Chapter 2 Falco Arrives
Fox was having one of the worst dreams he could remember. It was about his mum and when he was just a little pup. He was playing with her when she got up and started to walk away. He began to chase her, but it was like one of those cartoons where the floor kept stretching always, just out of his reach. He ran and ran until his legs couldn't go anymore and just as he gave up, he saw his mother again, right there in plain view. He raised himself up, and she started walking back to him when suddenly…
BBBBBAAAAAMMMMMMPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!
BBBBBAAAAAMMMMMMPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!
BBBBBAAAAAMMMMMMPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" Fox screamed, and he woke up with a start. He was drenched in sweat (or at least, he hoped it was sweat). He sat up and looked around, only to see his father kneeling next to him, with Fox's alarm clock in hand, grinning like a mad man.
"Wakey wakey Pup." James taunted.
"What the !" Fox swore, James promptly gave Fox a smack on the head.
"What have I told you about your language?"
"Ok! Sorry, but next time could you just turn on the lights to wake me up?" said Fox, and he groaned.
"Well it's either the clock or I'll kick your ass out of bed myself"
"I'm glad you chose the alarm clock," said Fox, and he flopped his head back onto the pillow.
"Oh no you don't" James said. "Right. Don't say I didn't warn you."
"Warn me about what?" asked Fox from inside the pillow.
WACK!
Fox yelped as he flew out bed.
"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Fox cried out as he rubbed his freshly booted butt.
Fox stifled back a tear and looked at his dad accusingly. "I warned you. Pup." James said, and he laughed.
"Why'd you have to do that? That hurt!"
Ding Dong!
"Who could that be?" asked James. "It's only seven. Pup, go get it."
"Fine. But could you please stop calling me pup?" snapped Fox.
'Dad's called me pup for as long as I can remember' Fox thought as he went to answer the door.
Fox got to the door, he opened it and'Oh great this is just who I need,' Fox thought as he opened the door to let Falco in.
"Hey man" Fox said as Falco walked in. "What are you doing here at seven in the morning?"
"Is that any way to greet your best friend who you haven't seen in a week?" Falco said, pretending to look hurt, but he brightened up when he saw what Fox was wearing. He looked Fox up and down and said, "Looking sharp. The pink suits you."
"Huh? What?" said Fox, looking confused, then he looked down only to realise that he was standing in front of one of his best friends in his pink miss piggy pyjama pants and a Kermit the frog shirt. I '' /I "Err, you see, um… I had put the washing out… and… um, yeah, this was all I had" Fox stammered.
"Sure. Sure you did." replied Falco, and he coughed twice. He wandered over to the hover fridge and had a look inside. "Hey, my favourite beer, how did you know?" Falco joked as he grabbed on of the Kaltac beers.
"Hey give me that!" Fox hurriedly said as he made a snatch for the beer.
"Geez, ok. Here, have it," Falco murmured and he tossed fox the beer. "You alcoholic."
"Shut up! Or my dad will hear you! And I'm in enough trouble as it is with those parties YOU forced me to have!"
"You know, last I remembered you were eager to hold them, but man, was it worth it." Falco laughed "I met this one chick and-"
"Hey Pup? Who was that at the door?" called out James as he walked up the stairs.
Fox panicked and tossed the beer back to Falco. "I don't want it," he hissed.
"Well neither do I," whispered Fox back at him. "Quick! Put it back in the fridge!" Falco chucked the beer back into the fridge as James got to the top of the stairs.
"Ahhh, if it isn't the free loading Falco," exclaimed James. "What brings you to our fridge at this time of the morning?"
"Um… um…" stammered Falco, which was a miracle in it's self: Fox had never seen Falco at a loss for words.
"Well?" James pushed the question.
"I, uh… came to get some of my, uh… favourite…" Falco hurriedly searched for something he could use in the fridge to back his story when his hand fell on a bottle of eggnog. "Favourite brand of eggnog!" Falco smiled as he tossed his head back and skulled the contents of the bottle.
"Right. Well, knock your self out." James said dryly, Fox could tell he didn't believe a single word Falco said. "But I think you should know, that eggnog is around two years old and a year past its use-by date."
Falco stoped dead and had a queasy look on his face. He swallowed the last bit of eggnog.
"You know which way the bathroom is, don't you?" James asked.
Falco nodded.
"Ok then. Off you go," he said, and Falco ran franticly down the hall.
"Oh. I hope that wasn't the bottle I put laxative in to prank Pigma with," He remarked to no one in particular.
Falco returned, looking relieved, but only for a few seconds. Relief was suddenly replaced with a sort of anxious pain and he ran back to the bathroom again.
"What do you know? It was," James said. "So Fox, you ready?" Fox had been so preoccupied with what Falco was going to do next; he had barely noticed what his father was wearing.
"Oh. My. God." Fox exclaimed, as he saw for the first time what James was wearing. He had on full fishing gear, even down to the hat with fishing tackle on it. "Where in the universe did you buy that?"
"It's amazing what you can find on the internet isn't it?" He remarked dryly. "I also bought a few fishing rods."
"Why would we need rods?" Fox asked, still stunned by his dad's ancient clothing.
"Because we're going fishing."
"But what about Falco? We can't just leave him in the house!" Fox cried out, trying desperately to find some reason to prevent him from going.
"He can come with us. There's more then enough room." James answered cheerfully
"I will never drink eggnog again," said Falco, walking back in.
"Ahhh. So, feeling better?" James asked as he came in.
"Yeah. No thanks to you: Mr McCloud"
"It's your own fault for lying," scolded James. "Now are you going to tell me the real reason why you're here?"
"Ok! My foster home was lousily so I did a runner! There, happy now?" said Falco.
James sighed. "You can stay here while I get that sorted out, but you know that's stupid, and you can't keep coming to me for help. I'm not always going to be here."
"Yes sir. Sorry sir." replied Falco. James was the only authority figure that Falco truly obeyed.
"Since Falco's parents died, he's seen dad as a sort of godfather, and dad did count him as family. He even pays for all of Falco's school fees and stuff," thought Fox.
"Well I hope you like fishing Falco, because that's where we're going," James said "Oh, and Fox? Go get changed."
"Err… Ok. Thanks dad." muttered Fox.
"Thank you Mr McCloud. Wait, fishing?" said Falco.