Sharla still felt a bit tired as she finished drying her black wool for the day ahead. Looking at herself in the bathroom mirror, she tied her uniform's green apron on and let out a short huff. Continuing on to her kitchen, she flipped on the TV in her cozy living room while she poured a bowl of a sweet oat cereal for herself.
It was Bunnyburrow's morning news show, "Sunnyburrow". The two hosts were chuckling at each other, probably over some adorable thing a bunny had done that had made the news somehow. It was pretty quiet in Bunnyburrow. Sharla chomped down onto her breakfast.
"Now, we have something special for you folks later this morning," the cow hostess leaned over her desk with a conspiratorial grin.
"That's right, Clara," the horse swished his hoof through the air. "None other than our very own Burrow-grown Judy Hopps is in town, and we got an interview with her!" Sharla's attention was broken from her cereal, and she looked at the TV.
"Not only that, Horace," Clara looked like she could barely contain herself, "she's brought along her newly-appointed partner, Nick Wilde!"
"Is that right?" Horace clicked his hoof against the desk. "Mr. Wilde's a fox, is he not? First policefox on the Zootopia force?"
"Just so!" Clara clapped her forehooves together excitedly. "We'll be sure to ask them all the burning questions we have time for! Isn't this exciting, Horace? We've never gotten to interview someone from the big city before."
"And a couple of heroes, at that!" Horace agreed. "So you folks be sure and stay tuned!"
Sharla fiddled with the remote. She wouldn't have time to watch the program, but she'd like to. She set it to record and turned the TV off, finishing up her cereal.
"Ol' Judy Hopps is still makin' a name for herself, huh?" Sharla shook her head slightly as she rinsed out her bowl.
The drive to work was uneventful. The roads were as sleepy as she felt, and though it wasn't quite the crack of dawn, it'd be close to the stars coming out before she'd be on her way back home. It wasn't so bad, though, she figured.
Stepping into Greener Grocers, Sharla headed in to clock in and get her assignment for the day. Shortly, she was accosted by her manager. Standing slightly above her and with one of those slightly bothered faces that only a goat could pull off perfectly, was Frank Whelker, his hooves behind his back.
"Mornin', sir," Sharla greeted, getting a stocking position.
"Sharla," Frank's voice returned in acknowledgement. He was a gruff old goat in about every sense of the word possible. One of those stereotypical grumpy goats that was too old to give a darn, but seemed to be easy to bother anyway. He poked her on the shoulder as she was about to head back onto the store floor. "I've got you stocking in the baked good section today. We have a local baker here today, settin' up a display."
"Uh, yes sir?" Sharla raised an eyebrow.
"It's a pred," one of Frank's eyes narrowed, and he pushed a hoof accusingly at her, "and I don't want you raisin' a fuss on account of your predispositions."
Sharla tried not to instantly frown. "Yes sir, Mr. Whelker."
"Good, now get to work," Frank headed off to find someone else to bother.
Sharla found his admonition unfair. She'd only once had an incident with predators on the job. That was when she got in trouble for raising her voice at a coyote family. In her defense, the rowdy young cub had knocked over a whole display of canned goods that she spent a lot of time meticulously putting together. But you're not supposed to get angry at a customer, ever, lest they complain. And complain they did, so that old goat had his eye on her from then on. He was one of those goats that would look you straight in the eye while eating a can of tomatoes, sometimes without even bothering to open the can. Kind of unsettling.
Trying to shake off her clouded thoughts, Sharla made her way over to the baked goods section to see what was what, and what needed stocking. She froze on her way there and her brow furrowed.
There was indeed a predator meticulously placing some delicate pies on a little stand near the bakery. It was a fox. Kind of portly, with gentle blue eyes, but a double-wave of brown hair peeking out from a hat that she found extremely, unforgettably familiar. Turning his head, the fox noticed the single black sheep standing there amid the aisles and his pupils shrank.
"Gideon Grey, is that you?" Sharla looked incredulous.
"Oh, y-yes ma'am," Gideon swiftly took off the blue cap he was wearing and fiddled with it in his paws. He looked like he didn't want to hazard a guess as to who he knew he was looking at. "Sharla...?"
"That's me," Sharla found her curiosity overpowering the distaste she felt in the pit of her stomach. She walked closer, her eyes flicking between the fox and the baked goods.
"Sharla, I'd just like to say I- I'm sorry 'bout what happened between us when we were young," Gideon kept fumbling with his hat. "I was projectin' a lot of issues I had 'bout myself... an'- an' that don't excuse my actions..."
