"Nate will be fine 'livi, I promise."

We were en-route to some hospital that Logan said only a few Guardians, including Lazlo, knew about. It was supposed to be safe, secure, and most importantly, hidden from any initial aggression by Defender King and his renegades. I didn't even know how far away it was, nor how long I was in this aircraft. So many things were going through my mind that were distracting me from it.

"Aren't you scared Holly?"

"Yes, we are." She and Mark had been huddled close together, and close to me, since we boarded the Tac-Lifter. "The Guardians have been our friends ever since shortly after we left our Burrow. While we don't know all of them, The ones we do have been so very helpful to us, and to many of the helpless wastelanders simply trying to make ends meet. But we're also concerned for Nate. The Guardian base had some of the most advanced medical technology around here. This whole thing scares us."

"I know he'll be fine, but what if this place doesn't have what Tuskgen needs to attach his arm, what if it doesn't have proper equipment to make sure he's kept alive, what if someone attacks the medical transport, what if they get lost, what if…"

I felt Holly's paw grab my shoulder, forcing me to turn to her. "I know you're worried 'livi, but you can't go on thinking that way. We know how you get when your mind isn't in the right place, and we don't like seeing you there. He'll be fine. Most of the medical team is loyal to Chief Lazlo, so we have their full support. We made sure to grab everything we could from Tuskgen's lab, along with anything Nate might need to help with his recovery. That damn King was so busy trying to make sure none of us took anything from the armory, that he left most of the place un-secure."

"How did this happen anyways?" She was right, I needed to get mind off of Nate. I could feel myself slowly sinking into that dark place.

"From what Logan tells us, King has tried this in the past, but always failed. Chief Lazlo might not seem like an overly strict leader, but he knows how to quell an insurgence. It seems that with Lazlo out of the picture, he took the time to gather anyone else who didn't like Lazlo's lead."

"How could they not like Lazlo? He's been nothing but kind, even with everything we brought him."

"I think that's the problem. Some mammals don't like a kind leader, they think it's a weakness. That's why most of the raider gangs are vile and ruthless. King probably thinks the same thing."

"What can we do?"

"Hide. Stay safe, and try to establish communication with the Chief." Since Logan was flying, he had been quiet up until now.

"Shouldn't we be doing something to help?"

"No. This isn't your fight. I've already sent a distress signal out to recall all available Guardians who are sill loyal to the Chief. We will then be making plans to assault Precinct One, get the Chief back, and then take back our base."

"'Livi, we need to be worrying about Nate. I know it feels unnatural to not help, but you go and get yourself killed and then Nate wakes up, what will he think? After how he reacted when you were kidnapped, I think losing you would push him further over the edge than we've ever seen."

Holly simply pulled me close and sandwiched herself between Mark and I. I needed to concentrate on Nate, but not so much that it drives me crazy. It's not that I didn't want to help the Guardians, but I simply wanted that need to help to distract me from the pain I'm already feeling. I rested my head on Holly's shoulder and closed my eyes. Everywhere I looked something bad was happening and I was still feeling helpless.

We arrived shortly before the medical transport did. Those twenty minutes waiting to see the oversized aircraft felt like an eternity. Every second that I didn't know where Nate is was agony. Thoughts of them getting shot down, having to take a detour, or they deciding that King had the better idea and turning around, were flying through my head at an alarming rate. Despite being shown to a small room where the three of us could relax, I felt frozen, unable to move. When radio silence broke and I heard that the team was arriving, I nearly knocked our escort over trying to run back to where we had landed.

All of the Guardians, including Zack and Jasmine, were posted in and around the landing area as teams from all over the wasteland were arriving. When the medical transport finally landed, I rushed over to them, and felt an enormous weight lift off of me when I saw them wheeling Nate out on a makeshift bed with monitoring devices attached all over. He was still unconscious, but he was safe.

"You were supposed to have arrived before the primary forces, what happened out there?" Logan, who was currently in charge, was questioning one of the Defenders assigned to the transport as the medical team moved Nate into the facility.

"We ran into a small bit of trouble. Some raiders tried to take pot shots at us with missile launchers, but two of the three Tac's with us stayed behind to distract them. We lost radio contact with them shortly after."

"Damn it. Agent Rhine. Send a team out and look for Tact-Lifter transponders TL-412 and TL-451. We got two lost birds."

"Roger Stalker Logan."

Logan looked at us. "You three should go see if the medical team needs help."

"Y-yes." I still felt worried, but knowing that Nate was safe made it much less stressing.

