Leon looked at the clock on his phone before putting it back into his pocket. He had time to head back to his room and shower. Thoughts about what he had committed to dominated his mind as he washed his fur and even as he went through a cycle in the fur dryer. While he appreciated the convenience of such a device, he grumbled frustrated more about the situation then about the fact that he had to comb out his fur. It really was a common thing, but today the fact that he had to comb the fur back down got on his nerves.

Once he had gone through grooming out his fur he got dressed in a clean pair of slacks and a polo shirt that Meredith had picked out for him herself. The clacks were charcoal, strait, and pressed with the dark blue polo short sleeve shirt. This all finished off with a black belt that was fitted with a solid rectangular silver-plated buckle. Checking his phone again he had about an hour before he was to meet up with Meredith.

Leon made his way down to he main level, this time using the stairs rather than the elevator. He nodded at the mammal at the front desk on his way out the door. Taking a bus from the stop in front of the hotel he rod for five stops before getting off. Once off the bus he immediately crossed the road to a small shop that on entering had the relaxing fresh sent of Lilacs, Lillys, and Roses. Taking a moment to look around the small store he located a selection of roses which he wandered over to. There were roses in various states and colors. Some were natural and some were not.

One that caught his eye was a vibrant yellow rose with deep red lining the edges of each pedal. Picking it out of the bunch he brought it over to the desk at the back of the shop where an elderly raccoon female stood. At his approach she looked up at him with a grandmotherly smile on her muzzle. "Good afternoon sir."

"Good afternoon." Holding up the rose. "I'd like to purchase this please."

The raccoon smiled and gently took the rose from him and looked over the flower before she took a few items out from under the table. "A beautiful flower this." Smiling as she worked, a pair of shears in one paw as she clipped the base of the stem an inch up from the end. "Do you know that each color has a meaning?" She glanced up at him with a knowing smile on her.

"No, I did not know that." Tilting his head interested. He picked the one he thought would be right for the day.

The raccoon chuckled, "Hmm, one should always be careful when selecting a rose of any color young man." She pulled a small plastic vial from the items she had selected and filled it with water before fitting it onto the stem of the flower. "For instance, The red rose is love, beauty, courage, and passion. A blue rose is the unattainable, and the impossible." She glanced up at Leon before returning to her work, wrapping the rose in plastic to help protect it.

"And this one?" He was interested in what the color he had selected meant.

"Falling in love." She smiled a knowing smile that only a grandmother might be able to show. "That will be eight bucks please."

Leon watched as she handled the rose, the meaning of which as she spoke it striking him. Without word he paid for the rose and accepted his change. "Thank you."

"You are welcome young man." The raccoon sat back down in her chair behind the counter.

Leon walked back out of the shop and continued on his way, until he was outside of Meredith's apartment building. While he held the flower in one gentle paw, he walked up to the front door and taped the button that would buzz her apartment. He waited a moment before he heard her voice over the intercom which brought an immediate smile to his muzzle. "Hello?"

"Meredith it's Leon." He said.

"Oh, Leon come on up." Her voice was cheerful, and then there was the sound of a buzz from the front door joined with a click as the lock was freed.

Leon opened the door and walked into the building making his way to the stairs and up to the third floor. Walking down to her apartment he knock on the door with too gentle taps of his paw. She must have been waiting for him because right after his paw hit the door the second time she opened it with a welcome smile. "Leon, come in." She waved him in. She was dressed in a light pink blouse and knee length purple skirt that was tasteful while not hiding the feminine figure and fox like build, and even showed off the stronger legs that she had received from her mother's side. Her tail swayed a little at seeing Leon.

"Thank you." Walking in he turned as she shut the door. When she turned to face him he held out the rose to her. "I umm got this for you."

A paw went to her chest as she took the rose from him and leaned in to smell gently over it. "It's beautiful." She looked him in the eyes and leaned in to give him a gentle nuzzle on the cheek. "Thank you." Chuckling as she nodded for him to follow as she led him down the hall. She had a modest apartment, single bedroom, with a living room and a kitchen. She walked into the kitchen and retrieved a small glass vase, suited perfectly for the singular flower. As she filled it with water she glanced over her shoulder. "Did you pick the color yourself?"

"Umm yes, I thought it was, unique." What he didn't say was he thought it was unique like her. He was feeling warmth flood his cheeks as he spoke.

"I see, and did you know what the color meant when you picked it?" Her curiosity obvious in her voice.

