“Oh, shit.” Chilli’s hand covered her mouth as she looked at the pregnancy test in her hand. She thought it was a bit odd that she hadn’t had her period in a while, but she initially just assumed that she had just skipped one. Now, there was absolutely no doubt about it.
“Where are the girls?” Chilli asked her husband Bandit when she went downstairs to find him lying on the couch in the living room. “Oh, they’re just on the trampoline out back.” He gestured in the general direction of the backyard as he listlessly watched some commercial for prescription medication on the tv. “Man, with all these bad side-effects I’d rather just put up with the shingles.” “Bandit… we need to talk.” Chilli held up the pregnancy test for him to see. “Wha-” Bandit stopped as soon as his eyes turned to her, seeing the test and already knowing what she wanted to talk about. “No way.” “Yes way.” Chilli nervously sat down on the couch once her husband sat up to make room for her. “So… what are we gonna do about this?” Bandit thought for a moment. There was a time when he wasn’t sure if he’d want a third child, but after raising Biscuit with Bluey in their dreams for what felt like the equivalent of three whole years, he felt quite differently now. He knew how Chilli felt about it. “And you’re sure it’s mine, right? There weren’t any ‘accidents’ during our… y’know… ‘party’”? Bandit asked, referring to the massive orgy they’d had with the other parents. “I’m positive, Bandit. In fact, I think I know when it probably was. Remember when I… painted myself?” The red heeler looked at her husband, referring to when she had colored herself to look like Bluey for a bit of roleplay. It felt rather awkward for both of them now, looking back on it. “Oh. Y-yeah.” Bandit blushed a little, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well… I’m happy about this! A new addition to the family!” “Are you sure? You seemed kinda… I dunno… iffy about the whole idea before…” “I’m positive. I love you so much, Chilli.” Bandit went in for a hug, wrapping his arms around her. “I love you too, Bandit.” Chilli replied, their tails wagging in unison as they embraced.
Suddenly, Chilli felt a small vibration as she got a text message on her phone. It was from her sister Brandy, reading only two simple words:
“I’m pregnant” “...”
Seeing those three little dots as Brandy was typing another message put Chilli into panic-mode. There was likely only one reason her sister would be texting her this with so little words.
“It’s Bandit’s”
“Fuck...” she whispered under hear breath. “What’s wrong, Chilli?” Bandit asked. “Madge again?” Chilli held up her phone, showing him the screen. “Fffuck.” Bandit felt his stomach drop when he saw the text, and who it was from. “We cannot let the kids know about this.” Chilli’s hand shook a little as she looked at the phone again, trying to think of a response to her sister. “Yeah, ‘good news girls, you’re getting two new siblings! And by the way, one of them is also your cousin!’” Bandit rested his face in his hands as he tried to come to terms with this. “Come to think of it, how did this even happen? Brandy is… she’s…” Bandit avoided saying the word, as it was a sensitive topic that nearly ended Chilli and Brandy’s relationship as sisters. “I honestly don’t know, Bandit. I was sure it was safe. But I do know she wouldn’t lie about something like this.” “We should talk to her. In person.” Bandit felt his heart racing. Finding out he was going to be a dad again not just once, but twice was a lot for anyone to take in. “Let’s get this all figured out.” But little did the blue heeler know, this day was about to get even more interesting.
