Characters mentioned by name except one are disney, blah blah. You would think service to the mouse as a janitor would be enough, but nope... Disclaimers still apply


"Man, this is one nasty accident... Why people play chicken with semis on the road, i'll never understand... and a fuel tanker no less" the driver of a wrecker remarks, pulling it off to the side and engages the idle controller, hopping out after pulling a vest on, seeking a scene commander "Hmm, might be busy waiting for the investigation on this, could take hours..." muttering as a ambulance races to a far corner of the scene, spotting a lone firefighter sitting on a curb.

"Hello, is this scene clear yet for wreck removal?" He asks, the firefighter on the curb turning around and looking up at a voice speaking.

"Hah... Not even close. Pulled out two crispies and just got another a few minutes ago that slammed into the scene. I'd be dragging them out, but gotta rest myself. Too hot over there.. What's your name, never seen you around before?" he says, extending a hand

Names Dean, new to, well most of this.. Got the stomach for it, but pretty green. Jobs a job though, right?"

"You can say that again! My name is Nicholas, or as they call me over there... Probie... You Can't be that new, you seem... well, more sure of yourself then most?" "Sit down, this will be a while..." he says, extending a gloved hand out

Quickly Shaking the hand offered, he takes a seat "Well, yeah... When I commit myself to something, I do it with a rare zeal most don't do. 10 years at the recently shuttered Strand Hotel and Casino will do that..."

"Oh wow, you worked there? Miss that place... Attended the fixture sale, and well.. that was haunting. All that history reduced to what? Another parking lot... whoopie... Really hated training in there. Glad I got a chance to learn how to fight fires in a casino and hotel, especially one that old, but also? Such a waste... Every axe hit on a door felt like I was personally attacking his bones..." he says, trailing off with a odd flicker in his eyes

"Sorry man, didn't mean to cause a problem... It's okay, As much as it sucks, at least hopefully the undignified death wasn't in vain.. The real kicker was that I was responsible for it's history, mainly advertising during it's last 10 years. Technically, still am. Too bad I didn't know you then, All the palms I could grease for entry vanished or soured since it closed..."

"Huh... you really had a affinity for the place also?" he states, standing up after removing his scuba tanks and some of the turn out gear, revealing a well maintained body under a tight green shirt "Sorry, I just have to lower my body temperature a little. Diesel and Oil doesn't make for a comfy feeling, especially under all this gear!"

"Well, uhh yeah... heh." figures, meet someone very familiar, and well... ain't touching this hot potato... never ends well. Not with my body and mental baggage...

"Hey, going to replace the light bulbs in your empty windows?" Nick says, a smirk and gleam in his green eyes

"What, what? Oh... damn... sorry, I just uhh, zoned out thinking of the property" Hah.. if you only knew... "That I did. History first and foremost is my interest, amongest others too out there for most.. By the time I became of a age to appreciate these properties, it was far too late. Since The Strand is dust now, it's even more sickening how nothing remains. What remains doesn't even count. Too corporate, too run over and too cut up. Sure it was leaky, old and had issues plus all the asbestos you could make the worlds freakiest teddy bears out of if that's your thing, but... That's needed in society. I'd take 50 years versus the 10 I put in, but considering it was 10 hard working years and now a lifetime of still carrying the torch, maybe I reach that 50 mark one day!"

"Very interesting... Oops, here comes the next winner of the "how did I get here?" lottery... "Heh... that probably wasn't nice, but gotta have that edge sadly... Hopefully he makes it, at least he creamed the semi when we pulled up and started to get out then the crew..."

"I get that... first accident I went to a few weeks ago, no one was around. Seriously. Just came up on them and had to man handle the unconscious driver out of a box truck.. Turns out, he was barely alive. Fatal Heart Attack right into the concrete divider... Oh well... managed to get him out, and for a first time, got to find out the beginning of Hatchet I read when younger, it does happen! Heh... No sooner did the ambulance pull up when he, well passed on... Luck of the draw I guess, here's hoping he has a better life where ever he is now..."

