Chapter 3: Something Just Like This
As Thomas and Kodi both walked through the small part of woods next to Amos's house to try and find Copper to bring him home to Amos. Kodi had found his scent and started following the trail. Thomas picked up a stick and started hitting some bushes along the way of finding Copper. "We're getting close I smell him near by," Kodi said while sniffing the ground. "Alright sounds good body," Thomas said as he threw the stick. Thomas could have just used the tracking stone but thought it would Kodi to just go and sniff him out and find. That way Amos or Copper wouldn't freak out of the strange stone.
Thomas and Kodi came to a nearby lake where they hear the sound of laughter and splashing. Kodi turns to face Thomas and nods, the two burst out of the bushes, but only see the two playing in the water. "So, why does old Amos want this Fox dead?" Kodi whispers to Thomas. "Not sure, let's see just who this fox is." Thomas said. "Uh, mornin' you two! Copper, I don't believe you've introduced us to your friend?" Thomas said. "Oh, this is my best friend, Tod! Tod, these are two friends of mine, Thomas and Kodi." Copper said, introducing the two to Tod. "Well hi there! You sure are one big Fox sir!" Tod said to Kodi. "Kid, do I look like a Fox to you?" Kodi asked in anger. "Well, kinda. You've got the red and white fur, but you don't have a bushy tail like mine." Tod said, looking back at his tail. "Well, I guess I do, but let's get something straight. I'm a wolfdog, not a Fox or even a pure dog in a sense." Kodi said. "So you're a mix between the two worlds, huh? Well, welcome aboard partner! Glad to meet ya Kodi, uh Copper, can this guy hear us?" Tod asked. "You wouldn't believe me if i told ya, just listen." Copper whispered. "You betcha, kid!" Thomas said. "Huh, well that's new! Old Widow can't hear me, neither can that old fart Amos! How do ya do it?" Tod asked
Thomas kneeled down next to the water and looked closer to Tod. "Well lets just say I have a little gift," Thomas said with a smile. "Oh," Tod said as started swimming around again. "Alright, anyways Copper we need to head home since um…. Amos wants you home." Thomas said as he stood up. "Oh okay," Copper said as he got out of the water. "Hey Copper I'll see you tomorrow!" Tod said still swimming around. "Okay I'll see you then," Copper said as he dried himself off. Thomas and Kodi both helped with taking Copper along home. It started to get dark outside as Kodi, Thomas and Copper walked along home. "Was Amos mad you guys left?" Copper asked as he looked up at Thomas and then to Kodi. "Well kinda. But I wouldn't really worry about it that much," Thomas said as he placed his hands in his pocket.
"I hope your right. He has gotten really angry before." Copper said as he lowered his head. Thomas and Kodi both looked at each other before looking down at Copper. "Has Amos ever hurt you in any way?" Kodi asked while looking down at Copper. Copper looked at Kodi and shook his head. "Oh no! He has never hurt me or anything. He only yells a lot, much like Chief when he gets mad." Copper explained. "Oh. okay, but if anything were to happen to you would you let us know?" Kodi asked as they all continued to walk along dirt road. Copper looked up at Kodi again and nodded. Kodi nodded in response before looking at Thomas. Thomas nodded before looking down at the dirt. There was a small silence while walking before Thomas spoke up.
"So...Copper, other than hanging out with Tod, what do you like to do?" Thomas asked. "Well, Amos takes me fishin', I like to practice huntin', and when Miss Tweedy makes a pie, she shares with me an' Tod!" Copper said, starting to water at the mouth. "Speaking of hunting, we're supposed to help you learn to hunt, right?" Kodi asked. "Yuppers, do ya know how?" Copper asked. "shh..." Kodi whispered, holding his paw up. Kodi's ears perked up and he looked around, "Kodi, what is-," Thomas asked. "SHHH!" Kodi shushed. "I don't think we're supposed to be here guys." Kodi said. "What makes you think that?" Thomas asked. "I smell gunpowder...and look straight ahead." Kodi said. Thomas spotted a bear trap, which had been placed recently. "He aint lyin', I smell gunpowder too." Copper said. "Let's get out of here before- *BANG*" Thomas said, cut off by a bullet grazing his hair.
"Whoa!" Thomas shouted as he ducked down to cover Copper and Kodi. "Dang it you scared it away!" Shouted a man with an Australian accent. "Who's there!" Thomas asked looking around to see who shot the gun. "What are even doing around here?" The man asked as he walked out of the bushes. "Coming to grabbed my puppy," Thomas said as he stood up and looked up at the man. "Puppy?" The man asked as he looked down at Copper. "That little mutt won't last a day on the hunting grounds." The man said with a laugh. "Oh yeah? You just wait and see Mr... um... who are you?" Thomas asked as he cross his arms. The man smiled before telling Thomas his name. "Jedediah is the name," Jedediah said holding on tight to his gun.
