"What do you mean Kyle is a fox?" Dave was grinning as he was hugging and spinning his wife. The bunny placed her back on the floor. It was a good day and it just got so much better. His oldest son finally decided to foster a kit. Matt was already so attached to the boy that it was just a matter of time before he was going to adopt him.

Dave looked around their bedroom. It was going to be such a welcomed surprise for his family and he was glad that his wife told him about it before Matt made an official announcement. Keeping a secret would be hard but he would get to enjoy the news before anyone else.

"Like a silver fox rabbit. I always thought that it was a weird name for a fur color and pattern. It had to start as a joke. If it was more common, mammals would call foxes with that pattern a silver bunny fox." Dave chuckled at his joke. "He'll have an easier time finding himself in family photos with his unique coat."

A piercing silence. There should be something, a giggle, a chuckle, or some witty banter but all that he got was silence from his wife. Her teeth were showing as she bit her lip. Dave's smile dimmed and his breathing got shallow.

"No, honey. He's a regular red fox." Barbra whispered as if she was afraid that someone would hear them.

The world spun around him to the point that he had to sit down on the bed. He heard the beating of his own heart in his ears. The joy that was overflowing him just a second ago seemed to drain out of him in an instant. "That… Was unexpected. Are you sure?"

"I talked with Matt and I saw Kyle on muzzletime." She sat on the bed with him and looked at him softly.

Dave rubbed his forehead and sighed. "So when Matt said that Kyle was a feral, he was hiding that boy was a fox and that was the reason why he had some issue with the kit."

"It was most likely part of it but I saw Kyle's feet. He is a feral on top of being a fox." She sounded as shocked as her husband.

Another silence. They stared at the wall with the pictures of their family. With how big their family was, the picture frames filled all of it. Their eyes drifted to the picture of a teenage brown bunny with glasses holding a medal for winning a science competition. He looked so proud of himself and had a brilliant smile. The sound of the kits playing outside on a warm spring day came from the open window. The summer break was around the corner and most of them didn't have to worry about doing homework anymore.

The loud laughter of kits finally prompted Dave to speak. "I thought that he was going to adopt Kyle."

She grabbed his paw for support. "Me too. I even told my friends that Matt is trying to adopt Kyle. I started making a sweater for him. He was supposed to grow into it. It's too small now."

"Do you think that he'll adopt Kyle?" Dave asked with a weak smile.

"I don't know… He wanted kits for such a long time but a disabled fox is a lot to handle. I wouldn't blame him if he just wanted to foster Kyle." She sighed. "I was so excited for him. I just thought that he needed a little push in the right direction. Now I'm not sure if it's safe to have Kyle around with everything that is happening in the city."

"Matt is a smart guy. If he thinks that it was a good idea then it's probably fine." Dave smiled proudly with a hint of sadness behind his eyes. "He can really help Kyle."

"It's just a shame that he won't get what he wanted out of it." She leaned in and rested her head on her husband's shoulder.

"He'll have to wait a little longer and it'll be good practice for him. If he can deal with Kyle then bunny kits would have nothing on him." Dave chuckled.

"We didn't get to talk but Kyle seems to be a sweet boy so let's hope that he won't give Matt too much trouble."

"Well, he needs to give him a little trouble for all the time that Matt was misbehaving. He needs to know how it was for us."

Barbra laughed softly and gently punched Dave. "You are such a kit sometimes."

"""

Liam was panting as he closed the door behind him. He was standing in the familiar hallway of his parents' apartment. A sound of chatting was coming from the living room and the scent of a home-cooked dinner made him salivate.

He heard a loud groan and a chair scraping on a wooden floor. Someone was coming to greet him. He gulped when he saw an annoyed look on his older sister's muzzle. She folded her arm on her chest, making her arm muscles look bigger than usual. She looked down at him. She was only a few inches taller but with how strong she was, made her seem so much bigger, especially when she was annoyed by him. "I love you but I'm going to kill you."

Liam laughed nervously. "It can't be that bad. I'm only a few minutes late."

