EDITED BY: DrummerMax64

Chapter Eleven - Overwhelmed

"When it rains it pours." The phrase never seemed to click as much as it did before that night. How ironic was it then that actual rain licked every part of his fur and clothing and not the artificial stuff that came from the sprinklers riddled throughout the district? Must've been his lucky day.

How did he manage to get to this point? How was it that he found himself standing at the edge of what looked to be an endless green abyss of flora and leaves? It was odd to see the Rainforest District in such light, though he wasn't shocked. It seemed that life had prepared him for this moment. His last hurrah.

'How did he get here? What happened leading up to this could make him do something so awful?' some would probably wonder. To answer these questions, one only had to look at his past. Only then could they truly understand.

It all started when he was little. He was around five, maybe six years old when it happened. His mother and father were having another one of their arguments while he was trying to play with a couple of his old stuffed bears. He couldn't quite recall what the fight was directed at—probably something pointless if he had to guess—but he remembered that it was worse than normal. When he walked into the room to investigate for himself, his father wobbled over to him and gave him a hard smack across the face. After that, his mother proceeded to try and argue with his father more amidst all the shock and crying until his father walked away, leaving her alone with her kit. After a beat of silence she walked over and grabbed him, then spanked him back into submission, tears still flowing down his fur. He didn't understand what he had done wrong. He still didn't understand.

A few years later, he found himself dealing with quite the posse of bullies. They called him everything in the book: stupid, dumb, retarded, gay, freak, you name it. On top of that, they also took it upon themselves to cement their claims with further violence and name calling that left him in pretty rough shape on some occasions. When they were finished with him, they'd leave him to collect his things, lick his wounds and head back home to where he was met with further name-calling and abuse.

This vicious cycle repeated itself up until the end of elementary school when the bullies finally stopped and his father suddenly left without so much as a word. He also managed to find someone who he could talk to and share his thoughts with. That day, life felt okay.

Then came middle school. What a shit show that was. The bullies that tormented him and his new friend from elementary school came at them in full force with their physical violence and derogatory names. He also had to continue dealing with his mother's wrath and unwarranted abuse (not to mention her now more abundant drinking problem). There was a lot on his plate, but he still managed to survive.

Next was high school, the days where he pushed to find himself and attempt to live his own life, though limited as it was. It was his goal to be nothing like his father nor his mother, and to instead be as kind as he could be, to make the most out of his high school years. In turn, the bullying seemed to quiet down to a minor annoyance during his freshman year, so didn't really see much action on that front—though he couldn't say the same for his old friend. On top of that, his circle of friends got bigger as well. He hung out with his friend from elementary school the most, however. They had bonded through the pains of family and the bullies from their schools and made quite the dynamic duo as it turned out.

Fast forward to his junior year, the friends he had made during his first two years of high school strengthened his resolve and pushed him further towards his goal. However, that year was the only year in his high school career that would serve to test him the most. The friend that he had made all that time ago, back when he was a little kid, was now his boyfriend.

Though the bullies continued to torment what seemed to be his other half, he did his best to protect him in any way he could. But, he found that his newfound love didn't feel as secure as he thought it would. How was he to tell his boyfriend? He didn't want to ruin their relationship. It turned out that thanks to some unforeseen circumstances, he didn't have to do much. One day, he had done the unthinkable and broke that trust between them, essentially cheating on his love. They broke up the following night, mutually agreeing that the two of them stay friends despite everything. He had broken his heart and his soul, and thankfully, his friend was able to forgive him.

Eventually, near the end of that school term, he introduced a number of mammals from his other circle of friends to his ex, and one friend in particular struck his eye. The two of them seemed to hit it off right away. It took his old friend a while to convince himself that he was indeed in love—she wasn't even the same species, or even the same type of mammal for that matter—but when his ex finally did, he had never seen him so happy. They were incredibly cute together. It was a shame he would never see them get married.

After high school, his ex and his girlfriend went off to college, leaving him and a select number of their friends behind. He went ahead and moved out of the house with the money he was able to scrape together from the work he put in during his junior and senior years. Needless to say, he was happy to finally get away from his mother's clutches. He was finally able to start his own life. He settled down in an apartment located in Happytown, right in the city of Zootopia, and found someone like him with a similar background. A few years later, this mammal became his boyfriend and moved into his apartment.

He recalled that mammals outside the city called Zootopia 'a place where anyone can be anything.'

"Bunch of hogwash is what it was," his voice spoke to no one in particular.

