Beatrice stood in the middle of her office, expression blank as she stared at the corkboard. Between her paws was a white cardboard evidence box. She had to put all of her paperwork into the box. All the work she and Weaselton had done for Mint's case needed to fit in it. All their hours, their suffering, their heartache and anger was supposed to stay in this too small container. The wolf knew it wouldn't be enough, and it wouldn't erase the officers memories.
The lupine hung her head with a deep sigh, ears pinned to her head and tail between her legs. Everything was supposed to go back to normal after the case. Beatrice should have seen all the girls...her friends...once Daddy was convicted. They would have a party, either at the house or her apartment. There would be tears, laughter, and relief that Mint would be safe. That all working girls could be safe.
That relief would never come.
The office door behind Beatrice opened. The wolf officer raised her head, but didn't turn around.
"I told you I could handle it," Beatrice commented over her shoulder, "Just head home, Reggie."
"Jacks would like that," Arnold replied, "Me getting home at a reasonable time...but I wanted to talk to you first."
Beatrice turned slowly, and laid eyes on the red wolf lieutenant leaned against the doorway. His grey suit was ruffled, top button of his white shirt undone, and tie long gone, but he still looked professional. The male stepped further into the office, not bothering to close the door. He waved a folder between the lupines.
"Found out who forged my name," Arnold announced wearily, with the news bringing no obvious joy.
"Who?" Beatrice replied instinctively. She hadn't thought of Arnold's investigation in some time now.
The red wolf sighed and flicked open the folder. "A black wolf in a white suit, such a cliche, signed off on the autopsy. Apparently paid the medical examiner fifty grand to do it too."
"That's a lot for a signature," the grey wolf mused.
Arnold smirked mirthlessly, "Not even the best part." He closed the folder and held it over his head. "Give you a guess who it could be."
Beatrice tried to concentrate on who, but found it impossible. The guilt from Mint's case weighed heavily on her mind and heart. The she-wolf eventually sighed with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Thomas Wolowitz."
The she-wolf's brow furrowed, then shot up in realization. "Wait, Officer Wolowitz?"
The lieutenant nodded solemnly.
Thomas Wolowitz used to be an officer of Precinct Six, until the grey wolf started rooting out dirty cops. His crime wasn't as heinous as others, though it hit closer to home for the lupine. One night, the black wolf cuffed Ginger to a streetlight. Whether to scare or punish the rabbit, he never said. In fact, the officer never admitted to the crime. And it was only after video evidence from a traffic light surfaced that the Precinct finally acted. It was too long to be charged crimally, but the Z.P.D. couldn't afford even one bad apple.
Beatrice reeled at the news, almost dropping the box between her paws. Sure Thomas deserved to lose his job, but she never thought he would turn to crime. In fact, the grey wolf didn't think much of him at all!
"Are you sure?" the officer couldn't help but ask, "Like positive?"
Arnold nodded again. He opened the folder once more and revealed the contents of it. Inside was a grainy picture of a black furred wolf in a white suit, staring directly at the unseen camera with a confident smirk.
"No doubt about it," the lieutenant answered, "Even gave his old badge number to the examiner. He wanted to know it was him." The red wolf closed the folder, "I don't think he counted on one thing though."
"You?"
The red wolf chuckled with a slow shake of his head. "I don't think he counted on you being so...forward." Beatrice cocked her head in confusion. Arnold rolled his eyes, "The only reason I got this far was because you brought it to my attention so quickly." The lieutenant smirked, "I could have done without the yelling, but I was able to grab the examiner before he left Zootopia."
"Good," the grey wolf replied, The lupines stood in silence as the officer waited for the lieutenant to continue or leave.
Arnold cocked his head to the side with a sympathetic smile, "Tough loss." Beatrice looked away in shame. "You don't win them all."
"I needed to win this one," the officer sighed.
