EDITED BY: DrummerMax64

Chapter Eight - The First Step

"Hello?" the voice rumbled through the speaker of Sharla's phone.

Sharla could feel the giddiness starting to swell in her heart. Even after years without any form of communication, she was sure. With just one word uttered, she was certain that this was indeed her voice, Judy's voice, on the other end of the phone call, but Sharla didn't hesitate to be absolutely certain that it was really her.

"Hi, is this Judy? Judy Hopps?"

An audible chuckle sounded in her right ear. "Is this the astronaut speaking?"

The ewe cracked a smile. It was her alright.

"Hey Judy."

"Hi Sharla."

"It's been awhile since I've seen that enthusiastic rabbit from the Burrows," Sharla smiled. "How are things? I've heard that you landed a position in the ZPD. Congrats by the way!"

"Thanks. I'm doing fine for the most part," Judy hesitantly spoke with a sigh to follow. "Work is keeping me incredibly busy. I can't remember the last time I had time to relax."

"Sounds like a pawful," Sharla admitted.

"It really is," Judy agreed, followed by a giggle. "You should see how much patrolling I've had to do already."

"Gross."

"Then the paperwork…"

"Ew, just stop. I'm gonna throw up."

The two mammals shared a laugh. It felt good, great even. Not only that, it felt like old times, back when they were kids, back when things were simple.

After fumbling with her phone, audibly heard over the speaker next to Sharla's ear, it was Judy's turn to ask some questions herself. "So, how are you doing, Sharla? Did you ever become an astronaut like you dreamed?" She let out a gasp. "Are you calling me from space right now?"

The ewe chuckled at her friend's reaction and rolled her eyes. "I wish. But, overall, things are going pretty well. Unfortunately, I didn't become an astronaut like I hoped for when I was younger. But, I did manage to land a position as a lead engineer at MASA."

The joyful shriek that came afterwards would have blown out her eardrum if she hadn't pulled the phone away. When the noise finally ceased, Sharla pulled the device back to her ear.

"That's so cool!" Judy gleamed.

Sharla blushed. "Thanks, Jude. Not gonna lie, it took a lot to get here. It may not be up in space like I dreamed, but I'll take this as a close second for sure."

Sharla waited for her friend to respond, and walked over to the mini-fridge to the left of the couch. When the door was pulled open, the inside revealed only a few bottles of water and a couple of sodas. The lack of options forced a huff out of her nose. While she made a mental note to go out shopping sometime soon, she pulled out one of the bottles of water and cracked it open. The time to herself made her think about the friendship between her and the rabbit officer. She smiled.

We seriously don't know a lot about each other, the thought curiously pricked her brain.

Since the beginning of their high school careers, they had been forced to distance themselves from each other. The way that the high school placed students in classes differed from the elementary and middle schools they went to. Based on their GPA and skill level, they were placed in separate classes, both in sections of their school. Even after they attempted to connect and hang out, they had signed up for after school functions and clubs that kept them at least two to three hours past their final class for the day. They had no time to talk with one another, no time to catch up, and eventually at some point between the summer of their freshman year and the winter break of their sophomore year, their communication had stopped all together.

Time passed, years seemed to fly by, and they found themselves the time to talk amidst the beginning of their graduation ceremony. Judy was the valedictorian, of course. Sharla was incredibly close to achieving that rank, but found herself a few points off on one of her exams. Though, Sharla didn't mind in the slightest. She made the decision that she would comfort Edward and be with him while he struggled to deal with some problems back at home, and her score reflected it. She loved him, and both of their happiness came before some silly test. Besides, she was confident enough in her ability in that specific course that it wouldn't matter. And it turned out that even without that small title, she was able to nab a full ride to Central Zootopia University, along with her future husband.

After their high school graduation ceremony, she tried again to talk with Judy, only able to speak with her for a short moment. Sharla promised then that they would catch up after they were done with the event. But, she never found the time to make the call. After that, she had to help her mate speak with his parents about him moving out of the family home—reviving some hostility from his father, brother, and sister—and transitioning into the college lifestyle. While they lived in their quaint little college apartment during that time of studying, living, and of course loving, she eventually forgot about the rabbit and the promise she made that day.

Until earlier that morning, that is.

With the revelation that Judy had her own place at the Grand Pangolin Arms, Sharla was determined to do everything in her power to mend the friendship she had so callously pushed to the sidelines. To her, graduation seemed like a great place to start. She took a sip of her water.

