-Campfire Songs-
The sun was rising over a pristine lake. A gentle breeze blowing across the water, only disturbing it enough to create the smallest of ripples.
Nick breathed in the air and enjoyed the pine scent that filled his nostrils.
This was the life.
Nick heard movement behind him and turned to see Judy, radiant as always.
This morning she was adorned in a lovely yellow sundress that went well with the small purple bundle currently held in her arms.
"Well here's Daddy, I knew he had to be somewhere," Judy said sweetly as she carried the small bundle towards Nick who felt his heart skip a beat.
"Well good morning you two," Nick said as he leaned down towards the approaching bunny, giving his mate a tender kiss on the lips before he looked down at the swaddled bundle in Judy's arms. "I thought you two would like to sleep in before our visit with a certain blue-eyed terror."
Judy chuckled as she slapped Nick's arm with one of her free paws. She then looked down at the small purple bundle.
"Don't listen to your father, he loves Auntie Trisha, doesn't he," Judy cooed as she leaned down and nuzzled the bundle of blankets.
Nick grumbled and rolled his eyes before reaching down. Judy took the hint and let the fox gingerly take their child in his arms.
"Love is a strong word," Nick teased. "We tolerate Trisha."
Judy scoffed but let out a chuckle shortly after as she watched Nick hold their precious little one.
Nick smiled over at Judy before focusing his attention on the bundle in his arms.
With practiced grace, he reached up and slowly pulled the blanket away. As the fabric was moved he managed to get a good look at his little one.
The pinecone was easily the size of a fox pup, a small pink pacifier in the spot its mouth should have been.
"Gosh I am so lucky you got your mother's cuteness," Nick said happily with a sigh as he held the large pinecone in his arms.
"Well I think some of your handsomeness is in there too," Judy cooed as she reached up and ran a paw over the pinecone baby.
Nick suddenly snapped his eyes open as the dream faded from his mind.
Well, that had to be one of the weirdest ones.
He did have to admit that while the dream of having a pinecone baby was odd it was actually rather surreal. He had never thought of himself as father material.
With Judy though it just felt so right.
Nick looked down at the small bunny still wrapped up in his arms and grinned.
With Judy, everything felt so right.
The bunny let out a soft breath as she squirmed slightly in Nick's arms, obviously still in a deep but comfortable sleep.
Nick was about to close his eyes and drift off once again when he suddenly remembered where they were.
They were at Wewa, they were supposed to play tour guides, and they had fallen asleep!
The ranger looked out the window and felt his heart rate skyrocket.
The sky had grown darker as the last of the light from the setting sun on the other side of the clouds set.
"Judy," Nick whispered quickly, doing his best not to startle the bunny who began to stir in his arms.
"Mmmm?" Judy mumbled, her eyes still closed.
"So don't panic but-"
Judy's eyes shot open as her pupils dilated.
Nick felt the doe's grasp tighten on the fox as her brain started to boot up.
"Oh cheese and crackers!" Judy shouted as she sat up in bed, moving her large ears out of the way so they fell against her back. "What time is it?"
Nick had no idea as to what time it was but he didn't have to, to know they were in a little trouble.
The original plan had been for everyone to rest up after the hike to Wewa, then they were to meet for lunch before taking a tour of some of the scenic spots around Wewa.
With the sun setting Nick knew full well they had missed lunch and most likely missed the tour.
Had the VIMs just waited at the main mess hall for Nick and Judy? Would they be upset? Would they understand? What if this ended up in their reviews? Being abandoned by one's tour guides never looked good on a travel brochure.
Judy scrambled from the bed and over to a small dresser where various toiletries and supplies sat. She scooped up a small white and cyan walkie talkie and keyed up the mic.
"Trisha for Judy!" The bunny said in a desperate manner.
"Well hey, there sleepyhead," Trisha's voice came calmly over the radio. "Have a good snooze?"
"Trisha we slept in," Judy began to explain frantically. "I need you to find the VIMs right away and apologize."
"Well I have them right here," Trisha came back. The response was enough to cause a look of confusion to form on Judy's face as she glanced over at Nick who was still in the bunny sized bed. "Thing is they look rather happy, guess Kris and I make pretty good tour guides."
A wave of relief washed over Nick as he heard the transmission.
While Judy looked less worried she was obviously still shaken, "Trisha I am so sorry, we just...well...I don't know what to say."
"You snore when you're with him ya know?" Trisha said playfully over the radio.