"We need to win them all," the red wolf countered, "but we don't always get that lucky." He motioned with his head to the door, "Wanna help me win this one?"
Beatrice opened her mouth to answer, but stopped. Her instinctive response was"Yes." She wanted to help Arnie catch Thomas, and felt a pull to finish what she had started. Her growing doubts from Mint's case caused her to hesitate. The she-wolf pushed too hard...or not hard enough. She didn't listen to her partner. She never should have listened. She should have protected the Clawsly's better. She should have left them out of it. Whiteley would be free to hurt another girl…
...maybe he never did.
Beatrice shook her head, gaze landing on the floor. "No…I...I don't think I should." She never looked up at the lieutenant as she answered as her claws digging into the cardboard box. The grey wolf wasn't useful to anyone right now. She just needed...Maybe if it had…
"Bee," Arnold called, but the grey wolf didn't raise her eyes. He sighed heavily. "There's...no magic words that'll make you feel better. You just have to accept that this one didn't work out...maybe the next one will."
The officer pinched her eyes painfully shut.
"I'm...going home," the lieutenant continued, "If you wanna talk...if you need some time off...just...let me know. Ok?"
Beatrice stood in the middle of her office with her eyes closed and her head down. She heard the door close. The she-wolf tried to press her emotions down further, trying to get over this loss. It seemed like a monumental task. Even as she stood still, holding her breath to try and stop the tears threatening to release in frustration, she just couldn't move.
She had failed. There was nothing Beatrice could do. The officer had failed, and Mint would pay the price.
The lupine finally let her tears trickle down her cheeks. She opened her eyes as a pain filled sigh escaped her muzzle. Beatrice was tired. So...tired. The wolf stepped closer to the cork board, gaze slowly sweeping over the case. Eventually...finally...she lifted a sluggish paw to the board, and pulled out the first pin.
It was going to be a long night.
Peppa tried to ignore the twin's phone, but Johann kept texting. For the past two hours, almost nonstop, the snow leopard had been bombarding the device. The older ewe saw the first text from the feline, a simple "How'd it go?" It remained unanswered, and Pep had no interest in responding. She was beginning to wish she did. Mint didn't seem to register the near constant vibration, though it was wearing on the older twin.
Peppa shot a quick glare at the wretched phone on the sisters shared dresser. The ewe was tempted to stomp over and turn the phone, but the idea of leaving her seat on the bed next to Mint even for a moment worried the older twin. Pep sighed heavily and glanced down at her other half.
Mint was finally asleep, the younger twin fully hidden under the blanket. Pep had rushed them back to their room and away from everyone else. Even back home though, the younger sheep still remained silent. If not for the gentle rise and fall of the large lump that was the ewe, the older twin may have worried the worst.
The older sheep sighed again and shook her head. Pep didn't know what to do. Her gut reaction was to get out of there. Out of the house, out of Tundra Town, all the way out of Zootopia to a place where the twins could start again. That didn't seem possible in Mint's current mental state. Even still, how would they escape? Peppa had some money saved up, but not enough for more than two weeks. Her other half barely had any left, and there wasn't time to get a job. Maybe…
Peppa glanced guiltily down at her twin. The blanket's rise and fall continued.
...Maybe there was another way. Peppa could work a corner one last time. The ewe still knew all the tricks, how to flag a john down, how to avoid the cops, even what corners were the busiest. Better yet there was no Rameo, so it was all profit. Sure the teenager had been trying to stay out of that life, and the idea of a male touching her made her gag, but it's not like Pep had a future. Mint was the smart one. The younger ewe had the real future between them. If the elder could just work one more night...maybe a few more...then they could get out of Zootopia for good!
Peppa was dragged out of her thoughts by the sound of vibrations again. This time it didn't stop with one, and repeated itself in an obvious rhythm. The sheep scowled at the noisy device. Obviously Johann was trying to call. Mint shifted next to the elder twin. Pep's scowl deepend. The ewe slid off the bed, trying to move quickly while not shaking her sister. Once that had been accomplished, and the phone's buzzing persisted, the teenage sheep stormed over to the dresser and snatched it up. She scoffed at the photo of the snow leopard on the screen before finally accepting the call.
