Hey guys Price here and welcome to Chapter 9 of Tooth and Claw! I figured I'd work on this since I got Chapter 28 of Zootopian Assassins done only an hour or two prior to writing this AN, so here you go! I hope you guys like this Chapter, and I am happy to announce there will be no love triangles in this fic. Lance is a loyal mammal and would't just go behind Nick's back for an old flame, no matter how small the incident. I'm going to try to purposefully drag out the meeting between Lance and the Tigress, so if it seems slow that's why. This is gonna be an attempt by me to show how hurt Lance is, even now, by what happened with him and the Tigress, because he was extremely hurt by her. Lance is a believer in loyalty to a loved one above everything. His belief is that even if you don't love them anymore, you should at least tell them as such instead of cheating to make things easier and less hurtful. Now, I know I said there are no love triangles, and I mean that, but that doesn't mean Lance still doesn't have feelings for the Tigress. You'll see what I mean when you read it. Anyway, this is getting long enough, I think it's time to get...onto the story!
"Si..." I whispered in shock, staring at the Tigress in front of me with wide eyes. She looked just as shocked to see me, and I hesitantly glanced at the door to where I lived.
"Hey." She said after a moment, smiling unsurely.
"Hey." I repeated, feeling awkward.
"So how have you been?" She asked, lifting her arms out and letting them flop back to her sides awkwardly.
"Good, good. You?" I asked, genuinely curious how she had been.
"I've been doing fine." She answered, licking her lips nervously.
"And...Tony?" She winced at that, then shook her head.
"It only lasted about a month. Been single since." She said, and I nodded. That was what I had been afraid would happen.
"Do you...want to come in?" I asked, dipping my head towards my house. She hesitated.
"Well, I wouldn't want to put you out..." She said, and I shrugged.
"It's fine. I won't mind a quick catch up." I said, already making my way to the door. I unlocked it and stepped inside, turning to see if the Tigress was following only to find her still standing on the sidewalk. "Well, come on." I said, and she hesitated still. Finally, she nodded and approached, stepping inside. I closed the door behind me, then stepped into the living room. "Make yourself comf-" I stopped what I was saying as I turned to see her looking at the wall of the hallway, her head tilted. I winced when I realized she was looking at the blood stain. Neither me or Nick had seen fit to remove it, and now we liked where it was. It was important.
"What happened here?" She asked, pointing to the mark.
"Uh, well, you see..." I trailed off, suddenly finding myself unable to tell the Tigress I was Mated. "I...will tell you later." She narrowed her eyes, but nodded and stood. She approached me, her expression curious.
"So, what have you been up to lately?" She asked, slipping past me and sitting down on the couch, and I joined her after a brief hesitation. Why couldn't I just tell her I was Mated?
"Well, I decided that I couldn't handle any more failure at school." I began, the Tigress blinking.
"You dropped out?" She asked, disbelief in her voice. I nodded. "But, Lance, you always wanted to be a scientist, all that fancy stuff." She said, making me sigh.
"I just couldn't take it anymore, Sivannah. Trust me, I wanted to keep going, but I couldn't." I said, Sivannah nodding in understanding. "But, just recently, I became a cop." I added, the Tigress perking up at that.
"Lance, that's amazing!" She exclaimed, pride clear in her voice and expression. I smiled.
"Thanks." I said, feeling warm at her praise. "So what about you? What have you been up to?" I asked, Sivannah hesitating.
"I...um...I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do with my life." She admitted, and I shrugged.
"Nothing to be ashamed of there. Hell, you think I ever thought about being a cop? No, I did not. But here I am, a proud member of the Zootopia Police Department, and with actual friends I can count on. You're two years younger than me, Sivannah, you're fine." I said comfortingly, the Tigress smiling gratefully.
"Oh, I know that, Lance, I just always thought I would know what I wanted. But now I don't and I don't know what to do." It was obvious the Tigress was upset by this fact, and I huffed.
"Sivannah, it's fine. You will decide what you want out of your life, and, knowing you, you will absolutely get what you want." The Tigress opened her mouth to retort, then closed it and smiled shyly.
