A/N: Here's chapter 8 of Blazin' Trails. This one's going to be more serious, and so will the next short, as both of them are directly inspired by prompts on Tumblr.
Disclaimer: *points at other chapters for disclaimers*
Story 8: Taking the Bullet
Inspired by:
Ok, so maybe I'm a little jealous that you have more money than I do, you're more popular than I am, you're more talented and slightly better looking than me but that doesn't change the fact that I would still take a bullet for you.
"Oh, Mr. Ricochet, can I have your autograph?"
"Mr. Ricochet, would you mind takin' a picture with my son? He absolutely adores you!"
"I reckon you're the best sheriff in the whole wild West, Sheriff Ricochet!"
Droop-a-Long sipped quietly from his punch glass as he stood outside on the porch, listening to the chatter wafting from inside with a shrug of his shoulders. It was like this every time they went to a social gathering. All Ricochet had to do was walk into a room and he'd be the life of the party.
It wasn't like he was doing it to show off, although Droop-a-Long could tell that Ricochet liked the attention. And to be fair, he did deserve it. People respected him for his fierce devotion to catching criminals and upholding the law. Kids admired him for his speed and his trick revolvers. Droop-a-Long had lost count of the kids that had told him they wanted to be like Ricochet when they grew up.
And then there were the girls. So many letters poured in for Ricochet from the ladies that Droop-a-Long had to have a separate room for them, and even he knew that wouldn't be big enough to hold all the letters. He didn't know what exactly they saw in him, but he wasn't going to tell Ricochet that.
As for Droop-a-Long...well, he didn't really do much to stand out in a crowd. Nobody admired him, or respected him. And he didn't have throngs of female admirers after him, although he didn't really mind that last part. He already had Denise, and that was all he needed.
He sighed. He knew he wouldn't be as popular as Ricochet, ever. He'd long accepted that fact ever since he'd been appointed as Ricochet's deputy. It was one of the reasons why he never really went to social gatherings. The other two were because he'd disappear into a crowd and because he had few friends in town outside of Ricochet himself. Ricochet usually dragged him along, saying that he needed to socialize. But as much as he understood what Ricochet was saying, it was pretty hard to socialize with people when they only paid attention to the friend who'd dragged him there. And Droop-a-Long had to admit, he was a little jealous of the rabbit's various skills. If he had half the talent Ricochet had, people would see him differently.
As he was drinking more of his punch, his ears caught the sound of a gun cocking. Curious, he made his way over to the other side of the building to find out what was going on. What he saw made every hair on the back of his neck rise.
A man who was a little shorter than him was poised at the adjacent window, a large rifle in his hands. Smirking gleefully, he took careful aim, using his left leg to hold the gun steady. Something about the man seemed vaguely familiar to Droop-a-Long, but he couldn't put his finger on it, so he decided to observe the man for a few moments more. It was when the man snickered evilly that he knew who it was just from the voice alone.
It's A.T. Sam Jose of all people! Droop-a-Long backed away slowly, hoping that Sam Jose didn't see him. He peered in through the window of Town Hall, and he felt gooseflesh rise under his fur.
The barrel of the rifle was aimed directly at Ricochet, who was busy talking to all the people surrounding him. Nobody was aware of Sam Jose, not even Ricochet himself.
"Oh, no..." Droop-a-Long muttered. If he killed Ricochet when he was off-guard, Droop-a-Long would never forgive himself.
His mind then started to come up with "advantages" if Ricochet died. If Ricochet died and Droop-a-Long became the sheriff, he'd have the chance to become popular just like Ricochet. He could have admirers and wannabes just like Ricochet. He could even have all the girls after him just like Ricochet.
Droop-a-Long cleared those thoughts from his head with a shake of his head. Being popular was a nice dream, and he'd love to be admired...but whether he was popular or not, whether he was admired or not, he couldn't have another friend just like Ricochet.
He dropped his glass and ran back into the building, throwing open the doors with such force that they banged against the walls. The noise surprised Ricochet, as he looked up from the throng that surrounded him to address his deputy. "Oh, hey, Droop, what's-"
Droop-a-Long moved faster than Ricochet had ever seen him move before. The next thing he knew, the coyote dove through the crowd and pushed him against the wall, causing him to black out for a second. He was just starting to open his eyes when a gunshot rang out, and the sounds of shattering glass filled his ears. Someone yelped in pain, and then there was a heavy thud as something hit the ground.