"Hah, you read hatchet also? Yep.. thought that opening scene with the pilot was fake until I had the same thing, "Put clean undies on, you don't want a emt or doctor seeing them dirty?" quickly vanished out the window on my first ride along... Dumbest saying ever! Did you ever get the guys name who you helped?"

"Yep... I did. Kinda hard to miss, Larry. Well, it wasn't that hard, had a name badge on for the furniture company he worked for... Kept him company, but he was fading fast. Not much to do, you know?"

"Yeah.. you can only do so much when a untrained citizen... Mine was ironically the opposite end of the spectrum, a female named Judy. Later found out she was a stenotype operator en route to her job, the usual thing we all do, and her heart just couldn't take it anymore... Wonder why so many of us do the widow maker jobs, it's not easy what she did even... We might run towards burning buildings, vehicles... or yank a truck that went over a embankment, but dealing with drug dealers and other urchins of society cussing you out, making threats and even throwing things isn't a cake walk either... Hell, in some ways we can dodge stuff easier then she can... Well, it's not like she is at risk of a runaway vehicle or someone glancing down at their radio as they barrel into our scenes..."

Yep... makes you think. How long ago did Judy pass on?"

"Oh, last week.. hell of a first intro to the force, that's for sure... Compared to what I helped yank out of this instant bbq, she was... I don't know... peaceful looking. And that's strange to say, i'll never forget those Violet eyes..."

"Violet? That's a rare eye color you know Nicholas?"

"I know what I saw... Violet... well, blue, but violet... It is possible in folks, but rare..."

"Sorry, didn't mean to sound like a know it all. Heh. Unfortunately I read too much... way too much..." He says, nervously removing a red handled multi tool from a pocket of his cargo pants and flipping it open, rubbing a melted spot on the pliers...

"Eh... I get that. Sounds like your job, as a... well, not a wrecker driver.. heh. What was your job title before this one?"

"Head Researcher and Historian for the Strand Hotel and Casino"

"Oh.. hah hah, that's real rich.. You look too young for that job description, it's so stuffy sounding! You look 20, but that's for 70 year old guys with a pipe and tweed jacket!"

"Very funny. I took, and take it still very seriously. You aren't the only one to claim I am 20, actually 31... Ironically, you do have me on a technicality on it... Not trained to do it. Completely self taught. I've always had a knack to digging out the oddest, oldest and dustiest references out of the most mundane material that can ever cross someones desk.. The title? Everyone pretty much either made up their title or ended up in positions they had no idea what they were doing there.. Part of it's death. I was actually responsible for someone who had more clout then I did, but couldn't get her way out of a wet paper bag... Good soul, but man.. no wonder why they had issues in many ways..."


Looking a little ashamed, he starts to reach out and pat his new friend on the shoulder "Geez, sorry... didn't mean to be that rude"

"Relax, I know you are just joking. It's a less common response then hearing Found On Road Dead jokes because of the wrecker I drive... Ugh.. Might be old, but beats the hell out of their modern junk. Heck, I get the benefit of the modern amenities on a more stout chassis then their tin cans on 8 wheels!"

"Boy you really do know a lot, you know that?"

"Yep, lots to know... The more you know as a historian, the easier it is to answer others questions... Except where ufo's come from and what's in the afterlife... Now that's tough!"

"Oh really? Well, I need to know what happens when our time comes, and if it's possible there are other life forms out there... Like I dunno... We humans are so boring, let's go with animals!"

Taking a soda out of a pants pocket, starting to drink a little when he chokes on what he hears, spitting it out onto the ground, hitting Nicholas's Fire Boots "Oh what the? Animals on a planet... Dude, you surely must be smoking something... Let me guess, you think that recent movie Zootopia is secretly out there on another planet and ufo's actually snatch people to it for twisted experiments involving hybrid humans?" Heh heh... that oughta deflect him...

