Chapter 24: Going "Strait"

Storm finds himself banned from the city of Zootopia and in a very strange place for a city fox. Stone reflects on his past the night before his wedding.

Many weeks had passed since Storm Kole was rescued and his connections with the mob severed, now he was in that last place he ever expected to find himself. His ears were flat on the top of his head and his tail was tucked under his foot paws as he stared up at the huge walrus in the tan police uniform behind the desk. "You look like your father," the large sheriff grunted as he glared down at the smaller fox. "I can see your brother in you too!"

"Look Sheriff, I was supposed to check in with my parole officer and I was sent here by your deputy," Storm found himself meekly saying. "So if you can direct me to the correct office?"

"You don't need a parole officer, I've got the mayor's letter pardoning you of your crimes right here," the walrus casually tossed what appeared to be a small sheet of paper down on the desk in front of the fennec fox. "The town mayor has given you a full pardon, so you've now got a clean slate."

"Your mayor can't pardon me for something I did across the strait. I don't think that it works that way?" Storm said, but he didn't touch the sheet of paper. The fox was suspicious as he tried to figure out what game the Sheriff was playing, he was convinced he was being set up.

"It doesn't?" the Sheriff grunted as he picked up another sheet of paper and peered at it. "Well, it looks like your parole officer over here didn't know about that? Also, whoever heard of someone on parole getting kicked out of the city, usually you are told you can't leave the court's jurisdiction?"

"They said there were mitigating circumstances, whatever the hell that means?" the small fox answered.

"I guess they just didn't want to look at your ugly mug anymore?" the walrus good naturedly laughed.

"Just who is or was my parole officer?" Storm asked again in confusion. He watched as the Sheriff turned the nameplate on the desk and set it back down, it read probation officer on tha backside. "Oh?"

"Yeah, before you got pardoned, you would have been the only parolee around here."

"But still the pardon?"

"Signed by the former mayor before he resigned, so it looks legal enough to me."

Storm finally picked up the sheet of paper lying on the desk and read the name. "Wait, my brother Stone is the mayor?"

"He was and he got the job after Scuttles died. Scuttles was the mayor of about six years before he croaked, the best damn seagull mayor we ever had."

"You had a bird as a mayor? Birds are not intelligent animals."

"Neither are most politicians," the walrus laughed. His laughter was deep and jolly, this law officer was nothing like Chief Bogo across the strait. But then again, Seaside was nothing like Zootopia either.

"So I need to get a job," Storm said as he sat the sheet of paper back down. "I don't have very many skills, at least of a legal type."

"You've already got a job," the Sheriff said with a shrug. He tossed a slightly large pen to the small fox, who caught it and look down at the writing on it in confusion. "After Stone resigned and told us he was moving to Zootopia, we decided to make you the new mayor."

Storm looked down at the formal looking black pen. It was engraved with the word "MAYOR" in gold. "But I was crook!" he protested.

"So, you were once a crook?" the walrus laughed as he shook his head. "Most politicians are that too, which means you're more qualified than any of our previous mayors. The job is mostly honorary anyway, the city council runs things. Trust me when I tell you that it isn't hard, after all, we had a bird do it for years. Pay sucks, although we did double the pay when we voted Stone to do the job. But, you've got at least six figures in the bank, so you really don't need the money do you?"

"Just what does it pay?" Storm inquired out of curiosity.

"Two postage stamps a year."

The fox just shook his head and laughed.

"Welcome home, Mayor Storm Kole," the walrus said as he stood and offered his massive flipper to the small fox. "Ben will take you to your place when you and your girlfriend are ready."

Their place was just down the coastal road and Storm held Jasmine's paw tightly as the glanced out of the large police SUV at the passing trees, so many trees and no skyscrapers or buildings of any kind. The truck bounced as it turned down a well-rutted gravel road and into more of the woods. Finally, there was an opening and both of the fennec foxes stared in disbelief at the trailer which appeared before them. It wasn't that large, as such buildings go, with red, white, and blue painted stripes running horizontally.

"Stone lived here?" Storm finally mumbled out.

"The villagers call it Shangri-La," Deputy Ben chuckled. "So now you know why your brother and his soon to be new wife are moving to the city. There is a solar panel, which Bubba has already hooked back up so you've got a fair charge in the batteries for the fridge and the lights. I also turned on the water for the showers and it's been a rather sunny day so it should be warm today."

"Wait! There is only an outhouse?" Jasmine stated as her ears drooped. "We don't have indoor plumbing?"

"Stone did say it was off the grid," Storm defensively answered. "It's still a hell lot better than the inside of a prison."

"You two are kind of isolated up here, so you can do what you want," the bear shrugged as he dumped their suitcases on the ground near the front door. "Just do me a favor and keep your clothes on when any reporters are around, unlike Stone and Karen. I don't want a repeat of that fiasco, that jerk of a reporter whined all the way to the police station about Stone giving him a bloody nose. You know that your brother is like a pencil with a head on it, he has no muscles at all and he didn't hurt that stupid groundhog too bad! You on the other paw just might actually hurt someone."

"We'll keep that in mind," Jasmine answered as she looked at the two buckets by the door. "Just what are those for?"

