Shaylee sat in the jeep staring at her phone. Nick had just responded to her text and it left her a bit confused. He sent: Hey, Shaylee, we'll probably be a bit late for dinner. Judy and I are currently stuck together. Tell that to Marty and he'll know what I mean. Also, tell him that it's official. Baffled by Nick's response, she leaned over the seat and showed her cousin the text. "What is Nick talking about?" Shaylee asked.

Marty took the phone and read the message, even as his eyes grew wide. "No way!" he exclaimed. "No freakin' way!" With a hearty laugh, he turned to Melanie and said, "Hah! I told you Nick and Judy were kissing when he carried her around the tree!" Ignoring her shocked gaze, Marty turned back to Shaylee and said, "You were also right. If Nick kissed Judy, she wouldn't let him stop."

Shaylee's nose started twitching at what Marty was implying. Although she assumed it would happen sooner or later, it was too soon for them to have mated . . . right? And what did Nick mean by saying they were stuck together? Together she could understand. But stuck?

While Shaylee was trying to get her head wrapped around the idea that Nick and Judy might be doing a whole lot more than kissing, Melanie finally asked, "What are you talking about, Marty?"

Flipping the phone around, he showed her the message Nick sent while explaining. "Nick just claimed Judy as his mate." With a wide grin, Marty added, "So it's official—Nick is part of the family."

The girls glanced at each other and then Melanie asked, "How did you get all that out of Nick's message?"

Tapping the screen, Marty explained, "They're stuck together which means Nick knotted Judy." With a shrug, he added, "And since Nick said it's official, he must have claimed her in the process." Although Marty's friends had been vague about a fox's Claiming Ceremony, he did know that knotting was the end result—followed by mandatory cuddle time. He was sure Judy was enjoying that part immensely.

"What do you mean he knotted her?" Melanie pressed. "Did he tie her up or something?"

"No!" Marty said with a roll of his eyes. "It has to do with a fox todd's physiology, but unless you decide to take a fox as your mate, you'll never have to worry about it." Turning to Shaylee, he said, "Shaylee, on the other paw, can ask Jarod about it if it comes to that point." Pointing at the two girls, Marty added, "All I can say is that I'm positive Judy is in heaven right now and that they'll be stuck together for a while. Don't ask me how long 'cause there's no telling." With a shrug, he said, "We'll just have to wait and see."

The girls glanced at each other again, then turned to stare out the back of the jeep. Was Judy really stuck to Nick after mating with him? And was she really enjoying the experience? It seemed farfetched that they would have taken each other as mates so soon after meeting, but Marty seemed so sure of his response. But as he pointed out, they'll have to wait and see.

While the girls were wrapping their brains around the fact Nick and Judy were now mates, Marty texted Jarod back and told him he officially had a fox as a cousin.

Over on the poor side of town, Jarod (a light golden corsac fox with an orange tint to his fur and a pale gray and white face) was sitting in his room playing HALO on a second-paw Xbox he'd been given when Marty's latest text came in. After reaching a relatively safe location in the game, Jarod reached over and picked up a peanut butter cookie off a plate his mom had just brought him.

Stuffing part of the cookie in his mouth, Jarod picked up the phone and then his jaw went slack and the cookie tumbled to the floor as he read his friend's text. Rereading the text again, he missed the alien that jumped out at him and blasted a hole through his head. He didn't even notice the Game Over flash across his screen.

Dropping his game controller, Jarod quickly called Marty up and hissed into the phone, "Marty, what do you mean you have a fox for a cousin now?"

With a wide grin, Marty leaned back into the jeep's seat and replied, "My cousin Judy just got claimed by her foxy boyfriend."

Jarod sat in a stupor for a minute. Although Judy was a common enough name in Bunnyburrow, the only 'Judy Hopps' he'd heard of was Officer Judy Hopps. "You don't mean your cop cousin, do you? She hates predators."

