AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, it's been a few months since I wrote the first part of this "little" one-off story, though you might not even realize it since it's actually been months since I wrote the first chapter of this story (my proofreader took a long time getting it back to me). I haven't written much of anything lately...just haven't been in the right mood to really write much as of late. Hey, you can't spend every waking minute of your life writing fanfics, now! But time has passed, and a new year is upon us now (...has it really been almost three years since I first started working on my first Raccoons fanfic?), so I guess it's time to get back to work! Last time around, little Michael Raccoon wanted a puppy and asked his parents if they could get him one for his birthday. Ralph and Melissa did some thinking, and they ultimately decided that Michael was responsible enough and that having a puppy would be a good experience for him. So, they received a bulldog puppy from an annoying Evergreen Standard employee of theirs, and gave it to Michael as a birthday present. An overjoyed Michael named his new puppy Peanut and promised his parents he would take good care of her, and all seemed well. But in this chapter...Michael proves to be a bit careless when it comes to taking care of his new pet, and as a result, while taking her for a walk one night, Peanut escapes and runs away. Michael is devastated to lose his puppy...will he get her back? Find out in this chapter...
CHAPTER TWO: Little Puppy Lost
Michael's (and Ralph's) birthday came and went by in a flash. The couple held a small party that evening after the little kit came home from school, attended by his family and their friends, as well as a few of Michael's schoolmates. It had been quite a fun occasion, although some of Michael's friends had gotten him some rather...unusual gifts, to say the least...
"Hello there, Mikey!" a familiar female voice had called out to him at the party.
"Bea? What are you doing here?" It was Beatrice "Bea" Blackpaw, a female raccoon classmate of Michael's. He was surprised to see her at his party, considering he hadn't personally invited her; he wasn't all that particularly fond of her.
"Oh, well, it was your birthday, Mikey, and I thought it would be nice to drop by and say hello!" she giggled, causing the little kit to roll his eyes. "Anyways, I got you a present, Mikey!"
"What is it?" the young raccoon wondered.
Bea promptly handed Michael a small box with a large pink bow on top of it. "Here you go, Mikey. See what I got for you!" she continued to giggle.
Michael opened up the box, but was...baffled by the present Bea had gotten for him. "A...bottle...? Why did you get me a bottle?" Michael raised his eyebrow.
"Well...I thought we could play 'Spin-the-Bottle'!" Bea giggled once again as she draped her arm around him. "Maybe you will get a really nice surprise...wouldn't you like that?" she chortled once more, a coy little smile flashing across her face as she fiddled with her pigtails.
Michael's cheeks promptly turned bright pink. "Uh...huh...?" He didn't really understand what was going on...
Aside from that, Michael and Ralph's birthdays turned out quite well. In particular, Ralph was happy with the gift his son had gotten for him...
"Here, Daddy!" Michael beamed at his father as he handed him a small picture frame. "I got this for you at the school store!"
Ralph took a good look at the picture frame. Inside of it, there was a picture taken of the proud father with his arms wrapped tightly around his young son, giving him a big hug. It had been taken this past summer. On the back of the picture frame, Ralph observed some words written in a rather childish manner. It read "I Love You Daddy!"
Ralph couldn't help but grin proudly at the present Michael had gotten for him. "Aw, son...that was very thoughtful of you. Thank you; I really like it," he smiled warmly as he stooped down to give his son a hug.
"Daddy, do you remember how you said you wanted a picture of you and me to put on your desk at work?" Michael asked his father sweetly.
Ralph nodded his head in reply. "Why, yes, son. I remember saying that not too long ago..."
"Well, I thought you would like it, Dad!" Michael continued to beam proudly.
"Oh, I do, son. Now when I'm having a hard day at the Standard's office and everything seems to be going wrong, I'll always have this little picture of us to remind me of you and brighten up my day. Thanks again, Mikey...I love you, son..." Ralph smiled warmly as father and son hugged each other happily, just like in the picture.
Michael's birthday had been an occasion to remember. He had spent time with his family and friends, and had received many presents from all of them. But of all the presents he received...Peanut, his new pet bulldog, was clearly his favorite.
At first, Peanut was a bit of a troublemaker. She had numerous accidents on the floor during her first few days as the Raccoon family's new pet. It was a bit frustrating for the three raccoons having to deal with constant messes to clean up; in particular, Ralph was definitely not fond of having to clean up puppy waste, as he had thought he was through with having to do that sort of stuff after he had successfully potty-trained his son.
Aside from that, Peanut tended to get bored pretty easily, and she had quickly developed the bad habit of chewing and gnawing on anything she could sink her teeth into. In particular, Peanut had developed quite an appetite for the family's rugs...
Late one night, Melissa was walking through the Raccoondominium's hallway as she was heading for Michael's bedroom to tuck her little kit in and kiss him goodnight. But as she was approaching his bedroom door, she couldn't help but notice that Peanut was out in the hallway as well.
"Peanut, what are you doing?" Melissa wondered aloud. She seemed to be gnawing away at something...Melissa hoped it wasn't what she thought it was...
...but sure enough, it was. Peanut was chewing on the hallway rug, and she had already ripped some of the threads right out of it. "Peanut, no!" Melissa firmly scolded the little bulldog. "You do not chew our rugs!"
"What's the matter, Mommy?" Michael asked tiredly as he crawled out of his bed, dressed in his pajamas.
"Peanut has been chewing our rug again," Melissa informed her son. "You know we don't want her doing that...we've already had to replace the one we used to have in here because she chewed it all to pieces!"
"Peanut, no! Bad dog!" Michael scolded his pet as well. "Mommy doesn't want you chewing on our rugs! Bad dog!"
Peanut whined as her ears drooped. She was pretty sensitive and didn't like being yelled at. With that, the puppy slunk down and slowly made her way downstairs...
"Do you think she'll stop chewing rugs someday, Mom?" Michael wondered.
"Oh, she will, honey," Melissa smiled warmly, placing a paw on her young son's shoulder. "She's still a baby; she has a lot of growing up to do. You know, you used to get into a lot of things you weren't supposed to when you were a baby, too."
"I did?" Michael remarked, surprised. He couldn't remember back that far.
"Of course you did; but you grew out of it eventually. Peanut will, too...hopefully..."
A few weeks passed and Peanut's behavior slowly began to improve. She still had a bad habit of chewing things, but it seemed she was on the fast track to being potty-trained successfully. She now whined when she needed to use the bathroom, and Ralph, Melissa, or Michael would oblige and take her outside to do her business. And Peanut had proven to be quite playful. In particular, she loved playing with Michael...
One afternoon, Michael was outside with Peanut, a small rubber ball firmly placed in his paw. Ralph and Melissa looked on with interest.
"Peanut!" Michael called cheerfully to his pet, squeaking the ball a few times. "Do you want the ball? Do you want the ball?"
Peanut panted eagerly, her little stub of a tail wiggling frantically back and forth. It was her way of saying, "Yes!"
"Well, okay!" Michael grinned. "Go get it, girl!" the little kit shouted as he tossed the ball several feet away. Almost immediately, Peanut raced over to where the ball had landed, grabbed it with her jaws, and galloped back towards her young owner. She ran so fast that she bumped into the little kit and startled him, causing him to lose his balance and fall over onto his back.
"WOAH!" Michael called out. Next thing he knew, the little bulldog had climbed on top of him and was now frantically licking his face. "RUFF! RUFF!" the puppy barked.
