A/N: Looking back on it, most of the shorts in Blazin' Trails have Droop-a-Long saving the day, although that may be due in part to Ricochet being a spotlight hogger in his own series. So, I decided to have a role reversal this time around, but Droopy's still getting his time to shine.

This short wasn't meant to be dark. No, really, I swear. It started out as slice-of-life, and then it went in a completely different direction. And then, due to the flux of ideas that came from writing it, I expanded it into a three-part arc. That's the way my wonderful and sometimes scary mind works...

For time reference, this arc takes place about 8 or 9 years into Ricochet and Droop-a-Long's careers. My personal headcanon is that Ricochet worked in Gopher Gulch for a good six years before later heading to Hoop 'n Holler to serve as the town sheriff, and appointed Droop-a-Long to be his deputy (which happens in Breaker of Barriers); Droop-a-Long's been Ricochet's deputy for about 2 years or so.

Disclaimer: I still don't own Ricochet Rabbit or Droop-a-Long...


Story 15: Protector

Part 1

The doors to the saloon slammed against the wall with enough force to create a dent in it. Red Eye, the bartender, turned to grab his rifle, which rested on the shelf behind him. To anybody else, this would seem like an overreaction to someone walking in. But crime in Hoop 'n Holler was at an all-time high, and there had been three shootouts at the saloon this week alone. Red Eye was going to show the next patron that if they tried anything funny, they'd have no time to regret it.

Thankfully, he didn't have to. "Howdy, Red Eye! Can ya whip up a carrot cocktail for me? I jus' closed a case and I'm parched!"

The whole saloon gave a collective sigh in relief as Ricochet Rabbit made his way inside, a confident smile on his face. He looked around, surprised to see everyone's reactions. "What's the matter? You're all actin' like I was an outlaw!"

Red Eye gave a nervous smile as he attempted to place the shotgun. "Now, why would we do that, Sheriff?" he asked.

"Well, with the amount of crime goin' on in this town, I reckon that's why you're all on edge," Ricochet answered.

"Crime's gone down a lot since you became the sheriff, Ricochet," Red-Eye said. "You and your deputy are doin' a good job of catchin' crooks."

Ricochet puffed up with pride. "Why, thank you, Red Eye. It's nice to be appreciated." He paused, putting a hand to his chin. "Come to think of it, where is my deputy?"

One of the patrons laughed. "I bet you left 'im behind in the dust again," he said.

Ricochet didn't laugh; in fact, he looked a bit worried. "I'd better make sure he's alright. Can ya hold the cocktail for me until I get back, Red Eye? I shouldn't be gone long."

"Sure thing, Sheriff," Red-Eye said. "Brace yourself, everyone!"

Nobody needed to be told twice. In less than a second, everyone, included Red Eye, was bracing themselves on the tables or any other solid objects they could find. Ricochet was about to shoot out of the saloon when a weak shout of "Mr. Ricochet!" filled his ears. He paused mid-stance, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Oh, he came back earlier than I thought he would," Ricochet said. Setting his foot down, he turned to the patrons of the saloon. "Alright, folks, no need to hold on to the tables for life anymore."

For the second time that day, the whole saloon sighed in relief. Red Eye wiped his brow, which was glistening with sweat. "Whew! I was afraid I'd have ta replace everythin' in my store!"

"I'm sure I'm not that bad with my takeoffs," Ricochet said.

Red Eye was spared from answering by the doors opening. An exhausted Droop-a-Long half-jogged, half-stumbled his way inside, his face red with exertion. He hung over on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

Ricochet ran over to Droop-a-Long. "Droop! Are ya alright?"

"S-Sorry I...took...so long, M-Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long wheezed. "I ran all...the way...here..."

"Aw, don't feel bad, Deputy," a second patron said. "Nobody can run as fast as Ricochet."

"Shucks, that makes me feel better..." Droop-a-Long replied, a touch of sarcasm in his voice.

"Glad I could help!"

Ricochet frowned. "Ya really think so, huh? Can't ya see he's plum tuckered out?" he said. He then turned to the panting coyote, his face a picture of concern. "Now, Droop-a-Long-"

"I-I'll be fine, Mr. Ricochet. Really, I will." Droop-a-Long straightened up from his hunched over position, and gave the sheriff a lopsided smile. "Ya don' have ta worry."

Ricochet's unchanged expression made his smile falter. He sighed. "Could use somethin' to drink, though. Right now, I need a pick me up..."

"Sure thing, Droopy." Ricochet turned to Red Eye. "Red Eye, can ya add an artichoke milkshake to my order?"

"Comin' right up, Sheriff," Red Eye said, and went to grab the ingredients for their drinks.

