Chapter Text
Tom Nook stared out the window as Isabelle got herself ready for the morning announcements. He tuned Isabelle out, gazing at the construction that was happening beside the resident services building. As he watched the construction, he couldn't help but feel like someone was tugging at his heart. The building that was being constructed was The Able Sisters. And needless to say, it felt like years since Tom Nook had seen Sable, despite it only being months. He sighed, he of course was very excited to soon see his old friend. But at the same time, he was nervous. He wasn't even sure if he could call Sable his 'friend', because he would be lying to himself if he said it had really felt as though they were still that close.
"Alright, Mr. Nook! Ready to start a new day?" Isabelle asked cheerfully. Tom shook his head to clear himself from his thoughts and turned over to look at Isabelle. He hadn't even noticed that she finished her morning announcements.
"Ah yes, of course," Tom said quietly. Isabelle seemed pleased by that answer and plopped herself at her desk right in front of Nooks. Tom sighed and closed the curtains to his window just as the door to the building opened. Isabelle smiled and waved at the blue hedgehog who was smiling from ear to ear.
"Good morning Mabel!" Isabelle greeted the young hedgehog. Tom Nook gulped and turned over to look at Mabel before giving her a wave. It had been a while since he and Mabel had talked. Just like Sable, they had also been very close, especially when Mabel was younger. He remembered the days he would spend with Sable and little Mabel when their sister was in the big city. Tom couldn't help but feel old thinking about those days. It felt like centuries ago. And here Mabel was now, all grown up. Tom would be lying to himself if he said that it didn't make him a little sad. He doubted that Mabel even remembered those days they spent together. After all, she was very young.
"Is there anything we can help you with?" Isabelle asked. Mable smiled and shook her head.
"Not exactly. I just wanted to come over and thank you guys for helping us move our shop to the island! We are truly grateful, especially Sable, even if she doesn't say it." Said Mabel. Tom Nodded and placed his paws on his hips.
"Yes yes, I'm glad you guys think this was a good choice for you too. I am also very grateful for you Mabel. If it wasn't for your offering I don't think our wonderful island would have the blessing of your shop being available to all the residents." Tom said. Mabel couldn't help but giggle.
"Tee hee. Oh please Tom, we should be the ones thanking you. After all, this island getaway package was your idea. It's so nice to be able to have a fresh start." Mable looked around the building and then at Tom before she continued. "I can tell that Sable is also very happy about this change. It's been a while since I have seen her this excited about something, so I do believe that we made the right choice!"
Tom frowned at hearing Sable's name. Was she really that happy? Tom was glad to hear that she was. After all, it had been a while too since he had seen Sable's sweet smile. Then again, it wasn't like he had really talked to her much over the years. But when he did go to the Able Sister's shop for clothing, Sable was always at her desk concentrated on her work. Often times she didn't even notice it when Tom entered the shop.
Before Tom could respond, Mabel looked down at her phone before quickly shoving it in her pocket.
"Sorry guys! But I have to go. But once again, thank you so much!" Mable said waving at the two animals before finally leaving the Resident Services building.
"Isn't Mable so sweet?" Isabelle asked. Tom nodded and just gave a slight hum in response. He knew that tomorrow the Able Sisters shop would finally be open. He knew that tomorrow he would see Sable for the first time in months. And the thought of seeing her terrified him.
"Are you alright Mr. Nook?" Isabelle asked, looking at Tom with concern. Tom bit the inside of his cheek as he thought of Isabelle's question.
"Yes yes, I'm quite alright. Like you said, let's get ready for a new day."
~~~
Tom quickly set the table as the smell of fried fish and freshly cooked rice filled the inside of his kitchen. He looked over at the clock and saw that it was past ten. He frowned, knowing that Timmy and Tommy should have been back by now. But just as Tom went to reach for his phone to call them, Timmy and Tommy entered the house.
"Hi Tom!....ᵀᵒᵐ" Timmy said as Tommy trailed behind.
"There you boys are. I was starting to get worried." Tom said as he made a plate for both of the little raccoons before setting it in from of them.
"Thank you!" Timmy said while Tommy was already stuffing his face. Nook smiled and sat down in front of the two raccoons as they ate. Timmy and Tommy were everything to Tom. His whole life Tom had been alone. Especially when he had lost his friendship with Sabel. But not too long after the little Nooklings had entered his life and taught the old raccoon that there were much more important things in this world than money. And since the Nooklings had taught him that, Tom tried his best to teach them everything he knew in order to keep them safe.