Screams erupted all around Ricochet, and footsteps pounded the floorboards as everyone ran for their lives. Shaking his head to regain his bearings, Ricochet got up to survey the scene. Town Hall had cleared out, and food and broken punch glasses were scattered all over the floor, creating a huge mess.
The state of Town Hall became the least of his worries. He felt his blood freeze as he fixed his eyes on the gasping form of Droop-a-Long, who was lying on the floor in front of him on his back and struggling to get up. His hat lay a few feet behind him, and a small pool of blood was starting to form around his left shoulder.
Ricochet was at his deputy's side in less than a second. He stared at him with a horrified expression on his face. "Droop, you..." He couldn't say anything else.
Droop-a-Long's eyes cracked open. "M-Mr. Ricochet...get outta here," he gasped. "S-Sam Jose's...tryin' ta kill ya..."
"I-I'm not leavin' ya to die, Droop-a-Long," Ricochet said. His voice was shaky, though whether it was from fear or from anger, he couldn't tell. He then helped the coyote get into a sitting position, and then dragged him over to the wall so he could rest against it. After making sure that his deputy was comfortable, Ricochet examined his wound. The bullet had caught Droop-a-Long in his left breast, and Ricochet winced, as he could still see the bullet. "I-I need to find something for a bandage..." He then untied the coyote's neckerchief and started to wrap the wound with that.
"Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long started weakly, wincing at how tight Ricochet was tying his bandage, "you don' have to-"
"Hush, Droop-a-Long," Ricochet interrupted. After he finished tying the bandage, he looked up at his deputy with a fierce expression. "You sit tight, Deputy. I'm gonna find Sam Jose and bring him to justice!"
Droop-a-Long wanted to mention that he couldn't do much but sit anyway, but by that point Ricochet had shot out of Town Hall to confront the would-be assassin. "G-Go get 'im, Mr. Ricochet..."
That was all he managed to say before he slipped into unconsciousness.
A.T. Sam Jose galloped away from the scene on horseback, snickering. "Well, I was aiming for the sheriff...but his deputy was a nice catch!" he said. "If anythin', he'll pay putting me in jail by watchin' his deputy slowly bleed out." He laughed as he spurred the horse on.
"Stop right there! I'm placin' you under arrest!"
Sam Jose gasped in shock upon hearing that. He turned around to see Ricochet giving chase, his guns out of the holsters and aimed at him. His expression was dangerous as he glared up at Sam Jose. "And you're not gonna get out of jail again, Sam Jose!"
"Oh, I wouldn't count on that, Senor! I didn't kill you the first time...but I will this time!" Sam Jose reached around to grab his revolver.
"Oh, no you won't!" Ricochet leaped into the air, and tackled Sam Jose off of his horse. The former prisoner screamed in surprise as he crashed to the ground. His horse continued to run off in the distance.
Sam Jose growled, and he tried to grab his gun, but Ricochet's foot slammed down on his hand with enough force to rival a metal clamp. "AY CARAMBA!" he yelled.
A cocking of a gun filled his ears and Sam Jose looked up to see Ricochet's gun directly in his face. The moonlight cast an eerie glow over Ricochet, illuminating the yellow sclera of his eyes, which were set into a dangerous glare. Sam Jose felt his bravado disappear in a flash as he looked at the furious rabbit. Nobody, not even the most feared outlaws in the West, had ever looked at him like that.
"You're under arrest, Sam Jose, for attempted assassination," Ricochet said softly. It was said in a cold, clinical voice, without any of his usual vigor. "I'm gonna sentence you to ten more years in prison. And after what you've done, that's the most peaceful option I have for you."
Despite his growing fear, Sam Jose tried to play cool. "A-All I did was shoot your deputy," he said. "I don' see what you're so upset about, Senor Sheriff. He's a slowpoke. Nobody would miss him if he died."
The barrel of Ricochet's gun pressed against his forehead, and Sam Jose squeaked in terror. Ricochet's glare hardened, and so did his voice. "Don't try me, Sam Jose. You say one more word about shootin' Droop-a-Long-a single word-and you'll be dead in a heartbeat," he growled. "Are we clear on that?"
Looking into those eyes, Sam Jose could see that Ricochet wasn't kidding. "S-Si, Senor," he said.
Ricochet glared at him for a few moments more, and for a moment, Sam Jose thought that the rabbit was really going to shoot him. But he pulled the gun away and reached for his handcuffs, stepping off of Sam's hand to do so. He snapped on the handcuffs and dragged the prisoner to his feet. Sam Jose groaned as he felt his muscles ache from his collision with the road.