"What do you want?" Peppa hissed, phone pressed against her ear as her free hoof covered her mouth.
"Well…" the feline hesitated, "I, uh, wanted to know-"
"Curled up in a ball," the ewe interrupted.
"Uh, what?"
"You were gonna ask how Min's doing, right?"
"Well, that an-"
"She's curled up in a rutting ball hiding under her covers," Pep interjected once more, her voice rising, "terrified of Daddy, mistrusting of the police, and not wanting to see anyone."
Mint didn't say any of that, then again she hadn't said anything. Still, what Peppa said was the truth, if only selective.
"Oh, well...did you get my texts?"
The ewe snorted and rolled her eyes, "Yes."
"Well...I'm here…"
Peppa's brow furrowed as a slight frown appeared. She obviously didn't want anyone to see her other half, and the feline should have known that from her lack of response.
"Here, where?" the sheep asked in a bored tone.
"The house," Johann answered, his voice seeping with uncertainty, "I texted if I could come over, and then when you didn't reply..."
"You're outside," Peppa sighed heavily, her free hoof now rubbing her forehead.
"Uh, yeah."
"You're not coming in," the sheep stated firmly.
"No, I...kinda expected that…"
Peppa closed her eyes. The feline's last response sounded so understanding, yet so sad. Johann's feelings shouldn't have mattered to the ewe, but the thought of the snow leopard in pain didn't sit well with the sheep. As much of a pain in the tail he had been about Mint, Pep knew it came from a place of love.
"Alright," Peppa replied, "I'll come out to you." She paused in contemplation. "You drove right?"
"Uh, yes."
"Good. Keep the car warm."
"Are...are you sure?" Johann asked hesitantly.
The ewe snorted and rolled her eyes, "What? You worried I'll shed on the seats?" She chuckled mirthlessly at her own joke, "No, I'll meet you out there. Ok?"
"Ok."
There was a heavy silence as the conversation dried up. Peppa rolled her eyes again as the snow leopard didn't hang up right away.
"I'm hanging up now," the sheep announced.
"Ok," Johann replied quietly, "I'll...see you soon."
Peppa pinched the bridge of her snout, "That's the plan."
"Right...and you're sure you want to meet me in my car? I mean, all I wanted to say was-"
The ewe ended the call. She had no time for whatever the feline was about to say. Peppa glanced at Mint. It didn't appear as though the younger twin had moved. The older sister sighed and rubbed her tired eyes. She didn't want to leave Min, but she wouldn't let Johann into the house either. It did kinda sound good to talk to someone who would respond, even if it was the feline.
"I won't go for long," Pep reassured herself quietly, "Just a few minutes, get some air, then back. No more."
The thought of leaving the room, even for a brief respite, caused the sheep to look away from her sister. Guilt of leaving her other half while Pep could act freely weighed down on the older sister. She shook her head, and reminded herself it would only be for a few minutes. Mint would be fine while Peppa was away, because the older twin would come back...and try to fix the younger one more time. Peppa closed her eyes to gather herself. She needed to be strong again, for both of them.
"...just a few minutes..."
Cherry didn't know what to say. As she sat at the dining room table with Jezebel glaring at her. Saffron stood with her back to the hallway and crossed arms, her expression unreadable. The vixen couldn't find the right words.
What was the right words?
The trial...the show...whatever it was, ended with the jury's decision of not guilty. Even before the gavel fell, the vixen was ushering Mint and the girls out of the courtroom. The fox wanted to put as much distance between them and ram as possible. She wanted to at least try to protect the teenage sheep, even when it was all for naught.
"Are you happy now?" Jezebel hissed next to the vulpine, "You feel good about yourself?"
