DoC|Reconciliation

HERO
The day was bright and warm with Spring bursting fresh life around him, but Hero wouldn't be bothered by it. Slinking around in a circle, the mutt plopped down to the ground with his braced leg laying loosely beside him. He had been tied out for hours, but it felt like days, and a somber weight hung heavy on his head as he allowed melancholic thoughts to take hold of his mind.

It seemed the world was moving on without him- mocking him with it's vivacity as he wallowed in self-pity and withered away with despondence. He could almost feel the fetter draining his spirit as it wrapped around his neck and snaked it's way into the ground, and he absentmindedly began rolling the rope back and forth with a lazy paw as he thought on this. There was nothing else to do.
PATAGONIA
She hadn’t expected to see him like this — not again. A scene from months ago slowly began replaying itself in her mind, speeding up with each passing moment; she’d been a few weeks into her pregnancy, filled with hormonal-induced rage as she stomped to Hero’s house, fully intending to make him suffer for the belly full of pups she was carrying around. But when she’d seen him, tied up to that rope, pity had flared in her heart. He’d looked so miserable that it had almost broken her will to confront him — almost. She hadn’t let it stop her before, and she wouldn’t let it stop her now.
”What’d you do this time?” Patagonia said in a voice that wasn’t quite as unpleasant as she’d it was supposed to be. Odd, considering she’d never had a problem summoning her inner demons before... so she tried again. ”Hey, I don’t remember hunting with you recently. What damsel in distress did you defend this time? Guess your loyalty’s not all you’ve talked it up to be, huh?
Too late, the hound realized she had no room to talk.
HERO
Hero lifted his gaze off the ground as he heard nearing footsteps, and something sparked in him as his eyes met the beagle's. It was a stir of emotions he couldn't quite understand. It felt like relief, anxiety, and anger were fighting each other to the death in his gut, but the moment she opened her mouth, it was clear who came out the victor. "None of your business woman." He growled in a harsh voice as his whole face tightened with his trenchant words. He would imagine she'd regret her words if he just told her what had happened- that he had saved their daughter from the same monster who attacked Cardigan and Roman, and so many others. Either that, or she'd use the instance to chastise his pup in whatever creatively cutting way she could think up. Regardless of the outcome, he was going to spare the girl of her mother's harsh words.

"Wha'do you want anyway?" He spoke again, holding the same caustic tone as before, "Last time we were here, you told me you were pregnant, so what is it now?"
PATAGONIA
Patagonia opened her mouth to make a sharp retort, but her words died in her throat. It was rare that Hero snapped back at her, especially since the pups had been born; every tense encounter they had had been forcefully friend for the sake of the little ones. Perhaps she’d forgotten just how hard he could hit her back.
”I...” Silence hung in the air as she stared up at him, trying to figure out what the heck she was doing here. It’s not like Glory was here; she, like two of her sisters, had been adopted out to a new home. Patagonia could only guess how it was going for her, but she hoped the husky mix was fairing better than Cowbelle, who’d been reported to be chasing chickens on her new farm and driving her owner bonkers.
”To check up on the kids,” she finally replied, trying to form a solid alibi for showing up unannounced. ”Have you heard from Glory lately? How is she? Is she eating well?”
HERO
"Um, hello?" he said in a sarcastic tone as he slid his paw under the rope that chained him to the ground and lifted it up to her, giving her a look that she often gave him- a look that said 'are you seriously that stupid?' Hero let out an irritated sigh as he dropped his paw to the ground with a thud, rolling his eyes and shaking his head as he did. "You know that girl eats like a goat, I'm sure she's doing just fine without me, everyone else seems to be..." The intensity of his voice left him the longer he spoke until he was meekly mumbling at the ground and mindlessly rolling the tether around once more.

