With school having started for many people, I figure putting out a new chapter for this would be appropriate.

Important: Updates will be even more sporadic for the time being since I live in the path of Hurricane Irma. That and my schoolwork for the Fall have increased dramatically. I hope you all don't mind the increase in wait times.

But you can expect a chapter a month for any of my ongoing stories.


And one day, we'll all say.


The next day, the study group sat in their assigned seating for Contract Law: Judy, Jack, and Fru Fru in the very front row, Nick and Skye one row behind, and Clawhauser in the middle rows near the aisle. They sat attentively with their writing utensils in their paws and open notebooks as Bogo spoke.

"The study of law is an area new and unfamiliar to most of you. Different than any of your previous studies." Bogo stopped pacing and leaned against the right side of the wooden barrier. "In this class, we will use the Sowcratic Method. Here's how it works for those unfamiliar. I call on you to ask a question, and then you answer it. Through my questions, you learn to teach yourselves. That is the reason why I rarely give lectures." The Cape Buffalo resumed pacing. "Through this method of questioning and answering, the goal is for you to develop the ability to analyze the vast complex of facts that establishes the relationship of members within any given society. Now there will come a time that you may think you have achieved a correct and final answer. But in my classroom, you will never reach the final, correct, and ultimate answer. In my classroom, there is always another question to follow your answer." Bogo finally walked behind the barrier and stood behind the podium. "My questions are like fingers probing your mind, performing brain surgery. You teach yourselves the law, and I train your minds. You come in here with a skull full of mush, and if you survive, you leave thinking like a lawyer." Bogo put on his reading glasses as he looked at the seating chart. "Now, will you recite the case of Stoatwart v. Ratner?"

Judy immediately shot up her paw, eager to answer the question.

Bogo removed his glasses and looked back up to see the eager doe. The two made eye contact, but neither changed their expressions. "Miss…"

Judy nearly squealed in excitement and successfully restrained herself as her hopes skyrocketed.

"Bellwether?" Bogo suddenly looked in a different direction and called on the sheep.

The bunny's hopes crashed hard into the ground as she slowly lowered her paw and glanced back to where Nick sat. The fox could only offer a subtle sympathetic shrug as the sheep recited the facts.

"In this case, Mrs. Stoatwart sued Dr. Ratner for a breach of contract. The doctor promised to deliver her baby by cesarean section, but the child died during the operation. Mrs. Stoatwart claimed that the child would have survived had Dr. Ratner performed the contract and delivered the baby. The jury agreed with the plaintiff and awarded five thousand dollars in damages."


"He knew that I was prepared. He knew!" Judy grumbled as she stormed the halls with Nick, who tried to keep pace.

"I saw. You had your paw in the air."

"He looked directly at me. Saw that I was prepared and called on someone else!"

Nick sighed, knowing it was futile to argue with her in this mood. "Just remember what I said."

She said nothing else, and they continued walking. When Nick and Judy reached the stairs, they caught sight of Bogo descending towards them. The two stopped and watched him go by without sparing them a glance until he disappeared around a corner.

"He's everywhere!" She whispered.

Nick could only chuckle before they ascended the stairs.


After Civil Procedure ended, the study group headed to the nearest campus exit where they spotted Troy and a black panther waiting for them beside a limo.

"Is that our ride?" Judy asked.

"Yep!" Fru Fru said. "Normally, I ride in something smaller, but since I told Daddy about bringing guests over for lunch, he wanted your visit to be comfortable."

"Aw, how very nice of him," Skye said.

The group arrived at the vehicle, and Fru Fru stepped forward to be lifted by Troy.

The shrew motioned to the black panther. "Everyone, this is Manchas. He will be a driver."

"A pleasure to meet you all." He lifted his hat off as a gesture, and the others greeted him back. "Shall we go?"

They all entered the vehicle and departed for Fru Fru's home.

Nick decided it was time to explain the objective of the study group. "Okay, here is the breakdown of the basics. The plan is to divide the courses between us. Each mammal chooses a subject and is responsible for its outline. Come exam time; we'll have them Xeroxed and exchanged."

"I propose that nobody buys any outlines," Jack said. "It won't reflect the work that we do together."

There were no objections to his comment.

"I want Property," Clawhauser said.

"But I already started to outline Property," Skye said.