"Hey, Judy," she started, "I wanted to apologize for not giving you a call sooner. I should have followed up after graduation. It kinda slipped past my radar."

"Something slipping past you? That's a first."

"Says the rabbit who lives and breathes pure determination."

"Touché," Judy's coy voice chimed. "But, I totally understand Sharla. Life gets in the way. It's okay."

"I'm afraid that's not true Judy," Sharla apologetically dismissed. "I made a promise that I would get back with you back at graduation, and I didn't keep it. That's on me. But, I think I know the perfect solution."

"Oh? Due tell."

"Well, if you aren't too busy running around and filling out forms, we should catch some lunch together tomorrow."

"...Tomorrow?" Judy hesitantly questioned.

"Tomorrow," Sharla confirmed, taking another swig of the water bottle in her grip before placing it on top of the dresser. Inside her head, she was silently praying that the timing of her request wasn't too bad.

Based on what she heard, it seemed that Judy was continuing to work hard for her dreams, even after becoming the first rabbit officer of the Zootopia Police Department. She didn't want to be imposing. If they had to do it later, whether it be a couple of days, week, or even a month from now, she wouldn't mind the slightest bit. She was dead set on this.

Sharla waited patiently for her friend to give her some kind of reply as she walked back to the couch and sat down at one end. She looked outward through the open window towards the dazzling city skyline. The sun was just setting on the horizon, creating a wonderful setting full of color and charm.

After a few more seconds of silence, Sharla became impatient and took it upon herself to clarify the terms of their meetup.

"It doesn't have to be tomorrow if you can't make it then—"

"Oh! No, no, I was just trying to think of my schedule for a minute. Sorry."

"Take your time Jude," Sharla insisted. "There's no rush on this."

"Okay," came the quiet reply.

While she left Judy to mull it over, behind her came a variety of different noises, causing her to turn around in surprise and bring the phone in her grip to her chest. These noises consisted of the normal unlocking of their apartment door, the sound of the metal knob turning, and the loud creaks that followed as the door slowly swung open. And from that noise came the wolf that shared the apartment with her, the wolf of her dreams, the love of her life.

A loving smile cast itself on her snout and she aimed it at Edward, who had just turned towards her. He looked noticeably tired. The wolf flashed a weak grin her way and ambled over to her. A soft kiss planted itself on the side of Sharla's face.

"Hey hon," Sharla spoke softly.

"Hey Shar," Edward replied, the light accent of a frown noticeably present on his muzzle.

The ewe brought the phone back up to her ear and waited patiently for her friend's voice while Edward slowly planted himself on the far end of the sofa. After a few moments, Judy eventually spoke.

"I can do tomorrow."

Sharla smiled. "Great! I can't wait to see you again, Jude. We can text later about where we want to go. I've got to go."

"Aww, but I thought we could talk some more," the rabbit sulked.

"I know, I know. We can save the juicy stuff for tomorrow."

The ewe took on a mischievous grin. If she were leaving for the time being, the least Sharla could do was leave her with something to think about. This was going to be good.

"My husband just came in and I wanted to cuddle up with him for a bit."

Judy gasped, "Wait… you're married?"

Sharla cackled before taking on an innocent tone. "Maybe."

"W-wow, congratulations! You totally have to give me the details when we meet up."

Out of the corner of Sharla's eye, Edward stared at her with a shocked look. She wasn't shocked to find that he'd picked up on the conversation with his wolf hearing, she'd come to expect it even—not that it was inherently a bad thing. It was obvious that he didn't like the idea of disclosing their marriage to another mammal. Under normal circumstances, she would agree with him, even if she herself was ready for the step.

Instead, she put on another smile and agreed. "Of course. I'll talk to you later, Jude. It was nice talking to you again."

"You too Sharla. Bye!"

The ewe ended the call with a tap of her hoof and let out a sigh. It's settled then, the thought echoed.

Sharla turned her head to the wolf sitting beside her, the stark look of emptiness on his face nearly making her regret even mentioning the marriage over the phone.

Nearly.

Judy was Sharla's best friend. She couldn't just conceal the fact that she was married from her. She would have wanted to know. Besides, the ring on her finger would have given it away anyway, and it wasn't like she was going to take it off anytime soon. She loved Edward. She didn't care about what other mammals thought about her or the bond she shared with her wolf.

