A crisp breeze passed through the hound's hair, slightly ruffling it out of place. The sound of leaves rustling in the wind filled Bud's ears. It had started shaping up to be a pleasant autumn day. The agonizing days of summer heatwaves had come and gone. Possibly best for a certain Samoyed's well-being.
Speaking of…
Bud slipped into the familiar tall green building, wincing as he maneuvered his way past security. Not wanting to waste time being screened and checked in. Something wormed its way into Bud's chest as he eventually approached Kimbra's office. A deep, warm feeling that arose whenever he thought of the scientist.
He thought he'd surprise her today for lunch. Ever since the incident over the summer, she had been working so hard to fix things. It saddened Bud to see his girlfriend under so much stress, but he gave her space when she needed it. Found ways to cheer her up and to distract her temporarily from it all.
Bud leaned against the doorway of Kimbra's office. Surprised, the usually closed door was open today. He knew her to be the antisocial type, and a closed door told others that she wasn't in the mood for conversation.
"Hey," he rapped a knuckle against the door frame twice. "Do you want to have lunch with me today?"
Blue eyes glanced up at him. "Sure, but why?"
"Just want to spend time with my girl, that's all." His gentle words echoed in her ears.
"Okay, give me like… five minutes to finish this document." Kimbra squinted her eyes at the computer screen, exhausted from working for five hours straight. She rubbed her aching eyes with the palm of her hands.
She had been working tirelessly the last two months to fix the Wellings project mess. They paid back River for everything (who still insisted on calling her everyday over every single thing) and managed not to set anything else on fire.
Thank god for that.
With each passing week, it got harder to do pretty much anything. Dr. Kimbra Diane Wulfe had been completely burnt out on work. Five minutes passed, and her hands dropped from the keyboard. Stood with a deep sigh from her desk, peeling off the white lab coat before hanging it on the back of her chair.
Bud looked up from his phone, having been seated in a chair across from her. Patiently waiting. "Ready?"
As I'll ever be.
"Yeah, Let me drop these files off to Dr. Ainsley, first. "
He stood, smiling. Tucked the phone into the inside pocket of his suit coat. "I'll go with you. I haven't seen the old man in some time."
"He'd like that." Kimbra remarked as the pair left the room. "Not being called old, though. He might have you injected with some chemical the R&D department is developing if you say that to him."
Bud leaned towards her with a small laugh. "Ooo sounds fun. Might ask him to do it just for the hell of it."
Kimbra didn't particularly want her boyfriend to become one of EcoTech's little test subjects. That would result in even more paperwork for herself. And she'd probably have to find a new boyfriend once it was all said and done. It just seemed like too much work.
She wanted to explain to Bud how that wasn't the best idea as they strolled down the hall, but someone yelling grabbed the two canines' attention. Shared a glance with each other before continuing. As the two made it further down the corridor, they realized the voice in question was Dr. Ainsley.
The elderly reptile stood in front of a new staff member, waving a clipboard in the man's frightened face. "We are not switching to Celsius! We live in America. We use Fahrenheit. If I wanted to use Celsius, I'd move to Canada for Christ's sake."
While Ainsley continued to go off on the poor guy, Bud whispered to Kimbra. "What's he yelling about?"
She gestured between the two with a hand. "Dr. Carlson, the new hire, thinks we should switch our measurements over to Celsius."
"Ainsley isn't taking that well, huh?"
"Nope." Kimbra replied, popping the 'p'. "He's set in his ways. His old, stubborn ways."
She'd actually never heard him sound so angry before (if you aren't counting the times Spector dropped by). Maybe he just wasn't having the best day and needed to take it out on someone.
Bud shoved his hands into his pockets, approaching Ainsley. "Eh, we don't need Canada anyway."
Kimbra paused in the hallway, unable to believe her ears. "What do you have against Canada–"
But Ainsley himself interrupted her when he noticed the salesman. "Bud! It's so good to see you!"
Bud's smile brightened in a friendly way. "Ainsley! You look well."
"Son, these kids are about to be the death of me. I don't feel the way I look, truth be told," Ainsley gave a flick of his hand. "Think they know everything." He spat out the last word, disgust riddled in his tone.
"We're just headed out, by the way, would you like to go to lunch with us?" The hound pointed with a thumb in the direction of their usual café down the street.
Both of them could see Ainsley weighing the options in his head before he gave an answer. "That's a mighty fine offer, but I have work to do."
And now it was Kimbra's turn to try to persuade her boss. "Sir, come on… you always work."
"Have ever since I was fifteen." Dr. Ainsley chuckled, moving on with his day. "Don't plan on stoppin' anytime soon." He bid the couple a pleasant farewell before disappearing into one of the many labs along the corridor.
The CEO watched Ainsley leave before heading for the elevator. "He's a fun guy, still dunno why he never married."
Kimbra shrugged, followed closely by Bud's side. "It's probably not his thing."
"Or maybe he was hideous in his youth. Scared all the potential suitors off."
"He wasn't hideous."
That comment almost made Bud stop completely. "Oh?"
"In the administration hall, there's newspaper clippings of him when he was younger. Like middle twenties." Kimbra said it jokingly, but then realized how bad it sounded. Closed her mouth.