"I what?" Judy asked with a laugh.
"When I checked on you two," Trisha continued. "Its kind of adorable when you think about it. You must really feel comfortable in his arms."
Judy blushed and suddenly couldn't make eye contact with Nick who had a rather smug grin.
"I mean you never snore when you sleep in my arms," Trisha added.
Judy rolled her eyes and tried to keep a straight face, "Har har."
"Snore snore," Trisha responded. "You two ready for some smores?"
"Oh gosh, its campfire time already?" Judy asked as Nick stood up from the small bed and stretched. He then made his way over to Judy and wrapped her up in a hug from behind.
He was pleased to feel the doe lean back against him and they both closed their eyes and simply enjoyed the physical contact.
"Oh yeah," Trisha chuckled. "I had Cookie make you two some sandwiches though since you missed lunch and dinner. We are heading towards the firepit now if you two wanna join."
"Oh I love you," Judy responded gratefully.
"Are you talking to me or the sandwiches?" Trisha came back over the walkie.
"Yes," Judy said playfully.
After the quick talk with Trisha over the radio, Judy and Nick did their best to clean themselves up. It was a little difficult trying to hide the fact they were both suffering from a case of bed head. Judy had a tuft of fur next to one of her large ears that refused to go down.
Nick meanwhile had to find a way to get his tail in order, the russet part seemed to be a little more puffed out than normal, a sign he had just gotten out of bed.
Once they were both satisfied they could be seen by the others the bunny and fox made their way out of Judy's cabin and towards the center of camp.
They both seemed to have a bit of a skip in their step, acting like a pair of teenagers who had just gotten away with a forbidden kiss of some kind.
While they did feel bad about missing the tour and lunch they both couldn't help but smile.
Judy led Nick through Wewa, while he still needed some guidance the fox felt like he was getting a grasp of the camp's layout.
There was also a great deal of wooden and weather-worn signs along all the paths that would help guide campers.
"We had to replace a few," Judy commented as she and Nick strolled by a sign that looked brand new.
Nick read the sign as they passed.
Butte' Pond .8 miles
"The rain damage them?" Nick asked as he glanced back at his mate.
A smirk graced Judy's lovely lips and she let out the faintest of laughs.
"No, just a bored trouble making ranger."
"What?" Nick asked in some confusion.
"Trisha came by and scratched out the 'E' on that one."
It took a second but Nick suddenly realized what Trisha had done.
"Butt Pond?" Nick asked with a snort.
"I swear sometimes she is like a big kit," Judy shook her head. "I mean we have to worry about this stuff when the campers are here but never expected we would have to worry about our own employees."
"I mean it is Trisha," Nick commented, secretly admiring his fellow ranger for her antics. "Butt Pond"
It didn't take them much longer to arrive at the campfire site. The two trudged up an old dirt path till they were atop a gentle hill that overlooked several fields in the distance along with the sea of trees Nick had come to enjoy.
The new ranger was rather impressed with the setup. They passed a raised cabin that had been painted red with the parks department's logo in white on the side. The door was open and he could see an array of equipment, mostly fire suppression related but also some various tools and supplies.
The reason for all these supplies was rather clear.
Nick had expected there to be a small campfire pit with some rocks around its perimeter. Instead, he found himself looking at several different campfire setups.
There were a few that were enclosed with old bricks that had turned black from the constant fire exposure.
Several others were simple campfire designs, a small pile of ash surrounded by old gray rocks that were in turn surrounded by smoothed benches or logs.
One of the circles was massive in size and surrounded by several rows of seats.
"That one is for big events," Judy began, noticing her fox's gaze. "You can't really cook smores on an inferno though so a lot of the time we have several fire pits going that the campers can cook things on."
One of these smaller fire sites Judy was talking about was currently active. A warm glow coming from the flames as several mammals sat around it.
A cool mist hung over the hill but it wasn't exactly a heavy rain, just enough to lower the temperature around them into a refreshing briskness.
This made the fire look that much more inviting.
"Well, there they are!" Came a shout from one of the figures around the fire.
Clive waved at Nick and Judy as the two approached.
The armadillo was seated next to Kris who smiled at Nick. Al was next followed by Trisha.
There were also a few mammals from the parks department present.
A sweet-looking ocelot in a parks department engineering jacket and an old wolf in a worn-out parks uniform who gave Nick a lazy salute.
Nick couldn't help but notice a certain someone was missing. Not that he minded at all.