However, Edward didn't share the same mindset as her. He was afraid. Afraid of the ridicule, the backlash, the pain that came along with their relationship. And she of all mammals understood why he didn't want to take the step yet. Interspecies relationships were still deemed as 'unnatural' and 'disgusting' to other mammals.

In his eyes, he felt that he wasn't strong enough to deal with that kind pressure.

In her eyes, she saw the complete opposite. What she saw was someone who overcame tremendous opposition and hate, and flourished because of it. He was a strong mammal. If only he could see the same thing within himself...

If only, she thought.

For now, she would continue to support him and help him in whatever way she could. A problem such as this would require tackling it one step at a time. It was a good thing that Sharla had a lot of patience, as well as admiration for her husband.

Sharla placed her hoof onto Edward's paw, gaining the attention of the wolf as his head slowly turned to her.

She smiled. "Sorry about that, hon. I know that we're not ready to make ourselves known to everyone just yet, but I think—"

"You don't have to sugarcoat it, Shar," Edward muttered. He hunched forward and brought his head low, his eyes cast onto the wooden floor. "I'm not ready yet. If I didn't insist on keeping our relationship on the downlow… if I wasn't so afraid of everything…" He paused, a barely audible whine escaping his throat as he sighed. He shook his head. "Then maybe we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place."

The two mammals sat together in silence, the ewe looking at her love with a frown. The sounds of the city quietly murmured through the open window and the paper thin walls of their apartment, while Sharla thought about what exactly to say that would lift her husband's spirits.

Then, she got an idea.

Sharla hopped off of the couch and took his paws into her hoofs. She stared at him closely, taking in all of those lovely features of his, and watched him get lost in his own thoughts. She traced the fur on the tops of his paws with her hoof.

"You know what I see when I look at you?" she asked the wolf lightly.

With no other response other than a flick of his ear she could see out of the corner of her eye, she let go of his paw and cupped the side of his face, gently moving him until those dazzling cobalt eyes met with her own.

Sharla gave him a warm grin. "What I see is a loving, caring, compassionate mammal who always puts others before himself. He's also kind, good, and also one of the strongest mammals that I've ever come across. And sure, he doesn't seem to have much in terms physical strength, but in terms of mental strength and will, no one could compare. On top of that he's awkward, nervous, funny, cute, and most importantly…"

A tender kiss brought both predator and prey together. Sharla could feel the wolf tense up at the moment of contact, then slowly began to relax into the kiss. When they separated, the ewe looked upon Edward's blushing face with a smile.

"Mine. This mammal's name is Edward Snow, the love of my life. My mate. My other half. My husband. If mammals can't see just how wonderful you really are because of who you love, then they shouldn't meddle around in your life to begin with. And even if the world gives us hell, I will always be there for you."

Another peck planted itself on the side of Edward's snout. Sharla hopped back up onto the couch and nestled into a spot next to the wolf.

"Who knows," she continued as her eyes began to close, feeling the wave of fatigue consume her, "maybe one day we won't have to worry about making our relationship a secret. But for now, we should both tackle it at our own pace and take it one step at a time."

Sharla felt the weight of Edward's head fall down onto the black floof atop her head. She let out a content sigh. The ambient sound of the cityscape filling the apartment, the quiet noise of their television set—which she didn't notice was turned on in the first place—and lastly, the soft beating of the wolf's heart thumping rhythmically in her ear completed this blissful picture and put her at ease.

"Do you think talking with Judy would be one of those steps?" Edward mumbled.

"Absolutely," came Sharla's instantaneous reply.

Without moving her head, her eyes looked up in his direction, just catching the glint of his features. She could tell clearly that something else was on his mind.

"There's something else, you're wondering, isn't there?"

The question hung in the air for a moment when Edward failed to respond right away, but thankfully, he managed to find an answer.

"Are you sure we can trust her?"

A brow raised and Sharla lifted herself from the comfort of her wolf, giving him a puzzled glance.

"Of course I do. She's one of my best friends, Ed," she spoke confidently.

"I know… but with everything that's happened… and then the news conference—"

"You think that she's going to talk."

They locked gazes with each other as the statement hung in the air. She could feel the beginnings of an argument. Tension between them was getting high. Judy was a good mammal. There was no way that she would willingly do that to any mammal. It just wasn't who she was. To say that Judy wasn't trustworthy would be like saying the world wasn't round.