"Are you saying… you think your boss is hot…?"
Embarrassment colored her cheeks as she stepped away. "Bud. No. No, I did not say that."
Bud snorted. "I think you did, actually."
Kimbra rubbed the bridge of her nose with one hand. Regretting having said anything in the first place. "I'm just saying that Dr. Ainsley was decent looking back in his younger days."
"I bet that's the only reason you applied for this job."
A grimace painted her face. "Bud, he's like… almost eighty years old."
Bud's tone turned into one of disapproval. "You might be into that, I don't know. Shame on you, pervert."
"He's a father figure to me, don't be an idiot."
"I may be an idiot, but that got your mind off work, didn't it?" Bud snickered, managing to steal a kiss from her. He couldn't wipe the grin off his face.
The pair exited the EcoTech building, making their way slowly down the sidewalk towards the café. Passing by unfamiliar faces that occupied the city. People going shopping or out for lunch. In such a large place like St. Canard, you were bound to come across the most colorful people.
"Did you ever sort that wind turbine mess out?" And then immediately upon asking, Bud realized that was a dumb question. Of course, she wouldn't want to talk about work on her lunch break. Much less, the thing that's been stressing her for the last few months. Idiot.
"Part of it," Kimbra replied in a tight voice. "I'm still having to write-off on accident reports and keep the whole place from being sued. That should be our lawyer's job. But he's off in the Bahamas with some model he picked up during fashion week."
Every so often, she wondered why she did this. Why she tried and fought so hard only to get nothing in return. EcoTech's administration most certainly couldn't stand her. Accused her of being the cause of the wind turbine fire. Called her work a mockery. The few people who were actually kind to her probably only supported her work as an obligation. Because Dr. Ainsley liked her, and they had to do what the most brilliant man in the science world said.
Doubt wormed through her chest, and a flash of shame and embarrassment flushed her skin. She wasn't perfect, no matter how hard she fought to be.
You're a screw-up. Bud shouldn't even want to be with you.
"I don't know why you date me anyway. I'm just a total screw up," she said slowly, as they strolled along. It came out of her mouth without thinking. Just something else for her to be embarrassed about.
"Hey…" There was a touch of firmness to stop her train of thought before it could go to a place he was all too familiar with.
Bud took both of Kimbra's hands in his, gently leading her off the sidewalk. Out of the way of other pedestrians. Looked her dead in the eyes with nothing but love and seriousness in his own.
"I'm dating you because I love you. With all I have to give and then more. I want to cheer you on in life, to see you grow and flourish at work and when we're together. Heck, I love everything about you, Sunshine. None of you is a screw up. None of it. I know that you've taken a lot of hate for who you are and the line of work you're in but damn if the day I realized I fell in love with you wasn't what it felt like to be in Heaven then I don't want it."
"If you say so." Kimbra still wasn't entirely convinced of what the hound said to be true.
"Hey, I know so." Said it with a smile. "I love your hands, by the way." Bud swung their arms lightly together, like they were schoolchildren.
With a frown, the Samoyed looked down at their entwined hands. "They're just dumb little hands."
"They're wonderful little hands. They fit in mine perfectly and can do so many remarkable things. They work hard and achieve wonderful goals as a result. And they're pretty." Bud hummed with a grin, squeezing her hand reassuringly.
"Didn't know you had a thing for… hands."
An offended scoff left the businessman. " Kimbra, it is not like that. Stop twisting everything I say."
"I have never done that to you."
"Uh huh. Sure you haven't," Bud smirked before leaning in and pressed a soft kiss to her mouth.
His grip tightened on her, and the hound buried his face into her soft fur. He took in her warmth, the smell of vanilla and a slight tinge of something smoky, probably from work.
She really had no idea how much she meant to him, did she?
Sunlight streamed in from the café's windows. Emitting a soft warm glow into the room and onto the patrons. The muted sounds of passing traffic was barely heard, unlike the surrounding conversations around the café.
All of it was beyond perfect for Bud.
The couple sat in a booth against the window. Bud looked through the menu, not knowing what to order. They had a decent variety to choose from. Sandwiches, soup, salads, pastries, and more. Kimbra ordered a sandwich and Bud opted for loaded potato soup, with bacon.
The conversation throughout lunch flowed easily. They talked about how the workweek was going so far. Possible weekend plans. The weather. Even the upcoming trip to Alaska that Kimbra had so kindly asked him to occupy her on again. All in all, a perfect lunch.
Bud stirred his coffee with a small spoon. He shouldn't have ordered it this late in the day. But he was tired. The man knew he shouldn't stay up late to watch Colin's late show during work days, but it made him feel close to his brother. It's what kept the hound from finally going off the deep end.
He clinked the spoon against the cup, taking a sip. He shouldn't have put so much sugar and cream in it, either, but it was the only way he could handle drinking the liquid.
"I have a question for you," the words flowed smooth as honey from Bud's hound.
Kimbra looked up from her food, and blinked. Why was he looking at her like that?
And she began to groan, leaning her forehead against her hand. "I hope you aren't trying to rope me into a pyramid scheme again. Bud, we talked about this. I'm not getting wrapped up in that mess."