Marty sighed. Judy's stupid speech really painted her in a horribly bad light among predators. "Judy doesn't hate predators. She was merely repeating what a doctor had said. She was just a rookie with no PR coaching so she didn't know it was something that shouldn't be repeated." Running a paw through his head-fur, Marty added, "Anyway, she had a fight with her foxy boyfriend over her speech and they split. But Nick came looking for her and they more than made up, so, yeah, I now have a fox for a cousin."

Glancing back towards the tree, Marty said, "I don't think they're planning to reveal their relationship just yet, but I thought you should know since you're thinking of dating Shaylee. If it works out for the two of you, then you won't be the first bunny-fox couple."

Jarod sat stunned for several moments, then said, "Uh, yeah, I'll keep it a secret." Scratching behind his ear, he shook his head and murmured, "Wow. Just wow. Officer Hopps and a fox. I doubt anyone would believe me even if I did say something."

Marty chuckled. "You're probably right, especially since Nick is a red fox."

Jarod's jaw went slack again. This was even more unbelievable than the rabbit cop taking a fox for a mate. Red foxes were so picky when it came to choosing a mate that Jarod couldn't imagine one taking a bunny (especially this bunny) for his mate. That just defied all logic.

At Jarod's stunned silence, Marty started talking again. "I met Nick this morning and spent most of the day with him and I can see why Judy likes him. He's also the reason Shaylee is now thinking of dating a fox. Nick is pretty impressive, so just to warn ya, Shaylee now has high expectations for her foxy boyfriend."

Jarod frowned as his ears flicked back. "No pressure, right?" he asked sarcastically.

Marty laughed. "Relax. I wouldn't have set you up if I didn't think she'd like you." As a gray paw came into his peripheral view, Marty glanced back towards the front of the jeep and saw Shaylee leaning over the seat with her paw held out for the phone. "Uh, hold on a minute, Jarod," Marty said before handing the phone over to his cousin.

"Hi, Jarod," Shaylee said brightly, "this is Shaylee. I just thought I should say 'hi' since Marty has you on the phone."

There was a moment of shocked silence and then Jarod stammered, "Oh, uh . . . hey, Shaylee. I . . . I forgot you were with Marty." He was feeling a bit embarrassed to be caught talking about Shaylee behind her back and hoped it wasn't going to give her a bad impression of him.

With a soft giggle, Shaylee said, "Relax, Jarod. Don't let Marty make you all tense. I do have a high opinion of Nick, but since Marty recommended you, I know we'll get along just fine." Glancing towards the old oak tree, she added, "Besides, Nick belongs to Judy and is now my brother. I don't want to date my brother. I want my own unique fox to date, so just be yourself. That's all I expect."

Jarod's tail started wagging a mile a minute at Shaylee's honest expectations of him. He just knew there had to be a rabbit doe who thought a lot like Marty and who would see him as an individual and not just his species. Furthermore, Shaylee's voice was confident, but with a slight musical trill to it which he found pleasing to listen to. And if she looked as good as she sounded, well then, he was one lucky fox.

With a wide smile now plastered across his face, Jarod finally said, "Thanks, Shaylee. So, I'll see you in the morning?"

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it for anything." Twirling her finger through the longer fur in front of her ear, she added, "Goodbye, Jarod, I can't wait to meet you tomorrow."

"Yeah, me, too. Goodbye."

"Bye." Shaylee handed the phone back to Marty and turned back around to stare out the front windshield with a slightly dreamy look on her face. Being lost in thought, she completely missed Melanie's shocked gaze at how excited her sister was to meet and hopefully date a fox. Melanie was still trying to come to terms with Judy and Nick being mates, and now Shaylee was going to date a fox, too!

After Marty took the phone back, he and Jarod said their goodbyes and then Jarod sat in his room and stared at his blank phone. He couldn't believe the conversation he'd just had. The fact a red fox had taken the rabbit cop as his mate was just too ridiculous, and yet if Marty was the one saying it, Jarod knew it had to be true. Shaylee even corroborated Marty's claim so it must be true.

