Abandoned Angel
Part 44: Tying Up Loose Ends (AKA Recap?)
Robert wanted to be lazy today, and it was a good thing he was still on vacation. His first week of vacation nearly over. The locksmith was scheduled to fix up his house. Another costly investment, not that Robert couldn’t afford it, and considering the recent events, it was more than necessary.
Robert didn’t want Rose, Flame or Runt, Mary had pushed the task of taking care of them by having Officer Pence show up with her house keys. Flame was in a constant state of terror and stress. Rose was one head injury away from drowning in her own saliva. Runt was a masochistic fluffy that wanted the sorry box more than a ball.
The first full attempt to get Flame more acclimated to his fluffies, Robert left the door to the garage from the house open with the baby gate in place. Whenever the house got too quiet, Robert would find his fluffies with their hooves against the gate, staring at Flame and Rose. Flame still hadn’t warmed up to Angel or his older children, but he didn’t run in fear when they watched through the gate. Any time the foal chirped or peeped, Angel would go running to see the foal. She couldn’t help it, he supposed, even if she had been running slower than usual as Angel was getting bigger.
The foal was also getting bigger. It had opened its eyes. Flame had even said it was a female. She was getting bigger, she had opened her eyes. Her mane and tail were growing out to be a bright blue color, contrasting the black fluff. There was even a tiny nub on her head, which Robert took for the early growth of a horn.
Flame was polite and well mannerer. While his personal grooming left much to be desired, he was fastidious about keeping Rose and the foal clean. Flame also passed down his coloring, a monochrome red, to Brave. Flame had slowly started warming up to Robert, rarely did the fluffy run in terror, yet when he did, the big garage door made a loud bang.
Rose… Was Rose, her fur a bright green and her personality very bipolar. With no legs on her, Flame had to roll her to the litter box. He had to roll her over for the foal to feed. Robert didn’t know what to think in regards to Rose. She wasn’t fussy unless told something bad, and with only a little reassuring she was fine again.
Runt had become the biggest obstacle. Robert didn’t know what to do with the broken Pegasus. Every time he went near the fluffy, Runt only begged for pain. He could only image what Mary had done to Runt. The black Pegasus with pink mane and tail would only lay about. He had a tough time looking at Runt. Mary performed some amateur surgery on the fluffy, Runt’s wings didn’t work, his back legs didn’t work, and she even removed an ear. Robert put in the velvety soft blocks and the cinnamon scented ball but they remained untouched.
Robert shot off a text to Susan, asking her to call when she had free time. Susan, Erin’s sister, was a veterinary doctor. While she rarely handled fluffies, she knew much much more than he did. Nearly everything Robert knew, he gleaned from the internet. And after sifting through the bulk of advice that involves beating the fluffy to a pulp, there wasn’t much to learn. Well, he supposed, there probably was, but that involved more work than he wanted to invest.
Angel, his first fluffy ever, bounded into the living room. She was a dark blue Pegasus with a dark forest green mane and tail. At times she could be sweet, at times she could be a total brat. Only twice did he ever need to put her in the sorry box. Guilt had kept her first stay fairly short. The second time she spent a full night, shivering and crying. Now, well, she was pregnant because her owner was too forgetful to get her or the other male fluffies fixed.
Not far behind Angel, Robin followed. Robin was a rather quiet Pegasus fluffy. Pink fur with a red mane and tail. He also was without a tongue yet still loved spaghetti. Mary had removed his tongue at an early age. The first night Robert received the three brothers, quickly taught Robin to nod for yes and shake his head for no. Robin could understand what was said, but conversations were very one sided. Now that things were calming down in the house, Robert ended up feeling sorry for Robin the most. Robin and Bright were very close. Robert could tell when Robin thought of his brother as the pink and red fluffy would hug Bright’s favorite hump toy with a sad look.
Right on time there was a knock on the door. After a brief discussion with the locksmith, the man went to work, new locks on every door leading outside, including a set of deadbolts. The peace of mind was worth the price. The man didn’t even mind the fluffies wandering about, nosing into his work. He even gave them a quick pet and declined Robert’s offer to set them in the safe room.
