No-one Ever Wants to be the Bass Player

(Or, Lotte Gets a Bigger Part Than She Expected)

Lotte patted the last pile of papers and stood up ready to go home to her burrow for the evening. She wasn't sure she liked working inside the Head's offices, but...

Cola has made it quite clear that she was going to use the quarters as offices only. Herbert had lived here, one room was his kitchen and one was his bedroom. Cola had decided to keep her separate quarters and just use the Head's offices for official business. She'd said that whilst Herbert had not cared for the niceties of privacy, she would appreciate a place where she could get away from it all. She was right in that respect, Herbert had never stopped working. He hadn't needed to keep on until late every day. He just did. Reading and re-reading reports and going over every document with a fine tooth-comb.

I suppose he did get some very hairy documents, Lotte smiled to her self.

So, with the bedroom no longer a bedroom there was more space inside the rooms, so Lotte didn't have to sit in the corridor outside. She'd made a cheery sign up so that conies wouldn't be intimidated by a closed door.

One side said "Please knock, we'll be pleased to see you" The other side had "Sorry but we're not in. Please try again later" Lotte had been very happy with that. When Cola had pointed out that many conies, even with her efforts in school, could not read Lotte had told her that she would draw pictures to match

In addition to the extra space, however, Gilchrist had appointed a guard bunny for the quarters. Matt was quite a quiet coney, but reassuringly muscular. With Fudge and Matt outside the doors Lotte felt safe against the growing unrest. Gilchrist was the one who actually suggested moving Lotte's desk inside,

"Makes no sense to put a Doe outside where she would be the first target for any dissenters." He'd said to Cola but looking at Lotte. "I would never be able to forgive myself should any harm come to a Doe under my protection."

Lotte smiled. He'd actually noticed her! She'd been wondering whether he was, well, 'moving in' on Cola since she was the Head Doe. He seemed very concerned considering he'd been away from the warren for so many years and had made a life for himself in the outside world. But his concern for Lotte as well as Cola was a reassuring act.

The door opened. Lotte was surprised because there had been no knock, but it was only Gilchrist. He removed his hat and bowed low.

"I'm afraid you've missed her." Lotte said, finishing her tidying up motions on her desk, "Cola left about an hour ago."

"A shame," Gilchrist intoned, "A shame to leave you working all alone."

"Well I'm just leaving, Mr Gilchrist, so, unless you want to stay here and talk to the walls.."

"Ah!" Gilchrist said, eyes smiling, "The Walls! I know them well." He looked off into the distance, mockingly, "The talks we've had over the years.

"No," He said eyes back and focussed on Lotte, "if you are leaving then I would be pleased if you would let me walk with you."

Lotte was thankful she was looking down at her desk at that point because she felt her face warm and she just knew that if she looked up she'd be blushing.

She cleared her throat and shuffled a piece of paper around so as to regain her composure.

"Thank you, that would be, nice. " She finally said, raising her head, smiling. She blinked her eyes. Trying not to look as if she was batting her eyelashes.

Gilchrist held an elbow out at her and it took her a second before she realised that she was supposed to hold it.

She gave a giggle she hated herself for and took a gentle hold on his arm. They walked out the door together.

---*---

Matt handed Gilchrist a small parcel. "You can go home for the night." Gilchrist told Matt. "We won't need you until the morning."

Matt nodded a "Sir." and trotted sombrely off.

Gilchrist turned to Lotte and held up the parcel. "I've got a couple of bottle of South Slope Red, if you don't have any other plans.

Lotte's brain shut down for a second. So many thoughts raced around her head that her foot stopped in mid air and she couldn't reply. Gilchrist frowned, concerned, at her.

She giggled. A little Lotte in her head stared at her and marked up 'SILLY GIGGLE' on a mental chalk board. Above that inscription was another repetition and above that the words 'BATTER EYELASHES' .The little Lotte whispered to her "I don't want to have to write 'SIMPER'! Be sensible girl"

Gilchrist didn't seem to notice Lotte's internal auditor's intrusion. "How long were you working for Herbert?" he asked.

This was easy. This sort of question Lotte could answer without swooning. "About a year." She said, without giggling, battering any eyelashes and definitely without simpering.

Gilchrist hummed, "I've been in,", beat, " correspondence with Herbert and you know?" She didn't, but in her head the little Lotte wrote up 'WIDE EYED STARE'

Unaware that this was verging on a threesome Gilchrist continued, "He often mentioned the hardworking doe who helped him in office." Those eyes looked at Lotte, "I assume he meant your good self?"