And then there was Shaylee herself. She seemed like a fun-loving, confident doe and yet she wanted to meet him and possibly date him! Although most rabbits weren't worth his time, he had met several rabbits, like Marty, who were actually friendly to him. And even though most of his friends thought he was crazy, Jarod found rabbit does really cute (the nice ones, anyway) and he was highly interested in dating one. But most does refused to give todds the time of day, so he was super excited to be meeting Shaylee tomorrow. He might have to thank Nick sometime for giving Shaylee such a glowing view of fox todds.

With a happy grin, Jarod leaned back and stared at the cracked ceiling (his house was hardly more than a shack) for several joyous moments as he considered what tomorrow would bring. After several minutes of thought, he glanced down and saw his cookie sitting on the floor. Reaching down, he picked it up and blew on it to get any dust off, then stuffed it back in his mouth (his mom didn't make cookies often and were far too good to waste). Next, he picked up his game controller and went back to killing aliens—or tried to.

He kept dying as his mind kept jumping ahead to tomorrow and so he wasn't paying enough attention to the game. After a while, he turned the game off and decided to go for a walk. But he still couldn't get his mind off Shaylee so he finally texted Marty back and asked for a picture of her. Marty didn't leave him guessing at her looks for long and soon sent him four pictures of a gray doe with black tipped ears and light brown eyes. She was posing in front of a clover-green jeep which Marty was happy to say belonged to the doe in question.

Jarod was surprised to see that Shaylee owned her own vehicle but was glad for it. He didn't own a vehicle, so knowing she did would make it easier for them to get together. Thinking of some cool places they could explore together, he continued his walk while daydreaming about the gray doe with the light-brown eyes.

-/-/-

Over in the Blue Moon Diner, Randy—a young mule deer waiter fresh out of high school—kept glancing over at the odd couple who had come in 45 minutes ago. He was surprised to see them, and yet, at the same time, he wasn't completely surprised. Ryan Leaps was known around town. Besides being the on-call emergency vet for a big chunk of the town, his family made exceptional rustic and antique-looking furniture. Randy's parents had bought a porch swing from them and sat in it most evenings to watch the sunset.

The Leap's also owned one of the largest bird ranches in town, and even had mammals coming in from out of town to buy their birds—or have their own birds trained there. Ryan's sister Patty-Mae was one of the best bird trainers in the whole area, and the new King emus she had bred were a big-ticket item. Randy was secretly saving up money to buy one of the biggest ones as the bright fluffy neck and chest of the males were quite unique.

The skunk who came in with Ryan, on the other paw, was Daisy (he wasn't sure of her last name) and Randy knew her from the Hardware store, as well as the assistant vet that frequently helped Ryan out when he was called out (Randy had seen the two taking care of his friend's pet iguana when it had injured its tail). The two worked really well together, and for the longest time Randy thought they were dating considering that he had seen them around town together—a lot. But when he finally pointed out the obvious to some friends, he'd been laughed at and was told that a bunny would never date a predator.

Randy kept his mouth shut about them after that even though he personally didn't see a problem with them dating. So, when he saw the couple come in tonight (he had to do a double-take to make sure it was Daisy as she'd never worn anything so extravagant or gorgeous before), he was extremely glad they had been shown to one of his tables. Dressed as they were, there was no way to say they were on anything but a date. Furthermore, Daisy looked hot tonight and Ryan hardly ever took his eyes off her.

Knowing that several of his coworkers to be specist pricks, Randy was glad to serve them and ensure their first date wasn't ruined by unfriendly or rude service. As it was, he caught a few of the rabbit and sheep waitresses snickering in the back about the odd couple, but he was glad they at least had enough professionalism to keep their snide comments to themselves when they were serving customers or within their hearing range. The few predators on staff didn't seem to care less about a bunny and a skunk dating. And of the other customers, most were too engrossed in their own dates to worry about anyone else.

Of the few customers who did notice Ryan and Daisy, Randy had only caught one couple speaking badly of them. A few looked on disapprovingly, but the majority simply shook their heads and went back to their own meals as they couldn't be bothered by such an unconventional couple—they were enjoying their own dates too much.

Keeping his eye on the special couple (it took them long enough to finally date!), Randy made sure to keep their drinks full and never made them wait to be served. When they finished with their meal, he quickly took their plates away and came back with their dessert. By the way the two ignored everyone around them, Randy figured their date was going pretty well. With a smile, he walked over to serve one of the other tables while the couple continued talking and laughing together.