"How about we wait until after lunch to decide?" Nick said, knowing now was not the right time. "We can discuss this better on a full stomach."

"Oh, that reminds me!" Fru Fru interjected. "We're meeting my daddy before lunch. I told him about us, and he wants to get to know you."

The others took no issue with the arrangement. They had expected to meet her father during their visit. The limo entered the road leading into Tundratown, and the mammals split off into separate conversations for the remainder of the drive.

"Nick, how did your dad and Mr. Big meet?" Judy said.

"You know how difficult is it for us foxes right?"

Judy nodded, having witnessed such treatment before.

"His previous firm split, and he sadly had to be let go. He tried applying to other firms, but they couldn't look past his species. So Dad advertised himself. That only brought in a moderate amount of clients, but they always left glowing reviews of his work."

"I'm sorry to hear that." The story saddened her, but she became hopeful, knowing it had a happy ending. "Is that how Mr. Big discovered him?"

Nick nodded. "Mhm, it turns out that one client knew the shrew and recommended him for a difficult case. Mr. Big decided to give him a chance, and with his help, he won. He was so impressed by his work that he rewarded him with an offer to be the family's lawyer. Naturally, he accepted, and the rest is history."

"And that's how you met Fru Fru."

"Correct. If you do well, her dad might help land you a job after passing the bar. He has connections."

"Would he?" Judy felt unsure that the shrew would go that far with his help.

Nick winked and assured her, "Trust me. He takes care of those he considers family."


The limo finally arrived at the Big estate, and the polar bears standing guard at the gates let the vehicle through. The limo parked at the front door, and Troy and Manchas exited first and opened the passenger doors. The group stepped out and saw the large residence and two polar bears in tracksuits: one with blue lines and the other yellow.

"Raymond! Kevin!" Nick greeted. "How you've been?"

The two bears grunted in response.

"They're our escorts?" Skye asked.

"Courtesy of Daddy," Fru Fru said. "Unless you want to find your way around the place."

"It's actually not a bad place to get lost in," Nick said.

Grunts from the polar bears brought the group out of their conversation.

"Come on. Daddy is waiting for us."

Raymond and Kevin escorted them inside and to Mr. Big's office. Judy, Jack, Skye, and Clawhauser took in the appearance as they walked. The family wealth was evident from the extravagant decorations and the number of mammals working for them.

"This is quite a place you have," Jack said.

"Thank you. Daddy has many profitable business ventures over the years. We're meeting him first because he likes to know about his guests and make them comfortable during their visit."

"I can only imagine what he'll be serving us," Clawhauser said.

"Only our chef's finest!"

"Can't wait!" Judy exclaimed. "Do you think he would be alright if we held a few meetings here?"

"I'm certain he would love it."

The group finally arrived at Mr. Big's office. Raymond opened the door, and Kevin ushered everyone else inside before closing the door. Inside, two mammals awaited them. An older Arctic shrew sitting in a chair on a desk, dressed in a black suit, black bow-tie, and a red boutonnière with a cigar in his right paw. And a towering polar bear standing behind the desk.

"Hi, Daddy!"

Troy moved Fru Fru closer to where she could leave his paws and greet her father, where the two proceeded to exchange kisses.

"Hello, sweetheart. How was your day?"

"It was lovely!"

He spared a glance to the rest of the mammals. "Is this the study group Nicholas mentioned?"

Fru Fru nodded. "Mhm!"

The older shrew turned his attention to them and spent a moment looking over each of them. Judy couldn't help but wonder what the shrew was thinking. As if his approval would determine their success. She attributed those feelings to word of mouth from Nick and Fru Fru.

Mr. Big finally looked over to Nick and smiled. "You have a unique group of mammals here, Nicholas."

The fox smiled in return. "Thank you, Mr. Big,"

The shrew nodded and focused back on the others. "Allow me to impart some words of wisdom that my daughter and Nicholas have heard. Law school is competitive, but do not be distracted by the successes of others. That being said, one cannot succeed alone, so do not neglect any available assistance. Lastly, work hard, excel in your studies, and you will be rewarded. It has been a pleasure meeting you, and I wish you all success in your journey."

The five mammals bowed in gratitude at his kind words and thanked him. Raymond and Kevin then escorted the group to the dining room where a round table was set up. The polar bears seated them down, and they, along with Troy, began serving the drinks. With everything set, the six mammals thanked the polar bears and waited for their food.