It's not like they were on another planet, but Hero missed the children more than anything. Sure, it was agonizing to lay around all day instead of hunting, or training, or exploring the forest, but that was five precious people that weren't in his life anymore. They could always visit him, but they hadn't. They didn't need him anymore, and Hero was beginning to question whether he was ever an integral part of their lives to begin with. They seemed to do just fine with their mother, he only came around to lighten the load. Now he was incapacitated. He was tied in place, but the world was still spinning. It was clear to him that he was unnecessary.
PATAGONIA
A nasty expression planted itself on Patagonia’s face as she stared at Hero. Why was he being so mean all of the sudden?! It wasn’t like she’d started it — not this time, at least. But once again, Hero softened her, though he surely hadn’t intended to.
”Fine without you? Hero, the pups idolized you. You were the only father figure they really had. You know how they are... Bixbite just... well, Bixbi doesn’t like anyone, and I don’t think Everett does, either. Cowbelle’s used to doing her own thing, but you know Makita admires you. And I— well, I miss having you around.”
The confession took her surprise. She’d had every intention of hurting his feelings just like he was trying to hurt her own, but for some reason, her moth refused to say what her mind was telling it.
HERO
Miss me? A hot wave of nervousness washed over him as he listen to her words, giving him an itch he couldn't scratch with his busted leg. Hero shut his eyes, and his head twitched with a grimace as he waited for the feeling to pass. A tense sigh eased out of him once the prickly irritation had subsided to a more bearable discomfort, and he looked at the beagle with pained eyes. He wanted to believe her, he really did, but she was a proven liar. He was just too scared to trust her.

"Whatever..." he replied in a breathy voice as he put his paws out in front of him and rested his head between them. In truth, he missed her as well, but was too scared to trust her with such knowledge. He couldn't risk giving his heart away so easily a second time.
PATAGONIA
What was his problem?! She’d seen the brief emotion flash across his face, but in an instant, it had disappeared. Patagonia’s nose wrinkled as she stared at him, growing angrier with each passing moment. ”Whatever? Whatever?!” the hound scoffed.
”Why are you acting like this Hero? I stopped by to talk to you and you’re being a jerk. You’re tied to a rope with nowhere to go and you’re acting like I’m just the worst thing that has ever happened to you — and I haven’t even been here for five minutes!”
Her raspy voice was filled with rage, and by the end of her sentence, her voice had pitched into a howl.
She glared down at the husky as he flopped to the grown, and in response, she plopped her rump down beside of him. She had no intention of leaving until she told him what she’d wanted to tell him since the very beginning.
HERO
Her words embittered him further, contorting his face with blatant indignation. His ears flattened to block her piercing voice, but his face was still fraught with irritation as he was forced to listen. "Why am I-- okay..." Hero was prepared to fight her back, but he knew she was not one to easily reason with. It was best just to avoid her, but, unfortunately, there was no escape for him.

"Excuse me for being depressed!" He finally blurted out with a brazen tone. Hero let out another irritable sign as he stood on three legs, only placing the injured one down when he had reached his full height. "Look Patagonia, I'm sorry I just magically became some hateful man for no good reason, but you don't hafta put up with me anymore! If you wanna go, there's the door! And there, and there, and there!" Hero directed her with his eyes before glaring down at the beagle with a blazing anger. He locked eyes with her for a short but fierce moment before walking over to the one tree that he could reach with the extent of his tether, and leaned his body against the trunk as he sat down with his legs splayed out to the side of him, looking across the vacant field with angry eyes.
PATAGONIA
She watched as Hero threw what seemed to resemble the beginning of a Bixbite Tantrum, raising her brow in both concern and distaste. Out of all their time together, he’d always been the rational one. Whether it was because of his age or his demeanor, he’d always been sensible in their arguments and hadn’t once lashed out at her — except for when she’d insulted his fathering skills with the fawn they’d found so many seasons ago. To say this new Hero hurt her would be an understatement.
“That’s not my fault!” She fired back. ”Ever since the pups arrived I’ve been trying to fix this. I don’t want this, Hero! I want the old you, the Hero that was here when I first moved into the Farmstead. I wanna go on hunts again, and bicker, and bother you, and at the end of the day, still be able to call you my friend. I don’t want this, I,” Patagonia heaved. She fought back tears with each breath, marching forward until she stood on her tiptoes to come nose to nose with the husky mutt, her sad and angry little nose twitching.
“I don’t want you to be depressed. I want you to be Hero. And if you’ve changed, then I don’t wanna leave until I tell the old Hero goodbye.”
HERO
"Oh, nothing's ever your fault..." He sneered in a sarcastic tone as he turned his head at her initial comment. His eyes followed her with a cold, quiet intensity as she spoke. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was always what she wanted. She didn't care that he was miserable, she just wanted him to be like his old self so she'd have someone to play with. Hero was so mad he felt he could've screamed at her right there, right in her face, but the look of her bitter eyes stopped him. He didn't want this either. He had tried his best to keep everyone in his family happy but with the one thing keeping the two together gone, they were quick to fall apart. In all honestly, Hero didn't really see that as a bad thing, they could hardly stand each other, but he knew it was because he had stopped trying to make things work.