"Well, no I didn't until the woman at the desk told me." He stood by the door to the kitchen watching her slip the flower into the vase.

"I see," smiling a sly smile. "Did she tell you that the number of flowers you get a lady also has meaning?" As she said this she turned to place the flower on a small table in the kitchen where she usually ate her meals when home alone.

"No she did not. I didn't know all these things had any meaning to them. I just wanted to … get you a flower that I thought you might like." He was fidgeting with his footpaw.

Smiling, "Well everything has a meaning Leon." Smiling and using a paw she indicated a chair across the table from the one she took. "Please have a seat." Her gaze looking at the singular flower with a smile as he walked over and sat in the chair she had waved to. "So, what do I owe the pleasure of your visit today?" He had only ever visited twice, mostly walking her home on the occasion.

"Well I was hoping that, I mean if you don't have plans for dinner that is, perhaps you might want."

"Of course." Meredith smiled her tail starting to wave happily behind her. "Where do you want to go?" She asked.

His smile grew when she jumped to agree, but when she asked where he wanted to go he realized he hadn't thought that far ahead. He wanted to take her out to dinner, then he decided to pick up a rose, but where should they go. Thinking about it long enough to hear Meredith giggle which brought his eyes back to her from the rose he had been staring at.

"I know a place in Tundra town that might be fun to go to. Do you like fish?" She had a growing smirk on her muzzle as she watched him closely.

"I do like fish." He said simply, a bit of a flighty feeling in his belly as he looked into her beautiful eyes.

"Good, but you sir are going to need a jacket. Tundratown is a bit colder then the parts of the city you've been living in." Standing up she takes his paw in hers and gives him a tug. "Come on, I think my father left one of his jackets here and will probably just about fit you."

Chuckling he stood up taking her paw in his own, that feeling in his belly growing more at her touch. Following her back into the main room she let go of his paw and walked over to a closet near the front door and moved a few things around before coming out with a long deep brown jacket. She handed it to him before digging for her own. "Try that on Leon."

Looking over the jacket it seemed like a rather well made article. It had buttons to close the front with well placed pockets on the left and right side to put ones paws into. It also had two zippered pockets on either side at chest level. Slipping his arms into the jacket the length was a bit long for his arms, but the height of the jacket worked well with the bottom hem ending just above his knees. It was heavier than he had expected too.

When Meredith came out from behind the door of the closet, she had her own jacket on as well. Hers was a tan color, with a fluffy wool fringe on the collar. Smiling she walked over to him and reached both paws around his neck, slipping her paw fingers along the collar of the jacket he wore to straiten it. As she did her muzzle accidently slid against his own causing Leon a nervous chuckle. "Leon, you act like you've never been around a woman before sometimes you know that?"

"Never one so beautiful." The words came out of his muzzle before he could think about it. Then he cleared his throat as she stared at him for a moment and got a sly smile before she kissed his cheek.

"Your to kind Leon." Her tail swaying happily behind her though. "Come on, before we overheat in these jackets." Leading out the front door, she pulled a ring of keys from a hook next to the door on their way out. She wasn't exaggerating the short walk to the bus station had them both feeling warm in the jackets. Neither talked as they got on the bus and took seats next to each other. As they road towards Tundra Town Leon's paw slowly sought out her own, brushing the top of her paw with a finger to test the waters. He needn't have been so cautious about it, once she felt his touch, she flipped her own paw and took his in hers, lacing her fingers with his.

Leon felt, content and happy as he looked out the window. Watching as the metropolis changed slowly between the warmth of one zone into the cold zone of Tundratown. Snow and ice covered vehicles and homes, children and parents bundled up, some playing in the snow not unlike the scene earlier in the park. This time he looked down at the paw he held and smiled. This was something he could get used to. His thoughts were interrupted when she gave a tug on his paw and lead the way off the bus and to a small restaurant. They were on the back edge of Tundratown, the smell of seafood permeated the air.

"Now you have to keep an open mind here ok?" Chuckling when he nodded, she walks into the restaurant. Inside there were a few large tables in the center and along the walls were smaller tables. All of the tables were covered with long sheets of thick paper, as well as the general items of salt, pepper, and a small bottle of tobacco sauce. The scents were all new to him, but had his mouth watering. He watched as stainless steal bowls filled with a variety of items in them as well as wood mallets.

Meredith asked for a table for the two of them and they both followed a hostess to the table where they sat across from each other. "You trust me right?" Smiling at him.

