Chapter Text
When the first of the overdue bills made its way into his mailbox, Fido wasn’t really too concerned. Maybe he should have been, but everyone slips up and forgets to pay every now and again. No big deal. Most companies were pretty understanding about that kind of thing. To an extent.
When he found out his hours at work were being reduced to the point he couldn’t save any money after paying his bills, it seriously started stressing him out. Completely understandably. When he asked his boss about the cut hours, the only response he got was that the company was falling on hard times and folks needed to make sacrifices. Which would have been fine if any of his coworkers were also getting their hours cut. But Fido couldn’t help but notice that everyone else in his department was still working full-time. It really stung, considering he’d been loyal to the company for years.
The simple answer to that would be to find a new job, but that’s easier said than done. He’d started job hunting, but the market was dry, save for jobs he was either way over or under-qualified for.
To add even more bad news onto the growing pile, he got a letter informing him that the price of rent on the apartment he was renting would be going up once he renewed his lease. That, along with the cut hours and overdue bills, sent him into a panic. Looking for somewhere to live at a more reasonable price and still being close enough for him to get to work and get Winnie to school would be next to impossible. The only solution to that would be to move to a one bedroom and sleep in the living room. But he couldn’t do that to Winnie. That apartment had always been her home.
He couldn’t afford to pay for his bills and groceries and gas and things for Winnie due to his reduced hours. He’d considered selling off some of his stuff just to get by. But he had no idea how long this rough patch would last. If this was a long-term situation, then he’d be homeless with no possessions before he knew it. He tried to shake thoughts like that out of his head. He kept telling himself that he just had to make it through the end of the week when he got his paycheck. Just a few more days and everything would be better.
But, unfortunately for Fido, bad things seem to happen all at once. His car breaking down in the rain on the way to pick Winnie up from school was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. He’d reached his absolute limit. He broke down along with his car on the side of the road. All he could ask himself was what he was going to do. He was almost completely out of money and wouldn’t get paid for two more days. He had no signal so he couldn’t even call for a cab or a mechanic or even Winnie’s school to let them know what was going on. And it was pouring rain outside. He couldn’t call anyone, and he was not going to leave her. He was her dad. He had to pick her up, no matter what. He already knew that she would be worried that he was late.
With that thought, he wiped his eyes and steeled his resolve. Nothing was going to keep him from his daughter. Not rain, not a broken-down car, and not a lack of funds. He took a deep breath, grabbed his phone and keys, and opened the door.
The walk was absolutely miserable. The rain was freezing. Every drop felt like a frozen pin piercing Fido’s skin as he walked. It took all of his focus and concentration to put one foot in front of the other. He knew the way, thank goodness, as he wouldn’t get any signal until he reached the school building. As soon as his feet hit the wet pavement, he regretted not keeping an umbrella in his car as the rain soaked him to the bone. His small shakes soon became violent shivers as he made his way to the school. He would surely get a cold from being in the weather for so long. And he was going to be late. Of course.
He wracked his brain on how he would make it up to Winnie. She would be worried sick that he wasn’t there on time. All the other kids probably already got picked up. Poor thing. Thinking of his daughter made him completely forget about his own suffering and all his problems. She would always be his top priority and he would do anything to keep her happy. Even if it meant trekking through torrential rains.
He had done his best to keep as many of his problems away from his daughter as he could. It was his responsibility as her father to protect her from the world and how cruel it could be. She didn’t need to know he was struggling with work or that his car had broken down. She should be playing and making friends. She was a child. He was the adult. He would provide for her no matter what she needed. No matter how bad things got for him. Because she was worth all of it.
After an endlessly long walk, he finally arrived at Winnie’s school. He was 40 minutes late and was completely exhausted. He could barely stay on his feet. Not to mention he couldn’t stop shivering from the cold. He couldn’t even feel the drops anymore, it was just an overall miserable feeling. No doubt he had hypothermia.
But that didn’t matter. Because the second he saw Winnie’s dejected and lonely and heartbroken face light up and her tail start wagging when she saw him, all his pain evaporated in an instant. Winnie wasted no time running out to him and almost tackled him in a hug. She completely ignored the wet fur that embraced her back.
