When Mr Mole Met Miss Mouse

-Chapter 4 - Is This Love?-

They were in Badger's home now, in his den. Ratty had settled Mole down by the fire and insisted that he let him look at the wound. Moley just shook his head stubbornly, "It hurts." He said simply.

"Well we have to see if the bullet's still in there," Ratty explained. Mole buried his face into his scarf, his eyes brimming with tears.

Mousey strode over, leading Ratty aside, and sitting in the chair across from Mole. Mole stared at the fireplace.

"Moley, my mother was a nurse. I know a thing or two about injuries." She explained, "If you let me look at it, we may not have to go to the hospital …"

Mole didn't respond nor budge. Mousey looked down at her hands, feeling guilty.

Badger spoke, "Ratty and I should be getting back, to wait for Toad. But maybe it's best that you stay here with Mole, Ratty …" he suggested.

"No, it's fine- Ratty, you can go." Mousey assured.

Ratty looked hesitant, his worried eyes befalling on Mole.

"Go, Rat," Mousey insisted, "Beat the living daylights out of Toad for me, if he's back," she said with a forced grin.

"Alright." Ratty said, smiling weakly, "Well … take care then." He said, and followed Badger out the door.

Mousey stared down Moley until she heard the door shut. Moley's eyes glanced at hers, and quickly shot back to the fire.

"Moley, I know you hate me." Mousey said, fiddling with her fingers nervously, "I should've never come back to Toad Hall. Then none of this would've happened …" she brushed a strand of hair from her eyes, "I really want to run from my troubles, out of this town … but I can't. Not at least until I know you're alright. I can understand if you'll never forgive me."

Mole looked down at the carpet, rubbing away a tear.

"Moley, are you crying?" she asked sadly.

"No!" Mole argued, and she smiled, "A-ha! I got you to talk." But he didn't smile back. He stared angrily back at the fireplace.

She scooted her chair over until she was very close to him, and he shifted uneasily, another tear running down his cheek. She reached a hand up and brushed it away with her thumb. Mole's angry expression lightened to that of surprise, for a few seconds, and he returned them to their angry state.

"It's okay to cry, Mole." She said quietly. His expression lightened, and he looked over at her with his sad brown eyes. She rubbed a tear away from her own face quickly and took a deep breath, "Just let me take care of your wound, and I'll be gone afterwards."

Mole slowly took his hand off of the wound, and she scooted closer, pulling the first aid kit over to her feet, "You'll have to take off your coat." She advised with a small blush, trying to look indifferent.

Mole obeyed silently, carefully taking off his coat, wincing at the pain it brought to his arm. He wore a cream colored knitted sweater underneath. The bullet had ripped that also. She gently rolled up his sleeve, examining it carefully. After a few seconds, she sighed with relief, "Thank God- it's just a graze. The bullet just clipped you." Mole didn't answer, he just observed her every move. Mousey sensed this but pretended not to notice as she took the roll of gauze out from the tin. She carefully pulled his sleeve up over the wound, "There …" she said, putting the bandage tape in her lap. She took out a bottle of some sort of liquid and opened it, pressing a napkin against the top of the bottle and turning it upside down then right side up again, "Now … this might sting a bit …" she said warily as she pressed it against the wound, looking worriedly at Mole. He flinched a bit, his eyes not leaving hers. She took it away, and he still stared at her. She smiled nervously at him, returning to her work. She unraveled a good amount of gauze and wrapped the wound, and taping it to keep the bandage secure.

She rolled down his sleeve carefully for him as she said, "Now, you'll have to change it when it gets too full of blood … I'm sure Ratty or Badger could assist you with that …" she felt a tear run down her cheek and got annoyed at herself.

Mole hesitantly brought his hand up to her face and brushed the tear away for her. She stared at him, a bit shocked. Her heart fluttered when he touched her skin, and she blushed.

Mole brought his hand down, his sad brown eyes gazing into hers, "Please don't leave …" he said quietly.

She looked down, breathing shakily as she felt more tears on the way, "I don't want to hurt you anymore than I already have, Mole ..."

"You'd be hurting me … a lot … if you leave me …"

Her heart ached at those words, and she looked up, blinking away her tears, "I … I can't stay, Mole. The last time I … well … I just … I don't want my heart to break again …"

He brushed away another tear for her, "I'd never break your heart, Mousey." He admitted.

She choked out a laugh through her tears, changing the subject, "Hey, you were really brave back there," she said nodding, "My knight in shining armor," she said with a smile..

He shook his head dismally, "No … I'm no knight."

"To me, you were … anyway," she said, forcing a laugh, looking down at her fingers, and her voice got shaky "When you got shot I …" her face contorted into sadness and she covered her face, holding back her crying, "I didn't mean to bring you into that … I'm so sorry … you could've been killed …" she cried into the palms of her hands, trembling with each breath, and she quickly tried to stifle herself, causing her to feel sick.

Moley drew an arm around her hesitantly, and she sat next to him on the couch, resting her head under his chin, closing her eyes as she tried to calm down. He gently stroked her brown hair and she sighed deeply, listening to his steady heartbeat.

She realized that she must've fallen asleep when she awoke with a blanket over her. She slowly sat up to see Moley, fast asleep with his scarf folded against his cheek, serving as a pillow. His head lay tilted to the side of the couch. He looked ever so peaceful … she watched him as he slept for a moment, and nuzzled back into his good arm, looking up at him in wonder.

This couldn't have happened. She had fallen in love with Mole. It wasn't right … she didn't want to hurt him … he seemed like an emotional, fragile sort of being … though he did show a lot of courage by standing up to those weasels … She couldn't risk hurting him though, regardless.

(A/N)- If you thought this was mushy, read the next chapter! xD Sorry. Please revieweth!