"Now, march," Ricochet ordered. "You're gonna be held in my office 'til mornin'."
Sam Jose sighed. "To think that a rabbit would really care that much for a coyote...you're full of frijoles," he remarked.
"That coyote happens to be my friend. And you should consider yourself lucky, 'cause if you had killed him, you weren't gettin' away alive," Ricochet said. "I would've seen to it."
Sam Jose could say nothing else to that. He mostly focused on controlling his fear as Ricochet marched him into the sheriff's office.
Several hours later...
"How will he hold up, Doc?" Ricochet asked, looking over at his deputy from his position. He was leaning against the wall, while Droop-a-Long was lying in a hospital bed, his neckerchief exchanged for a white bandage. The coyote's chest rose and fell with every weak breath, and his closed eyes showed his agony.
Ricochet's right hand balled into a fist, and his fingernails dug into the palm with enough force to draw blood. Seeing his deputy in that much pain only made him feel angrier at himself for not paying attention. If he had just turned around to see what was going on, he could've caught Sam Jose red-handed. He and the rest of the town would be able to enjoy a night in peace.
If he had just turned around, Droop-a-Long wouldn't have had to jump in to save his life. His deputy wouldn't be in here suffering because of his mistake.
"He'll live," the doctor said. "I managed to get the bullet out of his breast. He's a very lucky coyote; the bullet was only a few inches away from his heart."
Ricochet tensed. "It...it was that close?"
The doctor nodded. "Any lower, and he wouldn't have made it. Right now, we've gotta wait to see when he'll wake up."
Ricochet nodded, keeping his eyes trained on his deputy. After a beat, he said, "I'll stay here for the night, Doc."
"But with Sam Jose-"
"I've telegraphed an old friend of mine to come in and watch 'im. 'sides, if I have to spend another minute in that room with him tauntin' me, I'm gonna resort to violence," Ricochet said. "Also...Droop-a-Long stayed by my side when I had a life-threatenin' injury. I couldn't call myself his friend if I didn't do the same thing."
The doctor sighed. "I get it. Well, feel free to take the spare bed, Sheriff. Let me know if anything changes."
At Ricochet's office...
"Now hold on thar, Sam Jose! I'll be doin' the talkin' around here, and don't you for-git it!"
Sam Jose growled at Quick Draw McGraw, who was sitting in one of the chairs next to the spare cells in Ricochet's office. "This is the worst day ever!" he groaned.
Next to him, Baba Looey chuckled. "I think you shouldn't have tried to kill Senor Ricochets, Sam Jose."
Sam Jose glared at Baba Looey. "Nobody told you to say anything, you pack mule."
"What did you just say?!" Baba Looey yelled, his expression turning livid.
"Now, Sam Jose," Quick Draw said coolly, leveling another glare at the Mexican outlaw, "if you don't keep quiet, I'll have to tell Sheriff Ricochet that you're insulting his friends as well as shootin' them. And I'm sure that you don't want that, right?"
Sam Jose shook his head rapidly. "N-No, Senor! That rabbit terrifies me! He almost killed me!" he said.
"I can't exactly blame 'im. After all, if Baba Looey were hurt, I wouldn't be so nice with the fella who shot 'im," Quick Draw said. "Now this time, I mean it. Don't say anythin' else until mornin'. Then Ricochet's gonna deal with you."
The next morning...
Droop-a-Long slowly opened his eyes around the crack of dawn. The first thing he felt was the pain in his left breast, and he groaned. The procedure to get the bullet out had hurt even more than when he'd first gotten shot, to the point where he'd passed out from the pain afterwards. He wouldn't be able to move around for a while, but he was relieved that the bullet hadn't gone through and hit his heart. That would've spelled his death for sure.
The second thing he felt was soft and fluffy. He turned his head over to the side to find Ricochet sleeping on his arm, his head buried in his arms and snoring softly. His cowboy hat had fallen off, and it rested a few inches away from Droop-a-Long's leg.
Droop-a-Long gently moved his arm and patted Ricochet on the head. "Ya must've been right worried, Mr. Ricochet," he said while scratching him behind the ears. "I'm jus' glad you're not in here."