"No, no it's not that," he waved his hands at her. "I wanted to know if you wanna meet my uncle."
And that caught her off guard. Made her sit up a little straighter. "You want me to meet your uncle?"
"You're my girlfriend, of course I want you to." He smiled while reaching a hand out to run through her purple hair. It had started fading, needing to be dyed again. Part of Bud wanted to see her hair's natural color someday.
Kimbra felt a hint of excitement creep up inside of her. Finally! She was going to meet a member of Bud's family! Sure, she had already met his cousin Morty, but that was back before they started dating. It would be different this time. She'd be introduced as his girlfriend. His girlfriend.
"Are you close with your uncle?"
And that question made Bud think (for once in his life). How could he explain his relationship with Uncle Rufus? Each time he tried to put it into words, nothing came out. He even thought of their countless memories together. The only good ones from his childhood.
Little pitter-patters of small paws echoed through the hall as a young Buddy ran to go find his uncle. His tail was wagging, a wide, excited smile on his face at the smell of frying fish and okra in the air along with the crackling of hot oil. Buddy liked to watch his Uncle Rufus cook, but since the older hound was working with oil today, he asked for Bud to stay out of the kitchen and go play after handing the pup a bag of cheese puffs, to which he happily complied.
It was a hot afternoon that summer, and Bud knew the heat meant Uncle Rufus's famous lemonade. He'd already drunk about half a pitcher down with the older hound, so they'd made another pitcher up before he'd begun cooking. Heat in the south meant snake warnings. The porch was a cool place to hang out at, the underside of the deck even cooler for critters to hide in.
The night previous, the little puppy had seen a possum and begged to pet it. And then it hissed at Rufus, who in turn hit it over the head with a broom while yelling "GIT."
There were no more possums now. Bud had even checked as he knelt down and pressed an eye up to a crack in the old, chipped white porch. Nope. He looked at the nest, which was empty. There was a bird's nest, too, that had been abandoned.
Bud giggled at the thought of little birds living on his Uncle's deck, what fun that would be!
The hound stood and pressed his shoulder up to his ear, something tickling as he moved. Buddy went to sit on the porch swing, a rugged baseball cap and Peter Rabbit already set out for him.
His ear was itchy.
So he scratched at it again.
Bud picked up the hat and jammed it down onto his head. The book followed and fell open on his lap, and the puppy used a finger to track the words. Sometimes pointing left or right to remember which way his B's and D's went.
He was getting to the good part of the book when it happened. Something fat and long with numerous legs dropped down onto his nose, and Bud screamed at the sight. Book and hat went flying as he jumped down and waved his hands in the air, trying to get it off.
"Buddy?!" A deep, worried voice called from the front porch. He looked up to see his Uncle in a 'kiss the chef' apron, hair jammed down in a backwards baseball cap, and spatula in hand. "Buddy what's goin' on? You sound like you're gettin' attacked by a nest of- oof!"
The older hound stumbled back a bit as Buddy came running into his legs, wailing about something or another with tears and snot running down his face.
"Hey, hey. Calm down, Buddy. Deep breaths." He knelt down to cup the little pup's cheek, searching him over for bites or stings. "What happened?"
"There's a-a-a-a thING oN ME-E-E, and it's got a-a lot of leeeegs and I dunno what it wa-asss." He sobbed and pushed himself into Rufus's arms. Rufus let out a sigh of relief when he spotted a long-legged spider on the back of Bud's ear, and pulled it off with a gentle hand.
"Bud, look. It's just a Granddaddy Long Legs." He showed the little pup, who pulled back and screamed before knocking it out of Rufus's hand.
"IT'S GONNA KILL US NO NO NONONO UNCLE RUFUS NO!"
Rufus picked the spider back up again and held it away from Bud, watching it crawl on his hand with a grin. "It can't hurt you. These little critters can't even bite because their mouths are so small. See? Harmless."
But that had done it for Buddy Flud. His left ear was already in his mouth, teeth gnawing down on it as he backed up with a high-pitched whine. Rufus let out a soft sigh before setting it down and opened his arms up to Bud. "C'mere, now."
Bud hesitantly walked forward and as soon as he was close, Rufus scooped him up and ruffled his hair. "Ready for lunch?"
The little pup's previous fear disappeared at the word lunch. His tail wagged, eyes going wide as he gripped the front of his Uncle's apron and nodded.
Bud's ear fell from his mouth and he bounced as they walked back inside. "YES! Fish and fries!"
"Fish and fries, little Buddy!" Rufus smiled.
Trust him to always save the day.
A big smile formed on Bud's face at the memory. "Yeah, we're pretty close."
Bud grinned as he checked his watch, sleeve riding up on his forearm. "We're a little late, but not by too much."
The following day, he drove Kimbra to the outskirts of the city. Out into the countryside. Today was the day she would be meeting his dear uncle. The man he actually considered a father. The one who actually gave him the love and care that you're supposed to give a child.
He stepped out of the car, which was parked in front of a ranch style house. Waited for Kimbra to join his side before walking up to the porch.