"Well Mr. Jedediah, I'll bet copper here can beat your mutt anyday!" Thomas said in his face. "I'd love ta see him try mayte!" Jedediah said. "Bring it on!" Thomas said. "Well, we'll have to see who does better, mate, come to my house for my 30th annual hunt, we'll see who can bring back more game." Jedediah said. "Gotcha, we'll be there!" Thomas said. Jedediah walked away, laughing and laughing. "Kodi, can we beat this guy?" Thomas asked. "Thomas, you've got a half wolf and a hound with you, what do you think?" Kodi said. "But I've never fired a rifle more than twice in my life! I've got shaky hands, poor eyesight from our last journey, and I am as impatient as anything!" Thomas said. "Don't worry, I know a way to fix that hand tremble of yours!" Copper said. "What is it?" Thomas asked. "It's this stuff ol' Amos takes, he calls it Pentazemin." Copper said. "That's a type of Benzodiazepine, right? In other words, an anti-depressant that stops my hands from shaking?" Thomas asked. "Sure if you want to put it that way," Copper said with a smile.
"Then we better get going," Thomas said as picked up Copper and started walking back towards Amos's house with Kodi right by his side. It wasn't long before Thomas, Kodi and Copper walked up the hill towards the house. Just as Thomas step on the porch of house, Amos shot opened the door with an angry look on his face. "What took you so long?!" Amos shouted. "Sorry we took so long we ran into that Jedediah guy that lives down the road from you," Thomas explained. Amos's face got red very fast from hearing that name. "Jedediah?! What did he say to you?!" Amos shouted in anger. "Nothing besides making a bet," Thomas said taking a step back from Amos. Copper cover his ears as he was getting ready for a big blow up from Amos. "A bet?! What kind of bet?!" Amos shouted making Thomas fall backwards and onto the dirt.
"A hunting bet with Copper," Thomas answered. That did the cake for everything that Thomas could have done wrong. Copper jumped out of Thomas's arms as Amos grabbed Thomas by collar of his shirt and picked him off the ground. "Do you have any idea what you have done?!" Amos shouted in Thomas's face. "What did I do?" Thomas asked trying not to show fear to his uncle. "Jedediah has been in this game since I was boy!" Amos shouted as he drops Thomas back on the ground. Thomas stood back up and brushed himself off. "So he's that good huh?" Thomas asked as rubbed the back of his neck. "You bet boy!" Amos shouted once more as he walked passed Thomas and walked over to Chief. "What are you doing?" Thomas asked as he followed his uncle over to Chief. "Your mutt and my hound aren't going to cut it when it comes to Mojo." Amos said as he took Chief off his chain and handed Thomas Chief's leash. "Wait so what am I doing with Chief?" Thomas asked as Amos started to walk back to his house.
"Chief's the best hunting dog you'll ever see. And if you want to beat Jedediah, then you need Chief's help." Amos said before walking into his house and slamming the door. Thomas sighed before looking down at old Chief. Chief looked up at Thomas and growled. "I was enjoying my sleep you know," Chief said before grabbing his leash with his mouth and pulling it away from Thomas. Once Chief broke free, he walked over to Copper and picked him up by his scruff and took he away from Thomas and Kodi. "Well, what do we do now?" Kodi asked as he looked up at Thomas. "Well I guess we better get to training." Thomas answered as he took a step forward. Thomas then stopped on his tracks when he heard his phone ring in his pocket. "Hey it's Berry," Thomas said as he answered the phone.
"Hello?" Thomas said on the phone. "Hey Thomas I finally got this thing to work!" Berry cheered on the other end of the phone. "Is something wrong with the kids?" Kodi asked looking up at Thomas. "Yeah, Berry is everything okay back at home. How are the pups doing?" Thomas asked as he sat down on a log. "Well three out of four are doing okay," Berry answered. "What do you mean by that?" Thomas asked. Kodi then became worried. "Thomas what's going on are they okay?" Kodi asked as he jumped on the log to hear a little bit better. "It's nothing too serious it's just…" Berry started to say but was cut off by Thomas. "Berry just get to the point," Thomas said in a serious tone. "Anika misses her father." Berry answered. "Then what are you waiting for? Put her on the phone I built that phone for Balto's boat for a reason you know," Thomas said before putting his phone on speaker.
