Thank you again for all of the support. I have a bad habit of putting things aside after I start them, so every review, follow, favorite, and view really helps to keep me motivated! I also drew a new cover for the story that took me a good three hours to make, so I'd love if you checked it out!


Dot opened her eyes slowly, annoyed to find her vision being obscured by a thin ray of light that penetrated the darkness of the alley. She shifted her head towards the side as she began to stretch her limbs. Ow, Dot. Bad idea. She winced at the pain that shot through her ribs. Every inch of her body felt bruised- many of the scrapes stung and her swollen wrist was too sore to move. She tried to get up. Apparently, sleeping against a brick wall after rolling into a ditch only made one more sore.

"You alright, doc?" Bugs said as he leaned over her.

"Yeah, I-uh, the light was in my eyes and it... surprised me." she stammered as she slumped back against the wall.

"Okay... C'mon, I made some lunch." he grabbed her wrist and pulled her up.

Dot cried out when the pain in her wrist intensified. Bugs dropped her arm and examined the twisted expression on her face, his gaze traveling down her arm and stopping at her hand. She quickly pulled it beneath his jacket, which was still draped over her.

"What happened?" he asked, alarm clear on his face.

"Nothing- I'm fine." she added quickly.

"Are you sure? Because last time I checked, hands aren't supposed to bend at that angel," he put a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you tell me what really happened."

Dot tried to ignore his sympathetic gaze- she really did. But he had been so kind and helpful to her already...

"Well, during the earthquake I fell and rolled into that ditch. I tried to catch myself but my wrist sort of... snapped." she mumbled. Bugs nodded his head and sighed.

"Why wouldn't you tell me sooner? I wouldn't have just made it worse if I knew."

"You were a little busy saving our lives! It's not like I was going to interrupt that creepy rat guy to tell you that my wrist hurt. Besides, it really isn't that bad..." she huffed.

Bugs ran a hand down his face with a sigh and knelt down next to her. Dot watched as he pulled a small white box out of his hammerspace and opened it. He took out a bottle and a small roll of gauze.

"Let me see it." Bugs said without looking up from the several small packages he was unwrapping.

Dot hesitated at the sight of medical equipment. Anything that had to do with doctors or nurses always set her nerves on edge. Every doctor's visit resulted in her being restrained by Yakko at even the slightest glimpse of a stethoscope. Her irrational reactions during each check up would prompt Yakko to jokingly suggest sedating her, which would make her even more anxious, and ultimately the visits would result in countless bite marks, scratches, and sore shins.

Her breaths came in shorter intervals and her hands started to shake. Come on, Dot. Bugs isn't like her. He won't hurt you like she did. She kept trying to tell herself this, but the fear inside of her continued to grow.

"Look, I know it will sting a little, but I have to clean out those cuts and wrap your wrist for you to feel better. It'll only take a minute."

"No, really! Don't!" she shrunk back as Bugs came closer.

"It's just a little stinging! You're only making it worse right now." He was becoming increasingly agitated. He knew that kids often had silly fears, but this one was especially irrational. Didn't she know that this would help the pain go away?

"I'm sorry!" she practically yelled. Bugs hesitated.

"Sorry for what? Dot, what's wrong?"

"Nothing! I just don't like doctors."

"Why don't you like doctors? There's more you're not telling me."

"I don't have to tell you anything. I barely know you!" Dot huffed and turned away.

Bugs sighed. Daffy always said that he never knew when to shut up, and he couldn't really disagree with him at the moment.

"I only want to help you, kid. But you're right, I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me anything."

"It's alright," she took a deep breath. "I know I overreacted, but anything like that reminds me of the orphanage we used to live in." Dot's eyes widened. She didn't mean to tell him that. But after seeing his understanding look, she continued.

"The lady who ran it used to punish us whenever we got hurt. She would put salt in our scrapes or would be really rough if she had to put on bandages, and then she would make sit alone for the rest of the day. I shouldn't make that big of a deal about it... I just kind of freak out whenever someone other than my brothers try to help me. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. That woman had no right to hurt you like that. I don't blame you for getting freaked out." he said.

