Hello there, readers. Before you get to the chapter, there's something I want you to know. Some of you have probably heard by now what happened to WastedTimeEE, the author whose wonderful stories Found was inspired by. Recently, their home burned down. I'm trying to spread awareness of this. Further details on what happened and how folks can help can be found using the link below. (Had to add the spaces because of FF's weird reaction to links, so just copy and paste and delete the spaces.)
w w w . askthebellhunters 2021 / 02 / my-apartment-burned-down-indefinite-art . html
Found (Chapter 23)
by
Elite Shade
"Nervous, honey?" Vanna asked, looking behind her in the backseat of the car, startling Marcus out of his thoughtful quiet. He had been staring out the window, watching the streets and mammals pass by.
"Uhm... a l-little, Mama," Marcus said. Vanna internally had guessed that having gotten used to being out in the country, the three of them driving into the city proper was making him a little uncomfortable. The tigress smiled reassuringly at the human boy, reaching back and giving his knee a gentle squeeze.
"Don't worry. We'll be with you," she said.
"Yeah, Son," Zach chimed in, his tail thumping the back of the driver's seat, not taking his eyes off the road. "Plus, I know that Vern and Dawn and the pups're all excited to see you again."
"And please, Marcus, if you start feeling too uncomfortable, tell us, okay?" Vanna added, her paw still on his knee.
"O-Okay, Mama," he said. Vanna felt her heart swell with joy at being called that. She had been so worried about broaching the subject of officially adopting Marcus with him. But now, when speaking to her or Zach, he would call them Mama and Papa. Zach had, of course, let out a series of excited howls, setting off just about every other wolf in the North and South Meadowlands. There was a rumor that it even set off the wolves in some other districts throughout Zootopia as well. Said wolf was wearing a new t-shirt he had gotten to commemorate the occasion. It was light blue and read on the front in big bold letters Proud Papa.
Soon, Zach pulled the car into Vern and Dawn's driveway. Getting out, the front door opened, and the three were swarmed by three giggling blurs.
"Hi, Auntie Vanna, hi, Uncle Zach, hi, Marcus!" Trevor said, bouncing on his hooves before reaching up to hug Zach around his waist.
"Hey, kiddo," Zach said, returning the hug.
"Hi, Auntie Vanna," Alice said, hugging the tigress' legs. Still scared of her own strength and potentially hurting the children, she carefully leaned down to give the little wolf a hug. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Marcus suddenly have to catch a giggling Lily who jump/hugged him.
"Hi, Marcus!" she practically cheered, still wearing her wolf coat.
"Uh... uh... h-hi, L-Lily," he said, gently returning the hug to the little human in his arms.
As the hug-fest ended, Vernon, with some bandages on his head, followed his pups out, along with Dawn trailing behind him, Princess Callibrie in tow as well, the reptile scuttling along behind the ewe. They stopped just in time to see the pups all scaling the human boy, now frozen in fear.
"Kids," Dawn said, "your cousin is not a jungle gym." All three stopped and turned to Dawn, looking guilty, before climbing back down.
"Sorry, Marcus," they chorused.
"Uhm... i-it's okay," Marcus said, relaxing a little.
Stepping up to her much larger nephew, Dawn gave him a smile. "Hi there, Marcus," she said, opening her arms. Slowly, the human pre-teen leaned down and, a little awkwardly, gave his aunt a hug. Knowing of his past abuse, the ewe felt a connection with him, and always made sure to show him affection and support.
"H-Hello, Aunt Dawn," Marcus said after they let go.
"Are y'all excited about goin' to The Phun Zone with us?" Vernon asked, stepping up and beaming down at Marcus.
"Uh... I think so?" Marcus answered, seeming unsure. When talking to Zach and Vanna about the visit and the trip, Dawn and Vernon had both learned that Marcus still didn't seem to understand just what that was. However, Marcus had come so much out of his shell and started to become more comfortable in town in the North Meadowlands, that Zach and Vanna had decided that it was okay to take him to the city proper, with some additional family around him for additional support.
"YAAAAAAAAAAY! THE PHUN ZONE!" Lily and Trevor both cheered, making Alice wince a little, before the two giggled and ran back inside. Alice rolled her eyes but smiled and trotted after them.
"Heh, the pups've been excited all mornin'," Vernon said to the amused Zach and Vanna.
"You don't say," Vanna said, looking to Marcus, who was looking down with wide eyes. Following his gaze, the tigress saw Princess Callibrie wrapped around the boy's legs, staring back up at him. She was already almost as big as Dawn, and according to said ewe, was going to get even bigger.
"Alright, P.C.," Zach called out, snapping his fingers at the reptile, "best ta get off of Marcus now."
In response, Princess Callibrie simply looked at him with a half lidded gaze, and let out a hissing huff, turning to stare back up at Marcus. Before Dawn or Vernon could say anything to the large lizard, Vanna gave it a try.