"Well, I do know one thing I want in my life." She said a bit nervously, clearly embarrassed to bring it up.
"Oh? What would that be?" I asked, the Tigress hesitating. She very slowly leaned forward and I leaned back back in response until gravity was too much and I fell back. She continued forward, eventually hovering over me.
"What do I want, Lance? I want you." She said, leaning closer to me. I placed a paw against her chest and held her back, a small spark of anger taking root in my chest at the words.
"Well it's about time, Sivannah!" I exclaimed, the Tigress blinking in shock.
"Excuse you?" She asked, not quite understanding what I meant. I pushed her up and away, standing and backing away a few steps.
"I loved you for eight years, Sivannah! I showed you I had eyes for only you in all of that period, and yet you still went behind my back the moment I tried to be sensitive about what happened to you! Well you're too late! I've moved on!" I tossed my phone onto the couch, Sivannah looking down at it. She raised her gaze back to me, unsure what I was doing. "Well go on! Look!" I shouted, the Tigress hesitantly picking up the phone. She turned it on and swiped to unlock it – still needed to get a password for the thing – and pulled up my photos. She scrolled through them, her eyes flicking between the images as hurt filled her eyes. She finally turned it off and set it down, her eyes looking ready to burst.
"You really did move on..." She whispered, as if shocked by the fact.
"Yes, I did. And you know what, Sivannah? I know for a fact Nick would never go behind my back!" I said angrily, snatching my phone up and storming down the hall. I slammed the door to my bedroom shut and sat down on the bed. My chest was heaving and my paws were clenched. I was pissed, but I didn't know why. I knew it wasn't right to have snapped at her like I had, not matter the reason or how valid it was. I sighed.
I couldn't be sure how long passed before a knock at my door told me the Tigress still hadn't left.
"Lance, can I come in?" She asked, and I hesitated in replying. I eventually stood and approached the door. Pulling it open, I looked the Tigress in the eyes as I crossed my arms.
"What?" I asked snappily, the Tigress faltering. I winced and let my expression soften, dropping my arms. "Si, I'm sorry. You don't deserve to be treated like that." I said, the Tigress shaking her head.
"No, Lance, I do. You're right. I went behind your back and I cheated on you. It wasn't right, but I was young and stupid and I didn't know what to do with your sudden apparent disinterest in me, so I sought somebody who would show me interest. It's not your fault." She said, looking genuinely ashamed.
"Oh I know that." I said, turning back around and sitting back down on my bed. Sivannah looked surprised by my words but said nothing. "But do you really think I ever held anything against you?" Sivannah blinked.
"Well..." She trailed off, still standing across the threshold from entering my bedroom. She glanced down the hallway.
"Okay, I have no idea what that was. It just came from nowhere. I promise I'm not normally so snippy." I said with a light chuckle, Sivannah smiling lightly.
"I apologize for coming onto you without bothering to ask if you were seeing anybody. I just...I don't know, it's been almost, what, ten years since I last saw you?" I nodded. "Yeah, close to ten years, Lance. And in those few years I came to realize I never stopped loving you." I smiled softly at her words, then gestured for her to enter.
"I never stopped loving you either. Heck, I still do, Sivannah, but I can't go behind Nick's back. Especially not right now, what with him being in the hospital." I said, the Tigress blinking in surprise.
"What happened to him?" She asked as she hesitantly stepped across the threshold, looking worried.
"Took a...thirty caliber, I believe they said, to the chest. Clean through and he only has a ten or so percent chance of dying, so he's got that going for him at least." I answered, the Tigress stopping in front of me. "You know, I met him completely on accident. My old apartment complex had somebody's apartment get broken into and he knocked at my door to ask me some questions. It was instant attraction on my part." I said, a smile on my muzzle. Sivannah hesitantly sat down next to me, the bed creaking under her weight, but holding.
"So, what happened then?" She asked, and I winced as I recalled how the first 'date' could have ended.
