WingedKatt here. Just a fair warning, this chapter has a lot of drama and fluff in it. 😁

As Ryan neared the rutted, dirt road that led to Daisy's house, he glanced over at his girlfriend who was still lost in thought. She still had a dreamy look on her face and he wondered what she was thinking about. He figured it had something to do with him, but he was curious about the details of her daydreams. He knew she had dreamed about kissing him, but what other things did she want to do with him? Knowing they could now explore these daydreams they'd both had of the other had his heartbeat up as he considered the possibilities.

As he turned onto the poorly maintained dirt road, Ryan turned his attention back to the road and steered around the worst of the ruts. A slight scowl touched the edges of his mouth as he thought of her house. He had complained about it being little more than a hovel several times and repeatedly told Daisy that she deserved something far better. In response, she always said she couldn't afford something better (and on her salary, she was right), but that didn't mean he was happy about it. It's one of the main reasons he built her a house. She might not be able to afford it, but he certainly could. The only question was how soon could he move her into it?

As they neared the house, Daisy sat up straight as reality hit her like a fast-falling anvil. She had been enjoying her fantasies about Ryan on the trip home, but she suddenly realized that her fantasies might be coming true a whole lot sooner than she ever expected. Was she ready to experience more of Ryan? She had daydreamed about making-out with him for years, but was she really ready? Daydreaming didn't cost a thing, but reality always demanded its dues be paid in full. Was she ready to pay? What would it cost her to be with Ryan?

And would he really want to remain with her? Daisy honestly had no idea how she could have such a hold on a buck as wonderful as Ryan. She was just a skunk living in a hovel who couldn't even support herself with her college degree, but had to work at a hardware store just to have enough money to buy her necessities and help pay some of the bills. Her dad's meager checks paid the rent, but didn't leave much for anything else, so she and her brother Cori used some of their own paychecks to help pay the utilities and put food on the table.

So, what did she really have to offer Ryan? The only thing Daisy had to give was herself. But was that really enough? And if she gave him everything, would she really be able to hold his interest? A year or two down the road, once the novelty of being with her wore off, would he really want to stay with her? There were so many cute does out there with far more talents she had, and who came from much better families. She could name several dozen does right off the top of her head who would give anything to catch the attention of an amazing buck like Ryan.

So how could she hold his attention once the newness of their relationship wore off and he no longer considered her exotic enough for his taste? Wringing her poor tail fur between her fingers, Daisy mentally cursed herself for letting her mom's negativity plant such doubts in her mind, but these were real fears she had. If she became romantically involved with Ryan and he ever grew bored with her presence and walked away, Daisy knew her poor heart would never recover. Her feelings for Ryan ran too deep and it would absolutely crush her if he ever left her.

In this instance, her mom was right when she said that Daisy would fall apart if they became romantically involved and Ryan then turned his back on her. She had waited so long to find someone like Ryan, a male who appealed to her on every level and who supported and cherished her. He made her feel like a princess and it was a real testament of her self-control that she was able to keep her paws to herself all these years. So what would happen to her poor heart if Ryan ever left her now that she knew what it felt like to kiss him and to run her paws through his soft, short fur?

Taking a deep breath, Daisy tried to push her fears back down. Ryan wasn't some shallow buck, but even so, Daisy knew she and Ryan needed to sit down and discuss their relationship, to understand what both expected from the future before they did anything more than kissing. She needed to hear from Ryan's own lips what he wanted from her and for how long.

As Ryan drove into her driveway, he noticed a small, unfamiliar gray pickup truck parked next to the house. Scowling at it, he stopped in front of the house and turned towards Daisy. Seeing that her insecurities had returned, he reached over to grab her paw. Giving it a light squeeze, Daisy looked up to meet his warm, brown gaze. "Are you alright?" he asked in concern.

Taking a deep breath, Daisy nodded. "Yeah, just some of my mom's insecurities resurfacing." As Ryan reached over to caress her cheek, she added, "But there are several things we need to discuss before…before you…you lock me in your room tonight." Thinking of tonight had a deep blush sweeping across her cheeks and up her ears, and Daisy was grateful for her thick fur which hid it.

Ryan raised a brow for a second, then he smiled. "Good, because there's several things I want to discuss with you, too." Leaning over to rub his nose against hers, he whispered, "Who knows, we might be thinking of the same concerns." With a flick of his ear, he added, "They do say that great minds think alike."

With her heart pounding like crazy at Ryan's nearness and the very recent memories of all their kisses, Daisy gave the barest nod as she whispered a breathy, "Yes."

As his grin widened, Ryan stole a quick kiss from her, then pulled back to say, "But that's for later. Right now, we need to face your mother's wrath long enough to pack your bag, then we need to head over to my parent's house to pick up a few things, and then I have a huge surprise to show you."

With her small, black ears flicking at him in curiosity, she asked excitedly, "You have a surprise for me? Really?"

Laughing, Ryan answered, "Really, really." Flicking her nose, he added, "You're going to love it." Pausing, he then said, "Well, I hope you love it. I've spent months working on it and I've just been waiting for the right time to show it to you."

