-Compass-

Judy stared at the wall before her where a map with a series of grids and markings had taken up residence.

The doe stared at it for a few moments, a look of concentration in her eyes as she furrowed her brow.

She had stared at the same map every day since returning to Fairfax.

Her office which was once immaculate looked like it belonged to a hoarder.

Papers were strewn here and there, envelopes with reports piled in chairs, and other maps were laying haphazardly around the bunny's office.

Judy continued to stare at the map as if it would reveal some secret she had overlooked.

She took a step back and lowered her paws as she reached out for her desk which she knew would be right behind her.

The bunny had misjudged the height though and her paws grazed something on her desk as her rear hit the wooden edge.

Judy nearly slipped as her eyes widened and she turned to steady herself.

Her paw reached out and pressed against something that had been sitting on her desk but had been covered by an old worn map of Camp Wewa.

Judy blinked a few times as she moved the map aside, her heart skipping a beat as she let out a saddened sigh at the sight of a small golden compass with the park's department tree and shield emblem.

This particular emblem was different though than the standard ones seen throughout the parks department, it had a single star etched in the center of the tree, showing it actually belonged to another age.

As Judy stared at the trinket the memory of how she got it came flooding back and try as she might the bright blue eyes of her missing friend was the first thing to materialize in Judy's mind.


"So what does a girl have to do to get their own big office huh?" A certain ranger asked as she sat with her legs crossed on Judy's desk as she stared around the empty room.

A few boxes sat in the corner along with a dry erase board propped up by the window.

Judy chuckled as she took a second to open one of the newly arrived boxes and inspect its contents, "Well I like to think the forest is my office."

"Yeah well, how about you and I trade so I can have the air-conditioned office with a mini-fridge and couch," The bubbly brown bunny said from the desk.

Judy let out a snort as she stood up and inspected a framed picture of a fire watch tower she had packed away for her new office.

"I don't see a couch or mini-fridge," Judy giggled.

"Well not yet you don't," The ranger teased. "But if you expect me to visit you better think of installing one got it?"

"Oh yes ma'am," Judy mumbled as she rolled her eyes before turning back to her friend.

The gray bunny paused as she noticed how her friend was now standing and looking a little mischievous as she held her paws behind her back.

"What?" Judy asked, knowing that look all too well.

"I got you something for your new office," the brown doe said as she tilted her head and winked.

Judy paused for a moment and stared at her friend before finally speaking.

"If it is a naked picture of you I am going to be very disappointed."

"Oh no," the ranger said casually as she waved a paw. "That's your Christmas present."

Judy let out a laugh before putting a paw to her hip and staring at the ranger before her, "Alright so what is-"

The brown bunny slowly moved one of her arms from behind her back and held up the small golden compass.

Judy's jaw nearly dropped, "Tri- I-...no I can't. That is your lucky compass."

"Brought me enough luck," The ranger said as she stepped forward and gently scooped up her friend's wrist before raising it up and placing the compass in Judy's paw. "I want you to have it."

"This…this is too much," Judy said, tears welling up in her eyes. "It…I mean… it's an original and..I.."

Judy's words faded though as her friend raised one of her fingers and placed it to Judy's lips. Her bright blue eyes shimmered as she stared into Judy's.

They stood in silence before the ranger slowly lowered her paw, only to have Judy step forward and wrap her arms around her friend.

They stood like that for a moment or two before Judy slowly pulled away, only to see a mischievous smirk on her friend's lips.

"You know there is a way to make it up to me," The bunny said as she wiggled her shoulders.

Judy's eyelids lowered as she raised a brow.

"Oh, this is going to be good."

"I get to be at Nick's interview," The brown bunny said smugly.

"What? Why would you?"

"You kidding? The chance to see you interview him is too much to pass up," The ranger said with a cackle before she skipped towards the door of Judy's office. "Plus I get to ask annoying interview questions like Where do you see yourself in 5 years and what is your biggest weakness?"


Judy was sobbing as she fell to her knees, tears freely rolling down her cheeks as she held the compass close to her chest.

She wished she could just go back in time and hold her friend close and never let go. To rub her cheeks against the brown bunny's who was no longer here. To listen to that mischievous laugh…anything…

Judy finally managed to collect herself as she looked down at the compass, pressing down on the worn button on the side and causing the compass to pop open.

Inside was a picture that her friend had managed to cut into a rough circle.

It was of Judy and her blue-eyed ranger smiling at the camera, their cheeks pressed against one another as they beamed.

Judy let out a quivering sigh as she slowly ran her thumb over the picture, only for it to move ever so slightly and reveal something she had never noticed.

