Note: As usual, Disney's Ducktales has nothing to do with me and is its own deal all together…I'm just a big fan, is all ;)
Beagle Without a Mask
Chapter 4
An Evening at Swan Heights...
"Thanks, Frank!" said Bonnie, smiling at the concierge as he holds open the door for the two of them. "Cold night isn't it?"
Frank, a tall burly dog, tips his hat to them, returning the greeting. "Certainly is, ladies. You best be getting up to that new place of yours where it's warm."
"Will do," Jen responds, following Bonnie to the elevator.
"Oh! I almost forgot," Frank calls from behind them. "You each had a visitor. Were either of you expecting someone?"
Bonnie looks over at Jennifer to see her shrug in response. She says to Frank "Not that we know of. Who was it?"
"Well, the first was a young officer by the name of Damien. Anyone you know, Ms. Baronski?"
Bonnie watches Jennifer as she stares at him, no longer smiling; Sergeant Damien "Doberman" Pinscher was one of Jennifer's main reasons for wanting to move in with her; to get away from her ex-fiancé. He'd never liked Bonnie, and the feeling was mutual. Being with the Duckburg Police Department he knew all about her family's reputation. They'd first crossed paths back when he and Jennifer had started dating. The two were together for no more than six months when he'd proposed to her, not taking her rejection very well when she'd decided to end things. She must've known he'd always express the same animosity towards Bonnie, regardless of how much she'd tried to persuade him that she wasn't like the others. Jennifer had chosen her friend over an intimate relationship. For this, Bonnie admired her even more.
Unfortunately, just because it was over between them didn't mean he'd stop trying to come and see her. They couldn't really call anyone about the constant intrusions, as he wasn't actually doing anything wrong. Especially when he had so many connections with the local law enforcement. Bonnie insisted that she at least confide in her father— a defense attorney— about what he's doing, just to see if there was anything they could do. Unfortunately, Jennifer was just too nice, believing his actions to be harmless. But Bonnie knew better than to trust someone like Officer Pinscher. If there was at least one thing useful about being a Beagle, it was being able to spot a dirty cop.
Jennifer finally nods at Frank. "Yeah, and I'd prefer it if he not be allowed to come up and see us anytime soon."
"I figured as much. He seemed pretty upset about you not being here." He then straightens his hat. "I had to turn him away, though. What with the Swan's policy and all. Can't accept visitors without a resident giving the okay first." His expression turns grave. "Personally I was glad to see him go; something about him gave me the creeps."
"Tell me about it," Bonnie offers. She adjusts her grip on the groceries, beginning to feel them slip. "Other than that psycho, who else was there?"
Frank gives a contrite sigh. "Well, the second visitor asked for you, Ms. Beagle. But again, I had to turn him away." He looks to her regrettably. "Felt bad to do it, too."
"Why's that?"
"Well, he was nice enough; nicer than the first guy, anyway. But he seemed a little desperate. Said he really needed to see you, and that he had something important to talk to you about, but he didn't wanna leave a message." He shakes his head sadly. "Poor little guy looked pretty tired…like he hadn't slept in days."
"How long ago was this?" Bonnie asks quickly, having a pretty good idea of who it might've been. "Was there anyone else with him?"
"No, he was alone," he answers. "And it was just after you and Miss Baronski left to do yer shoppin'." He points with his thumb over his shoulder. "When I told him you weren't here he headed off down the block." He shrugs. "Haven't seen 'im since."
"I see." Bonnie thinks for a moment, ignoring Jenny's wide-eyed stare. She then nods at Frank. "Call us the next time he shows up, will ya? Even if it's late, I don't care. Then send him right up."
Frank tips his hat again. "Can do."
She heads to the elevator again, having it open immediately after pressing the call button. Both of them step inside, Bonnie selecting the desired number; 12. They stand in silence as the list of floors light up above them. Bonnie focuses intently on the dial above them, watching as the arrow gradually makes it's way around to their floor, trying to ignore Jennifer; she hadn't taken her eyes off of her once since hearing about her roommate's surprise visitor. Obviously she'd forgotten about her stalker for the time being.
Bonnie sighs irritably. "Alright… just say it."
Jennifer immediately closes her mouth as it'd been hanging open the entire time. "Say what?"
