A/N: Chapter 11 of Blazin' Trails is here, and it's going to be the saddest entry thus far. Since it's inspired by another friendship prompt on Tumblr, I've decided that I'll place it at the very end. The only warning I'll put up is that it's got major character death.
Disclaimer: I still don't own anything, other than Denise, Bucky, the attorney and Melissa.
Story 11: The Only One I Can Trust
"Sheriff, do you think that you'll make it through this?" one of the townsmen asked.
"I-I have to. He would've wanted it that way," Droop-a-Long answered, trying to control his trembling. He sighed as he wiped his eyes.
The man nodded, and the two remained respectfully silent, save for a few sniffles from the small rabbit next to Droop-a-Long. The coyote looked down at the boy, who was holding a purple hat close to his chest. Tears spilled from his yellow eyes, which were bloodshot from all the crying.
"It's alright, Bucky. It's alright." Droop-a-Long gently put an arm around the rabbit, pulling him close to his side and patting him on the shoulder. His breath hitched in his throat, which signaled that he was about to burst into tears. He swallowed a lump in his throat, feeling his lips trembling again. He could only hope that the tremors didn't go down to his arms.
He didn't want Ricochet's son to have to worry about him, especially now of all times.
It felt surreal, watching the casket being lowered into the ground by the pallbearers. Even more surreal was knowing just who was inside the casket. Ricochet Rabbit, the toughest, fastest sheriff Hoop 'n Holler had ever seen, was dead, a victim of an outlaw's bullet. He'd been bleeding out on the desert floor, but he told Droop-a-Long to go after the outlaw and not worry about him; shortly after that, he'd lost consciousness. By then he'd lost track of the criminal, and when he made it back to help Ricochet, it was too late. Droop-a-Long had had to break the news to everyone in town, and the response had been automatic. Everyone in town had mourned the sheriff's passing, but no one more so than Ricochet's son, Bucky. As his mother was out of town, Droop-a-Long had taken him in the night after his father's death, and he'd had to comfort the boy in the midst of his own grief.
The next day, he learned that he'd been appointed as the sheriff of Hoop 'n Holler almost immediately after Ricochet's death had been confirmed, and his first task had been to arrest the outlaw who'd killed his best friend. That task was one Droop-a-Long had succeeded at; he'd given chase for two nights straight, and when he'd finally caught him, he didn't bother telling the outlaw to put his hands up. He'd simply pulled out his six-shooter and coldly told him that unless he wanted to be killed instantly, like Ricochet had been, he had better surrender. The outlaw in question, Slowpoke Sloane, had immediately complied, and Droop-a-Long had him sent to the county jail.
He'd gotten justice for his best friend and his son, but he still felt guilty. If he had stopped to help Ricochet instead of running after the man like the sheriff had told him to, he could've gotten him to the hospital, to get the bullet out of his chest. Ricochet would still be alive if he had done so; he'd be laid up in a hospital bed, complaining about how he should be out catching criminals, but alive, nonetheless.
Wondering about the what-ifs only intensified his guilt and made the weight on his chest even more unbearable. He couldn't stop the tremors from reaching his arms, and Bucky looked up at him with surprised eyes. Droop-a-Long felt his knees give out and he sank to the earth, his knees colliding with the soft mud. Tears spilled from his eyes like water from a burst dam, and heaving sobs racked his frame.
"M-Mr. R-R-Ricochet...I-I'm so s-s-sorry..."
That was the last thing he said before he dissolved into tears.
A few days later...
"I'm glad you could make it here, Sheriff. I wasn't able to get in contact with Bucky's mother, Melissa."
Droop-a-Long stared at Ricochet's attorney, Atticus Hayseed, in surprise. He found it odd that Ricochet's wife, Melissa Starkweather, hadn't appeared. She had been at the funeral and had been inconsolable when she'd gotten the news. She and Ricochet had been a good pair, but their jobs demanded them to be apart from each other for a long time, which had proven difficult when they had Bucky. Although the two hadn't split, it was still surprising to see her in Hoop 'n Holler.
The fact that she hadn't shown up when the attorney was going to read her husband's will was worrying to Droop-a-Long.
"Shucks, that's odd. I-I guess I'd better read the will and tell her what it says," he said.