"Stalker Rothschild, Stalker Grant, I'm assigning you two to keep a watch on those four. I have no idea what will happen right now, but since they're still considered civilians, Guardian code states that in emergencies, all civilians must be assigned at least one Guardian for the duration of the emergency."

"Yes Sir!" Zack saluted Logan.

"Yes… yes sir!" I could tell that Jasmine was still trying to get a feel for being a Guardian.

I had a feeling that Logan wasn't simply assigning them to protect us out of proper Guardian procedures, but rather because he knew that they were our friends and that in times like this, it's always best for friends to stick together. Plus, I could tell that Jasmine was a bit nervous. I didn't blame her either. She finally makes new friends within the Guardians, and then this happens. I just hope that the timing doesn't make her think it's her fault.

We headed deeper into the facility, and just as they said it was definitely a hospital at one time. The outer areas were dusty, dilapidated, and at times, looked unlivable. The further we got into the building, the cleaner it started to look and the more kept it seemed. We then came face to face with a door sealed with locks very similar to the ones at the Guardian's base.

"This is Guardian tech, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Zack pulled a small device out and waved it in front of the lock. A few seconds later the door opened. "This place was discovered shortly after we established our base of operations. It was during the Chief's younger years. I wasn't there of course, but I heard the stories. Apparently there were a few places that the Chief found that he thought were secure enough for a standalone base, but didn't want to divide the Guardians by spreading them out into multiple bases. Every time a place like this was found, he sent in a team to secure it and prep it for emergencies. This is the largest one, and since it was a medical facility, it'll serve as a place for Nate to properly recover."

"You know where the other ones are?"

"Not really. I didn't even know about this one until a few hours ago. Only a few, like Stalker Logan, are kept in the loop on their whereabouts. Thankfully, I think all of them are with us."

There were three more locks before we reached where Nate had been brought. Unlike the room he was in before, this place felt almost like a prison. It was a large, almost circular room with doors leading to smaller ones all throughout the outer wall. There was nothing even remotely comforting. Bleached white tiles, a bleached white ceiling, and in most of the rooms, simple metal beds. One of the technicians had moved a bed out and placed Nate in one of the rooms.

"O-Olivia, could we t-talk?" Jasmine leaned her head over my own and whispered.

Doc and his team were looking over Nate, but there wasn't much room for any of us at the moment. "Sure. Hey guys, we'll be right back."

Jasmine and I ducked into one of the rooms and I shut the door behind us. It wasn't tall enough for her to stand, but the bed was big enough to support her, so after sitting she seemed much more comfortable. I sat down on the floor and looked up at her.

"T-theres room on the bed, that floor d-doesn't look too comfortable."

"Honestly, I don't want to feel comfortable right now. Every time I finally do, something bad happens. Sorry, I didn't mean to trouble you with my own stuff. What did you want to talk about?"

"It's… it's all my f-fault."

I knew this would happen. How did I know? Because in her place I would be thinking the same exact thing.

"None of this is your fault."

"I… I know it is."

"How? How can you know this is all your fault?"

"I was… it was late at n-night. I don't…" she put her hooves on her neck. "I don't like others to see my burns. I hate them, and I don't want others to hate them either, that is, to hate me. I t-tend to take a shower late at night, when no one else is around. I had finished up and was just about to leave when I overheard D-Defender King talking outside the showers."

"King?" I already didn't like where this was going, and I barely even knew the mammal.

"Y-yes. He was talking to… someone, and I was just planning on sneaking out the other doors when I heard him say… my name. He said it with such, hatred and disgust. I should have just left, but I was afraid he would see me, and that he would…"

"Hurt you?"

"Y-yes. I knew he didn't like me. There were so few of them that did. I froze. He started talking about me, and Drake, and all of you guys, how Chief Lazlo kept bringing in 'strays', and that soon the Guardians would be made up of nothing more than raiders and 'wasteland scum'. He said things had to change."

"What did he say then?"

"I don't know. I was feeling scared, so I snuck away. I wanted to tell someone else, but I wasn't sure who would have believed me, and then we were sent out to get those parts."

Despite the fact that I wanted to tell her that it was not her fault, part of me wondered if she was simply the spark that ignited the already oversaturated fuel. I couldn't tell her that. Even if she remotely thought it was her fault, it might start to tear away at her as it has already done to me.

"No, don't blame yourself. From the sounds of it, things were already a bit tense. Lazlo going missing was the spark, and when he returns, he'll be the one to extinguish this before it gets out of paw."