The sheep shrugged. "Looks like you've turned a new page anyway, Gideon." She sniffed at the pies he was setting out. Their sweet scent could be detected through the plastic covers on them. They smelled really nice, if she was honest. "I didn't even know foxes could eat fruit."
"Oh, yes ma'am," Gideon nodded, placing his hat back on his head, "foxes can eat pretty much anything." He swallowed, then hesitantly went back out to setting up his display, adding a handsomely hand-written card that said "Made with Hopps Family Produce!"
"Ah, you deal with the Hopps?" Sharla blinked. "They grow some good fruit. It's always movin' fast 'round here."
Gideon nodded. "Tastiest fruit in the Burrows, I'd say." He chuckled weakly. "Heh... you 'member that play Judy had you in when we was young?"
"'Course," Sharla's eyes cautiously met Gideon's.
Gideon hazarded a smile. "Thought you'd be halfway to the moon by now, what with... y'know. Judy's a policerabbit n' all."
"Gideon..." Sharla rolled her eyes. "How many mammals actually go become an astronaut just cause they wanted to when they were little?" She flicked a hand upward. "Why, if everyone who wanted to be an astronaut grew up to be one, it'd prolly cause the imminent collapse of society on Earth!"
"Oh, oh," Gideon nodded, "forgive me for presumin'."
"Space exploration's for small mammals anyway," Sharla shook her head. "Ain't no one gonna pay to haul up a mammal as large as a sheep when they can send a whole crew of mice instead."
"Ah, well, I don't know nothin' about space travel," Gideon smiled bashfully. "But I'd just figured... heh, Judy actually becoming a policerabbit..."
"That was mostly her play," Sharla shook her head, taking some inventory. "She wrote pretty much the whole thing."
"Y'think Jaguar actually became an actuary?" Gideon pursued.
"Heck if I know, Gideon," Sharla was trying not to get annoyed, keeping her voice low. "Haven't seen him since middle school. Sure didn't take you for a baker."
"Yeah, well, kinda took myself by surprise too," Gideon smiled humbly. "Mammals kept tellin' me I was good at it ever since I chanced home ec in high school, so I just kept doin' it, and here I am. Kinda went with the flow on that one, heh."
"It's a fine trade, I suppose," Sharla was barely looking at Gideon.
"Y'want me to bake you a pie sometime?" Gideon offered meekly. "What's your favorite flavor?"
"I dunno Gideon, I don't think that's really necessary," Sharla shook her head. "I'm tryin' to watch my weight."
Gideon's head tilted curiously. She looked to be a fine shape to him, at least. "Maybe just a tart then...?"
"I'm..." Sharla stopped her work briefly. "Partial to blackberries. ...I know, I know, black sheep, it's real fittin', right?"
"Next time I'm over here I'll get you a nice warm blackberry tart," Gideon smiled. "Hope it'll be the tastiest one you ever did eat."
Sharla looked at the fox cautiously. "I hope you don't think that'll make us square."
Gideon looked like he'd been pushed. "Oh no, no ma'am. Wouldn't dream of that. Just- uh, jh- just tryin' to look out for my fellow mammal."
"Well, thank you for that, Gideon," Sharla said politely, and made herself scarce to the bakery's stock room.
Taking a moment for herself in the back, she sighed. She probably should go make a mild apology to the fox, lest he complain to the manager. The last thing she wanted was to get herself fired over some trivial manner, just because she was a little curt. When she went back out, though, he was gone. She supposed the stand was already all set up.
Sharla looked at the display. It was nice and honest, wholesome even. The treats looked delicious. She almost smiled, then went back to her work. Oh well, she supposed there was time. If he was insistent on giving her a tart, maybe she could say something then.
The moon was out by the time Sharla left her shift, and the stars would soon follow. Bunnyburrow did have some gorgeous colors in the evening. The sheep stopped by her aging black hand-me-down car, looking up at the moon. Waxing crescent. Just a tiny fraction of its glory, but with the promise of growth, to eventual brilliance. Sharla sighed and gave a tiny smile.
After a couple of twists of the key, the car started. She flicked an astronaut bobblehead on her dashboard to watch the helmet wiggle. No telling what kind of mammal was supposed to be in that suit. Really could be anything. A bunny could reach for the stars, couldn't they? Judy proved that. Evidently, even foxes could. But a sheep?
"Maybe someday."