Like everyone else in the city, he found himself settling into a manager position at the local Bug Burga, making a wage that he could be happy with. It wasn't the best job in the world, but it was manageable enough to where it wasn't a burden to him financially. It was his boyfriend who didn't share the same idea. It was his boyfriend that wanted more money flowing into their apartment—which wasn't even his to begin with. He even found that his boyfriend had been stashing away drugs inside his place. The next morning, after an incredibly heated conversation that resulted in a broken vase, the now ex-boyfriend left the apartment in a huff. It was a shame. He thought that he would be the one.

Little did he know, there was more than just a simple break-up to deal with. Nothing was ever simple with him.

As it turned out, the backpack he took to and from work that held his work clothes, a spare change of clothes and phone charger also held something else he wasn't aware of. Hidden in one of the pockets was a small bag of nip, enough to get the largest cheetah as high as a kite. The bad thing? There was a police officer roaming around his restaurant. What made it worse? He was a wolf. Needless to say, the officer was tempted to ask him several questions about how he smelt exactly like the drugs that were in his bag and eventually hauled him off to the Savannah Central precinct. Now that he thought about it, was it even legal for the officer to do a random search of his belongings?

The cops barely gave him a chance to make a case for himself—a vengeful boyfriend's last hurrah after years of arguing and an apparent drug issue.

Barely.

He was lucky that his ex-boyfriend already had a hefty file compiled in their system. They were able to catch the shifty drug addict before he had the chance to make it far. But, it didn't bring him nearly as much satisfaction as it should have, even when his ex's deranged nature made him look like a rabid monster. That shifty tiger had already ruined him completely.

In the same week, he managed to break up spectacularly with his boyfriend, got arrested for the first time in his life for something out of his control, got fired from his job, and was on the verge of losing the apartment that he slaved so hard for. All seemed lost.

But, thankfully, there was one saving grace. His old friend from long ago and his girlfriend had moved into the city and gotten an apartment of their very own in the heart of Savannah Central. And even with them just being moved into the city, he was left with no other option than to ask them for money for rent. He remembered feeling incredibly bad for his negligence. Their bank account must've been completely wiped by the time they agreed to lend him a helping paw.

Finding a job within that month was one of the hardest tasks of his entire life, even worse than living with both of his parents. And it was all thanks to the drugs that were found on his clothing and inside his backpack. Regardless of his innocence, that moment would forever be on his official police record.

In every background check a potential employer would do, they would be able to find that little detail and reject him from ever being employed. This continued being the case until next month's payment. He was at a loss.

With nowhere else to go, he once again came to his old friend the following month. He cried. He actually cried. He never cried. He told him about his terrible situation and how he couldn't find a job anywhere, hoping to at least make a case for himself. Unfortunately, there was nothing that his friend could do. He and his girlfriend—who was also his friend—had given him all the money they could from their savings, and with their biweekly pay, they couldn't do anything. Plus, they had their own apartment and bills to pay for.

That was that. He couldn't blame either one of them. They did all they could to help. He was just too worthless, too pathetic to put himself out there.

The following week, an eviction notice was handed out, and now here he was, standing out at the edge of an old gondola station platform, looking out into the dark, green, heavenly abyss.

Looking back, he was given a bad hand from the start. He tried his hardest to excel, he really did. He didn't have the skill set to go to college, nor the experience to thwart such a force as his second ex, or even the chance to make things right between him and his old friend—who he surprisingly still loved very much. There was nothing he could do. And if he were being honest with himself, he was fed up with it all; life's bullshit. He was done. Now he was willing to take the only exit out of this situation that life had dealt him.

He looked down into the chasm while rain flowed from his fur to his snout. The darkness below him, it looked almost welcoming in a way. He looked up to the greenery above him then shut his eyes. Was he ready to commit such an act? Would it pain him that he couldn't say goodbye? Would his friends miss him? He was just another light in the vast skyline in the city. He doubted they would care.

He took a breath. Yes. It felt right. There wasn't really much to go back to anyway. If anything, there was one thing that could probably talk him out of it, but that was slim at best.

His mind was made up.

He lifted his foot from the old gondola platform…

"Charles?" a feminine voice called out behind him.

"Charlie?"

He hesitated. Someone managed to find him? The platform was abandond for years he thought. He opened his eyes and looked behind him. Two figures walked past a vehicle's headlights and slowly trudged toward him. A wolf and a sheep. He recognized these mammals.