After Timmy and Tommy had finished their meals Tom instructed them to get ready for bed. The Nookling brushed their teeth and changed into their nightgowns before entering their room and getting underneath the covers. Tom soon came in afterward to wish them goodnight as he tucked them in and kissed both of them on their temple before quietly closing the door behind him to leave the two to sleep.
Tom let out a yawn as he made his way to his room before dropping himself on top of his bed. He was exhausted, and he knew that he needed to get some sleep for tomorrow. He let out a groan as he buried his face in his pillow. All he could think about was Sable. He was going to see her, and he wasn't quite sure how he felt about it. Sure he was happy, but something inside told him that he really shouldn't be. That maybe deep down Sable hadn't forgiven him for all of the things he has done in the past. That maybe deep down Sable really hated him and didn't want to see him at all.
These thoughts had come before. Especially on those days when he would finally build up the courage to see her. On those days when he finally felt like he could talk to her, apologize, tell her how he feels. It seems as though those thoughts would always come back to haunt him.
It wasn't like it mattered now though. If Tom wanted to apologize he should have done it all those years ago. He knew that it was too late to make up for all the wrong he had done in his past. But maybe that was for the best. Deep down, Tom couldn't help but believe that this guilt was his punishment for everything he has done.
~~~
The next morning Isabelle waited outside the resident services building for Tom to show up. She looked down at her watch and started to tap her feet on the pavement in annoyance. It was rarely that Tom was ever late. And for him to be late today, today of all days just wasn't like him. Especially since today was the day for the grand opening ceremony of the Able Sisters Shop.
Just as Isabelle was starting to think to start the ceremony without him Tom came up rushing towards the building, coffee in hand.
"There you are! Where were you? Its almost time for the-" Isabelle stopped talking as she stared at Tom Nook and noticed that the raccoon looked exhausted.
"Jeez, Mr. Nook you look terrible! What time did you go to sleep last night?" Isabelle asked concerned. Tom didn't answer. He just looked down at his shirt trying to straighten out the wrinkles before he adjusted his tie.
"Come on Isabelle, we should get going," Tom said before he started walking toward the Able Sisters shop. Isabelle just shook her head and followed as all the residents were already there. Tom started to make his way to the front of the shop but stopped in his tracks as he noticed Sable standing there.
The hedgehog was looking down, obviously very shy and nervous about all the animals around her and her sister. She had always been timid, ever since they were younger. As Tom stared at her he couldn't help but feel his heart flutter with excitement. Sable then looked up and the two of them met each other's gaze. Tom felt his heart stop and his face begin to heat up at the sight of her but was soon brought back to reality as Isabelle tugged oh his sleeve.
"Uh, Mr. Nook. Are you okay?" Isabelle asked.
"Yes yes, of course," Tom responded quickly and continued his way to the front of the shop. He stood next to Sabel but kept his distance not wanting to make her uncomfortable. He then cleared his throat before he spoke.
"Welcome to our dedication ceremony honoring our islands brand new tailors!" Tom announced trying his best to hide the quiver in his voice. The residents clapped, giving Tom time to regain his composure before he continued. "Thank you! And thank you for everyone's tireless efforts, this island is developing wonderfully! Yes yes! At this time, we'll have some brief comments from Mabel and Sable who will be running the tailor shop! Mabel, if you would be so kind." Tom extended his hand out to the audience signaling Mabel that it was her time to speak.
The young hedgehog smiled and gave Tom a curt nod before she spoke.
"Thanks to everyone, we've been able to open such a lovely shop here! I'll work hard with my sister Sable to make a nice place for you all to visit. So be sure to stop by!" Once again the residents clapped, which made Mabel feel very proud of her speech. Tom smiled then looked at Sable.
"Anything to add Sable?" Tom asked quietly, still feeling rather timid next to her. Sabel frowned and looked at the grass. Tom then bit his lip, realizing what he just did. He knew that Sable was shy, he knew that better than anyone else here besides her sister and yet he gave her the hint to start talking. Tom could feel a pain in his heart as Sable's feet began to shake as she spoke.
"ʸᵉˢ... ᴾˡᵉᵃˢᵉ ˢᵗᵒᵖ ᵇʸ..." Sable said quietly. Tom let out a nervous laugh before finally ending the ceremony. As the residents slowly began leaving and heading back to their usual schedues, Tom noticed Sabel become less tense with every animal that left. He took in a deep breath before turning to look at her.
