We're entering the story's last fifth. Chapters will get shorter, the last threads will be tied up.

Chapter 30 : Diplomas

A now twenty years old Gideon presses the refresh key.

Again.

And again.

Judy, seventeen (eighteen in about a month) is sitting next to him, anxiously looking at the screen.

"I ain't gonna pass." The fox mutters.

"You are."

"You don't know."

"I know."

"You don't."

A reassuring paw lands on his forearm. "I know."

She gives him that smile that manages to make him believe that everything will be okay. That he's good enough.

"Okay."

His finger pushes the F5 key. Again. And again.

Finally, a list appears on screen.

"A, B, C..." The tod scrolls down. "D, E, F-"

His finger freezes on the mouse.

"Gideon?"

The last name on screen is "Grant." The next one hasn't appeared yet as he needs to scroll further.

"Do it." He says, closing his eyes and pulling his paw from the device.

"No."

"Jude-"

"It's your future, you're the one looking."

"What if I don't have it."

"You'll-"

"But what if don't!?"

The doe can't stand to look at his distraught expression. The fox has put a lot of his self-doubt behind him, but sometimes it comes back. Hard. And she knows there's not much she can do or say to help him get over it. She can only be there.

She doesn't sigh, she doesn't smile, she simply grabs his paws and gives it a light squeeze. "If you don't, then you don't. It just means you'll have it next year."

"You won't be here next year. You'll be at Deerbrook Uni"

"I'll be here every other week end." She says, trying to be reassuring. "Gid, you can't know if you don't look. If you don't have it, we'll figure out something."

"Okay." He breaths, putting his paw back on the mouse and forcing his gaze back on the screen. His finger moves.

'Grey, Gideon : Pass'

"I have it." He says in a hitched tone. "I got my diploma."

A fraction of a second later, Judy has jumped to his neck, and he stumbles backwards, his back hitting the floor.

"I knew it!" She declares.

"I should learn to listen to ya." He grins, right before she kisses him.

"That you should. Now, we need to celebrate!"

"I'll bake a cake."

"Since your mom and sister are out, I was thinking about another type of celebration."

"Wha- Oh." The fox stands up, the doe still in his arms, walking up to his room. "I guess cake can wait."

Gideon is sitting on a bench.

That bench is surrounded by other benches, on which are sitting a whole bunch of other mammals.

It's supposed to be a big day, but he feels a bit gloomy. The cheery atmosphere doesn't completely manage to seep into him.

Next to him, Bonnie and Stu are watching the stage, the buck with his camcorder in paw aimed forward.

"Hopps, Judith." Calls Princicipal Woolinski, clad in a crisp suit that makes him look taller and thinner than he truly is. Judy walks up to the stage and takes the diploma he hands her, one that absolutely no one doubted she'd get, before shaking his hoof.

"It was an honor to have you as a student." He smiles before letting go.

Showing up her diploma to the crowd, she sends a grin her parents way, while her mother and Gideon clap and Stu films.

After what feel like ages, all the students have their diploma in paw and walk up to their families.

"Congratulations, kids!" Smiles Judy's mother at the half dozen bunnies that are making their way toward them.

"We knew you'd make it!" Declares Stu. "Even you, Tony."

"Gee, thanks dad." Mutters one of them.

"You're here!" Reacts Judy as she notices Gideon's presence, walking up to hug him. "I thought you were working!"

"I wos. Mr Leapers gave me the afternoon off."

"It's generous of him."

"Heh, I'll hafta catch the hours up. Lookatcha, you've officially caught up to me."

"Technically, a high-school diploma ranks higher than an advanced apprenticeship diploma." She taunts poking his chest.

"Yeah, well, we both knew ya'd get higher diploma's than me anyway."

"I didn't mean like that… You okay Gid?"

The tod blinks. "Y-yeah. I'm good. I'm great. I'm happy for you."

"Judy!" Comes a voice from he recognises as Sharla's. The ewe is flanked by Bobby, the both of them holding their own diplomas. As Judy turns toward them, the tod takes a couple of retreating steps. It feels strange seeing the three of them being so excited. He knows the doe has already been accepted in her criminology classes, and has taken drama as a secondary, in Deerbrook-Uni, which clearly isn't next door.

It'll make it harder to see her, he knows she won't be there every week-end. And her family will probably take up some of her time too…

"You okay, buddy?"

The fox's eyes travel left and upward to see Bobby standing next to him. "Yeah."

"Your gloom is showing."

"Wos just thinkin' about sumthin'."

"Does it involve Judy?"

"Yeah."

It doesn't take a genius to guess where the tod's thoughts have wandered. "You've been together for three years. There's nothing to worry about."

"We could see eachother whenever. Deerbrook's county is pretty far."

With a pat to the vulpine's shoulder, Bobby walks away to join the rest of the students.