Starting thinking of Viv at nights, as he was trying to fall asleep. Wondered if Jim was thinking of Vickie too. He'd known Viv before he met Jim, but the two of them were kind of intertwined in Peppy's book.

Viv, being his high school sweetheart, received many letters after he enlisted and skipped town for the Cornerian Air Force.

His pop flew a crop duster, took people up for rides on the side, and he'd taught Peppy how to fly. That plane was a clunky old girl, but his dad loved her, and Peppy loved being up in the sky, so off to the Air Force he went. Weren't many rabbits who'd enlisted. Mostly dogs, canines, quite a few birds.

It was a shock, to be surrounded by rabbits then to be the only one in his class. None of the familiar complaints about needing to grind one's teeth down. Noticed the generous servings of meat dolloped out in the cafeteria, compared to his salads and carrots.

He kept to himself, mostly comforted by his letters from family and Vivian. Absence in their case definitely made the heart grow fonder, and on his weekends off, out on the town, he'd find himself stopping to look at rings, calculating how long he'd have to save up on his airman's salary to buy her a decent one.

Got transferred to a base and put on a squadron after graduating from training with Jim who was two years his senior. It was unusual to see a fox amongst all the dogs and wolves. Especially in the armed forces. Foxes had a reputation for being too rebellious, too independent, they didn't tend to seek out the camaraderie like dogs did, weren't satisfied falling into ranks. And Jim definitely stood out.

Tall, strong build, ever present sunglasses, bright orange-red fur, and a man of few words, but Pep was drawn to him, and frankly lonely. Hadn't saved up enough for a nice ring and didn't want to ask Vivian out to base with him without a marriage proposal.

Noticed how others reacted to Jim, could tell they were both respectful but also somewhat intimidated by him, except one dog by the name of Pepper, who was also in the squadron. They later told him they went to training together.

"Peppy and Pepper?" The others on the squadron joked around with him.

"Pepper's my last name. Peppy's his first." Pepper clarified.

"Well, better be careful, Hare. You're delivering yourself straight to the enemy."

"Yeah, don't you know rabbits should be scared of foxes. Of dogs too."

"Geez, knock it off, will ya! Ya think you comedians are the first to come up with that!? Get a bear or a tiger in here, see who's such a tough guy then!"

Hadn't planned on that outburst, wasn't a great first impression, but they all reminded him a little too much of his little siblings, with their irritating bravado and bad jokes. Then add on that he was homesick, actually did miss being around other rabbits, but he bristled himself up and stuck his hand out to the fox.

"Peppy Hare, nice to meet you."

Saw the corners of Jim's mouth twitch up, just ever so slightly, in what Peppy would eventually come to recognize as his version of extreme amusement before grasping Peppy's hand. Had a heavy, firm, solid grip, thought right away that he liked him, even before he answered.

"McCloud. James McCloud."

They still got jokes, still got hassled, but it wasn't long after that before they were basically inseparable.

"Look at them. The Fox and the Hare."

"I know that's my name, but I'm a rabbit."

"There's a difference?

"Yes, there's a difference. You'd throw a fit if I said something like that. You dogs are quick to yell at me what breed you are."

"Maybe you should change your name."

"Oh, forget it."

Jim even gave him the extra money he needed to finally buy Vivian a ring, after a memorable trip home for holidays. It was too far for Jim to travel but rather than leaving him at base, Peppy invited him back to his place.

Got heckled for it, of course:

"Boy, what in Heaven's name is wrong with you?! I raised you better than this. Bringing a fox home. Bring him straight to the henhouse, while you're at it. No need actually: you already did it. We're the banquet to him."

"Oh, quit it, Pa. He's my guest."

"Be careful if he tries to bring you back to his family, Peppy. At least we outnumber him here. There you won't be so lucky. Though Lord knows you've always been fast when you need to be. One of your better talents, if I do say so myself."

"Oh, but look how handsome he is! And I'm not just saying that to be polite! You foxes are always handsome, but you're the most handsome fox I've ever seen."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"That's how they get you! Swinging that fancy tail around, luring you in, and before you know it, it's too late!"

"Pay him no mind, dear. He's just jealous, that's all. I'm sure you're used to that by now."

"I'm just kidding around myself, boy. Peppy here talks about you all the time. Gabbing our ears off. We've heard all about you. Missus here even went out and bought some food, just for you."

"Thank you kindly, ma'am."

"Of course, dear. But I'm afraid we did run out of room in the house, so I set up the barn for you two to stay in."

"For good measure, of course. If he attacks in the night, Peppy, you can warn the rest of us. Like I said, you've always been the fastest on your feet."

"Real funny, Pa."

"You two are actually the lucky ones. Wish I was sleeping out in the barn. Be a heckuva lot more quiet out there than it's going to be in here, with all your siblings, Peppy. They'll be thrilled, get to see a real live fox for the first time."

"Sugar, I think you've embarrassed our son enough for the day."

"Naw. Wait till his siblings get in here. They'll make me look tame in comparison."

And on cue, one of his younger sisters walked in, gave Peppy a smile and a wink, then screamed bloody murder, which drew more of them in. Wasn't sure who, kind of sounded like a chorus of them as they shouted various things:

"Who let the fox in!?"

"Peppy, what's wrong with you!"

"Some big brother you are!"

"Supposed to be looking out for us and instead you're going to get us all killed!"