Wringing her tail fur again—this time in excitement instead of anxiety—she asked softly, "But it's the right time now?"

Leaning over to steal another kiss (a much longer, more thorough kiss), Ryan pulled back to breathe, saying, "Oh, yes." Giving her another quick kiss, he added, "There's no time like the present."

Bouncing with excitement, Daisy couldn't wait to see what Ryan had made for her. Whenever Ryan gave her a surprise, it was always something well-thought out and special and she was never left disappointed. Turning towards the truck door, she said over her shoulder, "Come on then, hurry up. Let's make this quick so I can see my present." Opening the door, she hopped out, making Ryan hurry to catch up.

As Ryan reached her side, he motioned towards the stranger's truck and asked, "Do you know who that belongs to?"

Spying the truck, Daisy stopped short. With a shake of her head, she muttered, "Probably another migrant worker or jobless male needing a place to stay while looking for work." To help make ends meet (and to hopefully get her daughter married off), her mom would sometimes take in skunk boarders, though this is the first one they've had since the winter.

With a heavy sigh, Daisy said, "I know we need the money, and most of the time the guys are nice enough, but I really wish my mom wouldn't invite them in and then harp on me about how great and wonderful this guy or that guy is and then expect me to drag him down to the courthouse so we can get married."

Ryan was watching her with a critical eye as they made their way towards the porch. In a soft whisper, he murmured, "They're not always nice guys."

Daisy froze on the bottom step. Most of the guys that boarded with her family were honest guys simply trying to make a living, but there had been a few jerks. But last winter, her mom had invited a slimy snake into the house. His name was Vincent, and Daisy hadn't felt comfortable around the guy from the moment she laid eyes on him. He just seemed off to her and she would frequently catch him watching her. It was extremely creepy, so she had complained about him to Ryan on several occasions.

Taking Ryan's advice, she avoided being alone in the house with him. But one afternoon, Vincent came home early from work and caught her stepping out of the shower. Daisy was sure he'd come in and heard the water running and so waited down the hall for her to come out. He came up behind her and there was a struggle. She ended up with her clothes ripped, a cut lip, a couple of bruises and some minor scratches, but it would have turned out a whole lot worse for her if Ryan hadn't shown up and beat the slimy snake within an inch of his life.

She never did learn what made Ryan show up when he did. She was in the shower because they had planned to meet later that evening, but Ryan showed up 2 and a half hours early and saved her from a fate worse than death and might possibly have saved her life, too. After he was hauled to jail, the skunk was linked to a missing girl from the last town he'd stayed in. He also had several assault charges and a previous rape charge on his record. Just thinking of that awful afternoon had a cold shiver running down her spine.

Taking a deep breath while rubbing her arm, she murmured softly, "You never did explain why you came to my house so early that day."

Never taking his eyes off her, Ryan said just as quietly, "I was just saddling up one of the rheas to go riding with a few of my brothers when I got this impression that I needed to go to your house. At first, I ignored it since I was already planning to pick you up in a few hours, but then I remembered that creep staying at your house and I suddenly had this overwhelming sense that you needed me."

With a shrug, Ryan added, "I didn't even take the time to put my rhea up. I hopped in my truck and raced over to your house. It was a good thing no cops were patrolling the roads because I wasn't stopping." Taking a deep breath, he added in a strained voice, "When no one answered the door, I knew something was wrong." Reaching over to lift her chin so he could meet her stunning blue gaze, he said, "Daisy, I would never have forgiven myself if I was too late. After the attack, that one thought gave me nightmares for weeks."

Daisy got lost in his warm, brown eyes and if she wasn't 99.9 percent sure her mother was glaring at them through the kitchen window, she would've kissed him breathless. To learn that Ryan loved her so much that he knew when she was in danger made her heart melt with love, even as it reminded her of those awful days following the attack. Ryan had made it a point to call her up each night before she went to bed and each morning when she woke up just to check on her and listen to her voice. She even started calling him her alarm clock.

And Ryan wasn't the only one having nightmares, either. Whenever she woke up from a fear-gripping nightmare of Vincent's paws on her body or of what almost happened, she would call Ryan up. His voice always calmed her and he never once complained about the middle of the night phone calls. Furthermore, he didn't just talk to her, he would get dressed and then drive out to her place. She would then sneak out to sit with him until she calmed down enough to sleep (usually in his arms and cuddled in a thick blanket while sitting in the back of his truck).

She no longer had nightmares and had almost forgotten the incident—all thanks to Ryan's constant presence and calming assurances. Looking back at her 'buck in shining armor' and all the thoughtful, little (and big) things he did for her, how could she not fall in love with him?

Furthermore, Ryan's deep concern and care for her should have clued her into the fact that he was madly in love with her, too. Guys didn't go this far out of their way for a girl they didn't love, did they? But she was so sure Ryan would be disgusted at the idea of being with a skunk that she never gave either of them a chance. She was such a fool.

