Larry couldn't sleep.
Though the gray squirrel was only nine years old, he had perceived a change in the atmosphere around dinner that night. His adoptive parents, Nick and Judy Wilde-Hopps, had seemed curt and distant. Larry was too apprehensive to ask if anything was wrong; if he did anything wrong. So he waited in bed, his blue eyes wide open. Soon, he heard his adoptive parents' voices coming from the main room in their apartment.
Larry grit his teeth and walked out of bed, a combination of fear and curiosity driving him forward. Were they upset? Were they fighting?
"So, can we please talk about this now?" Judy asked in an impatient voice.
"If you keep your voice down," Nick replied. "We don't want to wake the kit."
Larry swallowed nervously. He felt his heart pounding faster and faster. He placed his little paws on the door and pressed his ear close to the door to hear better.
"Deal," Judy's voice dropped down quieter, but Larry could still hear it.
"So, what are we going to talk about?" Nick's voice had that bite of sarcasm Larry had come to recognize, but this time it lacked its usual friendliness. "Your hero complex?"
"My hero complex!?" Judy's voice leaped up in volume. "How can you say that?"
"Quiet down," Nick replied sternly.
"Sorry, sorry," Judy replied. Larry was beginning to get very, very anxious. "Let's just talk about this calmly and like adults."
"Fine," Nick still seemed irritated. "You want to bring another kit into this home."
Larry gasped a bit. This was not what he was expecting to hear. His fear ebbed, replaced by more curiosity. He wondered why Nick was so angry.
"I just..." Judy sounded anxious, "I think we could provide a good home for her..."
"Are you going to do this every time there's a kit in need?" Nick asked curtly. "You know my mom tried pretty hard to coerce us into adopting Larry-"
Larry winced, feeling an unnamed pang pierce him.
"It wasn't like that; you know we love him and we couldn't leave him to some strangers!" Judy said, her voice raising again. Larry felt like his emotions were sliding up and down a roller coaster, not that he had been on one yet. "It's just the same with Rachel!"
"Judy, I love our little squirrel, but it's not the same with Rachel," Nick returned. "We don't know her; we shouldn't- we shouldn't get involved."
"Nick!" It was Judy's turn to get stern. "How can you be so cold toward her? The system has failed her; her parents abandoned her, her- her foster parents were doing that insurance scam, and- and now she has to get a third family?"
"Well, I hate to break it to you, Judy," Nick replied, "but we're part of the system. We're cops. You think she's gonna trust us to be her parents?"
"We're- we're good people, Nick!" Judy protested. "You know we are. Larry loves us... I- I know we're good parents!"
Larry bit his lip. He wasn't sure where this was going, but he felt increasingly upset.
"I... just thought," Judy's voice became pensive, "you know, especially in your case... you could- you know, maybe..."
"What," Nick said flatly.
"I mean- uh," Judy stammered. "Jeez, there's no right way to say this..."
"What, because she's a raccoon?" Nick's voice had a calmness fall over it. This sent dread shooting through the little squirrel, he knew his voice only got that calm when he was really angry. "Ah, there she is. There's my little speciest bunny. I wondered if we'd gotten rid of her, but nope, there she is."
"I don't- I don't mean it like that, Nick!" Judy countered.
"Oh? Then what do you mean it like?" Nick's voice raised a bit. "Because it sounds to me like you're saying 'because you're a fox, you'd make a good dad for that poor little raccoon and make sure she doesn't fall off the path of righteousness'. You know, because she's a raccoon, and foxes and raccoons are both known for being criminal scum."
"I did not say that, I didn't," Judy retorted acidly. "You're not being fair!"
Larry felt his breaths coming faster and more unsteady; he was about ready to cry.
"Please enlighten me to what you mean, then," Nick said dangerously.
"Listen, Nick," Judy said with some finality, "it comes down to this. You were basically skirting the edge of criminality for twenty years. Rachel's been abandoned by her birth parents, and her foster parents were criminal raccoons! She needs help! Help that I know we can provide!"
"The girl's only six, Judy," Nick grumbled. "She's got time to learn. What, you don't trust any other family to take good care of her?"
"I don't know that I do, Nick," Judy's voice was firm. "We have the opportunity to make her world better. Why'd I trust anyone but us to to that?"
"Judy-" Nick began.
"Just like- just like I didn't trust anyone but you and I to save Zootopia," Judy pressed the attack. Larry remained dumbfounded. He was paralyzed with both amazement and terror.
"There's that hero complex again," Nick grunted.
"I don't care if that's what you think it is," Judy replied. "Give me a good reason why you think we shouldn't do this."
"...How would Larry feel about it, Judy?" Nick grumbled quietly. Larry barely heard him, but he gasped when he heard his name. "We- we can't just drop a sister in his lap. Especially not one that could grow to be your height."
"Larry's a caring boy," Judy protested. "Maybe- maybe he could help her. She's been withdrawn from, betrayed... I just- Nick, don't you feel for her at all?"
"...I do, Judy," Nick grunted. "And that's why I'm afraid to get involved. The only reason I could keep myself sane during my hustling years was knowing I wasn't hurting anyone. If I got in too deep, if I got too involved... well..."
"Nick..." Judy said tenderly. Larry started to relax a bit at their voices softening.
"I'll think about it," Nick conceded. "...I'll think about it, Judy. We'll... we'll need to run it past Larry. We'll need to make sure Rachel even wants a bunny, fox, and squirrel for a family."
"Thank you, Nick, I love you..." Judy said gently.
Nick sighed. "I love you too, Judy. ...But... we are not turning this apartment into a menagerie. We can't just... adopt every mammal that we see in need..."
"Is that where you think this is going?" Judy asked. "I... I promise. These two are- they're special cases, both of them."
"Every kid is special, Judy," Nick countered, though his voice was still gentle. "Every kid has unique potential to grow and express themselves."
"But Rachel... she needs someone... and we know she needs someone," Judy replied. "How... how can we just do nothing?"
"Are you trying to appeal to my better nature, bunny?" Nick huffed in amusement.
"I'm not joking around, Nick," Judy replied. "Not when someone's well being is at stake."
"I just- I think we're too close to the case, Judy," Nick said. "Our emotions are riding high..."
"I thought you'd gotten used to that part of me, buster," Judy said wryly.
"We'll talk it over in the morning, sweetie," Nick said.
"Okay, let's get to bed," Judy agreed.
Larry wandered over to his bed and climbed into the covers. He was bewildered. Was he really going to get a raccoon sister? Did he even want one? He supposed he didn't have much choice either way.
If he did get a little sister... he hoped she'd be nice.