"You know I don't," Cherry muttered sadly.
"Well I know who's suffering the most."
The fox sighed, and brought a paw to the side of her head. She knew as well. They all knew. It was the sheep who hadn't left her room. It was the one who nearly fainted in the courtroom. Who was catatonic as they rushed her to Cherry's car. Who didn't even acknowledge her own sister.
Mint.
The slim hope the fox had in the twins having a normal life shattered with the jury's decision. The vixen didn't need to read their minds to see the mistrust in Pep's eyes. She didn't need to be a psychologist to see the fresh damage in Mint. It was all too obvious, and it all landed at Cherry's paws. Now all they could do was pick up the pieces.
"We should have taken care of it," Jezebel pressed, leaning in closer to the vulpine, "then Mint would be fine-"
"We don't know that," Cherry interrupted halfheartedly, simply going through the motions.
"She'd be better," the ewe exclaimed, her voice raised, "and maybe she'd actually be safe!"
"How many times do I have to say it," the fox muttered, "We don't do that."
"Maybe we should!" Jezebel shouted.
Cherry flinched at the raised voice. The vixen remained silent, ears pinned and watching the angry sheep fume out of the corner of her eye. There was no argument that she could make that would sway the herbivore. In fact, all of the fox's arguments fell on her own deaf ears. Cherry couldn't argue for staying on the straight and narrow after the system failed Mint...failed them all.
The vixen sighed heavily and hung her head. After a moment, she turned her attention to the tiger, who had remained eerily quiet.
"What about you, Saff?" Cherry asked, trying to keep her gaze off of Jezz, "Do you think I messed up?"
The tiger frowned in thought. She reached out a paw and placed it on Jezebel's shoulder as the ewe began to rise, obviously about to speak up once more.
"At first, I was angry," the feline started deliberately, "and didn't understand why you would want this."
Cherry moved to explain herself, but the tiger stopped her with a raise of her free paw.
"I've thought long and hard about it, and I believe I understand." Saffron grimaced with a slight shake of her head. "You've forgotten what we've gone through."
"What?" the fox breathed, her eyes growing wide at the feline's implication.
The feline's paws fell to her sides as Jezebel settled back into her seat. She opened her muzzle, but hesitated.
"No, go ahead," Cherry pressed tersely, her ears now pinned out of frustration rather than shame, "Say what you want to say."
"Cher," Jezebel said in a warning tone.
"She's a big girl, Jezz," the fox countered, "If she has something to say, I want to hear it."
Saffron's grimace turned into a disapproving frown, her gaze filled with determination. She raised her chin, "You're too friendly with the police-"
"You mean our friends," Cherry interrupted.
"...and you think that the system will take care of us," the tiger finished through gritted teeth.
"Well, why shouldn't I?" the vixen countered defiantly, jumping to stand on her seat, "We've done so much to get what we have today!"
"And what do we have to show?" Jezebel questioned sardonically, crossing her arms with a sneer, "A rundown house, a building that'll never be finished, and the system failing us anyway!" The sheep clapped derisively and let out a hollow laugh, "Bravo doll, you've outdone yourself this time. I knew something like this would happen."
"What!?" the fox snarled.
"I said, I knew this would happen," Jezebel repeated slowly, as if the vixen was a moron. The sheep's expression morphed to disgust as she turned her nose up at the red predator. "You've always been so rutting ambitious, as if the world owes you something. Well it doesn't!" The ewe shook her head slowly, "I should've let you fall on your ass a long time ago...maybe then you wouldn't think so highly of yourself."
Cherry couldn't take it anymore. All the pressure from working whatever job she could to keep the lights on, founding Helping Paws and dealing with Mr. Big and his polar bears, Tassut's case, Mint's case, all while trying to stay positive and trying to make all the girls' lives better. She finally had enough. The fox snapped.
