A few weeks had passed since the Warners arrived at Bugs's house. Things had quieted down considerably after Plotz's visit, and the mansion's occupants had settled into a comfortable routine of waking up, wolfing down Bugs's surprisingly good meals, annoying one toon or another, and going to bed with the intention getting up and doing the same things the next day.
Each day came and went with an air of familiarity. Dot happily colored and played with Muffin and a new stuffed bear Bugs had bought her at the supermarket a few days ago (it's name still undecided), and Yakko and Bugs read and discussed whatever books they poured over that day.
Daffy and Foghorn spent their time in the garage, den, or living room with the others, and unsurprisingly, Wakko had been glued to Bugs's Playstation every moment Yakko would permit him. But the best part of their days together was undoubtedly meal times.
Each breakfast, lunch, and dinner was a flurry of conversation ranging from the newest mallet models to many of Daffy's stories, which Bugs more often than not declared "inappropriate for small ears to hear." Yet Daffy usually managed to get through most of the good parts before Bugs shut him down, and Dot often found herself on the edge of her seat or highly amused by his adventures with other stars. Just last night, Daffy had told them about the time he and Frank Sinatra ended up a little too tipsy after a night out on the town.
"You know, Sinatra has nothing on me when it comes to karaoke." Daffy said at dinner.
"What? That guy has like, a dozen Grammys!" Yakko said. "And since when was there karaoke in the '50s?"
"Well, it's not like I had a machine or anything. We only sang to some records and stuff, and I beat Frank just about every time." Daffy boasted.
"Daff, there's a difference between attempting to sing a song and goofing off when your plastered," Bugs said and Wakko snickered, earning a glare from the duck. Bugs shook his head and looked at Dot and her brothers. "Don't listen to him, he's just spewing like usual."
"Hey, what do you mean by 'attempting to sing a song?'" Daffy whined.
"And what do you mean by plastered?" Dot asked, confused. Before Yakko could stop him, Wakko leaned over and whispered in her ear. She giggled and ignored the look Yakko shot their brother.
"You can't sing, doc." Bugs said in a flat tone.
"Aw, come on. Of course I can!" he picked up his fork held it in front of his mouth like a microphone. "Ready? I'll blow you all away with my top-notch skills-"
"No you won't, boy. Not if my ears have anything to say about it." Foghorn protested and snatched Daffy's mock microphone away from him.
"Come on, you'll miss out on hearing a master of his trade at work! You gotta listen!" Daffy huffed and leaned back in his chair.
"I'll put buying your album on my 'to do list' between kissing Bruce Vilanch and wading in a tub full of piranhas." Yakko smiled. Daffy turned his glare on him and muttered something about "respecting your elders" before pointing across the table.
"...Just pass the peas."
Not every moment over the last few weeks had been as fun spirited and relaxed as their mealtimes. Dot had been sitting at the island early one morning when the loosened knot in her stomach abruptly tightened once more.
She was enjoying a plate of scrambled eggs and toast with her brothers seated next to her when Bugs had all but thrown the newspaper in his hands across the room. Leaning against the counter, Bugs set his cup of coffee on the marble surface and put his head in his hands. Daffy and Foghorn came into the kitchen and sat down almost as if on cue.
"What's gotten into him?" Daffy muttered to Wakko next to him. He shrugged and continued to gaze at the rabbit with a concerned look.
"You alright there, Bugs?" Foghorn asked slowly. Bugs straightened up and ran a hand over his ears before handing Foghorn the newspaper. His faced immediately mirrored the rabbit's hollow stare, and Dot's heart clenched when she read the glaring headline from across the island.
Porky Pig and Thaddeus Plotz Missing.
"What? That has to be a misprint!" Daffy sputtered and snatched the paper from Foghorn. He frantically scanned the front page and collapsed in his seat, turning the pages nosily.
"How did that happen? We just saw them!" Foghorn bellowed. "What does that article say?"
"Not much... It just says they were going to a press conference from the lot and never showed up." Daffy gulped.
"Does it say anything about suspects?" Foghorn pressed.
"No... There's not much here except people's reactions..." Daffy said. "You don't think-"
"Don't. Don't go there right now." Bugs said in a strained voice.
"But we all know what this looks like! This reeks of something Bosko would do-"
"I said don't go there! Of course we all know what this looks like, so you don't need to go on about it!" Bugs snapped.
Dot bit down on her lip. She hadn't seen Bugs this mad since Plotz's visit, and she hated seeing the rabbit, or anyone she cared about, upset no matter what the circumstance was. But Daffy was probably right. Every arrow in her mind pointed to Bosko as the culprit and the reality of their situation came crashing down on her once again. This was the last thing she wanted to hear.
Dot felt Wakko tuck his hand around her's and she squeezed it tightly. She caught Yakko's worried stare and shot him a meek smile, which he returned, and watched on as Bugs hurriedly left the room and went upstairs. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Foghorn finally spoke up.
"Are you three alright? You look a little pale, though I see why. This isn't the best news- I say- the best news to hear at nine in the morning."