"Hehehehe!" the young kit couldn't help but giggle, as he scratched Peanut behind her ears, causing her stub to wiggle frantically and making her lick him even more. "Stop it, Peanut! Hehehe!"
Ralph and Melissa couldn't help but smile fondly at the adorable scene happening before them. Seeing how much fun their little son was having with his new pet warmed the raccoon couple's hearts.
"Awww, look at him, Ralph," Melissa sweetly remarked. "He's having so much fun with her. He really loves her a lot, doesn't he?"
"I know," Ralph happily nodded. "I've never seen him so happy in all my life. They really get along well...getting Michael a puppy for his birthday was a wonderful idea, wasn't it honey?"
"I agree, sweetie," Melissa continued to beam proudly.
"Hey, Mikey!" Ralph called out to his son. "What's the name of that game you're playing with Peanut?"
Michael picked up the rubber ball off the ground, which was covered in Peanut's drool. "Heheh...Well, Daddy, I call it 'Slobber-ball'!" he giggled cheerfully.
A month has passed since his parents had gotten him Peanut for his birthday, and Michael was bonding wonderfully with his new pet. She still had a lot to learn and had a habit of finding trouble, but with Michael's help, her behavior was slowly starting to improve. The two of them got along well, and Michael was happier than he had ever been before. It seemed he and Peanut would have many happy years together...
But then one October night, everything went wrong for the little kit...
It was a beautiful mid-October afternoon. The leaves had turned from green to red, yellow, and brown, and the weather was starting to grow cooler. While most of the Forest's residents were pleased that the hot temperatures of summer had passed them by, many of them weren't looking forward to the impending harshness of the upcoming winter...
Today, Melissa Raccoon was sitting on the Raccoondominum's family sofa in the living room, curled up with another one of her favorite romance novels. Melissa always had been a real sucker for romance and cute couples, and she couldn't help but feel herself rooting for the couple in the novel, even though they were up against incredible odds. "They really do have quite a story to them," Melissa spoke aloud as she adjusted her reading glasses. "Still," she sighed wistfully, "I don't think it compares to mine and Ralph's own love story..."
Melissa was alone in the Raccoondominium at the moment, as her hubby had gone outside with their young kit so the two of them could play with Peanut. While Melissa usually would go outside with the guys to play with their puppy, today she had voluntarily made the decision to stay inside and read her romance novel. She knew that Ralph felt that he wasn't as close to Michael as he was with her, so she always liked setting up opportunities for father and son to bond by spending quality time together. She looked out the window and saw Ralph and Michael playing Frisbee with Peanut. Ralph had just thrown the Frisbee, and the little bulldog had leaped into the air and caught it. She could hear the sounds of the two of them laughing together outside..."I'm glad my guys are having such fun together," Melissa smiled happily to herself.
With that, Melissa's attention quickly turned back to her romance novel. But just as she turned the page, she was started by the sound of the telephone ringing. She quickly placed her book down and glanced over the phone, checking the caller ID. She recognized that number in a flash as it was very familiar to her. "Oh, I'd better get that!" she exclaimed as she took off her reading glasses and picked up the phone off the receiver.
An ever-familiar goofy voice came over the other end of the line. "Hey, Ralphie boy! How are ya doin'?"
Melissa couldn't help but chuckle. "Haha, no, no, Bert. It's me...Melissa!"
"Oh!" Bert exclaimed, sounding a bit surprised. "Oh, sorry, Melissa. I was expecting Ralphie boy...I had somethin' I wanted to talk to him about. Do you know where he is right now?"
Melissa glanced out the window. "He's outside right now with Michael. They're having fun playing with Peanut," she explained.
"Ah, I see! The little guy really loves that bulldog ya got him, doesn't he?"
"Oh he does, he does!" Melissa beamed. "It was a great idea to get him a puppy for a birthday present, I think. They really get along together so well!" She quickly changed the subject. "Anyways, Bert, what did you want to talk to Ralph about? Go ahead, you can tell me. I can talk to him about it when he comes back in."
"You know Prof. Sarff, right?" Bert asked inquisitively.
Melissa recognized that name. Prof. Claude Sarff, a mongoose, was the current owner and curator of the Evergreen Science & History Museum. He had come to the Forest about a decade ago from Trois-Rivieres, Quebec to work as Prof. Smedley-Smythe's assistant. The aged goat professor had passed away about three years ago, and ever since Prof. Sarff had taken over operations at the museum. He completely renovated and revamped the museum ever since he'd taken it over... "Sure, I think we all know him pretty well," Melissa replied.
"And ya know that he's holding a laser rock show at the Museum auditorium tonight, right?"
"Oh, I do," Melissa responded. She heard about that for the past couple of weeks; it had even been advertised in their newspaper. "I imagine that'll be quite a sight to behold!"
"Well, Max and I did some thinkin', an' we decided that we're gonna go see it," her goofy friend explained to her. "She thought it would be a lotta fun to see and that it might be rather...ya know...romantic. And we wanted to know if you and Ralphie boy would come along with us. You know...one of those 'couples' nights out' we like to do every now and then?"
Melissa really did enjoy their couples' nights out; it was quite a lot of fun for the two couples to go out together and enjoy themselves. And she had to admit...the idea of her and Ralph watching a laser light show set to rock music sounded like it might be rather romantic. "Ooohh...that sounds like fun, Bert! But isn't it five dollars per person to get in?"
"Yeah...but I saw that couples could get in for $2.50 apiece for all three one-hour shows tonight," Bert chuckled. "Can't resist passin' up an offer like that, y'know!"
It sounded like a good deal to Melissa. "Haha, I guess you're right, Bert," Melissa laughed a bit as well. It was at that very moment that Ralph, Michael, and Peanut strolled back into the Raccoondominium.
"So what d'ya say? Will ya meet us there?" Bert asked her.
"Oh, Ralph just came in," Melissa explained to him. "I'll be sure to ask him about it, okay?"
"Alright," Bert responded. "See ya later, Melissa! If you and Ralphie boy decide to go, be sure to meet us there by seven!"
"Alright, bye," Melissa smiled as she hung up the phone. She then turned her attention to her husband and her child. "Well! I see you boys had fun, huh?" she chuckled, noticing they were both a little dirty from their outdoor fun.
"We sure did, honey," Ralph smiled. "That Peanut is really...energetic, I'll say that!"
"She's the best dog in the world!" Michael beamed as he scratched his puppy behind the ears. "Daddy and I had a blast, Mommy!"
"I'm glad to hear that," Melissa beamed proudly. It always made her feel happy deep inside seeing Ralph getting along well with their son.
"Who was that on the phone, honey?" Ralph wondered.
"Oh, that was Bert. He had something he wanted me to ask you, sweetie..."
"Oh, and what's that?"
"You know that Prof. Sarff is holding the laser rock show at the Museum's auditorium tonight, right?" she asked her husband.
"Oh, I remember," Ralph scoffed. "That just seems so...so needlessly...extravagant," he remarked. While Prof. Sarff was a friendly and wise individual, he seemed rather...eccentric, to the point where Ralph sometimes jokingly called him the "Nutty Professor". Ralph thought his whole idea of having a laser rock show was quite silly. He didn't seen anything scientific or educational in holding laser light shows synchronized to rock music...
"Well, sweetie, Bert said that he and Maxie were going to go see it, and he wanted to know if we'd come along too," she smiled at him. "I think it sounds really romantic, Ralph. We could hold paws and watch the show together. What do you say?"
While Ralph did enjoy the couples' nights that he and Melissa had shared with Bert and Maxie from time to time, he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to see the laser rock show. It just sounded too ridiculous for his liking. "I don't know, honey...if you ask me, I think the whole thing sounds really silly..."