"Yes, and they have been flirting the whole time." She rubbed her muzzle. "I swear, they do it on purpose so we would make sure that the other one is on time. So now you owe me for that."

"So you're telling me that we are even for all the babysitting I did for you."

She narrowed her eyes. "You can think that but you don't understand the pain that I had to endure."

Liam waved his paw. "You're overreacting. They just want to be sweet to each other. It feels better when it's an official dinner and not just two of them. Your husband would love something like that after so many years of marriage."

Her expression softened and smiled softly. "He totally would love that but first he needs to deal with me for many more years."

"I give him five years, tops six years before he runs away screaming." Liam grinned.

"Hey! I'm an excellent wife. Yesterday I even…" She stopped suddenly and looked at her brother. She sniffed and she got closer to him. She furrowed her brow. Her earshot up and swiveled towards her little brother and her muscular shoulders got tense. "Why do you smell like a fox? Did something happen? Were you mugged? Is that why you were late? Where did it happen? I'll find him and make sure that he pays for it."

A pleasant warmth filled Liam's chest. It had been a few years since he moved out of the house, managing on his own. But there she was worried about her little brother. The sweet and caring side of his sister showed when the family was involved. Something that not many mammals got to see. Her habit of jumping to conclusions way too fast was a boon and a curse on his younger life. His ex-girlfriend could confirm that.

"Relax, nothing happened. I was helping my friend. Matt, you know, the crazy rabbit. He decided to foster a fox and the kit got hurt. He needed help with getting Kyle to the apartment." Liam lifted his arms showing that he was alright. "I didn't have time to change after work."

She narrowed her eyes and sniffed again. "The fox smells young so that matches your story." She poked Liam's shoulder. "But why do I also smell rabbit on you?"

Liam's ears got hot. "H-he fell asleep on the bus and I didn't have time to wake him so I had to pick him up so we wouldn't miss our stop."

Her eyes went wide. "Are you crazy? Isn't he the same one who is scared of you? You could be in a lot of trouble."

Liam put his paws on her shoulder to calm her down. "I'm not in trouble. He's my friend. And afterward, he gave me permission so I wouldn't have to worry about it ever again."

The female hyena looked for any sign of distress on her brother's muzzle. Trying to figure out if he was hiding something from her. "Ok… but if the rabbit would give you any trouble, you tell me right away and I'll deal with him." She sniffed Liam's shoulder again. "I don't like his scent."

"I can handle him. And you don't like the scents of any of my friends. You're just a big softy." She smiled.

"How dare you tell such lies about me. I only don't like scents of ones that I haven't met." She paused. "And your ex-girlfriends." She put her paw on her chest and lifted her head confidently. "Also I'm not a softy. I'm an amazing wife and that is why we're going to save my husband from that embarrassing display that our parents are putting on."

Liam dropped his bag in the hallway and followed his sister to the living room. The hyena was hit with a strong scent of a home-cooked meal. He right away recognized his father's favorite recipe. Liam had fond memories of cooking with his father. His brother-in-law was bouncing his son on his knee. The one-year-old cub was giggling happily. Liam nodded to greet them. His parents on the other paw didn't seem to notice them enter. They stared into each other's eyes with loving smiles.

"I have to insist. You are working so hard every day, you deserve the first bit." The slender older male said.

"But you are taking such good care of me and the house. You should have the first bite." The bigger older female was gently holding her husband's hand pushing it towards the food.

His sister's eye twitched. "Oh no, they are not stopping."

"They are so adorable." His brother-in-law said with a loving smile. Which caused Liam to mouth 'I told you so' to his sister.

She sighed defeated. "Yes, they are."

"""

Small victories were worth celebrating. Finally being able to have a full night's sleep or convince your foster child to have a shower. The latter was much harder to achieve. Kyle didn't want to take a shower. The fox had a strong scent and he let it build up. But with a positive attitude and some insight from Emma, Kyle found his new favorite place in the apartment, the fur drier. Kyle was a little jumpy when Matt turned it on for the first time. It made some noise but the kit visibly relaxed when a warm air blew through his fur. The bunny explained that it would help Kyle get dry. Most orphanages where he stayed didn't have it and they used a generic shampoo for short fur mammals so it was difficult for the kit to get the moisture out of his fur. Kyle was getting itchy after each shower. Seeing a happy fluffy fox leaving the bathroom was cute and made the whole conversation worth it. Matt could suspect that they won't have any more problems with showers anymore. One less thing to worry about.