"My friends…" he whispered. A light grin touched his muzzle before looking shamefully down to the ground. Looks like I get to say goodbye after all.

He shut his eyes again and felt himself fall backwards towards the open air, his arms were outstretched, embracing this one true moment of peace.

"CHARLIE!" his ex screamed.

o o o

Charles awoke from his dream with a start, his whole body flinching awake. His eyes felt as if they were about to fly out of their sockets, and his heart wasn't faring any better. His body felt like the inside of a volcano. He needed to find his bearings.

Charles peered over to the sleeping tiger still curled up against the side of his body. His chest slowly raised and lowered, feeling the slow breath of his boyfriend blow through his fur. He hoped that he didn't disturb him in any way. The last thing he wanted was the wrath of Officer Fangmeyer at the wee hours of the morning. He'd be hauled down to the precinct for sure if Tommy had his way.

Over the next several minutes, Charles quickly found that he was unable to get himself back to sleep. He stared blankly at the ceiling of his apartment until he decided to sneakily crawl out of the comfy position he was in, and walked through the living room to the kitchen. While he went for a prepackaged single serving of coffee, his mind strayed back to the bone-chilling nightmare.

It wasn't the first time that this dream had made an unwanted appearance. It was more like a curse that proceeded to haunt him since that fateful day. He wished that he couldn't ever see that dream, that nightmare , ever again. He hated it, even more so than his own parents. What made it even more surreal was that it was about events that actually took place, and the dream always ended with him going through with what he had envisioned as his only escape, instead of Edward taking his paw at the very moment he thought of lifting his foot off of the ground. He couldn't imagine the thought of it now. Right?

It came as no surprise that his body was shaking in fear. Leaving his friends behind was an unbearable thought. He was fearful of leaving them behind, and coupled with the crippling vertigo he got from even the smallest of heights, he found out how difficult it was to deal with the aftermath of his actions. How stupid he was for even thinking about it in the first place. He couldn't even stare out of a second story window for more than a few seconds without having a panic attack or getting sick to his stomach. Maybe that's why he was always out and about instead of spending time at the office, or maybe even why he had a seat at the very end of the aisle? He was completely shocked that he didn't have a panic attack the Monday and Tuesday following Edward's return. He was barely able to keep his cool.

However, Charles needn't worry about himself. Something else mattered far more to him than his well being: Edward. Even after everything he put them through during their junior year, and even after his and Sharla's wedding, Charles still cared for him. Was it weird that he cared so much about a mammal who was his ex and married to another mammal who was also his friend? Charles didn't particularly feel that to be the case. He loved Edward, yes, but that love had transformed into something else since that time back in high school. He loved the wolf like a brother, and he would do anything to protect his brother.

"Nope," Charles shook his head with a small grin, picking up the freshly brewed cup of coffee from the single-serve coffee brewer, "still sounds weird."

Edward was clearly falling apart. If his distance was any indication, he was in danger of falling deeper into the darkness. Yet, Edward insisted on toughing it out to prove that he could achieve his definition of 'strong.' What if Edward were to be consumed by this infatuation? What if he couldn't pull himself out of that mindset?

The grim thought of his nightmare becoming a reality again sent a chill down Charles's spine, though he wasn't the one taking the fall; it would be Edward taking his place instead. Charles shook his head. He couldn't bear the thought of that even happening. He stared down into his warm cup of coffee and watched the steam rise and dissipate into the air. A sigh billowed from his snout.

"Hey," a hoarse voice from the bedroom door called to him. The sleepy tiger dressed in nothing but a pair of boxers rubbed his eyes and strode over towards Charles.

"Hey, Tommy," Charles grinned, kissing him as his groggy boyfriend wrapped his arms around Charles's midsection.

"I thought I felt you leave the bed." Tommy checked the digital clock on the microwave beside him. "It's two o'clock in the morning. What's up?"

"Nothing to be too worried about, Tommy," Charles attempted to reassure. "Woke up and decided to get some coffee to help lull me back to bed."

"Well that sounded reassuring," Tommy muttered sarcastically. "There's literally no one on the planet except caffeine junkies and Wolford who'd get up solely for a cup of coffee." Tommy slyly grinned, then proceeded to gently nab the cup from Charles's paw and sipped at it until they both eventually shared a laugh. He passed the cup back over to Charles before Tommy took the chance to prod further. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"Yeah," Charles gave his hesitant response, unable to tell a credible lie. "You could say that."

