The Red Velvet Bar

The phone fell from my grasp, dropping onto the wooden floor below with a loud thud. Missing, the word repeated itself in my mind, over and over again. I stood there shocked and afraid, 'how could this happen? How could he go missing?'

I realised that couldn't stay here any longer; I knew I had to go... I had to find my son. I quickly picked up my phone, and stuffed it into my purse; my mind was racing with a cloud of thoughts.

'Where is my son? Where is Nathan?'

'Did someone take him? Is he okay?'

'WHERE IS MY BABY!?'

I made a quick dash to the door, still in my work uniform; I didn't have time to change. With my paw on the metal door handle, I threw it open, hearing a loud banging noise at it smacked against the wall. I was about to leave until I heard a sudden cry.

"MY DOOR! What the hell do you think you're doing!?" shouted my boss.

I stared at him, seething with anger at the sight of the elderly lion. Without further thought, I grabbed the name tag from my chest, tearing it off and making a small hole in my shirt. I threw the tag onto the floor, watching it bounce away into some dark corner.

"SCREW YOUR DOOR AND SCREW YOU! I QUIT!" I screamed, yelling as loud as a vixen could. With the door wide open, and my ex-boss presumably with a shocked look on his muzzle, I stepped out.

Any previous worries or thought about the importance of the job was washed away, as I felt a gust of fresh air, liberating me from the stench of alcohol.

Once I was outside, however, I realized that I had no clue as to where my little kit was. 'Where could he be?' I started thinking of all the places Nathan would go 'he wouldn't have gone home nor to the park...So where is he?' At this point, I was quite irritated, irritated that I couldn't think of any possible location where my sweet son could be. All this useless thinking wasn't getting me any closer to finding him.

'Maybe...maybe someone saw where he went!' I was placing my hope on this gamble, but I didn't have any other alternatives. So again I ran to the last known location of my son, the school.

'Hold on Nathan...mommy's coming'

Downtown, Surrounding Area of Zootopia Elementary School

When you're amidst the city hustle and bustle, stopping in the middle of said bustle, is a bad idea. You're most likely to get your tail trampled on, or worse, get trampled on yourself. Yet that was what I was exactly doing, I was risking my safety, trying to find any information on my son's whereabouts.

I tried asking around the various preys and predators "Excuse me, have you seen a little Fox kit around here, about an hour ago?" but I was met with negative responses.

Endless replies of 'Buzz off Fox' and 'go cheat someone else' started to get on my nerves, asking around for information was no longer an option.

Frustrated, I took a seat by a Wolf sized Bus stop, it was there where I started to get afraid. I realized that I may never find Nathan, losing a kit is a worse fear for a mother. Some mammals can be so heartbroken that they starve themselves so that they could join their stillborn wherever they went.

I sat there in thought, as I slowly realised that I might never hear his laugh or voice again, or hear him complain about his homework, or even wake up to see him in his cute pyjamas. My ears laid flat against my head as I gave off a whimper.

I might never see my son again, 'I'm the worst mother ever, I've lost him…I lost my kit'. My vision started to blur, as tears formed in my eyes. Suddenly, my ears perked upwards in alertness, as I heard something approach. I glanced upwards, only to see a blurred figure of a Tigress and a Wolf in police uniforms.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" she asked.

I shook my head, tears dripping down my white cheeks "No, no I'm not alright, my son's missing," at this point I was desperate, I needed any help I could get, I couldn't lose him "Please help me, he's a Red fox kit, he's only seven years old!" I begged.

The Tigress seemed surprised at my desperation, maybe she never encountered a desperate mother before? She looked back at her partner, who only nodded; she grabbed her radio and started speaking.

"Clawhauser, this is Officer Fangmeyer, do you copy?"

I heard an answer coming from her radio set, although my Arctic fox ears could locate a lemming burrowing through snow, listening to a tiny voice in a large busy city proved to be difficult.

