Apologies in advance.

The first thing that leaked through the fog Jack was trapped in was the scent of cherry blossoms. This caused Jack's consciousness to stir but it couldn't cut through the fog alone. Luckily the next thing that came through was the sensation of his head and ears being petted, that caused a few gears to start turning and his shivering to still. Finally he registered the sweet voice of the vixen he loved in his ears soothing him. "It's okay Jack. I got you. You're okay. I'm right here. I'm with you. I'm not letting you go. Come back to me Jack. Come on Jack. Come back to me."

It was Vivian's words that finally cut through the fog and Jack was ripped from his subconscious. His vision started out blurry and Jack quickly realized it was because of tears. Blinking a few times he cleared his eyes and was finally able to see where he was. "I guess I made it to the bathroom floor. Don't even remember getting out of Vivian's bed."

It was then he registered the fact that his head was on Vivian's lap and she was currently petting his head and ears. Jack looked up at her with his left eye and his heart immediately sank at seeing her tear soaked face. "Damnit look what I did. I scared her and made her cry! Idiot. Can't handle someone seeing your scars but you, you godsdamn child!"

While Jack was berating himself Vivian was noticing Jack had recovered. Vivian let out a watery laugh at seeing Jack looking up at her and said, "there you are."

"Sorry I scared you…I never intended to make you cry." Jack sullenly replied.

Vivian then promptly smacked Jack's chest. "Scared me!? You didn't scare me you stupid wox you worried the crap out of me! But that's only part of why I'm crying! I'm also crying because it's my fault you had a PTSD attack!"

At hearing Vivian blame herself Jack shifted so the back of his head was on her lap and he was staring straight up at her. "No Viv you didn't cause it. I did. If I'm in a vulnerable state and someone sees my scars I freak out. You could have found them hot and turned you on and I still would have freaked out. It's nothing you did, trust me. If anything you helped pull me out, normally I'm trapped for an hour. And I'm so sorry I worried you Viv, I thought I was getting better about this but as always I deluded myself."

"An hour!?...and just where…where does your mind take you?" Vivian timidly asked.

Jack thought about it for a moment and summed it up in one simple word. "Hell."

It grew silent after that and the two of them stayed in the position they were in for another 10 or so minutes. Vivian continuously petting his ears as they just got through their own mental hurdles. Jack finished his first and his curiosity got the better of him, "how long was I down anyway?"

Vivian blinked twice and looked down at him, and with a tilt of her head replied, "about five minutes?"

Jack's eyebrows raised and he did a small fist pump whole half heartedly saying, "woo new record!"

Vivian lightly smacked Jack's chest again, "dork."

After Vivian called Jack a dork he had sat up remarking he had to use the restroom. Vivian had quickly stood and gave him his privacy so he could take care of business. Once he business was done Jack exited the bathroom and followed the smell of food into the kitchen. "What's cooking?" Jack asked as he entered.

Vivian from her place at the stove looked over her shoulder and replied, "Winter Family hangover cure. Courtesy of Skye. Super greasy, super delicious, and guaranteed to cure all your hangover ailments."

"That. Sounds. Amazing. Is it alright if I run to my apartment and grab a change of clothes? Maybe a shower?" Jack asked as he pointed a thumb to the door.

"Oh yeah of course! I'll lower the heat, 30 minutes enough time?" Vivian replied with a smile.

Jack gave her a smile of his own and said, "Welll I won't be able to fully brush out my luxurious tail. But yeah that'll work."

Vivian turned back to the stove and with a laugh simply said, "dork."

*30 minutes later*

Jack returned to Vivan's apartment freshly showered and wearing dark gray jeans, a black tshirt, and a red flannel. Entering Vivian's apartment his nose was assaulted by the intoxicating smells. "Oh does that smell good!" Jack remarked as he headed towards the dining room table.

Vivian, who had been pulling breakfast out of the oven turned and replied, "right? Wait till you taste it."

Vivian then fished the dish out of the oven and from where Jack was sitting it looked like a hash brown casserole. Vivian brought the dish over to the table and sure enough it was as Jack suspected. Super cheesy, super greasy, and based on the smell, spicy hash brown casserole.