"Well sure! And guess what? I'm secretly the fox from the movie! Boo! You can't see the tail work they did, I have to keep it under wraps on this planet of humans they told me.. It could spell disaster for their secret plan to acquire all recipes for the earthlings equivalent of what planet Zootopia calls Jumbeaux pops!" he says, a glint in his green eyes

"Sure... now I know you are really smoking it. A tail in your turn out gear? Sounds extremely difficult to function with! No race that is intelligent would have double agents running around on this god forsaken rock! Nice try... Fur ain't that cool to wear let alone cover up, I know from.." He trails off, swallowing his words some as he diverts his eyes in the distance

"Ohh... that's what you want to think, hmm? Proof can't be offered here, it's a felony to disrobe in public and goes against the primary objective of planet Zootopia! Too bad, full of " Nick stops speaking, catching that last sentence Well that's odd... he knows from what? Experience?This just got more interesting...

"Yeah yeah, of course you are full of it.. Two humans, just bull shitting it away.. Geez, this scene never opens up... How long does it take? Fuel tanker and two cars, Too bad I can't take the diesel out of it for my own rig, save on fuel!"

"My rehab time is almost over, i'll get on the radio and find where the IC is so we can both blow this popsicle stand... Hey IC 1955, status report? Is the fire out and the wrecker guy can come in and get this cleared?"

radio squawking "yep, come over and do flare up duty, then he can come in. Report to Probie Doug for his rehab"

"Okay, be right over" clicks the radio off "Well, gotta go. You'll be clear probably to come in after about 10 minutes. Investigators are probably done poking at the ashes, like it's that difficult to figure it out what happened!"

"Sounds good, well a pleasure talking with you... Say, if you ever need a tow or... just, I don't know... want to, err talk? Heh heh.. here's my business card. Text only if possible, gets through faster and after 10 years of talking on phones... Much easier!"

"Okay, sure... Still trying to get money saved up so I can dump my damn honda where it belongs: the junkyard... Nasty vehicles! Breaks down more then a city councilman on tv...!"

Quickly pocketing the card and tossing on his gear again, Nicholas vanishes off in the distance.


Well that was interesting... heh. He'll call the day my former job rises from the paved bones of it's buildings...

Hours later after hauling off the big rig and some disabled city buses, Dean heads home tired as hell, but feeling energized for some reason, pondering visiting his old stomping grounds, shifting gears and pulling off the road onto his property, shaping a plan in his head...

"Man, I've got to just get out and relax... and I know the perfect way..." Beginning his shut down procedures, he jumps out as the wrecker idles, cooling the turbo down and heads into his house. Grabbing a suit case and tossing it into the back of his smaller pickup, he jumps up into the wrecker again and turns it off, heading back to the pickup and firing that up, another clatter filling the air...

Driving down the road, he enters a long parking lot, mentally lining up a area with a series of landmarks, parking the truck there and shuts it down, retrieving the suit case and unzips it, a costume showing cradled gently in it.

Taking his shoes off then work pants and slipping his shirt off, he fumbles with a zipper and steps into a form fitting suit, zipping it up then pulls on it's shoes, slipping on a glove when his phone rings...

"Oh hell, this better not be work.. I've had enough of crunched metal for a day" Fumbling with the phone, he notices a unknown number, but with the area code of the town..

"Hello, Dean Speaking? Who is this?"

They Call me Wilde, or so I hear..." a cryptic voice says into the phone

"Oh god, not again... Why must I always get the crank calls for depraved freaks? You have the wrong number, don't try this again..." muttering, about to hang up and not fully realizing who it is

"Hey, stop man! I thought you would have got who this is! Be a good boy now and you'll get a treat and see my tail, i'm off shift!"

"Like I said, don't even cal Huh? Nicholas? Is that you?"

"Nope... you are just envisioning this call.. i'm a ghost!"

"Very funny, so err what's up? I'm off myself. Did your junk bucket break down and you need a tow? I'll have to pick up the trailer for my truck and meet you wherever... No Charge, I need the diversion..."

"Nah... I thought we could, you know... get a meal somewhere. Hopefully some place quiet, I haven't slept a wink worthy of sleep today due to the shift demands. Usually it's more quiet..."

