A/N: Hey there, folks! It's been a while since I've come back to this. Just to let you know, I haven't run out of ideas for more stories featuring Ricochet and Droopy...in fact, it's the main reason why I can't end this story, because I have so many ideas that I want to share that I can't simply end it. Well, looks like I'll have to change my poll again.
I know I have a lot of angsty friendship stuff in this story, but...the ideas just wouldn't leave me alone. I originally published this on Tumblr, but I edited some things for this version. And with this, I conclude the "Taking the Bullet" trilogy, so to speak.
Disclaimer: *Points at other chapters for disclaimers*
Story 13: It's Alright, Mr. Ricochet
He could hear nothing except his own breath echoing through the tunnel as well as the pounding of his heart. Ricochet ran as fast as his legs would carry him, rebounding off of the bumpy cave walls as he raced towards the heart of the mine. His ears picked up the sound of demented laughter farther up, followed by a yell.
"Halt, or I'll fire!"
Droop-a-Long's got him cornered, Ricochet thought. I'd best be hurryin' up; he won't have the advantage for long!
After rebounding off of another wall, he found himself nearing the end of the track. He skidded to a stop, kicking up wood and sending a few chips into his heels. The pain was the least of his concerns, however, as the tunnel ahead of him lit up with flashes of yellow light. Gunshots followed moments later, and deep within came another scream.
Ricochet leapt over the large gap, his hand shooting out at the last minute to grab a piece of railroad that was hanging off. Swinging himself over, he shot into the tunnel, rebounding off of the walls and heading into the heart of the mine.
"Hang on, Droop! I'm comin' to help ya!" Ricochet shouted, skidding to a stop. He looked through the maze of tunnels. "Droop-a-Long! Where are ya?"
Another scream answered his question. The first tunnel at the top, which overlooked a steep cliff, went alight with gunfire. The first person to run out of there was Mad Matt, the criminal that Ricochet had been chasing after. He was wielding a pick, but he looked utterly terrified, especially when a bullet shot his hat off. He jumped back just as Droop-a-Long ran out. His hat was gone, revealing a dangerous expression in his lax green eyes.
"Mad Matt, you're under arrest for murder, robbery, home invasion and resistin' arrest," Droop-a-Long said. His tone brooked no argument. "You won' be goin' nowhere for a long time."
Mad Matt's look of terror soon became one of crazed glee. "I'm not the kind of person to hold grudges…but I've got a bone to pick with you, Deputy!" he snarled.
Droop-a-Long raised his gun. "Now, don't you try any-"
On pure instinct, Ricochet shouted, "Droop, look out!"
That warning alone saved Droop-a-Long's life. Mad Matt swung the pick at Droop-a-Long's head, but he managed to duck just in time. The pick grazed the back of his neck, slicing his bandana off as well as a little of his fur. There was a loud thud as the pick hit the wall. Droop-a-Long moved backwards as Mad Matt yanked his weapon out of the rock wall.
"Hang on, Droop, I'm comin'!" Ricochet yelled, running towards both of them. "Keep 'im distracted long enough for me to get thar!"
Droop-a-Long looked relieved at this news. "Got it, Mr.-"
"Yeah, you've got it, alright!" Mad Matt laughed, and swung his pick again in a wide arc. Droop-a-Long wasn't fast enough to avoid the blow this time, and the pick sunk deep into his left side with a sickening crunch. He slammed into the wall with a howl of agony, and his paws desperately clawed at the pick in an attempt to get it out.
"DROOP-A-LONG!" Ricochet screamed.
"Aw, you need some help getting that out, Deputy? Well, I'm always happy to help the law~!" Mad Matt sang, before viciously yanking the pick out. Blood gushed freely from the wound, and Droop-a-Long screamed again, clutching his side with both paws. He fell to his knees, clutching his side and shuddering with each ragged gasp that escaped his throat.
Mad Matt laughed, but that was when he was knocked down face first. A tight grip on his neckerchief constricted his airflow, and he heard the cocking of a gun. He turned slightly to face the barrel of Ricochet's gun. The sheriff in question had a fistful of Mad Matt's neckerchief in his right hand, and glared at him with barely-concealed fury.
"Nobody does that to my deputy and gets away with it!" he snarled.