"Princess Callibrie, time to head back inside now like a good girl," she said. The kowmodo dragon snapped to attention at the tigress and immediately uncurled from around Marcus' legs and quickly scuttled inside. This brought a smile of amusement to almost everyone's faces... with the exception of Zach, who instead grumbled a little.
"Oh, we got the pups some gifts, just some stuffed animals," Zach said, opening the passenger door and pulling out a paper shopping bag from the floorboard.
"Well, there're worse gifts ta give pups..." Vernon said, remembering the last visit from his brother Wade and Wade's mate, Giselle. They had had the bright idea to bring some treats she had gotten for free from work at Snarlbucks. The giraffe hadn't checked if any of the treats had caffeine beforepaw and... that led to three little blurs racing and wrestling around the house, while Dawn and Vern looked at the guilty couple with a half-lidded gaze. That rush of hyperactivity had come to an end all of a sudden, as if an off switch had been pushed for each pup. The last to fall was Lily, who had been running to each of the adults, climbing up to kiss them on the cheek. She had fallen asleep mid-stride. The adults had had a good laugh afterwards... once Dawn was assured that the children would be just fine after their little impromptu nap.
"True," Zach said, his tail wagging. They headed inside, Marcus leaning into Vanna's side as she put an arm around his shoulders. The pups were excited to get their gifts. Lily was overjoyed to get a stuffed wolf with a sheriff badge and hat, which brought a slight frown to Vernon's muzzle, but he said nothing, the frown disappearing as he saw how Lily was hugging it. There was some amusement at how Alice picked up the stuffed otter in the tutu, pretending to barely like it, her blur of a tail telling the truth. Trevor was excited by the astronaut goat in the bunch. All three made sure to say thank you for their gifts before running off to their rooms to put them away and finish getting ready for the trip.
"So I hear that Audrey has been having fun giving piano lessons," Dawn said, amused to see Zach sitting nervously on the couch, with P.C. curled up in his lap. He was petting her, and every time he tried to stop, she would start to hiss.
"Uhm... y-yes. Grandma Audrey i-is a g-great teacher," Marcus said, a smile on his face. Vanna reached over and gave him a side-hug.
"She's been enjoying it, spending time with her newest grandpup," she said. Dawn nodded, giggling a little at the thought of her excitable mother-in-law doting over Marcus.
"I-It's been nice practicing with... g-grandma," Marcus said, a smile on his lips. "She knows a lot of songs."
"Knowin' Ma, she probably howled loud enough to set off every other canid in the district," Vernon said with a chuckle as he strode by, carrying something pink in his paws. Dawn smiled and reached over, resting her hoof on Marcus' scarred hand. She took note of the slight flinch that he seemed to fight.
"I'm sure that you play beautifully, Marcus," she said. He blushed and looked a little uncomfortable at being praised, but thanked her and smiled a little.
"Alright," Vernon said, coming back into the living room, the pups in tow. "P. C. has fresh food and water in her dishes, her litter box has been cleaned, and she's been let out ta run around the backyard a little. So she should be good while we're away. The kids're all dressed and ready, so I think everything's all set fer us ta head out."
"YAY!" Lily cheered before bolting out the front door, followed closely by Trevor. Alice followed, a bunny-shaped lump in her coat plainly visible.
Zach started to stop petting the kowmodo dragon in his lap, becoming nervous at the hiss that came as a result. He let out a whine and looked to his mate. Vanna rolled her eyes and, instead, patted her own lap. Snapping to attention, Princess Callibrie scrambled onto the tigress' lap, offering Vanna her belly. Vanna, smiling at the cute display, was happy to oblige with some belly rubs.
"I don't know why you're so nervous around her, Goofball," she said to her mate, who simply huffed and crossed his arms.
"'Course not. She actually seems ta like you, Kitten," was his response. With great reluctance, P.C. climbed off of Vanna's lap and scuttled away into the house, once the tigress had made it clear that the belly rubs were over.
The drive to the Phun Zone was largely uneventful, with the two families in two vehicles, Zach following Vernon as they drove. Vanna kept checking up on Marcus to see if he was becoming uncomfortable, but his looking out at the city with wide eyes suggested he was more curious than scared. Soon enough, they were pulling into the parking lot. Marcus looked on in wide-eyed wonder at the colorful sign in yellow balloon letters that read The Phun Zone with blinking red and white lights. Through the fences there could be seen games and play areas and even a reptile house. And there was even more beyond what was readily visible.
There were numerous mammals of varying ages, all clearly family units, entering and exiting the gates. As Marcus got out with Vanna and Zach, there were some stares and even a few children pointing in his direction. Seeing this, Vanna slipped a comforting arm around his shoulders, which Marcus instinctively leaned into. He seemed a little nervous, but was still curiously staring at all the sights to be seen. Zach strode over and hugged them both.
"Let's have us some fun, okay, buddy?" Zach ruffled Marcus' headfur, his tail wagging at the sight of Marcus smiling. Just then, Vernon opened the door of the SUV, his own tail wagging as Dawn hopped out of the passenger seat.
