It was now Saturday in the late morning leading to the afternoon. Just one day before Father's Day.
While the sun shines over the horizon, many kids started to enjoy their weekend whether by going for a walk or riding in cars with their parents and such.
Elsewhere, Buster and Harold were walking alone in the forest conversing with each other.
Every once and a while, Buster starts chuckling whenever Harold jesters about his time at a bar, which is good to get him in a good spirit.
Most of the time,he questions his time in the Navy and Harold didn't mind telling him about that when it came to Buster's interest in some brief war stories.
Momentarily, after he was done in complete detail, Buster grew of shock. But calmed down a bit before swallowing saliva.
"So...did-did you and your crew make it out alive?" He asked
With his gaze forward and with a bit of silence, Harold spoke.
"Some. But not many." Harold answered
Briefly silence, Buster gazed forward with the shocked expression glued on his face.
"Wow. You know, to be honest, I never thought wars like that could be so intense. Let alone graphic."
Harold shrugged.
"Well, son, if you've been in my place, you would know stuff."
Buster gazed at him.
"Really?"
"Yeah. It takes a little, um...intuition to know wars and battles."
"So you're saying that intuition is a way to know stuff?"
"Exactly. If you learn it once in a while in your older age."
Buster nodded.
"Oh."
Both were silence for a while before Harold spoke.
"So, uh...Father's Day is tomorrow and we got a lot of time to kill so...what do you want to do today?"
Both Buster and Harold halted their pace asthe blue bunnygot into thought of what they should do for today.
After a while, he gazed Harold with a smile.
"How 'bout something that's in my line of work."
Harold gazed him and creased his left brow curiously.
"Any line of work that you have in mind, son?"
In response, Buster issued a cocky chuckle.
Minutes Later, Father's Day seemingly comes early as they both engaged in a mutual father and son bonding by getting into an activity of Buster's line of work.
His line of work consists of football, water gun fights, and such.
Momentarily about twenty-five minutes later while this was going on, Babs, Plucky, Hampton, Furrball, Shirley, Fifi, and Binky were watching this beautiful display and smiled upon this.
"Son, go long!" Harold shouted
Buster smiled and started retreating backwards while keeping his eyes on Harold and the ball in his grasp.
Instantly, he got his hands ready for the taking.
"I'm open, dad!" Buster shouted back
Harold smirked when he noticed that Buster was heading in Babs' direction. Without hesitation, he threw the ball with enormous strength and speed.
As the ball spins and soared in the air, Buster saw it and started running to trace the ball's landing position. While running, he started panting heavily.
"I got it. I got it." He said
When the others noticed where the ball was gonna land, Babs rubbed her chin cleverly with a devious smirk on her face before she instructed the others to step aside to apply more room.
Buster continues his running with his gaze to the ball.
But just when he was inches from catching it in his grasp, Babs stepped in and stuck her leg out instantly having Buster tripping over it.
His body soared up.
"Whoa!"
Then, in cartoon-style, his whole body hits flat on the ground.
"Oof!"
Babs stepped in and caught the ball in her grasp. Afterwards, she chuckled.
"Works every time." She said to herself
Then, she turned around and went over to Buster, who groaned a bit. As he slowly got up, half of his body popped back into full shape while he tries to pull his head from the ground like rubber.
As soon as he got his head from the ground, he grew dazed for a second.
"You okay, blue ears?" Babs asked
Taking his left arm, Babs helped Buster to his two rabbit feet's as he shook the dizziness from his head before gazing around in confusion.
"What happened? Did I get the ball?"
Babs answered that question by gesturing the ball to Buster indicating to him that she had it.
After gazing the ball, Buster gazed Babs suspiciously.
"Did you trip me?" He asked
Babs smiled.
"You should watch where you're going?" She said softly
Buster gazed from her after a brief silence and nodded.
"Good point."
While Babs went over and talked with the others, Buster turned around and started to waltz in Harold's direction. But stopped when he sawhis fatherapproaching him with a smile on his face.
"You alright, son?"
Before Buster spoke, he got into a devious thought before speaking to Harold.
"Uno momento. Oh, Babs!"
"Yes!" Babs smugly responded
As she turned around, she stopped with her mouth open as she was met with a squirt gun pointed at her face.
Instantly, Buster depressed the trigger and a stream of water washed over Babs' face.
Literally soaked and wet, Babs stood there with annoyance on her face as Buster twirled the gun in hand and blew at the tip of it before holstering it in his pocket.