Hero's expression deflated into something more scared, and he softly whispered the beginnings of something he knew he shouldn't say before shutting his mouth and Shaking his head. "I can't be that person for you anymore..." He said in a weak voice, tears brimming in his eyes.
PATAGONIA
Patagonia watched as Hero muttered something beneath his breath, and for a moment, her heart ached. He could’ve been insulting her, and it wouldn’t have came as a surprise. After all, half of Canidale had taken to insulting her lately; him, Seymour, and perhaps even Jasper, but the females were the worst of them all. She’d yet to live down the puppies’ astounding birth, and it seemed like the world would never forget the so-called scandal that had taken place in the Farmstead. But at least when the pups were around, she didn’t have to go through it alone; she’d had Hero.
A sudden wave of anger washed through her, and without thinking, she reared up and practically slammed her paws against the husky’s chest, glaring at him with burning amber eyes. ”Yes you can!” the hound howled. ”You can, you just don’t want to! You were just fine when the puppies were here, you can be fine now!”
Sadness crept into her voice, and she had to pause for a moment to keep her voice from cracking. This was his fault. He did this to her. He put up with her, he made her want to befriend him, he made her want more... and she’d hurt him. Over and over again.
”I can’t— you did this, Hero, you made me love you and now I can’t— I can’t stop hurting you, and I just, I don’t know how to stop it, but I’m trying, I’m trying so hard and I just— I need you to try with me. Please Hero, please don’t— don’t leave me again, I can’t do this alone, I can’t... I miss you so much, Hero, I want the old you back, but you’re gone because I broke you and I—“
Patagonia broke into sobs, and as her body wracked with tears, her paws dropped from his chest. She was left leaning against the tree, pressing her head against its firm trunk and trying her hardest to stop the tears from falling.
HERO
Hero took the force of her paws pounding down on his chest without an ounce of emotion. This is what she wanted of him. To be thrashed and not do a thing about it- to act like everything was fine. But she was right. He was broken.

It was her words, drenched with pain, that truly slammed against his chest. It was  as if the black thorns of her mouth had made their way into his heart, suffocating it in their grasp as they coiled around it like a venomous snake. Her words didn't come from a spiteful place, he knew, but what she had just said to him hurt more than anything he had ever heard in his life. Right when he had given up, right when he had decided to change- to move on- she managed to tow him right back with her sullen siren song.

Love? This couldn't be love. But that's what she said- that she loved him. He didn't want to believe it. He couldn't. He only wanted to think about all the parts of Patagonia he couldn't stand, not all the parts he was willing to put up with-- not the part of her that loved him. He couldn't think of that and still hope to never see her again. Hero could hardly breath watching the powerful, terrifying woman crumble before him, and he took in staggered breaths as he finally managed to speak.

