My longest chapter yet! Hope you like :)
Sep.13. 2016: Fixed some spelling errors, no plot changes :) (sorry, keep trying to save the changes, but it keeps bugging or something..)

Chap 7: New friends, old friends.

To the kids delight and parents dismay, the storm the day before had left the schoolyard filled with muddy puddles. Branches quickly became swords, heaps of leafs treasures to be plundered and puddles vast lakes where monsters lurked. Mary watched the exited students with a smile on her face, enjoying the still warm autumn sun. Her smile faded as she spotted a lonely figure on the swing set.

Benjamin was sitting by himself, watching the puddle beneath his feet as he waited for recess to end. Occasionally glancing cautiously towards Daryll and Paul, occupied with plundering one of the many heaps of "treasure" scattered through the playground. Mary felt her heart ache for him little. Bullies were so much more bearable when you had friends, but Benjamin had given up on making any. It even seemed like he had started pushing anyone who tried away. Mary wondered if maybe she could do more to help him, but she definitely did not want him getting more trouble with his peers for being favoured by a teacher.

Mary felt a spark of hope as she noticed a young bunny with a pink bow around her ear sending the wolf cub curious glances. After exchanging some apparently heated words with her playmates, she got up and marched over to the swings. Maybe this time Mary thought as she turned her attention elsewhere, not wanting to spy on her own students.

Benjamin slowly looked up as a pair of very fuzzy-looking light brown feet appeared in his vision.
"Hi!" the bunny smiled, holding out her paw. "I'm Elise, but everyone calls me Ellie"
Benjamin gave her outreached paw a sceptical look, expecting a trick.
"Benjamin" he said eventually, grabbing her paw.
"I know" she beamed at him. "We're in the same class"
"How should I know? All you bunnies look the same" Ellie gave him an offended pout, and he was sure she would walk back and leave him alone. See seemed to change her mind last minute however, hooking her paws behind her back.
"I guess if I was in a room with a lot of wolves, I'd have trouble telling them apart as well" Benjamin could not believe this girl. Her face suddenly lit up as if she got a great idea. "I always wear this!" she excitedly pointed to the pink ribbon tied in a bow around her left ear. "So just look for that, and you'll know it's me"
He was about to ask her why he would ever want to look for her, but she beat him to it.
"You're from Zootopia right? My cousin lives there, she says there's parts where it's always winter. Is that true?"
"Yea… Tundratown" he said hesitantly, amused at how excited she seemed over something he found so normal. "And in Sahara Square it's always hot and sandy"
"That's so cool!" Ellie sat down on the swing beside him, her eyes big with awe.
"I guess" Benjamin shrugged.
"My cousin says there's a whole little town for little mammals, and big ice creams just for elephants and hippos and the like" Ellie rushed, clearly eager to confirm everything she had heard about Zootopia from a first-hand source.
"Your cousin's been around a lot?" Benjamin asked, starting to enjoy the attention.
"Yea! She's a cop" Ellie said proudly. "Like a proper police officer, with a badge and everything. Her names Judy Hopps. Hopps, that's my name too" the young bunny was positively glowing with pride.
Benjamin's ears stood straight up as he looked at her in disbelief. "The bunny-cop's your cousin?"
"You've heard about her?"
"Who hasn't" Benjamin scoffed, turning his gaze back down to the puddle bellow his feet. Before Ellie got to asking any more questions, the swing was abruptly pulled away from under him. Benjamin fell face first into the muddy puddle, soaking his sweater and jeans.

"Why do ya keep fallin' over Scruffy?" Drayll's familiar voice taunted behind him.
"Yeah, why Scruff?" Paul chimed in, peeking out from behind the bigger ram's back.
"Leave him alone Darryl" Ellie jumped of her swing. Benjamin watched in astonishment as the small bunny stood between him and the rams, defiantly holding her paws on her hips.
"Move over Ellie" Darryl warned, making a point of being a couple of inches taller than her.
"No" she said stubbornly, raising her long ears to outmatch his height.
"Fine" Daryll jeered at her. "Join him then!"

