I decided to do a Flippy/ Flaky fic. However, this fic will focus more on the interactions of Evil Flippy and Flaky, as I believe that normal Flippy and Flaky could easily get along.

This fic starts on the assumption that Flippy and Flaky are together for a while.

The thoughts of Evil communicating with normal Flippy would be in italic. The dialogue of Evil Flippy while out, will be in normal quotes.

Summary: Flaky and Flippy are together. But what would Flaky do to keep Flippy hers? The answer? Anything. Even come to terms with Evil. Flippy/Flaky

Measures of Acceptability

Chapter 1

Surprising Actions

Flippy looked at the mirror as he readied for his double date. He ditched his normal wear for a suit. He looked pleased with himself as he adjusted his red tie. He was not used to going hatless, so he wore a fedora, just like Shifty, instead of his beret.

Since his mental battle with his evil doppelganger, he was able to gain more control over his flip-outs. It still occurred, but not as frequently as before. But it was unpredictable. While no longer triggered by ordinary things like popping balloons, the sight of death and blood would certainly trigger it, unless stopped. And the daily occurrence of bloody death in the cursed town meant that he flipped more than he'd like to. And Evil Flippy still haunts his dreams. And if Evil Flippy kills good Flippy in his dreams, he'd wake up as Evil.

Normally, Flippy would spend nights like these comfortable in his home reading. Things military, despite his post traumatic stress disorder, still fascinates him, as evidenced by the military memorabilia that decorates his home. He was something of an amateur military historian, and he could spend weeks at time analyzing historical battles. These things would not trigger his evil side, as he can resist Evil better while reading about death and destruction than actually witnessing it. Only when surprised by unexpected things would he automatically flip.

The double date had been instigated by Cuddles. The yellow rabbit practically insisted had he and Flaky come along. He was reluctant, and only promised to go if Flaky agreed. Flippy had no intention of asking Flaky for that night because he wanted to simply bury himself in reading. Besides, he had already dated Flaky two nights before. But Cuddles and Giggles were one step ahead of the bear, and asked Flaky for him. Flaky agreed of course, and so Flippy had to go.

Not that he minded Flaky's company. On the contrary, he liked her very much, and his mind would often wander to the red porcupine. His chief worry was his Evil side, and the fact that Evil Flippy had several times killed Flaky [also worried him]. Yet since they officially dated, Evil had yet to dispatch the red porcupine's life, despite countless opportunities to do so.

He was clearly surprised when he saw Evil grinning at him at the mirror. "I wonder what you see in that timid little porcupine?"Evil asked through the mirror. "You're a soldier and she doesn't deserve you! You deserve better! Though none of the females in this town appeal to me."

"Shut up! I thought I had explained it to you!" Flippy mentally replied. "And I don't care what you think! I like her and there's nothing you can do!"

"Oh I can easily kill her," Evil replied. "You know, the good thing about this town is there is so much death and destruction! Even if you defeated me, I would still emerge. Remind me to thank Lumpy, Mole and Splendid for giving me such opportunities to wreak havoc."

"Good thing they come back, and they understand me! I'll never leave this town even if I could! You can never kill off my friends permanently!" Flippy growled.

"Perhaps, but it doesn't matter! It only means I won't run out of victims!" Evil replied. "As for Flaky, we'll see. If you want her to be yours, keep in mind that she'd be mine too. We're the same after all."

"Keep her out of this!" Flippy replied.

"I would, but you're the one who keeps bringing her up! If I'd like to, I can do all sorts of things that would ensure the ruinof your relationship with her! But I digress. She's no threat to me. She can't reduce the amount of time I'm out there. And she's hardly the type to stop me on my killing sprees!"Evil responded.

"Then why oppose our relationship? She's not a threat to you!"

Evil laughed. "Who says I oppose her? If I really wanted her out of your life, I could have made it so a long time ago. No. I'm only perplexed and curious. Maybe I shouldn't have agreed not to kill her. But you'd be even more pathetic than before! I think she is unworthy of you, but maybe that can change."

"How?"

"How? Why should I tell you? I have a pretty good idea on how to test her if she's acceptable or not to me, and if not, well, God have mercy on both of you! My standards are different than yours, and if I tell you now, you'll just go and tell her so that she'd adjust to me! No! No!"

"What do you mean?" asked a quizzical Flippy.

"Let's just say I'd like to see if she can stand living with me! Let's see if I can stand her company while flipped for a long time. And if she does, she'll be mine too, not only yours. If not, I'd make it my point to make life a living hell for both of you until you two break up!"