"Good evening everyone," Judy said in a hesitant manner. "I am so sorry I missed lunch and the scenic tour with you-"
Judy however was cut off by Clive who waved a paw, "Ranger Trisha has already apologized which wasn't even necessary. We all understand that it takes a lot to run a camp like this. Just glad Ranger Nick could help."
Nick shot a glance over at Trisha who had a rather smug look on her face as she kicked her feet back and forth just above the ground. The doe reached behind the log she was currently occupying and lifted up what appeared to be a checkered cloth wrapped around a boxed shaped object.
Judy beamed at her fellow bunny and hurried over. Taking hold of the checkered cloth. Trisha however didn't let go at first. She turned her head slightly, showing Judy her cheek.
"Oh gosh...really?" Judy whispered with a slight blush. "The VIMs are here."
Trisha remained still, her eyes closed.
Judy let out a sigh and gave the mischievous ranger a quick peck on the cheek which seemed to convince Trisha to let go of the cloth.
"So did you enjoy the view?" Judy asked as she sat down on a log and signaled Nick to join her.
Nick made his way over and sat down between Trisha and Judy as his mate fumbled with the checkered cloth.
He made a point to lean closer to Trisha so he could whisper to her.
"Thanks again Trish," The fox said so just his fellow ranger could hear.
"Pinecone," Trisha said in return before sticking out her tongue playfully.
Judy finished undoing the cloth and Nick was surprised to see two old tins. Judy popped one open to reveal it was filled with homemade chips and a sandwich.
She passed the other tin to Nick who opened his.
Right on cue, his stomach let out a low growl which made sense since he hadn't had anything since breakfast.
He was about to bite into his sandwich when he heard Judy gag.
"Ack! Ew!" The doe let out which had gotten everyone's attention.
Judy was fanning her now open mouth where some half-chewed sandwich was sitting.
"Oh that's right, one was for Nick," Trisha said with a laugh.
Judy looked around in a panic before spitting out part of the sandwich into her paw. She blushed slightly as she looked around the campfire.
"Just toss it into the flames," The ocelot chuckled.
Judy did so as Trisha reached behind her and produced a canteen from behind her seat on the log.
"Thank's Kimmy," Judy said as the feline across the fire continued to laugh.
Nick tried his best not to laugh at his doe's antics but it was getting a little difficult.
Judy took the canteen from Trisha and gave her fellow bunny an odd stare.
"Why do I have a feeling that wasn't an accident?" Judy asked as she uncapped the canteen.
Trisha wiggled in her seat and looked up at the cloud-covered sky.
Judy took a swig from the canteen and her eyes bulged. She lowered the canteen in time to spit out some of the liquid in surprise.
There was a burst of flames from the spot Judy had spat the liquid, revealing it wasn't exactly water that Judy had just drank.
"Trisha!" Judy yelped which caused the whole campfire group to burst into laughter. "I told you this stuff is prohibited."
"I have no idea what you are talking about," Trisha said in an innocent manner that fooled no one. She then glanced over at Al, "Right Al?"
The koala froze mid-sip, a small flask in his paw. His eyes went wide as he looked over at Judy and gave the bunny a weak grin.
"I didn't get the camp rulebook yet," Al said with a playfully hesitant smile.
Judy closed her eyes but let out a laugh as she began to hand the canteen back to Trisha. She was however cut off as Nick reached over and scooped up the container.
"Oh not you too," Judy groaned as she watched Nick sniff at the top of the canteen. He then put it to his lips and took a swig.
A familiar and oaky taste filled his mouth as Nick partook in the spirits currently filling the canteen.
It burned at first but the whiskey warmed him up just as well as the fire did.
"I am surrounded by trouble makers," Judy grumbled. "At least I can count on you, Clive."
Judy looked across the fire at the armadillo who had been in the process of pouring some amber liquid from Al's flask into a camp coffee mug.
Clive didn't even hesitate as he handed the flask back to Al and raised his mug before taking a sip.
Nick and Judy traded their lunch tins, the bunny hesitant to take a bite of the new sandwich at first but then braved it and let out a satisfied coo as she munched at her dinner.
"I can't help but notice we are missing someone," Nick said in between bites.
Debbie was absent from the campfire which was slightly concerning to Nick.
"She wanted to explore just a little bit but she said she would be joining us soon," Clive piped up.
"I gave her directions," Trisha said in a sweet tone.