"Well, we went to the park a few days later on a sort of 'get to know each other' type excursion. It wasn't really a date, per say, but it could have been if we hadn't wanted to get to know each other first. I...told him about my past. He more or less did the closest thing to comforting me he could, seeing as he barely knew me, and I kissed him. Not sure why, just one of those spontaneous things I'm good at. To say I was horrified would be an understatement. I mean really, we hardly knew each other, and here I was kissing him!" I laughed at that, Sivannah chuckling as well. "I ran, another thing I'm good at, and sat at a gazebo for a few hours in mortification. It began to rain, but I didn't really care. Eventually, Nick came back and found me. He gave me a ZPD application slip and I may have...kinda...gave him a running jump hug that ended with us on the muddy ground." Sivannah snorted at my embarrassment with the last part and I let out a whine.
"Oh come on, it's funny! I mean, seriously, you're so cute when you're embarrassed!" I flushed at her words, a small smile trying to form on my muzzle.
"Thanks." I said, knowing full well I was acting like a kit with a crush and, in a way, I was. Sivannah was certainly beautiful, and I did still love her, but I was Mated. To say I was confused would be an understatement.
"Lance, I know you're mated, and I'm happy you found somebody, but...I don't know, can I at least have my friend back?" Sivannah asked, and I paused to consider her words. I did miss being her friend, but I also didn't want to send mixed signals or anything. Our previous relationship was a perfect example of what happened when you did that.
"Yeah, I wouldn't mind being your friend again." I said, putting extra emphasis on the word 'friend'.
"I'm fine with that." She said, obviously not but unwilling to jeopardize my relationship with Nick. She stood. "Wanna go out to eat tomorrow? Maybe catch up a little?" She asked, wording it like she didn't mind if we did or not. Time with Nick, however, had helped me learn to read mammals. It was obvious she really wanted me to say yes.
"Yeah, sure. I'll have to go see Nick at three or so, though." I said, Sivannah nodding.
"That's fine. I'll see you tomorrow." She said, moving to leave.
"Hey, before you go, you want something to eat or anything?" I asked, Sivannah pausing.
"Well, if it's okay with you..." She trailed off uncertainly, and I laughed softly.
"Of course it's fine. What're friends for, right?" I asked, both of us pausing at the words, though for different reasons. I still felt awkward using the word 'friend', even with mammals I would consider friends. Likely from all the years of not trusting anybody. Sivannah looked saddened by the words but didn't say anything, though I could tell she didn't want to just be friends with me and instead likely wanted something like we'd once had.
"Right." She agreed awkwardly, nodding. I stood and opened the door, stepping out with the Tigress right behind me.
I stepped into the kitchen and opened the fridge, looking around.
"Well, unfortunately, we don't have anything I can cook, at least not well, but we do have snacks." I said as I closed the fridge and stepped over to the pantry, pulling it open and leaning against the frame as I looked around. "Or...not. I swear Nick just went and bought more stuff about a week ago."
"How long ago?" Sivannah asked.
"About a...oh, that was close. Yeah, sorry, not falling for that one." I said, Sivannah growling in annoyance.
"Dang. Almost." She muttered as I turned. I rolled my eyes in amusement as I approached the couch.
"Okay, so we're out of stuff that I can make safely, and we're also out of snacks. What now?" I asked, then pausing as I considered why I was asking Sivannah what we were going to do. She paused to consider something herself, then turned to me.
"Hey, what time is it?" She asked. I checked my phone and then looked back to her.
"Almost twelve." I answered casually, Sivannah's eyes widening. She sprang up quickly.
"Oh, jesus! I gotta go! I forgot my mother was coming by to visit, since she was in the District!" She said, giving me a quick hug before heading for the door.
"At this hour?" I asked, confused why Sivannah's mother would be visiting at this time.
"Nurse, remember?" Sivannah answered.
"Oh, right." I said, nodding absentmindedly. "See you tomorrow."
"Yeah, tomorrow." Sivannah agreed as she closed the door behind her, leaving me standing there with a frown. I turned and leaned against the couch, falling to my knees with a groan. I lightly beat my head against the back of the couch.