Vivian plated two heaping servings of the casserole and set one in front of Jack. Jack immediately went to dig into the meal but Vivian stopped him by swatting his paw. "Hold on there Scruffy! It's not ready yet."

Jack let out a whine and sat back which caused Vivian to giggle before she placed her serving down. Vivian then padded over to the kitchen and opened her fridge retrieving a bottle of hot sauce. Hot sauce in paw Vivian then returned to the table and popped the cap, putting a healthy amount on each serving. "There, now it's ready."

The duo promptly dug into their first serving, and second, and third, and forth in the case of Jack. It was only then that Vivian decided it was time for her and Jack to have a heart to heart. Jack had just finished his fourth helping and was going for a fifth when Vivian pushed her plate away and gently said, "Jack, I think it's time we talk."

Jack froze and then sagged letting out a sigh pushing his own plate away. "I suppose it can't be delayed any longer. I take it you remember everything you said?"

Vivian nodded. "I remember telling you that I loved you Jackson Hunter, and that was no drunken mistake. I really do love you…and it's not because you gave me that check and changed my life. It's because of who you are Jack, no matter how little you think of yourself or how little you think I should think of you…and I also remember me telling you that I knew you loved me too…was I right Jack? Am I right?"

Jack looked down at the table unable to look Vivian in the eyes. He then nodded once and in a low tone replied, "yes Vivian. I do love you. From the moment you opened the door I was mesmerized and you awoke in me something I long thought dead. It was like suddenly I could feel again, I could breathe again. You flipped my life upside down in an instant, you and little Nicholas..and before I knew it you two had my heart. It just took my brain a little bit longer to catch up on the fact….but Vivian I can't be with you. I can't."

Vivian's heart swelled at Jack's confession of love and then promptly deflated when he said he couldn't be with her. "Why Jack? Why can't you be with me! I don't understand!" Vivian's tone started soft but towards the end got an edge of frustration to it.

Noting the frustration Jack let out a sigh. "Because Vivian. You don't know everything about me, about my past…and if you did you would turn tail and run. Very recent events have taught me I'm not safe to be around, at least not right now."

Vivian couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What don't I know Jack?! Because I know more about you than you think! So what's this mythical thing about you that will make me run!? And please you're not safe to be around!? The safest I feel is when I'm with you!"

Jack shook his head. "It's not about me directly being not safe for you Vivian! You saw my fresh wounds didn't you! I didn't slip and fall down the fucking stairs V! And what do you mean you know more than I think!?"

Things were escalating quickly into an argument but Vivian didn't care. Jack was being a stubborn idiot and she was tired of it. "What I mean is I know you were raised by the international assassin known as the Fox! That they raised you after you escaped the orphanage and trained you! And CLEARLY he didn't play nice with it based on your scars! So let me guess those fresh ones are from him, a little reminder!? Am I right or am I right!?"

Jack couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What?"

Vivian didn't notice the change in the atmosphere so she just kept on going. "Yeah I know! Bogo and detective Wolford filled me in on the fact when I went to the ZPD to thank them for what they did! But at first I thought he just raised you but Mr. MO showed me that he trained you too! I've been in your apartment before Jack, when you first left. Mr. MO felt I needed to know more about you before I decided to pursue you as a love interest! I saw all of it Jack! And it didn't change A THING about how I felt about you and it still doesn't! And I know it probably upsets you that I went and learned these things and were told these things but you NEVER would have! So what's a vixen to do huh!?"

Hearing all of this caused a whole new kind of rage to come over Jack. As Jack slowly stood his ears plastered to his head, his hackles slowly raised, and his tail puffed out in rage. With his upper lip curling upwards Jack slowly placed his paws on the table and leaned forward until he stretched halfway across the table. "You breached MY privacy…but even worse…My DEN?"

Vivian noticed the change in the atmosphere right around the time Jack started to stand. Vivian's ears pressed to her head and she leaned back into her chair as Jack loomed over her. Her own anger also disenagrated as she realized, "I think I made a HUGE mistake."

