Faithers: *pops into existence* HOLY. *BEEP*ING. H*LL, Ammy. ._. It's been over SEVEN MONTHS since we updated Buck Up. ._.
Amethyst: I KNOW! WHAT THE BEEP?
Faithers: It's your fault. -blames her-
Amethyst: I know. ._.
Faithers: ... and partially Ashlynn's fault. Of course, it's NEVER my fault! ^.^ -adorable Canada face-
Amethyst: *eyeroll* I reread this, and it seems that we've got a lot of editing to do, Faithers.
Faithers: Yes, we do. Much Character editing, some grammar, and WHAT IS THAT THING THAT THINKS IT IS SID?
Amethyst: I DON'T KNOW. It acts NOTHING like Sid. What the beep.
Faithers: We are fail Authoresses. ._.
Buck: .......... -.- *has been here for all seven months*
Faithers: *has at least been feeding him! STOP GLARING, READERS! D=*
Amethyst: *tosses him a meatball* and further more, WHERE THE BEEP IS LOCRIAN-MODE?
Faithers: She's been gone longer than we have. She hasn't answered anything we sent her. D=
Amethyst: Did she die or something?
Faithers: DDD= Don't say that Ammy! Dx *huggles new Buck Plush*
Amethyst: I bought her a Buck Plushie. Aren't I awesome?
Faithers: More Awesome than you readers. Even though you readers ARE freaking Awesome. ONE HUNDRED ELEVEN REVIEWS. WHAT THE BEEP.
Amethyst: *stares*
Faithers: *also stares*
Buck: *sighs* They gonna be distracted... so he'ah's the las' chapta.
They walked in silence for a few moments, through the darkness of the cave, no one daring to break the silence, lest it turn ugly. Peaches briefly glanced up at Buck, who was distant again, lost in thought.
Buck wasn't entirely sure what to think. He was fairly certain that he had made up with his father. At least, that's what it had seemed like. He glanced down at Avery thoughtfully. He knew things would be awkward between them for a while, and that things would never be the same as they had when he was younger, but at least they weren't fighting. That was good.
Avery resisted the urge to glance up at Buck, staring ahead as he walked beside the herd quietly. The silence was almost unnerving, but he didn't say anything.
Peaches couldn't help but feel curious. Buck had said something back there - something about 'before' and some girl he had met. And he mentioned leaving her in a situation... What situation?
"Buck?" she asked in a small voice, though it immediately got everyone's attention just because of the blatant silence before she spoke.
Buck turned his attention away from his father, looking down at Peaches curiously. "Yeah, Fruity?"
"You... said something about a girl before?" Her curiosity had gotten the better of her.
This definitely got the herd's attention, and though no one said anything, it was clear they were listening.
"Yeah, what about it?" Buck asked, arching an eyebrow. He should have known they would be curious.
"Could you... maybe... tell us about her?" Peaches knew she was invading personal privacy, but she was just so curious... "I know it's not really polite for me to ask, but..."
Crash and Eddie were not-so-discretely looking back at Buck from their perch on Ellie's head.
Buck had been expecting this question. "Maybe..." He said evasively.
"PLEASE?" broke out in four part harmony, as Crash, Eddie, Peaches, and Avery spoke up.
Buck sighed. "Fine, fine. Her name was Olivia." He relented.
"Olivia?" Peaches repeated.
"Olivia?" Crash agreed with Peaches.
"That's... not the name I expected." Eddie finally said slowly.
Buck raised an eyebrow. "What were you expecting?" Suddenly, his eye narrowed, and he stared at the twins. "If you say Rudy..."
"N-No! Really!" Crash and Eddie grinned innocently as one. Peaches sighed, "What was she like?"
Buck shrugged. "She was pretty. A real spunky gal. Crazy enough to take a liking to me."
"What'd she look like?" Peaches knew she was being a little overly curious by now, so she quickly added, "Maybe we could help you find her."
Buck looked almost dreamy. "Soft, red fur, green eyes...she was pretty tall for a female, too. Smiled a lot."
Avery couldn't help but arch a brow.
Crash and Eddie shared a look at their Hero's dreamy face. How serious was this? Crash asked his brother through raised eyebrows and gestures with the head.
Eddie shrugged, Looks like it was pretty serious... he's making googly eyes. To accent his point, Eddie forced his eyes open with his paws, making them bulge.
Buck glanced at the twins and raised an eyebrow. Deciding he didn't want to know, he looked back at Peaches. "Ya couldn't miss her if ya tried." He continued.
"We'll definitely help you look for her!" Peaches smiled, "But... you also mentioned 'leaving her in a pinch'?"
"Peaches." Ellie finally said softly, "I think you've asked enough."
Buck would have to remember to thank Ellie later.
Avery sat quietly next to the small fire he'd made, staring into the flames thoughtfully. He was a little ways away from where Buck was entertaining the herd with stories, only half-listening to what was being said.