They enjoyed the early morning by watching cartoons together. The magic classroom was still a hit with the boy but they were able to find a few more cartoons that he enjoyed. Breakfast was a test of will for the bunny. Matt decided to make sandwiches and use sliced meat. The scent when he opened the package got him queasy but he was able to power through it. He couldn't bring himself to try it. The bird meat reminded him too much of mammals. Touching it was also out of the question so he used a fork. The sandwiches were a big hit with the boy and it made Matt proud of himself that he was able to provide for his little boy.

After a quick lunch, they were in a car on their way to the community center. It was where therapists who specialize in digitigradism were located. Matt called ahead of time to schedule a visit. The bunny thought about waiting a little until Kyle was more used to living with him before seeking a specialist but time worked against them. Matt was worried about missing out on some summer programs for kits. The end of the school year was right around the corner so it could be their last time to sign in for something fun. The bunny just wanted a consultation from a specialist. They didn't need to start any rehabilitation but it was always nice to know what options were available to them.

It wasn't a long trip from their home. The community center was a two-story building that used to be a small school with a gymnasium attached to it. Matt drove past the handicapped parking spot which taunted him. But since they visited in the middle of a workday there were plenty of free parking spots next to the building. The bunny helped Kyle out of the car and handed him the crutch and Matt supported the boy on the other side. The double doors were open letting in the warm late spring air.

The inside reminded Matt of a high school that he used to go to at Bunnyburrow. It was much smaller but the architecture was very similar. But there was one thing that made it almost painfully clear that it wasn't Bunnyburrow, the scent of predators. An overwhelming scent of predators. On their site, he read that it was a predator-friendly community center which in reality meant that most prey mammals were avoiding it.

The community center had a daycare and a kindergarten and a lot of after-school clubs for kits. Matt was so relieved to learn about it. He had a place like that already figured out for bunnies but was worried that there won't be one meant for predators near his house.

Next to the entrance, there was a small reception. Behind it sat an older-looking vixen. As soon as they walked in, her muzzle lit up with a brilliant smile.

"Good afternoon." She looked at the kit. "Is this handsome young tod Kyle Wildfire?"

Kyle froze and looked at Matt for help. The boy didn't like to be the center of attention and in an empty hallway, it was unavoidable.

"He's a little shy," Matt said as he squeezed Kyle's paw in support.

"I'm sure that he'll warm up to me quickly if you keep visiting dr. Snow " She pulled out a bowl from under her desk. "Since I have candy for good patients. I'm supposed to give it out after your visit but I won't tell him about it if you promise to do the same."

She held the bowl out to Kyle. The fox looked at Matt who nodded in approval. Kyle made a few careful steps towards the bowl and sniffed at it and her paw. For a split second her eyes narrowed in surprise but didn't comment on it. The kit was so focused on the candy that he didn't notice. He let go of Matt for a second to grab the candy.

"What do you say to a nice lady that gave you candy?" Matt asked.

Kyle looked away and grabbed the bunny's hand with the candy still in it.

"Thank you." The boy said quietly.

"You're welcome." She turned to Matt. "Your…" She waited for the bunny to fill in the blank.

"Foster parent"

Her eyes shined again. "He can also take one."

Matt grabbed one and put it in his pocket. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. The doctor is waiting for you in room 6."

The bunny nodded and they were on their way. The crouch made some noise as they slowly walked towards room 6 and Matt knocked when they reached it.

"Please, come in." Said a deeper voice from inside the room.

Matt opened the door and peeked inside. It was a decently sized physiotherapy office with a few therapy tables and training mattresses laying around. In the corner of the room, there was a lynx male with a bandage on his right ear sitting behind a desk. He was finishing typing on his laptop and looked at Matt. His expression soured instantly.