Ellie let out a surprised yelp as Daryll pushed her hard, sending her stumbling backwards into the puddle. Even with cold muddy water soaking her pants, she managed to send the two rams an angry glare as they walked off laughing.

"You didn't have to do that" Benjamin mumbled as he helped her out of the puddle.
"Yea I did, they're jerks" Ellie frowned as she looked down her once light blue jeans. "Mom's gonna be so mad" she sighed. Benjamin looked down at his own muddy clothes. "Yea, same"

Mary could not help but be a little extra cheerful as she taught the following period. There was two very muddy but happy students in the class, smiling at each other across the classroom. And when she started to pair up the class for group work, she did not have to find a partner for Benjamin.

Leaving school that afternoon, Mary's good mood quickly shifted into giddy nervousness. She had been able to keep the thought of Gideon out of her mind for most of the day by concentrating on her job. Now that nothing needed her attention, the promise of maybe, quite possibly, another kiss made her almost run home to change.

Mary was almost trembling with nervous excitement as she approached the bakery. She had used over an hour after work to get ready, second-guessing every part of her appearance. The kiss from yesterday was still burning on her lips, somehow it just made her feel even more uncertain than if ti had not happened at all. She had finally decided on a simple soft blue dress, matching her eyes perfectly.

The bell over the door chimed happily as she entered the bakery. Her eyes jumping over the patrons searching for Gideon, but she could not see him anywhere. Instead, a young bunny greeted her from the counter. Elliot, one of Elise many older brothers if she remembered correctly. It was hard keeping track of the bunny families sometimes.

"Afternoon Miss Mary!" he beamed at her. How did he manage to sound so enthusiastic about everything?
"Afternoon" Mary glanced over his shoulder through the kitchen door, hearing the steady hum of a Mix-master. "Erm.. Is Gideon here?"
"Sure" Elliot chirped. "Boss!" He yelled into the kitchen, the steady hum of the Mix-master coming to a stop. "Customer for you!"
Mary wanted to disappear between the floorboards.
"Please Elliot, how many times do I have to ask you not to shout in the bakery" Gideon walked out of the kitchen, dusting frosting sugar from his apron. He halted mid movement when he saw Mary.
Gideon realised how little he actually had thought this through. They could not very well sit down in the bakery with the others, and he could not think of a good excuse to bring her somewhere they could be alone. Because sweet pie crust, he wanted her alone.

"Hi" he finally managed.
"Hi" Mary's ears flickered nervously, wondering what to say without raising the suspicion of Elliot, still standing behind the counter.
"I came to ask about the… special offer" she swallowed, imagining everyone in the bakery looking at her.
"What offer?" Elliot asked, looking innocently up at his boss. Before Gideon could come up with an appropriate answer, and an excuse to send Elliot into the storage room for something, Mary was engulfed in a cloud of white wool.

"Oh. My. Gosh!" Mary felt four arms encircling her, trapping her in a cloud of permed wool and too sweet perfume. "Mary!"
"Hi Abby, Agnes" Mary coughed, sending Gideon a helpless look.
"It has been ages" Agnes said.
"Literally decades" Abby added.
"You're here by yourself? You must come sit with us!"
"So much catching up to do!" the twins exclaimed in unison.
Unable to protest the eager twins, Mary was lead over to one of the booths in the back of the bakery. To Mary's dismay, the twins placed her facing away from the register.

"Sooo" Agnes begun as she sat down, giving Abby a meaningful look. "Your brother"
"Is he still single?" Abby completed.
"I.. I believe he is, yes" Mary moved uncomfortably in her seat. This had not turned out as she had planned.
As usual, the twins did the most of the talking, which suited Mary just fine. She was trying her best to seem interested, and not turn her head too often to steal a glance at Gideon. Abby was in the middle of explaining, helped out greatly by Agnes, how they both had managed to land an internship at the same magazine, when Gideon appeared at the table.