-/-/-

Daisy sat across from Ryan as they finished with their date. Dinner was over and they were sharing a large slice of strawberry cheesecake. The cheesecake was delicious, and she knew her dish from dinner had been delicious, too, but she couldn't rightly say what it was. It was some chicken dish Ryan had ordered for her, but she was too engrossed in Ryan himself as they talked to pay attention to what she was eating.

She must've eaten out with Ryan hundreds of times, but now, knowing that Ryan truly loved her and that they were now dating, everything seemed different somehow. She no longer had to second guess herself with how she acted around Ryan seeing as they had already kissed. Now if she felt like reaching out and holding his paw, giving him a hug, snuggling with him when they were sitting on the couch, or (most in importantly) kissing him, she didn't have to hide how she felt or what she wanted to do with him.

Ryan was hers now and she couldn't be happier. Everything just seemed brighter and life seemed clearer. All her doubts about her future were being swept away. Laughing at something Ryan said, Daisy's eyes sparkled with love and joy.

Ryan stared into Daisy's brilliant blue eyes and loved the sparkle of happiness he found there. He really was feeling like a lunkhead for waiting so long to kiss and date her. Even after everything they'd eaten at dinner and the scrumptious cheesecake he was currently enjoying, he could still taste Daisy on his tongue and he couldn't wait until he could get her alone so he could steal another kiss.

Once they finished their dessert, Ryan paid for the meal and then led Daisy out to his truck. After helping her in, he hopped behind the wheel and started the truck but didn't immediately leave. Glancing over at Daisy, he said, "Ready to go home and face your mother long enough to pack?"

Daisy smiled at Ryan, but then looked down at her lap and began rubbing her palm across her thigh nervously. "Um, yeah, sure." Glancing back up she gave a half-hearted smile then looked out the window. With a heavy sigh, she murmured, "Let's go face mom."

Seeing the change in her expression and behavior, Ryan reached over to run his fingers lightly through the fur around her small, round ear. "What's the matter? It's just your mom. It's not like I haven't faced her rotten attitude before."

Daisy glanced up sharply as she felt Ryan's fingers in her fur. It was a soft touch and she wished he would do it again. "Uh, it's not really that. It's just . . ." Her gaze shifted back towards the front windshield as she searched for the right words to use. "It's just that this time is different."

Glancing down at the blue dress she wore, she explained, "I'm wearing this gorgeous dress and you're also dressed up so there's no way of hiding it from mom that you just took me on a date." Meeting Ryan's concerned gaze again, she added, "A real date." Her gaze dropped back down to her lap as she smoothed out the soft material of the sky-blue dress. "I can already hear what she's going to say once she gets me alone."

Ryan frowned. Although he'd heard a lot of the specist nonsense Rosemary liked to spout about him, it was obvious that Daisy's mom had a lot more to say when he wasn't around. "Then I won't leave you alone with her."

Glancing up sharply, Daisy met Ryan's determined gaze and her heart melted. Ryan was way too good for her. What did she really have to offer him? Taking a deep breath and trying to push her pessimism aside, she said, "Mom will find a way. And even if she doesn't say anything tonight, what about when we get back from the mountains? She would have had several days to sit and stew about what she's going to say to me."

Ryan's frown deepened. Whatever Rosemary liked to say about him was really bothering Daisy. "What does she say about me then?"

Daisy blinked. Shaking her head, she looked out her passenger side window, saying, "It's not worth repeating. Just my mom's fears and insecurities talking."

Ryan stared at the back of Daisy's head, his ears ramrod straight as he was highly irritated now. Not with Daisy—he could never be angry with her—but with her mom. Every time something good happened in Daisy's life, it seemed like Rosemary was always there with a big, fat needle to pop her daughter's happy bubble. And it wasn't just the happiness she got when he did something for her, but it was anything good that happened to her.

