So this chapter was way too long so I have to split it up for the sake of myself and everyone.
Chapter 14: Memory lane (part 1)
" How much longer until we get to Bugs' place?", Yakko said as he shook excitedly in his seat.
" Not too long, doc", Bugs said as looked behind him," We would've been there already if Ophelia would DRIVE FASTER".
" Hey! I'm trying to get us there ALIVE! If you drove, at least one Warner would in a coma by now", Ophelia retorted.
" Is that true?", Wakko asked.
" Sweetheart, why do think whenever he takes the three of you out, either Daffy or Porky is driving", Ophelia stated.
" They keep insisting on taggin' along. And then they take the kids' attention away from me", Bugs said, muttering the last part.
Ophelia chuckled," Well, can you blame them? They're very likeable".
" Aww", the Warners said in unison.
" I didn't you felt that way about us, Ophelia. You're making us blush", Yakko said playfully.
" -And cute", Ophelia continued.
" Stop it", Yakko gushed as he turned away in a flattered manner.
" Don't stop", Dot said as she eagerly moved in to hear more.
" And funny", Ophelia continued as she thought of more compliments.
" Something that we already know", Wakko said smugly.
" -And highly inappropriate in awkward situations", Ophelia said, looking into the rearview mirror to look at them.
" Hmm, got us there", Yakko shrugged.
" But all-in-all, you three are greatest toons I've ever met", Ophelia finished giving them a small smile.
" Alright that's it! You've been dishing them out several compliments and I don't even get one. What's up Alleycat?", Bugs said.
" Bugs dear, sometimes giving them compliments is my only way to be sure that I still have all my fur the next morning", Ophelia explained.
" You've got a good survival instinct", Yakko said flatly.
" But you still mean it, right?", Dot said hopefully.
" Of course", Ophelia said softly.
" Let's do this. I want at least 5 compliments from you before the end of this chapter. It doesn't have to be about me, but at least it must be something related to me?", Bugs said.
Ophelia sighed," Alright, when do I start?".
" Now", Bugs said snapping his fingers, making a sign appear above them.
Compliments: 0
" Umm... Oh look we're here!", Ophelia said, stopping the car and immediately climbed out.
" Well, she just avoided an awkward situation", Dot said as she and her brothers climbed out of the car.
Bugs grumbled as he stepped out of his car to see Daffy standing lazily next to the gate of his house.
Bugs' house was extremely large, like the other houses in the street. The lawn was green and well-trimmed with a small vegetable garden in the corner of the yard.
" Nice place you've got here, Bugs", Ophelia said in awe.
Compliments: 1
" Thanks, the studio got it for me. A 75th birthday present", Bugs said," I still like my rabbit hole more though".
" Daffy! You handsome fowl. It's so great to see you after all this time", Ophelia said walking in for hug.
" Ophelia! Beautiful! You're looking lovely as alwaysth", Daffy said as he pulled her in a hug," Where'sth my 50 bucksth?".
Ophelia pushed him away with a flat look on her face. She dipped her hand into her hammerspace and pulled out a fifty dollar bill.
" Here, ya cheapskate", Ophelia said, slapping the money into Daffy's open hands.
" Pleasure doing business with you", Daffy said as he placed the money away before noticing the Warners," What'sth up cuties?".
" Hi Daffy", the Warners said in unison before each one giving him a large cartoon kiss.
" Is everybody here already?", Bugs asked.
He noticed how Daffy tensed up. The duck sent him a nervous grin as large sweat droplets rolled down his face.
" Eh heh, oh yeah, everyone'sth here. And when I say everyone, I mean EVERYONE", Daffy said, chuckling nervously.
Bugs frowned and lowered his eyes in suspicion. He walked up to the front door and opened, stepping inside where he found himself in the hallway. He looked to his left to find the entrance to the lounge to find most of the Looney Tunes sitting around and chatting. They were all there, including one female rabbit he hoped wouldn't turn up.
Bugs paled as she lifted her gaze, looking straight at him.
" Bugs?", Lola said, which alerted the other Looney Tunes of his arrival.
