Thunder's Storm (Raggedy Ann & Andy Fanfiction)

Chapter 11

Raggedy Ann paced back and forth next to the window in the playroom. It had been nearly half an hour since Andy had ventured out to retrieve Thunder and she hadn't seen any signs from him since. She let her mind wonder, coming up with all the horrible possibilities of what could have happened to them. Maybe the wind was too strong and they got blown away? What if there was too much rain and they fell in a deep puddle and couldn't swim? What if Andy got there too late and Thunder had already left with Marcella's father? Or what if Andy decided to join Thunder and left her together? Now she knew that last scenario was going too far, she knew Andy would never just suddenly up and leave her like that, even if it was with his best friend. "Raggedy Ann, sit down, please." Babette implored, watching the rag doll walk back and forth nervously. "You'll create a rut in the floor you continue." "Oh I just can't help it Babette," Ann replied, "I'm just so worried about them. They should have been back by now, and look, the storm has only gotten worse." She gestured to the window, which was now closed to keep the harsh wind, rain and cold out. The rain was pelting the glass like a barrage of tiny stones, and the claps of thunder and lighting were still going strong with no signs of stopping anytime soon. Ann chewed on her non-existent nails, "Maybe I should have gone with Andy after all." "Don't be ridiculous," Babette hand waved the notion away, "Neither one of us would last two minuets in that storm, especially you with that hand." Ann looked down at her injury, Babette had done a swell job of sewing the rip closed but it was in no condition to be doing anything extreme until Marcella could get her mother to run it under the sewing machine a few times. The French doll could read Ann like an open book, she knew by the look on her round face that she wasn't going to stop letting her mind jump to the worst possible conclusions anytime soon. Ann may have been one of the kindest, most thoughtful toys she had ever met, but that also came with the consequences of sometimes she would overthink certain situations and become anxious on others behalf, but Babette knew just what to do. She took Ann by the hand and sat her down on the front steps of the doll house. Ann looked up at Babette, a bit confused as to what she was doing. "Ann, who is the strongest toy you know?" Babette asked her. "Andy." Ann answered simply. "Who is tough enough to have their arm torn clean off and walk it off as if it was nothing?" "Andy is." "Who is always willing to get in a fight, even if they're out matched, just to protect you?" "Andy." "And who has stuck by your side for the last century through thick and thin?" "Andy has." Babette nodded her head and raised an eyebrow, "Now Raggedy Ann, after all that, do you really think you need to worry about your brother?" Ann let out a little laugh, "I guess when you put it like that it does make worrying about him sound pretty silly." Babette sat down next to the rag doll and held her soft hand gently. "Andy will be just fine out there, and so will Thunder. If those two were able to get in a tussle with two bullies twice their size, and win? Well then, together there isn't anything that they can't do!" Ann took Babette's motivational speech to heart, she could always rely on her courageous personality to shine a light on things when they looked dark. "Thank you Babette, I feel much better now." Ann thanked appreciatively. Babette gave her a warm smile and pulled her in for a hug. Just then they heard the doorknob start to click and turn, the toys quickly ran back into their positions and played possum, worrying it might be Marcella coming up to the playroom to seek refuge from the storm. The door swung open and to everyone's relief they saw Andy hanging from the doorknob on the other side, and little Thunder standing just outside the door frame. "Oh thank goodness you're both alright!" Ann cried out, running as fast as her legs could carry her. Andy shut the door behind them and held his arms wide open to accept the tackle hug from his sister. "I was so worried about you." She said as she squeezed him tight, little tears of joy welling up in her eyes. Andy hugged back, patting his sisters head calmingly. "Worried? About me? You should know better by now Annie." He joked. When they finally let each other go, Ann turned to look at Thunder who was quietly sitting down, his ears folded over. It didn't take long for her to notice all the damage he had taken, with all the thorns, loose threads, and giant crease down his middle, it'd be impossible not to. "Good golly, what happened to you Thunder?" She asked, kneeling down and reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder, but Thunder turned away and looked down at the floor. "Nothing I didn't deserve." He replied. "What are you talking about?" She stared at the depressed plush curiously, examining his wounds. "After how horrendously I treated you, I deserve every single scrape and scratch I got tonight," He told her, hanging his head in shame, "I got so caught up in the possibility of seeing my other family again, that I never even stopped to think about how I was hurting the one I was already in." Thunder shut his eyes tightly, trying not to shed anymore tears, he felt like he had cried enough for a lifetime in just this one single day. "I'm so sorry for the grief I have dealt Raggedy Ann, to you and everybody else. Is there anything I can do for y'all to forgive me?" He finally gazed up at her with true regret in his eyes, but his eyes widened in surprise as Ann wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug, "Oh Thunder of course we forgive you!" She consoled, "We're all glad to see you back here safe and sound, that's all we could ever ask for." Thunders heart melted from her compassionate words and he wrapped his paws around her in return. Andy and Babette joined in too, engulfing the yellow plush in a big group hug. Thunder could feel the love pouring in from everyone around him, and it was like everything in that moment had stopped. Any pain he felt from his injuries had faded away, even the roar of the thunderstorm outside seemed to hush and fall silent. At that moment Thunder knew, he was home.

The End