"Are you alright?" Tom asked. Sable looked up at Tom shyly and nodded.
"Yes, I'm great Tom. It is so good to see you again." Sable said shyly. Tom grinned, never thinking he would be so happy to hear those words.
"Its good to see you too Sable. I'm really happy that you're here. I hope you'll enjoy your life here on the island. And if you need anything just let me know." Tom said. Sable nodded and looked down at the ground. Tom looked around and noticed that they were the only two standing in front of the shop. All the resident's had left and Mabel and Isabelle were talking to each other from afar. "Well, I guess I'll see you later?" Tom asked unsurely.
"Yeah, sure," Sabel whispered. The two stood there awkwardly before Tom finally left her alone. As he started to make his way back to Resident Services he gave one last glance at Sable as he watched her enter her shop. Tom let out a groan before slapping his paw against his face.
"Wow, really Tom?" Tom muttered to himself. He hated the way he acted. He knew it was awkward, but then again he didn't know what to say either. He could tell that Sable was just as uncomfortable as he was. And he knew that it wasn't any of the residents making her feel that way, it was him who was making her feel uncomfortable.
Tom entered the resident services building and set his coat on his chair before sitting down. He closed his eyes and ran his paws down his face as he sighed only to look at himself in the reflection of his computer screen. Isabelle was right, he looked awful. Then again, he felt awful.
Isabelle soon entered the building shortly after only to find Tom Nook resting his head on his desk, staring at the wall.
"Uhh, Tom?"Isabelle said as she slowly walked up to the raccoon and gave his shoulder a little shake. Tom quickly got up and turned to look at Isabelle.
"Oh uh sorry Isabelle." Tom said embarrassingly as he felt his face heat up.
"I'm sorry Mr. Nook," Isabelle giggled, "But I have a few reports from some concerned citizens that I feel I should address to you." Tom raised an eyebrow, confused as to what Isabelle was saying.
"A report? What could be causing so many residents to be concerned about hm?" Tom Nook asked. Isabelled pulled out her clipboard and flipped through a few pages before finally handing it to Tom Nook. Tom looked down at the clipboard where it showed a blurry photo of an old boat near the beach.
"There have been some reports of mysterious activity going on the secret beach. It has been making some residents feel a bit unsafe to go around there." Said Isabelle.
Tom Nook squinted as he tried his best to get a better look at the photo until finally something caught his eye. He felt like his heart stopped as he noticed that the flag on the boat had a symbol of the leaf of the Ginkgo Tree. A symbol that the was all too familiar with.
"Apparently, this... visitor has been selling works of art sourced from unknown origins." Isabelle continued. Tom Nook closed his eyes, processing everything Isabelle had just said. It was him, wasn't it? It had to be. Who else could it be? Tom knew exactly who this 'visitor' was. And needless to say, he was the last visitor he wanted on his island.
"Thank you very much Isabelle. I'll see what this is all about." Tom Nook said firmly.
"Are you sure?" Isabelle asked, "It could be dangerous, don't you think we should-"
"I'tll be fine, Isabelle."
Isabelle just gave Tom a curt nod before she watched him grab his coat and leave the building leaving Isabelle alone.
~~~
Tom Nook furiously made his way down to the secret beach as the thought of seeing that fox filled him with rage. The sky was gray and everything seemed to be lost in the mist. But as he was getting closer, the sight of the boat became more and more visible, and as soon as he arrived it began to rain.
Tom closed his eyes as he felt the first rain drop fall against his cheek. The boat stood in front of him. Needless to say the boeat had seen better days. It was old, dirty, and smelled of something absolutely horrid. Tom Nook covered his nose with his paw to try and dampen the smell but to no avail.
"That damn fox." Tom muttered under his breath. Without thinking Tom walked down to the secret beach and walked up to the boat. He was almost tempted to just walk inside and speak his mind. But for some reason, something was stopping him. He shook his head and banged his paw forcefully against the boat.
"Redd! Open up! I know its you who is in here!" Tom shouted. There was no response. Tom stood out there and quickly the rain started to get heavier. He could feel hs clothes getting soaked. He wanted to head back inside, he wanted to go home and rest. But above all, he wanted Redd to leave. Tom clenched his fist as he raised his paw to knock again. But just as he was about to do so the cloth from the boat rolled up revealing a tall skinny fox. The fox looked at Tom and grinned, but Tom was snot smiling. The fox then placed his paw on his hip as he looked at the wet racoon and spoke.
"Hiya Nook."