Spring Showers
Chapter Seventeen: Just Another New Day Over the Hedge
"Come on, move it, move it!" RJ watched as the food from the Johansen's fridge went flying over his head. The raid was going even better than they had planned the day before. They were lucky enough that the little pooch that they thought that they would have to take care of was chained up outside. They thought they were pushing their luck when they found the secret candy stash that the mother had, and they thought they hit the jackpot when they discovered the snack cabinet stocked to the top with bags of potato chips, nachos, and cheesy curls.
"Get those sodas rolling!" Stella yelled out, she and Heather rolling out rows of their favorite diet soda out to the wagon outside.
"I still don't get why they like drinking this stuff over the regular soda." Ozzie hefted up the cans one at a time, passing them up to Tiger to arrange them in the wagon.
"I do not understand why either." Tiger admitted.
"Hey, Tiger, here's some more!" Stella came out to the porch with more of the soda with Heather right behind her. "I'll be back with some of your snacks." She gave him a little wink.
"But whatever makes her happy." Tiger grinned widely as Ozzie rolled his eyes.
"Okay, whatever." Ozzie sighed, taking a page from his daughter's dictionary of comebacks, seeing how whipped his partner was.
"Thanks, Dad!" Heather gave a quick kiss to her father's cheek before darting back into the kitchen. Ozzie stood there for a second and smiled, remembering his promise. He shook his head before he picked up another one of the cans of diet soda, only to catch Tiger smiling back at him. He scowled.
"What?" Tiger snickered.
"Say anything and I'll play dead." Ozzie threatened. "Then you'll have to load all of these cans yourself."
"Okay, whatever." Tiger grinned mischievously.
"Head's up!" Verne shouted out to them as he brought out some boxes of food and some juice with Lou and Penny.
"I wonder how this honey oat cluster stuff tastes like." Penny told her husband.
"I hope it tastes better than that granola we tried." Lou replied. "It tasted like cardboard." He grimaced at the thought of eating the organic stuff. "Thankfully, there were nuts with the granola to help with the taste."
"That's so true, dear." Penny agreed.
"What is that stuff?" Verne asked what Lou was carrying with him.
"Oh, it's just some fruit juice for the triplets." Lou answered.
"How come it's in those foil pack things? Don't we usually get juice in those gallon bottles?" Verne wondered.
"We think this will get the kids to drink more of the stuff." Penny said, showing off the weird, colorful designs on the individual foil packs."
"It's all about the packaging, you should know that by now Verne." RJ came up from behind and explained.
"Hey, where's Hammy? Wasn't he with you?" Verne asked him. RJ turned back to the kitchen.
"I think he's…"
"HERE I GO!" The family heard said squirrel from inside the kitchen. RJ and Verne rushed in to see Hammy standing precariously close to the edge of the top of the refrigerator…
before he ran and jumped off.
"HAMMY! NO!" RJ screamed as he watched Hammy fall. Time seemed to slow down for him, watching as he saw Hammy coming closer and closer to the ground. He couldn't believe why Hammy jumped. He sprinted as fast as he could to Hammy, but he knew that he wouldn't make it.
But still, he had to try. He couldn't lose Hammy. He couldn't bear it if…
"HAMMY!" RJ screamed out once more as he watched Hammy…
extend his hands out and seem to stop in midair.
"What the?" Verne looked to what kept Hammy from hitting the ground. Taking a few steps to the side, the light from the bright and shining moon outside revealed how Hammy did it.
"Hammy?" RJ looked up from the floor to Hammy, standing above him, slowly making his way down right in front of RJ.
"RJ, look!" Hammy pointed up to the high cabinets adjacent to the refrigerator. "I found more of your Spuddies!" Hammy said proudly, pointing out the stacks of chips in each of the cabinets. "Almost all of the flavors are there, and I think they even have some new ones, like pepper jack cheese, basil and tomato, and, and…" Hammy continued as he watched RJ pick himself up and walk to him. And grab him.
"Hammy." RJ spoke to him sternly. "Don't you ever do anything as dangerous as that ever again!" RJ pulled Hammy into his arms and hugged him tight. "Not even for those stupid Spuddies." RJ broke into a little laugh, surprised at his own words.
"Hammy!" Verne walked up to Hammy as RJ let him go from his hold. "Where in the world did you get this wire?" Verne took the thin, clear wire into his hand. Hammy smiled and took the wire from Verne's hands and gave it one good pull.