"Yeah... and thanks for listening. Just don't go thinking I'm some helpless little girl, cause I'm not. I can handle myself."

"I can see that, doc. And I can tell from that show of yours that you're not someone to mess with."

"Wait, you've watched Animaniacs?" he watched as a smile grew on her face.

"What, just because I'm some big shot means I can't watch someone else's show?"

"Oh my gosh! Yakko's gonna freak! He's your biggest fan."

"Great, another fanboy..." Bugs muttered.

"He's not obsessive or anything- well, he obsesses over everything, but you're his idol! He's studied all of your cartoons and learned everything he knows from them. He's even tracked down all the ones that aren't allowed to be shown anymore."

"Ugh, I still have censors on my back for those. You would think they would forgive me over half a century later, right? I mean, they let you get away with the 'fingering Prince' line."

"Yeah... Hey, what does that mean, anyways? Yakko won't tell me and Wakko said he doesn't know, either." Bugs- not about to corrupt a six year old- quickly changed the subject.

"Eh... that's not important. Though I do need to fix you up, doc. I promise to be gentle, okay?" Dot still looked a little uneasy but moved closer to him.

"Um, okay." she said quietly.

Bugs picked up a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and dampened a small piece of cloth. He carefully held her arm and moved towards her. Dot shifted back as the cool liquid made contact with her skin. Bugs kept a firm but gentle grip on her arm and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Dot, I know it stings. But you have to hold still." Bugs said.

Dot nodded and pulled closer, this time making sure to hold as still as she could. She was determined to get over her fear. Bugs began cleaning the cuts on her arms and face. When he was done, he pulled off her torn gloves and started on her hands. It was taking every ounce of will power in her to not jump up and bolt out of the alley. Just breathe, Dot, she repeated in her head. After what felt like an eternity, Bugs finally put the cloth down and picked up the roll of gauze. He unrolled it and cut off a long strip with his front teeth.

"Tell me if I wrap it too tight." Bugs said as he pulled the gauze around her hand and wrist.

She tried to distract herself by looking around the alley as he worked. The ground was cracked and the brick walls looked unstable. Scattered trash bags and a large, dented dumpster sat in the corner. Holding back a shiver when a cold breeze ran over her, she turned her attention back to Bugs as he secured the gauze with a small clip.

"Alright, that should work. Does it feel any better?"

"Yeah, thanks." she nodded. He got up and poked the small fire that he had built while she slept.

"Want a hot dog? They're a little burnt, but hardly lethal."

Dot slowly got up and walked over to the fire. Bugs handed her a blackened hot dog and she sat down. They ate in silence as the sun set and an eerie darkness settled over them. The warm glow of the fire cast flickering shadows on the alley's cracked walls, and a pink tinge crept onto her cheeks each time she leaned towards the fire to roast another hot dog.

"How long was I asleep?" she asked, taking a small bite.

"Eight hours maybe? I'm not really sure. I left my watch back at the lot."

"Oh. Did you sleep that long, too?"

"Nah. Maybe an hour or two," Bugs paused to crack his neck. "A brick wall is no Tempurpedic, you know."

"I know it's not ideal, but you could use one of those garbage bags as a mattress." she snickered.

"Are you saying I'm trash, Warner?" Bugs smirked.

"Well, I'm not saying you're not, but-" Dot giggled as Bugs pulled her ears playfully. She stopped when she heard a loud clatter nearby. Several low voices rang out as a scream pierced the air. Bugs quickly pulled a blanket out of his hammerspace and threw it on the fire, engulfing the alley in darkness.

"Bugs, what's-" she felt his hand clamp over her mouth as the voices drew nearer.

"There's a antique store over on Prospect Street that looked pretty untouched. The fires didn't get it too bad."