However, the statement soon found an answer just as before, thankfully before things became close to a small feud—a rare occasion between the two of them.

"Yes," came Edward's hushed reply.

"Edward," she began, keeping her irritation on the sidelines for the moment as she cooly explained her case. "Judy is one of the most trusting, loving, coolest mammals that I've ever known. She wouldn't just stomp over another mammal, and she definitely wouldn't go around blabbing off huge secrets like some jerk. She of all mammals knows how it feels to be biased and made fun of because of who she was. I mean, look at where she is and who she works for. She's the first rabbit officer of Zootopia. I can't imagine how many times she could've been told to just give that dream up. I know for a fact that she would understand. She would help us, Ed. I know it. You just need to trust in her, please. She'll do the right thing."

"Trust her? I barely even know her, Shar. I didn't grow up with her like you did. She could be biased against interspecies couples for all I know. Plus, how can I trust Judy after she pretty much labeled all the predators in Zootopia as 'savage?' Just yesterday Charles got tripped and spilled coffee on himself because of what she said. Then on my way home, I saw a couple groups of mammals give both me and Charles some pretty weird looks and even called us 'savages.' Tension in the city has never been this bad. Only back at home have I ever felt as scared as I am now."

Edward let out a shaky, nervous sigh as his right leg bobbed up and down, and his arms crossed tight against his body. He looked cold. Sharla could even feel the anxiousness shaking his very vocal cords as he spoke.

"I can't help but wonder if I'll turn into one of those… things… a savage. It's eating away at me, Sharla. Like, what if I turn and do something awful? I couldn't live with myself if I managed to hurt you in any way."

"Edward," Sharla whispered to herself.

She watched as Edward lowered his gaze back down onto the floor. It seemed that he shared her own fear after all. Sharla couldn't quite imagine the magnitude of being a predator in this situation. Coupled with the weight of his job as well as his mother's passing—which was only two weeks ago today—she could tell that Edward was struggling to cope with it all. Sharla wanted desperately to help him. She wanted to save him from the pain. Charolete was such a polarizing figure throughout his life. She was the one who pushed him to strive to be a writer in the first place, the one who believed and fought for him, who taught him every step of the way. If only she could do more to help Edward through this.

The remainder of her thoughts swayed towards Judy. It had been so long since they'd seen each other; there was plenty of reason, and now evidence, to conclude that Judy might in fact be biased. What if she were? It would be a shame to lose a close friend like that.

Sharla shrugged, putting her thoughts into words. "If she turns out to be that way, then so be it. I can't force her to change, and I won't hate her if she's like that face to face, if anything I just won't talk with her afterwards. But, I still feel like we need to take this step. We can't just stay in the dark forever. Sooner or later someone is going to find out, and then we're going to have another problem just dealing with all of that backlash." Sharla noticed her husband's eyes shoot up for a moment, then away from her as his ears pushed to the back of his skull. "We might as well just start to lay the framework for it."

"I guess we should," the wolf mumbled. Another sigh pushed through his muzzle.

The two of them sat in silence on opposite ends of their sofa while the television screen began a rerun of one of their favorite movies. While blue lines of light outlined what looked like a circuit board, Sharla frowned, uninterested in the film. Okay, maybe it's time to change gears for a bit, she thought. Mentioning Judy isn't helping at all, it's just making him feel worse.

"The Grid… a digital frontier…" the T.V. spoke.

"Hey babe—" Sharla attempted to begin.

"I think I'm just…" Edward interrupted, then went bug-eyed when he caught what he did, "Sorry, I cut you off."

"No, no, it's fine, please. Continue," the ewe insisted with a smile.

"Sorry," he repeated. "...I think I'm going to go take a shower. It's been a long day and I think the water might help me relax a little bit."

"That's fine, hon. Do whatever you need to do to take your mind off of things."

The wolf scooted off of the couch and gave Sharla a quick peck before grabbing a towel and the blow-dryer from the dresser. Sharla went back to watching the show playing on the television and Edward went to answering a text that pinged in his pocket. After a couple of seconds, he stuffed the device back into his pocket and, with a wave, stepped out of their room and headed towards the community lavatory, shutting the door gently behind him.

Sharla stared at the rough finish of the door for a moment, then got lost in thought as her gaze looked off towards the city. It didn't take long for her curiosity to take over, and soon enough she pulled out her cell phone and quickly dialed the number to Charles's phone number. The phone rang a handful of times before she finally got through.