"Oh, c'mon, Ralph, where's your sense of romance?" Melissa chuckled. "You know, cute couples get in for half price...and I really think it'll be a lot of fun...hmmm...?" she winked. Melissa proceeded to flash a sly, flirtatious grin, coyly batting her eyelashes at her hubby.
Ralph realized what his wife was trying to do right away. "Oh dear. She's trying to use her 'feminine wiles' to coax me into going with her." Sometimes, when Ralph wasn't sure about doing something with her that she was keen on, Melissa would flirt around with him a bit, trying to convince him to do what she wanted. He hated when she did that...because it always worked. That flirty, childish-looking smirk planted firmly on her face and that almost pleading look in her wild baby blues made his heart feel like it was about to pound right out of his chest. He couldn't say no to that face...
Ralph did have to admit, maybe the laser rock show would be fun, even though it still seemed pretty silly to him. Besides, he always loved spending quality time with his sweet girl; it seemed rather foolish to pass up on an opportunity like that..."OK, honey. I guess it could be fun to see the light show. I suppose we'll go see it. Besides, I guess it'll be nice hanging out with Bert and Maxie again," he smiled at her. "Plus, I could always write an article about the show, you know!"
"I'm glad to hear that, Ralph," Melissa smiled sweetly at him. "Heheheh," she mentally chuckled to herself. "That never fails to get his attention! You've still got it, ol' girl!"
Michael was a little confused. "Daddy," he whispered, "I thought you didn't want to go with Mommy? All she did was look at you funny and then you decided you wanted to go with her. I don't get it...?"
"Son," Ralph quietly informed his son. "When you get just a little bit older, you'll understand. Trust me, you will understand..."
"Oh, okay," Michael smiled, though he was still puzzled. "Grown-ups can be weird sometimes..."
"It's three shows tonight, am I right?" Ralph asked Melissa.
"Yes," Melissa nodded. "Laser Rolling Bones, Laser Airship, and Laser Floyd," she explained. "Each show is an hour long."
"Ah," Ralph remarked. He remembered the names of all those bands well as they had all been popular in his youth...though he hadn't been entirely fond of all them. "I guess that could be interesting to see." He then realized how dirty he was from playing outside with his son and Peanut. It had rained the previous night and he and Michael had rolled around in the mud and the leaves while playing with the puppy. "Think I'd better get a shower first, though! Don't want to go there looking like I just had a mud bath," he chuckled.
"We wouldn't want that, would we now, dear?" Melissa giggled in reply.
"Haha, no, we wouldn't!"
Michael was rather excited. His parents had taken him to the museum several times over the past couple of years, where he always loved visiting. It fascinated him to learn more about his Forest home and its' past. He thought a trip to the museum with his mother and father would be a ton of fun. "Mommy, can I go with you and Daddy? Can I?" Michael eagerly asked.
Melissa's broad smile turned a bit more serious. "I'm afraid not, sweetie..." she said, sympathetically.
"Why not? I love the museum! We would have a lot of fun together!" Michael wondered.
"I know, son, but you heard us. Mommy and Daddy are going to the Museum with your Uncle Bert and Aunt Maxie," Ralph explained. "It's a grown-ups only night."
"Awww," Michael groaned. He had been hoping he might be able to go with his parents, so hearing this disappointed him.
"Don't worry, honey," Melissa smiled at the little kit. "We can always go to the museum together as a family some other time."
"Okay, Mommy," Michael managed to crack a small smile. "What's going to happen to me while you two are gone?" He was expecting his parents to tell him who he was going to spend the night with...
He wasn't expecting the response his mother gave him. "Mikey, tonight you can stay here at home. Peanut does need someone to stay with her and keep an eye out for her, after all!"
Michael was very excited hearing what his mother had just told him. For what had seemed like the longest time, Michael had been hoping his parents would let him look after the house by himself while they were out and about. He did like spending time with his babysitters, but he admittedly had grown a bit tired of having to spend the night at someone else's house whenever his parents went out. He thought he could handle the responsibility of looking after the Raccoondominium by himself quite well. It thrilled him hearing his mother seemingly grant his wish. "You mean I can look after the house...all by myself...?!"
Melissa chuckled a little at her son's eagerness. "Haha, no, honey. You're not quite old enough to look after the house by yourself yet. You will be someday soon, but for the time being, you'll need a babysitter for the night."
"Oh," Michael sighed. That was quite a disappointment for him learning that he would still need a babysitter...
"Well, who do you think we should get honey?" Ralph wondered. It seemed to him like most of their family and friends were busy tonight.
"Hmm..." Melissa thought to herself; then it hit her. She knew who could look after their son for the night. "You know, dear, Nicole's free for the night. Why don't we call her up and ask her if she'll look after him tonight? I know she's very fond of Mikey..."
"That sounds like a fine idea, Melissa," Ralph smiled.
Michael still felt disappointed knowing he was going to be babysat tonight. He didn't like feeling like he was a little kid. "Mommy...why did you say that Peanut needed me to look after her if I'm going to have a babysitter...?"
Ralph fielded that question. "Even if you have a babysitter, son, it's still your responsibility to look after Peanut. We got her for you, after all, and it's your job to make sure she doesn't get into any trouble and goes outside on time so she doesn't have any accidents."
Michael smiled hearing that. He liked knowing he was in charge of watching Peanut for the night...but little did he know what would happen that evening...
It was about 6:30 and Ralph and Melissa were getting ready to head over to the Museum for the laser rock show. They had called Nicole a little while earlier, and seeing that she was free, she happily agreed to watch over Michael for the night while they were gone. She was due to arrive at any minute...
"Well, Ralph, we're almost ready to go," Melissa smiled. "This is going to be a lot of fun, don't you think?" she continued to beam broadly.
"I sure hope so," Ralph smiled right back at her. "I just hope that Bert behaves himself tonight...he almost got the four of us kicked out of that Chinese restaurant last time because he was laughing too hard at a joke Maxie made," Ralph sighed. "Plus, I hope this isn't as silly as I think it's going to be..." he silently thought to himself.
Michael was feeling a bit anxious for his aunt to arrive. "Mommy, why isn't Uncle George coming over as too?"
"Well, Mikey," Melissa explained to her son. "Your Uncle George is busy working late at his restaurant tonight, so he can't come over. But your Auntie Nicole was free tonight."
"I hope she gets here soon," Michael replied, feeling a little impatient. Michael had once been a bit nervous around his aunt and uncle. They were so very...different from his mother and father. It surprised him to see that George was the one who cooked and did most of the household chores around their household, while Nicole was the one who was good at fixing things and did most of the handiwork. It was quite the opposite of what he was used to seeing at his house, where his father usually fixed things that were broken and his mother did most of the chores and the cooking, and it confused him greatly at first. But over time, Michael had grown fond of his uncle, and particularly his aunt. They both adored him and whenever one or both of them were watching over him, they always made sure to make him feel comfortable staying with them. Still, Michael didn't really want to be babysat tonight...
"She should be here...any minute," Ralph shrugged. He had thought she would show up by now...
A few moments later, there was a knock on the front door. "Ah, that should be her now!" Melissa smiled as she opened the front door.
Sure enough, Nicole was standing there, waiting to greet them. "'Ello there, Ralph, Melizza," she cracked a smile at them. "I am zorry if I am a little late. I 'ad a few thingz I needed to tend to around the 'ouze and it took me a while to do that."