Bonnie looks over at her, unamused at seeing the red-head about to burst. After a moment, Jenny can no longer contain her excitement.
"Well?" Her smile reaches ear to ear as she looks to her hopefully. "Do you think it was one of them?"
"Nope," Bonnie says simply. "I know it was one of them."
The elevator dings once it reaches its destination, the door sliding open to reveal a long corridor lined with pearl white walls and several identical doors on either side of the hall. The two of them step out onto the beige colored carpet, walking towards a bay window at the end of the corridor.
"What's so bad about one of your brothers coming to visit you?" She still grins over at her. "I think it's kinda sweet."
"That's what I'm worried about; it's just one of them." She looks straight ahead, now feeling a bit anxious at the thought. "The Beagles are known for traveling in groups, like a pack; not one of them is ever seen on their own…unless something's wrong."
"Like what?" Jennifer asks, finally beginning to show concern for the situation.
Bonnie shakes her head. "I'd rather not think about it right now. But if it's really that important, he'll be back."
They reach their apartment at the end of the hall, Jennifer being the first to retrieve her keys. Once the door is open, she rushes inside to set the bags with ice cream down onto the kitchen counter, while Bonnie switches on the track lighting above an island that separates the kitchen from the living room.
Jennifer frowns down at her blouse, the front of it wet from the dampening paper bags. She sighs, grumbling "If I didn't love ice cream so much I'd hate it."
Bonnie rolls her eyes, pulling a carton of milk from one of her own bags. "Hey you were the one that wanted to stock up, remember?" She suddenly shivers, glancing into the still dark living room to see the window slightly open; the curtains billowing gently in the cold night air.
"Judge all ya want, roomy." Jennifer puts the rainbow sherbet and rocky road in the freezer, turning to face her. "But the next time a marathon of All My Ducklings comes on, you'll thank me for that entire pint of ice cream. Mark my words!" She'd projected this over her shoulder as she walks back to her bedroom, undoing her long sleeved blouse as she does, closing the door behind her.
Bonnie gives a light chuckle, not sure what she would do without her best friend around to lighten any poor mood. Jennifer Anne could brighten the room in a funeral home with that sunny disposition of hers.
After meeting during their first year of college, the two female dogs had been inseparable ever since. So naturally, her finding out about her family history was just a matter of time. Since then she'd done nothing but pester her about wanting to meet them, always being fascinated with the Beagle clan. Something she never quite understood about her friend…but she had a feeling it had to do with some of them being rock stars at some point, knowing she'd always been a fan of their hit song, "Boogie Beagle Blues".
Then again, she's been wrong about Jennifer before. What Bonnie could never figure out was why she'd actually be excited about meeting a group of convicted felons. This worried her, even though she'd given her fair warning on what to expect. Jennifer may appear to be perfect, but she did have at least one flaw; men weren't exactly her best subject.
She hums absently to herself as she opens the refrigerator door, moving what little was already in there to place the milk on one of the shelves. She rearranges a few things to make room for the other groceries, still humming. She opens up the carton of eggs, inspecting them carefully for any missed cracks...
"I gotta say, Bigtime," she announces casually, still turning over some of the eggs. "Not yer stealthiest entrance."
"Seriously?" The voice came from somewhere in the apartment. She hears footsteps as the intruder moves out of the shadows of the living room. "What gave me away?"
"Oh please." She'd finally set the eggs in the fridge before closing the door, turning around to smirk at the dark silhouette. "You give yourself way too much credit." She points to the other side of the apartment. "Ya left the window open; it's too cold for me not to notice that breeze! Not to mention what Frank said downstairs, about someone wanting to see me…once you couldn't get past him, I figured you'd use a more Beagle-type approach." Bonnie shrugs, leaning up against the island. "The fire escape is the only other way up here."
"Not bad, sis." Bigtime looks to her with an impressed smirk. "But how'd you know it was me?"
"Oh that was easy; he said you were a 'little guy'. Plus yer the only one in the family crazy enough to wander around town alone at night! Shame on you, Bigtime Beagle." She shakes her head in mock disappointment. "I expected better from you."
"That makes two of us." Bigtime gives a light chuckle. "I guess I've sorta been off my game, though; got a lot goin' on."