“Dad!” She cried with relief. “I thought you forgot about me.” He could tell she was on the verge of tears.
He wasted no time kneeling down to her level and holding her close. He rubbed her back in comfort as she buried her face in his shoulder. His voice was shakier than he would like when he responded, almost as if he were on the verge of tears himself. “Oh, no. No, no, no. Of course not, bugalug. I had some car trouble and had to walk. I’m sorry.”
They stayed like that for a while, neither intending on moving. Winnie wasn’t usually so clingy, especially not in public, but she was understandably quite upset after what he put her through. He continued rubbing circles in her back with one hand while the other held her tight to him. She was very warm from being safe inside all day.
But, like all good things, the hug had to end eventually. The cause was Fido opening his eyes and noticing a figure standing in the doorway of the school with crossed arms, glaring at him. He instantly recognized her as Winnie’s teacher. He gave his daughter one last squeeze and stood up to talk to her.
Winnie’s teacher’s gaze softened into something more sympathetic as Winnie insisted on holding his hand when he talked to her.
“We were getting really worried.” She started, “Winnie doesn’t have anyone else on her emergency contacts aside from her grandma who lives very far away.”
The teacher relaxed her pose and met them at the door. Fido bowed his head in shame and scratched the back of his neck with his free hand.
“I’m really sorry for the trouble. Car completely broke down. I had to walk 40 minutes in the storm to get here.” He explained, trying to talk quietly so Winnie wouldn’t know how bad the situation was.
“Why didn’t you call?” The teacher asked.
“I didn’t have any service. I’ve got an old clunker of a phone, so it hardly works when I’m not at home or work.” He explained, showing her his phone to prove his point. His eyes locked with hers for a moment before he felt the sting of embarrassment hit again and he had to stare at his feet.
The teacher, though, nodded her head in understanding. “You must’ve had a rough day. Do you have service now?”
He looked at his phone and, sure enough, he had a couple bars. He nodded but didn’t lift his head much.
“Call a cab. I’ll bring you a towel.” And with that, she walked back inside the school, leaving father and daughter alone.
Fido didn’t realize he was holding his breath under her stare until she was gone. He closed his eyes with a shuddering sigh and tried to stop thinking about everything. It didn’t work.
“Are you okay, dad?” The sound of Winnie’s voice instantly drew him out of whatever spiral he was starting to go down. His eyes shot open, and he looked down at her. She looked so small and vulnerable while holding his hand. He did his best to give her a reassuring smile, but it looked more like a grimace.
“Of course, bug. Why don’t you tell me about your day at school?” He asked, hoping to distract her so she’d forget why she asked and just focus on being a kid.
“Can we play remote control?” Winnie asked with pleading eyes and a wagging tail.
Fido really couldn’t ever say no to her. Especially after he worried her by being so late.
“Of course, we can. For a little while.” He said, releasing his grip on her hand. “Hmm, I wonder what I’m going to watch today…”
He looked at the invisible remote control that he now held in his free hand. He looked at Winnie and then pointed the invisible remote at her. “Boop.”
Winnie began to divulge into every moment of her day with Fido interrupting every once in a while with a “boop,” which meant he was changing the channel. He was only half listening to anything she said, which made him feel bad, but he had to prioritize getting them home. Fido took the time to check his phone with his free hand. Specifically, he checked his bank account versus standard taxi and ride sharing app rates. It…didn’t look good. He wouldn’t get paid until Friday. He couldn’t even afford a cab.
“And I’ve got to do a science experiment where I try and build something that floats on the water.” Winnie explained. She lightly pulled on Fido’s arm because he hadn’t changed the channel in a while.
“Oh, sounds interesting.” He didn’t look up from his phone but made sure she knew he heard her. “What do you think you’re going to build?”
She began to think aloud of what she could possibly use for her homework. Fido, meanwhile, began doing some mental math. He could afford to get a cab if they only took him and Winnie halfway home. They’d have to walk another few kilometers, but it wouldn’t be so bad. But the rain was really coming down. He didn’t want Winnie walking through that and getting sick. He didn’t even have a jacket for her. He didn’t think to pack her an extra one in her backpack, either. He had never anticipated something like this happening. Some dad he was.