Bugs' eyes darted between Lola and the door, that was thankfully being blocked by Daffy which stopped Ophelia from entering.
' I knew this was going to happen. And Ophelia's outside DAMN it. I can't have another Honey incident break out'
" Bugs, is everything okay?", Lola asked in concern.
Bugs snapped out of his thoughts as he saw Ophelia about to enter," Uh yeah Lol, just forgot somethin' in my car", he said.
He pushed Ophelia back outside where Daffy and the Warners were still standing patiently.
" Do you wanna go back to the studio?", Bugs asked urgently.
" Where's this coming from?", Ophelia asked confused.
" Do you wanna go back?", Bugs asked again," I can watch the kids for da night. You complained last chapter that you needed a break. You can take one now".
" I consider what's happening now a break. Is something wrong?", Ophelia asked concerned.
" Nothings wrong, I'm just worried about you", Bugs said, hoping that she would back off.
Ophelia frowned," You of all toons should know I can handle myself", she said," Bugs, tell me what's going on?".
Bugs kept his mouth shut, the urge to just throw her in the car or his room and never release her until Lola leaves rose.
" Y'know, you're acting like Honey Bunny is inside there", Ophelia said crossing her arms.
" Actually it's someone way worse", Daffy muttered.
" Bugs, I came here with you so I can see the gang again and meet the new additions. So I'm going in there whether you want me to or not", Ophelia said harshly before pushing him aside and opening the front door.
She was greeted by the sight of several Looney Tunes characters looking at her in the hallway. She felt Bugs snake his way in front of her.
" Hey fellas, you all remember Ophelia, right?", Bugs said sheepishly.
All of sudden, the Looney Tunes surrounded her like sharks with wide happy grins on their faces.
" Well well well, look who came in all the way from Toontown. How you doin' Ophelia?", Tweety said as he settled on her shoulder.
" Still, I say, still the finest lookin' gal in all o' Toontown", Foghorn said placing his hand on her other shoulder.
" Ophelia Alleycat, what a nice surprise", Witch Hazel said walking forward with Gossamer not far behind her.
" It's so nice to see you again after all this time, dearie. I missed your visits", Granny said sweetly.
" Well, I missed you all as well. It's been so long, I'm glad I came", Ophelia said sweetly," Makes me wonder why Bugs didn't want me coming here".
" That doesn't matter now. Why don't you go see the others?", Granny said as she ushered Ophelia into the lounge.
" I feel like the author forgot this is an Animaniacs fanfic", Yakko muttered.
" Don't get your, I say, don't get your tails in a twist kiddos. We're just givin' Ophelia a warm hello. C'mon, someone wants to meet you three", Foghorn said, picking the siblings up and carrying them into the lounge.
The lounge was filled with other Looney Tunes characters, who were excitedly chatting with Ophelia or were looking at her strangely.
Ophelia smiled as familiar faces swarmed around her, giving her a feeling of nostalgia. She felt Bugs at her side as he tugged her arm. She turned to him to find a small brown squirrel on his shoulder.
" Ophelia, this is Squeaks. He's my co-star on 'Wabbit'. Squeaks, this is Ophelia Alleycat", Bugs said as he introduced the small critter to the toonette.
" Hello there", Ophelia said as she shook his hand gently.
Squeaks took her hand, gave it a small shake before leaving a small peck on the back of her hand.
Ophelia giggled," Well aren't you a little charmer", she said.
" Eh heh, knock it off Squeaks. She ain't interested", Bugs said.
" Bugs, you said someone wanted to meet us", Dot said tugging at his jacket, her brothers right behind her.
" Oh right! Eh, Porky, where's Bosko?", Bugs asked.
" K-K-Kitchen", Porky said.
" Okay, you three wait here with Ophelia. I'll go get him", Bugs said.
" Okay", the Warners said in unison.
" I'll be right back", Bugs said before leaving.
" Ophelia, who's Bosko", Wakko asked.
" He's a very old Looney Tune. Even older than Porky and Daffy. Now that I think about it, you three look a lot like him", Ophelia said as she looked at framed photographs on the wall.