"Well," Cherry started tersely, her ears fully pinned against her head and tail whipping behind her, "I didn't realize you enjoyed life on your knees, sucking off every john in sight in the hopes of a hot meal." The vixen's fur stood on end as she continued her onslaught. "I didn't realize my ambition of not being bent over the front seat in some random bastard's car was too much!" The fox slammed her paws against the table, body vibrating from the rage emanating off the smaller mammal. "I didn't realize," Cherry pressed, her voice low and deliberate, "you both enjoyed the taste of other mammals on each other."
The couple stood in silence. Saffron wore a look of pure shock, obviously taken aback by the vixen's torrent. Jezebel's expression soured even further, turning from disgust into unabashed hatred. The fox hadn't just struck one nerve with her words, but a whole bundle.
"At least I have my happy ending," the sheep replied, voice cold and gaze narrowed, "You're still struggling to say anything to Beatrice!"
Cherry reeled from that comment. It was a low blow from the ewe, but what else should the vixen have expected. They were finally showing their true colors. All the work the fox did meant nothing to the pair. The house, their jobs, the daily struggle to get out of bed and keep trying to make things better. None of that mattered now. All that mattered was it was Cherry's fault, and she just couldn't take it.
"Get your crap out of here by tomorrow," the vixen seethed, "If you can't handle my ambition, then you can't live in the house it got." Saffron moved to speak, but Cherry stopped her with a glare and a raised paw. "You had your chance, and you let her do the talking for you."
"Shove this house up your ass, doll," Jezebel responded flippantly, waving a hoof at the walls, "We don't need this dump, and we don't need you."
Cherry didn't reply. Not because the words weren't there, so many were, but because the next thing she said would start an actual brawl. And as mad as the fox was, she still knew she couldn't take on Jezz and Saff. Instead she jumped off her chair and walked around the table. She kept her gaze off the pair and pointed in the direction of her room. The vixen quickly walked to her door and opened it with a swift turn and jerk of the knob. With the same amount of force, she pulled the door closed behind her.
Even before it closed, hot tears started to well in the corners of Cherry's eyes. She tightened her paws into tight fists as her body shook. The tears weren't just from sadness, from seeing one of her longest friendships end on such a sour note, but also from rage. The fox was angry at the defense attorney, the judge, the jury, Mr. Big, Jezebel and Saffron, even some for Bee and Reggie!
Worst of all, she was angry with herself.
Why did Cherry believe that things could change? What proof of change did she possess? As much as she raged at everyone else, double that fell on her own shoulders. It finally felt too heavy to the vixen. She couldn't do it any longer.
Cherry sank forward to the floor, balled fists now keeping her from collapsing all together. Her tears continued to fall, but now dropped directly down. The fox could see large wet circles appearing as she remained hunched over. An all too familiar positon.
"I can't do this," the vulpine whispered under her breath, "Not alone...not anymore..."
The former working girl remained in that position until her crying stopped.
It would be some time.
The snow was deeper than earlier in the day, with the old tracks the girls trudged to the house looking like shallow dents. The sheep didn't know why the others were arguing, and frankly she didn't care. They had started as she left the house, and they didn't matter any longer. Only the twins could look out for themselves. It helped that they were too engrossed with themselves to notice the ewe, then again that was nothing new.
Peppa shivered as she pulled her jacket tight around her. The ewe glanced around at her surroundings. The night was still, with only the slow fall of fresh snow offering any movement. Cherry's beat up, old car was parked in the driveway, it's rusted red covered by pure white snow. The herbivore had experienced nights like this before. When streetlights were the only source of illumination, offering a psychological warmth in the unforgiving darkness. When the snow glittered like diamonds all around, crunching softly under shifting hooves and paws. When the moisture from a deep sigh swirled up and away from its exhausted host. When all of Tundra Town seemed to sleep, dreaming of better lives and grand opportunities. When Peppa would make silent wishes to anyone listening, hoping for someone to take them away from their dreadful lives.
