Pirates

Rose: Bo Diddley; You Can't Judge A Book by Its Cover

Nicholas: Foo Fighters; My Hero

Adam: Too Close to Touch; What I Wish I could Forget

Adam shook his head as Nicholas cupped his paw over his eyes. "I don't know what to do. They hate me."

"Well try to tell them, boy. I've told you a dozen times, ask for help when you think you might need it. You never know if you don't try. If those foxes blow you off then screw em. Not all foxes are good and can choose to be something else. Those vixens are no different just because they run the Den. They're there for a reason, take advantage of it and tell them whatever it was you overheard. Maybe I can help too?"

The silver fox puffed his cheeks out and nodded. "I'll talk to them first but I don't want to put you out, Adam." The older red fox nodded and Nicholas walked away, making his way to the Den in the City of Roses.

He stood in front of the council shaking his head. "I've heard from several mammals through the park that Peter Pan and Windy are in trouble. Something about Captain Hook stealing what keeps them young, or he'll keep them young forever."

Azria shook her head as Cassie sighed. "We will look into this for you Pan, but it's unlikely it's anything to worry about. We haven't heard anything from the foxes here about it. These names are kept in the Den, no one could know who you two are outside of it or understand their meanings, and you are Pan and Windy. Not Peter Pan and Wendy."

Nicholas sighed as he shook his head. "Look, I know how I got the name because I'm constantly working on things and moved around all the time when I was younger, and I know she had that name because of her fur being white. Even if I'm not Peter Pan and we aren't that to anyone here, it's still alarming and seems a little too coincidental to ignore! It's not the foxes here I overheard talking about it, they were from out of town and visiting the park. Cassie, please? I'm just trying to make sure my family is safe."

Azria scowled and leaned forward shaking her head. "Perhaps you should have thought of that BEFORE you opened that park and started a family! We are not meant to be in the light! Telling everyone that predators and foxes are just like the prey mammals and exposing yourself to the whole of the world without thought of the repercussions?!"

Cassie let off a low growl and the other vixen took her seat, lowering her ears and head as Nicholas sighed and shifted his eyes. The older green - eyed vixen smiled as she looked down at her son in law. "I cannot force the rest of the council members to make a decision as a group, nor they you about the park, as it's not causing problems for the Den and is supporting your family, even if I am the Helm. You're a new father and have never had a family. I do understand your nervousness, John. We are looking out for you as we do any other foxes in our Den. We'll have it looked into." Nicholas sighed and bowed his head slightly before leaving the Den and heading back home.

He stepped into the living room and Rose watched him sit on the couch before she sat next to him bouncing their son lightly. "I tried, Rose. Cassie was the only one who seemed to think it might even need to be looked into. It's like they just…. didn't care. Just wasted time. They brought up the park again." Rose shook her head and giggled as their son crawled into his lap fussing. He smiled as the little fox pulled at his ears and looked back to see Rose with an understanding smile on her face.

"If Mom said she'd have it looked into she will Nicholas, whether they like it or not. It might take her some time, but Nicky is only two so I doubt it has anything to do with any of us. The names don't really match." She signed as she leaned back with him.

The silver fox smiled and sighed as the small kit he was holding whined. "Hey, Big boy. What are you still doing awake at this time of night?"

Rose giggled as his head snapped to her and he chuckled as she reached behind herself and picked up a book from the side table she handed to him. "You know he doesn't sleep well if you don't read to him, Nicholas. He talks more in sign than he speaks, but he loves your voice."

He took it and smiled when the young kit settled in his lap yawning as he opened the front cover. "Once upon a time there was a boy who didn't want to grow up," he looked at Rose frowning. "You know how much I hate this story, Rose."

"It's just a story and you know it's his favorite." Rose rolled her eyes and shook her head before she signed again and he shot his ears back to his son as he grabbed the book whining.

Nicholas smirked as the kit in his lap looked up at him yawning and tugging at his shirt. "Oh all right." He sighed as he turned the page and started reading, chuckling as his son let his head fall against his chest listening to his voice. Nicholas smiled as he lifted Nicky to his shoulder and stood from the couch. Rose reached for him, smiling as he shook his head. "I'll tuck him in Rose." She watched Nicky yawn again as he curled over her father's shoulder and gave Nicholas a quick peck before going back to the kitchen. Nicholas tipped his head in his son's back as the little tod sighed….