"Implicitly." He responded to her, but he had a questioning look on his muzzle which turned to a smile when she winked at him.

As the waitress came over Meredith looked up. "Two waters, and the Cajun bowl for two." The waitress nodded after writing down what was ordered and then disappeared to the kitchen. "Make sure you wear the bib."

It wasn't long before the waitress returned with a large bowl and a pair of bibs that she handed to them, along with a wooden mallet. After that she ceremonially dumped the bowl right onto the paper and tole them to enjoy. Now sitting in front of them both was a pile of crawfish, shrimp, crab legs, some sausage, potatoes, and corn on the cob in little sections. The entire thing smelled spicy and had that slight sent of seafood. When he looked up Meredith had already tied the bib around her neck and smirked. "Well dig in Leon."

"Where do you start?" He looked again at the pile of food.

"Wherever you want. Try some of that sausage first." She said as she took one of the crawfish and expertly cracked it with a satisfying sound.

Leon shrugged and picked up a piece with his pawfingers and popped it into his muzzle. It was delicious and full of flavor, the heat however slowly built up on his tongue and he must have made a face as Meredith started to laugh. The rest of the meal was filled with smirks at each other, laughs as Meredith showed Leon how to get at the sweet meats within the shells, and included one embarrassing splatter in Leon's face as he used the mallet for the first time.

They both left the restaurant comfortably full, and still laughing. Meredith bundled her coat around her as the cold air hit them and leaned into Leon. "That was a lot of fun Leon." Nuzzling her head against his shoulder as they waited for the next bus.

"That was the first time I've ever eaten anything like that. You have been a world of firsts for me Meredith." His arm wrapping around her shoulders and absent mindedly rubs the side of his head against the top of hers between her ears, causing a happy noise to raise from her to his ears. That was until their moment was interrupted his cellphone going off. He ignored it the first time, but then it began ringing again.

"You should answer it Leon. If someone calls twice its generally important." She smiled up at him.

Grumbling he reached into his pocket and pulled the phone out and hit answer. "Hello?"

"Mr Scottsdale?" The male voice on the other end of the phoneline asked.

"Speaking."

"I'm calling from Zootopia General, you need to come to the hospital as soon as you can. Your sister, has taken a turn and you should come see her …. Mr Scottsdale? Are you there?" He heard the last few words before his thumb hung up the phone. His body had gone stiff when he was told.

"Leon?" Meredith had felt him go stiff, and looked up at him concerned. "What's wrong?"

"We have to get to the hospital. My sister." Looking around he noticed a taxi coming up the road.

Meredith's paws went to her chest and followed him to the taxi he had just waved to stop. When she climbed in, the driver obviously waiting on Leon to tell him where to go, she spoke up. "Zootopia General Hospital, an extra 20 bucks if you get us there in ten minutes." The driver nodded and hit the peddle, sending a stream of snow in a rooster tail behind the car.

During the ride Meredith held onto Leon's paw patting the top of it with her other paw. "When we get there you go, I'll meet up after paying the taxi."

"Thankyou Meredith." His paw gave her's a quick grip as they drove up to the front entrance way. Releasing her paw he ran out and into the hospital. Heading straight for his sister's room. Once he got there a different guard that he'd never met before was outside but didn't try to stop him as he went straight into the room. A doctor and a nurse were both in the room. His sister was lying in her bed, a noticeable twitch in her legs like she was having a fit. Her fur was damp, from strain ad from the attempts to keep her cool by using ice packs and water. The closer he got the more stiff she looked, and her breathing sounded off.

As he walked closer the doctor noticed his entrance and intercepted him. "She's as relaxed as I can make her given her current condition. She started getting agitated and was screaming about the squirrel was after her. Scared her nurse half to death. I've got her on muscle relaxants and pain killers. If this continues though I'm probably going to need to intubate her. Talk to her while you can." Looking at the nurse he nods to give them some privacy.

"Thankyou doctor." Walking over to Liz's bedside he took her paw in his own. Her entire body was painfully stiff, and twitching uncontrollably. At his touch she initial tried to pull away from him in fear but when she looked up she managed a bit of a smile.

"Ha hay Leon" She spoke through a clenched jaw. "We .. n n need to talk b before …"

"Hay … don't you talk like that. You'll be fine." Leon said softly.