Tommy parted from the comfort of Charles's embrace and locked gazes. "It was that nightmare again, wasn't it?" he asked with a look of worry on his face.

Tommy seemed to be a tad bit more awake now in light of his observation, and Charles again couldn't save himself with something dishonest. He couldn't lie to him. He couldn't lie to the officer who took the time out of his day to check up on him and make sure he was okay. Charles gave him a nod, gaining a low, caring 'aww' and a sad-looking tiger. He let Tommy do what he did best: a hug, a kiss, and reassurances in his low, wonderfully perfect baritone voice.

"You're okay, Charlie. You're okay," Tommy repeated. "I love you very much, Charlie, and I'm sure that Edward and… Sharla, was it? They don't hate you for that. In fact, I think they would be proud of you after all you've been able to overcome."

Charles almost forgot that he hadn't properly introduced Edward until yesterday, and brought up Sharla when they sat down for dinner during a visit to the local diner late last month. Tommy was always working around the precinct or busy checking up on him at either his home or the hospital to meet either Sharla or Edward, so he thought at least mentioning them would be beneficial. Perhaps they could find the time to go on a double date together?

After making a quick mental note, Charles looked to him and questioned, "You think so?"

"Absolutely," Tommy nodded. "You've gone through a fair share of issues that no mammal should have to face in their lifetime, and you've been able to get through them all."

"Not as much as Edward," the truthful comment slid in.

"No," Tommy retorted, taking a paw away and waving his finger at him. He gave Charles a warm smile. "Don't do that. We're talking about you right now. I think Edward can wait for a couple of seconds so we can focus on the handsome-looking tiger in front of me."

"It doesn't mean that it's not true," Charles bashfully muttered with his head low.

"Well, even if that were the case," his boyfriend shrugged, "it doesn't mean that you aren't permitted to think about yourself once and awhile, Charlie."

There was that moment after Charles's name dropped that caused him to stare blankly into his love's cinnamon-colored irises. To be specific, Charles was more or less caught up with the notion of putting himself first before others. The thought alone made him uncomfortable. It went against his own set of personal beliefs.

Seeing this, Tommy gave him a smile and put a paw on Charles's shoulder. "You have a life to live too. Don't get me wrong, your selflessness is one of your cutest qualities, and I love you for it. But, I've found it to be one of your greatest enemies as well. So far, all I've seen is you worrying about everyone else and their problems while you're stuck still trying to repair yours in the process."

Tommy took Charles's paw into his own and brushed the side of his head. Charles blushed. The simple journalist felt it to be strange to see such a fire as bright as a dancer's, let alone police officer's , swayed by a simple action such as hand-holding.

What felt stranger than that was the thought of putting his needs over the needs of others. Was it right? It didn't seem right. His needs weren't that important compared to those of his friends, and they surely weren't compared to the needs of someone like Edward.

While Charles continued to silently mull it over, Tommy continued.

"I know we've only been dating for six months now, but believe me when I say that you mean the world to me. I've never really felt anything such as strong as the bond between you and me. I probably sound crazy. That being said, I won't let you tear yourself up. In the words of the Chief himself, 'It's your duty to protect those in the city and treat them like they're your family.' You are no exception. I won't abandon you. I won't back down. I won't hate you, or blame you. I love you, Charlie."

"I…" Charles attempted to speak, but found himself reeling from the words fluttering around in his head. He was speechless. He took a moment to breathe and attempted to speak again. "I… love you too, Tommy. Thank you."

Thomas flashed a light grin and pulled Charles close, both tigers wrapping their arms around each other.

"No problem," the officer replied. "Now, I think it's time that we headed back to bed. I don't know about you, but I have to get up in a few hours and I'm sure that Wolford won't be too happy if he has a cranky, tired partner to deal with while we're on our normal beat. Neither of us will hear the end of it."

The pair of tigers shared a quick kiss before Tommy pulled Charles and his mug of coffee back into the dark abyss of his bedroom. Luckily for them, the darkness was considered to be a mild annoyance for two tigers with the ability to see in the dark. They both crawled back under the sheets and to their old positions before their little talk in the kitchen. Both tigers cuddled up close and got comfortable. The low purrs coming from Tommy rumbled deep in Charles's chest. Charles was nearly lulled to sleep with that alone, but the officer's voice managed to pull him away from sleep's grasp.

"Why did you and Edward break up? If you don't mind me asking."