"Yeah, we'll be fine." Yakko said through a deep breath.
"Just try not to dwell on it," Foghorn said. Rubbing a hand over his beak, he leaned back in his chair and took a sip of the coffee Bugs had left out for him. "Why don't you boys go watch TV or something. There should be some good shows on about now. And I think Bugs left a new pack of crayons on your dresser when we got home from the store yesterday, Dot. You could draw- I say- draw in that book of yours."
"Sure." Wakko shrugged and hopped down from the chair. With shoulders hanging a bit lower than usual, he, Dot, and Yakko made their way towards the living room.
"I'm gonna go get those crayons. Be right back." she said and stepped up onto the staircase. Walking into her room, the bright yellow Crayola box caught her eye and she smiled when she saw that it was one of the highly coveted 64 packs that included a built-in sharpener. She picked up the box and walked out of the room, but stopped when a crash echoed down the hall.
"Shit-" she heard Bugs yell. Moving down the hall, Dot stopped in front of his slightly ajar bedroom door and saw him holding his foot near a coat rack on the floor. She couldn't make out most of what he was muttering, but she could tell whatever it was wasn't "appropriate for her little ears." She hesitantly knocked on the door.
"Look Daffy, I'm really not in the mood right now." he snapped. Dot took a deep breath before responding.
"It's just me." she said. He looked up and his scowl softened.
"Sorry, kid. I thought you were- well, never mind..." he trailed off and rubbed his foot.
"Are you okay?" she asked slowly. He let go of his foot and picked up the coat rack.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just didn't see this and tripped over it." he steadied the oak rack, stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked down at his feet. He sighed before continuing. "Remember when I told you everything would be okay? You still believe me, right?"
Dot walked up to him and took his hand.
"Of course I do," she smiled, hoping to erase some of the tension that was still evident on his face. "Why would you think that I don't all of a sudden?" While Dot did feel apprehensive about the situation, she was still hoping for the best outcome. Of course, Porky and Plotz's disappearance frightened her, but she was going to hold onto hope for as long as she could.
"I just- I don't know." he sighed. She squeezed his hand and his gaze met her eyes for the first time since she entered the room.
"Everything's going to be okay. Really." she said. He leaned down and picked her up, hugging her against him. She happily wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Thanks hun. I needed to hear that," After staying in the hug for a few moments, Bugs put her down and took her hand. "Why don't we see what the others are up to downstairs? I don't think I trust some of them to be left alone in my house for this long." he chuckled.
They went down stairs and Dot could hear Daffy and Foghorn whispering in the kitchen. She strained her ears to hear what they were saying, but Bugs spoke up again before she could catch anything. He nodded toward the living room before putting a hand on the kitchen door.
"I'll be there in a second. Just wanna see what state those birds left my kitchen in."
"OK. Oh, and thanks for the crayons!" she waved the box in her hand. He winked and went through the swinging door, leaving her to join her brothers on the couch.
She crawled under Yakko's arm and leaned against him, propping up her knees to support her coloring book. He hugged her against him as he held a book close to his face with his other arm. Dot smiled, figuring he liked the book. His occasional muttering and frantic turning of the pages hinted that he might.
She sat comfortably against Yakko for another 20 minutes or so before Bugs came in with Foghorn and Daffy following closely behind him. They each collapsed on a couch or a chair or love seat with a heavy thud, and Bugs, who had taken a seat next to her, rubbed his eyes before turning his attention to the television sitting between two large bay windows.
A week later, Dot laid in her bed as the sounds of birds chirping and leaves rustling on Bugs's finely trimmed trees drifted in through the small opening in her window. A warm spell had set over the area during the last two days and for the first time in over two months, Dot could comfortably crack open her window to let a gentle breeze flow over her as she slept.
As much as she had appreciated a break from the practically scalding heat that plagued southern California for most of the year, she had missed being able to enjoy days like this. She lazily opened her eyes and watched as the alarm clock on the maple table beside her bed flickered to 6:00 AM.
Slowly drifting up into a seated position, Dot threw off the blankets and hopped down onto the cool wood floor. She stretched her back and started towards the bathroom. Treading quietly down the hall so not to wake anyone up, and keeping her eyes peeled for any stray ducks sleeping on the floor, she pushed open the bathroom door and filled a paper cup with water.
The cold liquid soothed her dry throat. Dot didn't like to admit when she was sick, but she definitely could feel the signs of a cold coming on. She took another gulp as the sound of knocking outside reached her ears. She shrugged and put the cup under the sink once again.
There had been a woodpecker or something knocking away at the tree outside her window for the past three days, as it had scratch marks running up and down it and a section of it's trunk was missing, so she thought nothing of it.
Trudging back to bed, Dot got back under the covers and decided to give herself a little more time to enjoy her comfortable bed and peaceful room. Just as she was about to fall back asleep, her ears perked up and she opened her eyes once more.
The knocking was getting louder and, somehow, sounded like it was getting closer to her window.