He wondered what exactly he was going to do after this. He supposed he had nowhere else to go, but would Buck want him to stay here? They seemed to be on better terms, but he couldn't be so sure...
The stories wound down slowly, and soon most of the herd was asleep. Peaches was more stubborn to convince than Crash and Eddie, but soon even she was asleep. Manny and Ellie were lying beside each other, and Diego slept a little ways away. Sid was draped over a rock and almost obnoxiously snoring (the kind of almost obnoxious that really was obnoxious but no one wanted to admit it). Crash and Eddie were draped over Peaches's back, nearly falling off.
Buck walked over toward Avery, sitting on the other side of his fire almost unsurely.
Avery glanced at Buck. "'Ello." He greeted, trying not to sound awkward.
"'Lo." Buck said back, staring intently into the fire as his paws twiddled with the dagger and some damp clay. He started fiddling with the clay almost distractedly - it was red, he realized in the corner of his mind while not really thinking about it.
They sat in silence for quite a while. It was neither awkward nor comfortable, neither weasel knowing what to say, or if they should say anything at all.
Avery spoke up. "So..." He paused, trying to think of what to say, "What are you going to do after this?"
Buck was still toying with the clay, which was now taking on a more definite shape, "I'unno." he shrugged, "It's... a ha'd choice."
"I s'pose it is." Avery agreed, glancing at the figure in Buck's hands curiously. "They obviously want you to go with them."
"Yeh... s'pose they do." Buck wasn't even paying attention to the clay anymore. It seemed to have grown into a nervous habit to carve out whatever was on his mind at the moment without even realizing it. "Bu'... I dunno if I c'n face the upper worl' now."
Avery looked at him curiously. "Why not?"
The clay figure was now obviously a weasel.
"...no reas'n."
Avery arched a brow. "It doesn't have anything to do with the girl, does it?" He asked interestedly, eying the weasel figure.
"Wot makes ya say tha'--..." he finally took notice of the red figurine in his hands, and fell silent.
Avery chuckled. "She meant a lot to you, didn't she?"
"Yeh. She di'." Buck sighed. "I' was... b'fore this, tho'." he gestured around, "Back wh'n Ban was talkin' ta tha' gal Baba..."
Avery's eyes were suddenly solemn. "I see."
They stayed silent after that, Buck staring down at the figurine with his one, half lidded eye, and Avery watching him silently. This time, the silence wasn't awkward. It was understanding.
Buck didn't know which silence he preferred.
Peaches woke up before everyone else the next morning, glancing over to see the two weasels asleep by a burned out fire. Crash and Eddie had fallen off of her sometime during the night, so she was free to stand and stretch.
Manny cracked an eye open, having been awoken by the rustling. He briefly looked around and noted that no one else was awake.
Peaches rolled her neck, stretching each limb separately, and sighed as she glanced around again.
Manny lifted his head. "You're up early." He commented.
"So are you." she pointed out, walking a bit away from her sleeping uncles.
Manny sighed and got up, a sudden thought occurring to him as he followed his daughter. "Hey, uh, listen...about before..." He hoped she would know what he was talking about.
"I'm sorry." They both said as one, avoiding each others' eyes. Peaches swung her head around in surprise and stared at her dad.
"I was hard on you." Manny muttered after a moment. "You were upset and I should have left you alone. I'm sorry."
"...I was being a brat..." she responded slowly, "And I don't even know why I was upset. I shouldn't have yelled. I'm sorry too."
Manny ruffled her hair with his trunk. "It's okay, Peaches. You're a teenager, I should have expected it."
"What say we just forget about it and let life go on?" Peaches smiled.
Manny smiled back. "Sounds good."
They hugged each other, and the fight was forgotten.
Faithers: Yeeeeeaaaaaahhhh, by the way, she's dead. ^^;
Buck: eAe
Amethyst: Who's dead, you ask? Why, Olivia of course. ^^;
Buck: eAe
Faithers: We have this whole backstory figured out among ourselves... interesting thing, backstories. Interesting what they can do to your view of a fandom. They can make you see characters in new lights...
Buck: eAe
Amethyst: *British accent* Indeed. ...Don't be mad at us, Buck. ^^;
Buck: eAe
Faithers: ... I think his face is stuck.
Buck: eAe You made a character... just to kill her off?
Faithers: ...um... er... yeah?
Buck: eAe
Amethyst: People do that all the time! ^^;
Avery: *appears out of nowhere* it could be worse, right?
Faithers: Avery! Hey!
Clock: *BEEPBEEPBEEP
Faithers: *looks* ... Sh*t. Um, Avery, can you... *Gesturing wildly*
Avery: Ah...right. -grabs Buck and flees-
Faithers: *grabs Amethyst and prepares to flee* We'll... see you for the Epilogue. If there's anyone there to see. You'll find out what we're trying to keep from Buck then. *flees*