"Hello?" his deep voice rattled through the speaker.

"Hey Charles, it's Sharla."

"Hey Sharla! What's up?"

"I wanted to talk to you about Edward…"

"Why?" he asked with a hint of concern touching his voice. "What's wrong? Did he make it back there in one piece?"

The ewe laughed. "No, Edward's fine. He just left to go take a shower."

"And here I thought I was going to have to go on some adventure to find and rescue him. Unfortunate. But, I'm glad he's taking some time to unwind a little bit. He deserves that much after everything that's happened."

"Seriously," Sharla agreed.

"So, what's up?" The tiger repeated as metallic clanking chimed quietly in the background. "I'm sure you just didn't call up here to gossip."

"I wish I was." She let out a sigh and adjusted herself to where she was laying flat on the couch, her gaze cast towards the ceiling as she explained the reasoning for her phone call. "I wanted to ask if Edward was doing alright. He mentioned that you two were together this afternoon and I was wondering if you knew anything. He wasn't doing so hot when he came home."

"He hasn't told you yet, has he?"

A brow raised, then she sat up with her back arched. "Tell me what?"

"He… we were assigned a make or break story for this Sunday's headline. I can't share exactly what the story is or the details pertaining to it, but what I can tell you is that Edward is taking a little trip out of town… back to Bunnyburrow."

Sharla went bug-eyed. "Back to the Burrows? You… you don't mean—"

"In order to get more information, he made the choice to head back home to ask his father some questions."

"Are you serious?" She was shocked, dumbfounded even. "Why does he need to go back home, and why does he have to talk with his dad? Last time I checked, Alabaster was a flat-out jerkface who couldn't care less about Edward even if he tried."

"I… can't tell you yet." Charles sighed, "But, what I can tell you right now is that his father seemed… pleased that he was stopping by to visit.

"Why would he want Edward to come over?"

"That's what we're asking."

Sharla's attention wavered as her gaze transferred to the front door of the apartment. Edward couldn't face Alabaster alone. She wasn't sure if Edward could take the pain or distress it would inevitably cause, and she wouldn't allow it.

"I'm going with him," she decided.

Sharla got up from the couch and strode towards the closet pulling one of the drawstring bags from one of the hangers.

But before she could put anything inside, Charles's next statement halted Sharla in her tracks. "I'm afraid that isn't possible, Sharla."

"What?" she perturbedly spoke. "Why not?"

"Because it isn't what Edward wants."

"What?" she repeated, softening her tone.

"Sharla, you know Edward better than I do. The reason he wants to go alone is because he needs to do this. In order to move forward with his life he needs to face Alabaster and get over the bad blood between them."

"He wants to be strong," she realized.

"Exactly. If you come with him, he'll think that he would be dependent on the support to get him through. I know you want to help him with this, I really do. But, the best thing that you could do for him right now would be to just reassure and be there for him. He's gonna need all the support he can get. "

Though she wanted to deny it, she had to admit that Charles was right. The only way for Edward to move forward was to go alone. She didn't like it. She didn't like the plan, she didn't like Alabaster, and she didn't like the situation that Edward was being put in. But, for the sake of her husband, she was going to do the best she could to get him through this.

"Of course I'll be there for him, Charles. I live with him after all."

"That you do," he chuckled. "Listen, I've got to go. I'm meeting someone in a bit and I don't want to be late."

"Meeting with someone? At this time of ni-" The ewe smirked. "Charles Clawson, do you have a date?"

"Goodbye, Sharla."

Muttonchops, she thought. Maybe I'll find out later.

"See you later, Charlie."

o o o

Water flowed everywhere through Edward's bare fur while he leaned against the wall, his paws supporting his weight as they held him up. His head was sunk low, water making its way to the tips of his ears and the front of his muzzle. He blankly watched the water hit the floor and flow in the direction of the drain. He was lost in thought. Well, doubt to be more precise.

Was keeping Sharla out of the loop about the article, the safety of his job, the meeting with Alabaster, a good idea? He didn't like keeping secrets from Sharla. Not when they concerned something as important as the financial stability of their lives, or Edward's own mental health. Charles would tell Edward any day of the week that keeping this from his wife was a terrible idea. Yet, he kept the information hidden from her anyways. He felt terrible about it.