"I'm real sorry about all that, Jim." Peppy attempted to mend fences as they were getting ready to go to sleep, up in the loft of the barn. His ma had set it up real nice. Two straw pallets, lanterns. It was summer, crickets and katydids were loud out there, but Pa was right too. Was peaceful, a whole lot more than it would have been inside. Couldn't count on his siblings not to pull something in the middle of the night. Out here, at least he had a chance to hear them coming.

But they'd taken to Jim pretty well after all that fuss, were crawling all over him by the time Ma served dessert, and Jim didn't seem bothered by any of it. Even cracked a joke of his own.

"At least they're funnier than the dogs back on base."

"Bet you're wishing right about now you'd stayed back on base."

"Naw. I like your family, Pep. Nice to know where you come from. Thanks for having me."

He took Jim up in the crop duster for old times sake, and everybody still kept making jokes about him bringing a fox home, when they went into town to meet up with Vivian, who was home for the holidays. He thought the jokes were mostly good natured.

She told him later she liked Jim, felt better knowing that's who he was flying with, and Jim must have felt the same, since when they got back to base and were out one weekend, and Peppy was not so subtlety looking at rings, Jim asked him how much he was missing.

Had a redo of the whole thing when Jim came back home with him for the wedding, had asked him to be his best man. Peppy did the same for him, after Jim met Vickie.

Wasn't until he and Jim left the Air Force and formed Star Fox that they met Pigma. Pigma had been in the Air Force, but was younger than Peppy, and left sooner than they had. Flew commercial for awhile.

After they'd taken him on – he and Jim had both agreed on it, Pigma was rough around the edges, but he was one heck of a flyer, and it took a different sort to go freelance like they did, and the three of them worked well together, like they'd been flying together for years – Pigma was looking at some of the wedding photos and asked Jim, "Would you stand as my best man, when my time comes around?"

"Nope."

"Now, why's that?"

"I couldn't in good conscience endorse anyone marrying you."

Pigma, instead of letting out one of his signature, squealing laughs, gave Jim a rare, level look before grinning.

"You're a good man, Jimmy. I knew there was a reason I liked you. If you're savvy enough to know that, we're going to get along just fine."

But their profession could be rough on a marriage. Vivian and Vickie knew what they were getting into but… maybe he and Jim hadn't. They were gone pretty long stretches at a time. Sometimes Peppy thought he should have been paying more attention to those early days, all that letter writing and phone calls from his training days, 'cause that continued on.

"Jimmy, did you properly explain to Vick that you're basically married to Peppy here before you dropped down on one knee?" Pigma kidded, once, as they were getting ready for another long one, and Jim didn't have a quick one syllable answer for him that time. Unlike a lot of Pigma's jokes, that one was a little too true, hit a little too close to home.

For Peppy too.

He spent a huge chunk of his time with Jim, even while he was married, but particularly after. Not right after, in fact, that period right after Vickie and Viv passed was probably the time in his life he saw Jim the least.

Lucy was pretty heartbroken. Only way he could get her to go to sleep was to let her curl up next to him. She was still such a small thing. Damn near broke his heart twice, just seeing her like that. He hadn't known what else to do, and to be honest, it helped him too. Made him remember he couldn't just float off in grief. That he still had someone he needed to live for. Still had some work he needed to do.

He took some time off to recoup, regroup, went back on home to the farm. Jim had the same instinct, took young Fox and went to his parents for awhile.

But the sky pulled them back.

Like it always did.

Pulled young Fox in too, when he made it known he wanted to go to the Cornerian Flight Academy's boarding school. Before that Jim had either his or Vickie's parents watch him while he was away, and Peppy did the same with Lou. Also had a bunch of good-for-nothing siblings if the grandparents couldn't.

But that gave him the idea to bring Lou up in that old crop duster and teach her how to fly. And that's what they did, day after day, in the wake of Viv's death.

Obviously she was too young to take the helm, but that's what her old man was there for.

Was weird, doing all this reminiscing, felt like he was living his life over again, but what else could he do, with these nights that seemed to go on forever, and the wind howling something fierce out there, cramped on this bed that was only meant for one 'cause he'd pushed himself on his best friend, who was nice enough to let him stay.

Wondered if maybe he should just try to weather it out again in his room, for both their sakes though, when he continued having sleepless nights, and he didn't think Jim was faring any better, was looking about as rough as Peppy had ever seen him. Kept trying to move in a way that would ease this tension between them, but no matter how he did, he couldn't get the line to go slack.

It had started as something relatively small, but it was quickly growing out of control. Was stretched taut as a rubber band now, and he was afraid of what was going to happen when that band finally snapped.

He kind of wanted to ask Jim about it, but was too afraid of the answer.

All he was getting was, here on this moon, was the first time he'd ever felt that instinctual fear everyone had joked he should feel around Jim.

The blazing, blaring color of his fur, the gleaming, glaring white of his canines, and the deceptive, distracting movements of his tail were all adding up to one thing in the back of Peppy's mind and in the pit of his stomach.

Fox… Danger.

And that was constantly arguing with the other thing in the back of Peppy's mind and in the pit of his stomach, the thing he had always argued to everyone else.

Jim was his comrade in arms, his best man at his wedding, his best friend.

All that couldn't just be boiled down into, or erased by the fact that he was a rabbit and Jim was a fox, could it?

Still went to Jim's room that night. Decided changing the routine could be worse than sticking with it at this point.