Peppa gave her head an abrupt shake. It was all nonsense anyway.
The sheep trudged through the snow and towards Johann's grey sedan. She could hear a low hum coming from the vehicle, as it idled patiently for her. Pep couldn't see inside the dark interior, and for a moment she hesitated. Was this really Johann? Or was it some random john? The doubt was pushed away with another shake and a small bleat of frustration.
"Who else could it rutting be," the ewe grumbled, traversing the final steps to the car. She pulled on the handle, and the door opened with a load creak.
Johann was sitting in the driver's seat, head low and paws gripping the wheel. The low, orange glow from the dashboard shone onto the snow leopard's face, casting his eyes in shadow. Music softly drifted out of the car, though it was too low for the lyrics to be heard. He wore his usual black jacket and grey beanie, with dark slacks nearly blending into the dark interior of the car. The atmosphere made the feline look more ominous than ever before.
"You look terrible," Peppa grumbled as she climbed into the car. She pulled the door closed behind her before wiping off the snow from her jacket. Only after several seconds of silence did the sheep stop her ministrations and look at the snow leopard.
Johann continued to sit in silence, his gaze still low and no real sign of acknowledgement of the ewe in his car.
Pep frowned, "You drive all the way here to sit in silence?" Johann remained quiet. The sheep huffed and reached over to the feline. "Hey! Are you listening to me?" The ewe gave the male's shoulder a shove, but he didn't move.
The silence persisted.
Peppa watched the snow leopard with a wary eye, looking for any sign of...anything. She had been in the car with males that had been this quiet. It was the silence of a mammal building up their nerve, and it always ended with the ewe beaten and abused in the worst ways. Twice, Pep woke up with a swollen face and no recollection of the night before. Even sitting next to Johann like this, a male who she knew was a big pushover, still sent a shiver down her spine.
"What do you want?" Pep asked cautiously, now unsure of her spotted acquaintance.
Johann continued to sit in silence, before finally he opened his muzzle. No words emerged, instead the feline's breath hitched in his throat.
The sheep's gaze turned curious at the sound. That wasn't what she expected. Peppa carefully leaned closer to the feline, hoping to peek past his somber complexion.
Johann's eyes were red-rimmed with black bags underneath. Dark streaks of fur ran down his cheeks from the corners of his eyes. There was a slight tremor in the snow leopard's arms as the ewe noticed how tight the male held onto the steering wheel. The feline was as tight as a spring, waiting to be released.
Pep's expression turned blank. She had never seen the snow leopard like this, or ever felt this uncertain about his intentions. Johann didn't hide his emotions, the feline was practically an open book! Now though, as every instinct of the ewe told her to run, Peppa couldn't read any of the male's intentions.
"I-I wanted to say goodbye," Johann finally whispered, gaze still forward, "an-and that I followed him, and know where he lives."
"Who?" Peppa asked, though she had a good guess. There was only one "he" to the twins.
"Mister...no, that monster, Whiteley," the feline corrected, his pitch rising at the ram's name, "And I think I know how to fix this."
The ewe swallowed dryly. She hesitated to speak as the snow leopard's arms began to shake. "You can't fix this," Pep said deliberately and in an even tone, "there's no one thing that'll help now."
Johann jolted forward. His paws dug into the steering wheel as he snarled, "If I kill-"
Peppa didn't let the snow leopard finish. Before she even realized what she was doing, the sheep punched the feline in the arm.
The snow leopard snapped. Faster than the herbivores eyes could follow, the predator turned on her. Paws raised, claws out, and teeth on full display, Johann was truly a frightening sight. Any other mammal would have shrunk under the hard, grey gaze of the male, the flecks of green shining with a ferocious fire. Any other mammal would have feared what this obviously crazed feline would do to them, trapped in an enclosed space with no hope of escape.
Any other mammal wasn't Peppa.