Before Chilli could even call her back, the doorbell rang. Bandit felt a sinking feeling in his chest as his and Chilli’s heads turned to face the front entrance. They weren’t expecting anyone in particular today; hopefully it was just another alternative energy salesman. The pair both got up from the couch and opened the door to find their neighbor Wendy standing there. “Oh, Wendy! It’s just you. Need to borrow some hedge trimmers again?” Chilli nervously smiled, hoping that was all she was here for. “Hello, Chilli. Bandit.” Wendy greeted them flatly as she smiled back, with an equally-nervous expression on her face as well. “Do you mind if we… had a little chat? Judo’s already in the backyard and playing with your girls, so they should keep each other distracted for a while. I need this to be just us for a bit.” The way she said those words did not sound good to Bandit. “S-sure, come on in, love.” Chilli shuffled aside closer to Bandit, inviting Wendy in. “You might want to sit down,” Wendy said as they went back to the living room together. Bandit and Chilli were both thinking the same thing at that moment, how it was odd that their guest was insisting the hosts sit. “There’s something I need to tell you.” The married couple gave each other a look, wondering what this could be about before Wendy continued. “So, about last month. When we, um… well, surely you know to what I’m referring. Our little… ‘tryst’?” “...Yeah?” Bandit’s fingers anxiously clenched as they held the blue fur on his thighs. “You… want to arrange another one?” Chilli tried to guide the conversation in her preferred direction, but with little success. “No. Well, maybe. Yes? Anyway, what I came over to discuss was…” Wendy sighed. She had to come clean. “I’m pregnant.” “Ffffuck,” Chilli and Bandit both whispered under their breath at the same time. “There’s… more. I feel you deserve to know the whole truth, because I care very deeply for you both.” Wendy fidgeted with her fingers as she tried to find the best way to tell them. “It… wasn’t an accident, and the condom didn’t break. I… I did it on purpose.” “What?!” Bandit yelled as he stood from his spot on the couch, causing Wendy to recoil a little in fear. He immediately came back to his senses at the sight of her, however, and sat back down again calmly. “I’m sorry, Wendy. I shouldn’t have shouted like that.” “No, no. I’m the one who should be sorry, Bandit. I am so sorry, to both of you. It was absolutely fiendish of me to do such a thing behind your backs, but I… I just…” Wendy began to cry as she continued. “I just wanted to have a child again. My own child, not one that I have to share with someone whom I despise and takes her away from me for weeks at a time! I get so lonely in that house, all by myself! I often go for so long without hearing any sounds of laughter or playing! You don’t know what it’s like! You get to experience the joys of parenthood every day of the week!You don’t have to worry about wondering if your ex is poisoning your own child against you! Raising her in ways you don’t agree with!” Wendy was a blubbering mess at this point, the makeup on her eyes now running down the fluffy beige fur on her cheeks. Neither Bandit nor Chilli had ever seen her in this state before. Bandit reached over to the tissue box on the coffee table and handed it to Wendy, which she grabbed gratefully. “Thank you.” The chow-chow said before blowing her nose loudly into it. After Wendy had eventually calmed down, she sighed again. “You Heelers are really my closest friends… you know? Two of my only friends, really.” Chilli sat up from the couch opposite Wendy and went around the coffee table to sit beside her friend, sympathetically rubbing her back. Bandit got up as well, sitting on Wendy’s other side. “I just wanted what you have. You always look like you’re so happy together. I guess I thought, maybe if I can be a part of the Heeler family in any small way, perhaps I can have even just a little of that happiness too." Wendy rested her hands on Chilli and Bandit’s legs as they sat by her side. “I only hope you can forgive me for what I did. I promise I won’t be pursuing any financial assistance from you, I can do just fine on my own. You needn’t worry about me ever squeezing you for money.” That reassurance in itself was a huge relief to the two heelers. They had known Wendy for a long time, and trusted she would stay true to her word. ‘Might be best to get it all in writing sometime, though…’ Chilli thought to herself, ‘just to be safe.’ Bandit, meanwhile, was thinking about what all of this meant now that the reality of the matter was setting in. He was going to have three more kids - one with his wife Chilli, one with his sister-in-law Brandy, and now one with his neighbor Wendy. He glanced down at Wendy’s abdomen as she sat beside him, the slightest smile making its way onto his face as he imagined the new life forming inside her. This certainly wasn’t an ideal situation he was in, but he was Bandit Heeler; he’d find a way to manage… somehow.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. It was quiet, almost so much so that they barely even heard it at all. However, their sensitive dog ears perked up and angled in its direction much like a satellite dish to immediately let them know there was indeed a presence on the other side. “Now who could that be?” Bandit grumbled as he stood up from the couch yet again, feeling the need to be the one who answered the door so that he wouldn’t be left sitting awkwardly alone on the couch with Wendy. When he opened the door, his heart sank even more than it had been already; standing on his front porch was Calypso, Bluey’s teacher. He had a bad feeling he knew why she was here.
