Hey! I'm back. So, this chapter takes place during chapter 6.
See chapter 1 for the disclaimer and let's crack on.
As the toons left the hall, Penelope dropped back smoothly to walk with Pepe. "Did you get all that?" She teased, linking her arm with his.
Pepe ran his hand across his forehead in an exaggerated manner. "Just about. Monsieur Avery - he talks very fast, does he not?"
Penelope gave a giggle, which abruptly stopped when she noticed what was happening just ahead of her. Robert had quickly walked through the rest off the toons with a speed that was unusual at best and downright suspicious at worst. As he passed Elmer she saw him reach down and quickly pinch the hunters butt before moving off as swiftly as a panther.
The cat grasped her partners arm. "Did you see that!?" She squeaked.
Pepe blinked and looked around aimously. "See what, ma petite fleur de cerisier*?"
"He just-!" Penelope clamped her mouth shut. What was she doing? She was in public. "C'mon." She grabbed Pepe's arm and dragged him along the corridor, looking for Elmer.
Pepe was very confused and kept asking her what was wrong. "I don't know." She hissed as she pushed other toons aside. "Just keep your eye out for Elmer!"
"Fuddthsey?" Daffy abruptly put his hand out in front of the cat and skunk, stopping them from going any further.
"Mon dieu!" Pepe exclaimed.
Penelope ignored him and looked at Daffy with shrewd eyes. "Yes. You know where he is?"
"Bathroom." Daffy jerked a thumb towards the toilets. "He didn't look good. Why?"
"I need to speak to him." Penelope said. Then she thought. A lightbulb flickered above her head as she put the pieces together. Elmer's shifty behaviour during the meeting. The sudden need to switch with herself. His white face...
Penelope shook her head in a distressed fashion, thankfully by this point most of the other toons had disappeared so it was only a worried Pepe and a growing-more-concerned Daffy watching her. She glanced over towards the bathroom door wondering if she should go in and confront Elmer. Though...what was she confronting him about? That something may be going on between him and Robert? She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down and think rationally.
Most toons did not like humans in a romantic sense. That was common knowledge and - although there were a few exceptions - as far as she knew Elmer was not one of them. Simply put, Elmer was very old-school. Very old school and very hesitant. Bugs had been trying to get his attention for about six months before finally resorting to just flat-out asking him. No, Elmer was not a very observant toon. He wasn't as stupid as people thought, but he still wasn't brilliant at social stuff.
So, it was unlikely he'd start an affair with Robert. That ruled out, there was only one possibility and it was one that made her feel cold all over.
"Can you stick with Elmer?" Penelope asked Daffy. "Make sure he doesn't go anywhere near Robert?"
Daffy's forehead furrowed and he went to ask why, but Penelope held her hands up and said, urgently. "Just trust me! I don't care how you do it, just don't let him go near him! Pepe, avec moi!" And she billowed off down the corridor like a steam missile.
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It was almost predictable that halfway to Bugs's house, Penelope ran out of steam. She stopped dead in the middle of the street, Pepe slamming into her. As he cursed furiously, Penelope whirled round and asked, anxiously. "I'm not sure about this. I think I may be going mad, you're good with body-language, can I show you and you give me your opinion?"
Pepe nodded, still none the wiser. Penelope dragged him into a handy nearby hedge and steadied herself. Another advantage of being a toon was the ability to show memories to other people/toons, AKA flashbacks, they were only used in rare circumstances because they tended to be unreliable. That and they took a lot of concentration/effort on behalf of the toon.
With quite a bit of focus Penelope managed to create a flashback which showed the skunk exactly what had happened when they'd left the meeting. Pepe's face, which at first gave the impression he thought his beloved slightly mad, took on a darker tone when he saw exactly what [as far as Penelope's memory was concerned] had happened.
When the flashback had finished Pepe hummed and waved a hand loosely in the cat's direction. "That, that iz not right. They are not dating, non? And Monsieur Fudd, he looks most uncomfortable. Non...not good at all. What was he like during the meeting?"
Penelope gave him an exasperated look and Pepe, in turn, gave her an apologetic shrug. The cat showed him the exchange she'd had with Emer and Pepe nodded, analysing the scene. "Even if I had not seen the first one." he said, after a good few moments. "I should have been suspicious based on that exchange alone. Monsieur Fudd...he looks like he is about to faint! And we both know that Monsieur Fudd, he is not the dame, he does not faint easily."
Penelope gave a glare. "I'll forget you said that last bit." She said, meaningfully. "So, you agree we should tell Bugs?"
"Straight away."
And with that the two of them set off.
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[Back at Warner Brothers]
It took a long time but eventually Elmer felt like he was able to walk again and, wobbling slightly, he got up and headed for the door. His intention was to simply sneak out and pray to Avery that Robert wasn't there, but that plan was stopped when he got out to the corridor and came face-to-beak with...
"Heya Fuddsthey!"
Daffy. Elmer sighed. "Hey Daffy." He said, pushing past the duck.