"And then I gave her the right directions," Kris added as she glanced over at Trisha who crossed her arms and started to grumble.
"And then I just followed the signs," Came a voice right behind Nick.
Nick stopped mid-chew as he felt a paw gently slide across his shoulders from behind.
Thanks to the overpowering scents from the fire Nick had missed the vixen's approach.
"Well hey there, come pull up a seat and warm up," Clive said happily as Debbie strolled around the fire, starting to take a seat next to the armadillo.
While Nick didn't exactly enjoy being touched by Debbie he was secretly grateful the vixen had at least not tried to sit next to him. The last thing he needed was to lose his appetite.
Debbie froze suddenly and let out a gasp as she snapped her digits, "I almost forgot."
The vixen reached behind her and pulled the two leaves that had been stuck to her rear since their hike to Wewa.
She then tossed the leaves into the fire and patted her paws triumphantly.
While Al and Clive nodded in appreciation all the other mammals looked rather confused.
"Jim, what was that about?" Kimmy asked the old wolf sitting next to her.
"Must be a fox thing," The wolf responded.
"It's not," Kris chuckled.
Debbie suddenly looked confused as she overheard the others.
"It's not good luck?" She asked hesitantly.
"What is?" Kimmy spoke up.
"To toss leaves that get stuck to your rear into the fire?" Debbie asked. "Its suppose to be a Wewa tradition."
The three park employees burst into laughter which caused everyone else to chuckle.
"Who on earth told you that?" Kris asked as she wiped a tear from her eye.
Debbie tensed up and slowly turned to glare at Trisha.
All eyes went to the bunny who in turn looked over her shoulder as if someone was behind her. She then looked back at the group and gasped.
"Wait that isn't a tradition here?" Trisha asked, feigning innocence.
"I had those things stuck to my butt all day and its not even good luck?!" Debbie shouted as she waved her paws about.
Clive nearly fell off his log as he roared with laughter. Al did his best to maintain his composure but was failing quickly.
Nick meanwhile had the proudest of grins on his face as he looked over at his friend.
Two jars of moonshine for you when we get home Trish.
Judy however looked mortified.
"I am so sorry about that Debbie," Judy began as she looked over at Trisha who stuck out her tongue. "Sometimes traditions can get crossed."
"Yeah happens sometimes," Trisha said playfully.
"And sometimes certain Rangers get tossed in a lake," Judy growled at Trisha.
"Oh now now, it's all in fun right?" Clive asked as he reached over and gave Debbie a gentle pat on the shoulder. "No harm no foul."
"I say we stick leaves to her butt and make her walk around," Debbie grumbled as she folded her arms.
In the end, only Debbie's pride was hurt but Nick knew that could mean trouble later.
"Reminds me of the water rocks," Jim chuckled which got everyone's attention. Trisha however let out a groan as she looked up at the sky.
"Jim noooooo," Trisha moaned.
"So the first time Ranger Rose came to visit Wewa-" Jim began.
"Who wants smores?" Trisha asked as she stood up.
"Oh no ya don't," Judy shot back as she stood up and grabbed Trisha by the shoulders and forced the doe to sit back down. "I like this story and I think its only fair."
"Oh this has to be good," Nick chuckled as he set his now empty tin down and looked over at the old wolf.
"Well ya see we liked messing with the new arrivals sometimes," Jim continued. "So I would walk around the old parking lot we had behind the mess hall, its where folks used to get dropped off before the rains. Anyways I would walk around and pick up rocks."
As Jim spoke he looked around his spot on the log and spotted a smooth stone in the dirt next to him. He picked it up, dusted it off, and then held it to his ear and gave it a little shake.
"You give them a little shake you see, and normally after two or three attempts folks begin to wonder what you are up to."
"Here we go," Trisha grumbled as she crossed her arms.
"So I had done this about 3 times before Ranger Rose hurried over to ask what I was doing."
"How many times do I have to tell you Jim, its Trisha," The bunny with blue eyes pointed out.
"I told her that I was trying to find water rocks. After it rained some of the rocks would absorb the water inside and if you shook them you could hear the water sloshing about."
All eyes went to Trisha at this point, the doe refusing to make eye contact with anyone as she stared into the fire. Nick however noticed the slightest of blushes appearing on the doe's drooped ears.
"Water absorbing rocks?" Al asked with a chuckle.