"We were wondering where you were, but it's alright, Nicole," Ralph smiled at his sister-in-law. At that moment, Nicole noticed little Michael, who promptly ran into her outstretched arms for a hug.
"Hi, Auntie Nicole!" Michael chirped cheerfully.
"Oh, 'ello there, Mikey," Nicole happily smiled at him, as she tussled with the fur on her young nephew's head. Nicole had always been very fond of Michael, ever since he was just a tiny baby raccoon. She hadn't told many people about it, but when Lisa and Bentley had left her and George's household to live on their own, it hit Nicole particularly hard as she had been really fond of both their children. She couldn't help but chuckle remembering how she had called Bentley periodically after he moved into the dorms at Evergreen University just to see how he was doing and if everything was alright; it had really gotten on her son's nerves! Even though they hadn't moved very far away at all and she still saw them from time to time, she missed her children terribly after they had both left. But it wasn't long afterwards that Ralph and Melissa had brought Michael into the world. She had adored the little kit ever since she had first seen him in the hospital room he was born in, and over the years her brother-in-law and his wife had been more than happy to let her and George look after Michael from time to time. The time she spent watching over her little nephew over the years had helped her in overcoming her loneliness, and thus, she was always happy to look after him. "Mikey," she smiled to him. "I 'ope that you and I will have a lot of fun together tonight...?"
"I hope we do too, Auntie Nicole," Michael grinned.
At that moment, Peanut slowly walked up to Nicole. She was a little nervous around strangers, and she wasn't all that familiar with Nicole...
Nicole reached down and gently scratched the nervous bulldog behind the ears. "Oh, 'ello, Peanut," she smiled at the puppy. "Do not be afraid; I will not 'urt you..."
Peanut was still a little nervous, but her stubby tail did wag a little. "She'll get used to you, Nicole. She's just a little nervous around strangers," Ralph explained.
"I underztand, zhe iz ztill very young," Nicole knowingly replied.
"I think she'll grow to like you, Auntie Nicole!" Michael smiled optimistically.
"Well, I 'ope zhe will," Nicole agreed.
"I think it's about time we should get going," Melissa remarked as she grabbed her denim jacket from the coat rack by the door and quickly put it on. "Now remember, Nicole, Michael can stay up one extra hour after his bedtime, seeing as today is Friday." Michael usually went to bed at around 9:30, but for his birthday, Ralph and Melissa had decided to grant their son permission to stay up one hour longer on Fridays, Saturdays, and the night before days with no school. Needless to say, the little kit definitely liked this new privilege.
"Oui, of courze, Melizza," Nicole nodded. "I will 'ave 'im in bed by 10:30, no worriez." Nicole was a bit concerned, though, as she wasn't sure how she could contact Ralph and Melissa if something was wrong and she needed to reach them. Ralph and Melissa had yet to fully enter the digital age; they were yet to acquire cell phones. Michael had asked them if he could have one last year, but the couple didn't see why he needed one at his young age, so they had not gotten him one. "I am juzt wondering, 'ow zhall I reach you if zomething 'appens and I need to get in touch with you before you come back? You two don't 'ave cell phonez..."
"That's right, we don't," Ralph replied as he grabbed his old coat and tossed it on as well. "But Bert has one. We wrote the number down for you in case you need to reach us. It's right on the refrigerator. If anything goes wrong, just call his number and tell him that you need to speak with us."
"But don't worry, I think everything will go just fine for you two tonight while we're gone," Melissa smiled reassuringly.
Michael realized his parents were about to leave. "Goodbye Daddy...bye, Mommy," he beamed at them.
Ralph stooped down and gave his little son a goodbye hug. "Bye, son," he grinned back at the kit. "You be good for your Aunt Nicole, alright? And please make sure Peanut's taken care of while we're gone..."
"Don't worry, I will!" the young raccoon exclaimed in a confident manner.
Melissa stooped down to hug her child as well. "Goodbye, my little cutie pie," she flashed a warm smile at him as she pinched his little cheeks, making him giggle. "I know you'll be as good as gold for your aunt tonight."
"I'll be on my best behavior, Mom," Michael cheerfully replied.
"I know you will," Melissa smiled tenderly. "We may bring you home a souvenir from the museum for you to keep, honey," she explained to him.
That excited the young kit. "Really, Mom?" his ears perked up.
"Of course; if you're good, that is," Melissa nodded. With that, the raccoon couple headed for the front door.
"We'll see you later tonight, Nicole. We'll probably be home by 11:00 if everything goes well. Remember, have Michael in bed by 10:30!" Ralph called out to her.
"And make sure Michael takes Peanut out on time. Goodbye!" Melissa waved. And with that, the raccoon couple left the Raccoondominuum and headed for the Museum to meet Bert and Maxie.
No sooner had his parents left than Michael's stomach started to rumble. It had been a while since he had eaten and he was starting to feel pretty hungry. "Auntie Nicole," he asked his aunt, "what are we going to eat tonight?"
Nicole placed a finger to her chin as she thought for a moment. "Well...I may not be az good a cook az your Uncle George, but I will zee what I can whip up for the two of uz," she smiled as they headed to the kitchen. Peanut, hoping that she might get some table food, followed closely behind them.
"Make sure that Peanut doesn't get any table scraps, Auntie Nicole! Mom said she doesn't want her getting fat," Michael chuckled.
"Oui, I understand," Nicole nodded.
Michael ended up having a great time spending the night with his Aunt Nicole. She had fixed up spaghetti and meatballs for the two of them; it had been a nice supper. Afterwards, the little kit fed Peanut and took her outside to use the bathroom. Then the two of them had played with Peanut for a while and played a few games with one another. It was now about a quarter to ten, and now aunt and nephew were sitting on the living room sofa, watching one of Michael's Thomas the Tank Engine videotapes on TV. Michael didn't watch Thomas as much as he did when he was a bit younger, but he still was fond of the show and liked to watch it every now and then. Nicole had brought some of the tapes for her nephew to watch, as she didn't mind watching them with him-though it did surprise her that a famous foul-mouthed comedian was narrating the episodes!
In the episode the two were watching on TV, Henry, a large green engine, had just come home to the Island of Sodor after being repaired and rebuilt following a nasty accident. He had been ill before and felt a lot better after being mended. But Gordon, the largest engine on the Island, was jealous and berated Henry for being so happy when he came home and for whistling loudly at all the stations, boasting that proper engines didn't do such a thing. Henry felt upset, but in typical fashion for this show, Gordon ended up eating his words when his own whistle jammed and caused a cacophony of noise. Workmen had to knock it back in place to make the noise stop, and needless to say, the big engine had been humiliated.
"That night, Gordon slunk into the shed. He was glad it was empty.
'It isn't wrong,' murmured Henry to no one in particular, 'but we just don't do it!'
No one mentioned whistles!"
"Oh, that Gordon," Nicole chuckled. "'e iz zho ztuck up at timez, izn't 'e?"
"Well, he's the biggest and fastest engine on the Island of Sodor!" Michael chimed in.
"Ah, that iz certainly true; I zuppose it would get to your 'ead if you were like that," Nicole nodded. "'e got what 'e dezerved for being rude to 'enry, though."
"Yes, he did!" the little kit laughed.
It was at that moment that Peanut, who had been sleeping at the foot of the sofa, woke up and started looking straight at Michael, whining a little. It was clear that she wanted to go outside...
Nicole quickly took notice. "Mikey, I do believe that Peanut wantz you to take 'er outzide."