Lotte smiled and seemed to get some control of herself. "Well, he never met my bad self!" She managed, amazed that she had been so quick and clever.

"His loss." Gilchrist smiled.

"Of definitely." Lotte smiled, fully aware that the little Lotte was frowning at her with a piece of broken chalk in her little paws.

---*---

They reached Lotte's burrow and stood outside the door. Lotte felt awkward. Gilchrist wasn't. Lotte was nearly furious with how much in control he always seemed.

He raised the parcel, the bottle-shapes within clearly showing. "We have these," He said, "And I've taken the liberty to order a take out."

Lotte nearly threw him away at that moment, but she didn't. The sight in her mind of her internal auditor sitting there with her little head in her little hands, crying nearly stopped her. But the bulk of Gilchrist and his sheer Buckness made her weak.

It's his fault. She pleaded to her internal auditor as she opened the door.

"Come in," she said, Smiling.

---*---

They sat on her sofa and the first bottle of wine was drunk so quickly Lotte would have sworn that Gilchrist must have hollow legs. Gilchrist was uncorking the second bottle when a knock at the door announced the delivery of dinner.

Juno, the delivery buck, handed over the two large boxes, and as Lotte made to get some money said his only line of the story "S'alright miss. It's already paid for. Enjoy your meal." Then he was gone and Lotte was left holding carrot and coriander pizza in one hand and onion-bread in the other.

Lotte found herself opening up. She talked about her life. Her mother and school, her work with Herbert. She seemed to find an amazing number of little stories about her year working for the Head Buck - she hadn't realised that she had so much to talk about.

The pizza was long gone.

The wine was all gone, even the bottle of Burrow White she'd been keeping for a special occasion had finished up in glasses to be quaffed by the pair.

There was no doubt that this was the time of night when bucks and does should be fast asleep.

Or at least, that time of night when bucks and does should be in bed.

---*---

A little before dawn, Gilchrist leaned over the sleeping form of Lotte and kissed her gently on the nose.

"Thank you, young lady." He whispered as he stood up. With the practised air of a true professional he left her rooms without making the slightest noise. Lotte didn't stir.

---*---

Master Cadam was an early riser. "All that sleeping in is for youngsters", he always maintained, "and those who have given up the will to live". He normally added that rider around Phearson who was rarely to been seen any morning, sometimes not surfacing until the early evening.

He was pottering around his burrow, tidying up and making a list of 'Things To Do Today" in his head. He'd got as far as number four 'Check for cigars in the shop' when his door opened.

He was incensed! No-one entered his room without knocking and being made to wait at least ten minutes. Then he recognised the coney who'd entered.

He tch'd, "It's you." He said, fixing his eyes on the buck.

"I thought I'd pay you a little visit," The buck said, "see how you've been doing in my absence."

"Very well, thank you." Cadam answered, with venom. "I thought it might have been you." Cadam's eyes followed the buck as he walked around the room.

The buck picked up a small trinket, a glass model of a trio of conies, a mother and two children, and turned it over in his hands. "I've always been me. I always will be." He put the model down and picked another up - this one was a picture of a bat sitting behind a crystal ball. "I've decided to stay this time. I think the old place could do with a strong hand."

"You're not going to find that easy," Cadam said, "You don't like staying put."

The buck smiled, "I thought you were about to threaten me."

"Look at me." Cadam said spreading his arms, "I'm not exactly a threat am I? Some of us have the decency to grow old."

"Some of us are too strong to grow old. Some of us don't succumb to age." He pointed at Cadam, "I mean, look at you, one trip down the stairs and that would be it."

"So you're threatening me?"

"Was that what it sounded like? I thought I was being concerned for an old friend?" He returned the picture and picked up a little model of a fox being stared out by a coney. "I'm allowed to be concerned for an old friend who has got old and found that he's got a very delicate nose. The sort of nose that should be kept out of other people's business."

"That was a threat? Is that all you're capable of these days? Threatening feeble old bucks?"

The buck's hand gripped the miniature fox and coney and his eyes locked to Cadam's.

"No." He said, crushing the model.

Cadam was silent. He wasn't a young buck any more. He had a brain, wisdom, not strength. If he spoke now he'd only goad the buck and he didn't like the idea of the consequences of that action.

"Well," The buck said, wiping his hands together. "I see you have some cleaning up to do. I won't bother you any more today." He walked to the door, "And I trust you won't be bothering me." He said as he exited. It wasn't a question.