It's silent as they look on at each other for a moment, the only sound being running water coming from one of the bedrooms in the back of the apartment. She doesn't really know what to say at this point. It'd been awhile since Bonnie had spoken to any of them, trying to avoid any connections with her family's unique lifestyle. She'd actually considered moving out of Duckburg and going somewhere they couldn't follow, or at least have a more difficult time tracking her down.
But while she looks on at him, standing there glumly in the dark room, she remembers why it is she stays. She really did care about all of her brothers, and they her. She knew they would never do anything to hurt her, or to cause her any real trouble. Sure, late night visits like this would grate on her nerves sometimes, knowing they weren't there to simply pop in and say hi, but looking for a safe place to lay low until the cops had given up the search. She may not agree with what they do for a living, but she did somewhat like the feeling of being depended on…even if it was always a pain to harbor three or four Beagles at a time.
It was one of the reasons why she'd moved into a larger apartment; that kind of hospitality wasn't meant for a studio with one bathroom.
"So…" Bonnie crosses her arms, speaking calmly. "What gives? Why're you alone?" She looks down at him sternly. "You didn't leave the others in prison, did you? Cuz that's just low, even fer you."
"Nah it ain't like that." He clears his throat awkwardly. "They're back at home...with Ma."
"At home?" She looks down at him in confusion. "Then what're you even doing here?"
"Well, I needed to talk to ya...So I, uh." Bigtime rubs the back of his neck. "I just, ya know…walked."
Bonnie's eyes widen. "Are you out of your mind? That's almost ten miles!"
"So?" He shrugs. "I've walked further than that b'fore-"
"It's October, Bigtime!" she scolds. "And it's at least forty degrees out there! What the hell we're you thinking?"
He only shrugs again, keeping his hands behind his back as he looks absently around the apartment, trying to avoid her stare. Bonnie studies him in silence, noticing something different about him. But it's difficult to tell with him standing in the dark living room. She goes over to the light switch on the wall-
"No, don't!" Bigtime pleads, but a little too late.
Bonnie gasps, slapping a hand over her mouth. She looks on in bewilderment at what should've been Bigtime Beagle, but somehow it wasn't. At least not the one she knew, anyway; Frank was right when he'd said he looked tired, but that was clearly an understatement. He looked absolutely terrible! She couldn't recall ever seeing his eyes so bloodshot, and he obviously hadn't been sleeping at all, either; the bags under his eyes being a dead giveaway. She's surprised she's even able get a good enough look at him as he keeps his hat pulled down slightly, probably in an attempt to hide his eyes from the light. As if he didn't look bad enough, his knuckles are blistered and red, as though he'd gotten into a fist fight with a weed whacker. He'd definitely seen better days.
But everything wrong with his appearance is pushed to the back of her mind. She stares at the area around his eyes, shocked to find it not hidden from the mask he always wore.
"Bigtime," she began quietly, finally dropping her hand. "Bigtime…what, what happened?" She strains her eyes while trying to see into his. "Where's yer-"
"I took it off," he blurts. "It was botherin' me; didn't fit right." He still tries to avoid her gaze, finally lowering his hand from his hat and looking down at the polished wood floor under his feet.
Bonnie can only gape in amazement, not entirely sure how to react. She rarely ever saw anyone in the family without their signature mask, the only one to not wear it being her. At noticing him shifting about uncomfortably at the way she stares at him, she decides not press the issue any further; something else must be going on with him that he isn't willing to talk about just yet…
"What happened to yer hands?" He allows her to examine them, though the dried blood over the open sores makes it rather difficult. She looks up at him, once again thrown off by the sight of his brown eyes. "Did you get into a fight, or something?"
After a moment of silence, he nods once. "I guess that's one way of puttin' it."
"With who, and where?" Her brow furrows. "You didn't hit a cop, did you?"
He shakes his head, studying the floor again. "It ain't what ya think. It was back at the hideout; me 'n' one uh the boys had a little...disagreement. It ain't a big deal." Once again he has trouble meeting her concerned gaze. "Really."
Bonnie studies his awkward behavior; a drastic change from his usual take-charge personality. She wonders what could possibly reduce him to such a state. As far as she knew the list of things that Bigtime Beagle was afraid of was extremely short; Ma Beagle and being thrown in jail. That was it. She thinks about what he'd said in regards to him and someone from back home having a "disagreement". For as long as she could remember, the rest of her brothers had always recognized the undersized criminal as the one calling the shots when their mother wasn't around. No one had ever tried to challenge him on anything, save for one person...
