Chapter 11

I do not own Happy Tree Friends. All credit goes to Mondo Media

When Lumpy arrived home, he made sure that the two bluenettes had eaten before they went to sleep. Unsurprisingly, the toddler had decided to sleep in her room because of her fear for the former pirate. Lumpy couldn't help but feel bad for the two of them and wanted to find a way to bring their family back together. After tucking Umi in bed, he made his way down the hall so he could join Russell. He opened the door to see the other curled up under the covers, and he made his way over to pull him close. "Feel better?" His only response was a nuzzle, which indicated that he didn't want to talk at the moment. Lumpy nodded and kissed the top of his head before closing his eyes.

The next day, the first thing that came to Lumpy's mind was to think of a way to have Umi not be scared of her mother. Unfortunately, he couldn't find a good idea without there being a consequence. He ran a hand through his hair and saw the toddler silently eating her lunch with a lowered gaze. He was tempted to stroke her hair and tell her that everything would be alright, but that would risk her shutting him out as well. He released the breath he was holding in before speaking up. "Do you like it?" A nod was his only response and doubt began to swell in his chest. Just one word would be enough for him but it looked as though Umi wasn't going to talk for a while. Lumpy then decided to go with his original plan of soothing her. "Umi, nothing is going to happen to you. You're safe here," Umi lifted her head to glanced at him, and he smiled at the reaction. "Mama and I will keep you safe."

At the mention of Russell, the toddler jumped from her chair and jumped into his lap as though to hide. She held onto her father tightly as she whimpered. "Scary Mama." She shook in his arms before starting to cry at the memory. Lumpy rubbed her back and tried to shush her before lifting his head to see Russell at the doorway. "Russell." The former pirate turned on his heel and made way for the front door. "Russell!"

"What the FUCK do you want!?" Russell screeched in irritation and turned around, causing Umi to flinch at the profanity. "Why even bother when she won't come near me!?"

"She just needs time," Lumpy replied while placing the child on the chair and stepping over towards him. "She doesn't understand what's going on."

"You're right, she doesn't," Russell glared with curled fists. "She's fucking four years old, Lumpy. She's not gonna understand even if we explain it to her."

"You know she's smarter than that," The taller bluenette cupped his cheek gently with a concerned gaze. "I promise she'll understand. She just needs time to take all of this in, okay?" Russell took a moment before nodding slightly and pulling away. "I'm going for a walk."

"Just be back before dark." The former pirate agreed before pecking him on the lips and heading out of the apartment.

Russell stepped down the sidewalk with a lowered head and hands in his pockets. He mentally shouted at himself for lashing out at his husband. He knew that yelling wasn't going to get anything for him except his daughter fearing him more. The former pirate decided that he wasn't going to be near her until her fear was gone.

Before he knew it, he stepped on a soft surface, and lifted his head to see himself on the beach. He crouched down to draw random patterns in the sand with a calm gaze. "This is where we met, wasn't it?" He asked softly. "All of those years ago, I was minding my own business, and then you came to talk to me. That was the best conversation of my life. Before I knew it, I was sailing the seas, and I never saw you again unless I came to visit. It was funny to see you on the beach every time. I didn't mind it though; it just showed that you missed me," He slowly pulled off his boots and socks before rolling up his pants. He took in a few breaths before stepping in the water and watching his feet disappear underneath the small waves. "And then we met once again when I washed up along the shore. That was so long ago," He glanced at the wedding ring on his finger and gently kissed it. "But look where we are now."

"How did I know I'd find you here?"

Russell turned around to see Handy smiling at him from a distance. He began to walk forward and stopped at the shoreline. "Do you miss it? The ocean I mean."

"It's not that," The former pirate shook his head. "This is the only place where I can clear my head. I just feel relaxed here."

"You look relaxed." Russell nodded as Handy joined his side, not caring about his pants or shoes getting wet. The two stood for a moment before the bluenette spoke. "So, why are you here? I thought you wanted to catch up with your son."

"I decided to give him time with Petunia," The other replied while placing his hands in his pockets. "He's been all over her ever since we returned, so I figured that I would let them have some alone time."

"That makes sense. I think." Handy shrugged with a calm smile before looking out towards the horizon. "I'm just glad he's back. Oh, and I'm sorry what's going on with your family." The former pirate lowered his head in response and gave a frown. Handy placed a comforting hand on his shoulder with a gaze. "I don't think you should be worried. She'll understand eventually."

