Gideon was startled awake by the knocking at his door. Who in th' world…? He glanced at the clock. 9:30. it was raining

When was the last time I'd ever had a visitor? Gideon was slow gettin' off the couch, cuz' he just woke up.

The knocking turned into pounding, so he hurried to the door.

When he'd opened it, he found a very chilled looking Sharla. Sharla.

"Sh-sharla? what're you-" he started, but was cut off, "You left without the pie money." she chattered through her teeth n' was clutching her shoulders.

She took a hoof off and pulled th' money out of her pocket, and held it out to him. "How long have ya' been out here?" he'd questioned her.

"a-about… t-ten minutes. I ne- need to get going..." Sharla turned to leave, when she felt a big paw grab her shoulder. She turned to face Gideon.

"I, in good conscience, can't let you go home in these conditions, ma'am. Come inside, please?" Gideon hoped to tell her what he'd told Judy earlier today.

That he was sorry for being a jerk, a major jerk. "Gideon, I'm sorry for being a jerk." Sharla whispered.

What?! that's my line! Whatever, Sharla needs to get warm! "Ooookay, you can tell me all about it, but first, come on in before you freeze, okay?" "K, 'kay"

Sharla looked bothered by something, but she came in anyways. "You have a very beautiful home, Gideon..." she looked around admiring it.

"Thank you, I inherited it from my granfolks. I've been keeping it up since their passing." he said quietly. he'd much rather have them than the house.

"you mean, it looks the same, before they passed?" Gideon nodded in confirmation. Sharla turned to him, "That's amazing! I can hardly maintain a garden, much less a whole house!"

they walked out to the living room, which was decorated, but not so much that it didn't look uncomfortable. In fact, it was probably the comfiest living room she'd ever been in.

Which is saying something. There was a fireplace, which had a few embers left in it. "You can do anything, if you put your mind to it..." she thought she'd heard Gideon mutter.

"I'd sit, but I don't want to get anything w-." Gideon cut her off before she could finish, "I don't mind. Sit wherever you want. Would you like some soup?" he asked before he walked over to the fireplace and got down on his knees. Sharla watched him grab logs and put them in to the fireplace, and start to stoke the fire. In a few seconds, they caught.

"No, thank you. Do you have any tea?" she walked over to a rather large arm chair with a floral design, and sat down. Comfy!

"I could make you some, sure." he got up from the fireplace and went to where she assumed the kitchen was. Why doesn't he talk with his accent? Why ain't I?

After a little while, he came back with a tray, and set it down. On it, were crackers and cheese, a metal kettle, a few tins of what looked like tea and two teacups on saucers.

"I always make my tea over the fire. Something about it makes it… feel better. Know what I mean? it's just one of those things." he thought aloud whilst putting the pot over the fire.

Sharla picked up a cracker, and tasted it. Tastes fresh. "Ya' don't need to act like this, Gideon. All… fake."

She watched him after saying this. He visibly tensed, and almost dropped the pot. When he'd hung it over the fire, he turned silently. "Sharla, look, I'm sorry for the way I was as a kit."

He'd started, but Sharla cut in "I know why, Gideon." she replied. He wasn't tense anymore, that's fer' sure. Now he looked down. Oops.

"I just don't know what I could do to make it up to you..." it sounded like years of regret had said the, rather than the fox in front of her.

"you can start by talking like you did before." Sharla offered. "B-but why would you want that? You don't think I would sound dumb?." he looked confused.

"An' just where did you read the load of bunk? Ah talk like that Gideon!" "Oh, yeah..." "ah' was happy ah' wasn't the only one that talked like that when we were small..." she admitted.

"...what? But you're ahem yer' so smart. Why would you want to sound like ya live in a Podunk?" "Again, what did you read that from?" Sharla questioned.

Gideon sat down across from her, in a brown recliner. "… when I was rethinkin' ma' whole life, ah was looking for… self-help books n' speech trainin'." he looked embarrassed,

"It's not really somthin' ah want ta talk 'bout..." he'd started twiddling his thumbs. "can I make a suggestion?" Sharla picked up another cracker and added cheese to it. "what?"

"Be yourself." she popped the cracker into her mouth. Gideon just stared. Then he looked at the fire. Sharla looked at his bright blue eyes. He sure grew up, alright.

"Oh!" he snapped his fingers. "forgot the tea." he got up and took it off the fire. He walked back, and set the pot on the tray n' put the leaves in. He sat back down.

"You never took the money, by the way." Sharla was still holding it in her hoof. She placed it on the tray. "Thanks. So… what'dya mean when ya' said y'know why I was the way that I was?" he asked, not looking at her. Why's he so shy? "I found out about… well, your kithood. How you pretty much lost everybody… this isn't too personal, is it?" she asked.

"with th' way ah' treated you, ya' can ask me anything.' he stopped, "nothing weird though, please." Sharla snorted, "don't worry, Gideon. Ah' won't."

Sharla cleared her throat, "So…. After my n' I family left to go to horsehollow, ah' never heard much about bunnyburrow. When did you… change? Why did you change?"

Gideon thought a moment, "golly, we were twelve…" he muttered, "grandpa had a had heart attack, n' the house needed payments. Gran couldn't make them by herself, n' ah' just…

it woke me up. Those were hard times, n' I was bein' selfish. Ah' promised her I'd try to do better. So… here I am. She passed away after buying the bakery. She was the one that pushed me to buy it." "I'm so sorry, Gideon." "S'okay. Nothin' you could've done 'bout it. Now I've got a question for you,"

he picked up the pot and poured Sharla some tea, then poured some for himself. "Okay, shoot." she picked up her teacup, and took a whiff of the tea.

"Chamomile?" she asked. "Yup. Figured you'd be going to want to sleep, so ah' picked somthin' without caffeine. Now, my question. what're you doin' back in bunnyburrow?"

he picked up a cracker with cheese, along with his tea.

"Ah' was back to see my grandmother. She hasn't been feelin' well, n' she's gettin' up there in age. she's the one that wanted the pie." sipped at her tea. Still a little hot.

"Oh. Well, ah' hope she feels better." "thank you, for everything. And Gideon? I'm sorry for all those things ah' said about you when we were kids. Even though what you did wasn't right, I was no better. I called you names because you were a fox..." Sharla looked into her cup of tea, wonderin' what his response would be.

"Oh. Okay. It's fine." he shrugged, "ah' got so used to it, I never noticed." he lied. It hurt more when she said it, though, she actually acknowledged that it was wrong.

"I'm sorry too, for the whole bein' a jerk thing..." he was realizin' how nice her wool looked. "I forgive you!" she grinned. I can't believe we just had a mature conversation!

This is great! "Don't you need to get goin'?" Gideon looked at the clock, "It's twenty-past twelve." he looked back at her.

"What?!" she jumped up, and looked at the clock. He was right. "Ah' gotta go! Thanks again Gideon! She hugged him, and ran to the door.

She… she hugged me… "it's still rainin'. y-ya' can use my umbrella, it's near the coat rack, on the left." he called out, still blushin'

"Thanks! Goodnight!" she grabbed it n' waved goodbye before she ran out the door. She didn't have to leave, she was just having a hard time concentratin'.

Lord, you sure made a handsome fox. Amen. She got in her truck and left, still flustered over hugging Gideon. He probably thinks I'm weird for that.

Gideon had a dopey lookin' smile on his muzzle. He finished his tea, an' sat back in his chair.

Maybe it wasn't such a bad day, after all.


P.S. 'bunk' means nonsense. i know my stuff. also, sorry i took so long. i prefer quality over quantity when i write, but whatever.

thanks again,

-Beric