"That's a nice neighborhood. Should find some grabs over there. Maybe we'll snatch another babe, you know? Hopefully she'll be better than the last one." Deep chuckles traveled through the alley as the men passed by. Bugs removed his hand after their voices faded off down the street.

"I think we should leave in a few minutes. We don't want to get stuck here overnight."

"Where are we gonna go?"

"I know a high school a few blocks over that's used as a shelter during emergencies. We can get a decent meal and a good night's sleep there, though I don't know if it's physically possible for you to sleep much more. I'd be concerned if you could." Bugs muttered.

"Ha ha. Wait, is the school near the lot?"

"Sorta, why?"

"Maybe Yakko and Wakko are there! We could look for them!" she said, excitement and a newfound sense of energy ringing through her voice.

"Shhh! Do you want those thugs to come back here?" he sighed. "Look, your brothers might not be at the shelter when we get there, so don't get your hopes up."

"Okay... but can we go soon?" she said, ignoring the last part of what Bugs said. She could only hope they were there at this point- it's all she had left.

"Sure, kid. Go get my jacket and we'll leave."

Bugs watched as she ran over and grabbed the jacket. She was back next to him a split second later. For an injured little girl she sure was fast, he thought. He took the large winter jacket from her and put it on. He silently congratulated himself when he noticed that the jacket was a little more roomy than it had been a few weeks ago. That new cardio class he joined last month was finally starting to show.

"Now listen, I'm gonna hide you in here while we're on the streets. Don't make a noise and don't peek you're head out unless I say so."

"Okay, but why?"

"Let's just say that not everyone out there is friendly. It'll look less suspicious if I appear to be a looter or something."

"But you're Bugs Bunny, don't you think people will notice you?" he turned around pulled a ski mask out of his hammerspace. Dot snickered.

"Cliche and lame, I know. But it's the best I have at the moment. Come on." Bugs picked up Dot and placed her inside of the jacket. He zipped it up as far as he could and pulled the ski mask down over his head, making sure his ears were slicked back firmly against his head. He walked out of the alley with an arm around Dot and a hand in his pocket.


"Wakko." Yakko whispered as he nudged his brother. Nothing.

"Wakko!" This time Wakko rolled over on the cot, but he still remained fast asleep.

"Wake up!" Yakko shook him so hard that he almost fell on hard gym floor. Wakko's eyes fluttered open and he muttered something unintelligible.

"C'mon, Wak. Get your head out of Wonderland and let's go."

He watched his brother sit up and rub his eyes groggily. A few ruffled stirs and loud snores filled the room, but it was otherwise quiet in the gym. He grabbed the bag of food he packed and placed it in his hammerspace, grateful it would preserve the food. Wakko finished zipping up his jacket and sat up.

"Now try not to wake Scratchy. The guy sleeps lighter than a feather." Yakko whispered as he crept around the doctor. Wakko rolled his eyes.

"Aw shoot. I was just about to get out my violin and sing 'Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah' in his ear."

"Cute, Wak." Yakko muttered as the stepped around the cots.

"Hey, I'm not cute. That's Dot's thing."

"Exactly, now shut up so we can go find her."

They continued to make their way through the crowded gym. There were easily 2,000 humans and toons packed together on moldy cots, and Yakko had to be careful not to step on any heads in the dim lighting. He watched as a raccoon toon fed her baby and rubbed the back of her toddler son. Another woman was currently wrestling two boys back into bed. Neither of the boys looked much older than Wakko, so he knew just how stressful their bedtime could be.

Thankfully Wakko had outgrown his "I can stay up until midnight and still get enough sleep" phase. After months of bedtime fights and a constantly cranky Wakko, Yakko was ready to jump off of the water tower. While his new "sleep as much as possible" phase often made them late for classes and shoots, everyone was much happier.

"Yakko, come on!" Wakko pulled him out of his thoughts. After a few more minutes of dodging various body parts, the brothers finally made it to the front door of the school. But just as they went to push open the large metal doors, a large hand clamped down on each of their shoulders.