As soon as their task became manageable, he would bring her back into the loop. Though, he'd have to be careful. The more time that he'd spend keeping the information away from Sharla, the harder it would be to maintain that trust. He just hoped that he was making the right call. It felt wrong. It was wrong.

Edward eventually pushed off from the wall and looked toward the ceiling, his paw rubbing the tension built upon the back of his neck.

He turned around to face the curtain that separated him from the rest of the community bathroom, only to find a certain black sheep maneuvering inside of his stall. If he didn't realize that it was Sharla, he would have certainly had a panic attack.

Sharla placed her towel, pajamas, and shampoos—both hers and Edward's, which he laughably forgot to bring with him—onto the table in the back corner. She stripped down to nothing but skin and wool, and slowly stepped on over towards him. Edward's ears were flat against his head and his gaze was sullen, no thanks to his prior guilt; he couldn't even look at her. He was ashamed.

Sharla stopped in front of him, and took in his silver fur. She placed a hoof on his chest, and came in close, her head resting just over his heart as water began to soak into the thick black wool on the top of her head.

"You should have told me about the trip back to the farm."

The wolf's eyes grew wide, then returned to their normal size. She knew about the meeting. The jig was up, not that he was surprised. It seemed that Charles didn't keep the article a secret after all. Edward let out a sigh, then wrapped his arms around her, taking in her embrace. "Sharla, I—"

"Look, I don't know what kind of story you need to write that's forcing you to go back to Alabaster, but I'm sure it's important enough to take that strife." She looked up and pushed lightly on Edward's muzzle so that their eyes could meet. "If you need to talk about it, I'm right here. I love you Edward. Nothing will ever change that."

"I—" He paused, a stray thought about dismissing the offer, then abandoned the idea entirely. She still didn't know about the smaller details pertaining to why and what the ramifications would be. Charles didn't rat him out. That piece of knowledge put him a little at ease.

The corner of his mouth twitched into a tiny grin, his ears starting to raise a bit when he said softly, "I love you too, Sharla."

The two stared into each other's eyes. Time suddenly seemed to stand still. The awkwardness and tension he felt just moments ago took a dynamic turn as his heart began to flutter. Edward took in every detail he could; the small pin-sized hint of brown on her left eye, the lavishness of her thick black wool, her warm smile, every inch of her face seemed like heaven. He cupped her cheek with his paw, and flashed her a grin. A blush consumed her face as she turned away for a moment, a small giggle popping in the small space of the shower, then looked back at him, covering the paw on her face with her hoof.

Their gazes then softened. Another few seconds passed. Then, they pulled slowly into a chaste kiss under the warm embrace of the shower. Edward pulled his ewe close, a few satisfied groans audibly filling their throats. Sharla's arms dangled atop Edward's shoulders from the height difference while Edward rested his paws on Sharla's hips. It was as if she had completely melted into him.

Another kiss soon followed, Edward's tongue slipping inside of her mouth, getting a taste of his ewe as she similarly stuck her tongue into his. A light bleat resonated from his wife's throat. He could practically smell the excitement from her.

They finally parted, a trail of saliva trailing from both their lips as they looked into each other's eyes, only to be broken apart by a stray droplet of water. They were both breathless. A sharp exhale left Edward's muzzle. She smelt incredible. Sharla looked down at Edward's midsection to observe in reverence what she felt when they pressed up against each other. A vixenish grin grew on her snout. She looked up and shot a sultry stare at him while grabbing it.

"Let me show you how much I love you."

After that, time seemed to slip through their fingers. Their relaxing shower turned into a nearly two hour escapade. For Edward, to not care about the world and it's troubles as well as his insecurities felt wonderful, liberating even. They finally had time to themselves.

Finally, to top it all off, they were in an extremely public area. If anyone were to walk in they would have been found out for sure. But, what most surprised the wolf was that he didn't seem to care about that. With Sharla with him, everything felt alright.

With a little freshening up and a relaxing blow-dry later, they walked hoof in paw back over to their apartment. Once Edward was fully packed and ready to venture back to the farm, they spent the rest of the night in their bed on their phones as they silently cuddled the night away, happiness draped over their minds like an aura as it helped them find the peace to finally sleep.

The next morning, Edward and Sharla awoke to the sound of knocking at the front door of the apartment, the groggy couple moaning and groaning in response to their rude awakening.