"Bankjob," she says simply, his head bowed in what could very well be shame. She feels a sudden urge to make the trip back home just to throttle her eldest brother! "Of course it was. But I doubt you were helping things." She frowns. "Big, how many times do I have to go over this with you?" She drops his hands, placing hers on her hips. "Say it."
He actually grimaces up at her. "Aw come on, Bonnie, don't make me-"
"You either say it or go home."
He rolls his eyes and sighs irritably before droning "Stop smartin' off to Bankjob." He looks to her apologetically. "Yer right. 'M sorry."
She shakes her head. "Honestly, it's a miracle you two haven't killed each other yet." She observes him for a moment, finally nodding in the direction of the sofa. "Sit down. I think I've got an ice pack in the freezer." She heads back into the kitchen.
"Nah don't bother; I don't need-"
"It's not going to kill you to stop acting tough fer two minutes, Bigtime," Bonnie says sternly without looking over at him. She pulls a dishtowel from a small drawer before opening the freezer. "You broke into my apartment, the least you could is humor me."
"Seriously, Bon." He grudgingly takes a seat on the plush sofa. "I appreciate the thought, but really I don't need it...and it ain't about actin' tough; I just got a high tolerance fer pain, is all." He watches her come back around to where he currently sits. He holds his hand up for her to see. "Compared to what I been through? This ain't nuthin'."
She raises a skeptic brow. "Really?" When he nods, she gingerly taps him with the ice pack on his injury.
"OW!" He jerks his hand away to nurse it with the other, glaring up at her amused expression. "It don't count if I ain't ready fer it!" he barks in defense.
"Uh huh," Bonnie scoffs. "Sure." She hands him the pack, which he reluctantly accepts. She goes back into the kitchen. "I'm gonna make a pot of coffee; you want some?"
"Absolutely," Bigtime says with a hint of relief, gently coaxing the cold compress onto his hand. It's silent between them as she preps the coffee pot and retrieves a couple of mugs from a cupboard. He ends it by clearing his throat. "Look, Bon, I um...I appreciate ya not kickin' me out the second ya saw me." He calls over his shoulder. "I know how much ya hate it when we show up uninvited."
"No worries," Bonnie responds, distracted with scooping coffee grounds into a filter. She gives a low chuckle. "Hey; it's not like yer all showing up at the same time." She gives him a teasing smile. "I know my neighbors appreciate it."
"Hey, speakin' uh which," he adds, nodding in the direction of the running water. "Yer uh...yer friend back there; is she gonna be okay with me bein' here?" He scrunches up his face. "I ain't gonna have to hide er nuthin' when she comes back out here, am I?"
"Oh no yer good." Bonnie laughs, shaking her head. "That's my roommate, Jennifer. Trust me; she is definitely not going to mind."
"Okay," he responds with uncertainty. "I guess I'll take yer word for it."
Bonnie couldn't help grinning at this, knowing that Jennifer was probably going to absolutely freak when she came out of her room. It didn't help that they'd literally just talked about this exact scenario. The idea of finally introducing the only true friend she's ever had to a family like the Beagle Boys had been a constant headache that only got worse when Jennifer nagged her with questions about them: Who was her favorite? Do any of them have any hobbies? Have they ever actually shot anyone? Were they planning on re-forming the band to write another hit song? Had she ever shot anyone? If Bonnie didn't know any better, she'd swear that Jennifer was president of some secret Beagle Boy fan club!
As annoying as her curiosity was, at least she was willing to meet them with an open mind and not simply judge them for their reputations. To Jennifer Anne, there was a little goodness inside of everyone; even convicted felons. And if there was any of her brothers that she was okay with finally breaking the ice, it was the one currently sitting in her living room.
"While we wait on the coffee," Bonnie says, going over to the neglected open window to slide it shut before joining him on the sofa. "How 'bout we finally have that talk you came here for?"
Bigtime doesn't respond; his focus set firmly on the ice pack she'd given him. It was clear by his look of frustration that there was something on his mind, though he'd never been too keen on opening up to anyone emotionally. He considered it to be a sign of weakness; a concept drilled into him since birth by their mother. But despite his tough-guy no nonsense attitude, she knew that deep down...he was hurting.