"Well, sure... I know a good place that's vintage, well as vintage as you can get, more of a 70's/80's vintage for this town.. Just give me a few moments to get, err going and can be there..."

"Sounds good... Say, I was wondering. Is it common for parking lots to have people standing in them dressed in black attire?"

"You should know that people are loony, anything is possible. I don't believe you are that much of a rookie in the department to ask that..."

"Well, i'm not making it up. There's, well... something weird in that casino parking lot you mentioned earlier?" He says, walking up behind Dean suddenly and stands still "Think I should give the police a call?"

"Well, I guess... why are you asking me tha" Suddenly cutting himself off, going white with fear, becoming aware of someone standing behind him, the voice being heard twice...


Oh cheese! Well, this is awkward... don't turn around... don't turn around...

"Nick... Err, hi there... Umm, yeah... heh heh. Are you stalking me?" He trails off, trying to play it cool

"Hardly... I was curious to see this property and how it changed after you mentioned it earlier, and apparently here we are... Been here about 10 minutes. Good thing you wore compression shorts and it's a empty lot, precious eyes got spared what I saw!" He says, edging over to the tailgate, looking in a suit case

"Yeah, sure... it's uhh a little cool out, thought I would put something warm on..."

"Uhh huh, yeah... this looks real warm Dean..." He says, picking up the now obvious head in the suitcase, blue eyes of a wolf revealing themselves "And this is a thermo based method of staying warm, or you just rob banks in your off time with this? Fancy... we should start a gang!"

"Oh stop it Nick..." he says, punching him in the arm, the head dropping back into the suitcase

"Ouch, careful there! Boy... you wolves are just all wound up! Better have your rabies shots current or it's off to the shelter for you!" He smirks, his green eyes twinkling as he removes a phone from his hip and starts thumbing through it

"Better believe it, don't need to end up in the kill shelter cause a uppity human gets scared! Yeah yeah, it's a wolf suit.." He says, terribly embarrassed now as he turns bright red when the moment fully sets in

"Good grief... had I known you were like this... earlier... I wouldn't have to... ugh... man, where is that again? So much junk in this phone!"

"It's 9-1-1 Nicholas, you should know that by heart!" Go ahead, but it will take a while to get animal control out and i'm really sure they would believe you... The loony bins are full currently!"

"Easy now, don't get testy... Man... now it's slow, damn iCarrots... Worst phone ever..."

"As much as I would love to enjoy this little spectacle, I gotta get going. Make it good for the dispatcher, response time is 35 minutes and i'll be long gone! Adios!"

"Oh no, you are staying put... Say, can you tell me how the hell to enter the phone number into this piece of junk? I just got it yesterday, and well..." he says, handing it over screen visible as a slow smirk starts forming on his face...

"Okay, i'll entertain your little insanity game before the paddy wagon comes for you..." he says, taking the phone, starting to tap the screen but sees a photo instead

/

"Okay... what in the hell? Nice image... you aren't fooling me, that's all over the internet. No more delaying, buzz off..."

"Still a testy wolf, eh boy? No treats for you... Swipe left before convicting me in a court of law!"

Doing as he is told, he swipes left, another image appearing, taken in a very familiar scene, his face turning ashen white

Are... you... fucking... kidding... me?"

"Nope... look closer..."

Analyzing the image, looking in the back, it's fairly obvious it's in a convention center, but not just any convention center, front and center is a familiar looking face, holding a orange and cream head.. Not just any head...

"You must be shitting me, I see "Strand" in the back on the wall... This is a joke, surely? It's not..."

Taking on a serious face and tone, Nicholas starts speaking "Nope... It's not... yes, that's me, the original Nick Wilde in the fandom... Only got this suit because I made it myself, damn mice and their copyright parties... heh... And of course, it's shot at this very" "You crafty bastard... property 2 years ago today over there!" Dean says, finishing his sentence, striking off into the distance after grabbing the head and extra gloved paw, standing still in a particular spot

"Furs At The Strand, one of the properties longest running, and final conventions before closing last year..." Slumping down on the ground, tears starting to form in his eyes... "I had no idea that was you... So many showed up at those events, and while I did see you... well, oh for the love of..."

