Prologue: Allowed To Be Happy

"...It was simple. The job was to take her to the fireflies and walk away. They thought she was the key to developing a cure, and Judy was just there to accompany her to her destiny. Clem wanted her immunity to mean something. Maybe I was starting to buy into the whole cure business. Or maybe I just wanted to do right by her. We went through a tunnel filled with infected, and both Judy and Clem almost drowned. The firefly military got there, and they hit Danny and me, leaving us unconscious as well. When we woke up, Bellwether was there. We had finally found the Fireflies. She said Clementine was getting prepped for surgery, just like that. They were gonna make a cure. The only catch? She wouldn't survive."

As Nick said this, he kept on cleaning the dusty guitar he and Guideon had luckily found at an abandoned guitar shop. It was the last one in the whole store, and was completely harmless, despite it being very dirty. It had a design of a moth at its neck. Guideon sat in front of Nick, quietly listening to the story his brother was telling.

"You go halfway across the country with someone…it ain't easy to just…let go," Nick kept dusting the guitar, harder and harder, even when dirt was no longer there. Gid could tell it was hard for Nick to let this story out.

"So what happened next?" he pushed. Nick stopped dusting the guitar and gave him a hard look, one that would freeze up any mammal's skin and fur.

The piles of bodies he left behind were numerous. He was now in front of the door to the operating room. He slammed the door off its hinges with no remorse, and there they were. The sick doctors. They were going to operate on an innocent girl who didn't know what was going on. It was absolutely unforgivable.

"Wait!" One of the doctors, a sheep, probably the head surgeon, took a scalpel and pointed it at him threateningly. At least he'd be brave before he died. "This is the key to a vaccine! Millions of children will be saved after this one sacrifice! Believe me, this is hard for me too, but this is not the way! It's what she would've wanted."

The nerve of this doctor. How could he know it's what she would've wanted? They were never gonna ask for her opinion on the matter. Nick, without remorse or fear, walked in front of the doctor and swiftly pushed the scalpel he had in his hand directly onto his neck, a line of blood already running down his surgeon clothes while he struggled to try to close the wound. Everyone else looked horrified, but he just took Clem and Judy and ran. He ran as far and as fast as he could. He would not lose them. He cannot lose them! He'll never lose anyone ever again.

"I did what I had to do. I got them out. Even Danny sacrificed himself for me to do it. I told Judy and Clem that there was no cure. That her immunity meant nothing."

"Wait!" said Bellwether, bleeding profusely on the floor where Nick had left her. When he put them both safely in the car, he looked back at her, his revolver already pointing at her head.

"Let me go. Please."

Nick did think about it. He hesitated for a moment, and didn't know what to do. But ultimately…

"You would just come for them." With this, he shot her in the head, and Bellwether was no more.

After his story was done, Gideon let out a huge breath, like he was holding it for hours. The story Nick had just told him was almost impossible to believe if it wasn't for the fact that Nick was dead serious while telling it. He truly felt horrible for everything that had happened to him.

"Jesus H. Christ, Nick. I mean, that's one hell of a burden to keep to yourself."

"Why did you think I told you?" With that statement, the guitar was dusted, now clean enough to play comfortably. He promised Clementine he'd teach her how to play guitar, and that's exactly what he was going to do.

"You have this secret safe with me. You know that. I'll take it to the grave if I have to."

"Thank you, Gid," Nick smiled warmly.

"God forbid they ever find out the truth," he said fearfully.

"I'll accept whatever comes my way if that time ever comes," the other fox said, determined. Gideon nodded.

"Alright, let's go. It's getting late." He rose from his seat and grabbed his bag, ready to go out. Nick sat there for a moment, still thinking about what his two girls would do if they ever found out. He decided not to dwell on it at all and to just enjoy the time he had with them, now having found safe shelter in Jackson. Their life together will surely make Nick a very happy fox. The happiest fox he'd ever been. All of this mess that he carried on his mind would be worth it in the end. He rose from his seat and joined his brother, the guitar now proudly strapped to his back. He'd be elated to see Clem's reaction to the guitar. He really hopes she'll like it. Judy also signed up for his classes, eager to learn as well.

