Change of Heart

Surly may have been the most selfish, untrustworthy, sneaky creature in the park, but even a guy like Surly has a heart. When he faces the possibility of losing the only friend, and brother, he ever had in his life Surly's heart breaks and he stays by Buddy's side, hoping that sooner or later he'd wake up... otherwise he'll be alone again like before they met...

BOOM! CRASH!

Rain came pouring down in buckets over the city of Oakton as everyone stayed doors, save for those who were always on the go. Naturally all the park animals were inside their own homes, snug and warm inside without a care in the world.

All but one that is.

The one animal was carrying what used to be a box of crayons on his back but it was fashioned into a backpack for him to carry stuff in, dashing across puddles and soggy grass and even mud to get to his own home. He had a diffrent reason of going there; a dear friend of his was in a coma.

The squirrel, known as Surly among the park animals, climbed up the tree as fast as his paws could go until he reached the entrance and shook himself dry. He caught his breath and sighed as he took out a larg scrap of blue fabric he had taken from a girl's dress and now he had a diffrent use for it. He looked over to the sleeping areas and saw his friend, a little blue rat who didn't talk much, curled up under a yellow scrap of fabric like a blanket.

"Here you go Buddy." Surly said as he placed the other fabric blanket on top of the rat "I got you another blanket to keep you warm since it's going to be cold tonight."

Buddy didn't stir. Surly sighed sadly. He knew for a fact that it had been five whole days since the accident and not one had the rat moved... luckily his heart was still beating so that comforted the squirrel... at least for now.

Surly still couldn't help but feel ashamed for not coming to his rescue sooner. After all, he owed everything to him, his loyalty, his partnership... their brotherhood. He would never forget that day he had meet the little rat for the first time in his life... never ever.

It was a cold night in March, many years ago but Surly still remembered how cold he was, wandering around the city with no parents to speak of. He didn't even remember how it happened with his parents but all he knew was they they weren't going to be there for him.

He was cold, he was hungry and he felt like he was about to just die from everything he was suffering for... when he saw a mother rat and her baby looking back at him from a box. The small rat nuged his mother and pointed at the squirrel, begging to help him and his mother had to agree, rat or not a baby in need was a baby in need. She took Surly under her wing and nursed him like any mother would.

When they were a bit older and had learned to talk, well Surly did, Buddy just remained quiet, they moved to the park where their mother had gotten permission for both to stay from the park's leader Raccoon. They got a tree of their own and lived there for a week before Surly and Buddy left to go play games.

Buddy was chacing Surly as he bragged "You can't catch me! You can't catch me! I'm faster then you are!" He turned back to see his brother, expecting him to either pout or keep on grinning, but was shocked to find him standing still with a mouth full of drool

"Buddy! Why'd you stop!?" the purple squirrel asked as he waved his paw over his brother's eyes before the unmistakable aroma of nuts hit his nose. He turned to face just where He was facing and saw a 16 year old girl in a purple dress relaxing on a bench with a bag of nuts beside her.

"You thinking what i'm thinking?" Surly asked. Buddy looked at his squirrel brother and nodded eagerly. They both climbed up the bench and once they reached the top they hopped on to her lap and made scary faces, which make the girl scream in shock and run away. The pair then jumped into the bags and ate as much nuts as they wanted.

That was their first ever 'Nut Job' together... and he had never forgot it.

Since then they had been through many obsticals together, all for the sake of gathering nuts. He throught it would never end, even when they pulled off a big plan to get food to the park for winter... but then that horrible day came.

It started out like any other day. Buddy and Surly were paying a visit at the park when they saw a diffrent girl sitting on a familier looking bench. She looked two years older then the girl they had scared for their first nut heist and she had long black hair instead of brown... but there was no way they were going to pass an old classic up like that.

Like before Buddy and Surly climbed the bench, hopped on her lap and made scary faces, hoping they would get the same results.

But that didn't happen.

Instead she screamed as she picked up a white book and with a hard-WHACK!-whacked Surly and Buddy off her and they landed with a hard thud on the ground. Surly groaned as he picked himself up and said "Ugh, maybe we should've waited for someone older to come along."

