Becoming The Shadow
One Republic; Stop and Stare
Nicholas looked in the mirror and flipped the lapel of his suit up, brushing off a few specs of lint before he turned and found Rose watching him from the door. The vixen had a long face and worried tint to her brow as he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her. "Are you ready for this?" he asked and took a deep breath as she pulled him closer and rolled her head under his chin. The tod let out a breath and pulled in her scent before he cupped her shoulders and was looking down at her with a soft smile. "Nicky already with the Haywards?" He asked and chuckled as she rolled her eyes, her paws going up and storming out the word chocolate. Nicholas snickered as he cupped her paw and pulled her out of the room. The vixen curled up beside him as they drove out to the Knuckle and Rose was fighting hiccups as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close as he opened the door to the diner.
The tod smirked as Shirley came to the table and sat two bowls of soup down before she winked and walked off. "Thanks Shirley."
Rose picked up her spoon and went cross eyed looking at the key resting on it. She narrowed her eyes on him playfully as he snickered and shook his head as he plucked the key from her spoon. "Mum did that." She dropped her head and nodded as he grabbed one of her paws over the table and ran his thumb over it until she looked at him again. "What did you tell the Haywards?" she looked off and sighed as she put her spoon down and pulled her paw from his.
"Date night." She signed and shrugged looking around. He chuckled as he nodded and picked up his spoon.
"Not a lie, but maybe I should take you out dancing later too." Rose looked back at him shaking her head with a sneaky smile as they both started eating. Once they were finished, they both left the table and made their way to the restroom where Nicholas handed her the key. She shook her head before she unlocked it under the false wall he showed her. They walked together as she held tightly to his paw, squeezing gently for reassurance as they stopped and met several foxes seated at a table to the side. The vixen shivered as he pulled her into his arms and motioned to the door. Roland stood and opened it letting them in as Nicholas looked around. The place was empty, an unusual sight to see since they had moved to Zootopia, but this was a requested Appeal to the council so the other foxes weren't privy to what was going on unless it was necessary.
Nicholas stood in front of the council with Rose at his side and bowed his head slightly as Madge tipped her head curiously. The vixen looked at Rose and raised a brow as she took hold of her mate's paw and turned her eyes. "What is this about, John? You have no need to request council here, certainly not in private like this."
"I am aware, but," he looked at Rose smiling softly as she nodded. "We've decided that it would be best under the circumstances to leave the Den for a while." All the vixens on the council looked back and forth between each other as Madge stood and left her seat. She walked to the lower level in front of the seats and looked at Rose sadly as the younger vixen fought tears.
"Rose?" she asked as Nicholas watched his mate. Madge turned her attention back to the silver fox as he squeezed her paw and sighed. "You're meant to take the ninth seat. Your mother was the Helm here. It is your right, even if the main branch is not located here."
Nicholas turned his eyes as he dipped his head. "That's the problem, Madge. We're more and more aware of the fact that they are looking for us. With Cassie gone, and the Den in Zootopia finally set in a secure position there's more of a risk that someone from the main branch would come looking around to check on things. I know I can't hide here, too many foxes know who I am. Right now, at least for a little while, we need to be invisible. We'd like you to take the position of Helm in Zootopia, and keep our secret about who we are, just as you did for Cassie. That is our appeal."
The older vixen blanched as she looked back at Rose who was leaning her head against her mates shoulder. "This is what you want Rose?" she asked and watched the younger vixen nod with a small smile. "What would happen to the arrangement with Weaselton?"
Nicholas shook his head as he curled his arm around Rose. "The arrangement was only temporary as far as what we were doing is concerned. As for the rest of the foxes who work in the grid, it's locked in place and is guaranteed not to change."
Madge sucked in a deep breath as she looked back to the rest of the council members. "You're standing down from your seat as the Helm Rose? Do we need to vote on this?" she asked with a tipped brow as all the vixens at the table stood and left their seats to join her in front of the two younger foxes. "Tracy?"
The vixen at her immediate right shook her head, smiling as she folded her paws in front of herself. "She is the Helm Madge. If she wishes someone to stand in her place for a while, then it shall be so."
Madge looked around seeing all the other vixens nodding their agreement and took a deep breath as she returned her attention to Nicholas and Rose. "This doesn't seem fair to either of you with everything you've done here and…" Madge froze and her eyes flew open as Rose rushed forward curling around her. Nicholas let the weight of his eyes show as Madge blinked in shock and he tipped his head down at her.