"Funny you should say that, because I was going to, seeing as you're the only other adult here."
"I'm flattered, Mr. Hayseed, but I ain't part of Mr. Ricochet's family. I'm more o' the family friend."
"Well, Ricochet apparently deemed you as such. Normally, we allow the spouse or the parents of the deceased to read the will first, followed by those who were friends of the family as you said," the attorney said. "However, both of Ricochet's parents are dead, and Melissa hasn't made her appearance. And seein' as you and Ricochet were close friends..."
"Ah...I see," Droop-a-Long answered. He was still stunned that Ricochet had named him in his will. He didn't know what the sheriff had been thinking when he did that, but he supposed he'd have to find out. "W-What did he leave for me?" He almost wanted to kick himself for how greedy he'd sounded.
"Oh, some of his possessions. He's left a good sum of money for you," the attorney said. "Also...he's named you as the legal guardian of his son."
Droop-a-Long stared at him in shock, his eyes wider than dinner plates. His mouth twitched for a moment, but he couldn't say anything. Hayseed stared at him, gauging his reaction.
"It is a lot to take in, Sheriff, but...these were his last wishes. He came to me a few months before in order to edit his will," he said. "I remember he'd been a bit melancholy that day."
"It was 'cause he'd had a fight with Melissa," Droop-a-Long clarified. "They were arguin' over who'd get custody over Bucky in case he...died." He shook his head, wringing his hat like a washcloth. "I still don't understand..."
"You've met Bucky before, right?"
"Have I?" Droop-a-Long chuckled a little. "I was there when he was born; held 'im, too. I used to go to their house lotsa times to watch him when either of 'em were gone. Bucky and me get along well to the point where he calls me 'Uncle Droop', like my nephew Tag-a-Long does."
"Is Bucky close to his mother?" Hayseed asked.
Droop-a-Long shook his head. "Not really, I'm afraid. The two of 'em would get into it often. I'm guessin' that's why Melissa didn't come down here," he said. "She must've known that havin' him with her wouldn't work out in the long run. That...and she still misses Ricochet."
The attorney nodded. "That wouldn't be in Bucky's best interests, now, would it?"
"No...but I'm still confused," Droop-a-Long said. "Why would Ricochet name me as the legal guardian?"
"I figured you'd ask." The attorney pulled out a note from his desk and handed it to the sheriff. "Ricochet had dropped this letter off a week before, saying that he'd want you to read it when I told you what was in the will. He said he'd figured you'd be confused by his decision, so he wrote a letter to explain things."
"T-Thanks, Mr. Hayseed." Droop-a-Long shakily accepted the letter and unfolded it. After taking a deep breath to calm himself, he opened up the letter and started reading. He had to choke back a sob when he encountered Ricochet's blocky handwriting.
Dear Droop-a-Long,
Well, I guess if you're reading this, it means I'm gone-by now, they've probably appointed you to be sheriff. If they didn't, I may have to come back as a ghost to kick some sense into the mayor. If there's anybody who's gonna take my place as sheriff, I'd rather it be you. Of course, I'll let you pick out a deputy of your own.
I know the attorney already told you that I'm leaving some of my money with you, just in case you need it for an emergency. I'd tell you to spend it wisely, but to be honest, I really wanna see you take care of that "issue" between you and Denise. Seriously, Droop, marrying her isn't that hard to do! You get anybody to make a gold ring for you if you have the right amount of cash, and then just ask her!
...I'm getting off track, aren't I?
Droop, I know that taking in Bucky's going to be a difficult task, since I know you well enough to know that you're hurting because of my passing. Melissa was right about him being the spitting image of me; he's got the same temper and the same ego that I have. And he and I were real close. He and his ma don't get along that well, though I wish they did. I wouldn't have asked you if you did.
But since that's not the case, I've named you to be the legal guardian because you're the only one I can trust with this responsibility. It's not that I don't trust my wife. I trust her with my life. But me and her had the same problem: we're too wrapped up in our jobs. Melissa's away often, and she can't be around to take care of Bucky. And then, like I said earlier, the two of 'em don't get along that well. I wouldn't want Bucky getting himself into trouble because he's got issues with his ma. And before you ask, we did discuss this and decided that this would be the best idea. You'll be surprised with how long it took me to convince Melissa to see my point. She may not look it, but she's pretty darn stubborn about some things. Even so, that's why I love her.