After all, when it rains, it pours.
“H-hello, Mister Heeler.” Calypso greeted him shyly, avoiding eye-contact. “Calypso, I’m pretty sure by now we’re on terms where you can just call me Bandit.” His whole body felt more and more tense with each passing second. There was no way Calypso could be here for the same reason as Wendy… right? “Oh, right. Sorry, I’m just, uh… a bit nervous.” The Australian Shepherd finally looked Bandit in the eyes. “Social anxiety?” the blue heeler desperately wanted to assume. “N-no. Well, maybe a little bit. But, um… is Chilli here? There’s something I’d like to talk to the both of you about,” Calypso asked as she tilted her head, peering slightly over Bandit’s shoulder. “I’m here.” Chilli seemed to appear from behind Bandit out of nowhere, leaving Wendy to herself with her thoughts on the couch back in the living room. “Oh, good. Do you mind if I come in?” Calypso inched forward a little, trying to show her insistence that she needed to have a very important conversation with them. “Well, the thing is, we kind of already have…” Bandit glanced back over his shoulder, jolting in surprise to unexpectedly seeing Wendy already now standing behind him as well. “...company.” “Hello, I don’t believe we’ve met.” Wendy held out her hand. “I’m Wendy, their neighbour. And you are?” “O-oh, uh…” Calypso recoiled a bit at Wendy’s unexpected presence, but held out her hand and shook it weakly to be polite before mumbling, “I’m Calypso… Bluey’s teacher.” The four stood silently at the crowded doorway for a few moments, the awkward tension building rapidly as none of them were sure what to do next. “So what was it you wanted to talk to us about, Calypso?” Chilli broke the ice, hoping this was just a surprise-conference to discuss something about Bluey. Bandit, meanwhile, was practically sweating bullets. Why was Calypso here? Bluey hadn’t told her what had happened, had she? She wouldn’t go spilling their secret… would she? Another possibility was that she simply wanted to arrange another hookup. But she had Chilli’s phone number now, surely she could have just done it over text if that was the case. However, there was one more option… “I kind of… wanted to… talk in… private.” Calypso kept shyly glancing at Wendy, who picked up on this hint. “No worries darling, I‘ll just head to the backyard to spend some time with the girls. See what kind of mischief they’re up to.” Wendy said with a light-hearted chuckle as she retreated out to the back of the Heeler house before looking back at them with a gentle smile as if to say, ‘thank you’. As Wendy made her way down the back porch steps, she immediately turned and darted towards their nearest window to sneak a peek into their conversation. Something about Calypso’s strange behaviour gave the Chow-chow’s keen intuition the impression that something was clearly amiss. She just barely peeked her eyes above the window, her canine ears picking up on the faint noises of their conversation she could just barely hear through the glass. She knew it was impolite to eavesdrop, but the opportunity to discover some juicy drama was just too tempting for her to resist. “I’m… not sure how to say this, so maybe I should just say it and get it over with.” Wendy could hear Calypso’s soft-spoken voice as the three walked from one side of the living room to the other. “What’s going on, Calypso? You can tell us anything.” Chilli spoke reassuringly, even when her heart had a very bad feeling. “Please, don’t be upset with Bandit about this.” Calypso took several deep breaths. “I’ll just getthis ready.” Chilli squinted at her husband as she picked up the newspaper on the coffee table, rolling it up into a tube. “It was my idea not to use protection, I wanted my first time to be… the way nature intended.” The Australian Shepherd whimpered, feeling as though she were the one about to be scolded instead. “But it turns out, I’m… pregnant.” Wendy gasped aloud as she blushed deeply from the other side of the window; it was drama she had wanted, and she certainly wasn’t left disappointed. ‘Oh my… Bandit certainly has been a busy boy, hasn’t he?’ She thought to herself. “Ah, biscuits!” Bandit exclaimed, followed by an immediate whack on the head from the newspaper in Chilli’s hand. “Please, don’t be upset, Chilli!” Calypso tried to use her teaching instincts to calm the red heeler, hating confrontation. “He’s not to blame for this!” Chilli was about to whack Bandit again when her hand stopped in place. She sighed. Calypso was right. In a way, this was all Chilli’s own doing. If she hadn’t pressured Bandit into satisfying her hot-husbanding fetish, none of this would be happening. She set the newspaper down as Calypso continued. “I don’t want this to be a burden to you two. In fact, I’m personally happy about this. I’ve always wanted my own child, but my anxiety kept me from ever… y’know… meeting someone.” She smiled slightly as she looked down and rubbed her abdomen. “I’m keeping it. I don’t need money, I just… wanted to let you know.” Bandit’s hands were trembling; learning he was going to be having four more kids, and all within the course of an hour? What were the odds? “All I would like…” Calypso continued, looking at Bandit, “if it’s at all possible, is for you to… be a part of our child’s life.”