"A-are you sure?"

"I'm positive. He may be one of the nicer mammals I know, but he's also the toughest old geezer I have ever seen. I promise you, once he's back, this will all blow over, although I would hate to be King when it does."

"T-thank you. I didn't know who to talk to."

"What about Zack? You two seem close enough to share things like this."

"I-I… I don't want to scare him away."

"If he really does care for you, then something like that wouldn't even come close to pushing him away. I think Nate was the same way, afraid that if I found out how broken he was, that I wouldn't be interested in him anymore. To be honest, it was the completely opposite effect. The more broken I found him to be, the closer I found myself getting to him. And now, with everything going on, I am the one feeling broken. Sometimes I feel that I may never be fixed, sometimes I…" I felt tears coming and looked up to see concern in Jasmines eyes. "Sorry. You go telling me your woes, and I drown them out with mine."

She put her hoof on my back. "No, I understand. In some morbid way, it makes me feel better. To know how sunken one can be, yet still be loved, means that even I, someone who used to be part of one of the most hated and feared raiders to exist, can find someone who can care about me. I-I… I didn't mean that to…"

"No, it's okay." I chuckled a little. "Funny how so many broken mammals seemed to have gravitated together. We all need to fix our own problems, but maybe it's a friendship like this that helps to keep the pieces bound together."

"So… you don't regret saving me?"

"Why would I? You've done nothing to prove yourself otherwise. With all the crap we've been through, you've seemed like the most innocent of us all. I can't even imagine how the world you used to belong to could even create something so innocent."

"It… was hard. I kept to myself as much as I could. I… no, it's too silly."

"No, I want to hear it. I want to know how you could be who you are after everything you have been through. Maybe it might just help me."

"J-just… don't laugh."

"I promise."

"When I was younger, before we were sold into… s-slavery, it was just me and my mother, trying to survive. I didn't know if my father left or died, she would never talk about him. We were living in squalor, unsure if we would be able to eat the next day. My mother went out every day to do whatever she could for caps or food. She never brought me with her, and as I got older, part of me was glad she didn't. To keep me preoccupied, she kept bringing me books she found. I really wasn't much of a reader, spending most of my time trapped in my own imagination, but there was always one type of story I always looked forward to reading."

She paused, as if still uncertain if she wanted to tell me.

"And that would be?"

"Fairy tales."

"Well that isn't too odd, I've read a few myself."

"It was a certain kind, actually. The kind with a helpless princess being saved by a dashing prince. I… I always wanted that, to be swept off my feet and saved from this world. It was just a flight of fancy when I was a child, but after I was forced to join the Red-Necks, it was the only thing that kept me sane. I would put my body and brain on autopilot and loose myself in my imagination, just hoping and waiting for the day that I'm rescued from that place."

"Well you were rescued. Just don't be going around calling me Prince Charming or anything."

"No, you're more like the evil step-mother." She had a smile to her face, but then suddenly it turned to a near horrific look. "I-I-I… I didn't mean that!"

I smiled at her. "I take no offense to that. I can be a bit… evil at times. Probably why everyone calls me a 'crazy bunny'. I'm sure to my enemies I'm called much, much worse. I'm glad you told me that. I promise to keep it between you and me, but let me share a little secret with you. I may have rescued you, but I think you already found your Prince Charming. He's tall, striped, and right outside this room. He's already got the chivalry down pat."

"I-I…"

"He likes you, and I can tell you like him. If it's one thing I learned from all of this is that having someone to love, and having them love you back makes everything so much better no matter how far you're dragged into the darkness. There isn't a moment that I don't think of Nate, even when he's healthy, and it's that love that's kept me going when others would have given up."

"B-but what if he doesn't feel the same way about me?"

"I may not be the best person to talk about relationships to, but I can tell he does. The way he looks at you, the way he treats you. I think he would give his life to save you, and not as a Guardian, as a mammal. Plus… if he doesn't, I'm sure if you wear that cute dress around him, he'll be begging you to have him."

Jasmine's face went a very deep shade of red. "I-I do like that dress…"

"You look very cute in it. So, you feel any better now?"

"Yes. I do actually."

"I'm glad. Now let's go check on the others. After you… Princess Jasmine."

I think I caught her off guard because she tripped over her own feet trying to leave the door. As I suspected, Zack was right outside the door. I don't know if he overheard any of that, but he didn't show it if he did. Then again, he was also too busy trying to catch Jasmine before she fell.

"You okay Jay-Jay?"