Another reason is that you've told me before that you're good with kids, and that shows with how you hit it off with Bucky. When he's not trying to be like me, he's talking about the things you show him. You're the one who taught him how to throw horseshoes and play baseball; I wasn't around to do that. I want Bucky to be with someone he trusts, and he trusts you a lot. It's gonna be hard for you and him to adjust to this, but I know you'll do fine. I don't have to ask you to promise me that you'll take care of my son, because I know that you will.
Just don't wallow in grief forever, Droop-a-Long. No matter what you think, you're not responsible for whatever happened to me. The last thing I want is you beating up yourself for something that happens to everybody. And do take care of yourself, okay? Grief tends to really wreck appearances, after all.
There's nothing much left to say, other than thanks for being my best friend after all these years. I couldn't have asked for anybody else to be my deputy, or my best friend.
Your pal,
Ricochet
P.S.: Actually, there was one thing left to say. If you chicken out on using that money for your proposal, I'm gonna come back as a ghost and kick some sense into you, Droop!
Despite the sadness welling inside him, Droop-a-Long couldn't help but laugh at that postscript. Ever since he'd told Ricochet about his relationship with Denise, the rabbit had been giving him nudges towards proposing to her-all of them rather blunt, just like his nature. He wiped the tears from his eyes, wishing that he could tell his friend just how honored he was.
"Do you find everything satisfactory, Sheriff?" the attorney asked.
Droop-a-Long nodded. "I-I do," he said. "H-How soon can I pick up Bucky?"
"You can take him home today, if you'd like," the attorney said. "We don't have anybody else who can take him in at the moment. The person who took him in during the funeral has to leave today."
Droop-a-Long sighed. "Alright. I'll tell Denise, and we'll take him in."
Later that evening...
Droop-a-Long looked down at the sleeping Bucky, who had his arms wrapped around his waist. He smiled softly, and scratched him behind the ears, watching as the little boy sighed contentedly. He looked up at the ceiling, the events from earlier that day flooding his mind.
So far, things were progressing well. Melissa had come by not long after he'd finished speaking with the attorney, saying that she would be leaving for work soon but she wanted to say goodbye to her son and help Droop-a-Long get his house prepared for Bucky's arrival. Seeing as Denise had been out, he had agreed. After several hours, they'd set up his room and had walked back to Ricochet's house to get some of Ricochet's things. Melissa was planning on selling it and most of his belongings, but Droop-a-Long had wanted to keep some things for himself to remind him of his deceased friend.
Denise had come around with Bucky, and Melissa had told him that she would come by as often as she could, since Ricochet would've wanted her to. After an emotional goodbye, Melissa had left, leaving Droop-a-Long and Denise with Bucky. They had spent the evening playing card games and reading, though most talk drifted back to Ricochet and how much he would have loved to see his son being happy. When it was time for bed, Droop-a-Long had read him an old story, and then Bucky asked him to tell him stories of his father's adventures. Droop-a-Long had obliged him, and had told two stories before Bucky decided to curl up on his side and fall asleep.
It was going to be strange, doing Ricochet's jobs as both a sheriff and a father. He only hoped that he would be good enough for both tasks. Ricochet believed that he was, but Droop-a-Long himself wasn't entirely sure. Insecurities gnawed at his mind and threatened to take center stage. He sighed, his ears drooping down. He knew he shouldn't let his fears overcome him, that he would have to bear with it and move on.
Much to his frustration, he found he couldn't just move on. "This is gonna take longer than I thought."
"What's that, Droopy?"
Droop-a-Long looked up to see the door to their room open and Denise walked in, dressed in a white nightgown that complimented her yellow fur nicely. He shifted over in order to make room for her as she climbed in. "Nothin'. Jus' thinkin' aloud."
"Ah, I see." She looked at Bucky, who was clinging to Droop-a-Long, and smiled. "He's finally sleeping, huh?" she asked.
"Yeah. I read him one of his favorite stories, and we talked a bit about his pa," he said. "After that, he went to sleep."