One of Ricochet's ears perked up, and then his eyes slowly cracked open. He looked up to see Droop-a-Long's arm above his head, and then shoved it away. "What did I tell ya about touchin' my head, Droop-a-Long? Jus' because I'm a rabbit doesn't mean I like bein' petted by people," he said.
"I couldn't help it, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long said. "Ya jus' looked so peaceful."
Ricochet sighed as he sat up, but then his mouth twitched to form a smile. "Well, to be honest, that scratchin' behind the ears felt nice," he said. "Thanks."
"No problem. Did you get Sam Jose?"
"I sure did. He's at the office right now, bein' watched over by Quick Draw and Baba Looey," Ricochet said.
"Shucks, we haven't heard from Mr. McGraw in a long time," Droop-a-Long said. "How is he, anyway?"
"Oh, you know that Quick Draw. He's still out catchin' criminals an' all. He challenged me to a shootout later, but I told 'im that I'll handle Sam Jose first," Ricochet said.
"So what's gonna happen to Sam Jose, anyway?"
"He's gonna get ten more years in the calaboose. You don't have to worry about him. He wasn't gettin' away, after what he did to ya."
"That's good. I was startin' to worry that I wasn't gonna make it," Droop-a-Long answered. "I was worried that I'd break poor Denise's heart, and I was gonna leave you without a deputy, Mr. Ricochet."
"That's enough of that talk, Droop. You weren't gonna be breakin' anybody's hearts any time soon. I would've made sure to that."
Droop-a-Long chuckled. "I reckon you're right, Mr. Ricochet," he said. "That sounds like somethin' you'd do."
Ricochet gave a tight lipped nod, though Droop-a-Long noticed that he was starting to tremble. Right before he could ask what was wrong, Ricochet then reached over and hugged him, grasping his fur tightly and burying his face in Droop-a-Long's other shoulder. The coyote stared at the rabbit as he started to shudder and sniffle.
He'd seen Ricochet cry only a few times in his career as deputy, and even then, it was rare for the rabbit to come to him for comfort. Ricochet always kept his emotions on lock so he wouldn't have to show weakness; it was his nature to keep everything to himself and not admit when he was worried or upset. It took a lot to really get him to admit his fears, much less cry.
Droop-a-Long felt a twinge of guilt course through him as he knew that Ricochet was crying because of him and what he'd done to save his life. He returned the hug with his right arm, feeling close to tears himself.
"Aw, don't...don't cry, Mr. Ricochet. It's not like you to cry," he said finally.
"L-Let me c-cry just this once, Droop," Ricochet answered. His voice was choked with a sob. "Do...do you have any idea of how w-worried I was? I-I almost lost you 'cause I wasn't watchin' out for you like you watched out for me. Y-You saved my life, but I almost didn't save y-y-yours." He tried to compose himself, but it was impossible, it seemed.
"But you did. The doctor said that if you hadn't stopped the bleedin' with my neckerchief, I would've bled to death," Droop-a-Long said, patting his friend on the back. "I'm mighty lucky, even if I do say so myself."
"You sure are." Ricochet removed himself from Droop-a-Long and wiped his eyes. "A-And I'm mighty lucky to have a deputy like you around. If you hadn't come in, I would've been gone." He smiled a little. "Looks like I-I owe ya another one, Droop."
"Shucks...t-thanks, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long said, wiping his eyes.
"Hey, don't you go 'n get teary on me," Ricochet said.
"S-Seein' you cry made me cry," Droop-a-Long replied, sniffling. "A-And hearin' you say that was too saddenin'..."
"I-It's the truth, Droop-a-Long. I would've been in here, or even worse..."
"Even so, it takes a lot ta get ya to cry. You hardly cry!"
"That ain't true, Droop-a-Long. I've cried lotsa times. I was right ready to last night when I saw you on the floor," Ricochet said. "When I was goin' after Sam Jose, I-I thought you were gone..."
Droop-a-Long couldn't blame Ricochet for thinking that. If their positions were reversed, he would've forgotten all about A.T. Sam Jose, instead bawling his eyes out for hours. "But like you said, Mr. Ricochet, you wouldn't have let me die. You'd probably punch me back to life if I did."
Ricochet chuckled at that. "Yeah, probably."
"So, what do I do now? I reckon you have to get back to catchin' crooks."
"I do, Droop-a-Long. Right now, I have to take Sam Jose to the state prison. You just focus on gettin' some rest," Ricochet said. "I'll be back later on this afternoon, okay?"
"Actually, Mr. Ricochet...I-I'm feelin' a tad bit tired."