Bud had been so excited that they were seeing his uncle today. He'd woken up at six in the morning, showered, and wore his nicest casual fall outfit. Had a cup of hot chocolate and paced around his house until it was time to pick Kimbra up.
Kimbra on the other hand was nothing but a bundle of nerves. She'd have to watch her mouth, probably. Not make any wise cracks about terminal brain diseases. Or dead mom jokes. Had to make sure her first impression on one of the most important people in Bud's life was a good one.
What if Bud's uncle doesn't like you? You aren't likable. People have called you straight up bitchy. There's no way in hell he'll like you. And then what if Bud rethinks being with you? What are you going to do then?
She let out a soft noise of anxiety as they started up the stairs. Letting Bud walk up to the door and ring the doorbell. He looked behind him, flashing a big grin at her.
"Coming! Give me a second!" A much older male voice called out from within the house.
At the sound of the voice, Bud's tail began to wag. His excitement only grew as footsteps approached.
The front door swung open, and an older hound poked his head out. He and Bud had similar facial features, but the man at the door looked much, much older. His curly black hair streaked with a line of gray. A five o' shadow adorned his face.
He flicked his arm, looking at his watch. "You're ten minutes late, Buddy." Tapped the face of the watch with a finger. "You're slacking on me. Last time, you were five minutes late."
A low groan burned in Bud's throat. "Uncle Rufus, you know how city traffic is. It's not necessarily my fault."
What Rufus wanted to say was 'then you oughta listen' to me and leave early to beat the traffic', but didn't when he noticed his nephew's guest. Nodded his head at her. "This your lady friend you were tellin' me about?"
Kimbra almost snorted at that. Lady friend.
One corner of Bud's mouth curled upward, creating a ghost of a smile. "This is Kimbra." He gently took Kimbra's hands, leading her closer to the door. "Kimbra, this is my Uncle Rufus."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Bud gushed about you all the way here. You seem to mean the world to him." She smiled while sticking out her hand for Rufus to shake.
And Rufus grinned at that. Shook her hand.
"I sure hope so, after cleaning up after him for so many years."
Bud's face went red with embarrassment. "Uncle, please." He muttered, loud enough for them to hear.
Unfortunately for Bud, his uncle kept on going. "Like that time you tried to make spaghetti all by yourself and dropped that jar of sauce. My poor kitchen walls and floor were painted with the stuff." The corners of his eyes would crinkle each time he smiled, evidence of how much he had aged.
Kimbra giggled, catching Bud's grimace out of the corner of her eye.
Rufus waved them in, heading back into the house. "Come inside, it wouldn't be very mannerly of me to keep you two out on the porch all day."
Kimbra walked in hesitantly first, taking in her surroundings as she did. The couple emerged into a cozy but well-furnished sitting room with a fire blazing in the hearth and family portraits on the walls. Rufus ushered them to sit on a comfortable looking couch, promising to return in a second. Disappeared around the corner for several minutes.
"Do you want tea or something?" The older hound finally called out from the kitchen.
"Uhhhhh… maybe." Bud called back as he scratched his ear.
"Tea it is then," not long after, Rufus brought back two cups of sweet tea. Handed one to Kimbra and then one to Bud.
"Thank you, Uncle Rufus." Bud took the tea to sip on, and once he'd had enough for the moment, sat it down on the end table near him.
"You're welcome, kiddo, lemme go tell Renee and Beau you're here."
Kimbra tried her own tea after the man left, which admittedly had far too much sugar in it. She visibly winced at the taste, especially because it was cold.
Bud noticed her disdain. "What? What's wrong?" Asked in a hushed tone.
"What the hell am I drinking?" Her nose wrinkled in disgust.
Bud turned to stare disappointedly at Kimbra. "Sweet tea? Kimbra, please tell me you've had sweet tea before."
"No? This isn't even tea. It's like… cold tea water with a pound of sugar in it."
"Darlin' that's basically what sweet tea is." He tapped his feet on the floor happily, a smile not leaving his face as he picked up his cup and sipped his tea again. "Uncle Rufus always makes the best."
Kimbra could beg to differ.
"No, no tea is supposed to be hot. Delicately made. Not cold and filled with sugar."
Bud shook his head as he settled back onto the couch. "Maybe you just have poor taste."
She dismissed that comment. Kimbra looked over at him. Stuck her tongue out. Bud stuck his tongue out back. Gave her a thumbs down. That would really show her.
It didn't.
To occupy herself as they waited, Kimbra stood from her seat, and went over to a wall filled with family photos. Bud joined her (not knowing what else to do with himself). Now and then, he'd point out a family member. Such as a middle-aged Uncle Rufus and a young Morty and Renee trying to fish at Lake Evergreen. One of him and Uncle Rufus at a Jackals baseball game. He briefly pointed out the photos of his parents, Harrison and Julie. Always referring to Julie as Ma, but never calling Harrison anything apart from his name.
He hadn't called Harrison the word Dad since he was a teenager. And it would stay that way.
But Kimbra's eyes landed on a wedding photo, one of a rabbit with curly brown hair. Large glasses. Behind them, were different colored eyes. The left, a light blue, and the right, brown. Beside him stood a smiling young female hound with curly red hair like Morty. Possibly, another Flud family member.
