(A/N: This is a tribute and collaboration with my good friend Thomas Gomez who I've made stories with! Like abz! he made the monolithic and amazing sad faces story along with his good friend rakoon1! So he gets credit too! Anyway He gave me permission to integrate a lot of sad faces into ab! To further flesh out the heeler family and ab universe! I Thank him for this and all credit for these ideas goes to him! He really inspired me to start writing more again when I read the new chapter! This is a whole new arc! The kaiser and Franklin arcs will be side arcs that further build the world! Anyway! Enjoy! - Jr)
When Thomas was 10*
Chili was pregnant at this time. And everyone was excited. Thomas over the years had come to love Chili like his own mother. She was his whole world.
Bingo and Bluey were at their friend's houses and bandit was at work out of town.
It was just Thomas and chili
Thomas was getting hungry as dinner time began approaching, And knew his mum would be as well due to her cravings.
"Thomas! Come here please!" Chili called from the bedroom
Thomas put put down his toys and ran to the room
"Yes mum?" Thomas asked wagging his tail
Chili smiled at his enthusiastic energy
"What do you want for dinner sweetpea?" Chili asked
"Whatever you want mum!" Said Thomas kindly
"Hmm lemme think... oh I know! Chinese food sound good?" Chili asked
"Yah mum! That sounds good!" Said Thomas
"Alrighty then sweetie!" Said chili with a smile moth watering at the thought of the food
"I can pick it up on my bike mum!" Said Thomas
"Are you sure sweetie? It's getting a little late." Said Chili with concern
"It's fine mum! I'll go as quick as I can!" Said Thomas giving the please face
"Aww ok! But he absolutely careful boy. And don't talk to anyone unless they are a policeman. Understand?" Chili instructed kindly but serious
"Yes ma'm!" Said Thomas politely
Chili gave him the money to go pick it up as she made the call to order it.
After a few minutes Chili got up to use the restroom But as she got up she felt a sharp cramp in her stomach and lower body. These felt like cramps from when she first miscarried.
In a panic she began rushing to the restroom. When she made it she began feeling blood trickling down her leg.
"NO... no no no no... lord father in heaven please... please no..." Chili prayed and broke down as she began violently bleeding as she collapsed to the ground in pain and emotional termoil.
Unable to control the inevitable... Her unborn child... was gone...
Chili sobbed and prayed to the lord above begging for this to be a nightmare. Memories of her first miscarriage flooding into her mind and the mental pain that followed.
Soon Thomas arrived home and set the food on the kitchen table
He headed upstairs the higher he got the louder the sound of crying and panic got.
He began rushing there. He ran into the restroom and froze.
His mother sitting by the toilet sobbing. Puddles of blood everywhere and in the toilet
He had never seen something so horrific outside of the horror movies he would watch with his uncle stripe and cousins.
"...m-mum...?" Thomas managed to ask
Chili could barley form a sentence through her sobs of misery and grief
"T-Thomas...I... I-I...Call... dad..." chili tried to utter before breaking down more
Thomas still stood frozen. Not knowing what was happening. He froze in fear before snapping out of it and rushing to the phone quickly dialing bandit
After a few seconds he answered
"I'm a bit busy what do ya need mate?" Bandit asked
"Mum... she... she's surrounded by b-blood..." Thomas said trying to explain what was happening as quick as he could
Bandit's heart dropped. His own memories of miscarriage from chili and Thomas' mother flooding back to him
Trying not to break down bandit quickly gathered his things and began instructing Thomas on what to do
"...ok mate.. listen to me very very carefully... stay with your mum... and when I hang up call the ambulance. The number is 000... ok? I'll be there as soon as possible I promise. Make sure mum stays in place and help her relax" bandit instructed as calmly and clearly as he could
"Y-yes sir..." said Thomas beginning to sob himself
"Sh sh sh. It's ok mate I promise... just stay with mum ok? You be strong ok. For you and mum. I'll let you go now ok? I love you both..." Said bandit trying to calm and comfort his son so he can help chili the best he could.
"Yes sir... I love you..." said Thomas as they hung up
Soon the ambulance arrived and Thomas and chili went to the hospital
After some treatment and rest chili was resting in her room
She couldn't cry anymore. It was like she was out of tears. She lied in her hospital bed. Broken. Staring at the ceiling.
Thomas soon entered and stood beside her refusing to leave her side
Thomas learned what a miscarriage was...
He was also heartbroken. This was one of his first true traumatic events. Him not remembering his biological mother very long before.
He held her paw and kissed it crying still
Chili looked at Thomas and wiped his tears from his face with her other paw
Chili let Thomas climb onto the bed. She sat up carefully.
