Chapter 34: Stay Away
Thomas opens his locker getting his books for his next class. "Donut?" Tori said from behind Thomas startling him, making him hit his head on his locker. "Ow," Thomas said, turning around and looking at Tori. "Oh, I'm sorry are you okay?" Tori asked. Thomas then smiled now seeing Tori. "It's all good," Thomas said with a chuckle. "Glad to see you back," Tori said, handing Thomas a donut. "Yeah…" Thomas said speechless. "Well I better get to class enjoy the Donut," Tori said as she went to class. Thomas eats the donut as he watches Tori leave. Thomas then goes to his next class while also getting greeted for coming back from being sick. Thomas sits at table with Alfie, Liam and Sam. Thomas had introduced Sam to his new friends during lunch. "So Sam, you like Brisbane mate?" Alfie asks before eating his sandwich.
"Yeah it's a cool place," Sam replied, eating his pizza. "And your dads cool for sponsoring the school's touch football team," Liam said also eating his sandwich. "Yeah, that's his thing with new sports stuff," Sam answered with a smile. "Heeler!" Zach shouted from across the cafeteria. "What now," Thomas sighed. Before turning to look at Zach. "Careful Thomas I think he's real mad," Alfie said turning to see Zach approach the group. "What do you want Shepard?" Thomas said standing up now face to face with the German Shepherd. "If you think you can replace me as team captain you got another thing coming!" Zach said with a growl. "What are you talking about?" Thomas asked. "This!" Zach said pushing a piece of Paper into Thomas's chest. Thomas then took the paper and looked. "Oh, would you look at that I replaced you," Thomas said with a smile. "History will not repeat itself!" Zach spat.
"Repeat itself?" Thomas asked, confused. "Your uncle Rad stole that title from my dad!" Zach said with his ears back and growl. "Then I guess you'll just have to sit back and watch me win like my uncle Rad," Thomas said turning around. Zach growled again and exploded like a firework. "You have stayed sick like your mother!" Zach spat. Thomas snap without even thinking he made a fist and punched Zach repeatedly. "Screw you!" Thomas shouted as Zach and Thomas continued to fight. Alfie and Liam quickly got up and tired to get in between the two. Once they got the two to stop fighting two teachers came in and took over the situation. Both boys were reported to the principal's office. Thømas sat in the office with a cut lip and an ice pack on it. Bandit this time came for his son.
"Thomas! What did you do mate?!" Bandit said in Strict serious tone. Thomas stood and walked past his father. Bandit followed his son out to the car. "Son!" Bandit said but Thomas kept on walking. "Mate talk to me," Bandit said, trying to catch up to his son. "Thomas Heeler stop right now!" Bandit shouted. "WHAT! What do you want!" Thomas shouted. "Two weeks of suspension?! And you gave that kid a broken nose?! What had gotten into you!" Bandit shouted. "It's because of what he said!" Thømas shouted, getting into his dad's car. Bandit then got into the car. "What did he say to you that you had to break his nose?" Bandit asked getting the car. "I don't want to talk about it," Thomas said looking out the window. "Will I do, you just do that without a reason mate," Bandit said in a serious tone. "Just drive dad!" Thomas shouted looking forward. "Not until you tell me what happened," Bandit said strictly.
Thomas then shook his head and got out of the car and started walking home. "Thomas!" Bandit shouted to him but Thomas didn't listen. "Thomas!" Bandit shouted to him again. Thomas then started jogging him. "Dang it kid," Bandit said as he drove home. Bandit beats Thomas home as Thomas walks up to the house. "Thomas!" Bandit shouted to him. Thomas tried to walk past his dad but Bandit wouldn't let him through. "Talk to me son! Let me help you!" Bandit said grabbing his son by the shoulders. "Get off of me!" Thomas said trying to break free. "Talk to me mate just talk to me!" Bandit said holding his son back. "You won't understand!" Thomas shouted, struggling to get away. "Just try me!" Bandit said holding his son. "He said I should have stayed sick like mom!" Thomas shouted, breaking free. Bandit was shocked to hear that. "He said that to you?" Bandit asked, feeling heartbroken. He knew kids could be mean, but this was something else. Thomas wasn't done yet. "Ahh!" Thømas shouted as he started hitting his father. "Mate! What are you doing, why are you hitting me!" Bandit shouted, blocking all of Thomas's hits. "Because of you I'm here! Because of you I have to go to that school! Because of you I'm a Heeler!" Thomas shouted as he stopped hitting his dad and breathing hard. "What's wrong with being a Heeler mate?" Bandit asked, feeling his heartbreak.
