Chapter VI

"So how long until he comes back," Fara asked.

"Just a second," Miyu replied.

One perfectly-timed second later, he came back. Fancy that.

The car that came back from the blue light, however, looked much different than when it had gone in. The hood had a big red splotch on it right by the corner, the back end was covered in dust and sand, and its undercarriage was dripping wet.

But above all, the vulpine in the driver's seat looked visibly shaken.

Fox's eyes were as wide as dinner plates, his chest rising and falling in deep breaths before he finally slumped forward with a heavy exhale.

The fennec moved to the heavy blast door and unlocked it, before giving it a shove and stepping into the white test chamber.

Fox groggily turned the key off and pushed the door open, falling out as soon as he unbuckled his seatbelt. Fara just stopped in front of him.

"Did it work?"

"If you were planning on getting me killed in three different timelines, then yes… It worked," he groaned. The vulpine slowly picked himself up off of the cold floor, rubbing his temple.

Fara smirked, nodding.

"If it had killed you then I would've thought someone had taken the real Fox."

Fox rolled his eyes.

"Also what happened to the roof? I just had this redone."

"Cannonball hit it," he muttered.

The fennec snorted as she held back a giggle as best she could.

"What were you doing, sailing the seven seas?"

"Failing the seven speeds, more like."

She sighed, shaking her head as he led him out of the test chamber. The giant door closed behind them with a dull thud.

"I'll have it fixed before you go after Wolf."

Fox stopped. Fara continued a few paces before she turned and looked at him.

"What?"

"If you hadn't noticed, I never really agreed to the job, Fara," he said with a stern gaze. "I've locked up the blaster, all but hung up the wings. I haven't taken any jobs in years."

Fara had now fully turned to face him.

"If you pass it up, I'll remove everything from the ride and drop it off at your place by tomorrow."

Fox slowly nodded as she continued.

"But we'll also have the galaxy's slipperiest criminals back on the loose… And there's little telling what they'll do once they run out of banks to rob."

She led him to the back of the main room, opening the door for him. Fox stepped outside, watching as she continued to push different buttons on the keypad.

"Should you choose to accept it, your only assignment would be sending Wolf and his cronies crawling back to hell."

Fara watched his introspective gaze. Fox was clearly torn on the proposal, but the fennec took solace in the fact that he at least knew what he'd be getting into.

"The choice is yours."

With that, the door slid shut and left him alone in silence.

-[TW]-

-[ Jason Graves - Rings of Saturn ]-

"And… that's why today felt like two days instead of one."

Fox set his drink back in the cupholder of the patio lounge chair after his explanation of the past day. The ice in his cup produced a soft clink as it collided with the glass.

"And why your car is basically being held hostage," Krystal finished for him.

The orange vulpine sighed, gaze dipping below the sunset on the horizon.

"Not exactly, but… yeah. Pretty much."

Krystal frowned as she sipped her drink. They had both retired under a mutual agreement that mercenary work was getting too dangerous, more dangerous than was necessary. One too many close calls during their dirty work only accelerated that. She loved him too much to risk losing him, not when they had an entire life to live ahead of the both of them.

"I'm sure you already know how I feel about it."

Fox pursed his lips as he gave her a sideways glance. She could already read his emotions far better than any psychologist ever could, but the projection of his body language made it so obvious that anybody could tell how he felt.

"Yeah. I do."

The vulpine took another sip, finishing off the drink in his cup. A brief silence passed between them as he watched the sunset for a short while longer. As calm as his appearance was, his mind was racing from the possible outcomes– and he knew Krystal could tell.

"But if we don't do anything about it," she said, looking downtrodden. "We both know who he'll come for next."

Fox let a quiet sigh escape him as he wrung his hands together and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"That's what terrifies me."

Krystal said nothing, silently asking him to continue.

"We both retired hoping to live a normal life," Fox morbidly chuckled. "And here I thought that rivalry with him was over."

"Rivalries die hard," she said. "Especially with someone as vengeful as that."

Fox let his head hang low before Krystal got up from her seat.

"Give it some thought, Fox. Just whatever you do…"

He glanced up, meeting her gaze.

She was scared. For him, for herself, and their future.

"Please be careful."

The vixen let her hand run across his cheek before finally going inside, sliding the glass door shut behind her. Her words echoed in the vulpine's head, thinking of all the times they'd risked their lives for each other. All of the near misses over the years had made them constantly worry for each other's safety, so having that brought into jeopardy made his fears come rushing back.