"Why does fate hate me?" I said to nobody in particular, letting out a whimper at my luck. I got Mated to somebody who I loved and who loved me back, only to run into my ex only a few years later. It made me wonder what I'd done to piss off the Celestials, namely Karma and Serendipity. Sure, Serendipity was technically a Lapine Celestial, but she still controlled luck for all mammals. Surely I'd done something to make her angry at me, though I couldn't imagine what. Karma, on the other paw, was a fickle Canine. You could never tell what she'd do to you on any given day, more so than the other Celestials.
I paused as I realized I was entertaining the idea of there actually being Celestials, then scoffed. Sure, I didn't believe, but it didn't hurt to wonder. I lowered my head with a small whine.
The next morning I raised my head with extremely sore knees and growled as I realized I'd fallen asleep – or accidentally knocked myself out – on the couch.
'Great. And I have a da-no, wait, a meet up Sivannah later. Even greater. And then I have to walk to the hospital from wherever we go to see Nick. Best. Day. Ever for my legs.' I thought with a grumble, painfully raising myself up to a stand and stumbling towards the bedroom. I opened it and shuffled towards the closet, my shoulders slumping at the lack of clean clothes when I opened it. Well, matching ones anyway. I sighed and crossed my arms as I thought.
After a few moments of consideration I shrugged and grabbed one of the many form fitting shirts I owned, then grabbed the closest to a matching pair of pants I had clean. Hopefully it would match enough, even though Sivannah was well aware of my lack of ability to match clothes. I'd gotten better, though not by much.
I changed, then stepped out of the bedroom and into the hallway then into the bathroom. I didn't usually care much for appearance on a casual outing, but Sivannah was one of the few friends I had and I wanted to make myself at least a little presentable.
I stepped out at least ten minutes later, the longest amount of time I'd worried over my appearance ever. I paused, then looked back inside at the mirror above the sink. I reached up and ruffled the fur on top of my head a little, then nodded. That was a bit more me.
Somebody knocked at the door and I glanced at the clock, wondering if I'd set a time and forgotten for my meet up with Sivannah. I approached the door and opened it, not entirely unsurprised to see the Tigress standing there. She raised her paw in greeting awkwardly.
"Hey." She said, smiling a little.
"Hey." I said, both of us standing there for a long moment. I coughed awkwardly. "So, where do you wanna..." I trailed off when I realized Sivannah was staring a bit lower than my head. I looked down, panic flashing through me briefly as I wondered if a certain something was catching her attention. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw it wasn't that, then looked at my shirt. Was that it? "I can change, if you'd like." I offered, Sivannah's gaze snapping up to me.
"Oh god, I'm sorry! I didn't realize I was staring!" She apologized, her expression one of horror.
"Hey, I won't fault you for it. Seriously, I catch myself staring sometimes." I said, Sivannah blinking at that. She snorted, apparently finding amusement in that, and I rolled my eyes with a huff.
"Well, still, sorry. It's just...you put on some muscle." Sivannah muttered the last part, though not exactly quietly.
"Yeah, the police academy will do that to you. That and I'm friends with a pair of Operators." I said, Sivannah tilting her head.
"Operators...?" She questioned, making me blink. I hadn't realized the existence of Operators wasn't very well known.
"Yeah, sorta like Special Weapons And Tactics, but better. They're the guys we call in as a last resort, like with possible bomb or terrorist threats to clear the area." I said, Sivannah frowning.
"So they're basically just SWAT with better training and for more dangerous scenarios." She commented.
"That's a simplification if I've ever heard one, but yes. Operators Keto and Larsson apparently like me, which I'm assuming is what keeps them around. Not really sure." I shrugged, Sivannah arching an eyebrow.
"Mammals actually like you?" She asked jokingly, making me roll my eyes with a chuckle.
"Funny." I said, stepping back. "Wanna come in?" I asked, Sivannah blinking.
"Oh, right, sorry. I thought we'd go to, uh...you still like McClawnolds, right?" She asked, and I nodded.