"I told her if she gathered some and sent them home they would be good luck," Jim added. "It is always fun telling the campers this so they end up shipping rocks to their families who get all confused."
A smug grin crossed Nick's lips as he turned to stare at Trisha.
"How many rocks did you send home Trish?" Nick asked.
"Shut up," Trisha grumbled.
"Think Ranger Rose sent about 10 or so. She was very proud of herself you see and was even keeping score," Jim added.
There was silence for only a few seconds before the campfire exploded with laughter. Clive was coughing, Al was near hysterics, Debbie seemed to be on top of the world.
Trisha slowly looked over at Jim, fire in her eyes.
"Your death will be slow and very soon," the doe growled.
Jim however didn't seem to look too worried and simply smiled at the bunny's comments he knew were just jokes.
Eventually, everyone calmed down, Clive needed an extra moment or two as he wheezed for air.
They continued to sit around the campfire, enjoying the heat from the flames that licked at the large pile of wood in the center of the circle.
While the park's employees were still on the clock that didn't stop Judy from bending her normally professional demeanor so she could lean against Nick's arm.
Trisha however didn't even hesitate. The doe put her back against Nick and treated him like some kind of cushion, one of her strong brown legs laying on the log while the other dangled freely over the side.
Nick smirked as he stared into the fire.
This was the life. He had his mate on one side and one of his now closest friends on the other. Even with the occasional stares from a certain vixen across the fire, Nick felt like nothing could ruin is evening.
"So," Clive spoke up after a conversation with Al. "How about those marshmallows?"
"We don't eat those here," Jim piped up which surprised some of the mammals around the circle. "Right Ranger Rose?"
Trisha grinned as she pushed against Nick and stood up in front of her log.
"Right you are Rocky," Trisha said with a teasing wink.
The doe then leaned over her log, her tail flicking slightly.
"I swear if I was a few years younger," Clive chuckled to Al.
One of Trisha's large ears went up and she glanced over her shoulder, looking directly at Clive.
"Age is just a number stud," The doe said with a wink.
Clive put a paw to his chest before letting out a laugh.
"Oh gosh she is such a dork," Judy mumbled, her eyes closed as she leaned against Nick.
Trisha found what she was looking for hidden behind the log and stood up. The doe had a picnic basket of sorts. Several long metal sticks had been tied to the basket with some twine.
She had some trouble getting the twine off until Judy opened her eyes and took notice.
"Let me help," The gray bunny said as she stood up.
"Thanks, cutie," Trisha said as she held the basket so Judy could work at the twine. The brown bunny leaned closer to her friend and spoke in a low whisper that Nick just barely managed to pick up. "I am just used to being tied up, not uniting things ya know?"
A vibrant blush appeared on Judy's cheeks as she closed her eyes and let out a sigh.
Eventually, the twine was undone and Judy began to wander around the campfire, passing out the large metal pokers.
"Are these…?" Clive began to ask as he studied the object Judy had pawed him.
"Coat hangers," Kimmy and Kris said together.
As it turned out the ladies were right. They had apparently taken coat hangers and simply stretched them out so they were now long metal sticks.
"If we aren't eating marshmallows then why do we need these?" Clive asked in a bemused manner.
"Because tonight we are having s'mores," Trisha piped up.
"But Jim said-"
"I said we don't eat marshmallows at Wewa, didn't say anything about s'mores."
Clive chuckled in confusion but went along with it.
"Aren't they the same thing?" Debbie asked which was met with a gasp from Kris, Kimmy, and Trisha.
"City slickers I swear," Jim mumbled.
Nick was thoroughly enjoying the little show that was playing out. Having a feeling that this was a well-rehearsed skit normally played out in front of the younger campers.
Judy returned to her spot next to the fox, holding just one coat hanger.
"We ran out, so we will have to share," Judy said with a sweet smile as she leaned against her ranger.
"How about you make one for me," Nick suggested.
"Only if you make one for me," Judy beamed.
"Uh, what are you doing?" Trisha asked as she looked over at Judy who was busy batting her eyelashes at Nick.
Judy looked over at Trisha in some confusion.
"What?"
"Oh, so I am passing out everything am I?"
Judy snorted as she stood up, "Sorry Trish."
"Camp love," Kimmy said with a wistful sigh. "So romantic."
The ocelot looked up at Jim, causing the old wolf to let out a laugh.
"Will you be my camp boyfriend Jim?" Kimmy asked playfully as she batted her lashes at the old canine.