When he goes out of the door to the store, the still fresh corpses of the savage animals he and Gideon shot were still there, their heads blown clean off thanks to his shotgun and Gideon's sniper rifle. Gideon noticed him staring.

"More will come. Let's hurry back."

Nick nodded silently, and they both got on their ostriches, riding off into the town. The resting sun illuminated the wheat field they were riding in quite beautifully. He wishes Clem and Judy were here to see it. He extends his hand and touches some of the passing wheat branches, enjoying the feel of them on his paws. After spending years gripping a gun, the feel of the simplest things on his paws gave him great comfort. They weren't just used for violence, but for gentleness as well, something he was missing for over five years. Gideon looked at him weirdly but decided not to comment.

"Hey Gid. What do you think about…Judy and me?" Nick asked abruptly, catching Gideon off guard. He smiled, knowing exactly what he was talking about.

"If Cassie could see you, she'd be cursing you for eternity for choosing a rabbit as your partner, hehe." Nick laughed at that statement. "But, I don't mind, if that's what you're thinking. About time you found yourself someone else. Everyone deserves to be happy. More so now that we're living in this fucked-up world." Nick smiled gratefully once again.

"I feel like I'm repeating myself a lot today, but thanks, Gid."

"Anytime, ya ol' softie," he teased.

Thankfully to them, the rest of the way back to Bunnyburrow went smoothly, no savages or bad mammals of any kind went through their path, and quickly enough they reached the mighty gates of their fort. The one place that had over two-hundred families and counting, probably one of the only gated communities that has been able to work out. With a fifty-foot long wooden wall all around, as well as posted guards 24 hours a day, it was a well-protected town. Receiving them at the gate were none other than Vicky, Gideon's wife, and Judy, Nick's now-girlfriend. The only bunny that was able to tame his wild fox self. She was sporting a heavy duty SWAT suit since she was one of the mammals patrolling the entrance at this time. An assault rifle was resting on her paws, her finger off the trigger and with the safety on. Ever since they got back to Jackson, Judy was ready to serve and protect the town, like her old dream of becoming a police officer. He guesses this is the closest thing she will ever get to it.

"Hey Slick," she greets him, giving a quick peck on the snout. "How was your little excursion? Found what you were looking for?"

"Oh you wouldn't believe it if I didn't show you, Carrots." He gets his guitar out of his back and shows Judy, her eyes gleaming with joy.

"Oh my god, Nick. Clementine is going to love this!" She hugs him tightly.

"I know. I'm excited to start teaching her."

"Just don't be too harsh, I know how you can be sometimes," she says jokingly.

"Carrots, I would never be impatient with her. Besides, she's a fast learner. I'm sure she'll pick it up really fast. Kiddo's got a knack for that." Judy nods in agreement.

"She better take care of it though," Gideon said, "Not sure we will ever find a guitar as high quality as that. Not for a long time at least." He was right. Any kind of quality instruments were in complete scarcity, partly due to how easy to break they were in an apocalypse of this magnitude.

"Clem is good with her stuff. She'll take extra care of it. Say, Fluff, are you excited about your guitar lessons? It'll definitely give you more of a personality. Just think about it like this: protector of the city at night, romantic guitarist in the day." Judy gave him a playful punch to his shoulder.

"Do the lessons come for free?" she asked, smiling.

"Well, the fee is about three kisses per hour, but we can negotiate the pay later."

"Oh gosh, get a room, you two," said Guideon. The four mammals laughed wholeheartedly.

"Alright, Judy, I better get going. See ya in the morning?" Judy nodded, and gave him a kiss on the lips this time.

"Think of that as advance payment for the lessons," Nick could only look at her dreamily. He was hopeless. "Make sure to sing something for me as well, got it?"

"Of course. Does Take On Me sound good?"

"Yes. yes it does."

With that, Gideon and Nick left to their respective houses in the town. Gideon had saved two special living arrangements for the trio. Clem would get her own house, and Judy and Nick would get a shared one with a guest room in case Clem wanted to hang out with them. The only problem was there was a bit of distance between houses, but nothing major.

Finally at Clementine's door he knocked, but after about a minute he never received a response, and saw that it seemed unlocked. Sure enough, he managed to open the door.