"Oh . ..I I do don't know about that brother. F first t thing … t t that d damn squirrel nurse .. th the one this morning. The grey one … sh she put something in m my IV n not to l long ago… the d doctor doesn't b believe me." She winced in pain as her body flexed along her neck and back, he heartrate increased on the monitor for a moment before she relaxed and settled. "I .. w wasn't w working just for the General. I was Gehime Stattspolizei, re repo reporting to the p political leaders. W when the general sh showed me proof o of what you h had done." A tear ran down her cheek which her brother was quick to wipe away. "I … Leon I I am s s so so sorry."

"Liz, shhhh, its ok." His paw caressing her head slowly, while learning of her affiliation was surprising, he needed to concentrate on her. "You just hang on ok, we can fight it out once you are better ok."

Another tear slipped down her cheek, but she nodded. "O o ok Leon .. o ok." When she glanced over she noticed Meredith had come in. "Hay … t think I c could h have a word with y your girl t there?"

Shaking his head he managed a chuckle. "Sure Liz." He stood up and let Meredith come over.

Meredith took the seat where Leon had been. "Hello Elizabeth." She felt the skunks paw grip her wrist. Noting the shaking as she pulled her close. Meredith leaned closer as Leon watched them both.

Elizabeth whispered to the other female. "He's an an idiot Meredith, he will do t t things h he thinks are the r right things … y you will watch for him? Keep my brother safe?"

Meredith nodded. "Yes of course."

"Good," She relaxed a little into her bed. "I'm glad …. " her body tensed again, this time though the monitor started beeping rapidly and went into alarm flashing that her oxygen saturation had dropped dangerously low. That same alarm had sounded at the remote station which had the Doctor and Nurse come running in.

"I'm sorry but you are going to have to leave." The doctor said as two more nurses came in. He turned to the nurse. "Get a pump ready with propofol, and an intubation kit."

Meredith knew that they needed to stay out of the way and took Leon's paw to pull him out of the room. "Come on Leon we need to let them work." He was obviously in a state of shock as he allowed Meredith to pull him out of the room. Once they were out of the room though his demeanor changed. His eyes locked in on the squirrel he had seen before. She was lingering just in view.

In the moment it took to realize she had been spotted, was the same moment Leon was in motion. Closing the distance quickly as the Nurse attempted to run.

"Leon! What are you doing?" Meredith yelled at him as Leon cornered the Nurse in the maze of desks at the Nurses station.

"Who are you working for?" Leon slowly got closer to her as he asked her sternly. The two other nurses slowly backed away from the pair.

"What? I work for the hospital." This got a growl from Leon as he closed in more.

"Turn out your pockets." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Meredith coming towards him. He held out a paw and glanced at her to make sure Meredith stayed put, shaking his head before turning back to the nurse who was obviously trying to find a direction to make a break for it. When she did she very deftly jumped over the main desk and back into the hall.

What she had not been counting on was the large tiger to be standing just out of her line of site. He grabbed her by the back of her coat and then slid his paws to grab her arms and secure them. His growl was enough to stop her struggling.

As Leon came back around the desks the squirrel's demeanor changed from one of panic and confusion to one of smug calmness. "And what do you think you are going to do to me hmm? Torcher me?"

"No, nothing of the sort." Leon reached into the pockets of her lab coat, finding nothing there he started to pat her down methodically before looking directly into her eyes as he reached down her shirt.

"Oooh frisky skunk hmm," She smirked before getting a look of disgust, "what will your hybrid girlfriend think?" Watching as he pulled a glass ampule out with his paw. Looking over the vial there was one word printed on the glass, 'STRYCHNINE'.

Meredith had moved closer, about to protest the search until she saw the vial that Leon had found. When he passed it to her she looked at it herself and she felt cold wash through her. Without a word she rushed into Elizabeth's room.

"Now, I think what we are going to do is … " He heard a cracking sound as the squirrel smiled. "NO!" Grabbing her muzzle he tried to force her to open her mouth.

"Heil Gerhard!" She started laughing, a small amount of blood leaking from the side of her muzzle from where the glass cylinder she had hidden in her cheek cut her. In moments she was convulsing, her eyes locked on Leon before she stopped moving, her head slumped forward, pink foam leaking from her muzzle to the floor.

Leon reached out and checked for a pulse on the female and when he found none he looked up at the Tiger, "Let her go, she's gone." He watched as the tiger put her down on the ground, the squirrel's eyes still open by empty and her smirk frozen on her muzzle.