Droop-a-Long looked down at Ricochet in surprise. "Shucks, Mr. Ricochet, ya didn't have ta-"

"Droop, if I let you have things your way, I wouldn't be doin' much of anythin'. Now, come on," Ricochet interrupted. He then made his way over to a spare table near the door and Droop-a-Long followed, moving slower than usual than because of how tired he was. After Droop-a-Long practically collapsed into the chair opposite of him, the sheriff started with, "Now, Droop, there's somethin' I've been meanin' ta talk to ya about."

"Uh, what's that, Sheriff?"

"Recently, you've been refusin' my help, somethin' that you never do," Ricochet said. "I've noticed that you try to handle things on your own, even when you get hurt or you're overworked. And whenever I try to help ya, you always tell me no."

"I never said 'no' straight to your face, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long said.

"But whenever you say 'Ya don't have ta worry' or 'I'll be fine, Mr. Ricochet', that means no to me. And to be honest, I've been a little worried about that," he said. He frowned. "Has anybody been givin' you problems, Droop-a-Long?"

It took all of Droop-a-Long's willpower to not start shaking right then and there. If Ricochet learned even half of what had happened to him, nothing would keep the sheriff from hunting down whoever had hurt his deputy. He could lose his job simply for protecting him.

"Naw, not at all, Mr. Ricochet," he lied. "Most of the folks here are pretty nice to me."

To his relief, Ricochet bought it. He sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "That's good to hear. I guess I got myself all worried over nothin'," he said.

Droop-a-Long knew he should just leave it at that, but he couldn't help but ask, "How come you thought someone was givin' me problems?"

"Because people who get hurt usually don't want help," he said. "Trust me, I've seen it many times durin' my cases."

I'm surprised ya didn't see this, Mr. Ricochet. "I see. It must be pretty rough for 'em, huh?"

Ricochet nodded. "It took a while to get them to open up about their experiences. Those cases were always difficult, 'cause without knowin' who hurt them, I couldn't bring the criminals to justice," he said.

Droop-a-Long nodded, swallowing hard. He knotted his hands together, trying to keep himself together before he completely lost it. Ricochet's words were echoing in his mind on repeat, which were bringing up memories that he wanted to forget…memories of when he first went out and about in Hoop 'n Holler, where he'd first learned that people weren't as nice as Ricochet had said they were. He could still hear their voices, filled with utter hatred.

You're not welcome here, coyote.

"Droop-a-Long, are ya okay?"

Droop-a-Long blinked and focused on Ricochet, who was drinking from a cocktail glass and was looking at Droop-a-Long with concern. "I-I'm fine, Mr. Ricochet," he answered. "I was jus' thinking about somethin'."

Ricochet gave him what Droop-a-Long called the "unimpressed" look: one eyebrow raised, the other curled down to his nose, and both eyes set into a half-lidded glare, daring him to explain himself. "Really?" he said. "Is that the best you've got, Droop?"

"N-No, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long said lowly. "I-I...I reckon I haven't been real honest with ya..."

"Then why would you tell me that everythin' was alright, when clearly it isn't?" Ricochet continued. Droop-a-Long could hear the anger seeping into his tone, and he winced. "I'm givin' you one more chance to tell me, Droop-a-Long. What is going on with you?"

Droop-a-Long swallowed, and he noticed that his hands were starting to shake. He bit back the urge to swear. "Oh, no, not now of all times..." he muttered.

"What do you mean, 'not now of-"

Droop-a-Long shot to his feet abruptly, knocking over his own milkshake. It splashed on his fur and covered the floor, but he didn't care. He hurriedly made his way out the door, completely ignoring the look of utter disbelief Ricochet was sending him.

Red Eye sighed as he came over to Ricochet's table with a rag. "That's the third time he's spilled that shake..."

"And it'll be the last time, too!" Ricochet jumped out of his chair, frustration on his face. "I'm gonna get to the bottom of this, whether Droop-a-Long likes it or not!"

Red Eye had no time to warn anybody. With a twirling of his foot, Ricochet shot out of the saloon. The gust of wind that followed caused the wooden planks on the floor and several tables and chairs to be swept right through the door, crashing into anybody who happened to come by the saloon. When the gale stopped, Red Eye was surrounded by many disgruntled customers, and spilled drinks.

Red Eye groaned. "And he says he doesn't overdo it with his takeoffs."


Droop-a-Long made his way to the office, his head down and hands balled into fists. His nails dug into his palms with enough force to draw blood. Many of them looked at him with confusion, but he ignored them. Ricochet's words echoed through his mind, and they only drove him to walk faster. He couldn't fault Ricochet for being angry at his not telling him the truth, but he couldn't have told even if he wanted to. If he did, his life was forfeit, and so was Ricochet's.

His thoughts were halted when someone grabbed him by his tail and yanked him backwards, making him fall on his rump. He gasped, and his blood started to turn to ice. He was in for it now, he was done for...

"Droop-a-Long, it's me."

Droop-a-Long relaxed, but just barely. He turned around to see Ricochet, who stood behind him with a fistful of his tail in his hand. He looked very irritated. "Oh, uh, hi, Mr. Ricochet..."

