Chapter 04: An overdue breakdown

A/N: I'm back. This chapter is a result of me noticing that there were some points in which Bluey was down. But other than shedding a few tears she didn't cry. Not when the bird died. Not when her new friend Jean-Luc left. Not when … Well, you get the point. Have fun reading what I think caused that.

Being able to lift someone's mood is a very good power to have. After all that happened at school Bluey wasn't sure if she could do it though. She tried either way but it was just to hard to accomplish. 'I wished the others would try to get to know her. I'm sure they would like her. But how to do that?' Bluey had time to think all the way back home for neither she herself nor Kate were feeling chatty right then. They were still holding hands for Kate to know that she was there for her and for Bluey to remember that she has a very important task at hand. 'Of course there are things you just can't change. But I definitely won't accept that Kate being excluded is one of those.' She then got an idea. 'That's it. When my plan works Kate will be friends with all of the other kids at school, too. Well, I at least hope so.' Of course she didn't think her plan could fail. Arriving home she darted into the house to draw her plan for she couldn't write it down. „Bluey?" Kate called after her. „Do you want to play a game?" But Bluey didn't listen. In fact she didn't even hear her for she was focused on her task. That's why she not even noticed her friend to just sitting down face in her hands while Chilli left the car and walked over to her.

„There. All done." she said after a while not noticing that in order to help Kate she, well, ignored her. „Bluey" Bandit said clearly a bit angry with his eldest daughter. „Why didn't you play with Kate today in school or once you arrived home?" „Dad, I've just got an idea. I have a plan to make Kate happy and for her to befriend Chloe and the others. Me not playing with her in school had to do with Chloe tricking me into it." Bluey told her father. „How could you? Kate doesn't have any other friends yet and you chose to let her be alone? I must say I'm very disappointed in you. That was a low." He then turned around so that she couldn't see the smile creeping across his face. He knew what happened. He already got a heads up from Calypso calling him. Bluey on the other hand was shocked. Sure, she's tough so she bottled most of her frustration up for her father to be proud of her. So when he said he would be disappointed in her something inside of her broke. It was then that she let herself get to the point where she didn't care who saw and let out all the frustration of the last days, weeks, months. Hearing someone sobbing and knowing that there was only one other person around Bandit's face fell. He might get frustrated by her antics or the physically painful games she sometimes comes up with but he never wanted to make his girl cry. She was his special gem after all. They were so much alike seeing her cry hurt him more than anything they did in all the games they played. „Shh, Bluey. Come here, mate." He couldn't do anything other than being there holding her tight and wait. „I didn't mean to say that." „(Sniff) It … It's not (Sniff) just that." „What is it, mate? Remember, you can always come to me if there's something bothering you." „You said parents (Sniff) don't do favourites. But the last days Bingo didn't do anything wrong since I didn't do anything right." Bandit's face fell even more. „Is it about this morning?" he asked. „Yeah, but it's not just this morning. It's been for some days now that whenever I do anything I always hear 'Don't do this! Don't do that!'. It's just as if nobody loves me anymore. Not you. Not Mum. Not Bingo." „Oh, I didn't realize it's that bad. Come here, Bluey, sweetheart. We go to your mum and Bingo and then we talk about it. But before we do that there's one thing you have to understand. Even if we don't always show it we'll always love you. No matter how hard you're trying to make it for us to do so. You're our daughter and we'll be there to help you get through anything. You're our one and only Bluey. There's nobody who could replace you and we wouldn't want it either." Bluey had to lock eyes with her father's to make sure he's not kidding. But seeing the sincerety in his eyes she was reliefed. Her dad meant everything he just said. „Okay, you're cereal. I guess, I'm the tough girl again?"

-Later that evening-

„Sheesh, I thought this day would never come to an end." Chilli just said after they put the girls to bed and the parents were relaxing on the couch as usual. „Yeah, me too. Altough I have to admit it was nice seeing Bluey letting out her true emotions for the first time since … When was the last time you did see her cry because of her being down? And I don't mean just shedding a few tears." Chilli didn't want to answer. Even though she knew exactly when that was the case. With a sigh she couldn't stay still. „Remember the time she felt unloved just after Bingo's birth? That's when." „Oh, yeah. The 'New Baby' incident. Didn't she try to bring Bingo back to the hospital?" „More than once." „But that's been four years. I can't believe she put her feelings aside like that to be the tough girl I induced her to be for four years. No wonder it would overwhelm her." „Can I ask you a question?" „That already was one" Bandit jokingly said. „But I grant you another one." „Very funny. But why do you insist on her being a tough girl?" Bandit looked down. „You remember the story I once told the girls? I want her to stand up for herself and not to become like my little brother was when we were kids. In the same time I try to teach her to be a good person. I always looked up at my big brother Rad for he always was tough and in the same time he always was a person to go to with a problem." „You shouldn't have tried to turn her into Radley. Sure, I know what you mean but Bluey is Bluey and nobody can change that." „I know now" Bandit just said with a sigh. „When do you think we're going to tell them?" „Not yet. It would surely break Bluey if she finds out now."

A/N: Sorry, this chapter isn't as upbeat as I intended it to be. But things had to be cleared first. But what is Bluey planning? And will her plan be successful or will it fail? And what is it the Heeler parents are hiding? Stay tuned to find out.