The wall was covered with several different photo frames, each completed with a photo. Many photos included Bugs along with several other Looney Tunes characters, while some included pictures of him with his creator and other directors as well as his voice actor. Ophelia settled her eyes on the one black and white photo with Bugs and another toon next to him.
" Is that Mickey Mouse?", Wakko asked.
" Yes. This must've been taken at the premier of 'Who framed Roger Rabbit'", Ophelia said," There's not really much open pictures with those two together".
Ophelia noticed there was no picture of her with him or the others. A small flash of sadness entered her as her eyes landed on picture with Bugs who had his arms wrapped around a beautiful blonde bunny, who stared lovingly at him.
' You stupid cat! You should've seen this coming... you weren't made for him'
Her conscience berated her for feeling a bit heartbroken at the sight of him with someone else.
' You had to do it. To protect him and yourself. Something like that would've gotten the both of you scrapped. If Warner Bros. found out, you would've been a goner'.
" Ophelia?"
" Hmm", Ophelia said, her eyes still on the picture.
" Are you okay?", Yakko asked.
" I'm fine. I just went away a little", Ophelia said sheepishly, knocking out of her trance.
" Okay...", Yakko said, not believing her in the slightest.
" Docs", Bugs called in from the hallway," Someone very special would like to meet the three of you. Bosko...".
A small toon stepped into the room, causing the babble that went on to go silent. He looked quite pale, like years of energy was drained out of him. He leaned against the cane in his hand. He sent the three a tired smile.
" My my, you're younger than I imagined. And very lively might I add. It's finally nice to meet you Warners", Bosko said tiredly.
" Kiddos, this is Bosko. He's even more ancient than Porky", Bugs said jokingly.
" H-H-Hey I'm not that old!", Porky exclaimed, causing several toons to chuckle.
" Well, I wouldn't use ancient to describe my age, rabbit. I'd use... wise beyond everyone's years", Bosko said.
" Don't get cocky here, I still pay ya medical bills, doc", Bugs said playfully.
" Alright daddy, I'll behave", Bosko said rolling his eyes.
" And if you behave very well, son, I might buy you ice cream", Bugs joked.
" Can you get me a lollipop, daddy?", Bosko said.
" I'm sorry son, but that would be incest", Bugs joked.
" G'night everybody", Yakko yelled, causing everyone to burst out in laughter.
" I like this kid. He's a got a dirty mind. I appreciate a dirty mind", Bosko said impressed.
" If you think he's doirty, wait until you hear the other two", Bugs said.
" Yeah, we haven't bathed in days", Dot said.
Wakko pulled out a drum set and played a familiar beat on it.
Bosko chuckled," Man, you three are good. Why didn't I meet you three earlier?".
" Eh, the studio's very protective of these three. Rarely leaves the lot and never stepped foot into ToonTown", Bugs explained.
" Never stepped into- What the heck is goin' on in that studio?! If Leon was still around, he would've thrown a fit", Bosko said incredulously.
" I don't remember if he would be irritated by them or like them", Daffy murmured.
" Probably both", Elmer muttered.
" There's someone else here that agrees wit' ya, Bosk... Ophelia", Bugs called out to the toonette.
Ophelia walked towards the front of the room and smiled seeing Bosko's eyes widen.
" Ophelia Alleycat, comin' here without tellin', I feel a bit shook now that I've seen you after leavin' the gang for so many years", Bosko said.
" It's great to see you again too, Bosko", Ophelia said smiling before her expression turned soft," I'm sorry I didn't turn up at the funeral. I read what happened in the 'paper. I knew Honey meant a lot to you".
Bosko waved off the apology," It's fine. I don't think she would've wanted you to be there anyway. You and Honey never really did see eye-to-eye".
" Of course, we didn't. I'm taller than her, remember", Ophelia joked.
Cue another drum beat from Wakko.
Bugs and Daffy snorted at the joke while Bosko chuckled.
" Still got in ya Alleycat. Brings me back to when the first time you brought out your wrecking ball", Bosko mused," You really scarred Bugs".