"Have there been any reports on a Red fox kit being found?" she waited a while before another answer was heard; she then showed a look of relief on her face, "Thanks Ben"

She turned to face me, "My friend Clawhauser, says that a little Red Fox Kit just arrived at ZPD reception" she smiled.

'A Red fox kit, that fitted Nathan's description, but it could be any other random Fox Kit", I thought to myself

'No, I have to stay positive, it probably is Nathan, no, it is Nathan. I have to get to him now"

"Uh...Ma'am?" queried the Tigress

I looked at her; she bore a confused look upon her face. I realized I must have been caught up in my thoughts again, "I need to get to the Police Department, can you help me?" I asked.

Again she looked over to her partner; as if for approval, the Wolf gave her thumbs up. "We can take the squad car, I'm sure the Chief won't mind us ending our patrol early" she offered.

"Thank You! Thank you so much" I replied, I was glad that someone was willing to help me even further.

"It's nothing Ma'am, just doing my job" she confessed. As I walked alongside her and her partner, they began making small talk to me, asking me various questions like who I was, what I did, and what my son's name was. I answered them as simply and politely as I could, I wasn't in a mood for chitchat, as my mind was on my son.

Taking a glance at the two officers alongside me, I noticed the Wolf sneaking a glance at me, his brow furrowed as he sniffed the air in my direction, as he turned away in embarrassment. I wasn't quite sure what he was doing, but I had my suspicion. Zootopia was in the early stages of winter, which could only mean one thing for foxes, and specifically Vixens.

'Please stop sniffing me, I know it's the season, please don't make me growl' I thought to myself, hoping that he would just stop.

Finally, we reached the police Cruiser, but the Wolf was still determined with the sniffing business when his partner wasn't looking. Finally, I decided I had enough of his rude behaviour; I gave off a small growl from the back of my throat, with my ears laid back but stiff, and my tail wrapped around my private areas.

It was a clear and obvious signal to the curious dumb male wolf that I wasn't in the slightest bit interested. The Wolf taking my message just looked down in embarrassment, as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm sorry, that was...very rude of me" he confessed.

I let out a sigh, he seemed like a nice Wolf, but I knew that the smell could drive any respectable canid into a rutting stupor. "That's okay, it's the season, I can understand" I replied, recalling all the various tods, wolves and others eyeing me up in the past winters.

The tigress just looked at me in surprise, as she stared back at her partner "James! Did you do what I think you did?"

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it" the Wolf blurted out in defence.

"You better hope the Chief doesn't hear about this" she warned

The Wolf suddenly fell into a submissive state, droopy ears, head hanging low, tail limp, as he let off a whimper "No please, I'll do anything, I'm sorry"

The Tigress put a paw to her chin in thought, before a grin appeared on her face. "I won't tell the Chief...If you let this Vixen sit in the front, while you get in the back" she spoke, with a smirk on her muzzle.

"B-but it's so uncomfortable back there, that's where all the crooks go" he replied.

"You'd rather walk?" she quipped.

The Wolf let out a sigh "Fine, you win Fang" he muttered, with his head hung low in defeat, he walked towards the rear doors of the Police Cruiser.

I gave the Tigress an appreciative smile "Thanks" I said.

"Don't mention it, us girls gotta stick together" she replied.

We entered the vehicle, and prepared to set off, as I sat there, millions of thoughts flooded into my head, 'If that is Nathan at the Station, why did he run away from school? Why was he there?'

It then struck me, 'Nick, he went to find Nick, seven years without a father, of course, Nathan went to find him, that's why he was asking about where Nick worked, why did I tell him? I'm such an Idiot!' As I was busy in my thought,the police Cruiser started to move.

My thoughts also started to drift, but they were drifting towards Nick 'If he has done anything to my son, if he hurt him in some way, I would never forgive him! I have never forgiven him then, and I'm certainly not going to forgive him now, not ever.

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