"Of course darling," Jim chuckled as he gave the feline a pat on the back.
"Hey!" Kris and Trisha both piped up, glaring at the old wolf. "What about us?"
Eventually, Judy and Trisha managed to pass out the supplies everyone would need for their s'mores.
Nick had forgotten just how much of a production the campfire dessert could be sometimes.
They each had a paper plate with their fixings on it which were composed of several pieces of chocolate, graham crackers, and finally a few marshmallows.
"So tell us," Al began as he sat a little straighter on his log, holding the coat hanger in his paws. "How do we make the perfect camp s' more?"
Trisha, who had just finished passing out supplies grinned as she looked over at Judy.
"Can I?" The brown bunny asked.
"Be my guest," Judy chuckled as she strolled back to her spot next to Nick.
"Alright, Campers!" Trisha shouted as she stepped in front of the VIMs whose eyes all went wide.
The ranger took her hat and flipped it so the bill was now sticking out behind her.
"Time to teach you the proper way to make a s'more."
"Will there be a test later?" Clive asked.
"Yes!" Trisha barked back with a grin.
Trisha then plucked a marshmallow from Clive's plate.
"First you take your mo."
"Our what?" Debbie asked.
"Mo!" Trisha said firmly as she held the marshmallow for all to see.
Slowly each of the VIMs picked up a marshmallow and held it up in the same way Trisha was.
Nick chuckled as Judy did the same.
"You put the mo on the poke."
"Poke?" Clive asked.
Trisha then placed her marshmallow on the tip of the coat hanger before poking the metal through the small puff of sugar.
As one the VIMs all skewered their own marshmallow before looking up at Trisha for the next set of instructions.
Trisha then stepped to the side so the others had access to the fire. The doe held her marshmallow over the fire and began to turn it slowly.
After a few seconds, the ranger lifted the mo into the air for all to see. The white fluff of the marshmallow was now a golden brown.
"Now we got the Mo, your turn," The doe instructed.
"She seems pretty good at this," Nick whispered into Judy's ear which made the doe smirk.
"Lots of practice," Judy whispered in return.
"Think I need more practice," Nick said as he held up a now flaming marshmallow.
"Oh cheese and crackers! Nick!" Judy blurted out as she stood up and began to blow on the flaming sugary treat.
As Trisha walked the VIMs through the proper way to make a s'more Judy had to try and keep a certain foxy ranger in line.
The first s'more Nick made turned into a smoldering lump on the ground. The next one caught aflame and fell into the fire.
When the ranger finally managed to get one on his plate it was a burnt crisp.
"What am I going to do with you Two Forks?" Judy chuckled as she shook her head with a smile.
"Keep laughing," Nick said as he put another marshmallow on his poker. "The next one is yours."
"Ack wait what?" Judy blurted out as she tried to reach for the poker.
Nick though was a little quicker and managed to hold it just out of the doe's reach.
"I don't like mine burnt," Judy pouted.
"Well, then I will have to make this one extra special."
Much to Judy's delight Nick actually showed off some skill. He raised a perfectly golden brown Mo from above the flames and inspected it.
He then placed it gently on a piece of chocolate before covering both ends with graham crackers.
"Oh wow," Judy said as she looked at the plate Nick held in front of her. "But...you burned all the others."
"It's called a hustle sweetheart," Nick said with a wiggle of his brow that made Judy roll her eyes.
"Ah what do I do?!" Al shouted from the other end of the firepit.
The koala was now on his 3rd attempt at making a s'more and sadly it didn't seem to be going so well.
The marshmallow at the end of his poker was currently engulfed in a small flame, looking like a torch as the surprised mammal began to wave it around.
Trisha hurried over and grabbed the poker, giving it a firm grasp so it didn't fly around. She then drew in some air before blowing on the small flaming treat.
The fire went out but the poor smore was still smoking.
Without skipping a beat Trisha looked over at Kris.
"You like 'em burnt right Kris?" Trisha asked with a grin.
"Oh yes please," The silver vixen said as her tail gave a playful flick. "Thanks, Al."
"No problem," The koala said as he caught his breath.
Clive let out a boom of laughter as he watched the scene play out. His own burnt s'more grasped in his paws as he munched at the campfire treat.
Debbie meanwhile was oddly silent as she munched on her own perfectly made s'more. Her eyes occasionally glancing over at Nick and Judy who seemed to be caught up in their own little world.