"Here you go ladies" Gideon sat the twins' milkshakes down, before carefully placing a slice of pie in front of Mary. She was resting her arms on the table, and as he withdrew his paw, he let the back of his fingers brush against her wrist lightly, but deliberately. Mary's skin tingled as she tried to catch his eyes, but he was already on his way back to the register. Trying to hide her smile, she looked down at the pie.
It had a neat pattern of thinly sliced apples and roasted pecans, topped with a light drizzle of caramel sauce. She had never thought a slice of pie could look pretty, but this one did.

"Well he grew up nicely didn't he?" Abby said between slurps.
"Sure did" Agnes agreed. "Don't you think Mary?"
"Sorry, what?" Mary looked up from her pie.
"Gideon" Abby specified. "One moment he's pushing you to the ground, next he's serving you pie" the twins giggled. "It's a bit funny, don't you think?"
"Yes" Mary bit the inside of her cheek. Oh, you have no idea. "He's changed a great deal"

The twins kept Mary at their table until closing time. When they got up to leave, Mary had hoped for some chance to at least get two words alone with Gideon, but she was herded out the door by the twins. A still chipper Elliot holding the door for them, wishing them a good evening and welcome back.

"Are you sure you can't join us? Its only eight" Agnes pleaded as Mary started to walk down the street to her apartment.
"Really, I have tests to mark. But it was great meeting you guys" she waved at them.
"We'll have to meet again soon!"
"Very soon" Abby giggled "And say hello to Gareth for me!"
"Will do" Mary thankfully watched them turn a corner before she continued the walk back to her apartment. Crossing the narrow street, the streetlight outside her door flickered on. The same streetlight Gideon had parked beneath yesterday. Biting her lip, she clutched her keys, before determinedly putting them back in her purse, turning on her heal.

She started out walking, but as she turned the corner to Main Street she was flat out running. Panting, she pressed her back against the brick wall in the alley between Main Street and Market Street. Elliot was coming out of the narrow alleyway that lead to the bakery's back alley. He plugged in his earphones before jumping on his bike, cycling away humming to a Gazelle- song.
Mary could not see Gideon through the front windows; the bakery was dark. Making sure the coast was clear; she sprinted across the street and into the dark back alley behind the bakery. Other than Gideon's parked van and a couple of trashcans, there was not much behind the bakery. There were no other windows facing this way from the surrounding buildings, save some frosted-glass windows in various back-doors. The only light was a pale white light above the green backdoor to the bakery.

Beginning to catch her breath, Mary sat down on the simple concrete steps below the door. It was just four blocks stacked on top of each other without any railing. She imagined Gideon having to carry stacks of pie boxes and sacks of flour up and down these stairs and wondered if he had ever fallen over, remembering how easily he had balanced six pie boxes down these steps last time she had been back her.

Her thoughts were cut short as she heard the door opening behind her. She quickly stood up, straightening her dress, hoping she did not look too flushed from the running.

Gideon was too preoccupied with finding the right key in his large keychain to notice her. First when he turned after locking the door did he see Mary standing there, smiling carefully. He nearly jumped off the stairs.

"How long have you been out here?" he took a quick look around, making sure the back alley was empty.
"Not long" Mary assured him. "I… I just wanted to apologise. About the twins"
Gideon chuckled "Nothing you could do 'bout that"
They stood in silence as Gideon searched his mind for something to say. All he had wanted all day was a chance to be alone with her again, but now that he was he had no idea what to do.
"Did you like the pie?"
"Yea" Mary nodded, wondering if coming back had been a bad idea after all. "It was delicious, but..." she swallowed, looking down at her feet. "I had imagined having it with you" she glanced up at him, gauging his reaction.