Brave trotted up to Robert. Angel’s new special friend. Angel’s special friend that gave her special hugs. Angel’s special friend that knocked her up. Robert picked up the blind monochrome red fluffy and set him on the couch. Brave was smart, sometimes too smart. Robert had on more than on occasion wonder if Brave had the potential of becoming a smarty but never did because the loss of his sight. Another bit of Mary’s handiwork. Brave was soft spoken and polite. Robert had invested in some new toys specific for blind animals, but Brave still enjoyed laying about and cuddling.
Between petting Brave and changing the channel, Robert was sending texts to Erin. His girlfriend, not to be confused with Mary, his crazy ex that slaughtered his fluffy Bright and used his blood to write a love note. Erin had even helped Robert dispose of and replace that table. Erin was everything Mary wasn’t. She was a cute short mousy brunette. Smart, kind, compassionate, and best of all, not nuttier than squirrel turds. Erin had helped Robert through a very rough patch involving Mary. They had known each other for years, but only now had they been able to enjoy the opportunity of a relationship.
Robert’s phone rang, Erin’s sister Susan finally called. They talked for several minutes and she had agreed to stop by that evening to meet the new fluffies. Susan looked much like Erin, just a bit taller and personality wise, a bit more aggressive. She was good people. She sounded very intrigued when he described Runt’s condition. An abuser’s dream, she called him.
The locksmith finished and gave the three fluffies a parting petting. Robert couldn’t help but notice just how nice it was outside. Spring was fighting tooth and nail with Winter, the snow completely gone from his yard now. Robert grabbed a beer and shooed the three fluffies out the back door for some good yard time. Fully prepared for some outdoors time, Robert sat on the lawn chair and opened a beer. Brave tried to play with the lethargic Angel, but now several days pregnant she was becoming big and slow. Robin had found Bright’s grave and plopped down on top of it. For the longest time the fluffy laid there, his tail occasionally twitching.
After an hour Robert brought the three back in and prepared dinner. As he prepared dinner, he prepared himself. Angel and Robin crawled under the dining room chairs while Brave had managed to climb on to the seat of one. “Hey, guys?” All three turned their attention to Robert. “It’s bath night.”
Angel had the most baths out of the three of his house fluffies, she wasn’t terrified as a normal fluffy. Brave, always quick to please his daddy, offered no complaint. Robin couldn’t voice his complaint. Robert fed the somber group, all three resigning themselves to the meanie wawa.
Robert brought dinner to his garage fluffies. As he set the dish down for Brave, “It’s bath night. You’ve gotten dirty again, Flame. And Rose could use a bath too.”
Flame had received a bath once under Robert’s care. “Fwame nu wan daddeh tu gib baff to Wose. Wose gud mummah. Fwame take baff fow Wose.”
“That’s not how it works.” Robert didn’t linger on the subject. It was going to happen.
“Babbeh nu nee baff!” Flame was shaking at the thought of his little baby getting a bath.
“Your baby isn’t getting a bath, she’s too little. You do a good job keeping her clean.” Robert tried to reassure Flame.
“Daddeh? Daddeh wan mo babbies? Daddeh make Fwame gif spechew huggies? Wose can hab mo babbehs nao.” From the terror of a bath to the terror of forced special hugs, Robert could only imagine what they had been through.
“No, no more babies.” Robert shook his head, relief poured from Flame. “Go eat.” Flame needed no other encouragement.
Robert went to Runt, still cordoned off from Flame and Rose and the baby. Robert set the fresh food next to the half eaten breakfast. Runt appeared to have been trying to starve himself to give himself pain. “Runt, tonight is bath night.”
Runt glared at Robert, the look nearly venomous. “NU! Baffs bad fow fwuffies! Nu wan baff!”
“So, you don’t want a bath because it’s bad for you?”
“Dat’s wight!” Runt stomped his hoof. “Wawa nu gud fow fwuffy.”
“But don’t you want bad things to happen to you?” Robert smirked, almost feeling bad.
“Wunt wan owies and bad tings!”
“But you don’t want a bath, which is a bad thing?” He was nearly grinning now.
“Baffs… bad. Nu wan baff. Wawa bad fow fwuffies… Wunt wan bad tings… but nu wan baff… baff gud ting? Nu! Baff bad but nu wan bad baff but bad ting gud… Wawa bad buh bad gud… Wunt…” His eyes crossed and his head twitched.