"Gotcha!" Buster said
Instantly, Babs got to his face, gritting her teeth with anger and death written on her face.
"Why, you little--!" She started before Shirley and Fifi grasped and pulled her away from Buster.
While they were trying to calm her down, Harold approached Buster in confusion whilehis sonkept his gaze in Babs' direction.
"Is, uh...is she always like that?"
Buster nodded.
"Some of the time."
After what seems like two minutes, Babs instantly fought from Shirley and Fifi's grasp and raised her hands up defenselessly before they could advance onto her.
"I'm alright! I'm okay!"
"You sure?" Shirley asked
Lowering her hands, Babs nodded.
"Yeah."
Babs turned and approached towards Buster. Then, stopped inches from him before crossing her arms and nodding.
"Okay. I guess I deserve that."
Buster nodded in agreement before, to his surprise, Babs' instantly pressed her finger to his chest ominously.
"But...do it again, and..."
"Babs."
"N-Shh! Do it again...and you and me gonna have it. Got that?"
Buster nodded in response.
Babs smiled.
"Good." She said before gently slapping Buster on the cheek.
As she waltzed to the others, Harold gazed in Babs' direction in surprise before speaking to Buster.
"You let her talk to you like that, son?"
"Huh. No. But...you don't know Babs."
Harold gazed to Buster with disbelief before passing the excuse off.
"Ah. I won't hear of it. It's about time that you step up, boy."
Slowly, Buster gazed his father in surprise.
"Step up? Wha-What are you talking about?"
But Harold didn't answer him for he approached the others.
"Hey, everyone!"
Babs and the others gazed at Harold while Buster watched with interest.
"Why don't we play a little game thatI learned in boot camp when I was a kid. Now, originally, we issued for paintball gun fights."
When he gazed behind him at Buster, he issued a smirk before speaking.
"But...we'll go for a water gun fight courtesy of my son, Buster. And I'll be your coach. How about it?"
Babs and the others cheered on in response as Buster grew shocked by this and approached Harold.
"Wait, wait, wait! Hold up! Hold up!" He said as Harold, Babs and the others gazed him. "I didn't agree to this. (To Harold) Look, when I said that you don't know Babs because of the way she's acting doesn't necessarily mean that I want to prove something to her by challenging her."
When he finished, he expected a word out of someone, yet no one spoke and grew silence.
Buster literally got the idea and snickered in defeat.
"But what the heck, it sounds like fun. So I'm in."
Babs and the others cheered in response.
A few minutes later, Harold started assembling them into separated formation. Specifically, Buster, Plucky, Hampton, and Furrball on the far left and the girls on the far right. Each was equipped with water guns and wore belt buckles with water balloons passing themselves off as grenades.
Harold, who's dressed in army attire, was in the middle, slowly pacing with his eyes closed.
"Alright, you retched boys and girls! Your primary objective is simple! You are to spot and neutralize the enemy whether by tree or by bush. The first to be neutralized will be dispatched from the game immediately. Is that understood?" He finished in a deep, grunted voice.
"Sir! Yes, sir!" They all said, unisonly
Harold smiled.
"Begin!" He shouted
Instantly, the separated formations dashed away from the spot leaving Harold and a cloud of dust behind.
With Harold watching, the boys and the girls were playing it off in war-like fashion. Shooting at each other when spotted, shouting commands like soldiers and evading water projectiles from opposing opponents.
Harold chuckled at this. This definitely brings back memories of his troops and such. He also chuckled at the thought that if his son and his friends, namely, Plucky, Hampton, and Furrball, were in his and his troops position; they would make great and noble Navy SEALS. Yet, it'll take years for that to happen.
After what seems like twenty minutes of fun, Harold, Buster, and the others decided to take a rest by the tree in the forest while chattering and laughing among themselves, less paying attention to many humans and toons striding along the forest ground.
"You know, that was kinda fun." Babs complimented
Harold gazed her and smiled.
"Was it?"
Babs nodded.
"Yeah. We should do it more often."
"Heh! We have done it more often, Babsy." Buster said
Babs gazed him.
"Yeah. Me and you have." She said before shaking her head. "Not all of us."
Buster shrugged a bit.
"Oh."
While they resume their joyous conversations, Plucky heard laughing in the distance and gazed over to find, to his sheer dismay, the sight of Derek along with LJ and Tom, possibly laughing pleasurably about the incident they caused yesterday.
Plucky narrowed his eyes, glaring at the two individuals believed to be involved in his friend's beating. But had to remind himself that personal vendetta wasn't going to be an issue.