Bandit was silent for a moment, taking one long breath in and out as he tried to collect his thoughts. He analyzed his options, trying to consider the potential futures that lie ahead depending on which route he took. But no matter how many different ways he tried to look at the situation, there seemed to be only one clear answer to him. He looked at Chilli, and she gave him an understanding nod. “...Okay. I’ll have to find a way to explain some things to our girls, but I’ll do what I can to be the father your- our kid needs.” Bandit rested his elbows on his knees, fidgeting his sweaty hands together and wondering how all this could have happened. “I can’t be with you romantically, though. I’m sorry.” “No worries, I completely understand.” Calypso blushed slightly, giving Chilli a glance. “Ideally I’d be open to the idea, but… you’re married. And very lucky to have each other.” “Thank you for coming to us about this, Calypso.” Chilli exhaled to calm her own nerves as well; she wasn’t sure what had come over her to make her so desperate to share her husband with other women, but she was certainly facing the consequences for it now. “Thank you for being so kind to me.” Calypso stood from her seat, tidying the fur on her chest as the Heelers accompanied her to the door. “I’ll get out of your fur now, but… I’ll keep in touch.” “You’re free to stay a bit longer, if you like,” Chilli said as the Australian Shepherd opened the door. “Should we maybe talk more about this?” “Oh no, not today.” Calypso smiled warmly at them, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. “We can talk more later, I have other errands to do today. Like I said, we’ll keep in touch.”
With Calypso gone, Wendy left the window and took Judo back home for the time-being as Chilli went to the privacy of their bedroom to call her sister Brandy about the situation. This left Bandit alone to himself to plan out his explanation to his girls. Big changes were coming for the Heeler family, and it was difficult for him to gauge exactly how they would handle it - Bluey most of all. After some time to think, Bandit walked out to the backyard to find his daughters playing some kind of game involving the garden gnomes. To him, however, it felt more like a walk to the gallows. “Hey, girls… can we talk for a minute?” Bandit cleared his throat as he sat down on the grass in front of them, softly patting the spots in the lawn beside him. Bluey and Bingo came to his side, cuddling up against him affectionately - a little too affectionately. “What is it, Dad?” Bluey asked as she looked up at her father with the kind of affectionate expression that a wife would show her husband. “Listen, um…” Bandit scowled a little as he arranged his thoughts in order. “You girls know I love you more than anything, right?” They nodded. “Oh we know perfectly well how much you love us, Daddy,” Bluey replied as she stroked the fur on Bandit’s chest, and Bingo copied her big sister. Bluey, Bingo, please. Not in the yard, one of the neighbors could be watching. This is a serious conversation.” Bandit gave them a look to let them know he wasn’t in the mood for playing around, and the girls stopped. “Look, what I’m trying to say is that I love you two and your mum more than anything in the whole world. And love is never a bad thing, right?” They nodded again. Bandit continued. “There’s different ways to show love, yeah? There’s