"Clem?" She was on her desk on the far side of the living room, drawing in her notebook and listening to music. Now it made sense why she couldn't hear him.

He carefully made his way to where she was, smiling to himself at what he was about to do. With his right leg, he pushed her chair slightly, letting out a short scream from her mouth. "Aah" she looked at him in disbelief.

"Hi," Nick said, smugly.

"You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Oh come on, you're exaggerating"

She got up from her chair and took off her headphones, now looking straight at him and leaning against the desk. An awkward aura that they couldn't describe surrounded them.

"So…what's up, Nick?"

"Just checking in, kiddo." She nods. "You know, I've been hearing how you've been helping out a lot around the town, and how everybody really appreciates the hard work you've been putting in. I'm proud, myself." Nick smiles, but the tense atmosphere lingers. Clementine still wasn't sure of what to say.

"When I went out with Gideon today he told me a joke that I was sure you'd love. It was…uhm…crap…i think I forgot it…Something about a camel….?"

"Nick, look," she interrupted. "It's a bit late, and I gotta get up in a few hours, so…"

"Right. Right, I won't keep you much longer. Just gotta show you something real quick and then I'll be outta your fur, I promise," before she could protest he went back to her door and got something that seemed to be leaning on one of the sides.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Well, some folks around these parts call this a gee-tar," Nick joked.

"Funny."

"I…I could play you something right now, if ya like. It'll be quick I promise," Nick wanted her so much to say yes.

"Sure," she said, smiling.

"Alright. Promise you won't laugh?"

"I won't laugh. I could never," she smiled again, warming Nick's heart again.

"Alright. Keep your promise, kiddo."

With this, he began. He started small, remembering the notes of his favorite song, and the song that exemplified everything that Clementine and Judy meant to him, and what he would do if he were to lose them. To Clem's amazement, he began to sing.

If I ever were to lose you, I'd surely lose myself

Nick's voice was rough, and definitely not the best singing voice ever created, but the meaning behind the song was enough to him.

Everything I have found dear, I've not found by myself

Clem was listening intently, smiling. She loved that he was doing this for her. To cheer her up. But the pain of her heart still remained.

-Try and sometimes you'll succeed, to make this man of me

-All my stolen, missing parts, I've no need for anymore

He was doing it. He was pouring his heart out in song when he couldn't let it out with his own words. She was seeing what he truly felt.

I believe

And I believe 'cause you can see

Our future days

Days of you and mee

With this, he was done. Clem let out a small tear but wiped it before he could notice.

"That…did not suck," she said, grinning, enjoying teasing her surrogate father.

"I'll take what I can get."

Nick got up and proceeded to offer her the guitar.

"Here. This is yours."

"No no no no, I don't know the first thing about this!"

"I promised I'd teach you, didn't I?" he asked her. She sighed in defeat.

"You did." She finally grabbed the guitar, which was a perfect size for her.

"What do ya say? First lesson tomorrow night?" She nodded at him, and then her eyes traveled back to the guitar.

"Alright then. Good night kiddo." With this, he was about to leave her and go to his desired bed. It had been a long day today.

"Wait," Clementine said abruptly. He stopped and stared back at her. "Did you remember the joke?"

Nick smiled and then nodded. "What do you call a three-humped camel?" Clem shrugged in response, waiting for Nick's answer. "Pregnant."

She gave a quick but cute laugh. "That was dumb." She smiled at him and he smiled back.

"Night, Nick. Tell Judy good night as well."

"Will do, Clementine. Rest up." With this, Nick left feeling absolutely proud of himself and happy. He couldn't wait to tell Judy what happened.

Back at the cabin, Clem looked curiously at the guitar, admiring how beautiful it looked, and with the pinkie finger of her right hand, she touched one of the strings, smiling for what the future might hold for the three of them. Still, the lingering thoughts of Nick's lie lay in her mind, and she would be determined to find out what he was hiding.

4 years later

The Otter trekked the dangerous trip carefully. It had been a few months since she had traversed through this place after her desertion. She and her sister had run away from their mother. Her identity as a person was no longer accepted within their community.

