Not a Bad Kid
He was supposed to be home an hour ago… Calm down… He's okay… He has to be…
Oh he just has to be…
"Nicholas!" She called looking around the streets. It was late, there was some shifty looking folks walking around Zootopia now.. But no sign of her little boy.
Carrie Wilde growled under her breath hurrying along to where he was supposed to be.
It was his first meeting as a Junior Ranger Scout. She reasoned to herself that he just lost track of time. That he was fitting in just fine.
Her foot slipped on something as she hurried up to the building slipping as she slammed into the stairwell beside it. "Ow!" Carrie looked down to see what she had slipped on eyes widening… A muzzle… A muzzle too small for any grown predator…
… What kind of troop are they running here? She picked it up with the tips of her fingers before looking around. If Nick had been threatened… He wouldn't just stay and wait…
She sniffed the air, closing her eyes for a moment..
Hippo, zebra, bunny, lion, sheep…
Fox.
My fox who still smells like the blueberry syrup he got on his fur this morning…
Carrie broke into a sprint, her ears picking up at the sound of crying… As her heart broke at the sight.
Her little boy sitting alone on a swing, sobbing into his paws. She could see tears in his uniform… And how badly he was shaking. She looked at the muzzle in her hand before shoving it into her purse. She'd leave that with the police later…
"Nicky?" She called quietly.
His ears pricked up as he looked in her direction eyes as wide as saucers before shame crossed his face.
"M-Mom, I'm sorry… I-"
Carrie hurried to him kneeling to his level. "Don't. Are you okay?"
"... I'm a fox… Why would anyone care if I was okay?" He closed his eyes trying not to let another cry out. Carrie felt a flare of rage go through her… Whoever hurt her boy would pay dearly for this later. She held her arms out as he fell off his perch and into them. She held him close as he hid his face a little.
"I care… I care so much if you're okay… Oh Nicky…"
Nick held onto her tightly taking a few shaky breaths. He looked up at her before pressing his nose to her's gently.
"I'm okay, Mom…"
Carrie kissed his head before she let him go, offering her paw to him. He took it as they started the walk home.
"... Am I a bad kid?"
"Never… And Nicholas?"
Nick swallowed hard at the tone Carrie's voice took. She only sounded the way she did when she was REALLY angry.
"Y-Yeah Mom?"
"I'm going to have a talk with whoever's running the community center…"
Nick lowered his head.
"The scoutmaster wasn't there yet… It was just me and the guys… Y'know… My 'friends'.. They're the ones who did it Mom..." He was humiliated, hurt… He just wanted to go home already.
Carrie frowned bringing her arm around her son keeping him close as they walked.
"I'm going to call their mothers as soon as we get home then." She narrowed her eyes. "No one hurts my boy and gets away with it."
Nick just nodded closing his eyes.
Only Mom can be trusted… If the world only wants to see me as a bad kid...
As a sly fox who no one can trust and won't trust anyone else… Then I'll be just that…