the love you show your family, the love you show your friends, and then there’s the love you show for someone very special, when you wanna be romance. Lately, I’ve been… not the best dad in the world. Probably one of the worst, actually. I’ve been mixing up the kinds of love I’m supposed to be showing. Your mum and I have been… giving the wrong kinds of love to people.” Bluey and Bingo were still confused, but listened attentively as they tried to piece together where their dad was going with this. “Sometimes, love has consequences. Not all consequences are bad though, some consequences can be good.” “I don’t get it,” Bingo interrupted. “Are we in trouble?” “Trouble? No! We just… your mum and I got some news today. And it might be… surprising news for you to hear. I just want you girls to know that this news changes absolutely nothing about how I feel about you two. Okay?” “Okay, Dad,” Bluey looked into her father’s eyes deeply, using her mum’s compassion and understanding as an inspiration. “Please, tell us the news.” Bandit braced himself. “Well… basically… you two are going to have some new siblings.” The little heelers’ mouths were agape; it was surprising news, indeed. Bandit continued. Your mum and I are having another baby, but… there’s more. Three more. Our neighbor Wendy, your teacher Calypso, and your Auntie Brandy are all having babies too. And… they’re all gonna be your siblings. The girls were stunned with silence. Bingo still wasn’t entirely sure how babies got in the mum’s belly, but Bluey had been taught by Bandit himself exactly how babies were made. She took a breath in and out, trying to keep a calm and level-headed mind. “So… y-you still love us? More than Wendy? And Calypso? And Brandy?” She felt a slight sense of anger rising in her, but it refused to come out. “Of course I do, Bluey. I only love them as friends. And I’ll love your new siblings like family. But you two and Chilli will always be my number ones, now and forever.” Bandit gave each of them a gentle hug and a kiss on their forehead, and Bluey immediately felt her frustration dying down. “So what does this mean for… us?” Bluey asked once they broke the hug. “Are we still… the ‘romance’ kind of love?” Bandit leaned in and rubbed his nose against his little blue daughter’s. “Your happiness is more important to me than anything. We’ll always have to hide this from the world, but if what we have makes you happy, then this is how I want it to stay. But if one day you decide you don’t want this any more, then I’ll completely support you and always be on your side. No matter what… I will always love you.” “I’ll always love you too, Dad. Even if I find someone else when I’m older, I know the way I feel about you won’t ever change.” Bluey leaned in and gave her Bandit a kiss on the cheek.
“Never.”
In a matter of months, Chilli, Wendy, Calypso, and Brandy all successfully had Bandit’s children, and the Heeler family was bigger than ever. Although it took some getting used to from everyone involved, and their family was far from perfect, they all eventually came to understand and accept one another. Including Biscuit, who Bandit and Bluey continued to spend their nights in their dreams together as his loving parents, Bandit was now the father of seven children - three boys, and four girls. Wendy’s son Indigo, Calypso’s daughter Sapphire, Brandy’s daughter Azure, and Chilli’s son.