With a heavy sigh, Daisy gave Ryan a nod, then turned to walk up the steps. As they stepped onto the porch, Daisy paused in front of one the old wooden post that supported the porch roof. Staring at the ground, she asked softly, "If…if you hadn't arrived in time, would you…would you still want me?" She had never thought of this idea before, but now that she was dating Ryan, the thought suddenly popped into her head.

Stepping in front of her, Ryan lightly gripped her arms and said, "Daisy, if I had been too late to stop him, Vincent wouldn't have been sent to the hospital, I would have sent him to the morgue." Caressing her cheek, he then said, "And yes, I would still want you. Anything you needed to get over such a brutal attack, I would have given it to you—time, attention, a listening ear and a body to hold you—anything at all, I would've been there for you."

Resting his free paw on the post above her head, Ryan leaned down, saying, "I will always want you Daisy and I will always be there for you. I love you." Then he kissed her, and it was no chaste kiss, either. Since Daisy was still questioning his intentions towards her, he gave her a deep, passionate kiss to let her know just how much he still wanted her. Losing track of time, they finally came up for air. Breathing deeply, he mumbled, "As much as I'd love to stand out here kissing you, I can feel your mother staring daggers at my back."

With a breathless giggle, Daisy replied, "Yeah, we better get my bag before she comes at you with a frying pan or a rolling pen."

Ryan laughed as he grabbed her paw and led her to the door. "Knowing my luck, she'd come at me with both." As Daisy giggled again, he opened the door and pulled her inside. The moment the door opened, Rosemary walked out of the kitchen, arms crossed and a death glare on her face. If looks could kill, Ryan knew he would be pushing up daisies right now, and it wouldn't be the pretty, blue-eyed one whose paw he was currently holding (though that was an interesting idea he might want to try later).

Tipping his hat, Ryan smiled happily while pretending Rosemary didn't wish him dead. He was finally dating her daughter, he had thoroughly enjoyed quite a few of Daisy's kisses, and he finally had the chance to show her the cabin he'd built her—so how could he not be happy?

Pulling Daisy in her beautiful blue dress across the living room towards the stairs, Ryan called over his shoulder, "Sorry, Mrs. Florae, but we don't have time to chat. Daisy needs to pack a bag for a trip we're taking and then we're heading over to my house for a sleepover with some friends before our trip tomorrow."

Not waiting for Daisy's mother to launch a complaint about their plans, Ryan pulled his stunning girlfriend downstairs. The Florae house consisted of a ramshackle wood and tin shack above ground which encompassed the living room, kitchen, dining room, and a small laundry room. There were 3 bedrooms in the basement, along with a bathroom and a small storage room. The outer walls of the basement were rough, unpainted cinderblocks with cheap concrete as flooring. Ryan hated the thought of Daisy living here but hoped she wouldn't be living here for much longer.

Daisy let Ryan drag her through the house while a silly smile graced her lips. She was impressed that her mother hadn't been able to get a single word in before they disappeared downstairs. She was sure her mom would follow them once she got over her shock, but until then, it was just her and Ryan.

As Ryan led Daisy into her room, he released her paw and said, "It won't take your mom long to follow so we better get as much packed as we can before she gets here and starts questioning your intelligence again." He knew Rosemary would call Daisy stupid or insane for joining the trip and sleeping at his house tonight.

Daisy nodded but didn't immediately move to pack. Instead, she walked over to Ryan and ran her paws over his shirt, starting at his belly and moving up and across his chest, saying, "Okay, but there's one thing I want to do first." At Ryan's raised brow, she pushed him over onto the bed and then climbed into his lap. This is one fantasy she'd had of Ryan for years and never thought she'd be able to experience it. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she locked muzzles with him and pushed her tongue into his mouth.

Ryan immediately wrapped one paw around her back and pulled her closer while running the fingers of his other paw through her silky, black and white striped tail fur. Holy crow! Was her tail always this soft and silky!? And her taste! Clovers and honey and just a hint of ginger. Daisy had quickly become his favoritest flavor in the whole world. There's no way anything could top her taste—ever! Her taste and kisses were truly addictive.

Groaning at the feel of Ryan's confident fingers running through the upper part of her tail, Daisy couldn't believe how good it felt to feel his fingers and dull claws. Having such a long, fluffy tail, she'd had mammals touch it in the past and she always hated it. But Ryan…Over the last four years, how many times had she daydreamed about him touching her tail and running his short claws through it? 1,000? 2,000? More? She'd lost track of the times, but her poor imagination couldn't even come close to how amazing reality would be. She loved it!

Feeling a bit oxygen deprived, Daisy finally pulled back from the kiss and rested her forehead against Ryan's as she took several deep breaths. Getting enough air to speak, she finally said, "You have no idea how long I wanted to do this."

With a wide grin, Ryan replied, "I won't argue with you about time, but there is something I've been wanting to do myself for a while now."

Daisy's small round ears perked up. "Oh? And what would that be?" She had several ideas and wondered which one was the one he was thinking of.

Grinning roguishly, Ryan stole another deep kiss as he moved his paw from her tail to her hips. Pulling her closer, he rolled over and pinned her to the bed, then shifted his legs so he was hovering over her. Daisy's eyes were wide as he broke off the kiss to look at her. With a hint of lust now shining in his light brown eyes, Ryan ran his paw up her thigh then back down under the blue dress as it lay crumpled at her waist.