With that, Evil suddenly disappeared from the mirror and Flippy was left wondering what he meant. His words were clear, yet he could not fathom what its implications were. What does he mean if he can stand her company? He thought. He was sure that his evil side was repelled by Flaky, and that Flaky hated his flipped-out state. What is he planning? Several times during their previous dates, he flipped, yet according to Flaky, he simply left her in one corner while he engaged in killing the others until he flipped backed. Flaky simply waited patiently until it was over, and never once gave Flippy a bad word for Evil Flippy's deeds.

That was one thing Flippy liked about Flaky. More than any resident of Happy Tree Town, she tolerates his occasional flip-outs. Recently, she even insisted, after he became normal, that they continue their date even after the chaos he had caused. Though clearly upset, as long as Flippy didn't kill her, she was determined that it would not ruin their evening. "It happens," was Flaky's response. She was timid, ultra-cautious and always seems scared, but she can be brave when necessary.

He looked at himself in the mirror, approved at what he saw, and went to his jeep.

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The Mole and Handy were besides an abandoned building ready for demolition. The Mole was the signalman while Handy operated the wrecking ball.

"Hey Mole! It's night, so I figured you'd be in your element! Just signal me with your hands when all is ready to go! Okay?"

It was not everyday that Handy would do such an important job at night. However, a couple of mishaps in the past few days caused the project they were working on to be delayed. And since it was an operation with a tight schedule, he decided to do the demolition at night to save time. He was counting on the fact that the Mole was in his element in the dark and as a result, they'd be able to do the job well.

Unfortunately, he did not account for the mishaps which could occur at any moment in this town, which more often than not, turn out to be fatal.

Mole gave a thumbs-up to Handy.

"Good!" Handy shouted. "I'm counting on you!"

"Hey Handy!" the handless beaver heard someone shout from the street. "You're doing the demolition tonight?"

Handy looked at the one shouting, and found out it was a yellow rabbit wearing a suit, with a blue tie, in a car. "Cuddles! Yes! It's quicker this way!" Handy shouted. "If anything goes wrong, fewer bystanders might get killed! Remember what happened during the last demolition?"

Cuddles cringed at the memory. Three days ago, Handy, Lumpy, and the Mole, in broad daylight tried to demolish a building. Mole operated the wrecking ball at the time, with predictable consequences. About seventeen of the tree friends died that day, including Cuddles, as the building was beside a road choked with traffic in the middle of rush hour.

"Yes! Good luck on this one though!" Cuddles shouted.

"How about you?" Handy shouted. "You looked dolled up! Going on a date?"

"As a matter of fact I am!" Cuddles shouted back. "I have a date with Giggles."

"Oh you have! Well, say hello to Giggles for me!" Handy replied.

"I would. And would you like me to say hello to Flippy and Flaky too?"

"What?"

"We've gone on a double date!" shouted Cuddles.

"Isn't that dangerous? Flippy's nice and all, but we all know what happens when he flips out!" Handy replied.

"So what? It wouldn't be the first time he'll kill Giggles and I! And I think he has better control. Just don't show him blood and gore and he'll be fine. And if he does flip, we'll still have some fun before we get killed!" Cuddles shouted.

"That's kind of scary!" Handy replied.

"I worked as a daredevil in a circus under Lumpy once!" Cuddles shouted. "Show me something scary and I'll do it!"

"Well, just say hello to Flippy and Flaky for me!" Handy replied back.

"Sure! Bye!" Cuddles waved to the amputee before stepping on the gas.

"Okay Mole!" Handy shouted to his colleague. "You can start the signalling!"

The orange beaver tried to clasp the levers of the machine. However, he forgot he had no hands and looked frustrated. Instead, he used his teeth to bite the lever for controlling the wrecking ball. That impaired his vision, however, as his eyes were focused on the floor and the side window where he can see Mole. He can't see the building he was supposed to wreck and he was forced to rely on Mole's directions. However, to Handy, it was better than Mole controlling the wrecking ball.

Cuddles glanced back at the site using his rear view mirror. He saw a glimpse of Mole and realized he didn't even greet his blind friend. Stopping the car, he stuck his head out of the car, and shouted to Mole. "Mole! Sorry about not greeting you earlier! I didn't see you! Well, hello Mole! Bye Mole!" Cuddles then went on to where he was going.

Mole turned around to the source of the voice and waved to Cuddles.

Unfortunately, Handy did not notice Cuddles' call, and mistook Mole's turning around and waving as directions for the wrecking ball. He twisted his head to adjust the crane, and as a result, tore a large hole in the building across the street. Luckily, it was a business building, and thus closed for the night. Mole then went back to give directions. He got confused by the noise of the wrecking ball, and thus faced the wrong direction when he gave his hand signals. Handy saw Mole give further directions and was confused, but did as Mole signalled. As a result, he inadvertently swung ball towards the machinery he was sitting on.

