There was the Hopps compound, and the fond memories there made it all the harder to approach. Fortunately it was still o'dark thirty in the morning and only the first of those up for chores would be around. No kits to attack the Fluffy One. One of the Does caught sight of her coming up to the main house and hailed her.

"Hello, dear. Next to no one is up yet I'm afraid. You here for Jeremy, or is it business, some repair work?"

"Sort of neither, actually." Celeste struggled to keep a brave face. "I have a letter I'd like to get passed on to Riina, if that's possible?" And she held out an envelope, already a bit scrunched with her nervous handling.

"Ah. Sure. They're at her folk's place overnight now, kind of rotate between the two houses." She gave a knowing smirk.

Celeste smiled too, she could hardly imagine the level of passion the two had for each other, but was glad for them.

"You want to stay for breakfast, see if your sleepy head is getting up?"

The little Coyote frowned, "No. I can't do that. Got to get back, go to work."

The Rabbit only then realized that she had walked all the way out from the 'Burrow. "Can I give you a ride back into town, at least?"

"Thank you no. I need the walk."

Jenny didn't know canid behavior all that well, but even she could tell the slight thing that trudged away down the road was in miserable spirits and that oaf Brother of hers was likely responsible, at least in part. She rushed inside to roust him up and out.

Jeremy was on the cusp of awake when he was assaulted by one of his least favorite sisters. Though to be fair, any sister that woke him up even a minute before he was ready, raging at him for innumerable crimes against Glob and Mammal, was going to be on his least favorite list. Which had now one very prominent member.

Celeste was here and didn't want to see him was bad. She didn't come back to the booth after leaving with Riina and all the drama with that crazy nipped-up Doe afterwards had left him distracted for a good while. It wasn't until nearly closing that she was missed. Initially, he had simply figured she had had enough of the fair and had called it a night, as she had a workday ahead of her.

Then he recalled Bailey's warning and his own slight attentions to Celeste earlier. This could be very bad.

He got himself together and out the door and into one of the trucks in record time. And there she was, tail and ears very down, trudging down the side of the road. He pulled up beside her, "Use a lift?"

Celeste stopped and looked over to the anxious bunny. Trying to be politely neutral, "Thank you, but no."

"Celeste, please! I'm worried about you!"

At that, the coyote's paws balled into fists and she hunched her shoulders in frustrated anger and despair. "That's not what was suppose to happen!" She came over and gripped the window edge of the truck's door, "This was suppose to be a fun little thing!" Her claws audibly grated on the steel, "A sweet summer and some fond memories. We shouldn't be 'worrying' about each other. I shouldn't be so needy, making demands of you." She tried to stifle a sob.

She backed away from the truck, "You've only got a few days before you go back to school, and the last thing you need is my distraction." She began to walk back to town, "And I've got to get back to work." She took a few steps more then turned back to Jeremy, "And you take care of yourself! Please! Don't worry about me. I'll get by."

Jeremy sat there in the truck for long minutes. The summer there with family, the anticipation of the festival, and the sweet distraction of the little Coyote, had let him forget that the 'harmless fling' was suppose to be wrapping up about now. A part of him wished he could go off into a romantic fantasy that would sweep her off her feet, dry her tears, and fill her life with all the joys her circumstance had deprived her of all these years.

But how? Quixotic scenarios came and went, defer the year of med school, give up med school all together, take her with him in several variations. But while some bordered on not totally impossible, there was also the realization that she would likely see any of those as unreasonable sacrifices on his part for her. Her terrible self-image, her lack of self-worth, would undercut any gesture he might make. A tiny nasty bit in him even thought that he'd just dodged a bullet by loosing the basket case.

And how devoted was he to her? Really?

She was really fun to be with. And despite her self-doubts and lack of formal education, she was as intelligent as any mammal he'd ever met. Her eclectic reading habits alone were a wonder, and her little discussions on historic or literary esoterica were fascinating. Especially as he, like his older sister Judy, had been too focused on his career choice and had never afforded himself to read unrelated subjects simply for entertainment or curiosity.

Then there were the more intimate aspects. They had been oh so tender and considerate of each other, be it just a comforting hug or in the most intense moments of lovemaking. And in that he preferred the euphemism, as it was never simply a mock procreative act, but a physical gesture of shared pleasure and comfort.

And in that final thought, he asked himself if he really did love her? They were obviously very much not 'mated', not like Bailey and Riina, or the less biological yet still intense variations that others might share. But could he really call what they have shared so far 'love', and was he willing to give it up, end it? He had to admit that he wasn't brave or clear-headed enough to answer that question at the moment, especially now, as miserable as he felt in body and spirit.

Chasing after her sounded good if this was some kind of romantic movie, but he knew her well enough that it would only make her more miserable and strengthen her resolve to stay disengaged. Maybe in a day or so, things might calm down a bit and, hopefully, he'd have some better answers for the both of them.

Jenny saw the dejected young buck slump back in the house, dismayed that he was back so soon. "What happened?"

"She didn't want a lift back to town." Was all he was willing to say for the moment.

He went to the kitchen to snag a bite, perhaps that would alleviate the knot in his gut. Predictably, his Mother caught sight of him and was quick to recognize something was very wrong. She signaled for him to go outside and take a walk with her.

"Is it Celeste?"

He could only nod his head. Bonny's heart ached for her Son. Though he was nearly a head taller and more robust that his Father, she still could not help but think of him as one of her little kits, especially with his face twisted in pain. "What can you tell me?"

"It wasn't supposed to go like this. Just friendly, casual, a little summer distraction."

"Oh. And now you have deeper feelings for her. Your Father and I were afraid of something like that. That you'd find yourself in just this position, having to make these hard decisions."

"But I really don't know what to do. She doesn't want me to sacrifice my future for her, but how much of that is just her lack of self-worth talking? And I don't want to drag her through a long waiting game with the rest of my med school then internship and all. I wouldn't be there for her in more ways than one."

Another thought came to mind as well, and he frowned at it. "And we're still young enough that things could change between us. I know that love is suppose to make everything right between a couple, but I've seen some whirl-wind romances turn into hate-ons and worse, even for some fully mated right now, she's really upset and I can't really talk to her."

"Well, you still have a few days before you have to go back, so you ought to have a chance in a day or so?"

Bonny considered a moment,then,"Could you give her up?"

"I don't want to. But she might have already decided to end it. But I could tell she really doesn't want to either."

The Mother hugged her Son and they headed back to the house where Jenny waited.

"You're not out of trouble yet, little Brother." As she held up an envelope, "This is what she came to deliver, a note to Riina."

Jeremy walked over to the Kettu home, the time and effort allowed him to clear his head a bit more. He knocked on the front door, not sure where anyone would be, but there was Mrs. Kettu to answer.

"Ah, Jeremy Hopps. How may I help you?"

"I have this letter for Riina. It's from my girlfriend, Celeste, the Coyote. I think they had some friction at the festival, entirely separate from the scene with that crazy rabbit girl."

"Oh, she didn't mention that. The incident with the girl was quite enough."

"Yeah, I think she was on nip at the time. I was there for that and it was kind of awful."

"But this friction, what might it be?"

"Part of it might be that Celeste has some self-image insecurities. She and I don't have the same level of relationship as Your Riina and Bailey and that has depressed her." Jeremy rubbed his head, "I suspect, given her state this morning, that the letter might be an apology or some such. But I really don't know."

The Vixen made a small sad face. Her Daughter was having a rather mixed time fitting into local society and this was yet another complication. "Thank you for you time, and I hope this will help."

Me too.