"Wildfire?" He said with an unsettling absence of emotions.

"Yes. I…" Matt started saying as he was interrupted.

"You should coordinate better between your groups. After yesterday I'm not interested. You can leave." The lynx said sharply.

Matt blinked a few times. "What?"

"Listen I'm not going to help you get your friend out of the car so you can just l…" His words got stuck in his throat as he saw Kyle peeking into the room. The kit was curious about what was happening.

The doctor's eyes went wide and he quickly got up from his desk to help them in.

"I'm so sorry. Please come in." He said in a much warmer tone.

As the feline got closer, Matt noticed two things. He was limping slightly and he was a feral like Kyle. But the doctor's gait was so different from Kyle's. He was standing straight on the balls of his feet with his legs straight which reminded the bunny of a ballet dancer. Even with the slight limp, he looked stable and confident on two feet.

"I'm Doctor Snow. It's nice to meet you both." He held the door open for them. "Once again I am sorry for earlier."

"It's ok," Matt said but his tone had a hint of worry in it.

The lynx guided them to a bean bag next to his desk.

"You can sit on it." The doctor said to Kyle while he pulled a chair for Matt.

Kyle looked at an unfamiliar 'chair' and stepped on it lightly. The boy looked at the bunny and got a nod from him. Matt grabbed the crutch and helped the kit get onto the bean bag. Kyle was sure how he was supposed to sit in it but after moving around, he finally found a comfortable position. Matt sat on a chair next to him.

"So from our phone call I understand that you are just looking for a consultation right now."

Matt nodded. "It's new for both of us. We don't have to start right away. I want to know our options so I can make a better decision." Matt pulled out Kyle's evaluation and gave it to the doctor.

The feline read the document with a slight smile on his face. "Kyle's range of motion is big but he is still at the age that we should be able to fix it relatively easily. It's much easier to do stretching exercises with kits than with teenagers. His legs, back, and core muscles are not strong enough but that also can be remedied. Since he doesn't have any additional muscle or bone deformations, with enough therapy he should be able to walk on two legs just fine. As any doctor, I recommend starting therapy as soon as possible but I understand that it can take some time to gather funds for him. Should I give you an estimated cost so you could discuss it with your colleagues?"

"It won't be necessary." Matt was smiling widely after hearing the good news about Kyle. The bunny pulled out his insurance information. "My insurance should cover it."

The lynx stared at it for a second before he grabbed it and checked it in the database. Not only was the fox attached to the bunny's insurance but also he was paying a premium so it would cover what the boy needed. The doctor looked impressed and slightly confused but he smiled.

"It all checks out. If you want I can take Kyle as my patient and do a few more tests to know exactly what I am dealing with and we can set up a schedule. I also do some group exercises with kids if you are interested. It is always more fun doing it with other kids."

Matt wasn't planning to start the therapy right away but it would do wonders for Kyle and he would be able to interact with other kids like him. Matt looked at Kyle who was looking at the lynx with great interest.

"Yes, we would like that."

"Ok." The lynx smiled and he got up from his desk and dropped on all fours right away as he approached the kit. "Kyle, would you like to play a few games with me?"

The way Kyle was looking at the doctor made him wonder if he was the first other feral that he ever saw. His normal shyness was replaced by a shine of curiosity in his eyes. The kit nodded slowly.

"Ok let's get on the mattress and we will see how you move." The doctor looked at the empty document tray on his desk. "I don't have any more forms printed. You can get it from the lady at the front desk and fill them while we are playing."

It would be nice to save some time but he wasn't sure if he could leave Kyle with a new person alone. However, the kit didn't look tense after hearing the doctor's proposition.

"Would you be alright with staying with the nice doctor for a moment?" Matt asked.

Kyle looked at the lynx on all fours and his eyes went to the male's feet. The fox nodded and got up from his bean bag and slowly walked to the mattress.

"Ok. I'll be right back."

"""

"Hello, again," Matt said, trying to get the vixen's attention. "Dr. Snow said that he'll take Kyle as his patient and that I can get forms for that from you."