Ricochet climbed off of the bedsheets and straightened them out. "Alright, I'd better let you rest, Droopy. Don't tire yourself out, alright?"
"Sure thing...Sherriff..." And before Ricochet knew it, Droop-a-Long was asleep.
Ricochet scooped up his hat and walked out of the room, pausing again to wipe his eyes. "Great, now I can't stop cryin'," he muttered.
He hadn't been lying about what he'd said to Droop-a-Long. The thought of losing his best friend had terrified him, although not nearly as much as it had angered him. Revenge was something that he never thought about often, but it was all that ran through his mind as soon as he saw Sam Jose. He'd never wanted to kill someone more than he'd wanted to kill Sam Jose at that moment. Sam Jose had mocked Droop-a-Long on top of shooting him, and it had taken all Ricochet had in him to not blow his brains out. It was a good thing he'd tamed that impulse, or else he would've turned in his badge as soon as he'd come back. He could never take on the role of sheriff if he'd killed a man in cold blood, even if it was in retaliation. It would destroy his honor.
When he'd made it back to Town Hall after dropping off Sam Jose and making sure Quick Draw and Baba Looey were keeping watch, his worry for Droop-a-Long overcame his desire for revenge. He remembered panicking and yanking one person off the street, asking what happened to Droop-a-Long since he wasn't in the building. For a split second, he'd thought that Droop-a-Long had died and he had only achieved a hollow victory. It was only after the man told him that they'd moved Droop-a-Long to the doctor's that he'd relaxed, but just barely. He'd stayed up half the night watching over his friend until he'd fallen asleep. If Droop-a-Long had died while he was asleep, he would've never forgiven himself for not paying attention.
Ricochet had had three deputies before Droop-a-Long, and he knew that the town would appoint another deputy if the coyote had died. The new deputy could be better than Droop-a-Long. They could be faster, smarter and more alert than Droop-a-Long.
But there was nobody he'd rather have for the job than Droop-a-Long. Slow as he was, he tended to be more observant of things. That observance had saved Ricochet's life twice, after all.
Slow as he was, he had a patience that would put Baba Looey to shame, never blowing up at Ricochet for the times he bragged or took his anger out on him. He'd get mildly upset, but other than that, he'd never yell at him or say rude things about him in return.
Slow as he was, he was the sweetest, most respectable friend Ricochet had ever had. Droop-a-Long was Ricochet's favorite deputy for a reason; even if he really had nothing else going for him, he was so darn selfless and thoughtful that it was practically impossible to stay mad at him for long.
It was true that someone else could easily take Droop-a-Long's place as Ricochet's deputy. But they could never take his place as Ricochet's best friend.
The doctor he'd talked to earlier looked at Ricochet with concern. "How is he, Sheriff?"
"H-He's fine. Jus' a bit tired, though," Ricochet said. He sniffled, and then sighed shakily. "I-I bet you heard a little of what I said to him, huh?"
"I did. You're a good friend, Ricochet, for bringing Sam Jose to justice," the doctor said. "Are you sure you're gonna be alright?"
"T-To be honest, I don't know. B-But I should be able to get back to my old self soon enough," Ricochet answered. "I jus' don't want Droop-a-Long to worry about me."
"Alright. Take care, Sheriff."
"You too, Doc." Sighing, Ricochet walked outside, praying that he could find the strength to get through this.
Several weeks later...
"Now Droop-a-Long, take it easy. It is your first day back on the job," Ricochet said, looking over at Droop-a-Long as he was sweeping the dust out of the office. "I don't need you stressin' yourself out."
"Well, the place is a mess, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long said, surveying the office. "You've spent so much time at the hospital, ya left the office in shambles."
Ricochet couldn't lie about that. Due to being used to Droop-a-Long cleaning the office every day, he had let it become a catch-all, with the strangest trash scattered everywhere. As soon as Droop-a-Long had come back, he'd immediately set to cleaning everything, despite Ricochet's protests that he take it easy.
As grateful as he was that the office was clean, he was still concerned. "I recall you did the same thing when we first met, Droop. When I was in the hospital, you told me that you'd left your house a mess."
Droop-a-Long answered without looking at the sheriff. "I know, but this is different. I can't stand a messy room, Mr. Ricochet. 'sides, I need somethin' to keep me busy. I'm right tired of layin' around all day."
Against his better judgement, Ricochet blurted out, "If you hadn't jumped in 'n taken a bullet for me, you wouldn't have had to."