"Ah, but Auntie Nicole!" Michael protested. "Henry's going to sneeze on those mean boys! I don't want to miss that!" In the episode, Henry had whistled at some boys on a bridge he passed under, only for them to throw rocks at him, which shattered his coaches' windows. His driver had come up with a plan to teach them a lesson by stuffing Henry's smokebox with ashes and having him sneeze them out through his funnel when they passed under the bridge again. It was one of Michael's favorite episodes; he didn't want to miss the ending.
"I can alwayz pauze it and we can watch the rezt when you come back in," Nicole gave a reassuring smile as she picked up the remote and proceeded to do just that.
"Okay, Auntie Nicole. I'll be back in in just a few minutes!" he smiled as he grabbed Peanut's leash and attached it to her pink collar. While Peanut was allowed to run loose sometimes during the day time, she was always put on her leash at night since it was a lot darker out and it would be a lot easier for her to run off...
Michael grabbed his jacket and guided Peanut to the front door and opened it. The bulldog puppy and her young master then stepped outside into the cool mid-October night. It was chilly outside, but not terribly so. It would get much colder in the months to come...
Soon, Peanut was sniffing the ground, checking out any interesting smells as she searched for a place to do her business. Normally, Michael was very careful when he took Peanut outside at night, but tonight...he was busy daydreaming and not paying attention...
"Peanut and I have been getting along so well over these past few weeks," Michael smiled brightly to himself. "I wonder if she and I will be friends forever?"
Michael began to imagine himself at an older age, about ten or so. He was outside the Raccoondominium, holding a Frisbee in front of Peanut. His parents were looking on through the window.
"Hey, Peanut!" Michael called out. "Do you want the Frisbee?"
"Yes, yes, Mikey!" the bulldog opened her mouth to answer him. Peanut couldn't actually talk as she was just an ordinary dog, but in Michael's active imagination, he could envision her speaking to him. "Please throw it to me!"
"Okay, here you go!" Michael shouted as he threw the Frisbee. Peanut raced after it and quickly caught it.
"Thank wyou, Mikey!" she spoke up in a muffled voice as she returned the Frisbee to him. Next thing the young kit knew, Peanut leapt right into his arms. She was quite heavy, but somehow Michael was able to hold her in his small arms.
"Mikey, I wlove you!" the bulldog smiled happily at her owner. "Yhou're my best friend in the whole world!"
"And you're my best friend too, Peanut," Michael smiled right back as Peanut's tongue came out to greet his face, making him laugh. "We'll be friends forever, won't we, Peanut?" he asked his dog.
"Of course whe whill, Mikey!" Peanut's tail wagged.
Michael smiled thinking of what the future would hold for him and Peanut, but it was at that moment he was interrupted from his daydream as everything went wrong.
A small squirrel or chipmunk strolled out not too far from where Michael and Peanut were standing. Peanut was immediately interested and began tugging on her leash, as she wanted to chase after the small wild rodent.
"Huh?!" Michael gasped as he felt Peanut pulling hard on her leash. "Peanut, what are you-"
But he didn't have time to finish his sentence, as Peanut proceeded to pull so hard that Michael abruptly let go of her leash and she promptly flew off after the little rodent. She chased it into the bushes and disappeared clear out of sight.
Michael was absolutely stunned. He tried frantically to call out for Peanut, hoping she would come back. "PEANUT!" Michael loudly cried out for the bulldog puppy. "PEANUT! COME BACK! COME BACK!"
But Peanut didn't come back. Michael tried to call her again and again. "PEANUT, PLEASE COME BACK!"
But it was to no avail. Peanut was nowhere to be seen. Michael's loud cries for his lost puppy quickly attracted Nicole's attention, and she soon stepped outside to see what the commotion was.
"Michael," Nicole spoke in a worried tone of voice to her little nephew. "What iz going on? Where iz Peanut?"
"Auntie Nicole..." Michael croaked as he began to tear up, "PEANUT RAN AWAY!"
"What?" Nicole was surprised. "Peanut ran away...but 'ow? 'ow did zhe run away? Tell me what 'appened," she tried her best to reassure the saddened kit.
"I was daydreaming...and I wasn't paying attention...and a squirrel or something ran past...and then..." Michael continued to sob.
"And then what...?"
"And then Peanut tugged on her leash and I couldn't hold on to her and she ran away!" Michael burst out, more tears streaming down his face. "And it's all my fault!"
"Oh, there, there, Mikey," Nicole replied sympathetically, trying to make him feel a little better. "I am zure Peanut did not go too far away. Maybe zhe is around 'ere zomewhere. What do you zay we look around and zee if we can find 'er?"
"Okay, Auntie Nicole," Michael sniffled, but he didn't feel optimistic at all.
Nicole and Michael searched around the area for about 10 minutes or so, periodically calling out for Peanut in the hopes that the little bulldog would hear them and come rushing back. But it was of no use. Peanut didn't reappear. "Auntie Nicole, we've got to find her! We've got to!"
Nicole sadly shook her head. "It'z no uze, Mikey. We 'aven't zeen 'er anywhere around 'ere. I'm afraid there iz not much more I can do," she sighed. She wished there was more she could do to help, but it was probably not a great idea to go searching the woods for the lost puppy. "I zhall 'ave to call your parents and let them know what 'az 'appened..."
Michael didn't like hearing that at all. "NO, Auntie Nicole! You can't tell them about this!"
"But I think I zhould," Nicole replied firmly. "They ought to know, and they may be able to 'elp find 'er."
"But you can't!" the little kit tearfully protested. "They told me to look after Peanut while they were gone. They said she was my responsibility! They got Peanut for me because they thought I was responsible enough to care for her...they're going to be so mad at me, Auntie Nicole!" he cried.
"I underztand 'ow you feel," Nicole replied in her gentlest tone of voice. "When I waz your age, I didn't want my parentz to know about bad thingz I 'ad done, either. But it iz for the bezt that they know. Bezidez, if I do not tell them now, they will find out about it when they come 'ome..."
Michael knew his aunt was right, but he was still afraid what was going to happen. His thoughts turned to his close friend, Gary Kneitel. He knew very well that Gary's mother did not love her son, and Gary had told him just the other day that he wondered if it was because of something he had done when he was little.
Michael remembered the talks with his mother he had the previous month. He had talked to her about Gary and wondered if she would stop loving him someday as well. But Melissa had reassured him that there was nothing he could ever do that would make her and his father stop loving him.
But at a time like this, Michael wasn't sure of that. He felt that this was the absolute worst thing he had ever done in his young life. He wasn't sure if his parents would love him anymore after losing the puppy they had gotten for him and constantly warned him to be responsible in looking after her. "...Auntie Nicole...?" Michael squeaked out feebly. "...Do...do you think that Mommy and Daddy...aren't...aren't going to love me...anymore?"
Nicole was surprised to hear the kit say that. "Michael! No, 'oney, I am zure your parentz will ztill love you after thez. They love you with all their 'eartz. Why would you think they would ztop loving you?"
"I don't know..." Michael sighed sadly. "I'm just...scared thinking of what they will say."
"Oh, Mikey, it will be alright. I am zure they won't be too 'arzh on you. I will go back inzide and call them, okay?"
"Okay," Michael sighed as Nicole headed back into the Raccoondominum. But as Michael followed his aunt, he still couldn't help but feel afraid wondering what his parents would say to him...
He imagined what might happen when they came home. Michael had just explained what had happened to his parents, and they seemed to be understanding and sympathetic to him.
"Son," Ralph spoke to him. "Your mother and I understand. Accidents can happen to anyone."