"Of course. Give me a second and I will fetch it." She went to a cabinet nearby and came back with a few forms. "Here you go."

"Thank you very much." He grabbed the form, ready to go back to the office.

"I don't know if you are aware but every year the local community of foxes celebrates the holiday at the predator park. Would you like Kyle to take part in it? It should be fun for him but I understand if you want to do something private this year." Her smile dimmed for a moment and it wasn't hard to imagine what she was referring to. She took a second to compose herself and the same smile returned to her muzzle. "It's interesting to see a Wildfire so close to the celebration." She said with a melodic voice. "I'll take it as a good omen."

Matt's ears swivel towards the vixen. "What celebration?"

"Oh, bunnies don't have surnames for someone of unknown origin based on something important to the species." She furrowed her brow

"We do. Harvest is our surname. I didn't know that Wildfire is based on some celebration."

"The shortest night of the year is a recognized fox holiday. We get the next day free because of that. If I'm not mistaken foster parents and adopted parents also get those days free. You're unlucky that this year it is on Saturday."

"This Saturday?" Matt's ears dropped. He didn't even think to check that. He would get to it eventually but at that point, Kyle might already miss his holiday. "Thank you for telling me that. I didn't know that."

"You're welcome. My husband is a Wildfire but he changed it after he grew out of foster care. He told me that he didn't want that surname to follow him around. It's heartwarming to see a Wildfire having a home." She extended her paw to Matt. "Vivien Wilde, nice to meet you."

"Matt Leaper." Matt shook her paw. "So what is this celebration about?"

For some reason, she looked at the open doors and the rays of light on the floor before she leaned in with a smile.

"""

"Please! He needs to be at the end. You had never seen him there and I know he spent most of his life in the Meadowlands." Matt was grinning from ear to ear. He was going to take Kyle to that park even if it was the last thing that he would do in his life. "It would be amazing for his first time."

"Normally we make the placement random to make it fair but I'll ask parents if they are okay with that." She said as she added Kyle to the list. She looked at the two spots next to the kit's name and her paw hovered over it.

"Is everything alright?"

"It's nothing. We added a safety measurement that all adult predators should be paired up and stay together so in case something happens the other one can react. But we don't have to worry about that in your situation." She smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. "We didn't want to cancel the event but we had to do something to make it safer."

Matt would be devastated if the harvest festival was canceled. Of course, they could still celebrate at home but it was not the same. It was probably the same for foxes. She was kind enough to explain the ritual that they do at home with their family when they don't have a community event nearby. But it wasn't the same. The attacks kept happening but the number was still low compared to the number of animals in Zootopia. It should be safe and in case the situation gets worse, it might be the last community event in a long time. Mammals needed a little hope and that event was all about that.

In the room, nearby a small fox needed that hope more than anyone. But Matt would need help to make it happen. It was happening at night so the bunny would be in big trouble if Kyle would just fall asleep. It would make it difficult to get the kit home.

"I'll need a friend to help me with Kyle." Matt pulled out his phone. "I'll ask him and be right back."

The phone was ringing as he stepped away from the information desk and it didn't take long for Liam to answer.

"Please tell me that everything is alright," Liam said with a hint of worry in his voice.

"Hello to you too." Matt sighed, annoyed "I'm not that horrible as a guardian."

"I meant in general." Liam tried to back paddle. "A lot of things are happening and you don't call normally. So my mind wandered."

"I'm fine. And speaking about fine. What are you doing this Friday?"

There was a pause before Liam answered slowly. "Nothing. Why are you asking?"

"Well, foxes celebrate a holiday at the park this Friday night and I want to take Kyle but I'm a little worried that he will fall asleep. I was hoping that you could join us and help me with Kyle."

Another pause. "Sure. I can do that. Do I need to bring anything?"

"No, I'll take care of everything. Be at my apartment around 7-8 pm."

"Ok. I'll talk to you later. I need to go back to work."

"Of course. Thank you!" Matt said cheerfully and turned to the vixen. "You can put Liam Savanna as my pair."

She nodded as she watched as the bunny typed furiously on his phone ordering everything that he would need with express delivery as he went back to the office.