Kimbra tapped the photo. "Who's the rabbit?"
Bud's eyes landed on the photo the Samoyed pointed out. The mere sight of it made his chest begin to hurt.
"Bruce Culver." He paused, shaking his head softly before finally meeting her eyes. Trying to look away from the photographs. "He's– he was Renee's husband. Renee is my cousin, Morty's older sister."
"Was?"
Bud's mouth twisted and he looked away. The hound scratched at his neck lightly, not saying anything for a moment. "He… he died. I was still in high school. He was the frontman for the band, Amalthea."
He's dead. He's dead, and he's never coming back. If Harrison wasn't careful, Colin would end up just like him.
"Oh? Isn't that the band who's tour bus was hit by a semi truck?"
"Yeah." Bud replied, accidentally allowing the bitterness to enter his voice. A range of emotions appeared on his face, but the most prominent was guilt.
It all came back to him, and his face drained in an instant.
"Dad? Is something wrong?" A teenage Bud Flud stood at the bottom of the stairs, hand gripping onto the banister.
Harrison Flud was a brutally honest man, and wouldn't sugarcoat anything for anyone. He stopped in the doorway, looking back at Bud, with an out of character face. A face full of concern and worry. Something Bud had never seen from his father. It was like the air had been sucked out of his lungs completely. He couldn't breathe.
"Go back to bed, Buddy." Harrison said the words so softly, that it terrified Bud even further.
The grief, the helplessness in Harrison's eyes made it hard for Bud to think of anything to say. So he did as his father asked.
The following morning, Bud learned why his father had been out at such an ungodly hour. Why Renee quit the record label and cut Harrison out of her life. The reason why Uncle Eddie, Renee and Morty's father, started bad-mouthing Harrison. Why he came up from Louisiana and gave his younger brother a mouthful.
The band Amalthea had just finished a concert a city over. They originally intended to stay the night there, as they'd been going at it nonstop for the past week. Harrison's orders, stay on schedule and don't miss a beat. Bruce had begged Harrison to give them a break. Just for one night. That's all he had asked for, not thinking it was much. But Harrison said no, told them they didn't have the time. Their schedule was busy enough, and they'd only be disappointing everyone.
Amalthea pushed on ahead after the concert. Attempted to return to St. Canard late that night. Because Bruce loved Harrison and thought his uncle-in-law knew best.
The tour bus driver was so exhausted he didn't see the red traffic light.
And the semi truck didn't have time to stop.
The coroner said Bruce most likely died first, having the worst of the impact due to sitting on the side where the truck hit. He'd been awake, chatting away with a half asleep Lance. What they didn't know was that Bruce had been the only one to see the semi truck before it collided with their bus.
Lance Wolfberg, the band's guitarist, got the second worst of it. He and Bruce were childhood friends. Before Amalthea, Lance tried being a tattoo artist for a time. The possum had a girlfriend and a young son he left behind. The funniest story Bud had heard about Lance was once, he tried to help an old lady cross the street and she pepper sprayed him. Right in the face.
Barry Scattergood, the oldest member and bassist for the band. He had moved from Britain for his music career. Lance found him online and roped the poor man into becoming Amalthea's bassist. The band fondly bullied him from time to time, mostly making wise cracks on his age and height. Barry had actually been with Lance when the elderly woman pepper sprayed him. He laughed, and in turn, ended up getting pepper sprayed as well. He had been asleep during the accident, unaware of what happened. He left behind a wife and two young sons.
Shaun Milner, the drummer, was actually still alive on scene, but had died shortly after arriving at the hospital. He fell asleep while scrolling on his laptop to work on wedding planning. He always got hurt somehow during tours or concerts, accident-prone as Bruce liked to call the sable. His drum set had been completely destroyed in the crash.
Their lives had been cut too short. Far too short.
All that hatred younger Bud had for his father slipped away at the moment he saw how badly Bruce's death affected him. The sympathy didn't last long, a few days at most, because Harrison Flud was a conceited jackass. He had been directly responsible for the accident. He'd never been a caring man or a good boss to have.
Even worse, the band's manager, Evan Park, had been following the tour bus in his own car. He wasn't injured, but he witnessed the accident. Bud only met Evan once, but from what Renee said, he loved Amalthea like they were his family. He cared about them and blamed himself for what had happened. After the band's sudden passing, Evan quit his job at Arctic Records. Fell into alcoholism and took his life only a few months after the bus crash.
And what did Harrison say when Bud told him the news?
Just be glad it didn't happen to you.
The ache became a small lump in his throat. Bud swallowed and battled down the gag reflex triggered by the memory.
Of course, Harrison ruins the lives of those around him. He thought, a little bitterly.
Tragedy was interesting, after all. It's what sold in the music industry. Amalthea still had an unreleased album that Arctic Records was holding on to. After Hours, or something it was called. They could make millions off it, as the band still had a loyal following. Yet, Harrison kept it locked away. Maybe out of fear. Fear that it would cause the incident to garner bad publicity again. Most people had forgotten all about it by now.
But Bud didn't. Neither did the grieving families of the band.