Swallowing a nervous lump in her throat Vivian replied, "yes, and I'm sorry..but mammals that knew you knew that if I didn't walk towards you without knowing these things I WOULD crash and burn. They wanted to make sure I was making the right choice on who I was choosing to let my son be near and consider a father figure Jack…be honest…you never would have told me. But I know it's no excuse…you can be mad, you can yell, I can take it all…just please don't walk away from me because of this."

Jack closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had to admit she had a point, and what the ZPD "knew" was technically common knowledge to anyone that digged. But regardless of her intentions intruding into his den was not okay, going in there wasn't necessary. But he was more made at Mr. MO, Vivian let her curiosity overrule her better judgment. Mr. MO made the conscious decision to allow her in and snoop around in some altruistic belief of doing the right thing. He'd have to hear Mr. MO's defense later, but for now he had to set the record straight.

Heading for the door Jack said, "follow me. Now."

Vivian didn't hesitate to stand timidly following Jack out of her apartment and into his own. Once inside Jack pointed to his couch and simply commanded, "sit."

Vivian did what she was told and sat down as Jack ascended his stairs. Vivian was unsure of what was going on but she knew whatever it was it probably wasn't going to be very good. "I expected yelling, not silent anger. Silent anger is a lot worse."

Jack returned in just a couple minutes descending his stairs carrying a small black duffel. Reaching the bottom of the stairs Jack padded to the kitchen and grabbed a stool, bringing it over to the living room and placing it on the other side of the coffee table. Jack then sat down,

placing the duffel on the coffee table.

"Describe him."

Vivian almost jumped when Jack spoke. "What?"

Jack leaned forward and elaborated a little more, "describe what you know about The Fox. His modus operandi."

Vivian had no idea where this was going but she wasn't going to ask. So instead she did what Jack asked. "Um…okay? Well he is described originally as a very large fox of varying species."

Jack stood to his full height, five foot 8 inches. "Go on."

"He always wore an all black suit."

The duffel was opened and an all black suit came out with the dress shoes to boot. "Continue."

Vivian was starting to not like where this was going. "He always had a silenced 1911."

Jack took one out and placed it on top of the suit.

"A asp baton and a knife called a karambit"

Both were placed on the table.

"And a specialized kyoketsu shoge." Vivian said with a whisper, now terrified that she knew where this was going.

The shoge joined the table. "And the one. Final. Thing. The thing about him that remained constant no matter what species he was."

Vivian's heart plummeted. "A diagonal scar on the left side of his neck."

Jack traced the scar with a claw. "I wasn't raised by The Fox, Vivian. I AM The Fox! And these fresh wounds? That day you saw me three weeks ago? That night Yakuza assassins broke into my apartment and I slaughtered them all, but not without injury. You never heard a peep because this place still has the soundproofing to accommodate an elephant. I. AM. THE. FOX."

Vivian couldn't believe the words she was hearing, but she knew they were true. "But…that would mean you…you started killing when you were twelve!"

Jack nodded. "Yep, 12 years old in age, roughly 18 years in body, and my mind in its 20s. So there you have it Vivian Wilde, that's the dark secret you so desperately wanted to know. You are in love with one of the deadliest criminal assassins on the planet, responsible for the deaths of over 600 mammals. This is why I say that you shouldn't love me."

Vivian sat there in utter shock unable to process a single thought. She just kept staring at Jack with a look he couldn't place. Jack repacked the duffel and stood letting out a dejected sigh. "I think we need some time Vivian. I am so…angry that you invaded my den to discover things you never would have if you had trusted everyone saying I was changing. I'm also disappointed you didn't even TRY and get answers from me directly…I also need to make sure any loose ends I may have are truly tied up…and you need to really decide knowing everything if you still think I'm worth loving."

Jack then padded over to his apartment door snagging the keys to his challenger. Vivian still hadn't moved an inch during all of this and Jack took this as a bad sign, but an expected one. Solemnly nodding Jack opened up his door and began to walk out, pausing at the threshold he looked over his shoulder and said, "I trust you'll see yourself out…Goodbye Vivian."

And with that Jack walked out leaving Vivian alone with the silence and her thoughts.