"Water buckets," Ben answered. "The water is not potable down here, so you need to walk to the well by the road for your drinking water, although we did get you one of those fancy water dispensers with the bottle that fits on top.

A few minutes later the two foxes watched the big black and white SUV rumble down the dirt road and away from them, leaving them alone in the middle of the woods. Pushing the door open, they peeked inside the trailer, it was obvious that someone had recently been inside and cleaned up the rooms. There was a large room with a small cot and a basket on the floor, along with an old worn sofa and a chair, two dressers, and a small kitchenette which had a propane stove, a small microwave, and a cute little red refrigerator. Storm opened it up and saw that it had been restocked with all types of casseroles and even a six-pack of small beers. The closet was mostly empty, but there were a few black wetsuits hanging up.

"Storm, come here!" Jasmine called out as she stood in front of the bathroom door, but the shower was not hooked up and there was a surfboard propped up inside of it instead. She was staring at a very odd-looking toilet. "What is that?"

The fox looked at the commode and shrugged. "I'll call Stone later and ask him," he finally answered, "Maybe it's some kind of water free john?"

"We don't have a television," the vixen sighed as she looked around, trying not to look too dejected. "But, we seem to have the internet."

"I've never watched too much television," Storm replied as he began to carry their bags into the room. "I mostly read novels when I was in jail. Stoney was good at bringing me reading materials. So, which do where do you want to sleep tonight, the cot or the basket?"

"I don't know, maybe we need to try them both out before we decide?" the vixen answered with a wink as she began to unbutton her blouse.

An hour later, Storm carefully slipped out of the snug basket and stretched as he admired Jasmine who was still curled up under the blanket. Pulling on his jeans, he grabbed his cigarettes before he stumbled outside and lit one, then he took a deep puff. He heard the nearby roar of the sea's waves and he wandered down a sandy path towards the sound. As he walked around a dune, he stopped and stared at the beach before him and the sparkling blue sea beyond. "Damn, no wonder Stone loves this place?" he mumbled out as he watched the surf crash upon the sandy beach. "It almost makes me want to take up surfing too!" After a few minutes of watching the waves, he shook his head and chuckled, "Naw!"

The two small foxes spent the evening down on their secluded beach curled up on a beach blanket next to the fire while drinking some of the beer that was left for them and making out. The moon shone down upon the sea and overhead the stars twinkled in the heavens, it was truly a magical night.

With a groan, Stone tried to get comfortable on the floor of his mother's apartment even as he mentally cursed his best friend Cooper for the bachelor's party he had planned. At least his party didn't include any gay cabarets like where the two wallabies had theirs at, but it was a Pawaii themed party at one of the beach bars. The place was packed with his surfer friends and locals who knew and loved the little fox. He was surprised to see that Honey had joined them, dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt, she was laughing as she talked with Finn and Nick. Finn grinned and winked towards his son before the older fennec fox took a puff of his cigar. Obviously, his father had his mother's permission to indulge yet again in his bad habit.

The night did, however, feature several scantily dressed hula dancers complete with flaming batons compliments of Reggie. He was insistent that it wasn't a proper bachelor's party without at least a few strippers and at the end of the party, both of the female meerkat "dancers" went back to the hotel room with the male meerkat. "Huakuna mata!" he called back to his friends as he slipped his arms around each of the giggling dancer's waists.

As the crowd thinned out, he found himself sitting on a bench near the surf next to Cooper. "So mate, you gave up our old place over in Seaside to your brother?" the wallaby sighed as he leaned back to look up at the stars above. "Are you sure you want to officially move over here?"

"I spend most of my time here now," the fox answered. "This is where my family is." Stone put his paw on his friend's shoulder before he added, "All my family, brah. Besides, in just a few hours I'm going to be hitched and soon after that, we are adopting Anton. Hell, I'm no longer going to be that carefree beach bum, but a parent…I'm going to have to start being responsible!" The fox's ears were flattened on top of his head as he stared at the dark sea.

"Your bloody well going to make me cry," Cooper chuckled. "Don't be such a yabbo!"

Billy plopped down next to his husband and sleepily leaned against the other wallaby. "You sure you don't want to come back to our hotel room tonight? We have an extra bed and with Honey taking over your parent's sofa where are you sleeping?"

"Well since Karen won't let me share her bed for weeks now, I'm kind of homeless. She says she wants to make our wedding night special and her friends have decorated our new apartment, so she won't let me even see the place until tomorrow night."

"Stone, that's tonight," Billy chuckled. "It's already two in the morning."

"Crap!" the small fox yawned as he stretched and stood up. "Hey you two, I had better get to bed. Goodnight!"

He walked down the deserted streets of The Strand, the businesses were now mostly closed. The bright lights of the Ferris wheel still twinkled in the darkness, even though it was now idle. Shoving his paws into his cotton Baja shirt he walked down towards his mother's apartment and smiled when he saw his father's van in the parking lot. Finn had moved in with his mother and Honey had too, at least until the strange badger figured out what she would do with her life now that she realized the mythical purge was never real. Honey was sprawled on the sofa, slightly snoring.

Finding the small pad on the floor and some blankets, Stone curled up and tried to get some sleep. He couldn't help but grin because he knew that today was going to be the best day of his life.