Luckily, Handy saw the giant iron ball coming, and managed to jump out before the collision. The beaver rolled on to the road as the machine burst into flames. He was bruised, but because of his hard hat, safe—until he saw a vehicle with blinding headlights come toward him. "I hope this doesn't hurt in the morning," was all Handy could say before the impact. He braced himself, but the vehicle stopped right in front of him.

"Handy, are you alright?" Flippy shouted as his head popped out of the jeep he was riding on.

"Yes," Handy said as he picked himself up.

Flippy looked at the burning crane and began to have flashbacks. He remembered the burning houses, the death, and the screams of the war and Evil Flippy was about to emerge.

Yet Flippy was made of sterner stuff. He shook his head and he remained normal.

"What happened!" he blurted out as he saw Mole walk towards the two.

"Miscommunication and mishap," Handy said as he saw a large gaping hole in the building across the street. The hole was so large that it was a miracle that it was still standing. "They're going to have my head for this."

Mole went up to Handy and gestured that he was apologizing.

"It's okay Mole. I should have known that this would happen," the amputee said to his companion.

"The important thing is that you're alive," Flippy said, relieved that no one died.

"At least the place is insured," Handy looked at Flippy and noticed he was also wearing a suit like Cuddles. "You're going out with Flaky with Cuddles and Giggles, right?"

"Yeah. I was planning on having a quiet night at home, but that rabbit was persistent!" Flippy chuckled. "How'd you know?"

"I met Cuddles just a few moments ago," Handy replied. "He said he was going on a double date with you."

"I'd love to help and chat, but I don't want to keep Flaky waiting," Flippy said as was about to leave.

"Okay. Bye!" Handy said.

A second later, the crane exploded. The explosion nearly flipped Flippy, but he held his composure, and he remained normal. But the explosion threw the heavy wrecking ball to the base of the building it earlier hit, and the building collapsed. Concrete, glass, iron bars, dust, and other debris spilled to the road and to the adjacent buildings. It caught Flippy, Handy, and Mole like a sitting duck. Flippy's jeep, designed for war, withstood the onslaught of the debris and protected the green bear, but Handy and the Mole were hit by concrete, glass and steel. Handy's face was bashed by a concrete block, his torso impaled by shards of glass, while Mole was impaled by several iron bars from the building.

Flippy was thankful that he had the presence of mind to close the windows of his car before dust and small pieces of debris could enter. Finding his windshield covered with dust and rock, he quickly turned the wiper, but froze with the first thing he saw.

Mole and Handy—dead, with their blood mixing with the dust and the stones outside. Their bodies were so disfigured by the rocks that Flippy could not resist Evil. He fell to the floor of the jeep, and when he got up, he had yellow eyes and sharp teeth.

Evil had emerged.

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Flaky was sitting on her couch, waiting for Flippy to arrive. She was worried that she would keep Cuddles and Giggles waiting. They wouldn't mind, of course, but Flaky was a very punctual girl.

Maybe Flippy had flipped out? Flaky thought. It was a very real possibility. Flippy several times had already stood up Flaky because he turned evil. Several times, she had caught Flippy on his rampages. Instead of running away, she simply hid and followed the bear until he became normal, and approached him. The bear would become apologetic to the porcupine, but Flaky would just brush it off. Several times, instead of starting a seven or eight, they'd start at ten or eleven, and would end their date on the wee hours of the morning.

As it was, this was the major cause of strain in their relationship. Flippy—the normal Flippy—was one of the kindest men she had ever met. He was polite, sociable, trusting, and handsome. And he was a good provider as his status as a veteran, and the spoils of war that he looted while a soldier, ensured a steady supply of income. He was good friends with her other friends—Petunia, Giggles, Cuddles, Toothy, and Sniffles—as evidenced by the fact that they continue to include him in some of their activities even knowing the risks. And he had captured her heart.

And no amount of Evil could stand in her way. When Flippy and Flaky started dating, she apparently did not know how to deal with the fact that her life was in mortal danger every time she was with Flippy, but she adapted. After all, Evil Flippy managed to emerge on only half their dates, and since Flippy's mental battle, only about a quarter. She had one great relief—ever since getting together with the veteran, Evil Flippy was somehow convinced by the good Flippy to refrain from killing her. But it was her only relief. Every time he emerged, he would leave her where she was cowering while he did his deadly work to the others around them.

She decided to call Giggles using her cell phone and inform her that they might be late. "Giggles, I'm sorry, but we might be late."

"Is something wrong?" asked the chipmunk.