As a seraphite, Sam only wanted to serve the Maid, and obey her promise forever. She felt like a failure for feeling the way she felt, but there was no way to change it, and she is extremely grateful for her sister for being there for her through everything. Thanks to Sam, though, she had lost everything, even an arm. She didn't want her sister to suffer anymore, which is why she was making this trip alone.

The seraphite island never looked so unwelcome for the young otter. When she was a baby, everything was so precious and inviting. The trees were big and strong, their bark all they needed for their houses and tools. Their rivers and coasts were also the ultimate source of food, serving a seemingly unlimited amount of fish for them to feast. It was all a gift from the Maid. This island gave them all they needed. They would reject the tools of the old world and embrace the new world they had been given. That was what she thought, before everything went to hell.

She heard a sudden noise from behind her back and quickly unsheathed an arrow from the quiver at her back, pointing it at the noise with her bow. Thankfully, it was just a small marigold. With the noise that she made, it flew away almost instantly. She breathed again, calming herself. She had been on edge ever since she got on this island. Her future encounter with her mother was not going to be pretty, but she wanted to convince her that they could still be a family, mom, Yara, and her.

While shaving her whiskers made her feel liberating, it also elicited a strong emotion from the community. A male otter must not shave his whiskers, they always said. This is because the males hunted in the sea with the help of their whiskers while females didn't need them because their duty was to hunt in the ground and raise children. From a very early age, Sam never felt like a sea hunter, preferring the more delicate activities she would do with her sister. Punishment for disobeying such customs was nothing less than execution. She loved her new self, but she couldn't help but love her mother as well. He wanted to see her, to make her understand. That she was still her sweet baby Sam and that nothing could ever change that. A true mother would understand. She feels like The Maid would understand that as well.

After heading deeper into the wooden jungle, the hut she used to reside in finally showed its face. It was big, and it had a triangular design like all their other wooden houses. The fire was lit, which indicated there was someone already inside. A drop of water fell suddenly and slid through her cheek like a tear. When she looked up, she saw that many more droplets were falling. The storm was starting.

Bow and arrow in hand, she took a deep breath and went inside the hut. It didn't take long to finally see her mother. It was an otter, just like her, although taller. Her back was to the wall, kneeling in front of a painting of the Maid. The painting showed a vixen of old age, with one of her paws raised in the air with many other animals behind her. The phrase "Feel her Love" was imprinted in black paint. Her mother was praying to the Maid. She didn't know what she was praying for, but she probably prayed for her own survival, and the survival of everyone on the island. The incoming war would be the deadliest in the history of their island. The Wolves would be absolutely relentless and she knew it.

"Come back to kill me, my son?" she said, still looking at the painting.

"I am your daughter now, mother. Please understand."

"No. You are not my daughter!" She looks back, her eyes seeped in rage. "You were supposed to marry Lyria, the most beautiful girl in the entire island. You were supposed to bring pride to your family!"

"I can still do that! I can do all that you wish of me, but not as a man!"

"I only have one daughter, Samuel! That daughter is Yara! If you don't understand that, I will call the chief and arrange for your execution. The same goes for Yara, that little bitch. She has tainted my name even more. Do you know what they call me now?" She was now standing, looking straight at Sam. After every word she said, she got closer and closer to her. Her tears were visible, and so were Sam's.

"Samantha. My name is Samantha!"

To this, her mother became irate and swiftly swiped at Sam's cheek, drawing blood. Her claws were not as sharp, so the cut hurt even more.

"You will obey your mother, and abandon this path you have chosen. You will listen to me!" Her face softened, and got on Sam's eye level. She grabbed both her cheeks, wiping the blood off her damaged cheek.

"My love, there are things in this world that we just can't have. I've wanted many things from my life, even before the Maid came into our lives. The fact of the matter is, we aren't all allowed to be happy. It's a myth. It's impossible. When one person is happy, the other is sad. What matters is that we can also share the unhappiness we feel. Your condition is wrong, and it has to be corrected. I will be with you every step of the way. I promise."

The hug that her mother gave her didn't feel like anything. It wasn't warm or comforting. It was like a thousand arrows were piercing her in the heart. She got her much-needed answer. Her mother would never accept her.

"No. You're wrong. I am going to be happy." She pushed her away very unkindly. "And you will not prevent me from doing that!"