"Beau, you're tracking mud all through the house." A pretty female hound with short red hair frowned, stepping over the tracks of mud across the floor. "Sorry about that, Beau is pretty invested in the outdoors nowadays."
A much younger voice called out. "Sorry Ma!"
The woman that Kimbra figured out was Renee, gestured at Bud. "You didn't even say hi to your cousin."
A brown rabbit with curly hair (a darker shade of brown) poked his head out of the kitchen. Almost a splitting image of Bruce. Even down to the blue and brown eyes.
A twinge of melancholy squeezed at Kimbra's heart at this realization, but she quickly shook it off.
"Oh, hey, cousin Buddy." Beau smiled, jerking his head towards Kimbra's direction when he noticed the Samoyed. "Did Buddy finally get a girlfriend? About time."
Bud kept his lips shut and his expression neutral. He wondered if Renee saw Bruce in the child like he did. If her heart ached every time she looked at him.
He wondered what Harrison would think of Beau.
Renee gasped at her son. "Beau! Buddy, I am so sorry. I don't know what's gotten into him today."
"What? He never brings anyone over. Like Uncle Morty."
Renee leaned her back against the wall, crossing her arms. "Please don't bring your poor uncle into this."
"I tried to get him to join a dating website, but he got flustered and brushed me off."
Uncle Rufus let out a loud laugh as the young rabbit stepped into the room, holding a bag of chips, munching away. Dropping crumbs all over the nice wooden floor.
"Maybe you should join one." The rabbit pointed at Rufus, swallowing a mouthful of chips.
That shut Rufus up. His smile immediately dropped into a deep frown. "Don't you start."
"What? All I'm saying is you mope around the house–" The rabbit eventually mumbled, more to fill the awkward silence.
"I don't mope."
Beau continued on. "–all by yourself."
"I'm not by myself. You and your ma are here."
"And you are getting up there in age."
Then, Rufus let out a loud, irritated huff. "I'm not that old!"
Beau tapped below his own eyes. And then the outer corners of them. "The wrinkles say otherwise."
"They're laugh lines."
Bud laughed. "Are you sure about that?" Brown eyes slid to bright ones Bud used to think were made of sea glass, and he cocked his head while asking.
"Yes, Buddy. I'm quite sure about that." Rufus said, the furrow in his brow deepening. "Beau, why don't you tell Buddy what you're doing these days?"
Bud knew his uncle was only trying to change the topic to something else. Decided to let him have it this time. Just to be a good sport.
The rabbit stood a little taller, more proud. "I'm studying to be a forest ranger."
"Oh? Not dabbling into the music industry like your parents?" Bud made the mistake of asking. He should have known better, considering having spent time with Adam. Mr. Dark-Humor-Himself.
Beau shook his head. "No, my dad did that and look where it got him. Hit by a semi truck. Six feet under." Pointed downwards as he blew a big raspberry.
Kimbra covered her mouth with a hand. She couldn't laugh at that. She couldn't. Tried her damn best not to. In her defense, dark humor was the best way to cope with the loss of a parent. But she wanted to laugh so bad.
No, she needed to get a hold of herself.
"Beau!" Renee smacked her son's arm gently, scolding him.
"What? I'm sure he would have thought it was funny!" He turned to his mother, ready for the ensuing argument. "I've seen videos of the concerts, Mom. He cracked worse jokes than that."
"Okay, fair enough, he would." Just one sigh of many to come left her mouth. "Beau, you really shouldn't be watching those. You're far too young."
"Oh, because he says motherfucker a lot?"
"Beau," another sigh.
"He does ! That last concert he said 'let's blow the roof off this motherfucker'. His words, not mine." Beau threw out his arms at the word blow, spilling even more chip crumbs.
"Beau, shush."
"And he said fuck a lot."
She just shook her head, which the motion bounced her red curls. "Beau, you really shouldn't say those words."
"Uncle Rufus said a lot worse when he stubbed his toe on the coffee table."
A loud gasp left Renee's mouth before she turned her complete attention to her uncle. "Uncle!"
He held up his hands in defense, taking a seat beside Bud on the couch. "Listen, when you almost bust your big toe on the damn table leg, you're gonna end up saying some not-so-pretty words."
"And see? He just said damn. I think he needs the lecture, not me." Beau shook his small finger at his great uncle. Scolding him like a child.
"Beau!" Renee jerked her head to look back at her son.
"Renee, just let the kid swear every once in a while. It ain't gonna kill him." Rufus sat back with a sigh, gently nudging Bud with an elbow. As to say, 'look at me rile up your cousin even more'.
And Beau decided to just worsen it. "Yeah, it's not like I'm going to get hit by an eighteen-wheeler or anything."
The full force of Renee's glare shut him up instantly. Kimbra was still doing her absolute best to not laugh at the kid's dark humor. He reminded her so much of Adam. Like, if Adam ever had a kid, they'd end up being exactly like Beau.
"I don't know why you lean towards dark humor so much, Barry and Lance's kids don't."
"I'm just special, that's why."
Kimbra couldn't help but ask a question, ignoring her brain telling her to shut up. "Do you still talk to the other families?"