"What are you… OH MY GOODNESS!" Verne pulled himself into his shell as he saw the portable fishing pole fall from the top of the refrigerator. Hammy quickly darted, grabbing RJ's golf bag, and deftly caught the device in the bag, before handing it over to RJ.
"Very good job, Hammy." RJ grinned, feeling proud at Hammy's creativity in setting up such a complex job. "I never thought you had it in you."
"I'm not stupid, RJ, if that's what you're thinking." Hammy pouted.
"No, Hammy, I didn't mean that I…" RJ immediately began to apologize before a can of Spuddies popped up in front of him.
"But I do have a sense of humor, you know." Hammy pulled back the can of Spuddies from in front of RJ, smiling to him. RJ shook his head and smiled back at him.
"You know, one of these days…" RJ started before Hammy cut him off with a quick kiss to his lips.
"Come on, RJ, try some of them." Hammy pulled back, still holding the smile on his face, and pulled up the now open can of basil and tomato flavored Spuddies to him. RJ smiled and happily took a chip from the can, plopping it into his mouth and chewing it slowly to savor the chip. "With Spuddies, enough just isn't enough." Hammy recited the slogan on the can, remembering that RJ rather liked that particular slogan.
"Maybe." RJ gulped down the chip, sighing with satisfaction. "But that's just a potato chip." RJ pushed aside the can from Hammy and took his hand into his. "You're more than enough." RJ gave a quick kiss to the top of Hammy's head.
"Ahem."
"Oh, hey Verne." RJ pulled back from Hammy, surprised to see that Verne was already out of hiding in his shell, but didn't let go of Hammy's hand.
"Okay, you two lovebirds, come on." Verne shook his head resignedly and sighed. "Let's get those chips down from there and get out of here." Verne reminded them and immediately, the pair made their way to the cabinets to grab the Spuddies.
Verne turned away from the two and grinned. He'll never get sick of seeing those two break out into a deep red blush whenever he embarrasses them.
"Ah, you two." Verne watched as the raccoon and squirrel helped one another move the snack chips to the others below, big, wide grins spread across their faces.
"I'll never get enough of this." Verne walked over to the family and helped them move out the last of the food, carrying a big, wide grin of his own.
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♪La da da dum da, la da da dum da…♪
Hammy hummed to himself as he played RJ's soft, white chest fur. He listened to RJ's soft breathing and the sound of droplets of water falling to the ground from the open parasol above their heads. He recalled the events of last night that eventually led up to him resting on top of RJ now.
After the big feast the family had last night, they all decided to stay up a little and watch a bit of television to relax. For almost six hours, they had watched almost everything from horror to comedy, from heart racing action to sweet, overly dramatic romance. Despite the mock disapproval of the romance program that the two of them tried to keep up, they couldn't help but blush considering that the family kept on glancing up to them and smiling, noticing that RJ had his arm around him and he was resting up against his shoulder.
As the night wore on, one by one, the other family members made their way back to the log to rest after the long, rewarding night, first, Penny, Lou and the triplets, then Ozzie and Heather. He especially remembered saying good night to Heather, worried that she might be a little jealous about all the attention that RJ was lavishing on him. But seeing the smile on her face, devoid of any sign of malevolence, maybe even seeing a bit of happiness, put his worries to ease.
Verne was the last one to head back to the log.
"Good night, you two." Verne said to them. "Don't stay up to late, alright." He yawned before he started to trudge his way to bed.
"Good night, Verne! Sweet dreams!" He waved to his father figure enthusiastically. He watched as Verne looked back at him and RJ before continuing on his way to the log. He thought that maybe, when Verne looked back at them, he could almost swear that Verne was smiling at them.
It was probably a little before two, three, maybe even four o'clock when he decided that he should get a little rest.
"Good night, RJ." He held onto RJ's hands and leaned up and kissed him good night.
"Good night too, Hammy." He remembered RJ hugging him tight, rubbing his back gently, and pressing one more kiss to the top of his head.
They stayed together for a little while before he pulled back from RJ, the fatigue from the raid finally catching up to him, pressing him to get some sleep. He quietly moved back, smiling up to RJ, getting ready to make his way to the log for a good night's sleep.
CCCRRRAAACCCKKK!
The sky exploded in lights and sounds, lightning arcing across the sky, the thunder following, echoing through the suburbs and forest. In the distance, he could hear dogs barking angrily, startled by the explosion, and car alarms sounding, rocked by the power of the natural phenomena.
And eventually, with thunder and lightning, came the rain.