This wouldn’t be the first time he hadn’t thought things through. There was no guide for single parents to young kids. There were books and classes that helped, of course, but between work and making sure that Winnie was taken care of, he hadn’t had enough time to try either of those things much.
Plus, there’s not much use for learning how to use training wheels when you’re already careening down the hill at breakneck speeds.
He supposed getting the cab and walking half the way would probably be his best option. Since his other options were…nothing. He could probably carry Winnie so she wouldn’t exert herself. It would be exhausting, for sure, but she was worth the strain.
At some point he had stopped playing with her. She kept talking, so he assumed she was okay. He anxiously tapped his foot to get rid of some of the nervous energy he accrued thinking about everything.
Normally, he wasn’t this out of sorts. At least, not physically from the outside. He had always prided himself on being more level-headed. He only lost his cool when he was being silly playing with Winnie or in extreme circumstances. This wasn’t extreme…was it?
Well, he had no car and was out of money with hardly any coming in due to his reduced work hours. That…might count as extreme.
“…and now I can start doing multiples! Like, two multiples of five is…um…” Winnie paused her excitement to count the equation out on her fingers. “Ten!”
She held her hands up in joy after proudly declaring the newest thing she’d learned in maths. Her joy quickly dissipated and shriveled away when she saw he wasn’t paying any attention to what she was saying.
“Daaaaaad!” Winnie groaned in exasperation as she stomped her foot in frustration. She crossed her arms and pouted. The sudden outburst made Fido jump and almost drop his phone.
“What? What’s wrong, kiddo?” He asked, panicked.
“You stopped changing my channel.” She complained and gave a “humph” to prove how upset she was.
“What? No, I just liked this channel!” He argued, pulling his gaze back to his phone as his mind went into overdrive to try and solve all their problems at once. “I like the science channel. Tell me more about your science experiment.”
“That was, like, eleven channels ago!” She groaned and sunk to the floor and clutched her knees. Seeing her like that hurt him more than anything else, but he couldn’t stop what he was doing. It was for her, too.
“I’m sorry, love, but I’ve got to figure something out quick.” He tried to explain. But she wasn’t having it.
“But you asked me about my day. Why would you ask if you don’t want to listen?” She countered, her vision still downcast. He could tell by her tone that she wasn’t meaning to be cheeky. She genuinely wanted to know. But he couldn’t help but remember asking her that exact question the other night when she had begged for ice-cream after refusing to clean her teeth. Karma was a cruel mistress.
“Here you are.” The teacher returned with a towel in hand, saving Fido from having to answer his daughter’s question. Not that he minded answering, but he was so preoccupied that he couldn’t give it the proper response it deserved. She handed the towel to him so he could dry himself off.
“Thank you. I’ll get out of your hair so you can go home.” He explained, now a little warmer with the towel.
“Do you have a ride on the way?” She asked, ensuring they would be okay.
“Yeah, one of my mates is coming to get us.” He lied. He didn’t want to trouble Winnie’s teacher any more than he already had. Not for him. Especially since he couldn’t pay her for the trouble.
“Oh, good.” The teacher sighed. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Winnie.” She smiled sweetly at her student and went back inside to shut down for the day.
Fido let out a breath after she left. He looked at the rain still falling, as if in response it fell even harder, and thunder rumbled in the distance. No way he would ever make Winnie walk through that. He didn’t even think he could walk all the way home through that. No money for a cab or a mechanic. He cycled through his contacts to see if there was any answer there. Maybe he could call one of his coworkers? Nothing would embarrass him more, but he was getting desperate.
He stopped at one contact as he cycled. He…did have a mate he could call. Theoretically. Bandit Heeler. He just didn’t want to trouble him. They hadn’t chatted that often and only really met at social gatherings or the park. But…well, he was quite generous from their limited interactions. He’d even invited Fido and Winnie to breakfast after only briefly meeting them at the park for a few days.
The chocolate lab often thought about those mornings fondly. He still made the habit of going to the park most mornings, especially since he didn’t have much work anymore, but Bandit and Bluey weren’t there as often anymore. But that was okay. Winnie still loved getting out of the house. It just wasn’t the same without another fun dad that didn’t judge him when he got a little too into playing with his daughter.