He shook his head and sighed deeply as Buster, who sat beside him, took notice of his expression.
"Plucky?"
Instantly, Plucky gazed him.
"You okay?" He asked
Plucky hesitated briefly and spoke.
"Um..." He started before clearing his throat a bit. "Y-Yeah. I'm okay."
Buster nodded, but grew unconvinced as he gazed to where Plucky was looking at. When he caught sight of Derek and his two lackeys heading his way from the far distance, he rolled his eyes before laying his back against the tree.
"No." He said
Harold gazed him in concern.
"Son, what's wrong?" He asked
Buster needn't speak for Harold heard an unpleasant voice from the far distance. As he gazed in that direction, he caught sight of Derek, LJ, and Tom pointing and laughing in their direction a couple of feets away.
While Harold kept his gaze to them, the others took notice of this.
Babs grimaced in annoyance while Binky shook her head.
"Oh, crap." Babs said
"I mean, don't these guys have anything better to do than to ridicule the first person they see?" Binky asked
Fifi shook her head.
"Zey just stink as bullies. Zat's all."
Shirley nodded.
"Like, for sure."
In contempt, Furrball shook his head.
"Especially that jerk, Derek. I mean, who does he think he is beating on our friend like that?"
"Furrball, Furrball! Calm down." Babs said after noticing his contemption
Furrball calmed himself a little and spoke.
"Sorry. But they had no rights."
Babs nodded in agreement.
"I know."
"Hey, blue ears!" LJ calling from the distance, yet Buster kept his eyes closed leaving his ears to hear. "Who you got with ya, the drunken father?"
Harold grew deeply offended by that, but disregarded it and gazed Buster.
"Don't mind them, son."
"I don't." Buster said. "Don't worry. I'm fine."
Harold smiled before gazing over in Derek's direction to find him and his friend's resuming their ridiculing gesture towards them.
Furrball shook his head in annoyance before getting up from his spot.
Babs noticed and halted him down.
"Where are you going?" She asked
Furrball gazed her and grew silence a bit before speaking.
"Relax. I'll be okay."
Babs grew silence with his gaze to him before slowly releasing his arm from her grasp.
As Furrball passed the others, Harold took notice of this before gazing Babs.
"Where is he going?" Harold asked
Meanwhile, Derek, LJ, and Tom halted their laughter when they noticed Furrball approaching their way.
"Oh, look at this." Derek stated as Furrball halted his pace inches from them. "The little pussy cat, except for the pussy."
Derek, LJ, and Tom laughed hysterically as Furrball disregarded the ridicule before speaking.
"You know, you talk about getting respected around the school. But, at the rate you're going with your posses, you're never gonna get any."
Derek slowly approached him till he was inches from his face. His menacing eyes glaring down at the cat, yet Furrball stood unflinching.
"Strong words coming from a feline who lives in a trash can. Matter of fact, why don't you go back to your trash hole while you're still breathing, brah."
Derek backed up from him as the menacing LJ and Tom approached and halted in front of Furrball.
"Yeah." They both said, unisonly
Furrball glared LJ and Tom each before nodding.
From the tree, Harold took notice of Furrball turning to leave as he closed his eyes in relief.
Meanwhile, Furrball was only inches from leaving their sight when he stopped in his track.
"Oh, LJ and Tom..."
LJ and Tom approached behind the feline with disinterest on their faces.
"What?" LJ answered
With his back to them, Furrball issued a smirk on his face and unleashed his sharp claws from his left hand's fingertips without their notice.
"This...is for Buster."
Quickly turning around, he issued a hard swipe to LJ's right face cheek followed by a back swipe to Tom's right face cheek before both of them fell to the ground.
Derek grew bitterly shocked by this as LJ and Tom wailed in pain while caressing the bloody claw marks on their faces.
Furrball gazed down at them emotionlessly before turning around and leaving their sight.
Harold and the others grew shocked by this and as soon as Furrball got back and sat down next to Babs, Binky spoke.
"What was that?" Binky asked
Furrball pressed a finger on his palm before his claws retracted back into his fingertips. Afterwards, he spoke.
"Nothing. Just gave LJ and Tom each a tattoo."
Fifi groaned and spoke.
"I thought you said zat you were okay."
"I was."
"Bull squat!" Binky said
"You know, zis is what got monsieur Buster in zis mess in zee first place. You wanna end up like him, Furrball?"
Furrball grimaced a bit and spoke.
"No. But like I said, they had no right."