Running into the band of her panties as it crossed over her hip, Ryan ran his thumb along the soft material for a moment, then moved past it as he slid his claws through the thick fur of her side.

Gasping again, Daisy couldn't believe how incredibly inadequate her imagination was compared to reality. She must have imagined Ryan running his dull claws through her fur hundreds of times in the last month alone, and yet it couldn't even come close to how amazing reality felt. Wanting to feel more of Ryan, she tightened her grip around his neck, even as she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him down atop herself.

Ryan wasn't expecting Daisy to make such a daring move, so he landed flush against her with a soft 'oomph,' even as she began nipping and kissing his chin and along his jawline. Running his paw down her side, with his other paw caressing and teasing her ear, his lips turned up in an eager grin. Suddenly feeling Daisy grab his tail brought a groan to his lips all the while she was peppering the underside of his jaw and along his neck with licks, nips, and kisses.

"Word of wisdom to the wise," Ryan murmured at her gentle teasing. "Playing with a buck's tail like that while in a prone position like we currently are, is a sure-fire way to fully arouse the buck."

Daisy paused in her attack on his neck and jaw as she processed his words, then she drew back to look at him as she eagerly asked, "Really!?"

Ryan rolled his eyes at her question—the answer was an obvious yes—but then he felt her questing fingers dig through his tail fur until she found his tailbone to which she brazenly ran her sharp claws along. A shudder of desire swept through him like a tidal wave, even as he hissed, "Daisy!" He had no idea the effect her claws would have on his tailbone!

Reaching behind him, Ryan grabbed her paw and pulled it forward as he laced his fingers through hers. Trapping her paw on the pillow at the side of her head, he locked muzzles with her and kissed her fiercely.

Daisy was lost on cloud nine. There was a voice in the back her head reminding her that she had several questions Ryan needed to answer before they went any further, and there was a voice telling her that her mom was going to walk in on them at any moment now, but after waiting years to live out her fantasies of Ryan, Daisy was finding their voices faint and muffled. How was she to pay attention to their voices when Ryan was now running his blunt claws through her belly fur? Gah! His claws felt incredible. They were short and blunt and yet felt so, so good!

Having lost herself in his touch and kisses, Daisy was startled to suddenly find Ryan missing from her embrace. Opening her eyes, she found him standing at the side of the bed, even as he reached down and pulled her up to stand beside him. Suddenly going from a relaxed, horizontal position to a vertical position with no warning had her head swimming. Stumbling into him, Ryan immediately wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close as she found her footing.

"Sorry," he whispered into her ear. With his own ears tuned to the doorway and the squeaks coming from the creaky stairs, he murmured, "I can hear your mom coming down the stairs." Daisy stiffened in his arms and he asked, "Are you okay now?"

Taking a deep breath, Daisy nodded. "Yeah, I just got lightheaded for a moment there when you pulled me up too fast."

With his ears drooping, he again whispered, "Sorry." To be truthful, though, he was feeling a bit lightheaded himself, but it had nothing to do with the sudden upright position he found himself in and everything to do with the scent, taste, and feel of Daisy.

Daisy nodded to him while feeling grateful her room was at the end of the hall. Stepping back, she turned around. Stumbling only once, she made it to her small closet and took another deep breath, then reached down and pulled out an old backpack, one of the large ones used for backpacking. If they were riding through the mountains tomorrow, this pack could be easily laid across and strapped to the back of her saddle.

As Daisy began packing, Ryan looked back at the bed and hoped she had a better memory of her room now. After the attack last winter, Daisy had found it hard to relax in here since this is where the main part of the horrifying incident took place. He had spent a lot of time sitting with her on the bed or at her small desk trying to reassure her and help her overcome the memories. For a while, she was even complaining about still being able to smell the bastard in her room, so Ryan had finally taken her pillow and rubbed his scent mark all over it. Daisy never complained about smelling the bastard again. The majority of her nightmares had died after that, too.

Daisy's complete trust in him and his ability to calm and reassure her always made him wonder if it was because she saw him as someone akin to a really close brother, even closer than she was to her brother Cori, or if she saw him as something far more than a friend. With her being a predator and with her acting hot and cold with him all the time, Ryan could never be sure. Now he saw the obvious answer—Daisy had always seen him as way more than a friend: Someone to not only entrust her life to, but her heart, as well.

Shaking his head at his own stupidity for taking so long to ask Daisy out, Ryan looked around her room for things she would need. Spying her phone charger and fur brush, he grabbed them off her nightstand and put them in the front pocket of her pack. Then he grabbed her sketch book and pack of sketching pencils off the small desk. Sketching landscapes was a favorite pastime of Daisy's. It helped her relax and calm down—usually after being forced to listen to her mom's rants or constant nagging.