He shook his head to clear his mind and get back to the present. He steeled his resolve and tapped on the call icon before he lost his nerve. He stepped a few feet away from Winnie, but signaled at her to stay where she was so he could talk without as much distraction.
It rang once. He gulped in anticipation.
It rang twice. His nerves made him shiver.
It rang three times. He doubted Bandit would answer.
But on the fourth ring, just as he was going to cancel the call, the phone was picked up.
“Hey, Fido!” Bandit’s familiar voice greeted him cheerfully. It instantly made Fido relax the tension in his shoulders. “What’s up, mate? I haven’t heard from you in a while. How’s Winnie?”
“Bandit! Hey!” Fido responded a bit too forcefully and loudly. He winced. “Yeah, she’s good. How are the girls?”
“Same as always, can’t complain.” Bandit responded. “What’s going on?”
“Oh, yeah.” Fido scrambled to figure out how he was going to ask for help. “Sorry for calling out of the blue, but, I, um…” His voice shook and he trailed off so it wouldn’t crack. He still wasn’t sure how to say what he wanted.
“Fido? You good, mate?” Bandit’s concerned voice certainly didn’t help the chocolate lab.
He took a deep breath to calm himself down. He was a grown man. He couldn’t be crying. Especially not in front of his daughter while on the phone to his best mate. He wasn’t weak.
“Yeah, yeah. Sorry, didn’t mean to worry you.” He said, his voice was almost robotic. “I just…need some help.”
Bandit didn’t ask why he didn’t just call a cab. He didn’t make fun of him or discriminate. He didn’t even ask why he was so upset. He just heard that his friend needed a ride, and he was on his way. It didn’t matter that he was at home relaxing with his own family. He came right away.
They exchanged very few words when he picked them up. Fido explained the very basics of the situation, he gave Bandit directions to get back to his apartment, and he thanked him for the help. Bandit had said hi to Winnie who was very excited to see him. It was cute how she just referred to him as “Bluey’s dad.”
While he was glad to see Winnie happy, Fido had no idea what to say. He felt increasingly awkward in the passenger’s seat of Bandit’s car as his friend drove. He’d already thanked the blue heeler on the phone and when he picked them up. He couldn’t even pay the guy back until Friday. He was relieved and embarrassed and anxious all at once. He couldn’t stop bouncing his leg, though he blamed that on being cold. He was definitely going to get a cold from trekking through the rain.
The chocolate lab looked through the mirror at his daughter, who was staring out the window with sleepy eyes and leaning her forehead against the cold glass. She was safe and warm and that made him relax.
“You sure you’re alright, mate?” Bandit suddenly asked in a quiet voice, breaking Fido’s concentration and interrupting his thoughts.
Fido wasn’t a child. He didn’t need to be parented or fussed over. Not by someone who was…way better at it than he was. By someone who was so caring and kind and selfless. Someone who could support his family without asking for favors and handouts.
Not by someone who wasn’t a failure.
But, seeing the genuine concern in his friend’s eyes and hearing the worry in his voice as he sat in his passenger seat…he couldn’t lie. Not completely. Not to someone who was there for him when he needed him.
“Just…in a rough patch right now. You know how it is.” The chocolate lab tried to downplay how bad the situation actually was. He kept telling himself that he just had to make it to Friday, and then everything would be okay. Just a few more days before he got paid and everything would be better.
How he was going to get his daughter to and from school and how he was going to get to work were questions he didn’t want to think about at that moment.
“Mmm, yeah.” Bandit nodded his head, but he still looked concerned as he looked over Fido’s shoulder to make sure the road was clear before turning. His face locked in a tight frown. “Well, let me know whatever you need. I’ve been there and it’s good to have to friend help you out.”
It was quiet in the car again after that. And while his anxieties were still there, bubbling under the surface and constantly threatening to spill over till they consumed him with doubts and questions, Fido felt better. A little. Maybe talking more about his situation would help?