Ricochet's frown deepened. "What in the world is goin' on with you, Droop-a-Long? This ain't like you!"

"I-I...I jus' can't tell you..."

"You were about to before ya stormed out of the saloon," Ricochet pointed out. He started to say more, but that was when he noticed Droop-a-Long's arms were shaking. He stared at the coyote in surprise. "Droop-a-Long...you're shakin' like a leaf. Why are ya...?"

Droop-a-Long opened his mouth to answer, but someone else spoke up instead. "I can't stand looking at that lumbering fool anymore, Chuck. I'm amazed the sheriff puts up with him."

"You heard what they said, Dave. He's a friend of the sheriff's from Shadybrook."

Both Ricochet and Droop-a-Long turned around to face the speakers. The first one was an average-sized man with a shock of messy black hair, which was hidden under his cowboy hat, and he had dark brown eyes. The second one was short and chubbyy, his brown hair slick with gel. His electric blue eyes were focused on Droop-a-Long like a homing missile.

Ricochet's frown eased, but barely. "And you two are...?"

"The name's Dave," the raven-haired man said. Turning to the brown-haired man, he added, "And this is Chuck."

"Well, then, Dave and Chuck," Ricochet said, keeping his voice even, "why exactly did you refer to my deputy as a lumberin' fool?"

Dave smirked. "More importantly, Sheriff, why exactly did you appoint one of those monsters to be your deputy?"

Chuck snickered. "I guess he wasn't thinking at all."

Ricochet's grip tightened on Droop-a-Long's tail, and the coyote let out a small gasp of pain. Ricochet ignored it, his attention on the men who'd casually insulted him. With a severe glare, he responded with, "Droop-a-Long is not a monster. If you actually got to know him, like I did, then you would know that he's the nicest, most thoughtful person you could ever meet."

Chuck scoffed. "Yeah, that's what all coyotes are, 'til they decide to eat ya. I'm surprised he hasn't tried to take a pot shot at you yet, Sheriff."

Droop-a-Long got up then, so suddenly that Ricochet was almost dragged down. His arms were shaking again, but this time, not of out fear. "How...how dare y'all say that!" he yelled. "You don't know a thing about me!"

"Actually, Deputy, there is something we know about you," Dave said. "You're a nobody who doesn't deserve to work with someone like Ricochet."

Droop-a-Long stopped short, his mouth hanging open in shock. "W-what...?"

"Ugh, I heard he was slow, but this is ridiculous," Chuck groaned. "Dave, would you care to explain?"

"Gladly." The smirk on Dave's face was gone, replaced by an ugly scowl that made Droop-a-Long's insides twist. "We didn't like Ricochet much either when he first came to town, but at least he's got a name to him; his family's got a whole history of bein' sheriffs. That alone commands respect, and he worked ta get it. But you...you've got nothin' to your name. You was just a guy who did odd jobs around town. I wouldn't be surprised if your folks said that you wouldn't be nothin'!"

"Yet here he is, deputy to Ricochet Rabbit," Chuck added, "not to mention best friends with the guy, too. And he didn't do nothin' to get the position. I bet he puts up with ya 'cause he took pity on you."

"T-That's not true...!" Droop-a-Long protested, his voice cracking.

Dave and Chuck laughed. "See? Even you think the same way," Dave continued. His smile disappeared just as quickly. "Face it, coyote. You've either got it or ya haven't, and you obviously haven't. You're lucky you're a likable guy, 'cause you've got nothin' else goin' for ya."

Chuck noticed tears falling down Droop-a-Long's face, and he smirked. "He can't even take it like a man. Come on, Dave, let's go find someone else who can take it and not cry like a baby."

That did it for Droop-a-Long. He sunk to his knees and buried his paws in his hands, which made Dave and Chuck howl with laughter. He was barely aware of Ricochet letting go of his tail-all he heard was the rude laughter ringing in his ears and the sobs that were escaping his throat. They were right; he'd never be anything, he really was a lumbering idiot, he didn't deserve to work with Ricochet-

All his despairing thoughts were shaken when he heard Ricochet say six words that made gooseflesh rise on the back of his neck: "I'll make you eat those words."

There was a rush of air that dragged Droop-a-Long forwards, making him land on his face. Dave and Chuck's laughter was cut off abruptly, replaced with a scream from Dave. There was a loud crash, wood splintering and glass shattering. Gasps of shock and horror surrounded him at all angles.

"Holy guacamole, did you see that?!"

"Sheriff Ricochet Rabbit just tackled two men through the window of the bank!"

"Someone's gotta stop him!"

Droop-a-Long looked up to see a gaping hole through the bank window, which was quickly surrounded by the townspeople. He jumped to his feet and ran towards the bank, pushing aside a few people and wiping his eyes hurriedly as he burst inside. The men had dressed him down and insulted Ricochet, but he could care less at that point. Ricochet was furious, and he had to be stopped before he beat these men to death.