Mad Matt snickered. "I was just havin' a little fun with the law, Sheriff. He's got some real guts, but to be honest... he's boring after a while. Good thing I've got a replacement, huh?" Mad Matt roughly elbowed Ricochet in the ribs, sending him flying backwards. While Ricochet tried to recover from that, Mad Matt got up from the floor and gave Droop-a-Long a slasher smile, one that made the coyote back away slightly. "It was fun ta play with ya, Droopy, but playtime's over~"
"D-Don' come...closer," Droop-a-Long breathed out, backing away further. He stopped when he felt air with his hand, and he turned around to face the edge of the cliff. His heart leaped. At this rate, he was done for.
Ricochet forced himself to sit up, ignoring the burning pain in his ribs to get a glimpse of what was going on. When he saw Droop-a-Long and Matt near the cliff, his eyes widened with horror.
"Droop, whatever ya do, don't-"
The rest of his warning was caught in his throat. With a childlike giggle, Mad Matt shot his foot out and kicked Droop-a-Long in the stomach, hard. With his injury, the coyote was already unsteady; the kick sent him sailing over the edge like a rag doll. A horrible scream of pain and fear filled the mine as he fell into the chasm.
Ricochet leaped to his feet and ran to the edge of the cliff, shoving Mad Matt to the ground in the process. Skidding to a stop just two inches from the edge, he stared in horror as his deputy disappeared into the abyss below, his scream slowly fading out as he neared the bottom.
And then, like an explosion, a horrific crash rung through the mine. Ricochet could have swore that he heard bones shattering above the sounds of splintering wood…
Mad Matt howled with laughter. "Well, we won't be seeing him anymore!" he cackled.
Ricochet sank to his knees, shaking. His heart was going a mile a minute, his fur was matted with sweat, and his eyes were burning with tears. He bit his lip so hard that he drew blood, some of it dripping down his chin.
"D-Droop-a-Long…" he whispered, his voice small and hoarse. He looked down into the abyss, remembering seeing his friend disappear, followed by hitting rock bottom. He had been taken out of the fight again, and now his friend was dead because of it.
He had been too slow to react, and now Droop-a-Long was dead. And there was nothing he could do about it.
It was too much to take in, and he slammed his fist into the ground, letting out a howl of anguish…
The horrible scream that resounded through the office made Droop-a-Long burst out of sleep. He looked around, eyes wide. "What the heck?" he gasped. "Where's all that noise comin' fro-"
"DROOP-A-LONG!" Ricochet's bellow could've been heard from miles away. "DROOP, WHERE ARE YOU?!"
Hearing the terror in Ricochet's voice made up Droop-a-Long's mind. He was out of the bed and running to Ricochet's room faster than anybody had ever seen him run before. He didn't bother knocking on the door, as Ricochet had a habit of locking his. A good ram with his shoulders forced the door to give way, but he ended up crashing to the floor. A shriek of surprise filled the air, and then all was silent, save for a groan from Droop-a-Long.
"D-Droop?" Ricochet called out.
"Urgh...M-Mr. Ricochet?" Droop-a-Long started, picking himself up off the floor. In the middle of the room was Ricochet, who sat bolt upright in bed, staring at him with wide eyes. Droop-a-Long ran over to the sheriff's side. "Mr. Ricochet, are ya alright?! I heard ya screamin' my name like a banshee!"
"D-Droop...you're alive?" Ricochet said finally.
Droop-a-Long stared at Ricochet as though he were insane. "O' course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"
Ricochet's face twisted, and then he buried himself in Droop-a-Long's fur. Before Droop-a-Long knew it, he was sobbing uncontrollably. The coyote stared at the rabbit for a long time, not knowing what had brought on this outburst.
"S-Sheriff?" he asked softly. "Are ya alright?"
Ricochet sniffled, and he attempted to quiet his sobs, though a few still escaped his throat. He then raised his head to look at Droop-a-Long, and Droop-a-Long was almost taken back by the sadness and worry in Ricochet's eyes.
"S-Sorry for wakin' ya, D-Droop," he said, wiping his eyes. "I-I'm fine now, h-honest."
"If you were fine, Mr. Ricochet, you wouldn't have screamed for me," Droop-a-Long pointed out. "Ya must've had a nightmare."
"Y-You should know that I don't have n-nightmares, Droop-a-Long. I-I'm fine," Ricochet said. His grip on Droop-a-Long's fur told the coyote otherwise. "I-I mean it, I-"
He was cut off when his deputy put his hands on his shoulders. He looked into Droop-a-Long's eyes, which were filled with concern.
"Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long said, "you're not alright. I can see it in your eyes. Somethin' spooked ya and you don' wanna tell me about it."
Ricochet sighed. "I…I don't know. I mus' be losin' my mind or somethin'," he said finally.
"I'm pretty sure you're not losin' your mind, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long answered. "You've got a good hold on it, unlike that outlaw we chased earlier today. No wonder they called 'im Mad Matt."
Ricochet smiled a little, but it only showed more of his torment. "That's true."
"Ya know ya can tell your deputy anythin', right?"
"Well, my deputy doesn't tell me everythin'. I still haven't forgotten how ya hid your relationship with Denise from me, Droop."
"Ah…I'm-a never livin' that down, right?"
"Not on your life."
Droop-a-Long sighed. "Oh, well…"
Ricochet sighed as well, and then scratched his hair. "I…I'm a little ashamed to admit this, Deputy…but regardin' what you said earlier, I'd have to say you were right. I'm not alright. In fact, I haven't been for a while now."
Droop-a-Long looked at Ricochet attentively. "I'm listenin', Sheriff."
"Remember what happened a month ago, when A.T. Sam Jose tried to kill me? When you jumped in and saved me, I…I was plum worried about ya. He almost killed you."
"I know. The doc told me I was one lucky coyote," Droop-a-Long said. He looked at Ricochet with a quizzical expression. "But we hauled him off to prison a month back. Why're you thinkin' about it now?"
Ricochet swallowed a lump in his throat. "I-It's not that I want to think about it, Droop. I wanna get that incident outta my head so I can move on with my life. But every single time we go on a case, all I can think about was 'What if someone gets the drop on Droop-a-Long? What if I'm too slow to do anythin' to save him?'"
"You were thinkin' about that?" Droop-a-Long asked, eyes wide.
Ricochet nodded. "Especially today, Droopy," he said. "When the miners said that you went after Mad Matt in that old abandoned mine after I got hurt, I was about ready to have a heart attack. I thought he'd cornered you and got the drop on you. Thankfully, you pulled through and arrested him."
"I couldn't let ya down, Mr. Ricochet. You would've done the same thing if I was hurt," Droop-a-Long answered.
"That's what I'm afraid of, Droop-a-Long. I…I can't stand the thought of losin' those close to me, especially you," he said. "You're my best friend, Droop, and I don't wanna come close to losin' you like what happened before." He shuddered, and he felt his eyes burn, signaling that he was going to cry again. "M-My nightmare was awful, Droop. When you ran after Mad Matt, I pulled myself together and ran after you two. When I got in there, you were chasin' him, orderin' him to stop. I yelled to let you know that I was comin'…but then h-he swung around with a pick to try 'n chop your head off. You ducked to avoid it, but that was when he swung it at your side."
"Oh, shucks, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long gasped, "that sounds horrifyin'."
"It was, especially after I heard ya scream in pain. I started to race over there to help you, but then…that no-good outlaw kicked you backwards, and you went fallin' into the crevice." He sniffled. "I-I was too slow to get to ya. I remember hearin' your scream fade out as I got the edge, and I saw ya d-disappear. Then I heard a loud c-crash, and-"
"That's when ya started screamin' for me," Droop-a-Long finished slowly.
Ricochet nodded, and he wiped his eyes again. "I-It was so real, it was scary. T-That's when I knew that I could never let that incident go. I-I can't even do my job without thinkin' that I-I'm gonna fail, that I'm gonna lose someone I care about." He focused his gaze at the ground. "F-For a split second, I figured that I-I would fire ya, jus' so I could finally stop thinkin' about it. B-But that'd be too cruel; I wouldn't want you to go without work, and you wanted to be a real sheriff someday."
"I-It was that bad, Mr. Ricochet?" Droop-a-Long asked.
"It was. Then I realized that it wasn't you; it was me. I-I was the one gettin' worked up over this whole thing, a-and no matter what I do…I couldn't let it go. My fears are eatin' me alive, Droop, and now I feel like I can't protect people. I feel like I'm useless."
Droop-a-Long shook his head vehemently. "You're not useless, Mr. Ricochet!"
"If I'm not useless, then why couldn't I help you when you needed it, Droop?" Ricochet snapped. "Why didn't I pay attention to what was happenin' around me, before Mad Matt tried to kill me? Before Sam Jose attempted to kill me? If I had done that, I could've nabbed 'im. I could've saved you the trouble of takin' the bullet for me!"