When she places a gentle hand on his arm, he brings his head up slowly. His expression becomes haggard at seeing the concern in her blue eyes.
"It's okay," she says softly. "I already know...about Mom, I mean."
His eyes widen in astonishment. As she'd suspected, it hadn't occurred to him that Ma Beagle had still been in contact with her daughter, probably due to the fact that she'd become much more adamant about the family business now that she was older and had her own life to worry about. But for some time now, her mother had been speaking to her about the possibility of one day taking her place, going so far as to remind her that she wasn't much longer for this world, and with her gone no one would be around to look out for the Boys. She didn't like to admit it, but this last part always struck a nerve; she hated the thought of being like Ma Beagle...but she hated the thought of her brothers being left alone with no one to turn to even more.
"How's she hold'n up?"
Bigtime casts his gaze downward, examining his injuries intensely; switching the pack over to the neglected hand. When he exhales it comes out rather shaken. He closes his eyes tightly. "She um," he finally croaks. "She ain't doin' too good."
Bonnie tightens the hold she has on his arm, knowing this had to be extremely difficult for him; the Beagle Boys' entire world practically revolved around Ma Beagle. With her gone, it actually scared her to think about what would happen to some of them without her there to hold their hands. If a tough guy like Bigtime was holding on by a thread, the thought of how the others were handling this made her heart ache. It was enough to make her seriously consider accepting her mother's request.
"I um," he continues, now studying the ice pack. "I think she might actually be dyin', Bon." Judging from his tone, he must be trying to keep his voice from trembling. Unfortunately it's still very noticeable. "She's dyin', n'...I don't know what to do." He sets the ice pack off to the side, pinching at the bridge of his nose. He clears his throat. "She n' I had a talk earlier; about the family. She said she...wants me to take care of 'em all. That I gotta step up, n'...be in charge. Be the boss." He pauses to remove his hat, running a hand over his head. "Cuz she said they look up to me." His free hand clenches into a fist. "But, it ain't that simple...
"That's what Bankjob n' me were fight'n about; why it was she wanted to talk to me, and not him. He nearly blew a fuse when I wouldn't tell 'im what she'd said to me. I mean, how could I?" He shakes his head. "There's no way he'd take orders from me; he can't go five minutes without threatenin' to step on me, let alone call me the boss!" He rubs his hands together slowly, giving a shrug. "Maybe he should be the one in charge. I mean look at me!" He gestures to himself, still not looking up at her. "What would a big buncha' goons be doin' takin' orders from a runt like me, when they should be listenin' to a guy like him!"
"That's not you talking," Bonnie interjects calmly. "It's Bankjob."
"He ain't wrong, though!" He'd finally met her gaze, his eyes filled with what looked to be fear. "Ever since we were kids he's been push'n me around, call'n me names and try'n to put me down. And I ain't never been able to hold my own with him!" He holds his hands out in disgust. "What kinda leader ain't able fight his own battles? Huh?"
Bonnie doesn't answer, knowing it's just a rhetorical question. It wasn't often that her brothers vented any of their frustrations towards one another. Just being there as a verbal punching bag was always the best thing she could do for them. If there was anyone that needed to let loose some pent up aggression towards an elder sibling, it was definitely Bigtime Beagle.
"I just...don't think I can do this on my own," he says quietly, still looking down at his hands, as though waiting for something to drop into them. "All the robberies, heists, prison breaks...gett'n at McDuck's fortune? Now on top uh that I gotta babysit a buncha thugs who've been livin' with their mommy their whole lives!" He lets his hands droop. "I just...I just can't. It's too much, Bon. I never realized how much she actually did fer us, ya know?" His voice began to crack, though he still appears to be fighting it, actually letting out an odd laugh. "She's really somethin' else, huh?" To her amazement, his bottom lip begins to quiver. "She's a real...piece a work-" He covers his face with his hand as an involuntary sob escapes him.
Her heart immediately goes out to him; she puts an arm around him, hugging him tightly as he finally drops the barrier he's had up for all these years to shed some long overdue tears. As much as she hates to see him in pain, it was a nice reminder that beneath his reputation as an infamous criminal, there was a compassionate human being who had a breaking point...
