Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story. The Over the Hedge characters are owned by Dream works and created by Michael Fry and T. Lewis. The rest is some of variation of some one else's idea.

Prologue

Strawberry Dootile was carrying a couple oversized grocery bags. She was walking to her car. "R.J" she said, peering into one of the oversized bags. "Get your head out of the junk food or you will have no appetite for dinner".

A light brown and blue-eyed kit racoon, popped out of the bag. The young R.J looked up pleadingly, "But Mother Strawberry, I am so hungry I think I have enough stomach space for dinner".

"Oh fine, but when dinner comes around, don't I say didn't warn you," she scolded. Strawberry looked at her hot pink punch buggy, and took a look at her arms and groaned "How I am going to get to my car keys with these heavy bags in my hands?"

All of a sudden a very handsome young man appeared. He kindly asked her, "Would like some help?"

She answered by nodding with a pleading look in her eye. R.J was clinging to her back, which Strawberry found quite out of character for a racoon that was used to charming humans into getting what he wanted. He often used this skill to help her trick and con other humans for food and money.

The young man said, "My name is John. John Weedhacker." Then he took one of her oversized grocery bags.

"Well thanks John, my name is Strawberry and the critter on my back is R.J," she answered, and took her keys out of her pocket.

"Strawberry." John said thoughtfully. "What an interesting name. How did your parents choose it?"

Strawberry honestly had no idea. She knew it wasn't because of her pale freckled complexion or pale thin lips. It might have been because she had natural red streaks in her blond hair, or her parents just really liked strawberries. She never got a chance to know her parents since her mother died when she was born and her father left her at the door of some silly old orphanage. She had been around her fair share of orphanages and foster homes. That's why, when she found poor R.J clinging onto his own dying mother she swore that he would not have to live without knowing what it was like having a mother. At the time, R.J was too young to survive on his own, without a mother.

"I don't know," she replied opening the trunk of her car and placing her bag inside. John also put the bag he was holding in the car.

"Thanks for the help. I really needed it and if there is anything I can do for you, let me know." Strawberry thanked.

He had requested politely that he would like a drive to his aunt's house. Strawberry was quite willing to do a kind favour for the man but R.J on the other hand was not so sure this guy was good news. He decided to let his beloved mother know by whispering in her ear, "I don't think we can trust this man. What if is he some type of murderer?" Strawberry plucked him off her back and buckled him in into his baby seat that was beside a blue golf bag.

Strawberry looked back at him and whispered, "You're being ridiculous." She looked at John "Of course you can have a ride in my car, unless you think I am crazy for talking to animals."

For as long as she could remember, Strawberry had a gift that allowed her to talk to and understand animals. One time, Strawberry had told one of her many foster mothers about her gift and it freaked out the foster mother. She sent Strawberry back to the Orphanage right away and Strawberry never talked about it again to another person. However, people always looked at Strawberry strangely when they caught her talking to the animals in public. John however told her it was cute. That was definitely a first for her. They both got into the car. She started up the car and off they drove.

A couple hours later John looked into the back of the car and asked, "Do you like golf? You know, in a past life I use to be a pro!"

Strawberry giggled but R.J let out a moan. He couldn't believe that Mother Strawberry was buying half the junk that was coming out of this guy's mouth.

R.J sarcastically thought, "Let me guess, you also have a ranch."

Just then, John said to Strawberry "Man, I love golf almost as much as hanging out at my ranch!"

R.J rolled his eyes. "The drive to wherever this guy is going better be a short trip," he muttered to himself.

Strawberry overheard R.J and replied, "Don't worry R.J. I trust our friend's trip will be short," but it looked like she wouldn't mind if the trip was going to be long.

R.J still wished that Mother Strawberry had listened to him. If John wasn't with them she and R.J might be at home right now having dinner. Strawberry always made the best dinners ever! R.J thought Mother Strawberry was the best mother he could have. She took care of him when his own father wouldn't, and his mother couldn't. She had taught him everything he knew.

R.J thought, "Why can't she see this guy is trouble?"

Then R.J realized Mother Strawberry had a crush on the man. It was the only reasonable explanation R.J could come up with. If it were any other women he would have also concluded that she was a foolish woman just trying to be kind. But this was Mother Strawberry. Although a soft and gentlewomen, she was no fool and tried to keep her kindness to a minimum when it came to humans. After all they had never been kind to her. R.J didn't like this situation one bit .The sooner they dropped off this man the sooner they could go home where it was nice, warm, and safe.

They had driven for hours when Strawberry asked, "Are you sure we are going the right way? It seems kind of long for a drive to your aunt's."

"Yes. I'm sure we are. In fact, this is my stop." John replied.

R.J looked about. There were no houses, no apartments, no buildings of any kind that a human may like to stop at. There was only the forest and the highway.

Mother Strawberry also did not see anything that a young man would want to stop at so she asked John, "Does your aunt live in the woods?"

"I don't have an aunt," he said coldly. The he took a pocket-knife out and held it to her chest.

Her big blue eyes looked at the knife with horror and in a panicked voice yelled out to R.J, "Run R.J! Just take the golf bag and run!"

R.J, not knowing what else to do, followed her instructions. He took the golf bag that contained food and other things that would help with survival. R.J rolled down the car window and ran. R.J ran as fast as he could and he heard Mother Strawberry's frightened screams. These screams frightened him making him run faster. He ran until nightfall. Once he stopped running he realized that Mother Strawberry would be dead and he would never see her again. He felt angry at John Weedhacker for killing her. He felt angry with himself for not trying to protect her but mostly he felt sad because he lost her. Being also quite very tired due to running very fast for a very long distance, R.J climbed onto the lowest branch of a tree. Using the golf bag as a pillow, he cried himself to sleep