her saying those words that rather infuriated him, but at the same time, made his heart beat all the faster.
"Well, let me thank you," Boom-Boom laughed, and she grabbed her purse from the bed and after a moment of digging, presented him with a peppermint. "I hope ya like sweets."
Babyface reached out gingerly and took it, still shaking and perplexed by the entire incident.
"Th-thanks..."
Looking back over his shoulder, the young Beagle fled the room and slipped past Babydoll, desperately trying to cover the color in his cheeks.
Babydoll watched him leave, a look of confusion on her face. Then her lips curved into a sly smile.