"Sorry 'bout that," he murmurs, using the sleeve of his jacket to dry his face, trying to pull himself together. He sniffs, letting out an awkward chuckle. "Kinda lost it there fer a second didn't I?"
"No," she states, moving away from him while still keeping her arm in place. "Don't do that. Hey; look at me." She waits for him to do so before adding "It's okay to be scared sometimes."
"I ain't scared," he grumbles, still wiping at his eyes. "'M just...stressed out, is all."
"And there's nothing wrong with needing a little help every now and then; life's tough on us Beagles, but at least we're there for each other...even when we're at our absolute worst, we can always count on family."
He actually frowns up at her. "Who fed ya that buncha junk; Ma?"
"Nope." Bonnie smirks. "You did." She nods at his confused expression, finally removing her arm. "Yep; when I was a kid, I used to think there was a monster in my closet. Remember? And you used to say things like that to make me feel better." She nudges him in the arm at his look of enlightenment. "You'd always remind me that you guys were never too far away if I needed you, and that all I had to do was ask for help...and you'd be there."
"Yeah." Bigtime grins over at her fondly. "I remember." He shakes his head. "But it ain't the same thing, though-"
"It's exactly the same!" She takes him by the hands, careful not to aggravate his injuries. "Yer right; Mom has a ridiculous amount of responsibility. I honestly have no idea how she's managed to do it all on her own. Not just with us, but think about all those cousins littered about the friggin' planet! You'd have to have super powers to do what she does; it's insane!" She's glad to hear him laugh at this. "Seriously, though; yer not gonna have to deal with this alone. I'm gonna be there for you-"
"Bonnie, no." He now looks to her sternly. "I don't care how tough things get, you ain't gonna turn out like me!"
"Bigtime," she began, only to be interrupted by a hand he'd brought up.
"I mean it, kid; I ain't about to letcha throw yer life away fer no-good degenerates like us. Ya got way too much at stake to just up and leave, just so there's someone to fill Ma's shoes!" He points. "Just cuz I'm stuck with this life don't mean you gotta be, too."
This last comment grabs her attention. It was in the way he'd said it; with a hint of malice in his tone. Her previous thoughts about him having other issues are now confirmed. There was definitely something happening to him that he hadn't quite come to terms with yet. But once again, she decides not to mention it. Hopefully he'd come to her when the time was right...
"Bigtime," she repeats simply. "I have no intention of taking her place; that wouldn't make any sense." When he looks to her skeptically, she nods. "I do have my own life, and I'm not planning to drop everything to come and bake grenades into cupcakes." She shrugs. "I'm not really much of a cook, anyway."
"Yeah." He lets out a mocking laugh. "I remember that, too-ow!"
She'd slugged him in the arm. "Shut up, Lil' Big!"
"Make me, Bon Bon." He returns the playful sneer.
They both laugh, grimacing at the childhood nicknames they'd been branded with. She pats him on the back.
"Seriously, though." She smiles when he looks over at her, relieved to see he's no longer in the same foul mood he'd obviously come here with. "Everything's gonna be okay. I'm not leaving you guys-"
They hear a door opening; Jennifer suddenly emerges from her room wearing a pair of pink yoga shorts and a white t-shirt with the Duckburg Mallards' emblem on the front of it. "Hey Bonnie?" she calls, fussing with a purple hair dryer. "My dryer's on the fritz again; can I borrow yours-oh." Jennifer stops at seeing that Bonnie isn't alone.
Bigtime had bolted up out of his seat, about to make a break for the window before Bonnie had grabbed him by the shoulders.
"No, no! It's okay!" She doesn't let up on him just yet for fear of him doing it again out of shear reflex. "Chill; it's just my roommate. Remember?"
A wet-haired Jennifer looks on in bewildered silence, watching as the short yet burly visitor keeps his hands behind his back, shuffling about somewhat nervously; like a child meeting a strange adult for the first time.
"Jennifer Anne?" Bonnie began, first moving Bigtime so he's standing in front of her. "I'd like you to meet my older brother; Bigtime Beagle. Big?" She gives him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "This is Jenny; best friend and roomy."
"Hi," came Jennifer's mousy reply, giving a shy little wave. "It's...nice to finally meet you. Erm, one of you I mean." A nervous laugh escapes her.