"Daa, where'ya going Warners?" Wakko and Yakko turned around to find Ralph staring down at them. Yakko shot a quick glance at his brother before speaking.

"Well, the paper boy came and Scratchy sent us to get the paper."

"Dr. Scratchansniff's here? Oh boy!" Ralph clapped his hands and looked around. "Where's he?"

"In the gym, Ralph. You know what, you should go say hi! He'd love to see you." Yakko grinned.

"I could brings my family to see him, too! I'll tells him you says hi!" he shouted as he took off towards the gym.

"Yeah Ralph, you do that..." Wakko muttered and opened the door. "Is it sad that he doesn't know the paper comes in the morning and not in the middle of the night?"

"Only because he's the guard who always waves the paper truck through at seven AM- whoa." Yakko's heart dropped when he turned his head and saw the scene outside.

He had almost thought he'd dreamed up the aftermath while in the safety of the shelter. But obviously, he hadn't. Fires still contaminated the skies of Burbank, which looked almost unrecognizable due to the extensive amount of damage, and chaos still ruled the streets.

"I don't think Ralph will have to worry about the paper truck for a while." Wakko muttered.

"Let's just get going." Yakko said.

They made their way slowly across the piles of rubble and debris. It took them almost an hour to travel a few blocks. Between hiding from emergency workers and dodging looters, their task was becoming increasingly more difficult.

"The lot's just a few miles away," Yakko started. "If we keep going at this pace we might get there by sunrise- Wakko, look out!"

Yakko pushed Wakko out of the way of a collapsing building next to them. He jumped on top of him when they made contact with the ground, shielding Wakko from the debris. Yakko felt a few sharp objects pierce the skin on his back, but otherwise he felt unharmed after the building settled into the earth. He sat up and got off of his brother.

"You alright?" he coughed through the thick cloud of dust in the air.

"Yeah, you?"

"Yeah. C'mon, we have to keep moving. Just be careful." Yakko said as he rubbed his eye. As he took a step forward, a large, dark mass blocked his way.

"Be careful of what, kiddie?" a deep voice called out. Yakko stepped back and shoved Wakko behind him.

"Aw, look at that, Herb. It's those two kids from that show! Jakko and Sakko or something. And isn't there a third one? A girl, right?" Yakko could make out large yellow teeth smiling at him. A larger figure stepped by his side.

"Yeah, Dot's here name. Where's she at? I haven't had fun yet with anyone tonight. Carl got the last tramp." The two men chuckled.

Yakko scowled as he heard Wakko growl behind him. His brother had a tendency to act without thinking, and he really hoped he would use his head for once.

"Shut up!" Wakko yelled. Yakko quickly grabbed his shoulder and pushed him farther back.

"Hey look, the little one can talk! That damn show makes you out to be mute, you know that?" Herb grinned.

"Excuse my brother. It's been a long day, as you two can probably understand, so we'll just get going now." Yakko said as he began pulling Wakko away from the two men.

"Hey not so fast, shorty. We ain't done talkin' yet!" Carl yelled.

Yakko grabbed Wakko and took off as the men sprung towards them. He was practically carrying Wakko as they ran down the street, dodging the destruction left by the earthquake. Herb and Carl had quickly closed in on him. They were in pretty good shape for two goons, he thought.

Seeing no other option, Yakko used his toonspeed. It took all of his concentration and power to avoid running into something. After sprinting for several blocks, Yakko finally lost the men. He placed Wakko on the ground as he collapsed behind a loose boulder.

"Yakko, I think we're near the lot." Wakko said as his brother lay gasping for air.

"Oh good. Let's just stop and rest for a min-" he huffed.

"Come on! We're almost there!" Wakko pulled him up and dragged him down the street.

The familiar neighborhood was destroyed. Very few buildings still stood, and the ones that did were barely holding up. Bricks and steel sat in mangled piles. Yakko's frown pulled down further as they approached the entrance of the Warner Brothers studio. He stepped forward and moved past the warped gates.