A wet crunch filled Droop-a-Long's ears, followed by a howl of pain. And then, over the sounds of punches being thrown came a furious cry: "You think that's bad? You ain't seen nothin' yet!"

Droop-a-Long turned around, horrified, to see what was going on. Slumped against the teller window was Chuck, his face bloody and bruised, his clothes covered with glass and wood. A revolver lay uselessly in his left hand.

And right in front of Chuck were Dave, who was on the ground, and Ricochet, who was sitting on top of the man's chest, landing punch after punch on his face. Spots of blood and several teeth were on the floor, and Dave's right eye was black and swollen, and his face was lined with cuts. Ricochet's face was spattered with blood in some spots, as were his knuckles. His expression was furious as he continued to beat on Dave.

Droop-a-Long ran over to Ricochet, grabbed him by his waist, and forcibly yanked him off of Dave. Ricochet squirmed and thrashed about, trying to get back to Dave. "Urgh...unhand me, Deputy! I'm not through with him yet!"

"Yes, you are, Sheriff!" With some effort, Droop-a-Long dragged Ricochet away from the half-beaten Dave. No matter how much Ricochet thrashed or kicked, or swore, the coyote kept a firm grip on him until he got to the other side of the room. He turned around and placed Ricochet down on the ground, keeping a firm grip on his shoulders. His expression was wrathful. "Mr. Ricochet, you need to calm down right now."

"I will, as soon as I teach that windbag over thar a thing or two!" Ricochet snapped.

"But Mr. Ricochet-"

"No buts, Droop-a-Long! I can take insults, but no one insults you like that in front of me and gets away with it. No one!" Ricochet interrupted harshly. "And I'll make sure he knows it, too!"

Droop-a-Long looked down at Ricochet, confused. "But Mr. Ricochet, why would ya do somethin' like that for me? I-I...I'm nothin' special, I'm not fast like you, or famous like you, or smart like you..."

Ricochet was about to say something when a hacking cough interrupted him. Droop-a-Long turned and stared at Dave, who was on his feet and was trying to drag Chuck to a standing position as well. His glare was murderous as he looked at Ricochet and Droop-a-Long. "You..."

"You say one more word about my deputy, Dave, and I'll be happy to finish what I started," Ricochet snapped. He tried to lunge forwards, but Droop-a-Long's grip made that impossible.

Just then, a group of townsmen arrived and surrounded Dave and Chuck, shotguns in hand. Dave yanked his arm away from one of the men who tried to grab him, and pointed at Droop-a-Long. "This isn't over, coyote. You'd better watch your back, 'cause you've jus' angered the wrong person."

"Alright, stop talkin' and start walkin'," one of the men snapped. With a shove, Dave and a half-conscious Chuck walked out of the bank with several townspeople.

The teller peered out from behind his desk, and gasped when he saw Ricochet. "Holy cow! Mr. Ricochet, are you alright?"

Ricochet offered a little smile. "I'll be alright, Mr. Pensworth. My knuckles are numb 'n battered, but it was worth it."

"You really gave him a poundin', Sheriff. I'll have to remind myself to never make you mad," Pensworth said.

"To be honest, he was askin' for it," Ricochet said. He then looked at Droop-a-Long. "Come on, Droop, let's get back to the office."

Droop-a-Long still had a lot of questions, but one look on Ricochet's face told him that he'd have to wait until later to ask. "Alright, Mr. Ricochet." Helping the sheriff to his feet, the two walked out of the bank.


Nearly everyone in town was crowded around the bank, staring at Ricochet with wide eyes. The people's murmuring was like a buzzing in Ricochet's ears, and he did his best to avoid the shocked stares that everyone was giving him. Already he felt spent from the fight, and he could feel more than one piece of glass starting to get under his fur, but he had meant what he'd said to Pensworth and Droop-a-Long.

It was one thing to insult him. It was an entirely different matter when it came to his deputy.

When they reached the office, Ricochet turned to face Droop-a-Long, only to stare at him in horror. The coyote's face was as white as a sheet. "Why, Droop-a-Long, you look plum terrified!" he said.

"Y-You shouldn't have defended me, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long said. It was nearly ninety degrees outside, but he was shivering as though it were twenty. "N-Now we're really in for it..."

"Droopy, they won't harm me," Ricochet replied. "I'm the sheriff of this town, and they were the ones who started it first."

"Even so...that Dave feller was right. He is the wrong person ta anger. And now, after what you did, h-he's gonna come gunnin' for me!"

Ricochet frowned. "What makes you think he'd go after you? If anythin', he'd go after me, since I clobbered 'im!"

Droop-a-Long didn't say anything. He turned around and closed the door, and stood there for a few seconds. The next thing Ricochet knew, he fell to his knees, shuddering uncontrollably. Ricochet ran over to his deputy, who was starting to sob.

"Droop! Droop-a-Long, what's wrong?!" he shouted.

