All characters, save for my OCs, belong to either SEGA or Craig Bartlett and Nickelodeon.

Big and Patty: A Helping Hand

Patty Smith wasn't a person who got surprised easily.

In order to keep up her "tough girl" facade, she needed to make sure nobody caught her off guard—one of the many reasons she preferred being on her own as opposed to being in a clique like Rhonda.

But even Patty had times when she had to admit being up against or involved with something she would have never expected. Take helping a violet tabby almost twice her size fish at the local park's lake, for example.

She came here to take some time to smell the roses—metaphorically speaking, that is (she was allergic to roses). School usually didn't bother her since she had gotten used to being on her own long ago, but this day had been an aggravating one due to a certain comment from Sid, one of Harold's dimwitted friends.

For that reason, Patty made sure to cool off at the park before making her way home. The last thing she wanted was burdening her parents with any of her drama.

However, she hadn't counted on meeting the giant cat presently sitting next to her on the lake's bank.

On the bright side, Big, even though certainly not any brighter than Harold, at least didn't share the lug's chauvinistic view of girls. Then again, Patty couldn't help wondering if Big even had it in him to think badly of anybody...besides that jerk genius who'd started terrorizing Hillwood lately.

No wonder then why she didn't turn down this cat's offer for a total stranger like her to join him.

"How's your day been, Patty?"

"Um...," the young girl scrunched her monobrow a little in thought, unsure how to answer at first. Aside from her parents and (more recently) Milo, nobody really took the time to say hi to her. "It's been okay, I guess."

To her surprise, Big craned his head down to see her downturned eyes (despite Patty's size, he stood almost a head over her), his own yellow one shimmering with concern. "Gee, you don't sound okay. Is something wrong?"

Patty tried not to let her emotions show, so she merely shrugged. "Eh, it's nothing."

"Mm, if you say so." Big didn't look so sure or convinced, but, to Patty's relief, he didn't press the matter any further. Even better for her, a sudden lurch of the fishing pole in Big's hands distracted the violet tabby enough that he forgot all about his question.

Shooting up to his feet, Big gripped the pole as if his life depended on it. As Patty watched, she noticed the spot in the lake where the line ended at the surface ripple wildly. Whatever Big had caught, it must be huge. Unfortunately, the tabby started to gradually but surely edge to the water against his free will, his feet providing counter friction but doing nothing overall to stop his movement.

And Patty, as much as people preferred to think of her as a thug or bully, hated being on the sidelines whenever she had a chance to help someone out.

'I doubt he can take that thing on by himself, even if he is larger than me.'

So without asking for his permission, figuring he wouldn't mind in the end, she gripped the remaining part of the pole that Big's hands didn't cover and, together, the two heavyweights began to make positive progress as they finally found themselves able to back up on the grassy bank. Plus, they weren't receiving as much fight from the fish as Big alone had been before; perhaps the fish was starting to tire out a little.

"Almost got it," Big cheered as he gave the line slack once more before giving the line one last pull. With a grand splash, the fish plopped out of the water, soared through the air like a scaly projectile, and landed on the grass, flapping around wildly and glistening in the sun.

Patty gawked instantly at the size of the creature. This thing was almost as large as her, for God's sake! 'No wonder he was having so much trouble with this thing!'

Yet as the two of them marveled over this beauty of a fish, something about this endeavor tickled Patty's funny bone. With a soft chuckle, Patty crossed her arms across her chest as she shook her head.

"Y'know, this isn't quite the way I figured I'd spend my afternoon."

Big's huge, pointy ears and broad shoulders sagged in hurt. "Are ya saying you didn't have fun?"

"Oh no," Patty held her hands up, realizing how that comment had sounded, "I had fun! I just didn't expect it, is all. Kind of like...how I wasn't expecting to run into you; I thought I'd be spending my time here by myself, to be honest."

To Patty's relief, Big lost his forlorn expression, except the tabby replaced it with a look of...was it concern? "By yourself—ya mean you're alone a lot? But you must have a ton of friends, right?"

His tone was innocent and his words were genuine, but Patty couldn't help a slight sting at the question nevertheless. In a rare moment of vulnerability, she looked away, frowning sadly, and rubbed a hand on her other arm sheepishly. "Not really..."

She started at the sudden touch of Big's hand on her shoulder. When she looked up, she saw the tabby giving a grand, warm smile. "I'll be your friend if ya like me to be."

Patty stood stone-still for a moment, speechless by this feline's offer. Yet as she pondered more and more, she started to wonder whether the reason she met Big today wasn't coincidence, after all. She returned the cat's smile.

"I'd like that, Big."

Yeah, Patty definitely deserves friends like good, ol' Big.