The doe raised a brow and took a second to wipe the tears from her eyes before reaching out and moving the picture a little more.

Apparently, someone had etched something into the back of the compass.

Judy slowly pulled the picture from the compass and blinked at what seemed to be a series of numbers. At first, she wondered if the writing on the inside belonged to the previous owner but as she studied it she knew this belonged to someone else.

The compass itself had been around for a long time and probably been passed down from ranger to ranger so it could have been anyone's paw writing.

The series of numbers seemed random in nature. It wasn't a date, or a phone number, maybe a code?

Judy was so wrapped up in the numbers she hadn't heard the knocking on the door to her office.

Someone cleared their throat and Judy nearly jumped as she looked over at a snow-white vixen in a ranger uniform.

"Are you alright?" The new arrival asked as she hurried over to Judy who stood up from the floor and brushed her green shorts of any debris.

"Yeah sorry Skye," Judy said with a sigh as she felt a comforting paw on her shoulder.

The doe looked up and put on a brave face but she knew the vixen could see right through it.

"We have that meeting and when I noticed you weren't 10 minutes early I thought I would come check on you," Skye said sweetly, her blue eyes looking into Judy's.

"Oh gosh I completely spaced," Judy admitted as she reached over on her desk and grabbed some tissues, dabbing them against her eyes.

Skye raised a brow and Judy let out a defeated sigh, "Bad?"

"Maybe splash some water on your fur," Skye said as she nodded towards the office door.

Judy sighed and nodded, placing the compass back on the desk before gathering a folder and some papers she knew she would need for the upcoming meeting.

With that, the vixen and doe strolled from Judy's office and down the hall of the administration wing of the lodge.

The Fairfax Lodge was a massive structure sitting atop a bluff that overlooked the old mining town. While mainly a hotel it also housed a small convention center along with some of the administrative offices that belonged to the Park's department.

Many important meetings and events had occurred at the lodge and it felt like a second home to many of the mammals that called the forest their office.

As of late though the halls seemed quieter to Judy, the lights almost dim in nature.

She wasn't sure if this was because of her missing friend or some other unknown reason but it had gotten to the doe lately who tried her best to avoid her own office as often as she could.

Any lead, any call, any event that dealt with the search effort, and Judy was there, eagerly gathering information or coordinating the teams.

This had led to a pile-up of her other work, however.

Being one of the head supervisors to the parks meant Judy had a lot on her plate, to begin with, and many mammals believed that if anyone else had been trying to juggle what Judy was doing they would have failed a long time ago.

It was a merit to the type of mammal Judy was that she could balance it all while still staying heavily involved with the search for Ranger Rose.

After splashing some water on her fur and straightening her uniform Judy came out of the restroom, Skye leaning against the wall nearby flipping through her phone.

The vixen looked up and Judy's heart skipped a beat only to sink as Skye slowly approached and held out the files she had been holding for the doe.

Every time Judy saw any mammal of authority in the search looking at their phone she hoped they would look up with some kind of news however each time she got her hopes up she was let down.

She did not blame her fellow park employees though, no she knew better. Everyone was working hard to not just balance their normal workload but also assist in the search.

Judy didn't fool herself for a second as to the motives either. Someone on the outside may believe that the town was rallying to the gray bunny in an attempt to help her.

She knew better though.

While Judy was well known in Fairfax a certain ranger had managed to wiggle her way into everyone else's life.

Judy and Skye continued to the conference center, passing through the lobby of the lodge which was actually alive with activity.

The parks department had been in dire straits after the June fire several months before. It had taken plenty of resources to fight and eventually contain the inferno that took out hundreds of acres in the forest and had affected the parks as a whole.

Judy however had hatched a plan and had reached out to several companies in Zootopia for aid.

Several had jumped at the opportunity while some had sent a team to get a feel for the situation in Fairfax and the national parks.

Even with the incident at Wewa the VIMs who had been sent were impressed with what the parks still had to offer and gave their seals of approval.

After that, the funds started to show up and the tourists began to return.

With the winter months around the corner, there was hope that Fairfax was about to experience its busiest snow season yet.

While most of the citizens seemed excited about the colder months there were a few mammals who were concerned with what it meant for the search operation which was exactly the purpose of the meeting Skye and Judy were on their way to.

They eventually came to the convention center which housed a series of conference rooms and even a large meeting hall normally used for special celebrations.

A well-dressed raccoon met them at the entrance to one of the smaller conference rooms, the mammal holding a series of files in one arm.

"Good morning Ladies," The raccoon said with a soft voice as she approached and held the files out for Judy. "As requested."

"Thank you so much, Lily," Judy said with a sigh before stopping mid-step as the raccoon reached into her jacket and produced a handkerchief.