"Mommy, Daddy..." Michael desperately tried to plead with them. "I'm really sorry I lost Peanut...please forgive me...? I didn't mean to lose her..."
To his surprise, his father's physical appearance suddenly changed rather drastically. He was suddenly much taller than he normally was-he towered over him. His eyes turned a bloody red color, filling with intense anger. And for whatever reason, long, jagged, bloody fangs suddenly protruded from his father's jaws...
"PAH!" Ralph sneered at his son. "Forgive you?! After you did that?!"
"Please, Daddy...Mommy...I'm sorry!" Michael tearfully begged, hoping his parents would forgive them.
At that moment, his mother took on the same hellish appearance as his father. "Sorry's not good enough, Mikey!" she angrily shouted at him.
"You were told to look after Peanut and make sure nothing happened to her," his father continued to hiss in a near demonic tone.
"You promised us that you would watch over her tonight while your father and I were out," Melissa screeched at him.
"AND YOU BROKE THAT PROMISE!" they both shrieked at him in unison, their faces twisting violently as they did so.
"You're...not going to forgive me...?" Michael sobbed. He was terrified out of his little mind...
"NO, son! We will never forgive you! You broke a promise! That is the worst thing you could ever do to us!" Ralph screamed at him.
"Do you remember how I told you that there was nothing you could ever do that would make us stop loving you? Well, I was wrong, Mikey! We don't love you anymore! We wish we never had you!" Melissa hollered out in an even more frightening sounding voice than before.
"We never want to see you again, son! Go to your room and never come out again!" his father snorted. A horrified and saddened Michael slowly slunk up the stairs to his bedroom as his demonic-looking parents guffawed loudly at his failure.
"I'm...sorry..." Michael whispered tearfully to himself.
Back in reality, Michael shuddered just imagining something like that. He hoped his parents weren't going to be that mad...they had never been really angry or harsh towards him. But he just wasn't sure...
Meanwhile, at the Evergreen Museum's auditorium, Ralph and Melissa had been having a good time with Bert and Maxie at the laser rock show. The last show was almost over, and Bert and Maxie were dancing around to the music and acting rather silly.
"Let's spend the night together
Now I need you more than ever
Let's spend the night together...now!"
"Hehheh!" Bert chuckled to himself. "This has been quite a blast, hasn't it, babe?" he laughed again.
"Sure has, hon!" Maxie chortled. She was really enjoying herself tonight...and Bert's silly behavior was certainly quite infectious to her...
Ralph couldn't help but roll his eyes at their goofy behavior. "Oh, good grief. I knew that Bert was going to make a complete fool out of himself..." He couldn't help but wonder if his actions were going to get him kicked out before the end of the show...
"Oh, c'mon, Ralph! At least they're having fun," Melissa let out a little chuckle. "You are too, aren't you?"
"Well, this hasn't been bad as I thought it was going to be..." Ralph had to admit. "I have to admit, it was pretty creative of Prof. Sarff to set all this up. This has actually been pretty fun, honey..."
"I'm glad you thought so," Melissa smiled warmly at her husband as she nestled her head on his shoulder. "See, Ralph? I told you it would be a lot of fun!"
"I guess you were right..." Ralph beamed back at her. It had been a pretty nice night...
It was at that moment that Bert's cell phone went off. Bert was too absorbed in his childish dance to take notice, but Maxie heard it.
"Uh, Bert?" Maxie tried to grab her goofy husband's attention. "Your phone just went off, hon. I think maybe you should answer it."
"Oh!" Bert quickly snapped out of it. He immediately answered the ringing phone, not even glancing at the number. "Hello? Bert Raccoon, Ace Reporter here! Who is this?"
"It iz me, Nicole Raccoon. May I pleaze speak to Ralph and Melizza, Bert? I know they are there with you..."
"Oh, well, no problem! I'll get them for ya!" With that, Bert handed the phone over to the couple.
"Hey, guys, Nicole's callin' ya!"
Melissa took the phone. "Hello, Nicole. What's up? Is something the matter?" She waited for her response while Ralph tried to listen intently to their conversation.
"'ello, Melizza. I am afraid that there iz something wrong. Michael took Peanut outzide to do 'er buzinezz, and zhe ran away. We 'ave tried looking for 'er everywhere, but we can't find 'er..." Nicole sadly replied.
"Oh my! That's...that's terrible, Nicole! Why, we have to find her! We'll be home at once to deal with this, Nicole," Melissa informed the older raccoon. With that, she hung up the phone and handed it back to Bert. "C'mon, Ralph! We need to get home at once! Michael lost Peanut and I think we should head on home to deal with this..."
"HEY!" Ralph shouted as Melissa grabbed his paw rather forcefully, pulling it so hard that she practically snatched him right out of his seat. "I guess we'll see you later, Bert!" a confused Ralph called out as Melissa dragged him towards the auditorium's exit.
"Well...alright! See ya at work, Ralphie boy!" Bert called after him. He couldn't help but shrug. "Wonder what that was all about?"
Melissa soon explained to Ralph what was going on after they left the Musuem. Once they returned home, they were surprised by what they saw when they opened the front door...
While Nicole was sitting on the living room sofa, Michael was trying to hide in the corner. He looked absolutely fearful to see the two of them; he was visibly shaking and quivering.
"What's the matter with Michael? Why he is trying to hide?" Ralph asked Nicole.
"'e iz terrified of what you two will zay to 'im," Nicole informed the couple.
"Michael, honey, it's okay! Don't be scared-come on out!" Melissa tried to encourage her son.
Michael ran towards them with tears streaming from his eyes. He wasn't sure what they were going to say to him. "Mom, Dad...I...I'm sorry!" he cried pathetically as he continued to sob...
Melissa patted her sad child on the back, trying to comfort him a little. "There, there, Mikey. Calm down, it's okay..."
"Michael, we heard from Aunt Nicole that you lost Peanut while we were gone. Please, son...could you tell us what happened?" Ralph spoke in a soft tone.
"I took Peanut outside, and...I didn't pay attention...I was daydreaming! And...and a squirrel ran past...and...Peanut wanted to chase it...I let go of her leash..." Michael continued to cry, tears streaming down his saddened little face once again.
"Michael..." Melissa said in a stern, but fair-sounding voice. She was upset that Michael had failed to keep his promise, but she didn't want to upset the kit any more than he already was. "You know we told you to be responsible in helping care for Peanut. And you promised us that you would do a good job watching her tonight."
"I know," Michael tearfully replied. "I know..."
"Son, you should have been more careful," Ralph firmly replied, hanging up his coat and grabbing a tissue for Michael to dry his eyes and blow his nose. "When you take Peanut outside, you need to watch your surroundings closely and make sure there are no distractions that might cause her to run off. You didn't do that..."
"I'm really sorry, Dad..." Michael sighed as he dried his eyes.
"Do you remember how you felt when you got lost on the camping trip this past summer?" Melissa asked her son.
"Yes, Mom," Michael sighed again, flashing back to that unpleasant memory. "I was so scared and frightened. I didn't know where I was...I thought I was never going to see you and Daddy again..."
"Think of how Peanut probably feels, Mikey," Ralph responded. "She's all alone out there and she's probably confused and scared as she doesn't know where she is. She's still little, son. She might not be able to fend for herself out there for very long..."
"I know, Daddy..." Michael replied in a hushed tone of voice. "I'm worried about Peanut..." He had a burning question that he felt he needed to ask his parents. "Mom...Dad...?"