Gideon felt a simultaneous rush of hot and cold down his spine.
"Yeah.." he said awkwardly. "I didn't think it through much" he admitted.
He watched helplessly as Mary nodded, looking down while fumbling with the strap on her purse. If he did not do or say anything soon she would leave, but he had no idea how to do this properly.
"You're probably tiered…" she began, making Gideon panic.
"Mary, wait" he interrupted, stumbling down the stairs towards her. "I know this is awfully forward, but I'd like to kiss you, again" he regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth.
"Oh" Mary blinked, looking up at the fox now standing right in front of her. She would have blushed had she not been so surprised.
Looking down at a stunned Mary, Gideon wished he could kick himself.
"If... if you don't want to, at's fine" he quickly added.
"No… I mean yes, I want to. Yes" Mary stuttered, a familiar tingle of anticipation spreading in her body.
Gideon felt blood rush to his head with relief, but he still had no idea how to do this properly. Yesterday had been so natural, as if unavoidable. Now he was not even sure where to put his paws. Suddenly he remembered Travis mentioning something about her probably dreaming about being swept of her feet.

Mary let out a surprised giggle as Gideon firmly grabbed her waist, twirling her in a half circle so she could stand on the stairs beside him, bringing her up to his height. She barely had time to regain her balance before he caught her mouth with his, making her dizzy all over again. Gideon's paws were warm on her hips as she enthusiastically leaned into the kiss, locking her arms around his neck.
Gideon's blood roared in his ears as he felt Mary press herself against him, her lips a little cold from the autumn air and tasting faintly of apples and caramel. Then any coherent thought was wiped from his mind as he felt her soft little tongue carefully glide over his canines.
Blissfully unaware of his surroundings, Gideon missed the familiar sound of a scooter slowing down on the street in front of the bakery.

"Oi Gid! You back there?"
Gideon jumped away from Mary as if burnt at the unexpected sound of Travis' voice in the alley. Mary, having been leaning all her weight on him, lost her balance and toppled forward. Flailing helplessly as she fell towards the trashcans, knocking one of them over with a loud crash. Gideon hurriedly crouched over her, a worried look in his eyes.
"Sorry! You all right?" He whispered unnecessarily as the trashcan-lid noisily rolled to a stop by his van. Mary could only nod as she grit her teeth, holding her bruised elbow.

"Hey mate, what's all the…" Travis stopped dead in his tracks as he turned the corner into the back alley. Gideon was on all fours, crouching behind a knocked over trashcan, his wide eyes darting from Travis and back to whatever was on the ground beneath him. Feeling the hairs stand up on his back, Travis moved closer, not wanting to know, but needing to make sure.

A cold dread settled in his stomach when he spotted the black sheep lying beneath his friend. She was clutching her arm protectively around herself, clearly in pain.

"Get up" his voice was remarkably calm and steady, icy anger growing inside him.
It took Gideon a moment to realise what this had to look like to him, making him slowly shake his head. "No, Travis, this ain't what…"
"I said get up you bastard!" Travis exploded, grabbing a hold of Gideon shirt in an attempt to drag him away from Mary. Travis was no match for the large fox in strength, but the shock of it made Gideon stumbled to his feet. Glancing back at Mary sitting on the ground, he saw her looking just as alarmed as he felt.

"I worried you'd do something stupid, but never…" Travis was so furious he could barely get the words out. "Draggin' her into some alley like a, like a, a savage" Travis was bearing his teeth now, claws out and ready to pounce. Gideon looked as if Travis had punched him in the face.
"I'd never do that" he whispered, eyes big with hurt.
"Stop!" Mary finally got on her feet, swiftly blocking Travis' way.
"Gideon didn't do anything, I just lost my balance" she pleaded with him. "I swear Travis, he didn't hurt me"
Travis' expression seemed to relax just a little, but he did not retract his claws.
"Then what are you doin' here?" he asked suspiciously. Mary fell silent, her nose slowly turning a bright pink. The three stood in silence as Travis looked from one to the other.
"Nah, no way… you wouldn't" he begun, but a quick glance from the blushing Mary to the uncomfortable Gideon confirmed that they indeed would.

Travis' anger and disbelief, only moments before having been directed at his own friend, easily settled on a new target.