"Y-yes. Sorry, I'm clumsy."

"No need to apologize my Princess."

Yeah, he had overheard us. His sudden use of the word caused Jasmine to continue her downward decent to the floor.

"Way to go, Mr. Eavesdropper."

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do it, it's just that I was concerned. She's seemed uneasy ever since we had to leave Guardian HQ. I wanted to make sure she was alright."

"How much did you hear?"

"Just the last few minutes, I promise!"

"He's right 'livi. He wanted to check up on her and was only there a short time." Holly punched him on the arm. "Doesn't mean it was alright to snoop."

"Yeah." I punched his other arm.

"Ouch! I didn't know rabbits could hit so hard."

"You should see 'livi kick."

"I promise, I won't do it again!"

"I-it's okay that he heard." Jasmine had gotten to a seated position, but didn't seem in a hurry to stand. "You just heard my part… right?"

"I swear it! I didn't want to, and I knew I shouldn't have, but I just want to know more about you, and wasn't sure if you were willing to tell me."

"I-I…"

Jasmine was interrupted when I suddenly jumped up from kneeling down at her side. I heard something. Something familiar. I think it was…

"NATE!"

I ran over to his bed as he was slowly trying to push himself up. He was awake!

"B-binky? W-what… w-where…"

"Shh, take it easy, we're all here and we're safe."

"I-I had d-dreams. Nightmares. Y-you were there. You were always there."

I grabbed a hold of him and hugged him. Hugged him tighter than I think I ever had. He was awake. He was alive.

"I-I… my arm…" I let him go and took a step back as he looked over to the bandaged stump. "Wh-wheres my arm?"

"You lost it. Protecting… me."

"I remember… you were in trouble. My heart, it was hurting. I felt pain and then… nothing."

"My foot was stuck. You used B.A.T.S. and jumped in front of a very large gun. You saved me Nate."

"I… I had to."

I grabbed him again and kissed him. I felt his body start to soften as he returned it. "I missed you."

"I remember… I heard you crying… I heard others crying… I heard singing…"

"You heard all of that?"

"Yes."

"I was afraid, we all were. I didn't want to lose you."

"She stuck by you like glue Nate." Mark came up and gave his brother a hug, followed by Holly.

"You had us all worried." Holly looked as if she was about to cry, but was holding it back.

I wasn't.

"I-I was so afraid. I kept thinking I lost you, that you were gone, never to come back. I did things, said things that I shouldn't have, almost hurt people, all because I was angry at myself. I just wanted you back. That's all that I cared about, that's all I could think about. That's all…"

Nate grabbed me this time and wiped away my tears before pulling me close. "Things were dark where I was. I kept seeing… bad things. I-it haunted me, terrorized me. I didn't want to live, but then I kept seeing you. Every time I thought the darkness was finally done with me, you broke through and gave me something to cling on. A voice, a tear, you were there drawing me back. I-I… I think I'm alive, because of you."

"P-please don't ever leave me again." I clung to him, as if that simple act would make my words a reality.

"I won't. I promise." He clung to me as well.

After Doc had checked him over and given him the go ahead to leave the room, the first thing we all did was get some food. Bo and his family had been able to bring some of the gardens bounty with them, but it wasn't enough to last more than a day or two. That didn't stop all of us from having a well deserved meal.

There were at least fifty Guardians who had left to join us here, and according to Logan, at least a dozen more unaccounted for. Bo was able to stretch the food in order to allow each of us to have a bit of it before we had to go back to those disgusting military rations. While we were eating, we filled Nate in on everything that happened up until this point.

"So, no one's heard from Mister Lazlo?"

"No. Logan has some Agents out trying to reestablish communication with him, but no luck."

Mark had responded between bites of his food. Bo had a single fillet of tuna left, and prepared that for me and Nate to share. Some of the Guardians still gave me odd looks every time I bit down on a piece of meat, but I stopped caring. It tasted good, and I've lived on carrots and other vegetables for such a long time, it was oddly satisfying to be able to eat something else for a change. I think Nate enjoyed being able to share it with me as well.

Nate was sitting in a way that he had to use his only arm to reach across himself to pick at the food. I could tell that his Pip-Boar arm was his dominant one, because he always seemed a bit awkward doing it. Every time he failed to do something with his arm, I could see him glance down at the stump that was now hidden under his shirt.

"We'll get that fixed."

"You said a robotic arm?"

"Yeah. Tuskgen is working on it now, but Doc says you have to wait until all the meds are out of your system from the coma, otherwise the ones they need to give you might have a negative effect."