Charles stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment at the question. Was this the first time that he'd been asked this by someone who he was dating? As far as he knew, this was the first time he'd been put in this kind of situation. Why did it feel awkward?

Although on top of feeling unexpected, he felt like he should have expected the question eventually, considering Tommy's curious nature. It was the one thing he liked most about him.

He gave it a little bit of thought, a mental image of that time in high school giving him some bad vibes before he pulled Tommy closer into his chest.

"No, it's fine, Tom. We… we were too similar," he said.

"I figured as much. With everything you've told me about him it seemed like you two had a lot in common. Maybe too much… Sorry, just curious, that's all."

"You're fine, hon," Charles mumbled as his eyes began closing.

Sleep came quickly for him after their short exchange, and soon the sun had begun peaking over the horizon to greet the city once again. The pair of tigers was met with a blaring alarm that nearly jolted Charles straight out of the bed. They both got ready for the day, sharing a cup of coffee, taking a long shower together, and finally hugging and kissing each other goodbye when they had to part ways at Savannah Central.

By that time, it was nearly seven o'clock in the morning when Charles checked his phone. He walked over to the local diner near the park and got himself some breakfast before making his way over to his ex's apartment. He made sure to get to the Grand Pangolin Arms early enough so his friend had enough time to get ready if he managed to miss his alarm. He was glad he did, because it seemed to be the case when he opened the door for him. Edward looked to be incredibly well rested, which Charles assumed was thanks to Sharla. Even in the dark, Charles could clearly see that she was still lying comfortably inside the bed. Her eyes were half open and she sported a blissful smile on her face.

He and Edward promptly left the building ten minutes later and walked to Savannah Central Station where Edward boarded the nine o'clock train traveling to the Burrows, leaving Charles to his own devices for the next few hours he had available. He was planning on heading back to bed with the time he had. After that phone call with his coworker Anders, he needed to be at his best if he wanted to get as much information as he could with these interviews.

Around two hours had passed before Charles was up and about in Savannah Central, ready to conduct another interview for his and Edward's story. If the details on Anders's spreadsheet were correct, he should be nearing the home of one of the mammals that had turned into what the media and police called a 'savage.' What managed to shock him the most, however, was one of the names on the spreadsheet.

Though he never got to see or know her specifically, he was able to recognize that this mammal was one of his now ex-coworkers at the Gazette : Kristy Blanc. Even he knew that her pieces surrounding anything related to Happytown were always exemplary. So naturally, when the reporter side of him saw her name on the list, Charles had to dig deeper. He couldn't believe that she would fall victim. He didn't want to. But, it only took one search input into Zoogle to put any doubts he had to bed.

On the front of one of the articles that ZNN posted to its website, the familiar snow leopard could be seen with the same slitted eyes Charles had noticed on most of the mammals that had turned. She was one of them. A 'savage.'

"Dammit," the word slipped as it was mumbled into the air.

Charles stuffed his phone into his inner blazer pocket. He was sure that Kristy was working diligently on a story the morning prior, so she must have been let go as early as this morning. And what better reason to let another one of the Gazette's finest slip away than the possibility of this kind of thing happening. Horn only threatened Edward with the thought of firing. But, now she had gone and taken action against someone who has brought well thought out and consistent work to the table.

Charles couldn't fathom how Danielle could find a reason for firing Kristy, but then again, if she was that confident as to let someone like Blanc go, Horn had to have a good reason behind it just to keep a lawsuit off of her hoofs.

This entire ordeal was infuriating to think about. If the desire to burst through her office door and give Horn a piece of his mind wasn't strong before, it was now a gargantuan-sized want . So before he went and blew a gasket over something that was out of his paws, Charles focused on keeping his mind as clear as possible for his eventual interview.

Charles fixed his gaze to the sapphire sky and took in the sights of the clouds. A flock of birds were flapping their wings overhead, moving south towards the bay….

"Hey Charles!" a distant voice called out.

The voice brought the tiger out of his trance as he tried searching for its source, eventually finding a familiar black ewe sitting at a table on the other side of the street. She was waving her hoof at him. Charles cracked a smile and waved back at her before he kept on moving along the sidewalk. If his memory served him right, the destination was only a few crosswalks away.

o o o

Sharla brought her arm back down and watched as Charles turned his gaze back to the sidewalk. She cast a smile on her snout as a giggle quietly erupted in her throat.

The excitement of meeting one of her best friends from her childhood was starting to catch up with her rocket-paced mind. Even small games and ruminal activities—such as recalling her work, the RAM, and humming her favorite music—couldn't contain the giddiness she was feeling. However, she would try her damnedest to control herself.