Turning around, not wanting to be mistaken as weak, tears start flowing more, dripping onto the fursuit and rolling off onto hallowed ground, once bustling with so much energy, now just a empty piece of asphalt

"Please, leave now... I can't take this... There, your helpful wrecker driver is a pathetic human in a wolf suit.. Run along now..."

"Not going to happen, and you know that isn't possible Dean..." Sitting down next to him and hesitating a bit "Just... Ugh.. i'm never good at this touchy feely crap..."

Hesitating a bit more, Nicholas just gives up and leaves his comfort zone, hugging a half human/wolf sitting on a empty lot.

"Nick.. just please go. You have no idea what you are involved with" Not thinking clearly, he just hangs his head into his paw covered hands

"Did you not hear me? I'm one of you... exactly you. Unfortunately, I don't carry the suit around like you do... What does it take to make you believe me?"

"It's too much... someone like you, what I seek, oh just forget it"

"Seek? What do you mean?" Nick asks, frowning

"You know damn well what I mean... it's..." easy now, don't overload him.. don't push it. Don't mention that word that makes everyone get hostile and defensive.. don't do it "When I saw you 2 years ago at the convention, I realized that I would never have some" Red alert, don't continue past this point! Don't! "that I would never have someon" just say it! You know it's the right thing, you've felt it for a while now deep in your very soul! "That I would... oh screw it... Meet someone like you! Here I go, sounding like a babbling moron, we've only met once and actually talked... but i've known deep in my soul that we are to be, oh geez, now I sound like a stalker!"

"Hey, hey, calm down... You aren't a stalker... least I hope you aren't? While it is strange to say you know we are supposed to be together, I can understand that also. There is a lot around us we choose to ignore, major signals that when ignored, are a serious host of problems that cascade into major consequences... Many go through life, ignoring those and paying for it at the final curtain call..."

"Yeah... that's definitely true..."

"And, yet here we are... You know that 2 years ago, I would have probably entertained you, well, asking me your question... but here we are two years later, and the only thing that changed is then I had a... boyfriend..Yep... Does that clue you in to your beating around the bush?"

Still sobbing a bit, feeling a comfortable arm slipping around his body more he tries to turn around, aligning himself to face Nicholas, looking deep into his green eyes, startling himself and averting his eyes just as quick...

"Yes, I hear you loud and clear... But, someone like me?" Glancing down at his average body, shaking his head "And someone like you?" Poking a muscled stomach in a green shirt "It doesn't compute... I'm raised by society that you date in narrow leagues, even my family has preached that for as long as I can remember... Annoying ghosts of my past, and go figure... Here they are coming out... I see the lid on the bottle failed... heh..."

"Yep, I grew up with that also. Still in some ways carry that baggage around. No amount of exercising or some asshole just qualified to take my cash or swipe a credit card at their office with that smelly broken down couch solves it... Sad fact is, we'll probably die carrying that baggage.. Once you have it heaped on you without asking at a early age, god does it stick around...Anyone who says it's curable just has books to sell and belittling to spread on the airwaves..."

Laughing weakly at the last part, Dean just leans into Nick's chest, eye rolling "Oh god, you had to endure oprah running her stupid mouth every day of the week growing up also?" "Oh heavens yes... She never shut the hell up and you couldn't escape her... Always drifted upstairs into my room, torturing me with her cast of loons and hurtful generic advice... The best day was when she started her own channel, you could" "Block her harmful garbage!" Dean pipes up eagerly, Nick laughing deep "Oh man... that's freaky how we think alike... Yep.. Can't fire her into the sun fast enough, hell that would probably cause it to burn out!"

"Well, we should really get going. I hate to stop this, but we can continue at that place across the parking lot, shall we? I'm so hungry, I can eat a horse and everything else a predator can get his paws on!"

Removing a towel from his pocket, Nick wipes off the tears from his new friend, standing up and holding out a hand "Come, let's go eat. My treat, take my... paw... shall we?"