"How long?"

"Tomorrow morning at the earliest. Things will be back to normal sweetie, and soon."

"Kinda hard to tell what normal is anymore."

"I know what you mean. Everything that's happened, it just doesn't feel like it should be happening, even though it is. We just got to look at the future with a positive light. We both have been dragged through so much darkness already, I think the light is the only thing we can hope for."

I felt Nate's tail wrap around me. I missed that. I missed the feeling of it slithering around me, how its unkempt fluff felt when it hit my own tail. I scooted the chair closer to him. Feeling satisfied enough, I pushed the plate back in front of him and just rested my head on his shoulder. I admit, it felt weird doing it and not having an arm to help support it, but it was still nice to do it after all this time.

"It's nice to see 'livi in such a good mood. I'll tell you what, she wasn't a very nice bunny to be around when you got hurt Nate. She got most of the Guardians cowering in their suits whenever she passed them."

"I wasn't that bad. Was I?" Then I remembered how I snapped Tuskgen and the others. "Yes, I was, wasn't I?"

"You were under more stress than I think any one mammal could handle. Yes, you did go a bit too far at times, but no one blames you, and you always apologized. Like I said before 'livi, we understood what you were going through."

"Doesn't make me feel any better how I acted."

"I'm just glad I met someone who could care about me enough to go insane." Nate kissed me between the ears.

"I wasn't insane! Just a bit… crazy…"

"Well your my crazy rab…" Nate suddenly reeled over in pain, gripping his chest.

"Nate? Nate! What's wrong?!"

"Seems now that the meds are starting to wear off, whatever negative effect the X-241 has had on Nate's heart in the past has escalated. I wasn't sure if it would be an issue, but it's clear it is."

"Wait, you knew about this Doc? Why didn't you say anything?"

"Didn't want to worry anyone if I was wrong. I gave him a chemical cocktail I created that will negate the effects, only problem is, short of a heart transplant and blood transfusion, neither of which will be very easy to do even if we had a proper donor, he'll need to have regular injections of this chemical in order to keep his heart stable."

"How regular?"

"About every six or so hours, less if he is exerting himself."

I felt my anger start to rise. He was back and I still may lose him? No, this isn't acceptable!

A paw on my shoulder stopped me from lashing out. "Binky, it's okay."

"No it's not! I don't want to lose you again!"

"Before you fly off the handle Miss Springs, maybe you should let me finish. You see, while I didn't want to worry you over this, I did make sure to plan for this very event. The chemical needed is nothing that needs a very high dosage. It's a very effective serum. Two CC's for normal activities, up to five for strenuous. Because of this, Tuskgen and I have found a way to include a high capacity injector in the arm design. I'll make sure to let her know it'll be needed. It, combined with a heart monitor, will automatically inject Nate when needed with whatever dosage is needed at the time. It also is a simple recipe, using ingredients that you can find at most medical facilities, and potentially traders. I'll be sure to upload the details to your Pip-Boar Nate."

"Pip-Boar?"

"Yes, part of the design will integrate your Pip-Boar into it. I hope that's acceptable."

"It is. Thank you."

"You should thank Tuskgen. She put the most effort into it, I'm simply here to make sure it integrates with your biology and to add a few other suggestions. We should be ready for you at o-eight-hundred hours. Here's a syringe with enough dosages to last you until then so you don't have to keep running back here every few hours. Please, make sure you keep your physical exertion to a minimum until then."

I had my Nate back, but at a cost. I'm willing to put up with anything in order to have him here with me, and if this is what it will take to make sure he stays that way, then I will take it with an open paw. I wish it didn't have to be this way, and I could tell that he wished the same, but it's what we were given and we should take it.

"No exertion? That means no hanky-panky you two."

"Holly!"

"Just saying, I know if I nearly lost my Marki, that would be the first thing on my mind."

"Not helping."

To be honest, the thought did cross my mind, but I had to wait a little longer for it, and I didn't care. I had Nate and that's all that matters.

We were shown to a makeshift quarters area, that was thankfully in private rooms. Nate went in first and sat on the bed, and I closed the door behind me. The bed wasn't the most comfortable looking, but it was better than the floor. It at least had a few pillows and a blanket to cover the mattress.

There was something that I wanted to do that I had missed so very much. I slowly stripped naked, and was surprised that he wasn't acting all bashful like he used to.

"Last time you saw me naked, you couldn't help but look away."

"That was then. I missed you. All of you."