"Your dad is very nice, Fru Fru," Judy said.

"I'm glad he likes our group," Clawhauser said. "I was worried there for a moment."

"No need to be afraid," Fru Fru assured. "He only wants us to be successful."

"We'll definitely be coming here during exam time," Jack said.

"Yes!" Skye cried. "I do not want to deal with the insanity that plagues the campus!"

"Come on!" Nick exclaimed. "That insanity is what makes law school fun. Have a sense adventure!"

"In your dreams, Wilde!" Judy chided playfully.

The exchange elicited chuckles from the table, brightening the mood further. After the laughter died down, six mammals entered the dining room, carrying covered plates. Each stood by a group member and placed down their meals.

"Lunch is served. Enjoy." The head server declared.

They removed the cover to reveal the deluxe meals prepared for them. The law students thanked the chefs before reaching for their utensils.


Nick finished wiping his mouth with a napkin and turned to the Arctic shrew. "Thank you for the wonderful lunch, Fru Fru."

"Oh, thank you." She smiled and nodded.

Nick then shifted his focus to the rest of the table. "Now we should get down to business,"

"Can I please do Property?" Clawhauser pleaded.

"I already said I'm working on Property," Skye repeated.

"Clawhauser," Jack said. "Please try to think of this in maximum utility. You need to treat all your courses equal."

"Yeah, but my dad is in real estate, and he wants me to take Property. So that field is going to be my specialty." The cheetah slowly tensed up, his tone becoming increasingly desperate with each word.

At that, Skye raised her paws and conceded. "Alright. Alright. If you feel you can do a better job then go ahead. I'll outline something else. I'll give you my notes after we return to campus."

Clawhauser relaxed, and the tension flushed away from him. "Thank you."

"Okay, that leaves five courses left," Nick said, taking back control of the conversation. "Savage, which one do you want?"

Jack set his cup down after taking a sip. "It doesn't matter to me. I already planned a schedule through the end of the year. My time is equally divided among the courses, so I'll outline anything."

"Fair enough," Nick turned in Skye's direction. "What about you, Frost?"

"I'm the same with Jack, but I can settle for Constitutional Law."

"Alright, Fru Fru?"

"Criminal Law. It might take longer to get your copies for obvious reasons, but you'll get them. I'll give you all my contact information so you can send your outlines to me."

Nick nodded. "We're okay with that. Hopps, which do you want?"

"Contracts." The doe answered, grateful that no one else had taken it up to this point. After Clawhauser made his choice on the limo ride over, she had been worried about the others choosing that subject. While she could outline any subject, Judy had her mind set on Contracts.

"I think that's a big mistake." Jack objected.

The buck's harsh words dispelled the doe's joy, and Judy looked at Jack, more curious than exasperated. "What do you mean?"

"What do I mean?"

"Yeah, what do you mean a big mistake?" Judy failed to understand the issue with her choice and wanted to hear his reasons for objecting.

"We all saw what happened in class yesterday. Don't tell me that won't affect your work."

Nick quickly interjected with a proposal, trying to defuse the rising tension. "How about we draw straws for Contracts? It is the most difficult of our courses."

But Judy refused to change her mind, thinking the buck's reason was preposterous. "I want it! I want Contract Law!"

"I said it's a big mistake!" Jack exclaimed.

"Calm down, Savage!" Nick said, raising his voice slightly.

"I won't calm down!" The buck finally shouted. "This is a law school, not your average grade school. Every mammal in this study group has an obligation. We're making a contract between us. You give me something, and I give you something in return. We all must be working at one hundred percent. How can she do her best work when the professor won't call on her?" Jack sat back in his chair with his arms crossed, shaking his head. "I don't trust her with the Contracts outline. That is the most important one we have."

Judy raised her paw to stop Jack. "Alright, Savage. Alright!"

"No, it's not alright!"

"Stop it you two!" Fru Fru interjected, not wanting them to cause trouble in her home.

"No, it's okay. I don't blame him," Judy said. "I have to do something instead of waiting around. I'm going to talk to Bogo tomorrow after classes."

"What?" Nick exclaimed.

"You heard me," She looked at everyone at the table with determination, especially at Jack. "I'm going to talk to him and explain why I was unprepared."


Nobody said that study group would be without their issues. And Jack does have somewhat a point, he just needed to convey it less aggressively.