But he couldn’t. He shot the idea down before it fully formed. He couldn’t trouble anyone else with his problems. The chocolate lab held that thought as he reflected on where he currently was; inside of his friend’s car because his broke down and he couldn’t even afford a cab. Okay, he wasn’t going to trouble anyone else with his problems other than this. He was an adult. He should have control over his own life and his problems were his own.
“Thanks, Bandit,” was all he responded with. He took another moment to flick his gaze back to his daughter nodding off in the back seat. “We’ll make it through this. I’ve just got to find her a ride to school the rest of this week.”
He hadn’t meant to say that last sentence out loud. It wasn’t Bandit’s problem. It was just tough to keep it all in once he started talking. Looks like some of that pent up anxiety slipped out. Just as he was going to retract that statement, Bandit surprised him.
“I’ll give her a ride.” The blue heeler volunteered without a single moment of hesitation. It almost knocked the wind out of the chocolate lab.
“No, no. I can’t ask you to do that. We’re way out of your way.” Fido tried to turn him down as politely as he could. He didn’t want anyone else to take his responsibilities away from him. Not when they were all he had.
“Your place isn’t too far. We walk to the same park, remember?” Bandit pointed out with a half grin. “I’m sure I can come pick her up and drop her off along with the girls.”
“But she goes to a different school. I don’t want you to go to the trouble, Bandit.” Fido argued. He was grasping at anything he could to keep his walls up. “Besides, I’m not sure if your car has enough room for all three of them.”
Part of him knew that he needed the help, but the part of him that housed his pride was bigger and refused this simple gesture of kindness. It would only serve to make him feel more useless than he already was. It was too embarrassing to think about.
“Well, that’s true.” Bandit nodded. The blue heeler gave the chocolate lab a quick sideways glance before he turned again. “But what are you gonna do instead?”
Fido furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Winnie resting soundly in the backseat again. Seeing her melted his heart and made his masculinity waver. He did tell himself he would do anything for her.
Even lose his pride.
“Good point.” He admitted with a sigh as he sunk more into his seat. He leaned his head on the glass and stared out the side window.
The chocolate lab took a moment to listen to the rain as they drove. He appreciated the rhythmic-like patterns of the pitters and patters on the window, interrupted by the whirring of the wipers clearing off the windshield. He could understand how Winnie fell asleep in the car so easily. He felt…so at peace here.
At the very least, he was glad that Winnie was out of it enough that she wasn’t listening to their conversation. None of this should be her problem. She shouldn’t have any worries about anything like this. Especially not things like if they were going to have a roof over their heads or food on their plates. That was his responsibility.
It was quiet in the car as they turned onto his street. He pointed out his building and had Bandit park out front.
“Bandit, if…” Fido started and hesitated before he continued. “…If you wouldn’t mind taking her in to school. I would…I’d really appreciate it.”
The blue heeler smiled brightly at him. His tail gave a few light wags. “Course, no worries. As long as you need me to.”
“It’s just for the rest of this week. I get paid on Friday and then I’ll get my car in and get her fixed up.” He explained, going into too much detail and talking too quickly. “Then I can also pay you back for-“
“Won’t hear of it, mate.” Bandit cut him off and put a hand up to visually stop him. “I’m happy to help.”
“No, it wouldn’t be right if I just-whuh?“ Fido started but was interrupted by Bandit pushing a finger into his cheek.
“Boop.” The blue heeler said as he poked him. “Sorry mate, had to hit your mute button. I don’t like this channel.”
Fido was about to argue, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the noise that Bandit made seemed to bring Winnie out of her rest and she was watching them. His daughter gave a little gasp at the game. He silently cursed his bad luck and knew he had to play along.
“You have to use the remote to change his channel.” His daughter explained to the blue heeler as Fido silently pleaded to actually finish this adult conversation.
“Oh, okay.” Bandit grabbed the invisible remote and pointed it at Fido. “Let’s try…this channel.”
Bandit clicked the button on the remote. “Boop.”
“And now, back to the weather.” Fido put on his best meteorologist voice. “It’s gonna rain aaaaall day, so make sure to pack an umbrella! Better watch out for that humidity, too. It’ll get hot, hot, hot! Back to you, Sheila-“
“Nah, weather’s boring.” Bandit leaned back a little and clicked the remote again, causing a small giggle from Winnie in the backseat. “Boop.”