Daisy had quickly packed a couple of pairs of pants, a couple shorts, and several shirts, and then just as quickly packed her underwear and a black, two-piece bathing suit that was covered in white and blue daisies. It wasn't a bikini, though. The top covered her chest and stomach and met up with the bottom, so it acted like a one-piece, but made it easier to go to the bathroom without needing to take the whole thing off (that always bothered her when she younger). Ryan had gotten the suit for her after she complained about not having one the first time he invited her to go swimming with him.

Blushing slightly at the memory of him handing her the gift bag that contained the suit, Daisy's blush deepened when she remembered the first time she had worn it for him. The appreciative way he kept watching her had made her blood pound and set butterflies loose in her stomach. While thinking of swimming with Ryan again, she began daydreaming of Judy's hot spring, but her daydreaming was short-lived as it was interrupted when her mom walked into the room. With a swish of her long, striped tail, Daisy swallowed a groan. Ignoring her mom, she added a few more essential items from her drawer.

Walking into the room, Rosemary stiffened. Daisy's strong, excited scent had fear crawling up her spine even as her anger at the buck her daughter was interested in intensified. She had spent the last four years repeatedly telling Daisy that Ryan would never be interested in her romantically or had any intentions of committing to her, but Rosemary knew that the jackrabbit paid way too much time and attention on her daughter for it to be true.

The stinkin' buck wouldn't have bothered with her for all this time if he wasn't interested in her sexually and that kiss she'd caught him stealing from Daisy on the porch, along with the strong scent currently in the room proved Rosemary's fears to be true. The thought of them lying together scared her to death.

She had witnessed first paw how a lot of males found skunk females sexually attractive and exploited them whenever they got the chance—usually after convincing the girls of their sweet lies and empty promises. This is something she never wanted to happen to her daughter and seeing how Daisy had fallen for not only another species, but an unfaithful, conniving jackrabbit whose cousin was the cause of her youngest son's death, Rosemary wasn't going to stand for him running off with her daughter and ruining her.

With an angry huff, Rosemary noticed it wasn't just her daughter's scent that was stronger in here. Taking a deep breath as her eyes narrowed, she said, "Don't think for one minute that I don't know what's really going on here, Daisy. I have eyes and a nose, young lady." Pointing to Ryan like he was some thieving mongrel, she stated icily, "I saw the way he was kissing you out on the porch and don't think for one minute that I can't smell what you two were up to in the few minutes you were alone in here. There is no trip, is there? You're just using it as an excuse to get out of your work while living in sin for a few days."

Zipping the backpack up, Daisy turned around. "No, Mother, the trip isn't a cover excuse so I can crawl in bed with Ryan." Glaring at her mom (she really didn't want to deal with her mother's prejudice right now), she added, "I'm 25 years old, Mom, and I can sleep wherever I want and I don't need to make up a story to do it."

Ryan held his paw out for her backpack and Daisy pawed it over to him before turning back to her mom, even as Rosemary hissed, "Don't you dare speak to me like that, daughter."

Taking a deep breath, Daisy tried to keep the edge out of her voice. "Mom, there are six of us going on this trip and the six of us are meeting tonight for the sleepover. We are having smores and hot chocolate while sitting around a campfire, and then we're going to bed early so we can be up at the crack of dawn. Then we're loading up Patty-Mae's King emus and taking them up to the mountains where we'll be staying at Judy's cabin. We'll be back Saturday afternoon in time for the barrel racing event."

Rosemary's jaw dropped to hear everything the trip entailed, but Daisy didn't wait for her mom's reply. Instead, she turned around and walked back into her closet to grab a medium-weight jacket. Since they were staying in the mountains, the weather could turn cold without much notice. She just hoped Judy's cabin didn't need any major repairs to the roof.

As her daughter grabbed the jacket, Rosemary finally said, "You're going on a trip with five bunnies and you don't think they'll tease you and make you cry?" With a bitter laugh, Rosemary was remembering other trips Daisy had gone on where she was teased to tears. Not only by other bunnies, but by prey and predators alike while she was still in school. More to the point, though, some of Ryan's own specist and loud-mouthed brothers and a couple of his sisters had teased Daisy to tears when she first started hanging out with Ryan.

Glaring at Daisy's mom, Ryan said, "Sorry to disappoint you, but we didn't invite any jerks on this trip. Furthermore, there are only 4 bunnies going, plus Daisy, and a fox. So, Daisy won't even be the only predator on the trip."

Rosemary's jaw dropped. "You're actually letting a fox join you!?" With a scoff, she stated, "That's absurd, you bunnies hate foxes. You hate foxes more than you hate skunks."

Pointing to himself, Ryan replied, "And yet you're talking to a bunny who is best friends with a skunk, just as my friend Judy is best friends with this fox." With a shrug, he added, "So your argument doesn't hold any weight with us." Turning to Daisy, he said, "Shall we go? We still have things to do before everyone shows up tonight."

With a nod, Daisy stepped around her mom and headed towards the door where Ryan waited for her. Her mom hadn't finished talking, though.

Folding her arms, Rosemary stated crossly, "Daisy, you're still living under my roof, and as long as you are, I have the final say on whether you go on this trip." With her long black and white striped tail swishing irritably behind her, she added, "And I say you're staying your fluffy, little tail here tonight."