" Made me lose some fur", Bugs mumbled.
" If you think Bugs losing his fur is bad, Yakko fainted and didn't wake up 'til the middle of the night", Dot said.
" Well to be honest... Ophelia's really scary when she's angry", Yakko said defensively.
" She is. Which is why I don't mess with her unlike some toons", Bosko said looking at Bugs.
Bugs shrugged," Guilty", was all he said.
" Now c'mon everyone, games are in the entertainment room, food in the kitchen and the pool's outside", Bosko said, giving the toons free reign to leave the lounge.
" You have a pool", Wakko said in awe.
" Yeah, got it installed last summer", Bugs said.
" I didn't pack you three bathing suits", Ophelia said sheepishly.
" Oh...", the Warners said sadly.
" No worries, I'm here ta rescue you from your woos. I think I have Buster and Babs' spares up in one of the guest rooms for Wakko and Dot. Eh, Yakko might be able to fit into Clyde's... it might be a bit tight but you'll stretch into it", Bugs said thinking long and hard," 'Phels are you swimmin'?".
" Not sure, maybe later after I win my 50 bucks back from Daffy at the Craps table", Ophelia said shrugging.
" Alright, I'll just get for you three for now", Bugs said.
The sound of crashing plates and a gunshot rang from the kitchen. Bugs winced as he heard yelling and the sound of a laser gun charging up.
" Umm, on second thought, why don't you three go find the suits... and maybe some floatees. I gotta make sure Yosemite hasn't broken the china", Bugs said worriedly.
" Alright, which room are they in?", Yakko asked.
" Go upstairs and at the end of the hall the room to the left in that room's closet are the bathing suits. Got it", Bugs explained.
" Uhhhhh, some of it", Yakko said.
" Good enough. Now go", Bugs said.
" Alright sibs, exploration time!", Yakko said, changing into a safari adventure outfit.
They raced out of the room and up the stairs, leaving Ophelia and Bugs alone in the lounge.
" Ophelia?", Bugs said, noticing the toonette wasn't moving.
" Hmm", she said in daze.
She was back at the photo wall, looking at that one picture she wanted so badly to tear up. Her mind was so fogged she didn't quite comprehend what Bugs was saying.
" 'Phels, are you okay?", Bugs asked concerned.
" I'm fine, everything's fine", Ophelia said, her voice sounding strained," Why don't you check on your stuff".
" I wanna make sure you're alright", Bugs said standing next to her," What are you even looking a-".
He noticed it. That photograph he thought he threw away. His little reminder of all the women the studio made for him.
" We're still okay, right?", Ophelia asked quietly," We're still... off".
" Yeah- Or at least, I assume we are...", Bugs said hesistantly.
" ...You looked handsome", Ophelia said hesistantly.
Compliments: 2
" Thanks, I was forced to wear pants that night", Bugs joked," I think this was 'Space Jams' premiere. I dressed horribly for my least favourite movie"
Ophelia snorted," Maybe you just being there saved the film".
Compliments: 3
" I doubt it. A lot of older Looney Tunes fans hated the movie. One fan actually wrote me a very colourful letter about how low I stooped", Bugs said flatly.
" Can they really blame you? You guys were left without proper jobs for years", Ophelia said before muttering," If I was given the opportunity to be in the spotlight again, I'd take it in a heartbeat".
" But I could've done somethin' to change it. I was Warner Bros. mascot, I had that sorta power", Bugs said angrily," But whoopsie, I got blinded and rebooted, almost got replaced by a purple imposter".
" You were Warner Bros. mascot... You were relevant to the studio, whatever you do would make an impact on your crew... your family. What we did, what we had... would've had you all, including myself scrapped", Ophelia said sadly," I think I would've lost myself if you got scrapped. I was happy knowing you were still here doing what you loved. I should've been fine...".
" Hey...", Bugs said softly," Don't cut yourself so short... I like what we had, I still get tingles thinkin' about it".
Ophelia blushed at Bugs' confession.