"Patagonia... please..." He managed to croak out before a tight ball formed in his throat, and he was forced to blink the tears out of his eyes, but they defiantly rolled down his cheeks against his will. "Don't... don't say that..." The words burned through his neck as he forced them out. He didn't know what to do.

Hero sat silently for a moment, sniveling with tears streaming down his face as he watch the beagle sob in front of him. He was tired of being nice to her. He was tired of being a good little boy and later being punished for it. He had told himself that from now on, he would just do whatever he wanted to do. And so he did just that.

"I... I don't wanna be mad at you anymore..." He sputtered out through a mouth full of sadness, "but I don't wanna be like how I was, the old Hero would've been so happy to see that you came to visit even though you were being mean to me... the old Hero would've pretended not to be depressed because he thinks he's all alone even though he's not!" Hero's voice grew more frantic with raspy despair as he went on speaking. "An-- an...," he hicced before collapsing onto the beagle and sliding off onto his side with one arm still draped over her, "an the old Hero would comfort a dumb chubby little beagle even though she didn't deserve it at all! I'm so sorry Patty! I miss you too, I miss you so much! I don't want you to feel bad! You don't hafta cry!" Hero yowled, pulling Patagonia closer and curling around her stout little body with trembling arms- trying to comfort himself now more than her.
PATAGONIA
She could scarcely depict Hero’s words through their shared tears, but when he slid down alongside her and embraced her into his soft fur, the pain in her heart started to creep away. He had insulted her yet again, but this time, it didn’t matter. After all, she figured she deserved more than a few to make up for all the pain and heartache she’d caused him in her few seasons on the Farmstead. Patagonia took in a deep, shaky breath before pressing her cheek against Hero’s chest, trying her hardest to recreate the feelings of love and safety they’d shared on that night so many months ago, when he’d saved her from a wounded buck who was intent on getting even with the hound and her human. It didn’t take much; pretty soon, her breaths became steady, and she was finally able to think with a clear head.
She recalled the first time she’d moved onto the Farmstead, when she was just a newcomer from the Pets Faction. Hero hadn’t cared; he hadn’t judged her for wasting away as a pudgy housepet, or called her a spoiled human-lover, or anything else but a friend.
”You don’t have to be sorry,” she sniffled. ”I’m the one who’s always mean to you... I’m the one who should be sorry. I’ve been mean to you since the very first day I met you; I’ve been mean to everyone. But I’m really sorry because I was mean to you...”
“Hey Hero,” she said after a few more moments, not daring to move away from him. “Do you remember when I first moved here, and you brought me that mangled pheasant you’d found? You ran circles around me with it, and there were feathers everywhere... do you remember?”
She hoped he did. At this point, she was practically begging for him to remember the good times, the times before she’d taken advantage of the one and only friend she’d had in this Faction. And sure, maybe he couldn’t really be the old Hero again, but perhaps... perhaps she could learn to love the new one all the same.
HERO
It took some time for Hero to quell his fit of tears and he hoped she didn't mind his heart pounding against her, but he could only cry for so long until he had become completely drained. After a few shaky breaths, he was finally able to respond. "Mhm, yeah, I remember that...," he said in a low, gravely voice as he began rubbing his paw against her side, "I was being dumb and I said something rude and you lashed out at me so I went home... I could've just hated you for it and that would've been fine, but I didn't... I just... I dunno..." Hero dug his paw into her, wanting to draw her closer than she already was, but then he release, rolling away from her onto his back instead.