"Take your shirt off."

"But Doc said…"

"That's not what I want. Well, it is, but not now. You know what I want right now."

He started to unbutton his shirt, but hesitated after pulling his arm out.

"It's okay sweetie."

I slowly pulled the shirt off of him and carefully moved him onto the bed. I laid next to him, placing my head on his bare chest and listened to his heart. It wasn't the same rhythmic pattern that I was familiar with, it seemed… off. His chest raised and lowered slowly as he breathed, and even that felt different. The one thing that didn't was his smell, and his warmth. That was the same. I closed my eyes, taking in this new rhythm.

"I love you Nate."

"I love you too Olivia."

Fallout: Zootopia After Show

Featuring:

'Stripes in the Morning'

[Celeste]

"Hello everyone, I guess you're a little surprised to hear me on the radio again… Well there's a pretty good reason for that. Turns out that last little adventure Stripes dragged Max off on ended with both of them being picked up by retreating Guardian forces and transported to our currently undisclosed location."

Sounds of canid whimpering.

[Celeste]

"Ooh Maxie, I know sweetie I know. It's alright, I'm right here. Sorry folks. Max is still in a lot of pain after what that bastard did to him. I can assure you that he's recovering pretty well though and thanks in part of that is due to not having to deal with Stripes being in the same room with him… Though it does seem we have another roommate here with us and he looks just about as hellish as my poor Maxie here. So! How're you holding up stumpy?"

[Nate]

"Eeeh… I think I've been better…? I mean, I knew relationships could cost an arm and a leg but I never knew how literal that could be! Still though, I'm alive. My bunny is still alive, my family is still here. My friends too. I… I couldn't be happier than I am right now. Even with the current circumstances."

[Celeste]

"…Wow… Last time I heard you, you were stuttering up a storm and nervous as a newborn pup! Somethin' change with the loss of a limb there?"

[Nate]

"I'd… mmm… Fightin' through the worst nightmares in your head can kinda straighten you out if you're strong enough and well, I guess I proved I'm stronger than what I was afraid of. I… I remember, all I wanted to do was get back to Olivia's side. I wanted to be with my mate. It was driving everything else out of my mind, my fears, my worries. My traumas were all laid out before me and I plowed right through them. They didn't matter anymore. They don't matter anymore. They don't make me who I am. I determine that course now and I'm never going to let my fears control me again. And I might as well try and get used to it… By the way, where's that nosy zebra who's normally dragging your boyfriend around… ?"

[Celeste]

"Oh Stripes… ? Weeelll, after a broken muzzle and fractured jaw they apparently had to wire his mouth shut and put him into isolation. Compared to Max here, he got off lucky. Max ended up with a fractured shoulder and a punctured lung from being shot. S'why he's in so much pain right now even with the painkillers they have him on. My poor puppy is just kinda stuck in his cot till the doc says it'll be safe enough for him to move again."

[Nate]

"Marian… I'm so sorry. I… I hope he recovers quickly and the pain goes away… Rrgh… Speaking of pain… Time for my last injection."

[Celeste]

"Marian… I keep hearing you foxes speak of her. I think she's really taking note of you all now. Making out like little bandits in the luck department lately! Not that I'm complaining any. Makes me want to convert just to ask her to keep an eye on my fox."

[Nate]

"Heh… I… I don't think you'd need to convert for that. Marian was a kind and loving soul no matter what species you were. She's our patron saint and she'll keep her eyes on anyone she deems worth it. Like you and Max there, you both are good mammals, kind and friendly and not afraid to crack a few jokes. Even if your fox has a reputation for being grumpy."

[Celeste]

"I think I've been able to chip away at that a bit, at least whenever Stripes isn't around. That fool always brings out the worst side in Max and he generally hates being like that. I mean, the zebra isn't all bad but… He never thinks about what he does. Just goes out and does it and drags Max along because 'reasons'. Sooo I've sort of taken it upon myself to help Max keep a mostly level head."

[Nate]

"Well I think he has a wonderful lady watching out for him then… Mmm, sorry I think I'm starting to feel a bit tired again. The stress from everything has been kinda weighing on me. Enjoyed the chat though. Thank you for that."

[Celeste]

"And thank you for listening. Get some rest pup, I think your mate wants to see you bright eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning and I don't think she'd appreciate me keeping you up any longer. That goes for the rest of you out there too! Sleep tight kits and keep an ear to your radios! I don't think Stripes'll be talking much but we'll try to keep the news coming your way! Ta for now!"