“And we’re back. The score’s tied up and we’ve got one more chance to make a play here.” Fido said, imitating a sports caster. He just wished he knew more about cricket. Or footie. Or any sport, really. In retrospect, sportscasting was a poor choice.
Winnie gave a loud giggle and reached forward in her seat to take the remote from Bandit.
“Boop.” She said before the blue heeler could stop her.
“Wha-, hey!” Bandit exclaimed, noticing the channel changed and the remote was no longer in his hand. “I was watching that!” That only elicited another giggle from the child.
“Nope.” She said playfully. “Now we’re watching commercials!”
“This new lawnmower is state of the art!” Fido poured the cheese into his voice to really sell the imaginary product. “Make all your neighbors jealous of your pristine yard in half the time!”
“No way, mate, give me that. I’m gonna miss the big game!” Bandit reached back for the remote, but Winnie kept it out of his reach. “Come on!”
“No!!” Winnie squealed and reached her arm as far back as she could with the imaginary remote. “You’re gonna watch boring old cricket!”
“Yeah?” Bandit questioned, still reaching. “What’s wrong with that?”
“It’s boring!” Winnie exclaimed. “Even dad doesn’t like cricket!”
“What?!” Bandit all but yelled as his head whipped to the adult next to him. Fido gave a tiny chuckle, but his face more resembled a wince. He held his hands up in mock surrender. Bandit’s face fell in disappointment and betrayal. “Fido…mate, I don’t know if this is gonna work.”
“I just never really got into sports!” Fido tried to defend himself. “I wouldn’t mind watching it, but I don’t really know the rules.”
“He’s lying to make you feel better.” Winnie said, unhelpfully. “He thinks it’s the most boring thing in the world!”
“Fido!” Bandit broke down.
“Winnie!” Fido turned to his daughter with betrayal in his eyes. She only giggled in response. “Bandit, mate, it’s not what it seems.”
“How long?” Was all the blue heeler asked, his voice suddenly quiet. He had adjusted in his seat and was staring straight ahead through the front windshield.
“Huh?” Fido asked.
Bandit’s grip on the steering wheel tightened and Fido couldn’t read his expression. “How long before you were gonna tell me?”
“I…” Fido’s eyes flicked to try and find an out. There wasn’t one. “…I didn’t think that would matter to you.”
Bandit didn’t look at him. He only shifted his gaze further away. Fido knew he messed up bad. Was there any salvaging this situation?
But suddenly, Bandit faced him again. He wasn’t smiling, but he was looking at him. The blue heeler studied him up and down, his brow furrowed. He leaned in slightly. Fido did the same, not knowing what else to do.
“Winnie.” Bandit suddenly said, not moving his gaze from Fido. Winnie perked up, seemingly enjoying the performance in front of her.
“Yeeaaaah?” She stretched the word out as long as she could.
“How’d you like to ride to school with me and Bluey for a little while?” He asked. Fido’s eyes widened slightly, and he caught Bandit give the tiniest smirk.
“For real life?!” Winnie gasped in awe and her tail wagged a thousand beats a minute. Fido gave Bandit a small, appreciative smile.
“For real life.” They both said at the same time. It made Fido chuckle.
“Hey! You stole my dad line.” He mock-complained, lightly hitting Bandit on the shoulder and leaning back in his seat, relaxing.
“What? You stole it from me!” Bandit laughed and also leaned back in his seat. Though it was silly, the little diversion made Fido feel a lot better.
“Thanks again, Bandit.” Fido said, staring out his window, now. It felt silly being embarrassed, but he was. “Really. I appreciate it.”
“Anytime.” Bandit gave him a nod that he could only see in the reflection in the glass. “Let me know if you need anything else, yeah?”
“I will.” Fido paused to let out a relaxed breath. He turned and looked back at him with that same small smile. “I promise.”
“Boop.” Winnie pushed the button on the remote.
“I LOVE CEREAL! I LOVE CEREAL!” Fido and Bandit both suddenly started singing in sync, making Winnie laugh louder.