He continued,"-But I also like what we have now. I don't know either. But what I do know is-".
Bugs gently took Ophelia's hand into his, the latter looked up at him with a deepened blush.
"- I care about you deeply".
They both smiled at each other, hands still intertwined, neither one moving from their spot.
" Bugs! I need to talk to you...", Lola said, her voice going quiet when she saw Ophelia," Oh, was I interrupting something?".
Before Bugs could open his mouth, Ophelia jumped in," No, not at all!".
He felt how she yanked her hand away from his and took a step back, he hadn't realised they were standing that close together.
Bugs sighed," Do you need somethin', Lola?", he asked.
" I forgot!", Lola exclaimed, causing Ophelia and Bugs to jump," I mean, I forgot why I was looking for you...".
There was an awkward silence in the air for a couple of seconds until Ophelia broke the silence.
" How's everything in the kitchen?", Ophelia asked.
" Oh! Umm, it's actually fine. Only a couple of plates broke, don't worry Bugs, your china is still intact", Lola said, causing Bugs to sigh in relief.
" You're Ophelia, right? Ophelia Alleycat?", Lola asked as she walked towards them.
" Y-Yeah", Ophelia said hesistantly.
" I don't know if Bugs told you about me... but I'm Lola, his ex-girlfriend", Lola said carefully.
" Y-Yeah, he told me about you. He didn't say you were coming though", Ophelia said hesistantly.
" I changed my mind last minute. I was kinda bored in my apartment so I called Daffy and said I'll come", Lola explained.
" Oh...", was all Ophelia said.
" You could've called me, y'know", Bugs said.
" And then you would've taken her back to the studio. Don't think I don't know why you ran out, Bugs Bunny. I'm disappointed that you think that I'll have a Honey Bunny moment over her", Lola scolded.
" To be honest, you can be worst than Honey sometimes", Bugs said defensively.
Lola sighed," I guess you're right", she looked at Ophelia," I'm sorry I didn't greet you earlier. I was still a bit shocked to actually see you in person... You're much prettier than I imagined".
" Thank you...", Ophelia said with uncertainty.
" Umm, why don't we all head to the entertainment room so that everyone can see we're all still intact and we still have our eyes", Bugs said, trying to escape the awkward situation.
" That sounds good", Lola said, turning on her heel and leaving the room quickly.
" I think I made her feel awkward", Ophelia said.
" 'Phels, you make everyone feel awkward at times. C'mon, let's go eat and let Yakko, Wakko and Dot be focused on until later", Bugs said.
Meanwhile with the Warners
" Did you find them yet?", Dot asked impatiently.
" Hold your horses, there's a lot of things in this closet", Yakko said as he threw nearly everything out of the storage space.
The Warners were stuck for ten minutes searching for the bathing suits while the moment downstairs happened. As of now, this was the last closet they had to search in the room Bugs directed them too.
" Maybe Bugs meant the room opposite this room. You know he has a bad sense of direction", Wakko suggested.
" Wakko could be right. Maybe Bugs meant the other room", Dot said siding with her brother.
" Well, I've stretched out most of this room's storage spaces. Maybe we should go with Wakko's idea", Yakko said as he assessed the mess he made," Hey sis, mind helping me with this".
" Okay, let's do this", Dot said cracking her knuckles with a determined expression.
" Uh, Wak, why don't get a head start on the other room", Yakko said.
" Yes sir!", Wakko said saluting and ran out of the room.
He closed the room and began his march to the opposite room. But he stopped when he heard another door slowly open. This was the door to the last room at the end of the hall.
Wakko's curiosity got the best of him as he felt himself going to the ajar door. He peeked inside to see if anyone was inside. Once he was sure no one was inside, he opened the door further and stepped inside.
Wakko whistled in amazement at the size of the room. But his amazement soon ended as soon as something underneath his foot caused him to slip and fall with a thud.
Wakko rubbed the back of his head to ease the throbbing pain. He moved his foot to see a small discarded carrot top.
" This must be Bugs' room", Wakko muttered.