That didn't work. Daffy simply followed him. "Are you hungry?" He asked. "We could get lunch in the canteen?"
Elmer frowned and turned to face him. "With me paying?"
The duck grinned. "Ifth you insisth!" and with that Daffy linked his arm with Elmer's and dragged him towards the canteen.
Twenty minutes later they were tucking into lunch. [A late lunch, but still lunch] Daffy decided this was a good time to say. "You wearn't planning on doing anythin' persthonal later on, were you?"
Elmer paused mid-bite and gave him a look that clearly said 'what are you talking about, you insane duck?'
"Penelope's ordered me to stay with you." Daffy said, conversationally. "Apparently I'm not to let you anywhere near Robert?"
The effect was immediate. The human-toon jumped and accidently smacked his hand against his fork, making it clatter on the floor. As everyone in the canteen turned to look at them, the hunter flushed a deep red and picked it up, mind racing. "Why?" He asked, struggling to keep his voice level.
Daffy gave him a shrewd look. "I don't know. But going off your reaction, I'm guessthing she must be right?" Actually, Daffy knew Penelope must be right. Why else would Elmer be going so white? Actually...Daffy realised, in alarm, Elmer was going very white. He was also breathing oddly, his breath coming in short bursts. The duck was not, by any stretch of the imagination, medically qualified, but even he knew this wasn't right. "Elmer?" Daffy leaned across the table and laid his hand on the hunters arm.
The second Elmer felt a strange presence his arm, he gave a shout and pushed himself backwards, which resulted in him smacking his head against the floor.
"Elmer!?" Daffy leapt up of his chair and ran round to the prone form of his brother. "Elmer!?" He shook the hunters shoulders. No response. With that he stood up and screeched. "POP!"
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[In Bugs's house]
"...Monsieur Bunny?" Pepe asked, in concern. "Are you alright?"
Bugs sat in his armchair, perfectly still. He'd just finished watching Penelope's memories and was struggling to contain his emotions. It was all fitting together...the nervous behaviour, the crying, the suit - oh, the suit! That had happened three days ago.
[Three days ago in Elmer's house]
"Nice meal, Doc." Bugs complimented, finishing the stew the hunter had made for him. [Carrot of course]
Elmer gave a small nod, his hands linked and his brow furrowed.
Bugs gave him an exasperated look and clicked his fingers. "Are you alright?" He asked, when Elmer's eyes had come back into focus.
Elmer nodded.
Bugs sighed and prodded at his soup. Then something caught his eye. There was a bag by the door and in the bag was an item of familiar clothing. "Eh..." He began, getting up off his chair. "What's that, Doc?"
Elmer turned and stammered a response.
By this point Bugs had pounced on the bag and taken the suit out of it. "What's this doing in here!?" He exclaimed. "Ya only got it last week!"
Elmer marched over and snatched it out the rabbit's hands. "It's no business of youws what I do with my own possessions!" He snapped.
Bugs - resisting the urge to strangle the other toon - said, through gritted teeth. "Lemme get dis straight. You have just begged Freleng for a suit...an' now ya've got it...ya don't want it?"
The human-toon folded his arms and looked down at the floor.
Bugs started to see red and his fists clenched. "Do ya know-" He started. "-How many toons would love to be in your shoes? You-" He carried on, getting more and more wound up. "Are the most ungrateful toon I've ever met! An' I don't get it! It's like ever since oi got with ya, ya've been a joirk! Well, I'm not taking it any more - we're finished!" And with that he'd stormed out the house.
[Back to Bugs's house in the present timeline]
The rabbit sighed and buried his head in his hands. Truth be told he'd been regretting losing his temper ever since he'd done it. He knew he'd handled the situation wrong, but his pride stopped him approaching Elmer and apologising. And now this. He felt like the biggest jerk in the world. You could put him on display as a attraction, he was that big a jerk and now he was forced to admit to himself that if he had just sucked it up and apologised Robert may never had had the opportunity to...assault Elmer. Because that's what it was. Assault. Bugs knew the humans didn't see it quite like that - Avery knows why - but within toon culture body-language was important and the minute someone showed they were uncomfortable or a joke hadn't landed you changed tack and or apologised instantly. Robert must have known Elmer was uncomfortable - it wasn't like the hunter had been hiding it - so he must have been doing this deliberately.
How long had it gone on for? A question that sent shivers down the rabbit's spine. He felt slightly sick, but managed to pull himself together. This was not the time for self-pitying. "Eh...where's Elmer now?" He asked, just loudly enough for Pepe and Penelope to hear him.
"I told Daffy to look after him." Penelope said.
Bugs gave her an incredulous look.
"He's capable!" The cat snapped.
Just then the doorbell rang and Bugs went to answer it. When he did it was to be greeted by a heavily-panting Daffy, who gasped. "Fuddthey's...in...hospital!"
Bugs went pale.
*ma petite fleur de cerisier - My little cherry blossom.
* Avec moi! - with me!