“Cobalt, c’mon! Bluey’s plane is leaving soon!” Bandit called out to him from down the hallway of the airport terminal. “Sorry, Dad!” Cobalt replied as he ran to catch up with the rest of his family, having stopped a ways back to look at the planes through the window of the skybridge. He was mostly light-blue with a tan muzzle like his father, with orange arms and legs and a patch of orange fur over his left eye as well as an orange marking in the middle of his chest. Bluey, now nineteen years old, took several breaths to calm her nerves as she held the ticket in her hand. “I think you’re going to enjoy university in Québec, Bluey.” Jean-Luc smiled reassuringly at her as he rubbed her back. “It is very, how you say… bonzer?” “You’ve been studying Aussie!” Bluey chuckled in surprise. “Yeah, that’s how you say it. Or ‘bonza’.” “‘Bonza’. Oui.” The black labrador nodded, making a mental note of it. “You’re sure you didn’t forget anything at home, Bluey? It’s a long trip back to Brisbane.” Bingo reminded her, as she was the more responsible one of the two. “If she does, I can always just mail it to her. No worries.” Chilli ruffled her daughter’s hair with her hand, tearing up a little. It would be a big change without having Bluey around; she still saw her as her little blue girl. “Group 3, now boarding.” The dog at the counter announced through their microphone. “We’ll miss you, Bluey.” Cobalt said, finally having caught up to them at the gate. “Have fun!” Bingo added, giving her a quick hug. “Stay safe. Please.” Chilli wiped a tear from her eye. “I love you.” Bandit spoke softly, his lip trembling. “I’ll always love you.” Bluey and Bandit looked at each other, and she knew exactly what he meant. “I’ll always love you too, Dad.” She replied with a sniffle. This was it. The end. Bluey was grown-up now, and about to go off and live her own life, leaving Bandit behind. Though they didn’t want to admit it, they both knew this moment was inevitable. Everything must come to an end someday. That’s just a part of life. But Bluey and Bandit never took that life for granted. Bluey gave her family a hug, then turned away to head through the gate with her luggage along with Jean-Luc. But before she disappeared around the corner to the plane, she took one last look back at her family. Her Mom. Her sister. Her brother. Her dad. Bluey let go of her suitcase, running back and throwing herself into Bandit’s arms. Her Bandit. They held each other for several moments longer as their tails wagged in unison, cherishing every single second they had together. “Last call for boarding flight forty-two to Montreal.” The attendant announced. Bandit broke the hug with his daughter, giving her one more kiss on the forehead. They exchanged no further words, and Bluey waved goodbye to her family with a teary-eyed smile as she grabbed her baggage and disappeared behind the corridor. ‘Have a great life, Bluey.’ Bandit thought as he sighed, a smile eventually making its way onto his face as well as they watched the plane leave down the runway.
‘May all your dreams come true.’
—
Four years seemed to come and go in the blink of an eye for Bandit, and soon the entire extended Heeler family - including Bluey’s half-siblings and their mothers - were all waiting eagerly for her to arrive home at her surprise homecoming graduation party. “Just got a text from Bluey, said she’ll be here in about five minutes,” Chilli said as she approached the others at the snack table, accidentally bumping her hip against the corner. “Ah! Dammit, I suppose I should probably look into getting glasses. My vision just isn’t what it used to be.” “I’m sure you’d look stunning in them, babe.” Bandit reassured her as he finished placing the soda bottles in a perfect arrangement. “Hey Dad, we’re gonna go hang out in the backyard,” Cobalt said as he approached Bandit with Indigo, Sapphire, and Azure at his side. “Well, okay, but don’t be too long. Bluey’ll be here any minute,” Bandit replied, not taking his eyes away from the spot where he expected Bluey’s ride to pull into the cul-de-sac.
The four tossed a football around casually as they talked. Although they were all siblings, they still weren’t as familiar with each other as they could be, given that they all had different mothers. In fact, most of them would usually only see each other on special get-togethers such as this. Indigo went to a more expensive upper-class school with his own dormitory, and Azure lived with her mum Brandy in Warwick two hours away. Cobalt and Sapphire, however, shared the same class at school together and would see each other every day, even hanging out together after school whenever they got the chance. In fact, they saw each other as siblings just as much as Bluey and Bingo did. “Anyone wanna play twenty questions?” Azure suggested as she