He stood up and looked at the king-sized bed in front of him. He gripped the blankets and pulled himself up onto it. Once he got up, he rolled around on the blankets.
" It's so soft... like Ophelia's tail", Wakko gushed.
He looked at the bedside table and noticed the silvery photo frame that stood lone on that table.
" Faboo", Wakko said as he reached out for the frame.
Wakko's eyes widened at the picture. It was a old faded black and white picture but he could clearly tell who the two in the picture were.
Wakko felt his tail hit against something, causing the TV in front of him to switch on.
" Good Evening ToonTown, this is your favourite newsman, Jet Ubetcha reportin' live from your local news station"
Wakko scrunched up his nose in disgust," Ugh, news...", he hissed.
Before he could change the channel, Jet's voice and expression turned serious.
" As some of you may have already heard, certain toons have been reported missing of the last several months"
Wakko froze as he heard the statement and leaned forward, his young mind curious as to what was going on.
Yakko and Dot walked in with a look of relief on their faces as they walked up to their brother.
" Wak, there you are, we were lookin' for- are you watching the news", Yakko asked confused.
Wakko shushed them and turned his attention back to the TV.
" The ToonTown Police Department had already visited the latest crime scene which happened to be the home of the victim"
" Wakko, what happened?", Dot asked curiously.
" A toon got kidnapped", Wakko explained.
" Judging by the footage taken by one of the officers, there were obvious signs of struggle, due to the broken furniture. But concerned our protectors more were the patches of ink that tainted the bathroom floor"
" It must've been one heck of a fight if there's ink around", Yakko murmured.
" We managed to get a few minutes with one of the officers at the scene. Thank you for joining us Inspector Carmelita Fox"
" It was my pleasure, Jet"
" HELLO FOXY NURSE", Yakko and Wakko exclaimed.
Dot rolled her eyes," Boys...", she muttered.
" This is one of the most serious cases seen this year. Several toons gone in a matter of months. So far, the only alibi we have are that the toons that are being kidnapped are mainly inkblots"
" Inkblots?", Dot said confused.
" It's what they call black and white toons from the 20s and 30s", Yakko explained.
" Has the city made any plans yet to oversee the situation", Jet asked.
" According to the Safety and Protection Department, from next month onwards, humans may no longer be able to enter ToonTown, as the department fears this may be the work of Anti-Toon groups-huh"
Carmelita's speaker started up with the sound of a panicked voice. She spoke to the panicked voice sternly before turning off the speaker.
" Sorry about that. That was my superior. He just informed me of a new alibi. According to City records, the toons that were kidnapped all worked for or is connected somehow to the forgotten studio, Banner Studio"
Dot froze, remembering the name from her dream. From the corner of her eye she could see Wakko tensing up as well, gripping the photo frame she hadn't noticed earlier. She swallowed her fear hard and continued to watch.
" The city is calling for a state of emergency. Every toon, of every style, genre, and studio must return to ToonTown before we close off the portals at the end of the month. If you are a toon watching this, we urge you to start packing immediately. Please return to ToonTown for your own safe-"
Wakko switched the TV off before he could get any sicker at what he was hearing. He gripped the photo frame hard in a protective manner as he shook. This was one of those rare moments where he truly felt gut-wrenching fear, especially of what he knew.
" Well that was... something", Dot said awkwardly.
Yakko sighed," This is why I don't watch the news".
" Yeah, it's really negative at times, right Wak-Wakko?", Dot said in a concerned tone.
" What's wrong Wak?", Yakko asked softly.
" I'm just worried...", Wakko said quietly.
" Why?", Yakko asked.
Wakko looked at them sadly. They didn't know what he knew. He hadn't told Dot everything that happened in his dream. Hearing what the kidnappers were looking for made him sick. Especially since someone he cares about could get involved.
" Banner Studio... is the name of the studio that Ophelia was created in", Wakko said quietly.
He saw how Yakko and Dot paled at the information. He glanced down at the picture he was holding and hoped that everything was just a hoax.
" Well now", Yakko said nervously," Looks like the plot has finally arrived".
To be continued
Part 2 will be out tomorrow.