"I hope so." Russell replied sadly and averted his gaze. Handy began to think for a moment, but frowned when he couldn't think of anything to cheer up his friend. A smile grew on his face as he grabbed the other to pull him out of the water, grabbing his boots and socks in the process, and leading him to his car. "Come on. I'll cheer you up with some food."

That lunch date also included a two-hour movie along with a walk to Mondo knows where. Russell had no idea where this was going, but he knew that he wanted to be home when he saw the sun beginning to set. He turned to the orange-haired male walking a few feet in front of him before speaking up. "Handy, you know I'm at a curfew."

"I figured," Handy replied. "But, I wanted to talk to you about something, and it's been bugging me for a while," He turned to the former pirate with a sigh. "Have you ever had the feeling that you weren't supposed to be who you are? I mean, this town and all of the deaths that happen. It feels nostalgic to me, like I've experienced this before," Russell lowered his head before the other continued to speak. "Like there are times in my dreams where I'm small, and then I look in the mirror to see that I'm a beaver. I don't know if it's me going crazy, but sometimes in those dreams, when I die, they're the exact same deaths we witness every now and then. It's so freaky."

"I think I get it," The former pirate replied with a lowered gaze. "I mean, I dream the same thing, only I freak out because I don't have legs or a hand. And when I wake up, I have my old pirate accent. Lumpy says that he dreams of being a moose, so I know this isn't just a coincidence."

"The same is happening with Petunia. Just what the hell is going on?" Russell shook his head in response and looked back at the other. "I'll take you home. You should probably get some more rest after last night."

"I'd like that."

It didn't take long for Russell to be driven home, although the sun had already set when they arrived. Lumpy thanked Handy for the lift before closing the door. He followed the bluenette into the living room, watching Russell fall on the couch with a loud sigh. Lumpy sat next to him and allowed him to lean in his shoulder. "You really shouldn't be out for too long," He muttered. "You're still recovering from your fight and you still look a bit pale."

"I'm fine," Russell replied with a closed eye as he nuzzled closer. "I just need sleep."

"And food." The bluenette wrapped arms around Lumpy's neck and swung his legs over, signaling that he wanted to be picked up. Lumpy sighed and lifted him up bridal style as he stood up. "Jeez, you can be such a child sometimes."

"You complaining?" Lumpy shook his head and kissed the other gently. "It's cute when you act like this." Russell pouted with a slight glare, muttering that he wasn't cute. The taller bluenette smiled before looking over to see Umi at the bottom of the stairs. "What's wrong? Are you hungry?" Umi nodded with a lowered gaze. "Alright, just let me take your mother to bed first." As they approached the stairs, Russell avoided eye contact with the toddler because he knew she didn't want to be around him. Lumpy carried him up the stairs and into their room before gently setting him on the bed. The taller bluenette barely had a chance to let go of the other before Russell grabbed him by the shirt and slammed their lips together. Lumpy cupped his cheeks and pulled away. "I can't stay or she'll think I was eaten by a sea monster," Russell couldn't help but glare at the comment, and the bluenette pecked his nose as an apology. "I'll be back later. Promise." He pulled away from the other and began to make his way back to the toddler.

About a half hour later, he sat across from the girl as she ate her dinner. He wanted to bring up the situation with Russell, but he also didn't want to make her uncomfortable. He breathed out a sigh and was going to speak until she said something for him. "Why does Mama kill people?" Lumpy was a bit taken back by the question, but answered with a calm voice. "He doesn't kill people anymore."

"Yes he does!" The bluenette saw tears and was going to comfort her until she pushed him away. "I saw him! He had blood on him and looked scary! Then he killed the evil man!" Lumpy pulled her out of the chair and held her close to calm her down. "How can you love Mama when you know he kills people?" He stroked her hair as she cried in his hold before responding. "It doesn't matter that he killed people. What matters is that I don't judge him for it," He glanced down at the toddler. "Umi, do you still love Mama?"

"Huh?" She peered up with a slightly confused gaze. "I mean, you're still calling him Mama, so surely you still see him as a parent, right?" Umi lowered her head and clutched his shirt. "I. . . dunno." Lumpy proceeded to take her upstairs into her room. As he did, Umi glanced over at her parents' room and shrouded away in fear of the person inside. The two remained silent on the trip except for the exchanges of goodnight once the toddler was tucked into bed. The bluenette kissed her cheek before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.