Remembering their veterinary graduation, Rosemary had told her daughter that although she did good, Daisy shouldn't get too excited about her degree as no one was going to hire a skunk to work on their animals. And the worst thing about it—Rosemary had been right! Even though Daisy graduated in the top of her class same as him, there were only a few mammals willing to call a skunk for an emergency with their animals. For most mammals here in Bunnyburrow, she was the last one on their list and was only called when no one else was available.

Ryan hated it, so whenever he was called out on an emergency, he would always call Daisy to come and assist him. But because she was only assisting and not the main vet on site, she only got paid half of what he got paid—which is why she was working at the hardware store. She needed a steady income that her vet degree wasn't providing. Ryan hoped to open his own veterinary clinic next spring and hire Daisy fulltime as his co-vet and partner. He wanted to bring the idea up with her after showing her the cabin, if not today, then soon.

But that was for later. Right now, he had a depressed girlfriend to attend to. Reaching over, Ryan caressed her cheek, then slipped his fingers under her chin and gently pulled her face around to look at him. "Whatever Rosemary is saying has affected your mood, so I want to know what she says about me."

As Daisy remained silently chewing on her lip, Ryan decided he needed to change his tactics. Since she was too nervous or afraid to repeat her mom's specist ramblings he needed to distract her into talking. Glancing out the dark tinted windows, he noted the parking lot was empty. The dark tint also kept the casual observer from getting a clear look inside the cab.

Returning his attention to his breath-taking girlfriend, Ryan rubbed his thumb lightly over her lips, then smiled when she took a sharp breath and her lips parted. Next, he moved his paw up to caress her cheek and around her ear.

Daisy closed her eyes and leaned into the gentle caress and wished this moment would last forever. So, her eyes sprang open in shock when she suddenly felt Ryan's lips pressed against hers a heartbeat before his tongue slipped into her mouth. Closing her eyes again, Daisy gave herself over to the slow, sensual kiss. Who wanted to think about her mom's specist rants when she could be kissing Ryan?

Slipping her paws behind Ryan's ears, she leaned into him and kissed him harder. It wasn't long before she thought about climbing in his lap, but then the thought was derailed when Ryan broke off the kiss. A soft whine escaped her as she wasn't done kissing him.

Seeing her heated, hungry gaze, Ryan smiled. "Now what does your mom say?"

Daisy blinked but his kiss had left her in a brain fog. "Uh, she says that you're just using me. That you're just having fun at my expense. That once you get what you want from me, you'll leave me a crying mess after you're gone."

Ryan silently scowled. "Is that all?"

"Um," Daisy murmured with blink of her hungry sapphire eyes. "That there's no way a bunny could love a smelly skunk and that you find the thought of being with me disgusting. That you would never lower yourself to take me as your mate or would want to live with me."

Ryan rolled his eyes, his whole body stiff with anger. First Rosemary claimed he just wanted to use Daisy like some playboy and then she claimed he found Daisy too disgusting to touch! "And you believe her?"

Daisy blinked at hearing his anger and the brain-fog immediately cleared up. "Of course not!" Taking a deep breath, she tried to get her thoughts in order, then said, "I know you would never use me, Ryan, or toy with my emotions." Taking another deep breath, she added, "You're not that kind of buck, I know that. Nor will I be just a one-night stand to you or your weekend mistress you hide away from your family and friends—"

"She says that about me! That I'd be embarrassed about being with you?"

Daisy pressed her fingertips together. "Yes," she replied in a small voice. "Among other things."

Slapping a paw over his face, Ryan fell back against his truck seat and ran his blunt claws through his fur. "No wonder you were such a mess the last 2 years, acting hot one minute and cold the next." Folding his arms and glaring out his window, Ryan muttered, "You know how often I was on the verge of kissing you or asking you out these past couple of years? So often you acted all warm and fuzzy and I'd think, 'Okay, here's the moment. I'm going to ask her out,' or I'd think 'She's so cute, I have to kiss her,' but the next moment you would act like I had the plague or something."

Still glaring out the side window, Ryan muttered in a depressive whisper, "You know how disheartening that is to a guy?"