"Yeah, though I haven't been in forever." I answered, letting out a small huff as I wondered if I could even recall the last time I'd been.
"Alright, shall we go, then?" I nodded, Sivannah turning and stepping onto the sidewalk.
"Just give me a second, let me grab something." I said, turning and jogging down the hall and into the bedroom. I opened a drawer on the nightstand next to the bed and grabbed my badge, just in case. I hesitated as I thoughtlessly reached for the HK45, wondering if it would be a bit much. Figuring it was better to be safe than sorry, I picked it up, then grabbed the holster and affixed that to my hip. I stepped out of the room and quickly exited the building, closing the door behind me. Sivannah glanced at the firearm.
"Do you really think that's necessary?" She asked, though she said it in more of a curious way than anything.
"Hopefully not, though you can never be too safe." I answered, Sivannah nodding in agreement.
"I guess that makes sense." She said. "To McClawnolds, then."
"To McClawnolds." I agreed. We began to walk, and I wondered if anybody would think we were together. Hopefully not, though I knew at least one mammal would assume so.
After a few minutes of walking, Sivannah cleared her throat.
"Just so you know, my mother thought it'd be nice to come along." She said, and I nodded.
"Okay." I said, Sivannah blinking.
"You...don't have a problem with that?" She asked, her head tilted when I looked up at her.
"Why would I? We're just catching up, aren't we?" I saw a small amount of hurt and sadness flash through Sivannah's eyes briefly, and then it was gone just as soon as it had appeared.
"Well, you know, I just didn't know what you'd think about that." She said, looking ahead. I did the same, wondering if I'd said the wrong thing. Sure, I could tell she wanted to be more than friends, but I couldn't go behind Nick's back like that. I refused to do something so cruel as that. I winced when I realized that was exactly what had ended mine and Sivannah's relationship almost ten years ago, even if I was technically to blame for her doing it in the first place.
We arrived after a few minutes longer, and I made to open the door, but Sivannah beat me to it and stepped inside. I faltered, wondering if she didn't want me to hold the door or if she just didn't want to accidentally give the wrong impression to others. I followed her as she made her way towards the back, where a familiar Tigress sat. She looked up, her expression lighting up in joy when she saw me.
"Hey, Lance! God, it's been forever!" She said as she stood, lifting me off the ground as she pulled me into a hug.
"Bonnie...can't...breath." I said horsely, the Tigress quickly placing me back down.
"Oh god, sorry Lance. It's just been so long and I got excited and-" I raised a paw to quiet her, the Tigress tilting her head in curiosity slightly.
"Bonnie, it's fine. Don't worry about it." I said with a smile, the Tigress nodding and sitting back down. I climbed up into the booth, Sivannah sitting down next to me. "So, how have you been?"
"Oh, I've been fine. Isaac, though..." She trailed off, obviously not wanting to say something bad about the male.
"And to think he used to be so nice." I remarked, contempt clear in my voice. We'd been friends for a few years, until he'd started acting like some stupid punk. "How mammals can change so drastically in so short a time."
"You really don't like him anymore, do you?" Sivannah asked from my right, her voice soft, like she was trying to seem polite but was inwardly upset by something.
"I don't like a lot of mammals. Punks like him are definitely high on the list of the kinds of mammals I hate the most." Sivannah's paws clenched visibly, her lip twitching as she let out a small growl.
"He's still my brother." She said, her tone carrying a noticeable edge. And a challenge. A challenge to say something else bad about him.
"And? I don't know if you forgot, Sivannah, but he slapped your mother for no reason. The Tigress that treated him like her own cub even when he wasn't, and he slapped her because she freaked out over him getting arrested for drug possession while still a minor. I got no respect for mammals like him." I said, Sivannah taking a deep breath as she stood.
"Lance, what is your problem?" She asked, making me blink.
"I'm...sorry?" I said, not quite understanding.
"What. Is. Your. Problem? You used to be so kind and caring, and now you sit there spewing off insults to my brother like it's nothing. So what's wrong?" I sighed, not wanting to answer her but knowing I had to.