Of course, they would, right? It made sense to keep communicating as they were all connected to a terrible tragedy. Like some kind of support system.
Renee didn't seem at all phased by the question. "Oh yeah, we mostly all keep in touch still. Shaun's fiancée actually works over at EcoTech."
You're kidding.
"Wait really?"
"Her name is Natasha Stecker." Sorrow pulled at the corners of her eyes and mouth. "Shaun was still alive after the crash, he died shortly after arriving at the hospital. Tasha didn't make it in time to say goodbye."
Kimbra tried her best to remember any Natashas at EcoTech. None really came to mind at first. Then again, the company had hundreds of employees that came through those glass doors each day. It wasn't practical for her to remember each one.
Natasha Stecker.
Natasha.
Natasha.
Na—
Oh.
Kimbra jerked her head at Renee. "Dr. Stecker? The one in the Research and Development department?"
The hound nodded. "Yeah, that's what she does! I couldn't remember exactly what she did." Tapped her chin with a finger. "I just knew it was something at EcoTech, and Buddy said you were a department head over there. Figured you might know her."
Kimbra did know Dr. Stecker. A tall and elegant mink from Russia. She kept to herself most of the time, possibly why Kimbra had trouble remembering her. Come to think of it, she wasn't even sure if they had ever held a conversation. Possibly not.
"And Lance's boy is just about an adult now. He's currently attending SCU. I think he's studying biochemistry?" Renee looked over at her son, raising her eyebrows. Hoping he'd explain further for her.
"Yeah he is," Beau chimed with a small snicker. "I called him a nerd."
Renee planted her hands on her hips, frowning at her son. "Beau, that's mean."
The young rabbit poked out his bottom lip in a pout. "He called me one first."
The woman sighed. Exhaustion hung from her every word. "Fair enough."
As the conversation continued, Bud's chest ached, realizing how much he had missed this. Missed being with his family. Missing that kind of connection they used to have.
He missed this.
Colin should be here.
The thought rang out loud in Bud's mind throughout his entire visit to his uncle's. At one point, he had to excuse himself to the porch. Sitting at the top step of the stairs as he stared off into the woods, trying to get his screwed up mind in order.
A gentle breeze swept through, chilling the autumn evening further. It caused Bud to pull his jacket closer to his body. Other than that, he paid no mind to the chill.
In the doorway stood Renee, watching him.
She knew that for Bud, coming by always brought up memories of his little brother. It had been Colin's favorite place too. At least, until Rufus and Harrison had the falling out. Rufus took Bud's side after he cut contact with his parents. Told Harrison he had always been a shitty father and if he wanted Bud back in his life, he needed to fix things. Rufus went as far as to bring up the Bruce incident, accusing Harrison of being an uncaring bastard that ruined the lives of those around him. Like a parasite.
Well, that turned into an all out war, Harrison going as far as to cut out his little brother from his life.
So if anyone knew about messed up relatives, it was the Flud family.
Renee pityingly watched Bud for a moment, then decided it was finally time to intervene. "I was surprised when I heard you started seeing someone."
From behind, she saw his tail bristle slightly at her voice.
"Yeah, I guess you were." It was a quick reply, one that came when Bud was reluctant to open up to anyone about what was bothering him.
With ease, she took a seat beside the salesman. Still making an attempt. "I'm happy for you, Buddy, I really am. She seems lovely."
"She is." Another blunt reply before a question he had been itching to ask. "When's the last time you've seen Colin?"
"The same answer as usual. Not since Bruce died." She answered, sitting back to try and get more comfortable. "Morty sees him every week, though. I think he takes Col out for lunch since your parents like him or whatever."
"Surprising." The jab towards Morty slipped from Bud's mouth. He hadn't meant to say that, it just became a habit by now.
And Renee didn't like that one bit. The same voice she used when she scolded Beau over something, rose. "Bud, I know you and Morty had a falling out in college because of Bri–"
"Please don't bring his name up." Bud bit back, hoping that Renee would leave the issue alone.
For an achingly long moment, it seemed as if Renee would simply drop the subject. But she didn't.
"I know you two had that falling out, but you can't keep being bitter over it. Morty cares about you. He only said that stuff because he knew what was happening. You were just too stubborn to see it. He loves you, Bud. You need to let it go."
Bud nodded, his throat strangely tight. "I know."
It wasn't that he necessarily disliked Morty. He knew that his cousin had been right about everything. But Bud had chosen to ignore him. Kept living on with his stupid dream of someone actually loving him. Even after it had all gone to shit, Bud was too scared to come back and admit to Morty he had been right. Afraid that Morty would just push him away like everyone else had. So instead of going through that pain, Bud made the decision to push him away first.
Bud had been pushing away one of the most patient, caring people he had ever met for years . And he hated himself for it. Especially as it had been working.
You're just a moron who pushes everyone who cares about you away. How long until you start doing that to Kimbra?
Thankfully, sweet Renee broke his descent into a spiral as she started talking again. "Morty also said he sees Lexie sometimes."
Alexandria 'Lexie' Flud.
The last of the Flud siblings. One that had been born after Bud left home, cutting contact with his parents. When he heard about his parents expecting another child, he assumed they did it out of spite to replace him. Someone that Harrison and Julie could shape to be the perfect kid they had always wanted.