If one more job meant finally securing that safety for his wife and the family he dreamed of having, he'd take it. If one more job meant sending Wolf O'Donnell crawling back to hell a second time, he'd take it.

If he had everything to lose from one final mission, but still had everything to gain…

"I'm sorry, Krystal," he whispered. "But I'm doing this for us."

Not wasting a second more, Fox pulled his phone from his pocket and tapped Fara's icon.

"Fara? It's Fox."

He took a brief pause as he glanced at the sunset, hoping it wouldn't be his last.

"I'm in."

-[TW]-

Later that night, after the sun had finally passed below the horizon, Fox trudged up the stairs towards the room he and Krystal shared. The bathroom fan was on, yet he heard no water running.

'Must be a spa day then.'

He rummaged through a few drawers in his bureau, collecting his undergarments for bed.

'Sure is, Foxy.'

Fox smirked as Krystal's voice slipped into his thoughts. He paused, glancing at the master bathroom door.

'I'm sure that also means you've been waiting on me.'

The feeling that followed didn't have any intelligible speech attached to it, but it felt like she was dragging him toward the door. Fox gladly obliged, opening it to find the azure vixen expectantly waiting among the foamy bathwater.

"Water's still warm," she smiled.

Fox's own smile grew at her gentle visage while he dropped his clothes on the small bench adjacent to the door.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Krystal ate up the sight of him as he undressed before lowering into the water next to her in the large tub. Her arm found its way across his torso while her head rested on his shoulder.

"How did it go?"

Fox sighed as he leaned back, snaking his hand behind his mate

"I have to do it," he said softly.

He could feel Krystal deflate a little as he said that. It ached to make her feel this way, but he knew this was for the best. She let her fingers intertwine with his, rubbing her thumb across the back of his hand.

"It's alright," she said. "I kind of figured you would."

"I know we both promised to retire out of a need for safety, but if something puts our future in jeopardy I'm going to do everything I can to stop it."

Krystal smiled, eyes lidded from the heat and steam.

"That's the Fox I fell in love with."

Fox began to put his mind to rest as he turned and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"I'll be back before you know it," the vulpine whispered.

"Oh, no you don't," the vixen playfully countered. "Remember that promise we made when you told me that you loved me?"

Fox could remember the moment as clear as the crystal he found her in. His head dipped before nodding.

"I suppose 'every step of the way' includes the inability to retire, doesn't it," he smirked.

"Especially our inability to retire," Krystal murmured in his ear. "Now turn around so I can wash you. You reek."

Fox rolled his eyes as he passed her the shampoo bottle from the corner of the tub's edge.

"You wouldn't believe what I went through today."

Krystal smiled and shook her head as she rubbed the suds into the fur on his back.

"Any other time, probably not. But after all I've heard today I'm not sure what isn't possible," she said, scooping water up and rinsing him off. "Your turn."

The todd squeezed a small handful of the shampoo into his palms before turning and massaging it into his wife's fur. Krystal let a relaxed sigh escape her snout as Fox's hands worked their magic, back arching as he pressed the tightness out of her muscles.

"If cheating death is possible, what isn't?"

"Rich coming from you," she giggled.

Fox made quick work of the rest of Krystal's pelt, who was more than happy to return the favor. One drying, poofing, and brushing of fur later, and Fox was basking in the sight of her climbing into bed. Krystal shot him a playful look over her shoulder, adding a bit of a swish to her tail as she crawled over the edge.

"Hurry up and get in. This bed is cold without you."

Fox smiled as he put his dirty clothes in the hamper.

"Where would I be if I hadn't found you," he thought aloud.

The vixen pulled open his corner of the duvet as he joined her.

"Probably still in constant danger," she sighed, pulling the covers around the both of them. "Now let me protect you."

Fox wrapped his arms around her and held her; like they always did, and always would. Krystal planted a kiss on his nose before snuggling in– a feeling she likewise never grew tired of, and never would.

"Every step of the way," Fox whispered softly. "I will protect you."

Sorry about the short chapter ending the long wait, I only recently got a little bit of a chance to write and wanted to get this out.

The current plan is to finish this by Spring break, and hopefully I'll finally be able to put this to rest.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Hopefully I'll have more to share soon. :)

-Cat