"The Maid has not reached your heart, Samuel!" she pointed at the painting. "You must feel her love!"

"The only love I can't feel is yours," Sam said coldly. "I'm leaving. I should have never come back here."

"As you wish," her mother said, taking a few steps back. Sam didn't feel sad for leaving her mother anymore. She was satisfied. But leaving the hut would prove more difficult than that. "But you'll have to earn your freedom."

She then ran towards the machete that was at her side in the altar and quickly ran towards Sam, intending to stab her with full force. She tried to send an arrow her way to no avail, as she was already in her proximity, slapping the bow away with her left hand and going for the stab with the right. Sam quickly evaded the stab and kicked her in one of her knees, sending her to the floor.

What she didn't intend to do, however, was make the machete go straight into her mother's trachea as she fell. Right away she began choking on her own blood as she tried pulling out the machete. It was the most blood she had ever seen get out of an animal. Sam was frozen on the spot, having taken a few steps back until finally stopping at one of the hut's walls and sliding on it slowly, sitting down with her knees covering her mouth. Despite the carnage, she could not look away as her mother, slowly dying, also looked into her eyes.

"The world…gaaahh…not in baaaghlance," her mother tried to say. Sam immediately recognized it as the beginning of the Maid's prayer, the one she has created for all her followers to pray to. She realized she didn't have time for the entire prayer, so she decided to say the last line.

"May youghhhaa guide me…" Even then, she couldn't finish it. Her body grew limp, and she struggled no longer. Her dying words were not to her daughters, but to the cause. Even in death, she didn't think of Sam or Yara.

She didn't know what to do anymore, so she just let her tears flow. The ones she tried so hard to keep inside. The monster that was her mother was finally gone, so why did she still feel so shitty? Why did she have to keep loving her mother? She would never come to know that answer, or try to even ponder it, as she finally saw the ones tracking her down go into the hut. Her sister and their new vixen companion had come to get her.

The war between the Wolves and the Seraphites was about to begin.

Somewhere in the Outskirts of Wyoming

"Are you sure it's this way?" said a young wolf, aggravating the one leading them towards their destination.

"Yes, Manny, I'm sure, now shut the fuck up, please," said the leader, a young fox wearing an entirely black thermal outfit. They might have fur, but the cold of Wyoming didn't forgive anyone.

"Hey I didn't mean no offense, hermano. I'm just tired as fuck."

"Get in line," said a female fox, also wearing black clothing for the cold. "I'm tired too and you don't see me complaining."

"That's 'cause you're super jacked, Abby. You got double the muscle on those arms of yours."

"The better to kill you with," she joked, referencing the famous Big Bad Wolf.

"Hija de puta," he muttered.

"Hey, I heard you, pendejo! Yeah, I know some Spanish!"

"Alright stop it you two," said another female fox. She directed her sight towards the wolf. "Owen knows what he's doing, Manny. Trust him like we always have."

"Thanks, Mel," said Abby. "That asshole never knows when to shut up."

"You too, Abby. Remember, you're the reason why we're here," she looked at Abby with cold eyes. Owen looked back at Mel in concern, not going unnoticed to Abby. She decided not to bring it up.

"Relax, we're just buddies. Right, Manny?"

"Just get me out of this cold, please," he said, this time with a pleading look.

"We'll get there when we get there, Manny," said Owen.

The road from the WLF camp in Seaotter to Wyoming was not easy. It had been about 2 weeks of travel and they were finally reaching their stopping point. Abby hopes the tip she received was true, because she would see red if she didn't finally find what she was looking for. She was lucky enough to get permission from Isaac to get here, so she doesn't want any of this to go to waste.

They were a group of eight strong, all looking for something in particular. Three of them were foxes, consisting of Abby, Mel, and Owen, long-time friends since they were kids. Two of them were wolves, Manny and Leah. They didn't know each other much, but Abby considered them closest friends. Manny was a bit of a casanova, but his tricks never worked on her. Leah might have hooked up with him, but she didn't really care to find out. The only prey in the group, Jordan, was a black-furred European hare. Abby and him used to be big troublemakers back in their respective QZ. The last two were both arctic foxes, named Nora and Rick, which was their saving grace on this harsh winter due to it being their natural environment, something Abby felt very envious about, but there was nothing she could do about it. Just like her, they all had lost something very important five years ago, and hopefully with this trip, some of their sanity might be given back to them.