"I'll always have to prove myself here and I'll always have to live up to you and my uncles and even my mom," Thomas said with tears in his eyes before taking off down the road. "Thomas, come back!" Bandit said with tears in his eyes. Bandit could feel himself losing breath and the world around him started to spin. Bandit then took out his phone and called his wife. "Chilli we need to talk it's about our son," Bandit said, breathing hard. A few hours later have past and Bandit kept calling Thomas's cell phone. Bluey and Bingo were also worried about their brothers' whereabouts. Bingo stared out the window hoping to see her brother. "He promised me," Bingo said softly with some tears in her eyes. Bluey also had some tears in her eyes as she sat by Bingo and helped watch for their brother. Bandit paced back and forth waiting for his son to call.
Suddenly Bandit's phone rang. He quickly grabbed his phone and answered. "Stripe? Is he with you?" Bandit asked with some despair in his voice. "Yeah, mate, he's sleeping in the guest bedroom," Stripe answered, causing Bandit to take a deep breath of relief, as Chilli came up beside her husband and rubbed his shoulders, while Bandit put his phone on speaker. "Thank god, cheers, mate, you just saved my night, I don't know what I have done tonight without knowing about him," Bandit said, feeling better. "We talked and… he's real hurt," Stripe said on the phone. "Am I doing the right thing, Stripe? I'm his father and I can't reach him like you can, you're a better father figure to him than I'll ever be," Bandit said, stressing. "Bandit, you can't be hard on yourself like this, mate, he needs you and you need him, I know Emily meant everything to you and to him and that's something that no one can take away from you, no matter what," Stripe said. "I just don't know how to keep him safe, he blamed me for being a Heeler, not to mention what that kid said to him, do kids even say those things?" Bandit asked. "Mate, what that kid said was beyond cruel," Stripe said. "I know, I know," Bandit said, stressed. "You know, we have a talk when he came by…" Stripe said.
(A few hours earlier)
Stripe heard his doorbell ring. He walked to his door and answered it, getting surprised to see his nephew standing before him. "Thomas?" Stripe asked, shocked to his nephew with his eyes red from crying as he jumped at Stripe and hugged him and cried. "What's wrong, mate?" Stripe asked and hugged his nephew back. "I messed up Uncle Stripe," Thomas said while crying on his uncle's dark blue fur. "Come inside, mate, let's talk," Stripe said as he brought his son inside his house. Stripe made his nephew something to eat and some tea as they sat at the table and talked. "What happened, mate, does your dad know you're here?" Stripe asked. "No, he thinks I ran away," Thomas said drinking his tea. "Ran away? I need to call him," Stripe said getting his phone out. "No you can't!" Thomas protested. "Why? What happened for you to say that?" Stripe asked. Thomas sighed as he started to explain the whole day.
"Mate, I'm so sorry that happened to you, but you can push you dad out because of it," Stripe said. "I know that, but… I feel like he wouldn't understand, he would just say stuff like I don't need to prove myself, that he is always proud of me no matter what…" Thomas said. "What it's true, he is always proud of you… and so am I and the rest of our family," Stripe told. "Yeah, I know that, but that doesn't stop others from comparing me with you three: you, dad and uncle Rad… and target me for anything bad any of you did, like Zach did… and when he mentioned my mom… I just couldn't help myself, I just let all my anger and frustration take control" Thomas said. "My dad can say he understands… but he doesn't, not really," he added. "That's where you're wrong, he does understand… and so do I," Stripe said. "Why? Because you two had to deal with being under uncle Rad's shadow?" Thomas asked. "Uncle Stripe, I already know about it and it's not the same," he said. "Are you sure about that, mate? So what do you think that happened when your uncle Rad had some dispute with another older student? Your dad and I had to suffer the recoils of those disputes," Stripe told. "Actually, we all had to take the recoils of each other's disputes," Stripe added.