"He's late—more late than usual. I'm beginning to think that he's flipped," Flaky confided. "So our date may be postponed by at least two hours. Go on ahead without us."

"Have you had definite news?"

"No. But—"

"Then we'll wait for you. Cuddles hadn't arrived too, and I'm not suggesting that he flipped out too!"

"But what if—"

"Don't worry. I will keep you posted if Flippy did flip. Until then, our date is on!"

"Well, okay. Thanks," Flaky said before hanging up. This was not their first double date with Cuddles and Giggles of course, and Evil Flippy had routinely murdered Cuddles and Giggles when he flipped out during their double dates. But the rabbit and the chipmunk simply brushed it off. Her friends in this town were what she wanted in friends—they were true to her and understood her plight—even if they had a tendency to force her into activities which she deems too dangerous. Her will to make her own decisions seems to wither at the mere suggestion of Cuddles or any of her other friends.

But she was used to all of this.

She finally heard the all too familiar sound of the jeep as it was parked besides her lawn. Not daring to peek at Flippy's arrival, she listened as she heard the vehicle door opened, the sounds of footsteps on the pavement, and the sound of the jeep door being slammed shut. She eagerly and excitedly listened as the familiar sound of the veteran's footsteps became closer and louder. Finally, she nearly shrieked in excitement as she heard what she had been expecting all night—the knock on the door. So Flippy did not flip after all, she though. After all, Evil Flippy would not bother with her when he went on his rampages.

She eagerly opened the door. "Flippy, I—" but gasped as she saw the yellow eyes and the sharp teeth that she hoped she would never see.

"Yes Flaky," Evil said in the low voice that definitely confirmed that he had flipped. Flaky backed as Flippy advanced on her.

"Please don't kill me! Please leave me alone!" she timidly begged as backed on to her sofa and collapsed as Evil towered over her.

He chuckled evilly. "The former, I won't. The good Flippy seemed attached to you, and you know that I don't kill my dates. The latter, I'm afraid I can't oblige you. I'm afraid I'll have to go on a date with you. And I won't take no for an answer. Besides, you can't refuse. You've promised Flippy a date, and I am Flippy! So this time, you won't be stood up."

Flaky was surprised by his answer. "Why? Why don't you just leave me alone while you kill the others, like you used to?"

"I've been thinking," the evil bear replied as he played with his bowie knife. "At first, I thought that Flippy would simply ditch you once he found out what a pathetic little lass you are! So I decided not to interfere. Apparently, there is something in you beyond timidity and cowardliness that attached Flippy to you. I thought that he wanted to satisfy his lust, but I was mistaken. Then there was the fact that you wouldn't leave him even at the risk of your own mortality speaks well of your courage—though obviously, death threats doesn't mean much in this town."

Flaky was amazed that Evil Flippy would talk to her in such a frank manner.

"Flippy apparently decided to make his attachment to you permanent. You didn't know that, didn't you? You'll find out soon enough! But it would affect me. And I for one would like to know what that doppelganger of mine would plunge us into before he makes the irrevocable jump."

"What do you mean by permanent attachment?" Flaky asked.

"That slipped my tongue, didn't it? No matter. It doesn't concern me. Tonight, I will find out if you are acceptable to me! If not, then I'd make life a living hell for you and Flippy until he calls it off! I'd take every opportunity to kill you in the most gruesome manner every time I'm out, and I'll make every effort to ruin your life. And Flippy's. And believe me. What I had done previously was just child's play compared to the damage I can really cause! In this town, you can't really be killed, but I know of things that could really turn your blood cold. Trust me, you won't like it a bit!"

"And if you find me acceptable for Flippy?" Flaky couldn't help but ask.

"Who says acceptable to Flippy? Of course you are. If you're not, he would have dumped you months ago. No. Acceptable to me! Me. What you call Evil Flippy! Because if Flippy makes you his, then you'll also be mine!"

"So what if I'm acceptable to you?" Flaky could barely ask the question.

"If on the small chance, I do find you acceptable, things would be better for you and Flippy. Things would go on as usual, but believe me, Flippy will have to share you with me. And you will find out what it really means to be in my company. So think of this as a get-to-know-you date. You can't refuse. You know you can't. Now let's go! I'll show you what real fun is! Don't worry. I won't rape you. You won't get physically hurt. But I won't promise that you won't be psychologically scarred! You will find out the joys of the battlefield and the killing of the enemy!"

The bear grabbed the still cowering and unwilling porcupine from her couch, and essentially dragged her into his jeep. Clasping her tightly with seatbelts besides him, he started the engines. Flaky turned white with fear as he looked at the evil Flippy besides her.