One of these said games was one that she and her family played to pass the time when they were waiting at the doctor's or dentist's office. They would give certain kinds of patients different point values for different mammals that they could find, even down to what items the mammal had on them. The rarer the mammal, the higher the score. The highest average score the family had gotten up to was a staggering 1,895 points—one trip to the dentist's office, and another for a check-up.

Granted, they lived in a very lively section of the Burrows, so they had some of the busiest doctor's and dentist's offices in the county, besides the hospital near the outskirts of downtown that is.

Would a Charles sighting amount to around twenty-five or thirty points? the thought poked around in her head.

She considered the fact that she hadn't seen him since the wedding, and before then off and on. Needless to say, she had a pretty decent grasp on the frequency of their meetings.

"Thirty," she nodded. "Thirty sounds reasonable. He's wearing part of a suit… plus he's a reporter… maybe thirty-five?" The thought bounced around, teetering on whether or not his criteria met the standards to the rules of the game. Then, she realized one crucial detail. "He's a friend, so it's a thirty. That makes 210 so far—"

"Pardon me, miss," a voice mumbled to the right of her, Sharla's gaze slowly bringing the coyote who the voice belonged to into view. "Would you like to order anything while you wait for your friend?"

The ewe shook her head and smiled, gesturing towards the glass resting on the table. "Just the water is fine for now, thank you."

"Absolutely. If you need anything, don't be afraid to flag me down or look for me inside."

"Sure thing… uh…"

"Will."

"Thank you, Will."

With a bow of his head, he scurried over to the next table in the outdoor seating section to serve the next hungry customer. She repeated the name several times in her head to embed it into her memory.

Sharla's eyes shot back to the other side of the street to a now distant Charles, who was just turning the corner onto another road. Once her friend went out of view, she reveled in the biological prowess that was her vision, then began setting her sights on her surroundings.

Everything seemed to go at its normal pace—traffic moving through the streets and alleyways, mammals walking to and fro around in their herds and with their families, the sounds of car horns and distant sirens, and businesses flourishing as they normally did at this time of day. The city was as busy as ever. It was a shame that she never got to see it all that often because of her job at the Zootopia MASA station. It was half an hour away from the city, and her working hours made it so that she didn't get home until around six o'clock on a good day. So, seeing and experiencing the city felt like a small luxury to her. She counted Edward lucky. While he got to experience the city firsthand, she was stuck out near the countryside working on rockets all day long. Although, working on rockets was an awesome feat in and of itself.

On the other hand, seeing Zootopia move and flow around her was almost mesmerizing, even calming in a way. She almost wished that she could have another week to take it all in, because once this week was over, her team would be put into the limelight. No matter how much she wanted to stay in the city and explore its districts, work always beckoned her back to its boring clutches. At least the pay was more than adequate for their cheap, tiny apartment.

She took another glance around the streets and the sidewalks, watching the next wave of traffic and pedestrians move through. Sharla kept a close eye on the foot traffic that strolled along the fence next to her. Any mammal passing by the restaurant she was eating at could clearly be seen, a huge plus in regards to the game. Just after a minute she was able to add another 445 points to her total—two bickering couples, a class field trip, a family of rabbits, an interspecies couple, around ten angry bigots, and five angry protesters who made her think about adjusting their point values to something less than twenty points. The rising spike of protests around the city made the rare oddity into a common practice fairly quickly.

When Sharla and Edward returned from Charolete's funeral last Sunday they were met with a fear and panic ridden city in light of Judy's announcement—that predators around the city were going savage. On top of her husband being a sad mess over his mother's death, he was trying to cope with the fear of becoming this monster straight from the Stone Age. He almost called off of work the following Monday morning.

She couldn't help that the thought crossed her mind once or twice—the question of if her husband were to turn into a 'savage.' It was just her being cautious. It didn't sit right with her to just brush this issue off like it was nothing, it was potentially her life on the line. If the odds were flipped, Edward would do the same thing.

If her husband were to turn, what was there to do? She assumed that if they were in the apartment and if she were quick enough, she would be able to bolt out the door and lock it; that way, she could get help without the fear of anyone getting seriously injured. It seemed like a novel idea.

Past that, she really couldn't come up with any sort of plan. If they were out in the open like the park, there wasn't any cover besides packed businesses and communal areas. Sharla was at a loss. How could she protect herself if he turned then? She didn't have claws like Edward or Charles. Hell, she didn't even have horns…

She shook her head. "What am I thinking?"

