You got home earlier then from work then usual, after your air conditioning unit in the bakery went on the fritz you had decided to call it a day and close up early. You grabbed the three bags of food you mixed Wade's food with from under the counter, and started to scoop some out when you looked on the counter and saw a portion of his food spilling out. Wade at your feet pecking at the ground.
You leaned your head to the side to get a better look at the bag, thinking maybe you had ripped it like you did the bag of flour at work with your ring. However the hole was at the corner of the bag, on the bottom, where your hand hadn't been. The whole itself wasn't a neat cut but chewed up instead, leaving strands of bag loose.
Slowly you lifted your head, closing your eyes you took a deep breath before kneeling down to the cupboard level. Wade immediately thought that it was time to play and began to try to climb into your lap, smacking you his wings repeatedly.
"Wade, back up." You stated, gently pushing the squawking bird away from you.
Upon opening the cupboard door you spotted it, the tiny black specs of dried mouse poop. It was a sign that you had an unexpected house quest. Wade finally managed to wiggle past you, as you reached for your phone, diving head first into the open space before you. Feathers floating in the air as he searched frantically for his bag of food.
"Tom." You said as he picked up his phone.
"Well, hello beautiful." He cooed back, you took a deep breath, pulling your semi feathered companion out from the cupboard and latching it shut.
After the first month when you noticed Wade's food disappearing and the duck beginning to gain a bit of weight faster then he should of you realized that the bird was smarter then anyone had thought. He was able to get his bill under the edge of the door and push it open, he only did it late at night or while everyone was gone. Since then you had installed baby locks on all of the lower cabinet doors, resulting in one very upset duck.
"Hey, um, I have some bad news." You said, putting the ducks food in large plastic bag. There was no way you would feed him it now, not after possible mouse poop or pee in it.
"What's wrong?" He asked, his voice turning serious.
"Well, we are out of duck food." You replied, taking the bag to the garbage can, wade waddling behind you quacking in protest every step of the way.
"How did he get in there this time? I swear that duck is Einstein reincarnated." He sighed, you could hear his mom giggle in the back ground.
"It wasn't Wade, we have a mouse in the kitchen somewhere." You calmly responded, walking back to the house, all the while being continuously ninja chopped by smooth featherless wings.
"Darling, did you say a mouse? How much did it eat?"
"I don't know but I'm not taking the chance and I threw the bag of food out, and just to let you know Wade is NOT happy about it either." You explained walking into the house, duck behind you quacking up a storm.
You watched as the duck stormed off on little webbed feet, low quacks coming from him as he made his way back towards the kitchen. Sherbert flared in his tank as the duck passed, you made yourway back the kitchen yourself.
~~~
By the time Tom came home you had every item pulled out from beneath cupboards, baby gate up to keep the bird from spilling your bucket of hot soapy water. You hadn't heard the door open but knew your fiancé was home cause the consistent sound of Wade's jabbering went away. You sat back on your heels, yellow rubber gloves adorned your hands as you waited for him to poke his head in.
"Wade! Will you move!" Tom chuckled, obviously having an issue with your ever watchful companion. He poked his head in and looked around before setting a bag on the counter and stepping over the gate. Wade nipped at his shoes.
"What did you get?" You asked, eyeing the bag.
"Mouse traps." He replied, walking over to you. He bent and gave you kiss, Wade hissing in the background. "I see your duck isn't happy about this arrangement."
"No, our duck is quite annoyed he can't come in." You replied, smiling up at him.
"He just wants to help his mommy." He smirked down, walking back over to the bag.
"Please tell me you didn't get any poison." You said biting your bottom lip.
"No, I didn't. I got the old fashion ones." He told you pulling them from the bag and setting them on the counter.
"Tom, I really don't want to hurt it." You said softly, your eyes dropping to your gloved hands.
"I know, sweetheart, but what else are we going to do?" He asked, slowly you looked over at him.
"I don't know, but it so barbaric." You sighed. "Poor thing."
You finished your cleaning, and left the room for him to set the traps. After he was done he opened the gate and Wade rushed in, looking around to see what you had changed in his absence. Tom reached down and gave the duck a couple strokes on his molting back.
"Now don't go breaking into the cupboards or I promise you, you will not be happy about it." He sternly told the animal before coming into the living were you sat, tv flicked on.
"You better be the one to deal with outcome Tom, I'm not." You told him, still not happy about the traps being in your home.
A week had went by, in that week Tom had failed to catch the squeaking critter. He had tried honey, peanut butter, chocolate sauce and each morning he woke to find the traps licked clean and still set. A part of you was happy they hadn't worked cause you really didn't want the animal to die, but you didn't want it in your house either.
So while Tom was out looking at more traps you set yourself to building a humane trap out of wood, nails and a plastic bottle. After building the contraption so the soda bottle tilted where the mouse could get in, and when it went to leave the opening would lower being covered. You put some of Wade's food in it before securing it in the cupboard under Wade's disapproving stare.
"Alright, Wade let's catch us a mouse." You said as the duck started to peck at the door.
It was later that evening, you had curled up to watch a movie with Tom. He had set more traps, even though he knew you had set yours Now was just the waiting game to see who could outsmart the whiskery food thief.
Wade waddled into the darkened room, his wings flapping furiously as he went to your bedroom. Slowly you looked over at Tom who had his eyebrow raised. Both of you slowly pulled yourself from the couch and followed him. Watching as he climbing his stairs to your bed. You flicked on the lights, and to your dismay a tiny deer mouse hung by Wade's mouth. It's paws outstretched, nose twitching furiously.
"Wade, NO!" You both yelled at the same time, Wade look at you before he opened his beak.
Both of you dove for the covers, a desperate attempt to catch the tiny rodent as it ran circles on your bed. Wade quacked loudly as Tom pushed him away. The duck nipped his hand as Tom grabbed the mouse with his other, he held up the animal, walking over to an unused fish tank. The tiny creature wiggling for escape. He dropped the critter in, still amazed by the fact it didn't bite him like every other creature you had encountered.
The little animal froze in its spot, the whiskers on its teeny nose moving back and forth. His fur was a light tan with a white under belly. It's tail was missing and so was it's front leg. Your heart pulled for the timid creature.
"Tom." You called out softly, you watched as the man slowly turned, eyes wide.
"No." He told you, already knowing where this was going.
"But, look at Mickie's front leg." You smiled over to him. The look of defeat crossed his face, he walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. Wade waddled over and plopped down on his lap.
"If there are any more they go out the door." He sighed heavily, stroking the ducks back.