"I agree with you. But still. Violence isn't gonna be an issue. The best you can do is ignore these guys and eventually they'll stop." Babs said
As Babs and Furrball both talked at once on the subject, which will almost lead to an argument, Harold whistled to halt them from talking before speaking.
"Look, let's just forget about what happened and enjoy this day, okay?"
Babs and Furrball gazed each other and nodded in agreement as Harold smiled.
A few hours later, Buster and Harold descended the ladder in the burrow, then started walking the corridor towards the door while conversing along the way.
"I gotta tell ya, dad. That was the best experience a rabbit could ever have."
Harold snickered lightheartedly.
"Thanks."
"So, what was it that you wanted to show me?" Buster asked
Harold gazed him silently with a sudden frown on his face as they both stopped next to the front door.
Harold opened the door as he and Buster entered the room.
As Buster closed the door behind them, Harold approached towards the drawer.
Momentarily, while he gazed the drawer, Buster met up with him in front of the drawer before Harold reached out and opened the top drawer.
As he did, Buster and Harold gazed down at a white cloth, which covered an item, up top of an assortment of clothes.
Buster grew confused by this and spoke.
"Uh, this-this is what you wanted to show me?" He asked
However, Harold grew unresponsive with a frown still on his face before reaching down and picking up the item with both hands. As he did, the item felt a bit heavy and yet, cold behind the cloth.
Buster remained quiet as Harold slowly unveils the cloth from the item to reveal, tohis son'sshock, a baretta pistol.
The design on the gun was military standard issued yet it felt cold in Harold's hands due to the fact that it was never fired upon anything in years.
While Harold gazed the gun, Buster swallowed saliva a bit before speaking.
"Dad, that-that's a gun."
After a while of silence, Harold nodded.
"Yeah. It's my baretta. Military standard-issue. I secretly kept it here so no one else would notice."
Briefly, Buster grew uncomfortable at the sight of this before speaking.
"Why-Why are you showing me this?"
Sighing deeply, Harold spoke with his gaze from Buster.
"Because I want you to know that if anything happens to me in any way, I do not want you to carry this weapon at all. I emptied this gun after I was done with the Navy so it could never be in use again."
Then, he gazed Buster, who returned the look, and spoke.
"It still is empty, son. And I tend to keep it this way. So I want you to promise me that no matter what happens, you will not...use this gun."
Harold expected an answer from Buster, but all he got was pure silence from his son.
"Son..." Harold called
Instantly, Buster snapped out of his trance and blinked his eyes a bit.
"Promise me."
Once again, Buster grew silence, gazing the gun, then at Harold before nodding.
"Okay, dad. I...I promise." He said, softly
Harold smiled before wrapping the gun back in its cloth, placing it in the drawer, and closing it shut. After that was done, he took notice of Buster gazing at the drawer in his surprised state.
"Son?"
Buster gazed Harold.
"Yeah?"
"You okay?"
Buster hesitated a bit and spoke.
"Uh, y-yeah. I'm...I'm fine, I think."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I'm-I'm just a little surprised, that's all."
Harold snickered a bit and spoke.
"Well, you don't have to worry. Because like I said, the gun is empty."
Momentarily, they turned from the drawer and walked towards the bed.
"I know, I know. I'm just uncomfortable with the whole thing. I mean, what if somebody finds it and eventually uses it?"
Harold shook his head.
"They won't. Like I said, gun's empty."
Briefly silence, Buster sighed a bit and nodded.
"Yeah. Maybe you're right."
Harold nodded as they both sat on the end of the bed conversing with each other some more and enjoying their day as usual.
During the late afternoon, Furrball and Fifi were waltzing the paved sidewalk, heading towards the designated alleyway where hesupposedly lives in.
It grew complicated at first, but Furrball and Fifi knew which alleyway to go to.
During their walk, they started conversing on what they should get for their dad's for tomorrow's Father's Day. When Fifi told him what she was getting for her father, Furrball grew a bit confused, but hid his expression with a nod of his head.
"That's a very nice gift for your dad."
Fifi gazed him and smiled.
"Merci. You know, zat iz zee same thing Hampton said."
Meeting her gaze, Furrball spoke.
"Really?"
"Oui. So, uh, what are you getting for your father?" She asked
After a bit of thought, Furrball shrugged.
"I don't know. Probably something he would really enjoy."
Silence, Fifi nodded and gazed forward.
"Zat's nice."
Furrball gazed forward as they started to turn the alleyway towards his intended home. However, when they turned in that direction, they halted their tracks in fright at the sight that's in front of them.