"I-I...I'm so sorry, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long whispered. Large, hot tears fell from his snout to the floor. "I-I've b-brought this all on you..."

"Brought what, Droop-a-Long?" Ricochet demanded.

"...I c-can't tell ya. I-If I do, then you'll be put in danger..."

Ricochet moved in front of Droop-a-Long, forcing the coyote to look at him. "Droop, you know you can tell me anythin' that's on your mind," he said. "I'm here to help you, not to hurt you. I'm askin' you to tell me what's wrong. And I'm not askin' ya 'cause I'm the sheriff. I'm askin' 'cause you're my best friend."

Droop-a-Long sniffled heavily and moved back from the door, sitting on the floor. He looked at the blood-spattered sheriff, who was giving him a serious expression. "C-Can ya promise to not tell anybody else what I'm gonna tell you, Mr. Ricochet?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die, Droop-a-Long," Ricochet said, putting a hand on his left breast. "Nothin' you say will leave this office."

Droop-a-Long wiped his eyes, taking off his hat to do so. Rather than put it back on, he held it in his lap, twisting the top like a dish rag. Sighing, he started out with, "When I first got here, I thought it was the greatest town ever. I was all set to spend my days workin' as deputy and become a real sheriff. And then...I met Dave 'n Chuck." He smiled bitterly. "Those two offered to show me around town so I could get familiar with it. I agreed to go along, since you were busy gettin' stuff set up in the office for me. I followed them to a darker part of town and..." Here, he swallowed. "They and a group o' big, muscular guys jumped me. I couldn't fight back; I was kicked and punched everywhere. After they saw that I wasn't movin', Dave lifted me up and set me against the wall. He said, 'Did you really think we'd let you in so easily, Deputy?' He spat in my face, and then said, 'I hope ya didn't have big plans, 'cause you won't last a week out here'."

Ricochet was both horrified and angered, but he tried to not let his emotions get in the way. "What did you do?" he asked.

"I said, 'When Mr. Ricochet hears about what you've done, he'll put you away for life!' They laughed at me, and then Chuck said, 'What makes you think he'll defend ya, you worthless cur? He's famous and has a reputation to uphold; you've got nothin' to your name. If you mess up, he'll jus' dump ya back in that sinkhole you call a town...or he'll let ya die'. I...I couldn't say nothin' to that. Then Dave said, 'Let's be clear here, coyote; I've got powerful friends in Town Hall, you don't. You mention a word of this to anybody, includin' your next meal, and you'll be a dead dog walkin'-not to mention Ricochet'll make a nice addition to Chuck's collection.' They threw me out of the alley and told me to get out. So I did."

Ricochet's stomach twisted with bile. His fingers curled into a fist. "How dare he..."

"F-For a while after that, I didn't take off my hat to show you the black eye. I was angry...but I was also afraid for my life. Do you know how miserable and scared I was out there, with people callin' me 'the dumb deputy' and 'mindless monster'? I-I couldn't even defend our friendship from them, Mr. Ricochet...people thought somethin' worse was goin' on-"

"Droop-a-Long, stop." Ricochet was starting to shake himself. "I've heard enough."

But Droop-a-Long couldn't stop; everything was flowing from him like a burst dam. "People thought that I was goin' to eat you first chance I got...or they were makin' up horrible stuff about-"

"Droop-a-Long, that's enough!" Ricochet shouted, stopping the coyote's tirade. Tears started to leak from his eyes, and he swiped at them hurriedly. "F-For cryin' out loud, p-please stop..."

Droop-a-Long stared at Ricochet for a long moment, shock on his face. He had expected Ricochet to be angry, but not for him to cry. "Why are you cryin', Mr. Ricochet?" he asked.

"W-Who wouldn't cry at that? I-I mean...you've been sufferin' this whole time, and I didn't even notice..." Ricochet shuddered. "W-why didn't ya tell m-me?"

Droop-a-Long sighed, feeling a few tears slide from his eyes. "B-Because they said they'd kill you if I did. I couldn't lose my only friend," Droop-a-Long said. "P-Plus…I didn't want ya to hurt anybody. I-I know how ya are about your friends. You don't let anybody hurt 'em. B-But I didn't want ya to lose your job because you were protectin' me, M-Mr. Ricochet. I didn't want ya to face worse."

"Y-You thought you were protectin' me from danger? Y-Ya only made things h-harder on yourself for not tellin' me sooner! I-I could've arrested them, o-or somethin'!" Ricochet blurted.

"Like I said, some of the folks at Town Hall were in on it, Mr. Ricochet. I reckon there was nothin' you could've done."

Ricochet had to catch himself before he swore. "N-Now I can see why you was so scared, Droop-a-Long. I-I had no idea that I'd trigger somethin' like that…"

"I-It's not your fault, Mr. didn't know. I-I reckon it's mine. I thought I could handle it, but I couldn't. I ain't as tough as you are."