Following Ryan out the door, Daisy paused in the doorway. She rarely went against her mother's wishes, but in this instance, she knew her mom was wrong. Not only was she now dating Ryan, she needed this break. Bobby had been right earlier at work. She worked her tail off and rarely took time for herself and she needed this vacation, not just from work but from her mother's horrible attitude and specist rants.

A vacation with a group of friends who welcomed her with open arms sounded like the perfect remedy to chase away the blues, not to mention she would be spending several glorious days with Ryan in the delightful seclusion of the mountains! She would be stupid to pass it up.

Taking a deep breath, Daisy squared her shoulders. Glancing over her shoulder, she stated, "Mom, I'm going on this trip." Then she stepped through the bedroom door.

"If you walk out of this house with…with that jackrabbit," Rosemary jabbed her clawed finger at Ryan like he was a chicken-thieving hawk, "then don't bother coming back!"

Daisy froze, then slowly turned around to stare at her mom. Although she and her mother hadn't seen eye-to-eye since she became friends with Ryan, this was the first time her mom had laid down such an ultimatum.

Yes, she had been thinking for some time now that she should get her own place, but when it came right down to it—it wasn't easy for a skunk to strike out on their own. And with her paychecks, Daisy doubted she would be able afford a decent apartment even if she could find one, especially with the way some of the prey mammals in town had started charging double the rent for predators ever since the news started flashing scenes of the savage attacks in Zootopia.

Ryan's ear twitched, along with his short, cottony tail. Turning around to face Rosemary, he tilted his head and asked, "Are you seriously kicking Daisy out of the house if she leaves with me?" He had wondered how long it would be before Daisy would move in with him, but it might be that she wouldn't have a choice.

Folding her arms again, Rosemary didn't immediately answer. You could tell she was considering her answer and trying to figure out if she meant what she said. But seeing her daughter dressed in such an extravagant blue dress like she was some lounge slut and remembering how hard Ryan was kissing Daisy out on the porch, along with her daughter's thick scent that now hung heavy in the room, Rosemary made her decision. Raising her chin, she answered, "If she leaves with you, then don't bother bringing her back home." With a sniff, she added, "No daughter of mine is going to sully herself with an unfaithful, stinkin' jackrabbit!" She was sure Daisy would leave Ryan if she gave her daughter no other option.

Ryan's tail flicked again as he rested his paw on Daisy's waist and pulled her back against his chest. "Daisy has options, Rosemary, so if you want to throw your daughter away like yesterday's news, I'll take her." With a hard grin, he added, "And trust me, I won't be giving her back because unlike you, I know how to properly cherish her."

Looking around the room, he then spoke to Daisy, saying, "Come on, let's grab the stuff you use the most, and then we can have Cori pack the rest of your stuff up later."

Daisy nodded, even as Ryan stepped around her and walked to her closet while completely ignoring the fuming Rosemary. Picking up Daisy's duffel bag (it was one of those large ones that could be used for gym equipment or riding gear), he rifled through her clothes and chose the outfits he knew Daisy preferred wearing and stuffed them in the bag, then went to her dresser and pulled out her favorite clothes to wear and added them, too. Setting the now full bag on the bed, he turned back to Daisy who was still standing in the doorway looking shell-shocked.

Ryan's anger evaporated as his long ears dropped to his back at seeing Daisy's lost expression. Realizing he'd just made the decision for her, Ryan had to backtrack in his thinking. Her mother was trying to force her hand and here he was doing the same. As he stepped towards Daisy to ask if she even wanted to come with him, Rosemary opened her mouth and brought all his anger back in full force.

"I forbid you from leaving this house with that…that buck," Rosemary spat out while pointing at Ryan again with a finger quivering with her fury.

Her mother's words shocked her out of her stupor and Daisy knew that she couldn't stay here if she wanted to be with Ryan. Knowing her mother, she would probably be put under house arrest like an ill-natured, disobedient teenager and have her phone and computer taken away, too, if she remained. With a shake of her head, Daisy pushed the dismal thoughts aside. She didn't know where she would go or how she was going to make it, but there was one thing she was sure of, and it was that Ryan would be there for her, no matter what happened.

Squaring her shoulders and raising her own chin, Daisy fisted her paws hanging at her side and said, "No, Mother, I won't stay. I'm an adult and I need to start living like one." Stepping into the room to start packing, she added, "I've been thinking of moving out for a while now, and right now seems like the perfect time." Going to her desk, she pulled out her small laptop and more of her sketch pads and colored pencils, then set them on top of her clothes and zipped the duffle bag closed. She then went to her bookcase and started pulling out her favorite books and stacking them on the bed.

Grateful that Daisy was no longer looking lost, Ryan said, "I'll go upstairs and get some trash bags to put the rest of your stuff in." At Daisy's nod, he slipped back into the hallway and ran upstairs. Upon stepping into the kitchen, he spied the boarder sitting at the dining room table and eating a bowl of soup. He was a male skunk just as Ryan knew he would be, but he was younger than the buck had expected, maybe 20 or 21 years old. Going by his white head and mostly white tail, Ryan figured he must be a hooded skunk instead of a striped skunk that Daisy's mom was.