"What is it, Mikey?" Melissa answered him.
"Are you two going to stop loving me...because of this...? I think...I think this is the worst thing I have ever done..." the young kit sadly remarked, tears appearing in his eyes again.
Ralph and Melissa were taken aback by that question. "Goodness, no, son!" Ralph exclaimed.
"Mikey, honey..." Melissa spoke in a more tender voice. "You do remember what I told you, don't you? Your father and I love you no matter what. No matter what happens, you'll always be our special little boy. We could never stop loving you; you're too important to us."
"But you and Daddy must be really mad at me..." Michael sighed sadly once more. "I did a very bad thing..."
"We're not mad at you, son," Ralph firmly retorted. "We're just...very disappointed in you. We thought you would be more careful in looking after Peanut."
"You did do a bad thing, Mikey...but at least you're willing to admit your mistake," Melissa added. "Having said that, don't expect to watch TV or play any video games for the next week..."
"Okay, Mom," Michael quietly remarked. He didn't even care about his punishment; he was just glad his parents still loved him and weren't furious with him like he feared they would be...
"I told you they would ztill love you, Mikey," Nicole smiled from the sofa.
"Whatever would make you think that we would stop loving you, son?" Ralph wondered, scratching his head.
"Well, Gary's mom doesn't love him...and he told me the other day he thinks it's because of something he did," Michael answered that question.
"Mikey, honey, Gary's mom doesn't love him because of something he did; she's just not a very nice person," Melissa explained. "She hits his father just about every day. Have you ever seen me hit your father?"
"Yes," Michael replied honestly. He had occasionally witnessed Melissa giving Ralph a light tap or punch on the arm. "But I know when you do it you and Daddy are only playing. You never hit him hard enough to hurt..."
"There is a big difference between playing around and actually trying to hurt someone," Ralph explained. "But seriously, son, don't ever think we'd stop loving you."
Michael was relieved, but he was still worried about Peanut. "Daddy, do you think we can find Peanut?"
"I'm not sure," Ralph had to be honest. "We won't be able to find her tonight. It's dark out and she could be anywhere. Searching for her right now might not be the best idea."
"I don't know if we can find her ourselves," Melissa chimed in as well. "The Forest is pretty big..."
"Can anyone help us?" Michael wondered.
"Of course," Ralph smiled.
"We were planning to take off work tomorrow," Melissa continued. "But tomorrow, I think we'll head over to the Standard's office. We can print some flyers out to ask if anyone has seen Peanut and post them around the Forest. We can offer a reward and leave our phone number so that if anyone finds her, they can contact us and let us know."
"Do you think that will work?" Michael asked hopefully.
"I can't be sure," Ralph had to admit. While there were certainly plenty of kind and helpful Forest denizens who would be more than happy to help return a lost dog to its' owners, he was also well aware that there were plenty of shady and unsavory types living here that would be more likely to just take the dog and keep her for themselves if they found her. "But it could be a big help."
"Peanut still has her leash and collar on, right?" Melissa asked her son out of curiosity.
"Yes," Michael nodded in reply.
"Her collar has our address and phone number on it," Ralph filled in Michael. "If someone finds her, they'll know who she belongs to."
Michael felt optimistic. "You mean someone nice might find Peanut and bring her home again?"
Ralph and Melissa both nodded. "Hopefully!" they said in unison.
"I am zure you will zee Peanut again, Mikey," Nicole said encouragingly.
Michael was rather hopeful. Although he had lost Peanut, it seemed quite likely that someone would find her and be nice enough to bring her back.
But he didn't know that the people who found her weren't entirely nice...
The next morning was a calm and quiet one. It was a little warmer than yesterday, with a hint of the cool autumn air. Still, that wasn't enough to stop most of the Forest's denizens from enjoying their Saturday...
Although it was late in the year, Evergreen Lake had yet to freeze over. That wouldn't happen until around mid-November. There were still fish out and about in the lake, so a few people took advantage of these last few weeks before the big winter freeze to catch some fish...and this morning, that included three identical triplets...
Lloyd, Boyd, and Floyd were sitting on the dock at Evergreen Lake, fishing poles planted firmly in their hooves. A rather large bait bucket sat on the dock right next to them. The three had been given the day off by their boss, Cedric, to do as they pleased, so they decided to go fishing one last time this year. But needless to say, the three of them weren't exactly happy...
"The Boss ought to be paying us more than we actually get," Lloyd, the eldest of the three and their defacto leader, muttered to himself.
"Maybe, but at least he pays us more than his father ever did!" Floyd remarked. For years, the triplets had worked as Cyril Sneer's personal assistants and servants. They had gotten on the old aardvark's nerves at every turn and corner, had been frequently yelled at, and even been threatened with violence by him. Cyril had also woefully underpaid them, though over the years as his health had failed, he had softened up towards them...
"Well, that may be, boys," Lloyd grunted again, "but that's still not enough." Cedric had completely taken over Sneer Industries after his father had passed away a few years back, and ever since, Cedric had been their boss. He was much nicer and more generous towards them than his father had ever been. Despite their total incompetence and their tendency to screw up nearly every job they did, Cedric was highly forgiving and paid them considerably more than Cyril had. He actually let them have Saturdays off; Cyril had never given them a day off in his life. He had even given them enough money to be able to build their own house near Sneer Mansion for the trio to live in. But that still wasn't enough to satisfy the pigs.
"How much do you think we should be earning?" Boyd wondered.
"Well, if you ask me," Lloyd said, "fifteen dollars an hour just isn't enough for us. I say for all the hard work we've been doing, we ought to be earning double that. What do you think of that?" he grinned.
"Thirty dollars an hour?!" Boyd and Floyd exclaimed excitedly. That thought sounded irresistible to them. That was significantly more than the majority of the Forest's working adults earned in an hour. The trio couldn't help it. They were all more than a little greedy, and the thought of earning more money did excite them...
"That would be incredible, wouldn't it?" Lloyd laughed.
"You aren't kidding! Think of all the things we could do if we were making that kind of money! We could buy every issue of Mudman that's ever been released!" Floyd gushed. They could only dream...
"Ah, but it's only wishful thinking," Lloyd sighed as he turned his attention back to the lake before them. "I doubt the Boss is ever going to pay us that much..."
"You're right," sighed Boyd. "I guess we'll just have to live with what we make now..."
"We could always find ways to make some extra money on our own," Floyd piped up.
"Oh, have you got any ideas?" Lloyd glared skeptically at his identical sibling.
Floyd thought to himself for a moment, then shrugged. "I haven't got a clue!"
"I'm sure we'll think up something in time," Lloyd remarked. "But for now, let's just enjoy our day off. We're not going to have many more opportunities to go fishing this year..."
"I guess you're right..." Boyd and Floyd said in unison sadly. The pigs had no luck so far in catching anything. But they were about to get a big surprise...
"Ruff! Ruff!" came the sound of a dog's bark. This startled Lloyd so much that he jumped up, dropped his fishing pole, and fell off the dock into the cold water below. "AAAAUUUGGGHHH!"
Boyd and Floyd couldn't help but laugh at how silly Lloyd looked when he crawled out of the lake; reeds and globs of mud covered his face. "Boy, you look really ridiuclous, Lloyd! Hahhahaha!" Floyd burst out laughing.
Lloyd scowled. "You won't think it's funny when I catch a cold and you two have to help care for me, will you? What the hell was that all about, anyways?"
"I think that was a dog," Boyd guessed correctly.