"Stop," the sheep spoke, in the same even tone that used before, "Just, stop."
With those three words, Johann's expression immediately fell. The fight left the male just as fast as it surfaced. Realization swept over the snow leopard as he turned his shaking, unsheathed claws towards himself.
"Wh-what have I done?" Johann whispered. Tears built in his eyes as the moment rushed over him. "What have I done?!"
Peppa moved slowly, unwilling to spook the frightened feline. The ewe shifted to her knees and leaned closer to the snow leopard. Johann noticed almost immediately, but before he could pull away, the sheep placed a hoof on his cheek.
"You didn't do anything," Pep stated calmly, keeping eye contact with the male as she spoke, "You're just pent up from...well, everything."
"I wanted to kill him," Johann blurted out, "I still want to, for what he did to…"
Experience taught to her smile, to try and make the mammal feel more relaxed so they wouldn't fly off again. This wasn't an agitated client, or a prostitute who finally had enough. It was Johann, the male who meant more to Mint than any other that came in their lives. He was the younger twin's first non-working girl acquaintance, her first friend, and more than likely, her first love. There was no way Pep could lie to the feline, at least not anymore.
Peppa sighed heavily. She wiped stray tears from the snow leopard's cheek and grimaced. "I wanna kill that ruttin' bastard too," the ewe admitted, "I wanna do every dirty little thing he did to Min, but this time with a hot poker." The older twin chuckled mirthlessly, "I wanna introduce that sick ram to a world of pain that no mammal has ever reached...but…"
"You can't," Johann finished, his expression no longer of horror but of growing understanding.
The ewe nodded solemnly, then shook her head. "It won't help Mint."
"Why?" the feline questioned breathlessly, tears beginning to dry as his paws settled onto his own lap.
Pep let out another sigh, "Because the damage is already done. I love my sister. She's one of the kindest, best mammals on the face of the earth...but this city is too mean for her." The sheep smiled sadly, "If we grew up in the sticks, somewhere way past the Tri-Burrows, then I think Min would have flourished." The ewe pinched her eyes shut as her emotions welled, "But she had to be born here! Surrounded and abused by perves and bastards. Used by scum! And worst of all, attached to a no good sister who can't even protect her!"
The sheep breathed deeply, hoping to keep her emotions in check. Pep felt her eyes grow wet as hot tears threatened to overspill. The ewe pinched her eyes even tighter, covering them with a hoof. She wouldn't cry, not in front of Johann or any other mammal. There was no time for crying. The herbivore had to remain strong for Mint's sake.
As she continued to suppress her emotions, Peppa hadn't realized that her hoof was still against the snow leopard's cheek. It wasn't until something soft and warm covered it that the ewe became aware of her position. She cracked open an eye, her vision bleary, and focused on the warmth surrounding her appendage.
Johann had covered the sheep's hoof with one of his larger paws.
"Do you need to cry?" Johann asked softly, voice filled with worry, "You don't have to hide it."
Peppa could have laughed at the feline's words, and a mirthless smirk appeared on her snout. Of course she had to hide it. There was no one else for the twins. The supposed "adults" in their group were no better off than the teens, just as lost and even more foolish. If Mint had any chance of any type of happiness, it was all on Pep now.
"I'm fine, Johann," Peppa replied automatically, pulling her hoof out of his grip, "I just…needed a moment."
Johann stared unblinking at the ewe, before nodding solemnly. "Do you..uh, still need a moment?"
The ewe opened her snout to refuse, then hesitated. All that was waiting for her in the house were mammals she couldn't stand, a depressing room, and a catatonic sister. Pep could spend some time away, Mint wasn't going anywhere.
"Yeah," the herbivore replied, "I think I do." She leaned back into her seat and stretched her legs out from under her. The sheep sighed and rested her head back. "Can you turn off the music? It's depressing." Peppa heard a click. "Thanks, Johann...now give me a minute."