A flash of jealousy shown in the vixen's eyes but it was gone just as quickly as it had come. She looked back at the flames and took another bite of her s'more as she listened to the others around her, trying to plan something out in her mind.
After everyone had had their fill of s'mores the mammals around the campfire seemed to settle down. All of them enjoying the warmth coming from the fire that licked at the wood in the small rock circle.
Occasionally Jim would stand and toss some fresh logs into the flames, feeding the fire so it would continue to burn.
"Anyone else want more s'mores?" Judy asked as she stood up from her spot on the log and began to walk around the fire, gathering up plates and pokers from anyone who seemed done with making the fireside dessert.
"Oh I am stuffed," Clive said as he patted his stomach.
"Those may have been the only s'mores I have ever had but they were still the best," Al spoke up as he pawed over his poker and gave Judy a thankful nod.
Debbie remained silent as she gave Judy her plate, giving the doe a forced but still sweet looking smile.
"Well now that you are properly stuffed and can't escape," Trisha began as she put her paws together and grinned over at Kris who had an equally mischievous smirk on her muzzle.
"Uh oh," Clive grumbled.
"Campfire songs!" Both Trisha and Kris announced as Kris reached behind her and produced a worn guitar with a series of park department logo stickers on it.
"Oh I was worried we were gonna go for a jog or something," Clive asked.
"We aren't that cruel," Trisha joked which caused Nick to glance over at her and give the doe a disbelieving look. "Ok so we aren't that cruel to them...you are free game though."
"Judy, you hearing this?" Nick asked as he looked at his bunny.
Judy giggled as she returned and placed the plates and pokers she had gathered in the basket behind their log. She then glanced at Nick.
"Awww, is the big bad bunny picking on my poor ranger?" Judy asked with a playful pout.
"Oh har har," Nick grumbled as he folded his arms.
"Should I call Skye and ask her to tell the other rangers to stop picking on you?"
"Oh don't you dare," Nick laughed.
Judy returned to her spot next to Nick, the gap between them quickly closing as she leaned against her tod. The bunny having completely given up on hiding what they were from the VIMs.
Though his ex was just a few feet away Nick still kept a smile on his face as he closed his eyes and wrapped an arm around Judy's shoulders. Pulling the bunny close as they both listened to Kris tuning her guitar.
It didn't take long for the silver vixen to get into her stride and soon she was serenading the mammals around the campfire with old songs or the occasional acoustic cover of a more modern song.
All the ladies around the fire shifted excitedly when Gazelles, Try Everything began to come from Kris's guitar.
A few of them even joined in and sang along to the song.
Clive seemed to enjoy it the most as he even stood up and tried to shake his hips like the famous singer would on stage. This was met by a round of applause by several of the ladies.
Jim even let out a whistle before laughing loudly at the armadillo's antics.
As the song came to an end Clive returned to his seat to much applause while Kris continued to strum a simple tune out.
Nick glanced around the campfire, everyone seemed to be enjoying the notes currently coming from the guitar laced with the crackle and snaps from the fire.
Clive finally broke the silence as he looked across the flames at Kris, "Are there any songs specific to Wewa?"
Kris looked at the armadillo and seemed to be deep in thought as she looked to the cloud-covered skies, a gentle mist hanging over the mammals around the firepit.
"Wewa specific..." Kris mumbled.
"Well there are some Fairfax ones," Nick piped up, glancing at Trisha with a smirk.
His fellow ranger chuckled from her spot on the log and shook her head.
"Oh really?" Al spoke up as he looked over at the brown bunny. "Do tell."
"Well, there are a few songs the rangers like to sing," Judy admitted as she looked from Trisha, and then to Nick, before looking across the fire at the others. "However I think we would need to get a few drinks in Trisha before she is willing to embarrass herself."
"Oh excuse me?" Trisha laughed as she leaned forward so she could look over at Judy who stuck her tongue out which caused Al and Clive to laugh. "Embarrass myself?"
Nick chanced a glance over at Debbie and was pleased to see the vixen was still simply staring into the fire.
"She even has a little dance," Judy chuckled.
Trisha smacked her lips as one of her famous mischievous smiles crossed her face.
"Oh we will show them a dance alright," Trisha said as she stood up from her log and trotted over to Kris who stopped her strumming and grinned.
"Uh oh," Nick chuckled as he watched his friend walk away. He then glanced down at Judy, "I know that look."
Everyone watched as Trisha signaled for Kris to lean close. The black-furred vixen did so and suddenly grinned.