He didn't like this hold she had on his heart. He didn't want to indulge himself in the comfort of her presence more than he truly needed it, though he hoped she wouldn't limit herself in the same way- giving him an excuse to give into temptation. "For some reason I've always felt the need to make you happy," he said with a sigh, "I mean... always... I don't understand why, but I guess that's why I always apologize for everything, our arguments are dumb, and they're not important, I just wanna get it over with as fast as possible so we can go back to enjoying each other's company-- but what happened with the kids was just too much for me, and yet... months later, I'm still sorry..." Hero laid his head flat on the ground and looked at Patagonia. "I'm sorry I made you feel bad, I never wanted to hurt you feelings. I hate to think that I hurt you the same way you hurt me even a little bit, I just..." I'm sorry. His words had begun choking up in his throat again, but it was clear in his mismatched eyes that he meant every bit of what he was able to say and so much more.
PATAGONIA
A small whine escaped her throat as the husky rolled away from her, and she stubborly flopped her upper half onto his chest. She'd let him (or, pushed him, rather) away once; she wasn't going to make the same mistake again. "I'm really glad you wanna make me happy," she replied, almost whispering. "You're one of the goodest boys in Canidale, and I'm really lucky to have you as my friend. And... and I'm glad you're the father of at least some of my pups," the hound added sheepishly.
Before she could stop it, Patagonia's heart clenched in pain not at his words, but at the catch in his throat when he spoked. 'You don't have to be sorry," she sniffled. "I'm the dumb chubby beagle. I hurt your feelings all the time, I deserve this. And... well..." This next part was difficult to add, and she wasn't quite sure how to phrase it without hurting his feelings or giving off the wrong impression.
"Y'know, Hero, I'm happy the pups turned out how they did. Maybe it was wrong of me, I know, but... but what if Bix hadn't been born? Or Cowbelle, or Makita, or Everett, or even Glory, if things had been different. I can't... I can't say I wanna take back what I did because I don't want to take back any of the pups. I love them, and they love you, and I wouldn't give them up for anything. Sometimes I just... I think I need to stop loving dogs before they stop loving me. That's why I tried so hard to be mean to you, because I didn't want to like you. Because I knew something like this might happen and I didn't wanna get hurt." Patagonia reached up and rubbed her nose with a paw. "I used to have another family, a people family, and a little girl who thought I was the whole world. And when she stopped loving me, I knew anyone could just stop loving me, so I had to stop loving them first. But I... I don't wanna stop loving you, Hero."
HERO
"Stop it, you're gonna make me cry..." he said in a joking tone through a halfhearted chuckle with tears already falling from his eyes as he tilted his head to look at her. "I remember you telling me something about them, the ones who named you Sugar? Guess that name was pretty fitting after all..."  A crooked smile crept up the side of his face as he spoke, and seeing the sniveling beagle resting on his chest only made it grow. Hero wrapped his arms around her as best he could, and dropped his head back to the ground. He let out a robust, yet content, sigh that sent a rippling wave of calm energy through him, though his heart still hurt as it seemed to be trying to pummel its way out of his chest.

"You don't wanna hold on, and I don't wanna to let go..." He finally said after a few moments of silence. Hero cleared his throat and began mindlessly running his paw up and down her spine as he thought of what he wanted to say. "I've never really had anything like this before, I've just always been the dumb kid that could never doing anything right... just somethin' to laugh at or someone to bully. My parents were really my only friends when I was a kid, which sounds pretty lame saying it out loud, but whatever." He huffed out a laugh and took a quick breath before continuing. "I just, I've always wanted to give someone that same love my parents gave me, to make them believe they're some precious thing... I just think that maybe I was a little too desperate. I've always had my head in the clouds trying to look for silver linings. I just take every little good thing and run with it, so once something bad happens, I dunno, it's just devastating to me."