Edward may be a wolf, but he was her husband above all else. If she should be concerned for anyone's safety, it would be his. He was just as scared as she was, if not moreso. He was the one being directly affected. In the coming weeks, she needed to find an effective way to help Edward not turn into a savage. If the trigger was tremendous stress like every doctor, news anchor, and mammal had been saying, then all Sharla had to do was alleviate his stress in any way she could.

Thankfully, this also meant that what she did for him the night prior appeared to be the right move, which brought her a little bit of relief. But, this was slight.

They would have to hunker down and talk about this issue realistically. The thought of Edward becoming one of those… savages, although bone-chilling, was very possible. There was no going around it. She was a prey animal, and he, a predator. If they didn't discuss it soon, they may not have a chance to.

The grim thought was cast out when a new, brighter thought took its place, bringing a warm grin to Sharla's snout. Maybe we could go on a date after he comes back from—

Sharla's train of thought came to a screeching halt when she felt a couple of taps on her right shoulder. Her body tensed up and her ears flicked.

Could it be…

She prepared herself for the moment she had been waiting for all morning, standing up from her metal chair and turning around. The sight before her made the grin on her face shine brighter than before.

"Officer Hopps," she greeted giddily to the rabbit clad in her police uniform.

"Hi Sharla," she said back.

o o o

Edward took in the fresh air with a sniffle as he walked down the driveway towards the main road. Accompanying him was his father, who was now wearing that warm, fatherly smile that Edward only dreamed of seeing. Who would have thought that it would take such great lengths to get to this moment? He almost felt thankful that Danielle Horn assigned him this story in the first place. Without her, he and his father would never have been able to rekindle their friendship today. Although he was far from religious, Edward felt blessed.

However, he also had to remember why he was here. Yes, Horn had allowed him to get to this point, but he still had a job to do. Edward still had two days to come up with content for a story, and all he had to work on was an interview and a hunch that may not be correct at all. In fact, it was very possible that he could be miles from where he needed to be.

Did Alabaster have what he needed? Would his father's information suffice? Edward had no idea, but he had to try. He needed to try. That deadline was dangerously close and his job was right in the crosshairs.

Edward pulled out the phone from his front pocket and readied his recording application. He took a deep breath before he tapped down on the recording button.

"Snow Interview. Thursday, May 26th, 2016." The two of them turned to the edge of the field and walked in between the rows of purple flowers to their left and their farm's crop still growing to the right. Edward turned his head to his father while he held up the phone in his right paw. "Since we've already gone through the pleasantries, I'm going to get straight to the point. Is that fine?"

"By all means," Alabaster nodded.

"Good," Edward grinned. His gaze broke from his father's eyes and transferred over to the plants on his right, their bright purple hue blaring into his vision. "As you already know, I'm gathering information for a story I'm writing. I was wondering, what can you tell me about these plants over here, the bright purple ones?"

"Them? Those are Midnicampum Holicithias. I use them to keep bugs and other insects off of the produce. Besides that, I use the chemical back in the storehouse to make sure that I've got enough protection on the crop. The last thing I want is for bugs to make a mess out of our hard work."

"Hmm…" That wasn't enough information to go off of. If anything, it left Edward completely unsatisfied. Perhaps there was more to these flowers? Edward stared at the plants curiously before his question formed into words. "Could you possibly give me a little bit more information?"

"Sure," Alabaster complied. "Since plant husbandry is kind of a requirement for being a farmer, I made sure that I did a little research before I went ahead and took on the profession fully. When I found that others around here were using these plants to protect their crops, I decided that I should join the bandwagon and get some of these for myself, them being the best plant to use and all. But little did I know that there was a lot more to these plants than meets the eye. In the plant husbandry world, we have different classes for different kinds of plants, broken down into letter groups that are based on the kind of plant they are and the characteristics they have. I don't want to waste your time by explaining all the different classes, so to put it simply, Midnicampums are a Class C botanical. All you need to know is that these flowers are dangerous to handle."

A brow raised on Edward's head. "How so?"

"The plant naturally gives off a chemical that is toxic to other mammals. I've only heard this from stories around town, so don't quote me on this. I've heard that one of the Hoppses got bit after a relative in their family ingested one of the plants whole. Even another time here at the farm, while you and your brother were fighting, you boys got too rough and Gary ended up ingesting one as well. We had to get him to the hospital so he could have the chance to cool off for a bit and get the chemical out of his system. As you can see, it's good for bugs, but not for us."