"Alright. I changed, Sivannah. I grew up, and I realized the world didn't really care how I felt or what I thought was right. Do I wish I hadn't changed? Hell yes. I want nothing more than to go back to being a kit who knows nothing about how the world is. But the world gave me you. And Nick. And I am thankful for that." I said, Bonnie looking at me in confusion.
"Who's Nick?" She asked, evidently not having been informed by Sivannah I was Mated.
"He's my Mate. Nick Wilde." I answered, Bonnie blinking.
"I didn't realize you were...uh...you know." She said nervously, clearly trying to not offend me by saying the wrong thing.
"Neither did I, until I met him. First male I ever fell in love with, and so far he's perfect for me." I said, letting out a light chuckle. "Which reminds me, Sivannah. Something else I have an issue with." I said, turning to face the Tigress. She seemed to realize where I was going. "I'm Mated. But I still do love you. And being here when he's in the hospital feels like I'm going behind his back and I hate that feeling. I feel like I'm betraying him, but I don't understand why. I'm not doing anything that would be considered cheating, just going out to catch up with a friend. So why do I feel so dirty?" I said, Sivannah remaining silent.
"If you really feel that way, then why'd you come?" She asked after a moment,her voice carrying the hurt she felt at my words.
"Because I genuinely want to be your friend again, Sivannah. I miss being able to just talk with you like we did back then. I want to have what we once had, just not as your boyfriend." God, it hurt to say that. And I knew it would hurt Sivannah more, but I still said it. It had to be said.
"I shouldn't have even told you I still loved you." Sivannah said after a moment, turning and walking away. I just sighed and rested my head on the table.
"Ugh, why does this have to be so hard?" I said to nobody in particular, though I felt a paw rest on mine after a moment. I looked up to see Bonnie looking at me.
"You can't control how you feel, Lance. But, if I can say this without seeming rude or horribly speciest, would you be open to an open relationship?" I sighed at the question, knowing she was only trying to help.
"Foxes are the living definition of monogamy, Bonnie. Once we have a Mate, the only way we can do anything romantic with another mammal is if they're also a Soul Mate. And Sivannah isn't. Yes, I love her and I wish I could turn back time and just do everything better back then, but I'm happy with Nick. He loves me, respects me, and I know he would never willingly see somebody behind my back. It's a choice between being with somebody I trust with my life and somebody who I've missed almost ten years of change with. I don't know how much Sivannah's changed or if we could even get along anymore now. God, I wish there was a way out of this. Just something that would make it easier." I said, not sure where exactly I was going with what I was saying.
"You do what you will do, Lance. I'll try and make Sivannah understand." She said softly, moving to stand. I stopped her by grabbing her wrist.
"No. Just...let her think about it herself. She needs to be able to understand why I can't go back to her on her own." I said, the Tigress sighing.
"Very well. I hope Nick gets better." She said, gently but easily pulling her paw free and walking away. I whined.
Eventually I left, heading towards the hospital. I was technically going to be a few hours early, but I was fine with that. Hopefully Nick would know what to do, if he would even understand.
And that does it for Chapter 9 of Tooth and Claw! I had a bit of trouble with this Chapter, as evidenced by the fact it took so long to write, and I'm still not entirely happy with it, but I finally got it done and I just need a break for now from this series. I wrote a Oneshot set after the ending of this story as well as the final Chapter recently, and that final scene for the final Chapter was an emotional hell to write. The Oneshot was better, since it was happier in tone. That's all I'll spoil, but I am sorry if it's ruined the ending in some way. And I apologize if some of the things said and expressed by any of the Characters don't make sense, most especially Lance. I have trouble writing when I have no idea how to write about something specific, and his little rambles and occasionally saying something that had no bearing on what he was saying previously is because of that. Sorry for the decreased quality, I just need a short break from this series to focus on Zootopian Assassins and finishing Kinesis Chronicles. Anyway, this is getting long enough, I'll see you guys...next update. Word Count: 5,200