"Cassie spoke highly of you regarding how strict you were on our ways. Rose believes you would be the best one to hold this seat. We don't need what is fair right now. We need someone who can keep us hidden, keep the Den here and everything she did together. If they find us, all of it may come undone." Nicholas pulled Rose back and was brushing her cheek as they looked into each other's eyes. "This is her legacy, this den and everything it stands for. If anyone comes here, we need them to see that, and not us. We don't expect any special treatment. As far as everyone else is concerned we're just foxes who have a small kit and should stay hidden for a while. You already know why we left the City of Roses, this place doesn't need that kind of attention when it's just gotten settled and off on the right foot. As long as you never tell them our names, they would never know."
Madge looked back watching all the other vixens smiling sadly as Nicholas and Rose stayed locked in each other's eyes. The vixen nodded as she bowed her head slightly. Nicholas pulled Rose's focus from him back to the older vixen as Madge raised a paw. "Then I shall do the best I can in your stand, Rose Wilde. This seat will always be yours, and if it's a matter the council cannot agree on or needs assistance with, can we still call on you?"
Rose dipped her head and nodded. Nicholas curled his arms around the front of her as her back pressed to his chest. "As long as you contact me, I can get her the message. Our Den needs to stay as hidden as possible for our son. But Madge, I really doubt you'll have an issue you need to contact us for." The older vixen blinked as Rose giggled and tipped her nose into her mates neck, sending him snickering before she turned in his arms. All the older vixens snickered while they were both rumbling slightly to each other.
Madge smiled as she cupped her paws in front of herself. "Yes, she is a little young to take a seat and we do understand why she feels this way with a child at home. If either of you need us, you know where we are."
Nicholas stepped to Rose's side as they pulled apart and bowed slightly, looking back at the vixen with beaming smiles. "We're moving away from the Den, but we aren't going anywhere as long as we're safe. I'll return when my son is old enough to start learning here. My Lady." Madge blinked again and her back straightened when Nicholas and Rose bowed in front of her.
The vixens could only stare as they watched Nicholas curl an arm around her and spin her out as if they were taking their vows again. None of them said a word as the two foxes danced around each other, understanding there was a significant bond between the two that may have somehow become stronger with the loss of Cassie. Unlike when they had seen him at the hospital the day of her death his feet and paws were steady. He turned and grabbed Rose's paw when she flew from him, before he spun with her smirking as she circled him. As they came together again, he threw an arm under her making her giggle as he picked her up and left the Den with her curling under his chin.
Madge looked back to the other vixens as she shook her head. "The Den is opening again in an hour. What do we tell them about Cassie and the seat? The Wilde's?"
Tracy shrugged. "The truth, the ninth seat here is vacant until her daughter is old enough to take it. The Wilde's have asked us all to keep their secret, so for those here who don't know it, they're simply doing what any other foxes with children that young would do and staying hidden. They want to be invisible. No one is going to question it."
Madge chuckled as she shook her head. "Well, that is quite a few years off, but since I am the Helm now, my first recommendation is that we all learn sign language for when she returns."
Tracy tapped her on the shoulder snickering. "Your first order is indeed a wise one then…"
Nicholas carried Rose to an old metal ladder as she looked around. The vixen shook her head as he motioned to it and she rolled her eyes as she climbed up and crawled out, looking around the dusty old building as he came up. He grabbed her paw and led her to the door, peeking around before stepping out and pulling her with him. She pulled her paw away from him and threw her arms up with a disbelieving glare as he snickered. When his ears flicked, she looked in the same direction, letting her jaw drop as Renee stood with one hip popped out and threw her arm the other direction. "That way hot shit."
Nicholas chuckled as he grabbed Rose's paw, leading her around the corner. She narrowed her eyes on him when they reached the car. The silver fox was smirking as he pulled out his keys and jingled them in front of her. "She has a duplicate. Whenever I need to come down here for some reason, she's going to come move the car just in case, you know, so it's not noticed. One of Weaselton's … conditions, I guess. I pretty much have my own valet. All I have to do is call and tell her I'm coming down here and her or Sabby will come move the car for me."
Rose sighed as he opened her door for her. He looked back smirking as he took his seat, chuckling as she squinted her eyes. "Then it's a good thing we aren't coming back for a while." She signed.
Nicholas laughed as he started the car and leaned close to her before he licked her nose, sending her head back as she laughed. "I only have eyes for you Rose. I don't want that weasel anywhere near us. I'll make sure it's Sabby from now on. I trust her a lot more than I do Earl or Renee. Would that make you feel better?" He smirked as she bit her lip nodding. Rose sighed as she leaned into his side smiling. He pulled from the curb and lifted an arm before curling it around her. She cuddled into him, rumbling as they made their way home…