"Mr. Ricochet, I did it ta-"
"I know ya did it to save me...b-but let's face it, Droop, I don' have it in me anymore," Ricochet interrupted, his voice cracking. He then started to sob again, hot tears falling on the sheets. "I-If I can't even k-keep my fears in check…how can I do this j-job? Y-Ya have to be right fearless t-ta be a sheriff round these parts, b-but look at me. I'm a coward..."
"Aw, don't...Mr. Ricochet, don't say that," Droop-a-Long said. "You ain't a coward."
"I-I left you behind on more than one occasion when we were runnin' for our lives," Ricochet said. "W-What kind of friend does that, Droop-a-Long? I-I didn't even come back to check 'n see if you were okay…I-I was bein' so selfish."
"Please don't beat yourself up like this, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long said, feeling close to tears. "Y-You don't need to quit bein' the sheriff."
"Why not, Droop-a-Long?" Ricochet asked. "W-Why, when all it's given me for years was problems?"
"I don't believe that, and I don't think you do either, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long answered. "Sure, you had problems…but ya never let 'em get to ya. But I don't think you have to be outright fearless. Everyone's got fears and different ways of handlin' 'em. I'm a little more open 'bout my fears, while you tend to hide yours, Mr. Ricochet."
"I-I don't want people to worry about me, Droop. I tried my darndest to not let this overcome me, but…I couldn't," he said. "A-And I don't think I can be sheriff if I can't remain detached from my job."
"Ya know somethin', Mr. Ricochet? Every sheriff has somethin' that they take personally," Droop-a-Long said. "This incident is hard to deal with, Sheriff, but I reckon you'll be able to pull through jus' fine. You always do. I don' want ya to turn in your badge jus' because someone got the drop on me, or because you've got fears. I reckon you owe it to the town and the West to capture those criminals so that they don't get the drop on any innocent townsfolk."
Ricochet gave Droop-a-Long a tearful smile. "Y-Ya really believe in me that much, huh?"
"I-I do," he said. "You believed in me when I didn't believe in myself, Mr. Ricochet. It wouldn't be fair if I didn't return the favor."
Ricochet embraced Droop-a-Long then, and the coyote returned it, feeling the tears he'd held back well up in his eyes. He'd tried hard not to cry; he really had. But seeing his boss- his best friend, no less-in such a state was too much for him.
"I-It's times like these when I'm glad to have ya around, Droopy," Ricochet said, wiping his nose on his sleeve. "T-Thanks…"
"You're welcome, Mr. Ricochet." Droop-a-Long looked down at the sheriff. "Are ya sure you're gonna be alright tonight?"
"Well, I-I reckon I'm a little frazzled by that nightmare. This is a might embarrassin' ta ask, but…"
Droop-a-Long cocked his head to the side. "What is it, Mr. Ricochet?"
"Can…can you stay in here with me tonight, Droop?" Ricochet asked. "I think I'll sleep much better if you did."
"Okay, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long said. "After all, a deputy helps the sheriff out. It's their sworn duty ta do so."
Ricochet smirked a little. "Well, I'm pretty sure fightin' nightmares ain't part of a deputy's job. But it helps."
A little while later, both Droop-a-Long and Ricochet were settled into bed. Due to Ricochet's bed being smaller than his own, Droop-a-Long's feet were resting on top of the baseboard. He paid that no mind, however, as he turned towards Ricochet. Rather than lying on his side of the bed, he was resting on Droop-a-Long's shoulder, his arms wrapped around the coyote's upper arm. The sadness in his eyes could have been seen for miles.
He'd seen Ricochet at his weakest before, but he never thought he'd see him like this. He never thought he'd see his best friend get so worked up that he considered giving up what he loved doing. Seeing his friend in such a state made Droop-a-Long's heart sink, as well as make him resolve to not run into danger without the sheriff again. The last thing he needed was Ricochet giving in to his fears.
"Are ya okay, Mr. Ricochet?" Droop-a-Long asked.
"A-A little," Ricochet said, sniffling.
Droop-a-Long patted Ricochet on the shoulder. "It's alright, Mr. Ricochet. Everythin's gonna be alright," he said. "There's nothin' for ya to worry about. I ain't plannin' on dyin' anytime soon. 'sides, I reckon you wouldn't let me die, either."
"Come to think of it, you're right. I couldn't let you chicken out on proposin' to Denise, now, can I?"