tossed the ball to Indigo, preferring to get to know her siblings more rather than just idly toss the ball around in a boring and awkward silence. “Sure, I’m game,” Indigo replied, tossing it to Cobalt. “Let’s ask a question to the person we pass the ball to. But we have to give everyone an even amount of turns.” “Sounds fair,” Cobalt said as he caught the ball, passing it to Sapphire as he tried to think of a simple question to start things off with. “Um… What’s your favorite fruit?” “I think… pears.” the Australian Shepherd Heeler mix replied as she tossed the ball to Azure. “Do you play any sports?” “I love lacrosse, our school’s team actually made it to the semifinals this year.” She answered before throwing it to Indigo. “What do you want to do after you graduate?” “I wanna be in a rock band,” The blue Chow-Chow said with a smirk as he swept his hair out of his eyes reminiscent of his older sister. “But like, a soft-rock band, not heavy metal or anything like that.” “Something tells me your mum wouldn’t be too happy about that career-choice,” Cobalt added, “since you go to a fancy rich-kid school and all.” “My mum’s cool with it, actually. You’d be surprised how fun she can be.” Indigo threw the ball high in the air for Cobalt to catch. “But anyway, it’s your turn. Do you have a crush on anyone?” “Ooooh,” the girls chimed in teasingly. “N-no!” Cobalt blushed, quickly glancing at Sapphire without even realizing it. Indigo raised an eyebrow, wearing an expression that said he wasn’t convinced. “Well… maybe… yeah. B-but you never asked who I have a crush on, so I don’t have to tell you shit.” “That’s fair,” Indigo replied, “It’s not like I’d know her anyway, now would I?” He gave Sapphire a quick glance as well, being highly perceptive of the way they had been acting around each other the entire afternoon they’d been helping set up this party. “I’m switching rotations, so now it’s your turn, Indigo. Who do you have a crush on?” Cobalt chucked the ball at his half-brother, who caught it with ease. “I don’t have a crush, I have a boyfriend. His name’s Ruckus, he’s my drummer. And he sure can drum.” Indigo chuckled coyly, wiggling his eyebrows as if his double-entendre weren’t obvious enough. “Okay okay, I’m happy for you, but please stop.” Cobalt felt second-hand embarrassment from the increasing awkwardness of their game. “Next.” “Well you asked… Azure, what do you think of Dad? Isn't it kinda… I dunno, weird that we all have different moms?" Azure exhaled. "Why do I get asked the hardball question? I don't hold any grudges against him, if that's what you mean. I do wish I got to see him more often, though. It's not like my mom and him were ever married in the first place, so it's kinda weird to think about, especially since he's my uncle too. I do get kinda jealous of you sometimes, Cobalt. You get to have him all the time." Cobalt nodded in agreement. They weren't a perfect family by any means, and he wished he'd get to see his brother and sisters more. He’d never bothered to ask his dad the details of why their family was the way it was, as it felt like too uncomfortable of a subject to bring up. But regardless, he loved his dad, and knew he was a good dog at heart. All that mattered to him was that he and his siblings were together now, and no matter the circumstances of their conception, he was glad that they were a part of his life. Especially Sapph. "But to answer your question," Azure continued, "I do love Dad. And I know he loves us too. He might not always be around when I need him, but… he tries his best for all of us. That's a lot more than others can say. I know some kids whose dads don't care about them at all." Everyone was silent for a moment as they took the time to appreciate Bandit for all the effort he put in as their father. Azure cleared her throat. "Anyway, your turn, Sapphire. What's the best dream you ever had?" To everyone's surprise, a bright red blush immediately began to grow on Sapphire's face. The usually-talkative teen was suddenly flustered and at a loss for words as a particular dream came to mind. Several dreams, in fact. She and Cobalt exchanged several more awkward glances, their hearts skipping several beats at the mere sight of each other as they remembered. Neither of them knew the truth - that there was much more to their recent dreams than they ever could have imagined. "O-oh, um… nothing comes to mind!" She quickly responded at a higher-than-normal speaking volume. Before anyone could pry any further, their game was interrupted by a familiar voice. “Hey kids, Bluey’s here.” The four teens turned their heads to the sound of their father calling them back, prompting them to join the rest of their family. Cobalt and Sapphire exchanged one more look between each other before the four headed back to the front yard.