He turned face Buddy and found him sprawled across the ground next to him. He nuged the rat as he said "Come on Pal, let's go."

Buddy didn't even twitch.

"Buddy, come on, let's go!"

Again no responce. Now Surly was really starting to panic now. He shoved him and tugged and slapped him silly but the rat still didn't move or respond "Buddy? Buddy! Buddy?! BUDDY! BUDDY!"

Since then he had been tending to the little rat's side, never once leaving him alone for far too long. Once he did he always returned to take care of his best friend... his irriplacable little brother.

He lay down next to him as he got ready to go to bed, but not before a hint of fear came over. What if Buddy never woke up? What if he... died? Surly couldn't bare it; first the only mother he had known in his life and now his little brother and best friend? He wouldn't be able to bring himself back up on his feet without his brother... if he had lost him... he'd be crushed. He had pulled off heist after hiset and not once hat the rat ever abandoned or argued with him and when he and the other park animals were on a mission to bring food back to the park... he kept a good heart and that was something about him Surly couldn't bare to lose or replace with another no matter how hard he could try. What hurt him the most was he had never gotten a chance to apolozise to his brother when he said he couldn't talk... he could still hear his rarely used but clear warm voice calling him 'Best Friend' over and over again in his head.

Surly couldn't fight the earge to keep himself from crying anymore and allowed several big fat tears to drip and fall from his eyes as he said "You can't leave me Buddy... i... i just can't pull big heists without you... you are... you were the only real friend i ever had in my life... I should have been more... protective of you... i should've been a better big brother... and a better best friend... i'm so sorry Buddy... y-you have no idea how sorry i am... just please don't go... don't leave me... i love you..."

He pulled Buddy into a big hug and held him that way as he continued to cry "I love you pal... i love you... i love you... and... i'm... sorry!"

He clutched on his brother's hand and continued to sob as he held it to his chest and sobbed as hard as he could. He could still remember all those good times they had together, those games they played, the heists they pulled... the first time he ever heard Buddy speak for the first time in his life along with that hug.

He had called him 'Best Friend'. Not a theif, not a monster, not a rat, not a coward or anything... he said 'Best Friend.' and he'd never forget it... now he'd give just about anything to get him back... anything.

Suddenly Surly felt Buddy's paws grasp back at him gently and firmly. he felt a pulse and Surly looked up to see Buddy; he was finally waking up! Surly's heart lept for joy when Buddy opened his eyes and smiled at him before he pulled his confused but smiling rat friend into a tight hug. He couldn't even stop himself from crying as he hugged his brother as close and tight as he could as he smiled and said "Buddy... Oh Buddy! You're alive, You're alive!"

He laughed and cried all at one as he rubbed his brother's back and felt his arms doing the same to his back. He smiled and whispered "We are never doing that stupid trick again... there's no way i'm going to lose my brother ever again. I just love you too much to put you in danger like that ever again! I..." he stopped and looked at Buddy, who was in tears of what his brother had told him and said "Did... i really say all that?"

Buddy nodded as he smiled, touched that his brother cared enough about him to worry so much. Surly felt embarresed and he said "Uh... mind not telling anyone about this?"

The rat made a gesture where he zipped up his lips.

"Great, thanks pal." Surly said but he couldn't resist one more hug from his brother and wrapped his arms around him, overjoyed that he didn't lose him and he softly said "I love you bro... i love you..."

"I... Love... You... Too..."

Surly looked at Buddy with widdened eyes "Buddy, did you... speak? I heard you... didn't i?"

"Big...Brother...Best... Friend."

This time Surly had actually seen him talk! His little brother was talking to him for the first time in forever! Surly just hugged him tight and said "Same here pal... you took the words right out of my mouth."

'That's a first' Buddy thought as he hugged Surly back with all his might. He didn't care that Surly was an outcast, that was all in the past. He always knew that somewhere deep down Surly cared for others more then he was letting on.

And he was right.