Edward was the one to haphazardly stumble out of the comfort of their bed and stroll on over to the door. He unlocked the latch above the doorknob and opened the door to reveal a blinding light and a familiar well-dressed tiger.

The wolf rubbed his tired eyes and leaned against the door. He yawned, just barely recognizing the figure before him as he tried to unblur his vision. "Good morning, Charlie."

"Um, good morning Ed," he cackled. "So, uh, did you have a good sleep last night? I think this guy 'wood' think so."

Edward looked to where his friend was gesturing and realized that he was dressed in only his boxer shorts. What made matters worse, however, was the severe case of morning wood bulging from his shorts that caused his entire face to go beet red.

"Shit."

The wolf slammed the door shut and quickly got around to getting dressed amidst Charles's deep muffled laughing.

"It's not like I haven't seen it before Ed," Charles laughed through the door. "No reason to be embarrassed. It's only natural."

"He's right you know," Sharla mumbled lustfully from their bed, a smile aimed at his direction as he moved about.

Edward didn't dare reply. Instead, he focused all of his efforts and energy on getting himself completely ready for the train ride to Bunnyburrow. Once he had gotten dressed and grabbed his bag of clothing and the essentials for his trip—his keys, some musk mask, a phone charger, and other various office supplies that he would need to take field notes—he kissed his wife goodbye and scurried out the door and down the hall, unable to look his friend in the eye as he heard Charles struggling to keep up with the wolf.

It was a short walk to Savannah Central. Even with their unscheduled pit stop for a couple cups of Tim Horkin's coffee, they didn't run into the normal workday foot traffic they normally faced on their way into the office. Edward wondered if him waking up near seven o'clock played into why, but he didn't question it further than that, mainly because it didn't matter all that much to him.

Walking into Savannah Central Station yielded the same empty presence as on the streets. Nearly all the mammals leaving the station had already left and were bound for their respective stops, while the remaining animals scurried around the platforms and main floor. Edward almost missed the hustle and bustle.

Edward went ahead and grabbed his ticket from the ticket window and strolled down the escalator with Charles. The two of them waited quietly on the station platform for the train to arrive while trains on the first and last tracks continued to drop off and pick up their riders.

Edward pulled his phone out to check the time. It's 8:54 , the thought fluttered attentively in his head. It was nearing nine o'clock.

He silently wished that the train would arrive on time. Waiting on the platform was killing him as well as his confidence, nothing to think about other than what lied ahead of him, the question of what would happen if he were late to this meeting with his father prodded around in his head. After that, it became a rapid downward spiral. He started to doubt that Alabaster wanted to see at all if he managed to not arrive on time, and then how his father would likely scold him upon his arrival.

Before he could delve further than that, his ears perked up, picking up on a sharp metallic sound.

"Looks like the train's here," Charles commented. "Right on time."

The train pulled up to the station, came to a slow stop and opened its doors. Several passengers strolled out of the train cars and past the wolf and tiger standing in the middle of the platform.

Edward sighed. It was time.

"Looks like it's time to go," the wolf said.

"Looks like it is." With a nod, Edward turned to leave. "I'll continue getting some more information while you're away," Charles continued, gaining Edward's attention before he stepped onto the train. "By the way, I've got another interview lined up for this afternoon, so if you need to call me, just make sure you do it before two o'clock. Shouldn't take more than two hours."

"Sure."

A horn filled the room with sound, signaling the passengers bound for the Burrows that it was nearly time to go. Edward looked towards the tiger who was giving him a thumbs up. "Good luck, Ed."

"Thanks," he hesitantly smiled back, returning a thumbs up of his own. "I'll call you later."

The tiger smiled and nodded, then turned towards the escalators while Edward stepped onto the train car, finding a spot in the middle of the row of seating along the wall. Once he got situated he removed the backpack strapped around him and placed it onto the seat next to him. Not long after that, another blast of the train horn sounded and the doors to the car closed before the train finally left the station.

No turning back now, Edward sighed.

It didn't take long for the train to reach the bridge that stood atop the Zootopian Bay near the beaches of Sahara Square, and Edward watched as the city moved further and further away. A happy memory of he and his wife's move to the city filled his mind before a yawn began to push him towards sleep. He went ahead and set an alarm on his phone for two hours later and dozed off, hoping for the best of luck when he made it back to the Burrows.

For the most part, he felt ready. And though his confidence wasn't nearly at what it should be, it was about time to face whatever lied ahead of him. For better or for worse.