"Go on." Bonnie nudges the reluctant Beagle forward, glad to get at least one introduction over with so Jennifer would stop bothering her about it. "She's not gonna bite. Say hi."
Bigtime looks back at her with uncertainty before facing the young red-head. He clears his throat, taking another step towards her, the top of his head actually coming up just at her shoulders; making him appear slightly taller when compared to being around any of his brothers. "Uh...hi. How ya doin'?" He stiffly presents his hand. "The, feelin's mutual. I guess."
It takes a second for her to process the gesture, eventually accepting it with a smile. Though the moment she grasps his hand, he cringes.
"Ah!" He bears his teeth, drawing his hand back to shake the pain out of it.
"Oh my gosh!" Jenny recoils, mortified. "I'm so sorry!" She watches with concern as he inspects his open sores. "Oh wow. What happened? I mean, If you don't mind me asking?"
"Apparently just boys being boys," Bonnie answers while Bigtime is busy blowing on his hand. She gives him a shove. "Ain't that right?"
"Yeah. Somethin' like that." At noticing the worry in her green eyes, he offers "Hey don't worry about it; it ain't yer fault." He holds up the same hand, giving a casual shrug. "I'll live. It's just a scratch."
"It's more than a scratch." Jennifer sets the forgotten hair dryer on the coffee table, actually getting close enough to lightly grasp the sides of his hand. She examines it carefully. "With this much skin being broken it might become infected." She meets his surprised gaze. "Are you sure you're alright? It looks awfully painful."
"Erm..." He glances down at the gentle grip she has on him, finally nodding. "Yeah. I'm, uh...I'm good."
"Still," she says, taking him by the other hand to do the same. "You really should get these wounds cleaned. Dressing them up couldn't hurt, either." She looks to Bonnie. "Don't we have some hydrogen peroxide and bandages in that first aid kit?"
"Ya know," Bonnie offers, smirking at seeing Bigtime's face turning a light shade of red as the young woman fusses over him. "I think we do." She goes to the kitchen sink, opening up the cupboard below it to retrieve a small white box with a generic medical cross imprinted on the lid. She opens it. "Well would ya look at that! Yer were right." She goes back over to them, setting it down on the coffee table, still grinning. "There ya go," she says, then taking a seat in one of the plush chairs opposite to the couch; watching the amusing scene unfold.
"Thanks." Jenny coaxes a still bemused Bigtime back over to the sofa. Once he allows her to pull him down next to her, she releases her hold on him to rummage through the medical supplies, pulling out a small brown bottle and gauze. She opens the bottle, dabbing some of the clear liquid onto a few of the cloth squares. She takes him by the hand again, giving him an apologetic look. "Now, this might sting a little."
The second the sterilizing substance comes in contact with the opens sores, he sucks air in through his teeth.
"I know I'm sorry," Jenny offers quickly. She gently blows air onto the area a couple of times before meeting his wide eyes again. "How's that? Any better?""
He's just as puzzled as the moment she'd first taken him by the hand, but still nods. "Yeah...better," he manages to say, though it comes out much quieter than he probably would've like it to. "It's better."
Bonnie— who'd snatched up a fashion magazine to mindlessly flip through— surveys the two of them with interest as her friend does the same with the other hand, though this time when she blows on it she could swear there's a hint of a smile on her brother's face. Once she's done torturing him with the peroxide, Jennifer proceeds to add an antibiotic cream before finally bandaging him up.
"So, um..." She breaks the silence that had been between all of them, glancing up at him as she continues to wrap the dressing around the second hand. "This might really be a cliché way to start a conversation, but...what sorta stuff are you into?" She shrugs. "Ya know; other than breaking out of prison, or rigging explosives."
He blinks, pointing to himself. "Who, me?"
"Of course you, ya doofus," Bonnie snaps. "Who else would she be talking to?"
"Bonnie!" Jennifer scolds, looking to her sternly. "Be nice; he's our guest."
Bonnie gives Bigtime a detached stare when he chimes in with "Yeah be nice to me," then pointing to the unfinished bandage and adding in mock dejection "I've had a bad night, ya know."
She shakes her head at his smugness before pretending to read an article on how to lose weight by eating nothing but rhubarb for a month; at least he was starting to act like himself again. That much she was thankful for.