The entire lot was in ruins. He sighed as they walked past the fallen water tower. While he had hated the inconvenience of living there, it had been their first real home. Sighing, he turned his head and searched for the spot where they had lost Dot.

"I think that's the crater she fell in." Wakko said as he pointed to a large hole in the earth. Yakko's stomach clenched as they moved towards it.

"Listen, Wakko. If we find Dot and she's not... well..." he drifted off solemnly.

How could he tell his brother that they're little sister could be dead? He didn't want to hear it either, and an uncomfortable argument ensued after he brought it up last time, but he had to prepare him for the worst possible outcome.

"I just don't think she is. I know that this sounds stupid, but I think we could feel it if she's gone." Wakko said.

Yakko pulled him against his side and gave him a quick squeeze. Fearing that Wakko was being overly optimistic, he let go of him and leaned over the side of the pit. He saw nothing and the knot inside of him unraveled a bit. However, the earth looked scarred by flames and soot covered the pit. The knot tightened once again.

"Wait, look!" Wakko yelled as he bounced into the crater.

"Wakko, get back here! You don't know what's down there- oh, for the love of-" Yakko rolled his eyes and joined his brother.

Wakko leaned forward and picked up a small piece of fabric. Yakko's heart began racing. It was one of Dot's bows. While they only used their signature costumes on the show, Wakko and Dot loved their headpieces so much that they wore them everyday. Yakko had become so accustomed to seeing Wakko's red cap and Dot's assortment of bows that he often did a double take when his siblings weren't wearing them.

"She has to be alive! We've got to find go find her!" Wakko was practically jumping up and down.

"I know, but where do we start looking?"

"Uhh... Dot likes clothes and stuff, so maybe... the mall?" Yakko shook his head at his usually insightful brother.

"Wakko, use your head! How do you think Dot would be able to get to the mall after an earthquake? It's probably destroyed."

"Well I'm just throwing suggestions out there! I don't actually think she'd go there, but it's a start." he huffed.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. You have a good point. How about we just start searching around the lot? I mean, she couldn't have gotten too far."


"Get your ass going, Oswald." Bosko said as he shoved the toon.

Oswald growled and slowly sat up. Bosko watched as he rubbed his back. Gonzo's apartment- or shack, as Bosko regarded it- was small, dingy, and a little too much like Clampett. The floor boards were worn down and slightly rotted. Torn and faded wallpaper hung loosely on the walls as dim light trickled in through two grimy windows in the front room, and a shabby green couch with countless stains- some of which Bosko was sure were blood- sat under one of the windows.

Several creaky chairs surrounded a table cluttered with empty beer bottles, and a stale, smokey odor filled the rooms. A surprisingly clean but outdated bathroom was located next to the kitchen, which was in a similar state. The cabinets were falling off of their hinges and the linoleum was cracked.

The worst room was definitely the one Bosko and Oswald had slept in. It was the smallest room in the apartment. Two moldy mattresses lay next to each other on the worn shag carpet. There were no windows in the cracked walls, and the room was stiflingly hot.

"These bricks are impossible to sleep on..." Oswald muttered.

"Don't worry, we'll be at Smokey's tonight," Bosko yawned. "Hopefully his place won't remind me of an old shoe box."

"What about an old show box?" Gonzo said as he stood in the small doorway. He eyed the two toons suspiciously.

"Your place, Gonzo. It's like a friggin' shoe box, smell and all." Bosko said.

"Hey, you try to get by on the pay checks I'm gettin'."

"Paychecks? What, you the newest fry cook at McDonald's now?" Oswald snickered.

"Yeah, no. Me and my boys get jobs, remember? I'd count this as one right now, in fact."

"What, you still expecting us to pay you for this? I thought I made it clear that you were doing this purely out of charity. Besides, you still owe us for Clampett." Bosko said.

"Owe you? What the hell for?" Gonzo scowled.