"Y-You don't have to be tough like me, Droop-a-Long."

"But I'd like to be, though. And I can't help but get the shakes when I hear people say those things," Droop-a-Long said. "I-I'm a might sorry I didn't tell you..."

"It's not your fault, Droopy." Wiping his eyes, Ricochet asked, "Is that why you didn't want me to help you? You were that scared?"

Droop-a-Long stiffened, and then he nodded. "I didn't want nobody to know, Mr. Ricochet. They could get hurt..."

Ricochet sighed. The yellows of his eyes had gone red due to his crying, and he wiped them again. "E-Even so, I can't believe I was so ignorant back then!" Ricochet balled his hand into a fist."I-I could've…I should've-"

"It's alright, Mr. Ricochet. I'm gonna be fine. I'm jus' happy to have a friend that cares," Droop-a-Long said. "Are you gonna be alright?"

"I-I don' know, Droop. To be honest, I don't know how anybody can be fine after hearin' all that. But can ya promise me somethin'?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die." Droop-a-Long mimicked Ricochet's actions from earlier, if a little clumsier.

Ricochet smiled a little at this, but then his expression quickly turned serious. "Promise me that you'll never, ever keep things like that from me again. Things like that are serious, Droop-a-Long. And if anybody tries somethin' like that again, or even suggests it, you tell me. I'll handle 'em myself."

"But Mr. Ricochet-"

"No ifs or buts about it. Got it?" Ricochet frowned to emphasize his point.

"Crystal clear, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long said. Then he pulled Ricochet into a hug. "T-Thanks, Mr. Ricochet. I knew I could count on ya."

Ricochet sighed, but smiled as he patted the coyote on the back. When Droop-a-Long let him go, he said, "When it comes to my friends, I never let 'em down, Droop-a-Long." He then got up from the floor. "Come on, Deputy. We still have to finish up the chores before it gets dark out."

Droop-a-Long sighed. "Alright, Sheriff. I'll take the porch, while you take the inside."

"Hey, I'm supposed ta be the one givin' out chores!" Ricochet protested, but there was a small smile on his face when he said that.

Droop-a-Long smiled back. "I guess I kinda forgot 'bout that, Sheriff."


Later that night...

Ricochet looked up at the ceiling of his room, his hands folded across his stomach as he lay on his mattress. Droop-a-Long was downstairs watching a movie on television, and he could hear his laughter from upstairs. Droop-a-Long's spirits had lifted a little bit, but Ricochet guessed that he was still worried about Dave's threat.

Ricochet wasn't scared. He'd heard threats like that from many an outlaw or criminal, and most of them were never carried out. Dave and Chuck were probably in that same "bark worse than their bite" category. And just from looking at Droop-a-Long, their words were more deadly than any force they could come up with.

He looked at his raw knuckles, which still smelled faintly of blood. He still couldn't believe that he'd come to the point of almost killing them. Retaliation was something he hardly ever considered, but it was all he could think about when he heard Dave and Chuck dress down Droop-a-Long. Although the coyote did have his faults, he also had talents as well, some that even Ricochet hadn't known about. It was possible that Droop-a-Long had heard the same things from not just Dave and Chuck, but from everyone else in town.

Ricochet sighed. He remembered the first time he met Droop-a-Long, how rude he'd been towards him. The things he'd said to Droop-a-Long back then weren't nearly as bad as what Dave and Chuck had said, but they were still harsh. And yet, Droop-a-Long hadn't called him out on his behavior, or tried to prove him wrong. He had every opportunity to treat him just as bad, but he hadn't. He'd even saved his life and came to check on him, which had finally earned Ricochet's respect.

But Ricochet hadn't even considered how his words had affected his deputy. He'd apologized in his letter, and he thought that'd be the end of it, but with Dave and Chuck's words ringing through his mind, he couldn't help but cross-examine himself.

What if Droop-a-Long secretly resented him for what he said back then? Even worse, what if he hated him?

What if their friendship really was a farce like everyone thought?

What if...

Ricochet sat up abruptly from his spot on the bed, which caused his head to throb. He'd managed to get the glass and wood out of his fur, and Droop-a-Long had patched him up, but it would be a while before he could freely move around like he had earlier. He got down from the bed, opened the door, and went downstairs. What he was going to ask would probably change everything, but Ricochet had to know. If he didn't ask, the questions would haunt him forever.

He turned to the left, where Droop-a-Long was sitting in front of the television, laughing at the trio of wacky men who were currently beating each other in the face. Clearing his throat, Ricochet said, "Droop-a-Long, I've gotta talk to ya for a moment."

"Oh, uh, sure, Mr. Ricochet." Droop-a-Long turned off the television just as the credits started to roll. He turned to face the sheriff. "What's goin' on?"

"Uh..." Ricochet scratched the back of his neck. This was going to be harder than he thought. "Hey, Droop...I was thinkin' 'bout what happened earlier, ya know...with Dave 'n Chuck."