"Are you sayin' I should've let you die, Mr. Ricochet?" Droop-a-Long asked quietly.
Whatever calm Ricochet had was lost after that. "I'm sayin' that you were bein' incredibly reckless, Droop-a-Long, runnin' into danger like that!" he yelled. For the last few weeks, his anger at this situation had been building up steadily, but he'd kept it to himself so Droop-a-Long wouldn't worry about him. Now all of that anger had found a target. "And when I tried to save you, you wanted me to run off 'n leave you to bleed out!"
Droop-a-Long turned to face Ricochet with a look of shock. "I wanted ya to run to safety, Mr. Ricochet," he said.
"You of all people should know that I never run when my friends are in danger! Why would you tell me to run, knowin' that you could die without help? Are you sayin' I should've let you die, Droop-a-Long?!"
The silence that followed was suffocating. Ricochet was redder than a beet, breathing heavily in order to recover from such an outburst, while Droop-a-Long was staring at the ground, his expression sorrowful.
"Well, are ya gonna answer me, or are ya gonna just stand thar like a dolt?" Ricochet demanded.
"...I would've never lived with myself if you died, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long said finally.
Ricochet stared at Droop-a-Long in surprise. "W-What?"
"Mr. Ricochet, I told you to run 'cause I thought Sam Jose was still out there. He shot me soon as I pushed you outta the way. Figured he'd try to take aim again and kill you for real. That's why I told you to run and not worry 'bout li'l ol' me. I knew I could die...but I wanted to make sure you got out okay. Ta be honest, I wasn't worried 'bout myself in the least."
"...S-Still, why, Droop-a-Long?" Ricochet could feel the lump start in his throat, the same one that always came up when he remembered Droop-a-Long's actions. He balled his hand into a fist as he struggled to not burst into tears again. "Why would ya do somethin' so reckless? You almost died!"
"I-I did it ta save your life, Mr. Ricochet." Droop-a-Long took off his hat, revealing teary green eyes. "I could always have popularity and fame like you...but I'd never have another friend like you. You may be better than me in anythin', but I'd take a bullet for ya 'cause you're my best friend, and the only one I've got."
For the second time in several weeks, Ricochet was moved to tears. He smiled at his deputy as he wiped his eyes. "Aw, shucks, Droop...n-now ya've gone and got me all weepy," he said. Sniffling, he reached into his vest pocket, pulled out his handkerchief and blew his nose in it. After sniffling again, he said, "I-I'm sorry I gave you a scoldin'. I was holdin' all that in for weeks and..."
"It's alright, Mr. Ricochet. If I had all that goin' on, I'd let it all out, too," Droop-a-Long said, wiping his eyes as well. "But I won't do somethin' like that again if it worries you so much that you're blowin' up at people."
"Thanks for the sentiment, Droop-a-Long. I appreciate it."
"You're welcome, Mr. Ricochet."
The End
I really liked writing this one. For a slow-moving deputy, Droop's unfailingly loyal and selfless. And even though he doesn't show it (or is too caught up in his own thing), Ricochet does care for his deputy and won't tolerate anybody messing with him. Ricochet's got a lot of Berserk Buttons, but messing with Droop-a-Long is his biggest one.
I brought back A.T. Sam Jose, the main bad guy in the Ricochet Rabbit episode "Atchison Topeka and Sam Jose", since I can see him being the type of person who'd want revenge on the law. And Quick Draw and Baba Looey's cameo was also fun to write (although personally I feel that Ricochet and Quick Draw would be friendly rivals if they ever met).
The explanation for Ricochet's three previous deputies, as well as why he says that he owes Droop-a-Long another one, is all in chapter 4.
This may be my Droop-a-Long fangirl talking, but I liked writing him in this chapter. I like how he still chose his friend over his own desire to have popularity and fame. I was going to actually kill him off, but I decided not to. That would've made the story too sad. Writing the scene where Ricochet hugs Droop-a-Long and tells him how worried he was, not to mention his Anger Born of Worry scene near the end, made me kind of teary, to be honest; imagining this happening in an actual episode is pretty much what did it for me.
Oh, and I threw in sleeping Ricochet again because the image of him sleeping like that was too cute to resist. And I couldn't resist having Droop-a-Long petting him behind the ears.
Next chapters are gonna be a little more serious. Constructive criticism is great, as always!
God bless, iheartgod175
