Cal took Flossy out of her basket and sat her on his lap. Then he took out the carving knife.
"Don't cry Rab, all your problems are gonna be over soon."
And then Caleb Knight got his come-uppance. In the form of twitching whiskers, a fluffy tail, and worst of all two big trusting eyes.
"Stop that; I'm still gonna do it."
Flossy twitched at him again and her eyes looked even bigger.
"Okay, we're not doing that no more." Cal put the carving knife back in the big holdall he'd nicked from his dad, "But you're going to be my rabbit now and not that dumbass Lofty's. We'll go to Las Vegas - or, maybe Birmingham - and have adventures. I'll go to the post office and get some money out of my savings. I'll get you top-class rabbit food and stuff to keep you warm, and, hey, I can change your name to Satanica. That's a better name than Flossy, isn't it?"
Flossy twitched her whiskers again. Cal stroked her, then settled her in her basket.
"Come on, girlfriend, time to get some dough."
He put the basket in the holdall, making sure he left a bit unzipped so Flossy could breathe.
Meanwhile, Lofty was being brave. He'd been told he could have the day off school but had come in to stop himself worrying about Flossy. Mr Keogh had earmarked him and was giving him extra sums to keep him alert.
And Mrs Beauchamp, seriously worried now about Cal as much as Flossy, had called in the police, In the form of D. Self, feared by children throughout Holby. Self had resented the fact that he had to waste his time on looking for a missing kid and rabbit, but his lust for Mrs Beauchamp had won the day, and here he was in the headmistress's office.
Disclaimer: I really wanted to use Gene Hunt as the detective here but that would have meant a crossover so you've got a change of profession for Mr Self instead.