"So uh." Bigtime rubs at the back of his neck. "What sorta stuff? Like...collectin' stamps, or somethin'?" He frowns. "Cuz the answer's definitely no."
She giggles, shaking her head. "No, not like stamp collecting." She finishes up the bandage, getting a piece of medical tape to secure it with. "What about books; do you like to read?"
What he responds with surprises Bonnie to the point where she gapes at him for the rest of their conversation. "Actually yeah; I love it. Mostly just the classics, though. I ain't too big on any uh this new stuff they're comin' out with."
"Tell me about it." Jennifer grimaces while still eyeing the finishing touches on her handy work. "If I see a another vampire-romance novel take the Best Seller spot I'm giving up on humanity!"
"Well, don't hold yer breath," he says. "We ain't gonna see another John Steinbeck fer who knows how long."
Jennifer's head pops up from the newly bandaged hand she still holds. "Oh, I love Of Mice and Men," she breathes fondly. "George Milton's character is my absolute favorite! It makes me wish there was more integrity like that in the world!"
"Yeah, and I can relate to the guy." He gives a light scoff, jabbing a thumb to his chest. "I got so many Lennies in my family rabbits should be on the endangered species list!"
When Jennifer laughs happily at this, Bonnie is absolutely flabbergasted; since when did Beagles know how to imbed witty humor into conversations about books?! She pinches at the bridge of her nose. This whole night was starting to feel like an episode of the Twilight Zone, and it was giving her a headache...
"There's no way you've read anything by Sir Author Conan Doyle," Jenny states. "Because that would be too amazing if you did."
Bigtime smirks, then clearing his throat before reciting something from memory: "'Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable'-"
"-'must be the truth!'" She shakes her head in admiration, gently prodding him in the shoulder. "Get outta town! I've never known anyone to actually quote Sherlock Holmes before; very impressive."
"Only cuz ya hadn't met me yet," he responds casually, then examining his new bandages. "Hey thanks, by the way. This actually does feel a lot better."
"Ah, don't mention it," she says, giving an indifferent wave. "My grandmother used to be a nurse, so I learned all the basics from her."
"Well she knew what she was doin', that's fer sure." He turns his hands over, still inspecting them. He gives a nod. "This is nice work; either she's a good teacher, or yer a good student."
She gestures with her hands. "A little from column A, a little from column B."
Bigtime looks on at her a moment longer before coming out with "It's, Jennifer." He points. "Right?"
She shrugs. "Jennifer. Jenny. Whichever is fine." She briefly makes eye contact with Bonnie, who gives her a supportive thumbs up as a sign that she's doing good on her first Beagle Boy encounter.
"Well, then...Jenny." Bigtime turns to face her. "What other topics did ya have in mind?"
"Really?" She raises a brow in surprise. "It's, getting kinda late. Sure ya don't wanna get some sleep? You look exhausted."
"Nah, I've had to stay awake fer days at a time b'fore!" he says with a shrug. "Stayin' up fer a friendly lil' chat with you ain't gonna kill me."
Bonnie had abandoned the magazine in her lap. She honestly couldn't believe what was happening in her living room. But at least the little bonding experience was taking his mind off of what they'd been talking about just before Jennifer had showed up. It also seemed to be distracting him from whatever it was that had forced him to go so far as to remove his iconic burglar mask.
The longer she watches him while he's in mid-conversation, going into great detail about the different countries he's visited over the years while working for someone like Flintheart Glomgold, the more she feels like this is exactly what he needs; an opportunity to be just be a regular guy, having a regular conversation, with a regular girl...if only for one night. She had a feeling that this actually meant a lot more to him than even he realized it did.
'Good thing I made that coffee,' she says inwardly, frowning down at the late hour displayed on her watch. 'This is gonna be one long night.'
Jeez! That was a long one! Sorry I couldn't break this one up a little. I couldn't find a good part to split it, so I just left it alone. Hope it was okay! The next chapter will be up soon, but if you're reading this, please review and let me know what you think. I live for feed back.
Oh, and don't worry! Scrooge and the others will be popping up eventually, otherwise it wouldn't be a Ducktales fic, now would it? I'm just trying to focus on the Beagle family…for some reason, they just fascinate me…
Maybe it's the matching outfits…who knows. :p
Stay tuned!