Skye watched as the raccoon took a step closer to the doe and dabbed the fur around Judy's eyes.

"Missed a spot," Lily said sweetly before stepping back and inspecting the doe.

Lily had a unique role in the parks department. She was in charge of the conference center and as such was known to dress to impress. She ensured that whenever the parks department had a meeting that all the resources for that meeting were available.

Whether it was booking conference rooms, finding files, or even in this case making sure a certain park supervisor was presentable.

Everyone had learned a long time ago that if Lily reached out and began to fiddle with one's clothing it was best to just let her as she was trying to fix something or make the mammal more presentable.

Even when Nick had first interviewed for his role as a ranger Lily had taken a moment to ensure the fox looked presentable and even offered a few words of advice.

To the untrained eye, she was simply the administrator of the lodge's conference center. To the parks department and Judy, she was an invaluable asset.

"That's better," Lily said as she plucked a strand of fur that had clung to Judy's shirt.

"Thanks, Lil," Judy sighed. "Things have been just…well.."

"You are doing important work Judy, no need for excuses," Lily said simply before stepping to the side and signaling for the two new arrivals to head into the conference center.

Skye and Judy were the last arrivals to the meeting, a few other mammals of various shapes and sizes were milling around a large smooth wooden table. Some of them partook in a tray of pastries that had been set on a smaller table while a few others flipped through folders sitting before them.

When the final arrivals entered the room everyone quickly quieted down and hurried to their spots at the table.

Judy sat next to Skye before looking at the head of the table where a beaver in a pair of glasses and a nice navy blue suit was taking a seat.

The beaver's gaze fell on Judy and he gave the doe a friendly smile.

"Before we begin our discussion on the winter season I want to thank our friends at the parks department for hosting our meeting in a place far nicer than my cluttered office," The beaver began which was met by a series of chuckles.

"And I am sure you get this a great deal but Judy…is there any word?"

Judy knew the question was coming and she let out a sigh as she shook her head, giving the beaver a weak smile.

"None at this time Mr. Mayor. We are following the standard search grid program as suggested by the Sheriff," Judy took a moment to glance over at a large grizzly bear who gave her a nod. "But where Tri…Ranger Rose is…well we haven't.."

Judy trailed off, her tone growing sadder by the second.

"We haven't given up yet and will continue the search until we find our missing ranger," Skye finished with a kind of fiery conviction that made Judy's ears go up.

The two's eyes met and they gave one another a nod before looking back at the mayor.

The beaver sighed as he looked down at the files before him. He then glanced up at Judy, "Well as always if there is anything my office can do, you know we are just a phone call away."

"Thank you, sir, the support from the town has already been more than we could ever ask for."

"One of our own is missing," Came a gruff voice at the end of the table.

All eyes went to a billy goat who looked so old some questioned if he was an original founder of the town.

"It is our duty as good neighbors to offer help to those in need," The goat finished.

There was a series of nods in agreement and Judy sighed, giving everyone a smile and nod in thanks.

"Well I hope it doesn't seem insensitive," the beaver at the head of the table in bega as he looked at Judy and Skye as if to ask for permission. "But shall we discuss the plans for the winter?"

Both Skye and Judy nodded as they opened their folders which contained graphs and files on previous seasons.

Meetings like this were common between the town of Fairfax and the Parks Department.

They were intertwined by both geographical location and history. The town of Fairfax was sometimes joked about being a branch of the parks department.

Of course, the town would say the parks department was a branch of their own government.

Either way, they normally met when the seasons changed or whenever there were big plans that could affect the other.

Judy sighed as she looked at the open file in front of her, her brow furrowing in concern.

The predictions from the local weather center sat before her and they told her something she had been worrying about for the past few weeks.

Winter was on the way.

Performing a search for a missing mammal was one thing, but during the snowy season was another challenge entirely.

Not only that but wherever her missing ranger was there was concern of what the colder temperatures might do.

We don't have much time…where is she?


The parks department command center and ranger operation building, or Rock Pile as it was called by some, sat on its own just off a worn cement road.

It did not look like much but it was an intrical part of the parks department along with the local emergency services.

Built like a bunker to withstand whatever the forest could throw at it, the complex was the main communication center for Fairfax and the outlying forest regions.

Any and every call would be sent through the command center so the proper emergency service could be dispatched.

Is someone's kit stuck in a tree? Rock Pile.

Did a fire start in someone's garage? Rock Pile.

Taconny on another sugar rush and standing on top of Lynn's diner lobbing pancakes at passersby? Her parents, but you best believe the Rock Pile already got the call.

