Author's Note: Thanks to my patient proofreader SomeKindaDurgon for both his proofreading and this idea.
Nick and Judy scrambled around their apartment, adjusting each others' police uniforms. Their hurried, chaotic pace juxtaposed with the strange flow their actions took, making even the chaos seem orderly.
"Rgh, I knew this was going to happen sometime," Judy grumbled, anxiousness on her brow. "What are we going to do? We've got to find a sitter..."
"Mm," Nick agreed with a nod, looking to be lost in thought.
A young gray squirrel wandered into the room, watching the fox and bunny dart around.
"Nick? Judy?" He asked. "What's going on...?"
"Oh, hi Larry!" Judy smiled and rushed over to him, barely crouching to be more his level. "Sweetie, Nick and I have to go to a special police assignment. But don't you worry, we'll be back as soon as we can."
"And we'll get someone to watch you," Nick affirmed, sparing the squirrel a single pat on the head.
Larry didn't seem thrilled at the prospect.
"Dangit, I thought I'd be more prepared for a moment like this," Judy slammed a fist into her palm, then pointed at Nick. "Your mother."
Nick shook his head. "Can't. She's out visiting a friend in the Triburrows."
"Gah!" Judy thrust her head away. "And obviously we can't send him on a 200 mile train ride to Bunnyburrow by himself. He could be hurt, or abducted!"
"Not to mention being passed between hundreds of bunny hands like a moving fluffy toy would probably be a nightmare scenario by itself," Nick said wryly. Larry found himself blankly nodding in agreement.
"Oh, ha ha," Judy leaned her head at Nick disdainfully, then looked like she got an idea. "Finnick." Almost immediately, she shook her head. "No way. What am I saying. ...Maybe...?" The bunny winced at Nick. "He's trustworthy, right?"
"Eh," Nick shrugged. "Both you and I have had and carried out worse ideas."
Judy's wince became even more pained and plaintive.
"Buddy, I can't thank you enough for coming on such short notice," Nick said breezily, admitting a small, grumpy-looking fennec into their apartment. "You were really our first choice."
"Right," the fennec didn't sound convinced. He gave a dull look to the apprehensive squirrel across the room. "I'ma need half the fee up front."
"Oh!" Judy actuated suddenly, patting herself. "Yeah, okay. Let me find my wallet." She retrieved ten bucks, which Finnick snapped up.
"Thank you," his voice was curt.
"Okay," Judy held up her paws as if he were trying to stave off her own anxiety. "He's already had dinner, so if you feed him anything, it should be a small cookie, okay? Just as a bedtime snack. And don't let him stay up all night playing video games, okay? It's Sunday evening; he's got school in the morning."
"Right," Finnick sounded disinterested.
Judy grinned apologetically and wandered over to the squirrel. "Okay honey, you be good for Finnick, okay?" She winced and planted a small kiss atop his head.
"Okay," the young squirrel's voice was begrudging.
"We'll be back before you know it, sport," Nick said, gathering their things. "C'mon Judy, we gotta fly."
"Bye! Be good!" Judy waved. The front door slammed shut, then cracked open briefly. The bunny's face suddenly looked stern. "You too, Finnick."
"Aight, get outta here," Finnick flicked both of his paws at her before the door shut again. He sighed, rolled his eyes, and padded over to the young squirrel. He huffed and almost broke a smile. The fennec was barely taller than the squirrel, but cut a more imposing figure, if only because of his grim countenance and his huge ears creating a larger shadow. Larry looked somewhat afraid.
"Okay, kit, listen up," Finnick began. "You can call me mister, uncle, Finnick, Finn, whatever you want. I don't care." He pointed up at the cupboards that could only be reached easily by Nick. "Only thing I ask is that you ain't go crawlin' around in those cupboards tryin'a play hide and seek. I ain't about to bust my tail tryin'a climb up and find you."
Larry's brow furrowed slightly. "I'm ten years old. I don't wanna play hide and seek. I just play video games."
"Aight, that's good then, that's good," Finnick casually brushed past the squirrel and opened the refrigerator. "Hard to tell how old you squirrels are." He scanned for things while Larry fiddled with his claws apprehensively. Finnick sucked his teeth. "Tch. You ain't even got a single can of beer in this apartment? Your mom musta really kit-proofed the house, huh?"
"Judy's not my mom," Larry replied suddenly. "My mom died."
Finnick froze in his search and gave Larry a cautious look. "Da-... wow. Is that gonna be the tone of the evening?" He shook his head and let out a heavy sigh. The small fox made his way over to the couch and leaped on, turning the television on to a pro pawball game. The squirrel followed, looking between Finnick and the TV.
"Um, can I go play in my room now?"
"Yeah, aight," Finnick nodded, barely sparing him a look.
Feeling uneasy, Larry went on back to his room and turned on his gaming console.
A short series of beats leaped from Finnick's phone, signifying that he got a text message.
"No, you idiots... c'mon she was open!" The small fox raged at the scene when the mustelid athlete missed an easy shot to her teammate. "Daargh!"
After a moment, Finnick noticed his phone vibrating and looked onto it.
[Is Larry doing okay?] It was from Judy, of course.
Finnick rolled his eyes. [He's fine.] After replying, he tossed the phone back onto the end table. After a few more moments of watching the game, Finnick growled to himself and decided he should actually check on the squirrel. He grabbed his phone and made his way over to his room to knock on his door, even though it was cracked open.
"Hey, kit, you okay?"
"Yeah," the voice came.
