Chapter 14: The Mugging
Things are moving along with Jake and Marie's relationship until one night they are attacked.
"I swear Nick, that the very gods themselves are trying to keep us from ever making love!" the raccoon angrily ranted while he paced back and forth in the police station's gym. "It's a celestial conspiracy of the highest order."
"Don't... you...think...you're...over... reacting… pal?" the red fox in the ZPD tee shirt and gym shorts grunted out while he did pull-ups on an overhead bar.
The raccoon in the blue pinstriped suit sighed in frustration, "Marie and I get close, and then something always happens. Her parents call, the fire alarm goes off, and a bunch of scouts comes hiking along…"
"Wait! What? So some scouts did what?" Nick asked after he dropped to the ground.
"We went hiking in the woods and there was a secluded spot down by a waterfall. I put a blanket down and we were making out, I mean really getting into it! I had my paws under her shirt and she was unbuckling my pants, then suddenly we heard a commotion from above and there were over a dozen Junior Ranger Scouts staring at us," Jake answered with a wild wave of his paws. "The things that came out of their mouths, who knew teenagers could be that crass?"
"When was the last time you've been in a high school?"
The raccoon shuddered at the question. "Try being the class nerd? The brains in a class full of brawn. Do you know what it's like being bullied as a kit?"
"Yeah, fox here! Being pushed around pretty well comes with the species."
"Heh, I forgot about that," the raccoon shrugged.
"It must have sucked," Wolford called out from the weight machine.
"No one bullies wolves?" Jake asked.
"We can mess with each other but if an outsider picks on one wolf, you answer to the pack," the timber wolf called back.
"That must be nice!" Nick said.
"I'm still mad at you, Wolford!" the raccoon yelled to the wolf.
"What did he do?" the fox asked as he began to wrap his paws with tape.
"I should have told you about that, I talked Marie into driving up to the Point a couple of nights ago," the raccoon replied. "We even rented a nice sports car for her to drive, since I never got a driver's license and after we had a light dinner at a cafe, we went parking."
"Parking, like the teens do?" Nick snickered before he began to hit the punching bag.
"It was childish, but neither one of us had ever done that before," Jake answered while he held the large brown bag still for his friend. "So we're necking, getting into the groove, the music was playing and then I started making my move."
"Juvenile," the fox grunted while he continued to pound the bag with his fists. "That is just juvenile coon."
"I thought it was romantic!" the raccoon huffed. "Anyways suddenly there's a commotion and next thing I know a white-tailed deer buck has slammed snout first into the passenger's window. Marie is screaming! I'm screaming! Then Wolford's ugly muzzle is peering in at us from the driver's window asking if we're okay."
"Marie has very nice legs," the wolf snickered.
"Not helping!" the raccoon yelled back.
"Wait, what happened?" the fox asked.
"The K-9 unit tracked down a drug dealer who was working the Point," Wolford replied while he walked to the door of the weight room. "The deer ran into his car."
"By the time we got back and finished arguing with the rental company over the damages, the night was ruined," Jake grumbled.
Nick laughed.
"Then there was last night. I swung by her place for a movie and we were all comfortable on the sofa with some nice red wine and a bowl of popcorn. The movie was this sappy chick flick that she wanted to see, so she's snuggled back against me and I've…"
"What was the movie?" Wolford interjected.
"I don't remember!" Jake yelled back. "It was an old movie about being sleepless somewhere...Seantler or someplace."
"My wife likes that movie!" the wolf exclaimed.
"Does it matter?" the raccoon growled.
"Jake, just tell me what happened," Nick chuckled with a shake of his head.
"So she's snuggled against me…" the raccoon continued.
"Hey, is that the movie with Tom whats-his-name?" the wolf called from the weight room.
"Shut it, Chompers!" Jake yelled back.
"Ignore Wolfie and get to the point," the fox groaned.
"So she's snuggled in my arms and I reach down and started unbuttoning her blouse. Then her roommate charges in the front door all excited about some damn promotion she just got and wanting to go out to celebrate."
"So you two went out with her?"
"As I said, it's a conspiracy!" the raccoon dejectedly sighed.
The midwinter evening started really nice, it was a crisp but beautiful night in downtown Zootopia and Jake held Marie's paw while they walked through the park. "I told y'all that Mama Mia was going to be a great play," she said while she laid her head against his shoulder.
"Heh, no one can accuse me of being a theater expert," Jake laughed in reply. "That was the first time that I ever went to a play."
He pulled her closer when they came near the fountain and wrapping his arms around her waist, they kissed. "Aw, don't let me ruin the lover's night out!" a sinister laugh came from behind them as a brutal-looking black bear with a knife and a greasy weasel holding a baseball bat stepped out of the shadows. "Just hand over her purse, along with your wallet and everyone will be fine."
Jake turned and faced the two muggers, shoving Marie behind him. He was torn on what to do, he did have a can of mace on him, along with a telescoping taser baton, but he was afraid that they might hurt Marie. "Look dude, I don't want any problems," he said with a forced smile before he took out his wallet and tossed it over to the weasel. "There's plenty in there for you, so let the lady keep her purse."
"Look, ringtail, I said both!" the bear growled.
The weasel was rummaging through Jake's wallet when suddenly he stopped and looked back at the raccoon with wide eyes. "Harry, don't!" he stuttered in a panicked tone "That's Jake Runnel!"
"So what?" the bear snarled down at his partner, who had dropped the wallet.
"Runnel…as in Big's pet coon!" his now panicked partner whined after he gripped the much larger bear's shirttail. "You know, the Northern Mafia!"
A look of fear came over the large brute's face while he backed away, "Sorry Mister Runnel, I didn't know that it was you! Here's your wallet back, just don't kill us!"
Jake stepped forward with his paws in his pocket, "If you get the hell out of my park, I'll let you go," he menacingly growled. The two muggers turned tail and ran. After he picked up his wallet, he turned around with a smug smile, but when he faced Marie he froze at the look she was giving him. "What?"
"Big's coon…Northern Mafia?" she snapped in anger. "You forgot to tell me you're a mobster? My life's an open book y'all told me!"
"I'm not with the mob!" he protested. He stepped towards her, but she stepped backward.
"I'm not sure I should believe you?" she choked out before she began to cry. "Why are you keeping this from me?"
He sat down on the side of the fountain. "I love you, Marie," he said. "But I'm not being fair to you. You once said I was a coward and your right, I'm afraid that if I told you the whole ugly truth about myself you would leave me."
"Maybe I should," she cried. "I thought I loved you, but now I'm not so sure." She turned to walk away.
"Wait!" he cried out in anguish. "Please give me another chance! I'll tell you everything."
"Everything?"
"The whole damn story of my life. Then you can decide if I'm even worth saying goodbye to."
She followed him back to the Regency Hotel and into a secluded area of the lobby where they sat down in a couple of overstuffed chairs. "Would you like some wine?" he asked. "Maybe something to drink?"
"Stop trying to change the subject, Jake," she growled. "I want the whole truth about your life."
"I do owe you that don't I?" he sighed.