Droop-a-Long's smile faltered. "I thought ya said ya didn't wanna talk about them no more. Ya told me so when we were doin' the chores."

"I know what I said, Droop-a-Long," Ricochet said tiredly. "But while I was upstairs, I couldn't help but start thinkin' of things."

"What kind of things?"

"Well...I remembered how we first met, Droop-a-Long," Ricochet said. "And I remembered how rude I was towards ya, too."

"Oh, yeah. Ya were kinda mean back then, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long said.

Ricochet winced. "Yeah...I was," he admitted.

"Why were ya thinkin' of that anyway, Sheriff?" Droop-a-Long asked.

"I saw how much Dave an' Chuck's words affected ya, Droop-a-Long...and how much they hurt you. And when I thought back to my time in Shadybrook, when you an' I worked together, I got to thinkin' that maybe I-I might've hurt you, too, with my words," Ricochet said. He could feel tears starting to burn in his eyes. Even now as he was admitting it, he couldn't help but feel as though he was a horrible person. "S-So I can't blame ya for bein' bitter towards me, like ya were towards Dave 'n Chuck, Droop-a-Long...heck, I couldn't blame ya if ya hated me."

Droop-a-Long stared at him in shock. "H-Hate you?" he repeated.

"Droop-a-Long, I know that you like to spare others' feelin's, but you can jus' tell me how ya really feel about me," Ricochet said. "I won't get angry at ya, I promise."

"Mr. Ricochet, I don't think ya need ta-"

"Droop-a-Long, jus' tell me," Ricochet interrupted. "I need ta know so I don't have ta feel this way anymore!"

"Feel what way, Mr. Ricochet?" Droop-a-Long asked.

The words came out in a small whisper. "Guilty."

For a long moment, neither of them said anything. Droop-a-Long stared at Ricochet, who, for the second time that day, looked close to tears. Droop-a-Long got up from the floor and walked over to the sheriff, who wiped his eyes.

"W-Well, what are ya waitin' for, Droop? Spill it," Ricochet muttered.

Droop-a-Long stood in front of the sheriff then, his expression sympathetic. "Mr. Ricochet...I don't hate ya at all," he said. "What ya said back then should've made me hate ya, and I admit, that did sting a bit, but I'd heard a lot of that from so many folks. It's jus' when folks tell me I'm nothin' that makes me really upset."

Ricochet looked up at Droop-a-Long, his eyes wide with surprise.

"The whole time I've worked with ya, Mr. Ricochet, you've never told me that. Even when you get mad an' insult me, you've never told me that I can't do nothin'. I told ya 'bout my dreams ta be a sheriff, and you didn't laugh at me or tell me that I couldn't do it. You said I could do it, an' even encouraged me to go for it. That's why I jumped at the chance ta work with ya," Droop-a-Long said. "I forgave ya for what happened back then, Mr. Ricochet. I don't even think 'bout that much anymore. So ya don't have ta feel guilty. I don't hate ya a bit. In fact, I reckon it'd take a lot to make me hate ya."

"S-So...you really don't hate me at all..."

"Nope." Droop-a-Long shook his head. "I never have."

"And...we're still friends, aren't we?"

"We're best friends, Mr. Ricochet. There are times where I'm a lil' scared of ya, or when ya annoy me a bit...but iffin' anybody deserved the title of best friend, it'd be you."

Ricochet felt his eyes begin to burn again, and he gave his deputy a smile of relief and gratitude. "Aw, shucks, Droop-a-Long..."

"A-Are ya okay, Mr. Ricochet?" Droop-a-Long asked, noticing Ricochet wiping his eyes again.

"I-I'm fine. Jus' a little dust that got in my eyes..."

"But I dusted an' swept the office clean...there shouldn't have been any dust," Droop-a-Long said.

Ricochet chuckled. "Don't worry, Droop-a-Long, I'm fine. H-Honest, I am," he said. He sighed. "I-I guess I shouldn't have been so worried...you're a true pal, Droop-a-Long, you know that?"

"Aw, thanks, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long said. "I'm glad I could stop ya from worryin'." Smirking, he then patted Ricochet on the head. "An' you're a good pal, too."

"Hey, quit touchin' my head, Droop-a-Long!" Ricochet shouted, pushing the coyote's arm away. "An' I jus' bandaged it, too!"

Droop-a-Long chuckled. "I'm jus' messin' with ya, Mr. Ricochet," he said.

Ricochet sighed, but then he started to laugh as well. It felt so good to laugh again, especially in light of what'd happened earlier. "I almost never say this after ya mess with my head, but I needed that. Thanks," he replied.

"No problem," Droop-a-Long said. He snapped his fingers. "Oh, I jus' remembered somethin'. They're supposed ta have a nighttime showin' of Hoosegow Havoc, with limited commercials, too. Figured ya'd like ta watch it ta take your mind offa things."