"Yeah, I know that one," Kris said as she sat up straight and began to play a simple tune.
"Oh no," Judy said as her ears went up.
"Just keep the same tempo," Trisha said as she turned and looked directly at Judy and began to sway to the simple tune.
Nick listened for a minute and recognized the tune as Dancing in the Moonlight by King Harvest.
Judy grabbed Nick's arm and tried to hide her face from Trisha which told the fox that this was actually going to be very entertaining.
Trisha made her way around the campfire once more, stopping right in front of Judy as she kept swaying to the beat, extending a paw towards the now mortified looking Judy.
A steady clapping came from behind Trisha as Clive began to put his paws together to the beat, adding to the tune in just the right way. He was soon joined by Al and much to Nick's surprise Debbie seemed to be tapping a paw to the beat.
Nick gave Judy a slight nudge which made the doe look up at her mate.
"Your audience awaits," Nick chuckled.
"Hate you," Judy grumbled as she took Trisha's paw and stood up.
"You brought this on yourself," Trisha said softly as she held her paw above Judy's head. The gray doe rolled her eyes as she did a little spin before being led away from Nick and closer to the fire where everyone could see.
Kris reached the end to one verse and began to start strumming what sounded like the start of the song.
Right on cue, Trisha and Judy got into a rhythm, slowly swaying to the beat. While they held paws with one arm, the others lazily glided through the air.
"Oh there is magic here tonight"
"And the fireflies blink so bright"
"It's such a natural delight"
"We should be dancing in the lamplight"
Nick smirked as he listened to Trisha sing out her own version of the relaxing song.
"Come on now no one is in sight"
"We can just enjoy the night"
"The skies are clear and the stars are bright"
"We should be dancing in the lamplight"
He was pleasantly surprised as Judy closed her eyes and continued to dance with her friend. Almost as if she and Trisha were the only ones at the campfire.
"Dancing in the lamplight"
"The stars are oh so very bright"
"Fireflies have made an inviting sight"
"Just keep on dancing in the lamplight"
Trisha and Judy took a step towards each other but turned so their backs were to one another. They both raised their right feet upwards and leaned at an angle so the bottom of the large paws touched before they put both feet on the ground and twirled to face one another once more.
As the next verse started up Judy raised her and Trisha's paw upward. Trisha did a half twirl and leaned her back against Judy, continuing to sway to the beat as Judy wrapped Trisha up in a playful hug.
"Just have fun and hold me tight"
"Let's just stay and dance all night"
"It's such a natural delight"
"Just keep dancing in the lamplight"
The two continued to sway to the beat. Trisha glancing over at Nick and giving him a teasing wink as she put her paws on Judy's, keeping the gray does grasp on her hips.
Nick rolled his eyes and shook his head at the ranger's antics.
Kris continued to play the song as mammals around the campfire continued to put their paws together to the beat.
Eventually, though the dance came to an end. Trisha twirled from Judy's arms but held onto one of the gray paws. As one, both Judy and Trisha took a bow.
Everyone around the fire clapped, Clive even stood up and gave a standing ovation.
Judy returned to her seat next to Nick. She couldn't look at the fox though, her gaze was towards the cloud above, a rosy tint going up her ears.
"Sometimes Judy needs a firm reminder on what she says around me," Trisha teased as she sat down and crossed her legs.
"Hate you," Judy mumbled.
"You all wanna see another one?" Trisha asked as she hopped up and beamed at Judy who started to wave her paws about.
"Ack! No, Trish! No!" Judy barked quickly, nearly falling over the log she was seated upon.
Hey there Firewatchers,
First off the song Dancing in the Lamplight is of course a parody of Dancing in the Moonlight by King Harvest. Gotta love those classics, especially with a little Firefalls twist to it.
I hope you all enjoyed another cheesy chapter. Things are about to get interesting though. We still have the ropes course after all. You know how competitive Judy can get sometimes. Can't believe there are only a few chapters left in this one.
So in other news. I have started a new story!
Zootopia: Evangelion is a new AU based off of the anime Evangelion which has been one of my all-time favorites ever since I was a kid and they played the first 4 episodes on Adult Swim. It will be a little more action-packed than the Firewatch series but don't worry, there will be still plenty of shipping going on. Oh, and of course pinecone references :P
If you get a chance please check it out.
As always thanks for the support and we will see you all again soon!
Pinecone!
-Blue