As Bluey stepped out of the car, she was greeted by a sight that warmed her heart; her entire family had gathered to greet her for a surprise party. Judo stepped out of the driver’s side of the car as well, having been the one who picked her up at the airport. “Welcome home, Bluey!” they all cheered, and Bluey started to tear up from the pure and genuine love she was surrounded by. She approached her parents and siblings, quickly finding herself enveloped in a warm family hug. “We missed you so much, Bluey,” Chilli spoke first. “We really did.” Bandit reseted his hand on his daughter’s cheek to get a good look at her, seeing how much she’d grown up. They’d made video calls often, but seeing her in-person again was beyond comparison. “How was Canada?” Bingo asked, suddenly noticing that someone was absent. “And is Jean-Luc coming?” “Oh, uh…” Bluey rubbed her arm. “We’re not… together anymore.” “Aw, I’m sorry to hear that, Bluey. What happened?” Bandit asked, hoping the mention of him wouldn’t put a damper on the party. “Things just… didn’t work out. Our ideas for the futures we wanted after university were just too different. But it’s okay.” Bluey’s cheeks turned pink as she smiled at Judo, who held her hand and inched closer to her. “I know I’m right where I’m meant to be.” “W-wow, congrats, you two!” Bandit was a little stunned at this development, but proud of his daughter’s happiness nonetheless. “How’d you become a thing?” “Bluey and I would talk to each other all the time on Faceytalk,” Judo spoke first, swishing her puffy fur out of her eyes. “When she told me about her breakup, I knew I had to snatch her up quick!” “Judo!” Bluey rolled her eyes, her blush turning from pink to a subtle red as her girlfriend gave her a peck on her furry cheek.
As the evening went on and the family eventually went their separate ways once again after having their fill of food and fun, Bandit and Bluey were taking the garbage bins full of disposable plates and cups to the curb. “You really didn’t have to clean up, Bluey. This was your party, after all.” Bandit grunted as he picked up the heavy bag, though he felt the weight lifted off of him as his daughter helped him. “It’s okay Dad, I really don’t mind.” Bluey smiled, her tail wagging. “Hey Bluey, I’m gonna start the car. It’s getting colder every night.” Judo said as she approached Bluey, giving her another kiss before heading to her vehicle. “I’ll have to get used to Southern Hemisphere seasons again. Feels kinda weird now, being cold in June.” Bluey said, followed by a long moment of silence between the two. “I really missed you.” Bandit turned to face his daughter and saw the light of the pale white moon reflecting on her fur, which seemed to be glittering and shimmering like a beautiful and endless ocean as she looked back at him. “I missed you too.” Bandit took in just how stunning his daughter had become as a young woman. He was left speechless by the look in her eyes. Suddenly, Bluey leaned in and stood on the tips of her feet. “B-Bluey? What are you-?” Bandit said in a hushed whisper, his thought interrupted as Bluey’s mouth approached his ear and she whispered,
“I still love you.”
They stood by the bins, simply staring up at the bright and beautiful full moon together as they held each other in an embrace. Father and daughter. Husband and wife. Parents. Lovers. Dreamers.
Hey everyone, I'm back for one last go at this. I admit that my first attempt at this last chapter wasn't the best I could've made it. It was a bit confusing and out of left-field, and I understand that it probably wasn't what quite a few readers expected or wanted. I refer to this as a 'remix' because some of this fic remains the same as the original ending 'The Waking Nightmare', but I've changed some major elements to make it more cohesive and give it a more satisfying ending that my readers deserve and that I can feel more proud of. I'm leaving 'The Waking Nightmare' up for posterity's sake, but this is the TRUE ending of the DoaBB series, including 'Dreams of a Beautiful Blue', 'Chilli Dog', and 'Dreams of a Mournful Orange'. If you haven't read those, then you're not going to have any context for this fic.
Thanks again to every who read and enjoyed this entire series, it was a lot of fun for me to write all of it. I'm so grateful and humbled that this whole thing got as much attention, love, and positivity as it did. I have a few songs that go with this chapter, completely optional to listen to. I own none of the rights.
Maybe I'll come back to it someday to focus more on Bandit's many kids, maybe not. Nothing's an impossibility. But for now, this is where I finally leave the Bluey fanfic community, for real-life this time. Good-bye, and sweet dreams!
This, like all the others was great. I really hope that in the future you do return to this again because I love it, but I know you have other ideas and stories you want to do.
This, like all the others was great. I really hope that in the future you do return to this again be