Denise sighed, her ears folding downwards. "It still doesn't feel right," she said. "I never even got to say goodbye to him."
"Neither did I," Droop-a-Long answered. He draped his right arm over her and pulled her close. "I-It's gonna be hard, workin' as sheriff in his stead. I don't know if I'll be as good as he ever was. I..." He looked down at Bucky again, his fears bubbling on his tongue. Before he could stop himself, he said, "I-I don' even know if I'll be here to take care of 'im, like Ricochet asked me to."
"Now don't talk like that," she said. Her face was set into a stern glare. "You have many years ahead of you, Droop-a-Long."
Droop-a-Long's expression was morose as he looked at her. "And so did Ricochet, but he died in the line of duty. I-If the same thing happened to me, I don't know how you'd cope, Denise." His breath hitched again, and he willed himself to control his sobs. "I-I'll feel like a failure to Ricochet..."
Denise sighed. "It's not like I don't understand what you're saying, Droop-a-Long. I do think it's a good idea to have a back up plan in case something like that happens. But the best thing to do, Droopy, is to not think of that. You're worrying about the future far too much. What you need to focus on is the present," she said. "And you'll make mistakes...but that doesn't make you a failure. You told me over and over that what Ricochet told you stuck in your brain."
"Yeah. W-We all make mistakes, but w-we've jus' gotta learn from 'em and move on," Droop-a-Long said, remembering those exact words.
"Exactly. You'll make mistakes, like everyone else. I make mistakes, too. But learning from the mistakes and succeeding is what we all want. And I know that's what you want, Droopy."
Droop-a-Long wiped his eyes. "Y-You really think so?"
Denise nodded, then looked up at her boyfriend with an embarrassed smile. "It sounds weird coming from me, doesn't it?"
"It doesn't matter." Droop-a-Long leaned down and kissed her on her forehead. "What matters is that ya stopped me from worryin' myself to an early grave. Thank you."
"You're welcome, Droopy. I just want to make sure you're okay," she said.
"I will be, 'ventually. It still hurts, losin' Mr. Ricochet," he said. "But right now..." He looked over at Bucky and then at her. "Right now, I'm glad I've got you two by my side."
Denise smiled as she nuzzled herself into Droop-a-Long's fur. At this action, he remembered Ricochet's solution to his "issue". He sighed, biting back the urge to chuckle.
That'll have to wait 'til later, Mr. Ricochet.
The End
This short's inspired by this prompt: I don't know what I'll do without you and to top it all off, you've left your only child to me in your will. Granted, I may have taken a few liberties with the prompt, but I think I did well enough that it fit with the story.
I think it would take something like this to bring out more of Droop-a-Long's character. I may do a story where their roles are reversed and Droop-a-Long's the one who dies...but that depends on you. If I feel like it, I may continue this AU.
My headcanon is that if Ricochet were to die, Hoop 'n Holler would have his deputy take his place, and the newly appointed sheriff would have to find a new deputy. Remember how Ricochet was picky about who would be his deputy (chapter 4)? Well, I think he'd carry that attitude over to whoever would be his successor, and I don't think he'd be so rude as to leave his friend without work, especially since he's asked him to take care of his son. I can definitely see this happening if Ricochet was killed.
Melissa is Ricochet's girlfriend who was mentioned in the third chapter of "Have Guitar, Will Travel". In this universe, she's married Ricochet and they've had a son, but they share the same tendency to be married to the job. Her personality's a bit different than it is for when she appears in "Ricocheted Rendezvous", though. She'll probably stay in contact with her son, though, in this universe. Since she and Ricochet both discussed that Droop-a-Long would be a better guardian than her, that's why she left not long after the funeral in this story.
And the reason Droop-a-Long and Denise still haven't married yet is because Droop-a-Long's afraid of what the people would think of them if he did. Ricochet's answer to this is to bluntly state that they should get married regardless. You'll also notice that Ricochet is like this in my AU fics I did for Droop-a-Long/Denise on Tumblr.
Next short will be a lot more funny and have Droop-a-Long/Denise, with a matchmaking Ricochet prodding things along.
Constructive criticism is great as always!
God bless, iheartgod175