Ricochet brightened. "That'd be great, Droop," he said. "You go ahead 'n get the movie set up while I get the snacks."

"Sure thing, Mr. Ricochet."

As Ricochet walked into the kitchen, his mind went back to Droop-a-Long's words and he smiled. The coyote had a talent for making people feel better, whether he believed it or not. Even so, the incident with Dave and Chuck briefly flashed in his mind. He knew they wouldn't take this lightly, and the townspeople wouldn't just forget about it either. There might be some people who would go after Droop-a-Long simply because he'd defended him.

Ricochet frowned as he pulled out the snacks from the top shelf. He wasn't about to let anybody harass the coyote as they pleased, not as long as he was around. He'd meant what he'd said to Droop-a-Long earlier; he'd handle anybody who so much as looked at him funny. He would protect his friend from anyone who dared tried to harm him. Droop-a-Long could protest all he wanted, but nothing would change his mind.

"Hey, Mr. Ricochet! The movie's startin'!"

Ricochet shook out of his thoughts and turned in the direction of the main room. "I'll be right there, Droop-a-Long!"

Grabbing the food from the shelves, and a large bottle of cactus juice soda from the icebox, he made his way back inside. This situation with Dave and Chuck would have to wait until tomorrow. Tonight, he was going to enjoy himself.


Meanwhile, at the county jail...

"ARRRGGHHH!" There was a loud boom as Dave's fist collided with the wall for the tenth time that night. "This is so unfair!"

"Dave, quit it," Chuck groaned. "Some of us are tryin' ta sleep."

"This is all that stupid deputy's fault," Dave continued. He didn't even hear Chuck. "The sheriff's now his personal bodyguard, and he gets to walk scot-free!"

"I know. All because that deputy's his 'best friend'. He's probably fillin' the sheriff in on what we did." Chuck growled. "If word gets out about what we've been doin', we're toast. We'll either have to shut him up, or drive him out."

"That's jus' what I was thinkin', Chuck. It's time someone got rid of that simple-minded dog," Dave snarled. "But I also think it's time someone offed Ricochet, too."

"What are you thinkin' of doin', Dave?" Chuck asked.

"Oh, you'll see by tomorrow." Dave smirked as he watched at the moon hanging over Hoop 'n Holler. "Those two won't be around much longer, Chuck. Jus' wait an' see."

To be continued...


Okay, uh...I wasn't planning on things to get that dark. No, really, I swear. It started out as a fluffy little short about the origin of one of Droop's favorite drinks, the artichoke milkshake (mentioned in one of the episodes...I'll go back and check later). Then the conversations between Ricochet and Droop-a-Long in the saloon, and Chuck and Dave (hint: remember Stinky's pal from "Have Guitar, Will Travel"? That's Dave in this universe.) in the town square, expanded an idea I had for my Pokemon/H-B one-shot that I was drafting, then I thought about what would happen if Ricochet heard half of what Chuck and Dave were saying...and that resulted in this. This is probably the first two-part short I've ever written for this story, and I might do the same for the next short I might post. In fact, I may just go ahead and expand this story from 18 chapters, continuing until I decide to stop. It's just too fun writing about Ricochet and Droop-a-Long :D

But yeah, Droop's quite the Stepford Smiler here, of the Depressed variety. After all, if you're going through all the stuff that he went through, you'd be pretty depressed and afraid for your life as well. I touched on racism a few times in this universe, most notably "Breaker of Barriers" and "If Likin' You Is Wrong" (where Ricochet and Denise were the ones who held this belief towards Droop-a-Long until they got to know him), but probably not as deep as this. I based some of this off of the movie "Freedom Summer" (a really good Civil Rights movement documentary), as well as some real life facts about the Wild West, which had a lot of racial tension there as well. Add in some of my headcanoned flaws for Droopy (his low self-esteem and his naivete), and you've got a pretty dark past for the mostly easy-going Droop-a-Long, though he hides it very, VERY well; as one could imagine, Ricochet was very concerned to learn that he was doing this.

Ricochet's early interactions with Droop-a-Long are brought back up here, mostly because his thinking on the situation leads him to think of how he treated Droop-a-Long. He thinks that he's no better than Dave and Chuck in terms of behavior, and he feels guilty for having been so mean to Droop-a-Long (though not nearly as mean as Dave and Chuck were), hence why he wanted to know if Droop-a-Long resented him for what he said. Thankfully, Droop-a-Long doesn't. I couldn't resist having Droop-a-Long tease Ricochet to cheer him up. And after this, Ricochet decides that he will protect his best friend from anyone who tries to hurt him again, hence why this arc is called "Protector".

Ricochet may have defended Droop-a-Long from his tormentors, but the battle's far from over as Chuck and Dave come up with a plan to drive Droop-a-Long out of town. Will Ricochet succeed in stopping them, or will he lose his best friend and deputy? Stay tuned for part two, and let me know what you think!

God bless, iheartgod175