"If it's so dangerous, why use it?"

"As I said before, it's one of the most effective natural pesticides to use on the farm. It's effective, and you don't have to use manufactured chemicals, so a lot of farmers turn to it. However, because of their dangerous qualities, hardly anybody stocks them, which makes them extremely hard to find, especially in the city. Trust me, your mother and I tried looking. So over time, we reached out to different botanical stores in the city of Zootopia and in downtown Bunnyburrow, slowly building up our stock enough to start out. That's when me and your mother started farming."

"Did they go by different names?" Edward asked. "Mindy… Mindy carp… it's scientific name is a bit of a mouthful."

"Sure there is," Alabaster beamed. "Its original name can be a handful, so some of us here in the Burrows call them Nighthowlers for short. You know, because Holicithias kind of sounds like howl in a way? Plus, they sort of look like…"

Alabaster's voice trailed off as Edward came to a slow stop at the mention of the name. His arms fell to their sides. It was that name. The one he was searching for. He felt numb from the shock. His phone nearly dropped to the ground. His hunch… his hunch was correct. He couldn't believe it.

Nighthowlers were plants, not a security group. He knew it, he followed his gut, and now he had proof. This was a lot to take in. There were so many questions now that had seemingly popped into existence in a single moment, like the Big Bang only it was one-hundred times bigger.

There was also another possibility that stemmed from this new revelation: what if something far bigger was going on that he had yet to realize?

Call it a hunch, but these turn of events didn't sit well with Edward. If these Nighthowlers were truely the thing he was looking for and not his brother's security group, then how were mammals in Zootopia getting their paws on the flower in the first place if they were this volitile? Furthermore, with Nighthowlers in the limelight, how were mammals who came into contact with the flower still under it's effects? As his father explained, it sounded like what happened to Gary and the Hoppses only lasted for a short time. To be under the influence of these flowers for this long seemed impossible. It sounded like some conspirasy.

The deadline for his story was cast out to the far reaches of his mind just imagining the sheer volume of work that lied ahead of him. This wasn't something for one lowly reporter to handle. This was a job for the police, someone who's voice actually mattered, someone like Judy. Then again, who would believe him? One tiny plant being the cause of all the savageness going on in the city? Surely no one would believe him. Not someone like him. Not without evidence at least.

Edward had to think about this. There were too many factors, so many questions, so much information to take in—

"Edward," Alabaster shook him out of his trance, "are you okay?"

Clearing his throat, the silver wolf flashed his father a convincing smile and continued down the row of crops. "I-I'm fine, dad. Thank you. I think I have everything I need for this interview."

"Glad I could help."

Edward tapped down on the red button on his screen to end the recording, saving it onto his phone, then sent it to himself in an email along with one other recipient, Charles. He needed to hear this. They needed to be on the same page in order to come to an accurate conclusion.

Edward looked down at his paws, noting that they were visibly shaking. The silver wolf went and stuffed them along with his phone into the depths of his pockets.

The reminder from Charles about obtaining more information fluttered around in his head. How relevant that request seemed now. For anyone to believe his story, Edward needed more information, more facts to strengthen his new argument, his new discovery. He could already imagine the headline: 'Nighthowlers: the Cause of the Savagery.' Could a measly flower really do that much damage to so many innocent mammals?

What if this was something more? What if this was a chance to make a connection, to bridge the gap that so many mammals were struggling to figure out—how were predators going savage? What if he and Charles were the ones to solve this case, discover the solution? Edward was more than likely blowing this way out of proportion.

Then again, this was crucial information. Information that not only pertained to him as a predatory animal, but to ten percent of the population of Zootopia. He could save countless lives, including Sharla's.

Edward paused and replayed that last thought. I can save Sharla… he partially mouthed.

Was he scared, or was he relieved? Determined, maybe? He couldn't wrap his head around it all. So much to do, and how little time he had to spare.

It was decided. Edward had to do this. Not for himself, but for Sharla, and potentially the whole city. And he wasn't doing anything while standing around on some farm in the countryside.

I need to dig deeper, Edward thought to himself, quietly planning out the next interview in his head.

The two wolves strolled quietly though the row before turning towards the house, Edward taking in the sights as his mind raced behind the scenes. After a couple more seconds of silence, his father's voice filled the air.

"How's Gary doing?" Alabaster asked.