"Take all the time you need, Pep."
The sheep nodded solemnly. She couldn't take all the time, but a few minutes wouldn't hurt...
After the argument with Cherry, Jezebel followed suit and stormed off to the tiger and ewe's room. Saffron had stood motionless in the dining room, confused by the turn of events and a little hurt by the vixen's words. A part of the feline wanted to bang on the fox's door till the smaller mammal apologized. Another part wanted to head back to her room and curl up with Jezz. The ideas had their merits, but Saff understood both mammals needed a break.
Saffron glanced down the hall and at the twin's bedroom door. The tiger thought she had heard it open earlier, but she couldn't be sure. She chewed on her bottom lip. Should she take the third option of checking on Mint? The risk was Pep's ire, but the reward was making sure the younger twin was still breathing. That was all the feline could wish at the moment. Saffron frowned, then gave a determined nod. It would be worth it.
The tiger quietly walked down the hall and to the twins room, unwilling to cause any accidental problems between the feuding sheep and fox. Once she was standing in front of the door, the feline noticed that it was slightly open. Not enough to be seen, but it did prove to her that someone had stepped out earlier. The large mammal grimaced and placed her paw on the door.
"Mint..." Saffron called out in a low voice, pushing the door open further, "...are you awake?"
As soon as she opened the door, a cold blast of air hit the tiger. An involuntary shiver ran down the large mammal's back. The twins room felt like an ice box, or more accurately Tundra Town. The fur on the feline's neck stood on end as she continued to enter the room.
"Pep, did you-"
Saffron stood in the doorway of the twins room, and was greeted by no one. There was no angry Peppa to shout the tiger out, but more importantly there was no sleeping Mint. At least not on the bed, only a strewn blanket.
"Mint?" Saffron called out, a little louder, "Are you hiding?"
The tiger walked over to the twin bed, easily crossing the distance with her long stride, and stood on her toes as she tried to see all of the top bed. From her distance in the doorway, Staff could see the bed, but she needed to check. She then quickly ducked down as low as possible before kneeling and checked the lower bunk. Then under the bed.
"Mint?" the feline called out, now almost shouting.
Saffron headed for the twins closest and opened it. There were well hung school uniforms, but no jackets. The tiger's heart started to race as her panic continued to rise. The feline headed for the doorway back to the hallway, believing that the young ewe must have gone to the bathroom. That thought was shattered even before the large mammal left the room.
On the other side of the hallway, almost mocking the now increasingly desperate tiger, was the dark and open bathroom. Saffron moved to head to the living room, but stopped mid stride. Every nerve in her body shouted for the feline to turn around. Every single strand of fur could feel the frigid cold breeze from outside waft into the house. The feline swallowed dryly.
Slowly, and with grim purpose, Saffron headed to the open window. Her paws shook uncontrollably as she closed the distance. Her breathing came in sharp, ragged inhales, though each one made her feel lightheaded. When the tiger reached her destination, she shied away from the opening until mere inches away. Finally, and with bated breath, Staff stuck her head through the window around.
Her heart sank as she looked down.
In the snow was a set of hoofprints heading to the unfenced backyard of the house. They were unsteady, though continued in enough of a line to follow. Worst of all, they were beginning to look shallow as the falling snow filled the divets.
Saffron's breathing turned into a panicked hyperventilation as the feline's worst possibility became reality.
"Mint!?" the tiger roared, her desperate plea echoing through the quiet Tundra Town night.
There was no response.
Dear Readers,
I apologize for the long delay, and what didn't help was the size of the chapter. It's been quite some time now since I last posted, not out of lack of desire but from mental exhaustion. Now though, I find myself stuck at home and finally finally (finally) feeling well rested. I cannot promise regular updates, as I'll have to work my way up to even half my top production, but I do plan on stretching my writing muscle much more often. I hope everyone is safe and healthy.
-CG