The terrain was so rough that they had to ditch their ostriches, something Leah wasn't too happy about, since her ostrich had been given to her as a gift from her girlfriend. Abby told her that it was either that or they eat it. She didn't complain after that.

The forest was eerily quiet, which probably meant all the birds were also hiding from the snow, which meant no food for them. Their rations were about three weeks' worth, so they needed to find some more as soon as possible or their mission would be cut short.

Abby didn't know when Owen started being a confident leader. Back when they dated, he was always more comfortable at the back of a line than in front of it. She ponders if Mel had something to do with it, what with her being such a dominatrix in everything. She could have commanded him to act more alpha. A wave of jealousy crashed through her, but she knew such feelings were wrong. Owen moved on from her, so she had to do that as well.

If you told Abby five years ago that she'd become one of the WLF's most notorious fighters, she'd tell them to go fuck off. She was never one to kill someone unless it was really necessary to, but after…the incident, all she could think about was ripping out hearts the same way they had ripped out hers. All of her relationships suffered for it, including her and Owen, but a big part of her still doesn't care, her face darkened with despair and hate. Some of her friends helped her forget, but it was temporary. In the calm of the night, while she slept, the vivid nightmares always came back, and they were all the same. The same long hallway. The same blood-red firefly sign, and after that door, was…

"Abby?" Owen snapped her out of her thoughts. She had spaced out so much she was walking side by side with him.

"Sorry. Lost in my thoughts again."

"It'll all be over soon," he assured her. "We'll leave all this shit behind and start from zero."

"I hope so." She hardly ever thought of the future. She only had one goal in mind; everything else can wait.

A green sign came into their view as they climbed down a hill, covered by snow. Owen got his knife from his backpack and scraped the snow to read what it said.

"Jackson County, 5 miles. We're close," he said, putting his knife away.

"Ugh, five more miles?" Manny complained. "That's like 5 more hours walking in this shitty snow."

"Jeez, can you stop complaining already?" asked Leah. "You're really getting on my nerves."

"You can say that again," added Nora.

"I don't need you guys to say anything because this snow is like nothing to you guys! I'm freezing my balls off!"

"Not much to see there, I'm afraid," said Abby as everyone chuckled. Manny looked the other way, annoyed, until his eyes widened at something he saw. He quickly took off without telling anyone.

"Hey, where you goin'? You're not embarrassed are you?" Abby said, following the eager wolf, who seemed to have much higher spirits. It was only then that Abby saw what was getting him so motivated that she picked up the speed just like him.

"Hey, Abby!" Owen said and ran off to join them, the whole group now following.

They had to get up another hill, which got their legs tired in a few seconds, but when they got there, they became amazed at what awaited them. It was a cabin, big enough to hold all of them. Manny didn't waste any time and swiftly opened the door, feeling right away the change in temperature of his fur. He saw a fireplace with wood already in it and muttered something under his breath that Abby didn't get to hear, probably thanking god for giving him this gift. With a lighter that he had, he turned on the fireplace and sighed in satisfaction.

"This is pure bliss."

Owen and the others joined him and Abby.

"What were you thinking, running off like that? What if there were savages in this house?" Owen screamed, furious.

"I'd handle it. But as you can see, there is nobody here so we got ourselves a humble abode. C'mon, let's just rest here for the night!"

"No way. Get your sorry butt out of that fireplace and let's go." Since Manny wasn't obeying him, he decided to get him out forcefully, until Abby got in between both of them.

"Owen. Manny's kinda right. It's been a long day. The best we can do is rest now and be ready for what comes tomorrow." Everyone looked at her in surprise. It had been her idea to go as fast as possible and to rest only occasionally, so seeing her compassionate now was very out of character.

"Are you sure?" Owen asked in disbelief.

"Yes. Our target doesn't expect anyone to visit him, so we have time to plan out what we're gonna do once we get to him." Mel was also looking straight at Abby, unable to comprehend why she was acting more calm now. Could she be afraid of what she wants to do? Is she getting cold feet? Only those things were in her mind.