Daisy sat in stunned silence, her heart breaking as she realized why it took Ryan so long to ask her out. She let her mom convince her that Ryan would find kissing her disgusting and so she never seriously considered the possibility that he didn't. If she hadn't let her mom's fears and insecurities blind her to Ryan's real intentions and feelings towards her, they could have started dating years ago (why didn't she just steal that first kiss from Ryan!?) and enjoying a wonderfully closer and far more intimate relationship instead of wasting so much time with doubts and fears.

Ryan sighed. They were supposed to be enjoying their first date, not arguing over Rosemary's specist rants. Turning from the window to look back at Daisy, Ryan remembered Judy saying that Daisy ran from him because she was convinced that he would think kissing her was disgusting. With his brows narrowing, he asked, "Did you seriously think I would be disgusted at the thought of kissing you? That the idea of being with a skunk would be repulsive to me?"

Daisy blinked, then bit the inside of her cheek. How was she supposed to answer him when the answer was a hated yes?

Ryan scowled at her for a moment, then rubbed his temples while trying to calm down. He couldn't stay mad at Daisy. She was merely a product of her environment. If he had to listen to Rosemary's constant nagging and specist put-downs all the time, he'd probably doubt himself, too.

Seeing how upset Ryan was, Daisy glanced back down at her lap. Her long, fluffy tail sat limp beside her and the beautiful, blue dress she wore no longer held its appeal. "Sorry, Ryan," she mumbled in low whisper. If she was making Ryan so unhappy, maybe she should call off the trip and just stay home. That would be better for everyone, wouldn't it?

Ryan glanced sharply at Daisy. Her voice was so soft and broken that it scared him. And seeing the way she started to close in on herself told him that she was getting ready to run from him again (mentally if not physically). Giving himself a mental kick in the tail, he growled out, "Oh, no, you don't. You are not running away from me this time." As Daisy glanced up in surprised, Ryan cupped her face and pulled her into a hot, demanding kiss that had her toes curling as she gripped his shirt and kissed him back.

When Ryan finally broke for air, he brushed his nose against hers and said, "When I get you back to my place tonight, should I lock you in my room and show you just how very un-disgusted I am with you?"

Daisy's bright blue eyes widened, and then she blinked. It took her mind several heartbeats to take in what he was offering, but when she did, a breathless squeak worked its way out of her mouth, "Yes."

Ryan raised a brow. He wasn't expecting an answer from her or that she'd agree to make-out with him, not right after their first date, anyway, but since she did . . . With a grin, he released her and sat back in his seat. Putting the truck in reverse so they could back out and leave, he met her wide gaze and said, "You said it so don't regret it later."

In another breathless whisper, Daisy answered, "I won't."

As they finally pulled out of the parking lot and headed towards Daisy's house, Ryan glanced over. She wasn't looking at him anymore but was staring out the window again. He could tell right away that she was no longer depressed or anxious about meeting her mom or staying over tonight because she had this silly smile on her face. She had also pulled her beautiful, luxurious tail onto her lap and was happily running her fingers through its silky fur. Ryan was envious and vowed to get his fill of running his fingers through her silky tail tonight.

If Daisy had to listen to her mom for four years telling her how disgusted he found her, then there was no way he was going to let another day go by without showing her exactly how wrong her mother was. That is, if she was being serious in her answer. He wouldn't force anything on her, but if she asked for it, he couldn't tell her no. He should propose to her tonight, too. If her mom had her convinced that he was ashamed to take her as his mate, then asking her to marry him would be the best way of showing his comment to her. Whatever followed afterwards would be up to her.

As the miles flew by, a silly grin of his own found its way onto Ryan's face. How could he not smile when Daisy sat smiling like he'd hung the moon for her? Especially when he thought of the huge surprise he had in store for her tonight. If building her a cabin wasn't hanging the moon for her, then he didn't know what was. While thinking of look of surprise and happiness on her face when he showed it to her, he wondered how soon she would want to move into her 'surprise'?

WingedKatt here. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Next time, Nick and Judy have a few more things to discuss before rejoining the others.

Ch. 29: I Hate You, will post in 2 weeks.

Have a great weekend. If you have any thoughts or comments, let me know.