"Buddy! come on breath!" Surly exclaimed. when Buddy still did nothing Surly was left with no choice and he slapped Buddy across the face. Buddy instantly gasp and clung to Surly. Surly stood carefully with Buddy ,bridel style, in his arms.
"are you two ok?" Andie ask. Surly nodded.
"what did you need?" Surly ask.
"we have a problem." Andie said. "Grayson and several others swear they saw Raccoon hanging around your old tree. we think he's going to try and kill you." Andie added.
"are they sure it was him? did you see him?" Surly ask. Andie shook her head.
"no but I believe them." Andie replied. Surly nodded.
"thanks for the tip. i'll keep an eye out for him." Surly replied.
"actually we think it would be safer for you both if you moved over into the main part of the park instead of over here away from everyone." Andie said.
"Andie i've told you-" Surly started but then he paused as he thought about Buddy's safety. he shook his head with a sigh. "alright." Surly agreed. Andie was surprized.
"your agreeing? really? why so quickly?" Andie ask.
"I have my reasons." Surly replied pulling Buddy closer. Andie noticed this movement and nodded.
"come on." Andie said and started walking. Surly was not going to chance putting Buddy down after he'd slipped twice already and carried him as he followed Andie.
"so where will we be staying?" Surly ask. lightning flashed and he could see the looks on Andie and Buddys faces clearly. Andie was serious and Buddy was scared. Surly held Buddy tighter in a quiet reassurance he wouldn't let anything happen to him.
"in my old hollow." Andie replied. Surly frowned.
"but then where are you going to stay?" Surly ask.
"in the tree next to it, with Grayson." Andie replied. Surly thought a moment putting two and two together.
"so I take it you finally agreed to date him?" Surly ask.
"thats not any of your business." Andie replied. Surly laughed.
"so you did!" Surly exclaimed. Andie turned around and glared at him.
"shut it Surly." Andie replied.
"alright. alright." Surly surrendered. Andie nodded once curtly and continued walking. she heard Surly talking quietly to Buddy, and if she listened carefully she could hear what they were saying. "so if I put you down you not going to slip on the grass?" Surly ask chuckling quietly. Buddy nodded and Surly put him on his feet. they started walking again and this time it was Surly who slipped. Buddy couldn't help it he laughed so hard he fell over and kept laughing. Surly stared at him for a moment before he too started laughing too.
"wah-ha-who fuh-fell n-na-now?" Buddy laughed. Surly shook his head and stood. he reached out a hand and pulled Buddy up to his feet.
"if you two are done horsing around, you might want to gather some stuff to make some temperary nests or beds whatever you want to call them." Andie told them. they took her advice. they got to the tree, waived goodbye to Andie, made one giant nest like bed, and curled up together. Surly was almost asleep when there was a slight tap like knock out side the hollow. Surly looked up and noticed Grayson there awkwardly. Surly checked to make sure Buddy was asleep before he got up. he walked over to Grayson.
"you shouldn't be here." Surly whispered. Grayson looked like he agreed but didn't move.
"where's Buddy?" Grayson ask. Surly blocked the doorway even though he knew the taller squirrel could easily pick him up.
"sleeping and even if he wasn't I still wouldn't let you by." Surly replied. Grayson sighed and looked like he'd expected it. Surly came to the conclusion that for an idiot, sometimes Grayson could be smart.
"I just wanted to tell you both that I was sorry." Grayson said.
"i'll pass that along." Surly replied. he was bitter but Grayson had upset Buddy and caused him to get hurt by causing others to hurt Surly. Grayson nodded and left. Surly went back over and curled up with Buddy.
"S-Surly, wah-ha-who wuh-wah-was that?" Buddy mumbled. Surly jumped at his voice.
"I thought you were asleep." Surly said. Buddy shrugged and didn't answer. "it was Grayson." Surly replied. Buddy growled quietly.
"wah-wuh-what did huh-he wah-want?" Buddy ask.
"to say sorry." Surly replied.
*later that night*
Surly woke up and Buddy was gone. he heard something that sounded like a fight, well more like some animals cheering another on as some scared and defenseless animal screamed. after a moment Surly realized it was the sound of those rats cheering, and his heart dropped when he realized it was Buddy screaming. as quickly and as quietly as he could he raced over to Andie.
"Andie! get Grayson, Buddies in trouble." Surly said. before Andie could ask any questions she heard the screaming and Surly was gone. "HEY! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Surly shouted jumping and tackling one of the rats. eventually Andie and Grayson joined in the fight. "Andie!" Surly exclaimed.
"yeah Surly?!" Andie replied hitting a rat with a twig.
"keep fighting I need to get Buddy out of here!" Surly said. she nodded and Grayson jumped on the rat that Surly was fighting. Surly raced over to Buddy. he could see by the wounds what they had done to Buddy and it enraged him. Buddy jumped on him hugging him. "hold on Buddy i'll get you outta here." Surly whispered. Buddy didn't reply. Surly made sure Buddy was secure before dropping down on all four and running as fast as he could. he was actually looking for somewhere to put him when he saw Lana. he ran over to her and up to her shoulder. he cradled Buddy and tapped her shoulder. she looked at him.
"hey Surly." Lana said reaching out a hand. Surly had no clue how Buddy did it but he some how managed to tell Lana their names. Surly stepped into her hand and gently placed Buddy down. he looked up at her and pointed across the street to the nut shop. Lana nodded. "i'll take him over there when Precious comes back." Lana told Surly nodded, saluted, and took off. when he got back one rat had Grayson pinned to the ground and was choking him.
"your going to pay for what you did to him!" Surly shouted tackling the rat into a tree. he held the rats throat. "why did you attack him?" Surly growled. the rat smirked.
"we were hired by an old friend of yours." the rat smirked. Surly grabed him and smashed his head into the tree ,killing him, before throwing him at the others. everyone turned to him.
"get out of here. if I ever see you here- no scratch that, if I ever see you near Buddy again or you so much as breath or look the wrong way at him, you'll end up like your little pal over there." Surly warned. "now beat it!" Surly shouted. the rats scrambled away. Andie ran over to him.
"Surly, what happened?" Andie ask following him as he walked away.
"nothing." Surly replied.
"Surly, you just killed someone." Andie reminded him. Surly stopped. "what happened to Buddy?" Andie ask. Surly turned and looked her in the eyes. she could see the anger and the need to kill but the strongest thing she could see was the pain.
"I let Buddy down because they..." Surly trailed debating if he should tell her or not.
"they what?" Andie ask. Surly sighed.