"For once, I agree with Abby," said Manny, already seemingly dozing off.

"Of course you would," mentioned Rick. Manny just ignored him. Owen stayed quiet, pondering what they should do.

"Fine. We'll stay here."

"Yes!" Manny screamed excitedly.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with them setting up their gear and their sleeping mats. Mel got ready to cook something, since it was her turn. They were able to capture a few hawks along their journey that day, which gave them a reasonable amount for all of them to eat.

The cabin was surprisingly spacious, definitely belonging to a wealthy mammal years past. Abby found herself a nice spot beside the fireplace to rest snuggly that night. The house had a beautiful glass pane that let in the blueish tint of the snow-filled mountains. It also had a spacious attic and a basement. She was right in telling Owen to rest here, it was the perfect spot. She had been feeling tired herself, and getting closer and closer to her destination made her feel even more uneasy, her memories coming back in waves and relentlessly staying within the reaches of her mind, where she could easily relive them. It was painful, and she needed to calm herself before she overtook the task she set out to do.

Mel gave her the food and left, just quickly placing it by her feet. She took it and they all ate silently, the vixen beside Owen. For some reason, she had become increasingly close to him. Yes, they were dating, but Mel was never as clingy as Owen. Something was going on there.

"So, do we know where to look?" Nora asked in between bites. Abby was chewing on some meat, swallowed, and then responded.

"My tip only said he's somewhere in this area, I'm not too sure. Best we can do is search every nook and cranny of Jackson and see what information we get from that."

"I hope we don't have to look too far," said Jordan, also eating a hawk but looking disgusted by it. "We're already very far from Seaotter, the trip back could be a nightmare."

"We'll worry about that once we're done. We already got here a week earlier than anticipated, so we might as well take our time looking."

"Hmph," said Mel.

"Got something to say, Mel?" Abby asked. She only crossed her paws, not looking at Abby.

"Are you sure this is the right thing to do?" asked Mel. "I mean, what if this brings more trouble than it's worth?"

"He's the one who should've asked himself that. This world may be lawless, but justice needs to be served, one way or the other."

"Justice. Right," Mel said, sarcastically.

"You agreed to join us, Mel," said Nora. "If you had any problems with this you should've…"

"I'm only here to prevent Owen from dying!" She interrupted. "That day was hard for everyone. I lost people too. But I managed to grow past that and have a new life with the WLF. I feel like that is more worth it than a manhunt." Despite it all, Mel never stopped looking at Abby with contempt.

"Mel, you don't have to agree with me," Abby started. "But you can't stop me, or convince me that what I'm doing is wrong. That thing took everything from me. Every semblance of a future was gone when that happened. So you can go back to your goody two shoes way of living and let me be. It's not you who'll get her hands dirty."

No one, not even Owen, knew how to react to that. Mel looked just as stunned, now with more tears coming out of her eyes.

"I'm going to sleep somewhere else tonight," she grabbed her sleeping mat and hurried off to the living room.

"Mel, wait!" said Owen, following her.

Part of Abby felt sad about what she said to Mel, but hearing her talk about how good she was feeling pissed her off. Not everyone got to feel as happy as her, and she needed to understand that. Abby's pain was incomprehensible to most people, even Owen. She wishes more of them understood just how hurt she truly is, and how much better she would feel once the person responsible for it is six feet under.

Mel and Owen never came back. They might have stayed sleeping in the living room, Owen probably not being able to convince her to come back. It was now midnight, but she didn't want to sleep. Waiting for them was her excuse, but it didn't seem like it would take, so she resigned herself and got on her sleeping mat. As soon as her eyes were shut, the cursed hallway became alive, a ghostly shape in her presence. She wasn't moving, but the hallway was moving for her, getting closer and closer, enough for her to see the blood-red firefly figure. She didn't want to go inside the door. She never wanted to go inside that damn door. She didn't she didn't she didn't she didn't.

With that, the night passed, leading to a new day. Unbeknownst to Abby and her crew, they were closer than they thought to their destination. As the sun gave way to the start of the morning, so did the town a few miles into Jackson. A young fox got up early to inspect the area and looked into the horizon, and then he saw it. Owen had found Bunnyburrow, and he would tell Abby as soon as she woke up.