And oh how it came. Orbs of water just came crashing down from the sky, the lightning and thunder continuing to ravage the sky above him. A swift wind blew past him, feeling a few droplets hit him.
Just a few droplets, not a torrent of water. And he was warm and dry, not freezing cold and soaking wet. He came to his senses and realized why.
"Looks like you'll be sleeping here tonight." RJ smiled down to him, hugging him close to him as they watched the rain pour down in front of them, safe under the umbrella that RJ had apparently opened up when the lightning and thunder first struck. RJ must have come up from behind him without him noticing, too focused on the chaos above them now.
"I…" He could have told RJ that he could just run to the log. He could have told him that he wouldn't get wet at all, considering how fast he could run. He could have told him that it would be a little odd for them to be sleeping together, considering how the family would find them the following morning.
But it felt really good to be in RJ's arms right now.
"I would like that." He smiled up to RJ, much to RJ's delight.
"Come on, let's get some sleep already." RJ told him as he guided him back to the booster chair and helped him back up.
They soon discovered that the two of them wouldn't be able to sleep comfortably next to each other. However, instead, they worked out another, albeit 'interesting' way to sleep together.
"Good night, Hammy." RJ sighed as he made himself comfortable on the chair. "Sweet dreams." He gave a kiss to him after he had adjusted himself on top of RJ, laying his head on his chest.
"I'll see you there." Hammy yawned, smiling as he drifted off to join RJ in his… in their dreams.
And sweet dreams they were, Hammy thought to himself, continuing to play with RJ's fur. He breathed deep, enjoying the scent of RJ around him.
"♪ You are my sunshine, my only sunshine,
You make me happy when skies are grey…♪"
Hammy sang to his heart's delight, the song now holding a new, joyful meaning for him.
"♪ You'll never know dear how much I love you,… ♪"
"RJ!" Hammy looked up to see RJ's blue eyes looking to him lovingly.
"It's a nice song." RJ smiled to him, seeing the look of happy surprise on Hammy's face.
"Yeah, it really is." Hammy agreed.
"♪ Please don't take my sunshine away. ♪"
RJ finished the song, pressing a kiss to Hammy's lips, fully waking the two of them up. They laid there on the seat, just looking to one another, reading what was in one another's eyes.
"I could get used to sleeping this way." RJ started. "And waking up this way, too." He placed his hand over Hammy's cheek.
"Me, too." Hammy rubbed his face against RJ, cooing happily. "Me, too."
"I love you, Hammy." RJ hugged Hammy tight. Here he was, admitting his love for him, something that he still considered uncharacteristic of him.
He had thought of Hammy as his best friend, his true love, his world, his rock, his confidante, his inspiration, his whatever. But looking at Hammy now, one plain and simple fact reminded him.
He was Hammy, and that's all he really needed to be. And he loved him all the more for it. And he wasn't scared of declaring that fact to the world at all. He only felt prouder at the thought.
"Hey RJ, wanna get some breakfast?" Hammy suddenly perked up. "I think we have some bacon, egg, and cheese Spuddies!" Hammy tried to remember where they could be.
"Sure, Hammy. That sounds great." RJ smiled and ruffled the fur atop his head playfully. Hammy batted his hand away and pouted playfully.
"I love you, Hammy." RJ sighed, looking to the cute, manic squirrel.
"I love you too, RJ." Hammy giggled.
RJ sighed, remembering something that Verne had said to him when he first joined the family, now agreeing with his words wholeheartedly.
"This is the good life."
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"Hey RJ, have you seen Ha… " Verne stopped dead in his tracks, his mouth hanging open and his eyes flared open.
"Uh, good morning, Verne." Hammy waved to the turtle, still straddling RJ's waist, smiling a little uneasily.
…
"RJ!" Verne nearly exploded from his shell, scaring away all the early morning songbirds away, startling the now angrily barking dogs, and possibly setting off even a few annoying car alarms.
"Damn." RJ sighed as he rubbed his forehead, getting ready for the ranting and raving to come.
"You said it." Hammy added, looking down to RJ, half chuckling.
It was just another start to another spring day in the good life over the hedge.
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I hope that you have enjoyed this 'little' story from 'Over the Hedge,' characters from the inventive minds of Michael Fry and T. Lewis, and to DreamWorks Animation and Paramount Pictures for producing such a wonderful film.
Granted, there may be parts of this story that I may not be fully satisfied with, but overall, I believe that I did well enough. As always, if you have any advice or suggestions, please feel free to review me. All flames will be ignored.
Who knows, maybe I may continue on with this story.
We still have summer after all.
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