A year Later…

"So…can I meet him?" Adam asked and watched as Nicholas cringed. "She doesn't like me very much, does she? Your Rose?"

Nicholas pursed his lips and shrugged. "No, but it's not just that, Adam. I've heard some rumors that have bothered me and vixens are pretty secretive about kits until they start school. The Den looked into it and couldn't find anything, but I've had it drilled into my head for the last few years about how important it is to keep things about family and your den hidden. Since Rose is the eldest vixen she'll be taking over for her mother and making all the family decisions when it comes to the family. I was a little shocked that their den became our den and that we all live together like we do. You didn't tell me that. I didn't think foxes did that."

Adam chuckled as he nodded. "Yeah, you didn't tell me her mother was on the council either."

"Well I didn't find out until the day before we got married and was pretty stressed about a few things at the time. I still have a hard time living there sometimes, but it's been a little easier since Nicky came along and she started running the house. Cassie's almost always at the Den now."

"When one vixen has some kits, the others will usually pitch in and help. The eldest is always the head of the family. Any other circumstance and the tod usually needs to have a home ready first so the younger siblings can move out and start their own den, but since her mother is on the council and she's the oldest you weren't required to do that, just prove you could support and protect your family. Isn't he turning three pretty soon? I really would like to meet him."

"In a few months he will. Let me talk to her again, Adam. Maybe I can convince her to meet with you tomorrow. She hasn't left the den too much since he was born and we haven't had many visitors. Maybe if I explain things to her a little it will help."

"I really do want to meet him, Piberius." Nicholas smiled as he pointed to the booth. "Yeah, I'll take over for tonight if you need some time to talk to her about it." Adam nodded as he watched the silver fox leave the park for the day and took over the front booth for the night….

"Rose…. Thank you. I know how much this has bothered you but he's like…" The vixen sighed as she nodded and adjusted the kit on her hip. Nicholas stepped through the door of the office he was storing extra parts and layouts for in the park and stuck a paw out as Adam stood waiting. They shook paws as the older fox took a seat.

"Where is he?" Adam asked as Nicholas tilted his head back towards another door.

"Just give her a second. She's really nervous and Nicky doesn't like strangers. The few he's met he's thrown a fit and ran back to his mother. She's had to be pretty careful about taking him anywhere because he's pretty shy, and with all of us being…different, she doesn't like drawing attention to us. She only takes him to the store or when she's shopping. She doesn't want anyone messing with him like the few times we've had a run in at the park with both our fur the colors they are."

"Understandable. People can be stupid about that and I can see why she wouldn't want him exposed to the ideas. Different? How is your son different?"

Nicholas shook his head grinning. "You'll see, Adam."

Adam snickered as he nodded, lifting his ears and looking behind Nicholas as Rose peeked through the door and nervously stepped into the room. The red fox at the table just sat and watched as she slowly walked to the table, a small green -eyed kit looking around in wonder at the large building until she got close enough to the table that he could turn. Nicky spotted the red fox sitting next to his father and buried his face in her chest as Rose bit her lip, cradling him closer. Nicholas gently pulled him from her. The vixen watched with stiff ears as Nicholas kneeled down with the little red kit in front of Adam. The older red fox's jaw was partially opened as Nicholas turned the little tod around. "Nicky, look. This is Daddy's friend, Adam. See?"

The little red fox kit looked up at Adam and tipped his head, sniffing curiously. Rose's jaw dropped as he squirmed out of his father's arms and took a few steps to the red fox sitting in front of him. Nicholas smiled as he reached up and grabbed the red furred fox's nose and looked to see Rose slack jawed as their son grabbed Adam around the neck.

Adam sucked in a breath as he sat back up, looking at the little tod he pulled into his lap. "Look at that. Got your Daddy's bushel, didn't you? No fox in the world has ever had a tail like that, or a more unique set of parents." Nicholas stood as Rose stepped closer and the vixen cupped her paws over her mouth as Nicky reached up pulling the red fox's neck into his arms, hugging around his face as Nicholas wrapped his arm around her.

The silver fox smiled wider as Adam choked, curling his arms around Nicky. He caught Rose shaking her head. 'I told you Nicky would be able to tell if he was a good guy or not', he mouthed as Rose looked between them.