"I agree with you though, if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing, and... after thinking it over for a good six months, I don't think you really did anything wrong. You're your own person. You're not tied down to anyone. You can do whatever you want, it's just what you wanted wasn't what I wanted so I freaked out about it. I was more afraid for the pups than anything, Bix especially, I didn't want her to feel like a mistake, like she wasn't supposed to be here, but I guess that happened anyway... poor girl, I just wanna hold her like this and squeeze her and tell her she's perfect and beautiful and loved," Hero cinched his arms around Patagonia tighter and tighter as he spoke of comforting her daughter before releasing his grip with a sigh," but I'm not her dad, so I doubt that'd do much good..."
PATAGONIA
Patagonia tried to hide the smile on her face as she replied. "Hero, if you ever call me Sugar, it'll be the last thing you call me," the hound huffed. Even though her words suggested anger, she completely deflated against Hero's chest, essentially sinking into his soft fur. "But you're right; I don't wanna let go."
She was pleased to hear that he wasn't mad at her anymore, but it still didn't quell the feeling in her gut that told her she'd been wrong more than once in the situation.
"You mean you said something lame?" She said, feigning surprise and trying to cover her prior feelings with a joke. "Huh, I never would've guessed."
"But Bixbite still thinks the world of you," Patagonia remarked, returning to the earlier air of seriousness. "You may not her father, but you are her dad... one of them, at least. And it isn't your fault that all of this happened. I just... I can't believe she's the Princess of the Junkyard now... everyone wants their little girl to grow up to be a princess but not... not that..."
HERO
"There she is~" he teased at her cantankerous attitude budding from her sullen state. Hero closed his eyes and eased out a sigh through his nose, repositioning his arms over the hound's back as he realized just how tired the tempestuous storm of emotions they just broke through had made him. Licking his chops, Hero continued sliding his paw up and down her back and nodded as he listened to her speak just so she knew he was paying attention.

"Yeah, it's a little scary, but she's bull headed like her mother, so I'm sure she'll do just fine, plus, she's got Jasper now more than ever, he's a big guy, I'm sure he'll keep 'er safe..." Hero's voice was low and flat, trailing off into a quiet, gruff mumble as he went on.
PATAGONIA
Hero's exhaustion seemed to be contagious, and pretty soon, the hound found herself drifting into a light sleep as he spoke. His last words caught her buy surprise though, and Patagonia jolted. "You mean... you haven't heard?" She said quietly. "Jasper's a stray now. He left the Junkyard before Bixbite was betrothed. He can't protect her any more, Hero. If he's seen in the Junkyard after betraying Valentine... you know as well as I do what will happen to him, and what would happen to Bix in return."
While mentioned her daughter's fate typically brought tears to her eyes, the only thing she felt now was a numbing pain. She knew the conditions of Bixbite's marriage; as long as she stayed in line and listened to Valentine, she would be safe. She was the only leverage they had on the domestics, after all; the white dog was too smart to ignore how valuable she was to his Faction and his demands.
HERO
Hero felt his heart drop between his shoulder blades at her words. "Okay, that's a little more scary..." he mumbled with a furrowed brow. Jasper may have been lazy and out of shape, but he put his full confidence in him to protect his daughter. Their daughter, really. With him out of the picture, he didn't know what to put his faith in. It didn't seem like there was much to be done. Still, he was sure this must be something that ran through Patagonia's mind frequently, and he tried his best to comfort her.

"Lucky for her, she didn't inherit my brains...," he joked in a light hearted tone, though his voice was still rough and tired, "She's still figuring things out right now, but I'm sure once she's grown, she'll give 'em hell." Hero managed a legitimate laugh in his jaded state as he imagined what a tornado that girl could be if she really wanted to. She was already quite the homewrecker just for showing up, thinking of her as a full-grown woman with Jasper's mass and Patagonia's ferocity truly put his mind at ease.
PATAGONIA 
The hound nodded her head in agreeance, letting out a half-hearted laugh. "I sure do hope so," murmured, resting her head against Hero once more and closing her eyes. He knew as well as she did that there wasn't much they could do for her, but perhaps... well, perhaps she really was capable of taking care of herself. She and the other pups were up fast, and sooner or later, they all had to take charge of their own lives. All of them seemed capable so far -- except for Everett. She could at least be thankful that he was safe and sound at home, especially after Fred's kidnapping stunt. But hey, their little family had managed so far, right? Maybe they really would be fine.

While she was still concerned for their daughter's welfare, he was right about one thing: Bixbite was going to give the Junkyard Hell. Patagonia only wished she'd be able to see it.