"Hi, I'm Kaden," the skunk said with a slight wave of his paw.

After looking the skunk over in his faded green t-shirt and pale blue jeans with a slight tear just below the left pocket, Ryan gave a nod and said, "I'm Ryan." Not paying the boarder any more attention, he headed to the sink. Opening the cupboard underneath it, he reached down and grabbed several trash bags from their box.

As Ryan stood up and turned around, Kaden spoke again. "So you're the buck that has Mrs. Florae bent all out of shape?"

Ryan shrugged. "That's me. I've been a thorn in Rosemary's side ever since we met four years ago." With a grin, he added, "But Rosemary won't have to see me anymore after today."

"Oh?" Kaden murmured curiously. "Why's that?" he asked. Stirring the spoon around in his soup, Kaden waited for an answer. He never expected to hear about a jackrabbit who would bother with a skunk and it piqued his interest. With a skunk's smelly reputation and somewhat predatory diet, most rabbits avoided them. The fact skunks were omnivores and ate a lot of fruits and vegetables didn't seem to matter. The small prey mammals, like bunnies, only saw their sharp teeth and claws and tended to shy away from them.

With a smug grin, Ryan answered, "Because Rosemary is kicking Daisy out of the house, so I won't have a reason to come by anymore." Ryan had no idea how good it would feel to finally be taking Daisy away from here, nor could he keep the wide grin off his face.

The skunk was surprised, but before Ryan could slip through the door into the small living room, he asked, "Are you serious about her? About Daisy?"

Ryan's ear canted to the side. "You've never met Daisy before, so what does it matter to you?" He wondered if the skunk might be thinking about making a move on his girlfriend. Even though Ryan knew Daisy only had eyes for him, after last winter, he had no intention of giving other males a chance to bother or harass her.

Kaden shrugged. "It doesn't, I guess. It's just that…In my travels I've seen a lot of female skunks being taken advantage of by males of other species. They promise the moon and the stars but leave the girls with broken hearts and broken dreams, usually living on the streets. I just don't want to see that happen to Mrs. Florae's daughter, seeing as she's kind enough to give me a place to stay while I'm in Bunnyburrow."

Ryan considered the skunk's words for a moment, then answered, "You don't have to worry about Daisy. I've been friends with her for four years and you can ask her how many stars I've given her." With a wide grin as his cottony tail started flicking with pride and joy, he added, "And in just a little while, I'm going to hand her the moon. So, no worries. When it comes to Daisy, I don't promise dreams—I deliver them."

Kaden stared at the tall jackrabbit for several moments, but before he could say anymore, Ryan turned and hurried through the living room before disappearing down the stairs. Feeling that a monumental fight between mother and daughter was about to take place, Kaden figured he should take a walk or something.

Hurriedly finishing his home-made chicken noodle soup (it was comfort food he hadn't eaten in years!), Kaden stood up, put his dishes in the sink, and made his way outside. Getting a better look at the forest-green crew cab truck that Ryan drove up in, he whistled, impressed. Next to this heavy-duty truck, his own small pickup looked more like a toy truck. Shaking his head, Kaden figured that Ryan was one buck who could afford to give Daisy the moon.

Although he had no idea what the jackrabbit planned to give Daisy today, he knew it must be something big that she had been dreaming about. If Kaden stayed in town long enough, he might even learn what it was as he was suddenly interested in this buck who appeared to have fallen in love with a skunk.

Kaden found the idea of a jackrabbit fulfilling a skunk girl's dreams strange, though he hoped it worked out for them. He'd seen too many skunk girls taken advantage of and with the bright smile and stunning dress Daisy had been wearing when Ryan hauled her through the living room, he hoped she wasn't going to be another statistic as he had seen several skunk girls working the streets after being used, then dumped on the street homeless and penniless.

After looking Ryan's large truck over one more time, Kaden decided to walk around the property and see what all was here. Life had taught him to know the layout of any place he stayed at.

Back down in Daisy's room, Ryan stood glaring at Rosemary and daring her to say one more derogatory term about her daughter. Quite frankly, he was about ready to throttle the older skunk. For Rosemary to let her fears, insecurities, and bitterness turn into verbal abuse to be leveled at her daughter for trying to make a life for herself was absolutely appalling. Although he never wanted to be the wedge that drove the mother and daughter apart, he could honestly say he was thrilled to be taking Daisy away. This wasn't a life for anyone to live.

As Ryan's and Rosemary's glaring contest continued, Daisy finished packing the few other things she wanted to take with her, then turned back to Ryan, saying, "Okay, I have everything."

With a nod, he motioned Daisy to precede him out of the room, and then he grabbed the remaining bags off the bed and turned to her mother, saying, "You better not regret your words, Rosemary, because I'm not giving Daisy back. You threw her away and I picked her up, so she belongs to me now." With that, he turned and strode out the room. His anger at Rosemary was seething under the surface of his calm, and yet, at the same time, he was elated to be taking Daisy away from here.