"Let's face it, fox. You wouldn't have lasted two hours in prison if it weren't for us. Half of those convicts in there were gunning for you, since you basically ratted em' out in the first place." Bosko scowled.

"What the hell are you talking about? I can handle myself now and I could handle myself then. And don't you go accusing me of ratting them out! I was working for Smokey then, you know, just helping him tie up a few loose ends."

"Exactly. You're just some kiss ass who does everyone else's dirty work. And I don't see how you're getting paid for all of it. It's obvious none of the money is going into this dump," Bosko added with a snort.

"Don't you dare accuse me of being some push over," Gonzo growled and stepped closer to Bosko. "You don't know half of the shit I've gone through."

"I don't need to. I have my own shit to deal with, and to be honest, no one really cares about yours. Your just a little henchman with big dreams." Bosko shrugged. Gonzo stared at him with a dark look. His breaths were deep and his eyes were practically piercing through him. He looked like he was going to attack Bosko at any moment.

"Okay, you two. I'm hungry and your arguing isn't putting a sandwich in my face, so let's just chill out and get some breakfast. You got eggs in the fridge, Gonzo?" Oswald butted in. Gonzo gave Bosko a final glare before turning towards Oswald.

"Yeah. I'll go turn on the stove." he started to walk out of the room but stopped in the door way. "Oh, and Bosko? After all this is over, don't contact me again and don't try to start any shit. I don't care if you helped me out in Clampett, because you know what? I'm free. I don't have to listen to your bullshit. I have my own connections and my own turf, so don't piss me off again. I'm only helping you out because of Oswald." With that, Gonzo left Bosko and Oswald in the room.

"Nice going, Bosko. You just cut off one of the last toons who would help you. We both know that all the connections stuff you spewed last night was crap." Oswald said.

"Well I had to let him know who's boss around here!" Bosko defended.

"Who, you? All of your boys are either dead or in jail, so don't go thinking your still the shit," Oswald snapped. "If you haven't noticed, Gonzo and Smokey have pretty much picked up everything you left behind when you got shipped off to Clampett. You're not the biggest thug anymore."

"What the hell are you talking about? Of course I am! Ever since that damn bunny stole my gig, I've ran the streets. I'm the one who gave all those nobodies jobs and a reason to live in the first place! I'm like a savior around here!" Bosko yelled.

"No, you threw your reason to live on them. You've been so consumed by getting revenge that you're turning into some big, heartless ball of hate. I mean, most of our conversations are about Bugs freakin' Bunny!" Oswald said. "If I wanted to talk about rabbits so much, I could just go visit my sister and all the kids she keeps popping out!"

"Oh, and what, like you don't want revenge on that Disney freak?"

"Yes, but I want to have a life, too, you know."

"How can you have a life when he took it away from you!" Bosko yelled.

"You're missing the point! Look, I'm still in this with you, but you need to loosen up. Just take a second to calm down and then come eat." Oswald sighed and walked out of the room. Bosko slumped down on his mattress.

What the hell was Oscar talking about? He had always had a life. Hell, he used to be the biggest cartoon in the business! If it weren't for him, most cartoons wouldn't be where they are today. Gonzo and Bugs Bunny should be on their hands and knees thanking him for everything he'd done for them. But Oswald did have a point. Most of his old "friends" were gone, and Gonzo was one of the last connections he had.

Letting out a sigh, Bosko placed his head in his hands. Maybe if he had just kept cool, Gonzo wouldn't have cut ties with him. But it felt like the little thug had only appreciated his wallet, back when he still had money, and not all that he had sacrificed for him in Clampett.

He got in countless fights defending the fox, and even spent a week in solitary confinement for busting up a zebra's face after he threatened to shank Gonzo. In a twisted way, Gonzo was like his kid in prison. Bosko was always there to wipe off his ass when he fell down, and now that was all over. Maybe they would eventually work it out, but it was very unlikely at this point. Gonzo was a one and done kind of guy.

Bosko resolved to do his best not to burn any bridges with Smokey. He was running rather thin on "friends" right now.