Eddie Lyons had heard it all during his years at the rock pile. The lion though was always sure to remain calm and treat every call as if it was the first time he was getting asked a question.

This was something he had been trying to relay to his trainee, a skunk who seemed to mean well but was rather forgetful and was sometimes short with callers.

Eddie was keeping an eye on the rookie as he grabbed a cup of coffee from a nearby mini kitchen that sat in the corner of the room currently filled with large monitors that displayed an array of reports and maps that assisted the dispatchers with their calls.

There was a buzzing from the desk and Eddie looked over at the skunk who glanced at his screen where a call was coming in. He looked over at the lion and gave a thumbs up which was returned with an encouraging nod.

The skunk took a deep breath before lowering a headset and answering the call coming in.

"Fairfax Emergency services please state the nature of your call and location."

Eddie didn't have his headset on but had a feeling if it were serious he would get waved over by his trainee.

After half a minute Eddie overheard the skunk.

"Hold on one second please," The skunk said before looking at Eddie and signaling.

The lion looked up from the coffee pot still in his paw and raised a brow.

"It's a forest call. One injured, that's the Aerotek unit right?"

Eddie let out a sigh, "Only if life-threatening. They will also ask the nature of the injury. How did it happen?"

The skunk returned to the call before looking at Eddie.

"Sounds like assault."

"Then a ranger will have to be dispatched as well. Ask them if they are still in immediate danger from the suspect. If they are unable to move and are in a life threatening state we will call Aerotak but they won't drop in unless law enforcement is present."

The skunk listened and nodded quickly before returning to the call.

Eddie tried to listen in as his trainee began gathering information.

Something however gave the large predator pause.

"What do you mean with a pinecone? Like the things off the trees?"

There was a crash in the corner of the room and the other dispatchers looked over in time to see Eddie dash over to the rookie and his screen.


Nick and Chris were standing next to a moss-covered stump studying a grid map. The wolf had been showing Nick the ins and outs on how to use the old grid system which the parks department had been using for ages.

Finnick was currently plucking some twigs from his large ears which twitched when a series of chirps started to come from the ranger radio on Nick's belt.

Most of the time the chirps meant a weather update or an all unit advisement on the status of the search.

These chirps though were different, for one they were rapid and they only lasted a second before a dispatcher from the Wewa mobile operation center nearly shouted over the radio.

"Any units in the area of grids 110 through 112 come in!"

Nick looked up at Chris whose eyes widened slightly.

"Ranger 16 Delta Grid 108!" A familiar voice came over the radio, the painted dog sounding eager.

"Ranger 6 Spil Grid 113."

Nick plucked the radio from his belt so quickly it nearly fell from his paws.

He quickly keyed it up, "Ranger 22 Wilde Grid 107."

"All local units converge on Grids 110, 111, and 112 immediately!"

"What do we have dispatch?" Delta came over the radio.

There was a pause over the frequency.

Normally the rangers liked to know what kind of call they were heading into. It would tell them what to prepare for.

This wouldn't have been the first call that had come up that had pulled them from the search.

Nick began to wonder if they would be able to clear the call quickly so they could return to searching for their missing bunny.

The words that came over the frequency though pushed those thoughts from his mind.

"Reports of a pinecone-related incident were called into the Rock Pile. Apparently, someone was throwing them so hard they got lodged in a tree."

Nick looked at Chris, the two stood in silence for a second before they darted down the path, Finnick cursing behind them as he hopped up from the log and scurried after the rangers.

"Yo Wilde, what's the deal? So someone is throwing pinecones into a tree? Pinecones come from trees!" Finnick shouted as he tried to catch up.

"There is only one mammal lethal enough with a pinecone to get them stuck in a tree!" Chris shouted from his spot down the path.

Nick remained silent as he jogged down the muddy trail, trying to keep pace with Chris while also slowing enough for Finnick to catch up.

He did not say a word but there was one thought that came into his mind.

Please be her.


Hey there Firewatchers.

I have been getting a ton of messages over how happy folks are that we are continuing this story. Thank you all so much for the support!

Also been getting a lot of concern over our missing Ranger. I will be honest I was surprised, I didn't realize how much folks would miss her. It is both humbling to me but also dangerous because that bunny's ego was already so darn big!

Ya'll remember the awesome artist/writer/hugger Starfang secrets? She wrote that amazing story: Embrace It. Well turns out that movie Encanto caught her eye and now she has been writing a wonderful story for it called: A Third Chance. And let me tell you, if you like talking about Bruno then you are going to love this fic. Go check it out!

Hope to have a Fireflies update for ya'll soon. Especially with that cliffhanger...geeze can't help myself sometimes.

-Blue