"I see it!" Floyd shouted out, pointing at a small brown and white bulldog puppy walking along the lake shore. It was obviously Michael's missing puppy, Peanut, but the Pigs didn't know that. They were surprised to see a dog wandering around all by itself around here.
"It's...a bulldog?" Boyd raised an eyebrow. "What is it doing out here?"
"It's a she," Lloyd informed his sibling. "Search me, I haven't a clue. It's probably just some stray, anyways."
"No, it can't be," Floyd shook his head. "She's got a collar and a leash on her. She must be somebody's pet that got lost. Maybe we should take a closer look?"
"I'm not going near her!" Boyd protested. "I heard that bulldogs are really mean. We shouldn't go near it! It might bite us!"
"Don't be silly!" Lloyd lightly punched his sibling in the arm. "I don't think this dog will harm us. She looks likes she's a little scared." Indeed, Peanut was staring at them, but it looked like she was rather nervous to see the three strangers. "Let's take a closer look..."
The pork trio stepped towards Peanut and took a closer look at her. Floyd took a closer look at her collar and read the information inscribed on it.
"Uh, I think I know who this dog belongs to..."
"Who?" Boyd wondered.
"I think it belongs to Ralph and Melissa Raccoon. Do you remember the twins said that they got that son of theirs a puppy for his birthday?" Floyd asked.
"I think so," Lloyd nodded.
"Well, that's their address on the collar. This must be their son's new pet," Floyd deduced.
"But how did she end up out here?" Boyd wondered.
"Maybe she got out during the night," Floyd shrugged.
"Or perhaps the little goody two-shoes was too careless to bother watching her," Lloyd chimed in. The pigs-Lloyd, in particular-had never been very fond of Michael. They didn't like his overly kind and sweet demeanor, and they weren't fond of the fact that he had told their boss about some of the mistakes they had made while he stayed at Sneer Mansion...
"I think we should return her to them," Boyd thought aloud.
Lloyd thought for a moment. Suddenly, a seemingly brilliant idea came to his mind. "Return her to those raccoons? Are you kidding? Do you guys know what kind of dog this is?"
"It's a bulldog," Floyd chuckled at how seemingly idiotic his brother was being. "Isn't it obvious?"
"Yes, but aside from that, she's a purebred!" Lloyd exclaimed jubilantly.
"Aren't purebreds worth a lot of money?" Boyd asked.
"From what I know, they usually are...But not only that, they can also make a lot of money!"
"Make a lot of money how?" Boyd and Floyd wondered. It slipped their minds at that moment.
"Why, by winning dog shows, of course!" Lloyd raised his fist in the air. "Gentlemen, we've found our answer! This is how we'll earn that extra money we want! We'll enter this bulldog in dog shows, and when she wins, we'll get lots of money!"
"Oh!" his siblings simultaneously exclaimed.
"And just think if she goes all the way to Westminster and wins there!"
"Westminster?" Floyd remarked. "Isn't that the really big dog show in New York City?"
"The very one!" Lloyd exclaimed. "If she goes all the way there and wins..."
"We'll be in hog heaven!" the pigs chuckled. Of course, the three of them were remarkably ignorant. In spite of the fact that they cared for Snag for many years, they weren't aware of the fact that most dog shows didn't give out cash prizes. Plus they would surely end up losing money doing such a thing due to how much it would cost to get a dog to compete at championship level shows. But it was typical of the Pigs to think up scatterbrained ideas such as this. In their minds, it made perfect sense.
Floyd was a bit apprehensive, however. "Are you sure we should take this dog? Michael is probably missing it dreadfully, and I bet he and his parents are out looking for her..." He didn't like Michael all that much either, but he thought it seemed a bit mean to claim his new pet as their own...
"Ah, I doubt they'll miss her that much," Lloyd chuckled. "Besides, if you ask me, the little goody-two shoes deserves it. Whenever his parents drop him off at the Mansion to be looked after while they're out and about, he always tells on us when he sees us doing something the Boss doesn't like. Maybe this will teach him a lesson!"
"I'm still not sure this is a good idea..." Floyd gulped. He was afraid of what might happen if they were to be caught with the Raccoon family's pet. They would surely get in a lot of trouble...
"Hey, this is too good of an opportunity to pass up!" Lloyd tired to reassure him. "Now let's take her back to our place, boys."
"How are we going to do that?" Boyd scratched his head. To get to their house, they had to pass through the grounds of the Mansion. There was an excellent chance that Cedric, Sophia, or the twins would discover them...
"We'll find a way to sneak in," Lloyd informed them. "I know we can. No one else will ever know!" The pigs were committed to their foolhardy plan...
"Alright," Floyd shrugged. "Let's take her back to our place then..."
With that, Lloyd picked up Peanut and took off her collar and leash, throwing them into the bushes nearby. "You're going to make a great champion..." Lloyd chuckled as he looked at the little bulldog.
"Ruff...?" Peanut barked, as she was very confused. She didn't know what the pigs were going to do with her...
END CHAPTER TWO
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, that was Chapter Two! Took me a while, but I finally got this finished! Peanut has gotten lost thanks to Michael being irresponsible, much to his chagrin, and even worse, the Pigs have gotten their hooves on her and are planning to make a show dog out of her! This is the first thing I've actually really written for the Pigs; I hope I didn't get them TOO out of character. (If nothing else, trying to make a dog they found wandering around in the Forest into a dog show sounds like something I could see them trying to do...they aren't exactly bright...) Few little notes...
Bea, the little raccoon girl who you see at Michael's birthday party, is a character who was created by my friend David31...although she was only a bit character in a story he wrote based on my own words. I thought I could do something more with the character, though...so I decided to use her in my own stories (used with permission, in case you are wondering; I will ALWAYS ask if I want to use someone else's original character). She obviously has a crush on little Michael, and that's something you will see explored further in my next (and final) one-off story starring Michael Raccoon...
Michael watching Thomas the Tank Engine...I grew up on Thomas the Tank Engine, and still have all the old videotapes from when I was a kid. (The show's nearly as old as the Raccoons TV series itself I don't watch the show these days (I tried to, but it's changed so much I can barely recognize it!), but I still have a fondness for the really old episodes and occasionally watch them from time to time. The episode Michael and Nicole are watching is an episode from the first season called "Whistles And Sneezes" and that is indeed actual narration from the real episode (I obviously don't own that...). That was one of the most memorable episodes for me from when I was a kid; Henry teasing Gordon with the same words he used to mock him at the start of the episode stuck in the back of my mind for years! Sometimes, you have to write what you know...
And finally...Yes, in case you're wondering, I did take the idea of the laser rock show from Family Guy. Believe it or not, until a couple of years ago or so, I actually had no idea that museums actually held such things in real life; I thought they made that up for Family Guy! (Shows that I need to get out more...) I just thought it would be amusing to have Ralph and Melissa going to one at the Evergreen Museum...As for the song we see Bert and Maxie dancing around to..."Let's Spend The Night Together" by the Rolling Stones (again, I obviously I do not own that). A song that was considered very lewd and obscene when it came out in 1967, to the point that many radio stations banned it and the Stones had to perform a censored version of it on the Ed Sullivan Show called "Let's Spend Some Time Together"...Funny, because nowadays, that song is quite tame compared to some stuff that's popular these days!
Anyways, that was Chapter 2. Next time, in Chapter 3 (the final chapter), Ralph, Melissa, and Michael find Peanut's leash and collar and assume something terrible must have happened to her...until Michael discovers that the Pigs have his puppy. Will Michael get her back? And how? You'll just have to wait and see...