As Nicholas and Rose were having a silent conversation, Adam dipped into the small kits ear whispering. "You'll make all the suffering your father has caused me worth it when you bring your children into this world and I find a place in Eternity. The children of chaos are the only way to bring order… a higher breed of fox that will rule all mammals, won't you, Nicky?"

Nicky looked up at him and Adam blinked at the perplexed look he was getting. He dipped his head a little lower and ticked his eyes to Nicholas and Rose before he spoke again. "You'll stand out in appearance to all others of your kind. Not the right name is it? Maybe you'd prefer to be called…. Loki?"

Nicky giggled and scrunched his nose against the older foxes. Nicholas snapped his attention to them, chuckling as Rose gaped watching the toddler cuddle under the red foxes chin. She lowered on her knees watching the older red fox get teary eyed as he pet her son's ears and shook hers as her son leaned up running his muzzle over the older fox's face. Adam looked back at Nicholas and Rose watching, chuckling through teary eyes. "Thank you…. All I wanted was to hold the future in my arms for just a second. I'll never forget this." Adam watched with glazed eyes and chuckled as he sat the little tod back on the floor.

"ADA!" Nicky giggled as he toddled back to his father's arms.

"Ada?" Adam asked as Rose shook her head and was waving her paws around as Nicholas chuckled.

The silver tod shrugged as he picked up his son. "She says the reason he calls me that is because I went around saying I was 'A Dad' so much that it got stuck in his head. I better get them out there. Ross is supposed waiting so can stay." Adam nodded as he waved, watching Nicholas hold the door open for Rose.

Nicholas led Rose back out of the park and the vixen let her shoulders fall as he looked at her with a cocky smirk. "Ok, maybe I was wrong about him." She signed before he looked at his son grinning. He chuckled as Nicky reached for his mother and passed him to her as she rolled her eyes.

"He doesn't talk too much about his past, but he mentioned once that he lost his family. Says if you lose your family you lose your heart. I think I'm the closest thing he's had to one as much as he's the closest to me."

Rose sighed as she shook her head. "Nicky's never reached for someone like that, he treated him as if he were…part of our family. I've never seen anything like it before with someone who wasn't related anyway…" Her brow dropped as Nicholas shook his head.

"Rose?"

"He lost his family?"

Nicholas nodded as she set her face in an uncomfortable cringe. "His mate and the litter they had. They all died in childbirth. It's about all I know. I think it really bothers him, but he hides how much it hurts and doesn't talk about it. He's had nightmares for years. After I found out about it, I wondered if that's what caused them. Snapped at me pretty good when it came up and it was the only time I've ever seen him act…out of character. I've seen him get upset before but that day I thought he might bite me for a second. Told me never to bring it up again. He wasn't himself and I think he still misses them, her. I think he wants to forget."

"When?" she asked and he shook his head frowning.

"I'm not really sure but I don't think it was too long before we met. That's the first time I've seen him get the way he was with Nicky though. He calls me Piberius, it's why I gave him the name. Why does it matter?"

Rose choked back tears as Nicholas looked her over and she shook her head. "I'll explain it later, Nicholas. Right now, isn't an appropriate time." She leaned up as they shared a soft peck and he curled his brow as she sniffled and ran her muzzle over his cheek, smiling at Adam as he walked outside. Nicholas tipped a brow as Rose walked to Adam and smiled as she let Nicky hug him again before he watched her walk back towards the entrance where she met her father.

Adam stepped out and called his attention to the gates with a wide smile as he waved. "New customers, John!"

Nicholas walked back to him smiling as the older red fox bounced around, happily talking to customers. He leaned over chuckling as Adam handed out a few bracelets. "So, did you ever get that thing taken care of with the Den?" the older fox asked and Nicholas shook his head sighing.

"No, they didn't really listen. I guess I might have been overreacting anyway."

"Oh? Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it, boy. I want to help."

Nicholas grinned as he stood and folded his arms over his chest as Adam pointed his ears at him. He was puffing his chest watching the older fox glowing for the first time he'd really seen since they'd met.

"It has to do with the names they gave us and the rumors I've been hearing for about a year. As soon as things die down a little I'll tell you about it..." He snickered as a rush of mammals slammed the gates.

Adam laughed as he nodded in agreement. "All right, Boy. Carry on. Just don't forget to remember later."