They immediately hugged each other. Chili's tears coming back as they both cried while holding each other
"I'm so sorry mummy... I should have stayed home..." said Thomas crying and hyperventilating
Chili was destroyed that her unborn child. She knew it was gonna be a difficult and painful road ahead. But she clung onto hope and love for her family
"Shhh shh... just breathe my baby... just breathe... there is nothing we could have did to stop it..." said chili with all her strength breaking down more holding her son close
Thomas' breathing slowed a bit
After some more crying and hugging they let each other go as they wiped each other's tears
Chili took a breathe and rubbed Thomas' back to make sure he didn't throw up from crying
"Everything will be ok my Thomas... we'll make it through this... Together..." said Chili
"I-I l-l-love y-y-you s-so m-much... m..mum..." said Thomas stuttering
"I love you too my sweet boy... as long as I have you all... I'm happy.." said Chili
"I... will n-never... l-leave you..." Said Thomas biting his head into Chili's chest
"I know baby... I know... and I won't either... I promise... this isn't the first time this has happened to me..." said chili tears still trickling down her muzzle and face
"I..it's not?" Thomas asked
Chili gathered her strength to tell this story. She always felt it therapeutic to talk with others about her issues and past. It helped relive the pain. And since Thomas was the one who helped her. He deserved to know.
"No... you see... before I met your dad.. I was with a man named Ethan. And... we were gonna have a baby together. But Ethan... he passed away. Right before I was gonna tell him the gender of the puppy. He passed the same day I miscarried. The last thing he told me was that he loved me... and our unborn baby..." Chili explained more and more tears coming down
"W...what was the gender?" Thomas asked trying not to be insensitive
"It was gonna be a boy.. I had always prayed for a boy..." said chili then beginning to realize something
Chili had a strong belief in god. She always knew Thomas was a gift from god. But began realizing. Not too long after meeting bandit. Thomas came into her life and became her son.
Chili close her eyes and smiled
"M-mum?" Thomas asked a bit confused
"You know.. I'm starting to realize... Thomas... you were born very shortly after I miscarried. And came into my life not much longer either. I prayed every night... for my unborn baby boy to return to me... Thomas... you and your sisters and your father... you are gifts from god.. you are all my angels..." said chili giving her son a kiss to the snoot as she held him close to her
Soon they fell asleep under the covers snuggling up like every night at home. Thomas protectively cuddling her and growling at whoever came too close.
Soon bandit arrived
His eyes red from tears. His throat sore from yelling and crying. His fists sore from punching the steering wheel in rage at the parking lot at his job.
But when he walked in and saw his wife and son snuggling. A sense of comfort helped him regain his strength. As he sat beside them And smiled
"My most precious gal... and my most precious boy... you two will always have each other. no matter what. I live for you all. You are my everything's... I will never leave your side" Bandit whispered softly
Bandit said a prayer over them. Bandit wasn't very religious and was more unsure of what was out there rather than a true believer. But he knew deep down. Thomas and his family were gifts from god. And he would cherish them forever...
in the present*
Thomas sits in his chair in his office that's still being unpacked.
He sits with a blank expression on his face remembering that night in Australia. When he watched his unborn sibling die.
His 8 year old soon Jaxson walked in
"Hey dad! Grandpa and nana are back with dinner! We're eating Chinese food! Come!" Said Jaxson
Thomas snapped out of his memory and chuckled a bit
"Hehe. Chinese food eh.. that's funny..." said Thomas with a chuckle due to the coincidence of his memory and the present.
"You ok dad?" Jaxson asked raising his eyebrow at him
"Yeah! Just having a memory" said Thomas Standing up and patting his pup's head causing him to smile
"What was the memory about dad?" Jaxson asked
"I'll tell ya one day kid. It's a little heavy." Said Thomas as they headed downstairs to eat with the family
Thomas immediately hugged chili with a tears trickling down his face
Chili giggled and hugged him back
"Why are you crying sweetheart?" Said chili
"I'm just so glad to see you all again" said Thomas sniffling
"Aww my big baby!" Said chili hugging him tight and kissing him on the cheek him towering over her
Everyone giggled and smiled as the family enjoyed a nice meal together!
It was a long and painful road. But they made it this far.
They survived all of this as a family. Miscarriage, immigrating to a whole new country, wars, family issues, hunter getting shot, and so so much more.
The heelers were the most resilient family on Mayberry! And they always will be alongside their fellow friends! For if you live on Mayberry! Your a heeler too!
To be continued
(A/N 2: I did my absolute best on this chapter! I wanted to make it close to the source material while also being original and putting my own twist on it! Thanks to Thomas and Rakoon1 for letting me make this arc! Stay tuned! For this may be one of my longest and most in depth arcs in the story! It's gonna be a very big deep dive into grief, ptsd, family and more! Love you all and see you soon! -jr)