As Daisy made her way through the house and stepped out on the front porch, she took a deep breath and then slowly released it. Although she didn't know what was going to happen to her, she knew it had to be a better life than what she had here. At least, it will be as long as she had Ryan at her side. And he was, for just as she had the thought, he stepped up beside her with a warm smile on his face.

"Well, are you ready?" Ryan asked with a wide, bright smile.

Daisy took another deep breath, then nodded. "Yes," she murmured. Then in a stronger voice, she lifted her chin more confidently and said, "Yes, I am." And then the two of them, side-by-side, walked to his truck.

Ryan opened the door and put all of Daisy's bags in the back seat, then helped her up into the front seat. After making sure she was settled in and her dress wouldn't be caught in the door, he hurried around to the driver's side. As he opened the door, though, Kaden walked out of the woods at the side of the house and called to him.

"Hey, Ryan, you got a minute? I have a question for you."

Glancing over, Ryan met Kaden's bluish-gray eyes and wondered if he was planning on making a pass at Daisy. With a stiff shrug, he answered with a hard edge to his voice, "You can ask, but I can't promise you an answer."

Hearing the edge in the buck's voice and seeing a wary glint in his eyes, Kaden held his paws up and said, "It has nothing to do with Daisy." Knowing Ryan was in a relationship with Mrs. Florae's daughter, Kaden assumed that the buck was feeling territorial about her and he didn't want any misunderstandings between the two in regard to Ryan's girl.

With a nod, Ryan slightly relaxed. "Then what's your question?"

"Well," Kaden began as he put his black paws in his pocket. "I'm looking for work so I was wondering if you knew of any places that might hire a skunk. I'm a hard worker and I have experience doing a lot of different jobs."

Ryan thought for a moment, then glanced into the truck to meet Daisy's bright blues eyes. After a moment, he turned back to Kaden and said, "Daisy works at Mike's Hardware store, but she's gonna be gone on vacation for a couple of weeks so you might try there."

"Really?" Kaden said excitedly. With a wide grin, he said, "Thanks, Ryan, thanks a lot."

Nodding goodbye, Ryan climbed in the truck and shut the door. After turning the truck on, Daisy leaned towards him and said, "Ryan, I'm only missing two days of work—not two weeks."

With a raised brow, Ryan replied, "This is just sick days you're taking off. What you need is a real vacation, and with as long as you've worked at Mike's without a vacation, they should give you at least three weeks off."

Daisy rolled her eyes. "I'm homeless now, Ryan, how can I afford a vacation?"

Ryan simply stared at Daisy for several heartbeats, then said, "You do realize that Mike's store offers their employees paid vacations, right?"

"Fine," Daisy said as her tail flicked beside her, "then I'll put in for a vacation and spend the whole time looking for a new place to live. Sounds like fun."

It was Ryan's turn to roll his eyes. "Did you not hear anything I said to your mother?"

Daisy was quiet for several moments, then she answered softly, "You said I belong to you now."

Ryan's ears drooped as he realized how Daisy might have taken his words. "You…you do realize I didn't mean it like you were an object to be bought and sold, right? I meant it in the…the familial sense. That you're part of my family now."

Daisy's whole countenance brightened up and she leaned over the middle part of the bench seat so their faces were closer. "Really!? You mean that? You're taking me in as part of your family?"

Ryan rolled his eyes again. Reaching over to caress her cheek, he asked, "Do you really need to ask?" Then he kissed her slowly, softly, but deeply. He didn't want to leave any doubt in her mind about how he felt about her. As he pulled back, he whispered against her lips, "Now come on, we need to stop by my folks place for a few minutes and then I have your huge surprise to show you."

Rubbing her nose against his, Daisy whispered, "Okay," then pressed her lips to his again. The kiss wasn't long, but she was smiling brightly as she sat up straight and put her seatbelt on.

Ryan was smiling just as brightly as he put his own seatbelt on, then backed the truck up and turned around before heading back down the road. He couldn't wait to show her the cabin he built her and to see the expression on her face when she learned she could move in anytime she wanted—like today.

WingedKatt here. I hope you enjoyed this long, drama and fluff filled chapter as we learned more about Ryan and Daisy's past, as well as Daisy's home life. Next time, we'll switch back to Nick and Judy as they say goodbye. Then Nick is going to have some time to do some serious reflecting while trying to figure out how he went from stealing that first kiss from Judy to knotting her. He'll also learn some things about rabbits he never knew before.

Ch. 31: Cultural Differences, will post in 2 weeks.

FYI: For those of you following my main story, I added a cutscene to the beginning of ch24: Greedy, if you would like to read it. I'm happy to say it is no longer my shortest chapter. 😁 Also, if you're interested in listening to an Audio version of Z:AtB, Smiling Dolphins on YouTube is narrating it and has the first chapter up on his channel. You might have to scroll down through the many dolphin videos to find him. His avatar is round with a smiling, cartoon dolphin face.

If you have any thoughts or comments, let me know. Have a great weekend and be safe.