"That Zach kid you told me about… Is his last name by any chance Shepherd?" Stripe asked. "Yes, it is… how did you know?" Thomas asked. "Because I remember very well of what he told you about… when your uncle Rad became captain of the touch football team," Stripe said. "I was at seventh grade… my first year of high school, your uncle Rad and Zach's dad, Rex, disputed the title of captain after the last one graduated and Rad managed to get it, but Rex got very resentful of that and, when your dad made the team that year, he started to make his time at the team as difficult as possible," Stripe told. "I… didn't know that," Thomas said. "It must have been hard for him…" he added. "You can say that, Rex was a twelfth grader and your dad a ninth grader… but your dad was tough and managed to endure it," Stripe said. "What about uncle Rad? Didn't he help him?" Thomas asked. "Oh, he tried, but your dad didn't want his help, he didn't want to give Rex the satisfaction of passing as a pup that needs his older brother to save him from any tough situation," Stripe replied. "But just because your dad tried to ignore Rex, it didn't mean his anger towards him would just go away, it only accumulated, only to explode at a moment that would set him off, what ended up happening…" he continued.
"Wait, my dad… exploded in rage? That… doesn't sound like him," Thomas said. "Well, he was a teenager back then… and the circumstances pushed him to do it," Stripe told. "Like I told you, your dad, your uncle Rad and I would take the recoils of each other's disputes, so… when he couldn't no longer mess with Bandit, Rex would come mess with me," Stripe said. "Wait, but you were just a kid back then…" Thomas replied. "I guess being a bully runs in Zach's family," Thomas commented. "Well, yeah, Rex wasn't exactly nice, and the fact he messed with me and your dad was nearby… well, that set him off, he fought Rex and, let me tell you, he gave him quite the job…" Stripe said. "You're serious about that? But Rex should have been much bigger than him," Thomas said. "What can I say? Your dad had rage on his side," Stripe said. "After the fight was stopped, both had some bruisers and scratches, but Rex got also a black eye and a broken nose from your dad, and both of them got an all month of detention," Stripe told.
"Wow… I didn't know about it," Thomas said. "I think your father wouldn't want you to know about the times he got into a fight at school, because it doesn't give him too much authority when it comes to discipline you for fighting at school," Stripe said. "But, as you can see, your dad does understand you… actually, this only proves you don't need to try hard to be a Heeler, it comes naturally, we Heelers are really protective of our family," Stripe said. "But, next time, try not lose your temper that easily, your mother wouldn't want you to get in trouble because of that," Stripe added. Thomas didn't know what to say about it. Now that he knew about that side of his dad, he started to feel really bad for what he said to him. Not only that, he couldn't help but imagining his mother's disappointing look for getting into a fight and get suspended because of her. It was then that he realized something. "Wait, I got a ten-days suspension for breaking Zach's nose, but my dad got detention for doing the same thing to Zach's dad?" Thomas asked. "Believe me, mate, it could have been worse, but Rex took the blame for it," Stripe told.
"He did? Why?" Thomas asked, surprised. "He got impressed by your dad's courage to face someone like him to protect his little brother, so he said the only reason Bandit attacked him was because he was messing with me, after that, despite Rex still didn't like Rad, he came to respect Bandit and they even became friends," Stripe said. "You're saying that… my dad is friends with Zach's dad?" Thomas asked. "I know, ironic, right?" Stripe asked. "But… he never told me that," Thomas said. "Well, he and Rex started to lose touch after the latter went to college and then they stopped talking completely when your dad went to live with your mother at the States," Stripe said. There was a pause, where they went to drink some tea. "So… now that you're more at ease, do you want to call your dad?" Stripe asked. "I don't know… he may still be upset because I ran away, can I… sleep here for tonight?" Thomas asked. "Well… okay, but tomorrow morning you'll get back at home, deal?" Stripe asked. "Deal," Thomas replied.