It wouldn't have surprised him if it turned out to be true.
"Have you met her?"
"No, I haven't. Probably never will." Bud shook his head, still in disbelief of it all. "It's weird, right? I'm like… thirty and I have a twelve-year-old sister."
"That you've never met."
"That I've never met." Bud echoed his cousin's words aloud. Hitting him harder than it should have. His eyes went downcast to look at his hands.
A little sister. Eighteen years younger than him. A little sister that Bud had never met. One that probably didn't even know he existed unless Colin had told her. Which, Colin likely hadn't. He didn't blame Col for not wanting to talk about him. Not after he had abandoned the poor kid for a quick ticket out of that household. Every so often, Bud wondered if Colin hated him, truly hated him. Hated him for leaving him behind in that house with those people.
And he probably did.
"Is… is Harrison awful to her too?"
Renee could hear a bit of an emotion sneak into Bud's voice.
The silence that followed was deafening.
She broke it, so soft that Bud strained to hear her. "Morty says he… he seems to really love her."
A scoff. "You're joking."
"When she was a baby, Morty said he'd play River Flows In You on the violin for her to get her to sleep at night."
That made him sharply jerk his head towards her. "He what?"
The thought of Harrison Flud doing anything caring for his children was foreign to Bud. Nothing the man ever did came off as caring. Selfish? Sure. Uncaring? Absolutely. Downright emotionally abusive? All the time. Anything other than caring.
Renee sensed the CEO's sudden shift in demeanor. She chose her next words cautiously, still trying to be nothing but honest. "He even plays with her, apparently. Like… how Rufus was with us."
Bud really wished he hadn't heard that. It hurt deep down. That somewhere, inside of him, the small pup who had never known love from either of his parents, heard that. It stung, but it was the thing that had kept him up at night for so many years. That maybe, just maybe, the hound wasn't lovable.
Shame poured over the businessman. Why did he have to be this way?
Misery hit him so hard that he couldn't breathe.
"Renee, I just, I can't see Harrison actually being that way towards anyone. Harrison is–" Cheeks puffing out, he stopped short with a sigh.
Now Bud knew that Morty wasn't a liar, the hound was far from it. But just the concept of Harrison actually loving someone apart from himself, felt unreal. That it wasn't supposed to happen.
Because it never did.
Flashes of memory darted through Bud's mind. Harrison's cold demeanor towards him. All the times the older hound had brushed him off. Degraded him. Made him feel like nothing. All the nights, he had cried himself to sleep because of something Harrison had said to him that morning. Being told he wasn't wanted.
Some part of him wished for something different.
Bud looked like he was about to gripe again, but stopped himself and swallowed it.
"I'm serious, Bud. Morty actually thinks your Pa is a decent dad to Lexie. For what reason, I don't know. Maybe he started to realize how horrible he's been to you and Colin. Might be he wanted to change–"
But Bud raised his hand to cut her off. "No, if he actually wanted to change, he'd find a way to call me. Try to fix what he did to me. What he did to us."
And stop what he's doing to Colin.
"I really don't know what to tell you, Buddy. I don't. I'm sorry. I'm just guessing here…" she said, her voice trailing off into silence.
Tension settled in the quiet space between them.
Words stalled at the tip of Renee's tongue for the longest stretch of time. So, she opted for a change of topic. A lighter one.
"I think she really loves you."
He glanced at her absently. "Now you're just trying to make me feel better. Nice try, but no cigar."
Renee's smile faltered when he didn't match it. "I'm not. That girl in there is blatantly in love with you."
Bud knew there was some truth to his cousin's words. That Kimbra did love him to some extent. They filled each other's minds, both when they were around each other and when they weren't. He knew that much. But… her, in love with him was something else.
And he couldn't help but sneak a glance at Kimbra. She sat in the living room, laughing at something Uncle Rufus had said. She looked the same as she always did. He didn't really see anything obvious enough to give off the impression that she was in love with him. Had no idea what Renee meant.
"I don't see it."
"Because you're blind." Renee rolled her eyes. "I can tell by the way she looks at you. Like you're the only other person in the room. That when it all comes down to it, you're her first choice."
But Bud didn't agree. Shook his head. "She doesn't look at me like that."
"She does. I'm being serious. You've brought a lot of girls here before, and I've never seen any of them look at you the way Kimbra does."
"Now you're just lying."
"I'm not, but I'm telling you if you fuck this one up, you're going to regret it for the rest of your life. I honestly think she's the one for you." Renee couldn't put her finger on exactly what it was, but there was something there.
Bud felt the corners of his mouth lift. "Bit cliché, don't you think?"
"I'm a musician, Buddy. We're all cliché when it comes to love." She lightly bumped shoulders with him playfully. Letting them fall back into a comfortable silence.
There could have been a bit of truth to what Renee was saying. A small area in Bud's heart so desperately wanted that. For someone to love him irresistibly until the end of time. He worried at times his want for that overshadowed Kimbra's actual feelings. That he just saw what he wanted to see.
Or maybe Kimbra could be the one for him after all.