Droop-a-Long's face heated up with embarrassment. "I-I already told ya that I-" He stopped upon seeing Ricochet try and fail to hide a smile on his face. He sighed resignedly, but then offered up a chuckle. "You really like to rile me up about that, huh, Mr. Ricochet?"
"And I'll keep doin' it, too, 'til ya decide to propose to her yerself, Droop," he said.
"I will soon enough, Mr. Ricochet. Jus' not right now."
"That's what you always say, Droop-a-Long." Ricochet sighed. "Well, it's time we get some sleep. I'm feelin' a little tired now."
"Yeah. Comes mornin', we'll have chores to do." Droop-a-Long yawned. "Goodnight, Mr. Ricochet."
"Goodnight, Droop," Ricochet answered, closing his eyes. "And…thanks. Really, I mean it."
"No problem, Sheriff."
The End
Friends have never seen you cry. Real friends have soggy shoulders (or fur, in Droop's case) from your tears.
This little idea was bugging me for a while (though not nearly as much as that Noir-inspired Hanna-Barbera story). I kind of felt like writing some Ricochet and Droop-a-Long angsty friendship fluff based off of my favorite short in "Blazin' Trails", "Taking the Bullet". In the original Tumblr story, I didn't write the nigthmare, but I figured it'd add more detail to the story by adding it. This short shows that Ricochet's very affected by what happened to his deputy, and trying to not let his worry show only made things stressful for him. I think this one showed Ricochet's vulnerable side pretty well, as we don't see it in the actual cartoon. And as always, Droop-a-Long was fun to write as always. It's a good thing Ricochet's got a good friend like Droop-a-Long, huh?
The next short will most definitely not be as saddening as this. In fact, I have a lot of ideas for humor based ones, with at least one serious one and one bittersweet story. In case you'd like to see them, here they are:
Blazin' Trails (Heroic)| Ricochet and Droop-a-Long's adventures and friendship become legend in Hoop 'n Holler, and even inspires a ballad on them. Ricochet and Droop-a-Long, now both old and retired, are touched by this.
Rough Patch (Serious)| After failing to catch a renegade, a heated argument between Ricochet and Droop-a-Long starts up, and this one threatens to split them apart.
Prank Wars (Silly)| Droop-a-Long's developed a mood for prank-pulling, and has been pulling many pranks on a certain sheriff. Ricochet decides to give the coyote a taste of his own medicine by setting up elaborate pranks of his own.
So Long, Droopy (Sad)| After the Mad Matt case, Droop-a-Long seeks a better paying job. Having heard this sort of thing from Droop-a-Long before, Ricochet expects the coyote's search to end in vain…until a call comes in and Droop-a-Long ends up getting the job in another state. (Alternate: Droop-a-Long succumbs to an illness after a year of fighting it. Ricochet struggles to find closure and come to terms with his friend's death. Alternate 2: After the Mad Matt case, Droop-a-Long is asked to be the sheriff in Hoop 'n Holler, leaving Ricochet without a deputy again.)
Acting the Part (Silly)| A TV crew filming a western drama blows through town, and Ricochet has his heart set on the lead role of the main character steely-eyed sheriff Wyatt. When the role ends up going to Droop-a-Long instead, Ricochet's at first very jealous…until he sees the coyote's acting skills up close.
Coming Through (Serious)|A criminal named Mad Matt breaks loose from prison, and goes on a killing spree through Hoop 'n Holler. Ricochet and Droop-a-Long chase him down, but when Ricochet is injured to the point of not being able to help him, it's up to Droop-a-Long to come through and prove his worth as deputy. (Alternate: Ricochet's worst nightmare happens when Droop-a-Long ends up being captured by Mad Matt. Ricochet must save Droop-a-Long with the help of Quick Draw and Baba Looey, as well as his own personal strength.)
Game On (Silly): Ricochet and Droop-a-Long have online gaming competitions on their handhelds. Hilarity ensues.
Birthday Surprise (Silly/Sweet)|Ricochet learns that Droop-a-Long's birthday is on Valentine's Day, and that the coyote was so embarrassed about it that he'd lied to Ricochet about his birthday. Ricochet decides to cheer him up and throw him a surprise birthday party, only for his attempt to backfire spectacularly.
I've already modified my poll, so please vote for the next chapter, guys! Let me know what you think of this short in your reviews!
God bless, iheartgod175