"Daddy?" Anika said on the phone. "Hey sweetheart how are you doing?" Kodi asked getting closer to phone as Thomas held it in his hand. Chief and Copper both stayed near the white fence and watched Thomas and Kodi talk on the phone. "What's that thing their talking on?" Chief asked. Copper scratched the back of his ear before answering. "I think that's a cell phone. Tod said Ann has one." Copper answered with a smile. Chief turned and glared at Copper. "Now Coppers how many times have I told you to not hang around with that fox." Chief said still glaring at Copper. Copper looked away from Chief and just looked forward at Thomas and Kodi.
"Daddy when are you and uncle Thomas coming home?" Anika asked. Thomas and Kodi both looked at each other before Kodi answered that question. "We'll be home soon sweetie I promise," Kodi answered. There was silence for a few seconds and then Anika spoke up. "But daddy I miss you and uncle Thomas. Please come home soon." Anika said with her voice cracking almost like a cry for help. Kodi's heart sank to the bottom of his chest from hearing his daughter about to cry. "Honey I…" Kodi started to say and then the call dropped. "What?" Thomas said as he looked at his phone and saw he had no bars on his cell. "It's a sunspot." Ann said from behind Thomas and Kodi. "Whoa um… Hey Ann," Thomas said as he stood up. "Hey sorry if I scared you. But I wanted to let you know that you're in a sunspot and it won't go away for another hour or so." Ann said as she stepped on the log.
Thomas and Kodi both moved off the log and looked up at Ann. "Your little sister must miss you huh?" Ann asked as she places her hands in her pocket. "My little sister?" Thomas said confused. "Yeah wasn't that who you were talking too?" Ann asked as she jumped off of the log. "Does she not remember what happened?" Thomas thought to himself. "Well I hate to burst your bubble. But that was my niece actually." Thomas said now being face to face with Ann. Ann only laughed as her answer. "What's so funny?" Thomas asked. Ann then stopped laughing. "This…" Ann simply said as she grabbed Thomas by his left arm and turned him around while placing his left arm against his shoulder blade. "Ouch! What are you doing? Thomas asked as he was shoved down at the log like he was being arrested.
Ann got into Thomas's pockets. "Ah ha!" Ann said as she pulled out the green stone from Thomas's pocket. Ann then let's go of Thomas and just looks at the stone. Thomas then stood up and rubbed his arm as he turned and looked at Ann. "What is this thing and what did you do to me?" Ann asked as she held the stone in front of Thomas's face. Thomas sighed before answering. "You could have just asked you know?" Thomas answered as he grabbed the stone from Ann. "I'm not playing any games with you! What did you do to me?" Ann asked as she crossed her arms. "It's not what I did to you. It's it did to you!" Thomas said as he placed the stone in his pocket. "Then what did "it" do to me?" Ann asked. Thomas sighed before looking at Kodi. "Don't scream or faint this time please." Thomas said as he rubbed his arm again. "I won't." Ann simply said crossing her arms again.
Thomas then looked at Kodi who laid down his head on the green grass. Thomas noticed that Kodi had some tears running down his muzzle. Thomas didn't want to ask Kodi to speak since he didn't really get to say goodbye to his daughter. Thomas then looked over by the fence and saw Copper and Chief sitting there. "I'll be right back." Thomas said before taking off. "Okay?" Ann said as she watched Thomas take off and went and grabbed Copper from Chief. Thomas then picked up Copper and rushed back over to Ann. "Now I want you to hold him," Thomas said as he place Copper into Ann's lap. "Okay," Ann said as she
held Copper in her lap. Copper sat there for a moment not knowing what to do. "Now it go something just like this. Copper I want you to say hi to Ann," Thomas said giving Copper the okay to speak. Copper then smiled as he looked up at Ann. "Hi Ann!" Copper said cheerfully. Ann's eyes widen as she looked up at Thomas.
"Copper just said hi to me… then that must mean that…." Ann tried to put the words together.
"Yes that means Tod can talk as well…" Thomas answered.
Kodiwolf32 A/N: Hey guys! Another chapter down and let me tell you this one was really fun to write. I feel really bad for Kodi though, you can really tell that Anika really misses her dad and he really misses her. What do you guys think about Jedediah? Is he a friend or is he a new foe? I guess we will have to wait and see what he is. But for now he's just a guy lol anyways guys thanks for reading and I enjoy writing for you guys and now a word from my friend NightWolfZilva
A/N NightWolfZilvia Well guys, another chapter done! This has so far been a really fun story to write, especially since the fox and the hound is the crossover! Well guys, see you in the next chapter and possibly Dingo's Tale III