(In the present…)
Bandit let some tears roll down his muzzle before speaking. "Thanks mate for talking to him," Bandit with a smile. "Your welcome mate," Stripe said. "Listen mate, I really need to see him, can I come over?" Bandit asked getting up from his chair. "Sure mate come on over," Stripe said. "Okay mate I love you see you soon," Bandit said before hanging up the phone. "Is he alright?" Chilli asked looking at her husband. "He's fine he's sleeping at Stripes but Chilli I…" Bandit started to say but Chilli already knew what he was going to ask. "It's okay, go to him," Chilli said before giving her husband a kiss. "Can we come too?" Bluey asked as she and Bingo walked up to their parents. "No honey, your dad has to do this on his own," Chilli said as she kneeled down to her daughters level. "But we miss Thomas too!" Bingo said looking down. "I know sweetheart but your dad will bring him home," Chilli said, hugging Bingo. "Promise?" Bingo asked. "I know kiddo," Bandit said picking up Bingo and hugging her.
Bandit Chilli then put the girls to bed before Bandit went to Stripes. Now at Stripes Bandit knocked on the door as Stripes answers it and lets his older brother in. "Guest bedroom?" Bandit asked. Stripe nodded as Bandit went to the guest bedroom. Bandit opened the door slowly and saw his son sleeping. Bandit smiled as he went into the room and sat down next to his son who was still sleeping. Bandit felt a tear roll down his muzzle while remembering the first time he saw his son being born. "Dad?" Thomas said still sleepy. "Sorry mate did I wake you?" Bandit asked softly. Thømas rubbed his eyes and looked up at his father. "No it's fine dad, what are you doing here?" Thømas asked. "Son, no matter how mad you are at me, I'll always come for you," Bandit said with a smile. "I'm sorry for hitting you and all the things I've said to you," Thomas said looking away from his father.
"You were angry and I understand," Bandit said, making his son look at him. "But it doesn't give me the right to say what I said and I'm sorry dad I'm proud to be a Heeler and I'm proud to be your son," Thomas said hugging his dad. Bandit was surprised by this as he hugged his son back while wagging his tail. "And I'm proud to be your father," Bandit said holding his son tightly.
(Flashback)
Emily was breathing hard in the delivery room. Emily was holding her husbands hand while getting ready for their son to come. "Your doing great Emily just breathe," Bandit said softly to his wife. "Bandit I don't if I can do this… what he ends up like Charlie," Emily said with tears I her eyes looking at Bandit. "Em, he's not going to end up like that you know that was an accident," Bandit said wiping the sweat from her head. Emily lightly smiled at her husband. "I'm just so scared Bandit," Emily confessed. Bandit smiled at his wife. "Hey you have me here, we're in this together," Bandit said kissing Emily on her head. The doctor then comes in with a smile on her face. "Are we ready to deliver this baby boy?" The doctor asked. Emily nodded. "Alright on my mark," the doctor said as Emily was ready to push. It wasn't long later when Thomas was born.
Emily held her and Bandits son in her arms. Emily then gives Bandit their son to hold. "Hey there mate, I'm your dad," Bandit said softly holding his son. Emily smiled seeing Bandit holding their son. "Bandit," Emily said softly sitting up. Bandit turned and looked at Emily. "Yes Em?" Bandit asked, looking at his wife while holding their son. "I love you," Emily said with a smile. Bandit smiled back at his wife before giving her their son. "He's got your eyes," Bandit commented. "But he looks so much like his dad," Emily said looking down at their baby boy. "Would you guys like a Picture?" The doctor asked coming in the room with a camera. Emily nodded with a smile as she held her son close to her with Bandit. The doctor smiled as she took the picture. The doctor hands the Heelers the picture and then leaves the room.
"It's perfect," Emily said looking down at picture. "Yeah, just like you," Bandit said, kissing Emily on her head. Emily sighs as she puts the picture down and holds her son some more. "You going to great things I just know it," Emily whispered as her son was sleeping in her arms.
(Present day)
Bandit ended up sleeping over in the guest room with his son. Thomas slept close to his dad feeling his body heat like he used to when he was younger. While sleeping Thomas felt a tear come down his muzzle. Thomas wiped it before getting even closer to his dad feeling his fur on his fur. Bandit woke up for a second feeling his son on his fur. Bandit smiled as he held his son close to him, not wanting to let go. Bandit remembered the first time he held his son when he was born, he never felt so proud to be a father in that moment. "I love you mate," Bandit whispered softly before falling asleep again.
Kodiwolf321: poor Thomas still fighting those demons he has but I'm so glad he worked it out with father. Thankfully for Stripe to fix things hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as we did making it for you! See you in the next one real soon!