"Listen here cotton- ball, ya need to understand something" his voice was a low hiss as he turned to Mary, the claw on his index finger inches away from her eye. "You saw that back there, what I thought he did? That was nothin'. Had I been anyone else he would be beaten to a pulp by now" Mary was trying to back away, but Travis matched her every step, never breaking eye contact.
"Travis..." Gideon warned, but he continued as if he had not heard him.
"Anyone sees ya, anyone so much as suspects ya, he gets it" Travis threatened, pointing his claw at Gideon. Gideon watched helplessly as his best friend took another step, forcing Mary back against the still standing trashcan.
"This' prolly just some exciting fun to you eh; a little 'walk on the wild side?'"
"No" Mary shook her head, her breathing rapid. "That's not true"
"No? Ya think you can take it then, think you're though?"
"Travis, stop" Gideon was becoming increasingly defensive; Mary's chest was heaving, her eyes big and frightened.
"When your parents say they hate ya, your friends stop talking to ya. What you gonna do?"
"I… I don't… I" Mary stuttered, tears starting to fill up in her eyes.
"Don't know?" Travis finished for her, his mouth forming into the beginning of a snarl. "I'll tell ya what you'll do: You'll run. You'll throw him under the buss and run, because you're nothin' but a cowardly, weak little sheep" he spat, his canines fully bared, just an inch from her nose.
"SHUT UP TRAVIS!" Gideon furiously yanked him away from her, slamming him against the side of the van.
Mary scrambled away, watching in horror as Gideon easily pinned the ferret up against the van with one paw, his feet dangling off the ground. Travis only showed his shock for a split second, before the snarl was back on his face.

"Oh, this how it's gonna be now" Travis whispered. "Ya choosing some cotton-curled ewe over your best friend?" Gideon, realising he was baring his teeth, quickly closed his mouth. After a few deep breaths, he silently put Travis back down.
"Didn't think so" Travis muttered coldly, straightening his jacket.

Mary was already running out of the alley as quickly as she could with the tears blurring her vision.
Seeing her disappear around the corner, Gideon made to run after her. But Travis jumped in front of him, holding his paws up.
"Don't" he warned. "I just saved ya a lot of trouble there mate"
"Trouble!?" Gideon clenched his paws as the anger quickly rushed back. He let his claws dig into his palms, trying his best to keep it together. There had been a time when he would have pushed Travis to the ground without second thought if he had ever stepped in his way like that. Now however, the anger quickly left him, like air out of a balloon. Gideon felt his limbs growing heavy; he did not want to fight, he already felt defeated.

"No" he said slowly. "No, you didn't save me any trouble" Travis was eyeing him cautiously. Gideon seemed calm now, but he had not seen him this mad in years, and did not trust the storm to be over yet.
"But you saved her a lot of trouble" Gideon slumped down, leaning his back against his van as he sat down. Reality was washing over him like a bucket of cold water.
"I'm not worth loosing friends n' family over"

"Oi mate…" Travis said silently, still cautious. "At's not what I said"
"But it's the truth" Gideon crossed his paws over his knees. Leaning his forehead against his arms he sat in silence for a long while.

Travis shifted his weight awkwardly from one leg to another, the silence in the alley pressing down on him. As if the slight shuffle of his feet against the tarmac reminded Gideon of his presence, the fox suddenly looked up over his arms. His eyes were burning on him, but not out of anger, rather despair.
"If you ever" his voice was so low that Travis almost did not hear him. "Ever, bare your teeth at her again Travis, I can't promise what I'll do" Travis just stood silently, watching his friend slowly crumble in front of him. "I just can't…" his voice broke off, and he leaned his head back on his arms.
"Look…" with the disbelief and anger gone, Travis for once felt lost for words.
"Just leave me alone" he could hear the beginning of a sob in his friend's voice.
Travis nodded, even though Gideon could not see it. "You have my number" he muttered before slowly walking out of the alley.

Starting up his scooter, Travis stared empty-eyed on the road in front of him. He had no idea how to fix what he had just broken.