Octonauts Oneshots

Before they were Octonauts... Part 3

Tweak: The engineer winced, and started piling up the blueprints that littered the room. She hadn't had sleep in days, and the room was almost as messy as her life. To say the least, Tweak was a wreck. Eventually she gave up and flopped onto her carrot-patterned duvet. The sound of crumpling paper greeted her, and she flopped the blanket open. A yellowed and aged piece of lined paper was underneath, with an old scuffed broad-brimmed hat on top. It was roughly handsewn, and the top had come off almost entirely. Tears started to well in Tweak's eyes, as if by instinct. That hat had belonged to her father.

***

The little green bunny hugged her father like her life depended on it. Well, her life did depend on him. He was the only scrap if family left, and at the age of six, family was life. They didn't have much, just a shack in the Everglades and a position as ranger, but it would suffice.

"Thank you Pa," Tweak said for the eleventh time in ten seconds. It was Christmastime, and the Everglades were laced in snow and ice. It was a time for hot cocoa, presents and family. This year, Ranger Marsh had given his daughter a little bike.

"I know how much you like pulling things apart and rebuilding them," he laughed. "Maybe not the hot cocoa machine this time." Tweak laughed along her Pa. For a week, until they could get a proper repair done, the family had gulped down lumpy, lukewarm cocoa. Well, Tweak had been bored one Saturday afternoon...

Well, now she had her own little gizmo to pull apart! She couldn't wait to get her little paws on the gear system, maybe she could use something similar on her wagon! Tweak exited daydream to find her Pa looking lovingly at her. Oh yes!

"Here Pa," I got something for you. She pulled out a plastic bag from behind her back. They couldn't afford expensive fancy wrapping paper, but that was okay.

Tweak's Pa accepted the gift thankfully and took a peek inside.

"Awww, thanks Tweakster," he said, pulling out a battered--but still functional--broad brimmed hat, which was more than could be said for Ranger Marsh's current hat, which had lost its top almost entirely. "Where'd you get this?"

"I found it on top of one of the bins," she reported truthfully. "Then I brought it home, cleaned it and fixed it."

"That's my little bunny," Ranger Marsh had said, ruffling his daughter's hair. "Hand-fixed eh? No wonder the quality is so good."

In hindsight, Tweak learnt her father was only saying that to make little her feel good, but he wore it and loved it all the same.

"Well," he announced, as if to more than just her. "Since I've got this wondrous new hat, I guess I've got no use for this one." He pulled off his old ranger's hat and held it in his paws.

"Here Tweakster," he whispered. "Merry Christmas."

He pushed it into her reverent paws and she placed it on her head, grinning.

"Ranger Tweak reporting for duty," she laughed.

Ranger Marsh looked at her for one long second, then swept her up in the biggest hug possible, catching her off her feet and enfolding her in himself. They stayed like that for a while. It was only after a minute or two that Ranger Marsh gathered the composure to speak.

"Roger that."

***