Finnick opened the door and saw Larry playing video games on his television. He couldn't quite make out what sort of game he was playing; it appeared to be some sort of small horned animal fighting an enormous cartoon bug. "Heck is this?"
"It's called Hollow Knight," Larry replied meekly and blankly. "The li'l guy here is the hero, and he's all alone while trying to make the world better."
"Everyone's bugs?" Finnick narrowed an eye. "That's weird."
"It's the world they're in," Larry replied. He shrugged, not knowing how to explain it better than that.
"Listen, kit," Finnick leaned on the door. "Maybe you should do your homework before you zone out playing that stuff."
"I already did it," Larry replied. "I did it yesterday."
Finnick's muzzle twisted. "Well, can you pause it? I got some homework for you to do."
Larry obeyed him, though mostly out of confusion. His brow furrowed as he looked at Finnick.
"Here, want you to take my phone- hold on," Finnick said, unlocking it. Mostly, he needed to unlock it to get the scantily clad fennec female off of the screen. That might have caused some questions. "There, take my phone."
Larry took it. Since Finnick was barely larger than Larry, the phone fit rather comfortably in the squirrel's paws.
"O- okay...?"
"Now, go to the internet, and look up 'mother'," Finnick folded his arms.
"Uh, okay?" After a moment, Larry complied with the request.
"Aight, now read the 'verb' definition," Finnick instructed, his voice less gruff than it had been previously.
"To bring up a child with care and affection," Larry read.
"Now," Finnick said, launching himself onto Larry's bed and sitting there. "You think that describes that bunny you live with?"
"Uh... yeah," Larry nodded cautiously.
"Okay," Finnick nodded, motioning for his phone. Larry got out of his chair and delivered it to him. "I understand you probably think you're in some sort of raw deal. Been through a lot and all that. I get it, aight?"
Larry barely nodded.
"But," Finnick held up a finger. "Though she ain't the same species as you, though she ain't been with you your whole life, Judy's tryin' real hard to 'mother' you. You get me?"
Larry nodded again, stronger this time.
"I don't think you got a raw deal, Larry," Finnick's eyes became lazy and he smirked. "If anythin', I think Judy's made a real caring parent. I dunno if you'll ever think of her as a 'mother' or somethin'; not my place to tell you what you think. But I can tell she loves you, yeah?"
"Yeah," Larry looked away, but smiled faintly.
"Good," Finnick chuckled, then he cleared his throat and his voice became gritty again. "But you ain't tell her I said that, got it?"
"Um, okay?" The squirrel half-laughed at the strange fennec as he launched back off his bed and headed back to the door.
"Now, you want a cookie before you get to bed?" Finnick asked before he left the door.
"No, thanks," Larry picked up his game controller.
"Mammal, you ten years old," Finnick narrowed an eye. "You ain't gotta act like you're too cool for a cookie. Dang, son."
Larry sheepishly grinned and lowered his head, wandering into the kitchen with Finnick.
"They ain't up in one of those high cupboards, are they?" Finnick grumbled.
Larry laughed again.
"Hey, you wanna play a joke on the bunny?" Finnick smirked at Larry, who looked at him with big, impressionable eyes.
"Finnick."
"Hnngh!" Finnick woke with a start. He was sprawled out on Nick and Judy's couch, the TV turned low; a dull white noise behind them.
"Does he always snore that loud?" Judy asked Nick quietly. The two were clothed in their uniforms. They both looked very tired, Nick more so.
"Yup," the red fox responded plainly.
"Mammal, shut up," Finnick flailed and sat up. "What time is it-?" He checked his phone. "Six-thirty!? Whatchoo getting me up now for!?"
"Sorry, we basically just got back," Judy smiled apologetically. "I just wanted to give you the rest of the fee for your babysitting-"
"Psh, keep it," Finnick flicked a paw. "Your boy is basically a li'l angel. Wasn't no trouble at all."
"Really?" Judy smiled, betraying a hint of pride.
"Yeah," Finnick launched off the couch, yawning to reveal a bunch of sharp tiny teeth. "Dang, what'm I gonna do at this time a' mornin'? Freakin' bunny."
"You want some coffee?" Nick offered, already brewing a cup for the two marginally more awake mammals.
"Nah," Finnick grew a snide look. "What you drink ain't coffee."
"Well, I like it dark," Judy huffed with a smile. "Does that do it for you?"
"Now we're talkin'," Finnick nodded.
Before long, Larry showed up in the main room, looking to be ready for school.
"Hey slugger, you all ready?" Nick padded over to offer his arm to Larry, who scurried up it and onto a higher counter. Finnick blinked at the smooth and liquid nature of the action.
"Ahuh," Larry nodded, looking at both officers. "Uh, are you two just now home?"
"Yup, long night-slash-morning," Judy smiled wearily, leaning in to touch her nose to Larry's. "We're tired."
"Will you be able to get to sleep while I'm at school?" Larry wondered.
"What I said?" Finnick laughed. "Guy's a li'l angel."
"I hope so," Nick chuckled. "So, did your uncle Finnick break anything?"
"No, Mister Finnick was good," Larry reported.
Finnick huffed. "Mister" Finnick sounded pretty good to him.
"Yeah?" Judy laughed. "Really, thank you so much, Finnick."
"Was nothin'."
"We had a lot of fun," Larry smiled. "He taught me how to hotwire a van."
There was a moment of dead silence while Nick and Judy's eyes flew open and the coffee pot made a single "bloop".
"FINNICK!" Judy screamed.
"Hey, gotta run," Finnick smirked, and dashed out of the apartment.
Larry giggled to himself.