"Alright, Trevor, Alice, y'all stay with yer mother while I finish, uh, gettin' yer sister all sorted out," Vernon said, looking a little embarrassed.
"'Kay, Dad!" Trevor said, standing next to Dawn and holding her hoof. Alice rolled her eyes but also did the same. While Vanna held Marcus in another side-hug, reassuring him that everything was going to be alright, Zach was looking over at Vernon curious. He saw his brother set his niece down on the ground, with a pink harness strapped around her chest, not that she seemed to mind. Said harness was clipped with a pink length of lanyard that went to Vernon's right paw, ending in a loop.
"A leash? Really, Vern? Ain't that a bit much?" Zach asked with a slight frown. Vernon let out a sigh as he shut the minivan's door, making sure it was locked, before turning to address his brother.
"I wasn't a fan of the idea either, Zach, but it's kinda necessary." Vernon said, leaning in close so as not to let Lily hear him. Behind him, Lily was looking up at the parking sign declaring that the space was for customers only, until something else caught her gaze.
"I know that she's a bit of a wanderer, but seriously, just keep an eye on her and y'all should be fine," Zach continued.
Vernon snorted and rolled his eyes. "Ya take yer eyes off her fer literally a second, and she wanders off and gets lost. I'm sure that it's just a phase that the li'l miss will grow out of, but until then, I'm gunna make sure that all my pups're safe, got it, Zach?"
Before Zach could answer, there was a series of giggles coming from Trevor and Alice, while Dawn tried not to giggle. Following their line of sight, they turned to see Lily now essentially tied to the signpost with her leash, a large monarch butterfly on her head.
"I saw a pretty butterfly, Daddy!" Lily said excitedly, prompting a chuckle and a small roll of his eyes from Vernon, who leaned down to start untying her. Alice and Trevor both giggled at their sister's antics, while Marcus seemed confused, but smiled a little. Zach simply scratched his head, but elected to drop it. Vanna let out a chuckle at the sight and turned to see that Marcus was no longer standing beside her. A quick look around and she spotted him standing in front of a nearby pet shop, looking in through the window.
"I wonder if human kittens wandering off is common for their species," she said aloud, catching her mate's attention. Zach wandered over with her to find that Marcus was grinning wide. He was looking at a young woodpecker, sitting in a habitat, staring right back at him. Zach opened his mouth. But before he could say anything, Marcus hummed a tune, one that both he and Vanna recognized as one of the songs they secretly observed him playing on his violin. The woodpecker cocked its head, and then started to peck the log in its habitat, in tune with the humming. Marcus did this a few times, and each time, the little woodpecker would start pecking a rhythm that matched the tune. Looking it over, Vanna saw that the little bird, as big as her thumb, had a black and grey-feathered body, with white-tipped wings, a black head, with a red tuft on top.
"That li'l guy sure is cute, huh, Buddy?" Zach asked, making Marcus jump a little, turning around looking guilty.
"Uhm... y-yeah... very c-cute," Marcus said, looking relieved when Zach ruffled his headfur again.
"Maybe we can discuss getting you a special friend sometime?" Vanna offered, smiling a little at how excited Marcus appeared to be at the prospect. Putting her arms around her mate and cub, she started to steer them back towards the entrance of the Phun Zone. After entering and some discussion, Dawn took Trevor and Alice to go see the reptile house, with Trevor excited at seeing all of the cute and cool snakes on display, with Alice seemingly enjoying tagging along with Dawn. Lily, now on her untangled leash, was zipping back and forth at the end of it, looking at all the fun sights and games. Zach, Vanna, and Vernon had decided that some miniature golf would be a fun experience for Lily and Marcus.
"Now, Son, all ya gotta do is use yer putter there ta tap yer ball. The goal is ta try'n get it in the hole there at the end there, taking as few swings as possible. Understand?" Zach said, looking at Marcus, who nodded. Zach then demonstrated by setting his green ball on the tee, looking at the trio of colorful windmills. He swung his putter and the ball rolled quickly in between the blades, through the small hole in the center windmill, coming out the other side.
"Alright, yer turn, son."
Marcus nodded and stepped forward, setting his blue ball on the tee. He looked to Zach and Vanna, standing off to the side, who gave him proud smiles and, gently, tapped his ball. It rolled slower than Zach's, and was hit by the blade of the windmill. It was a little airborne, sailing towards the windmill to its left, the faster spinning blades hitting the ball again, knocking it to the third windmill, smacking the ball again, now giving it more speed. The ball ricocheted off of a lightpost, before smacking Zach right between his eyes. He hissed and closed his eyes, rubbing the spot.
"P-Papa, I'm so sor-" Marcus started to apologize, only to be waved off by Zach.
"No need ta say sorry, Son, it was just an accident," Zach said with a wide smile on his face, the spot between his eyes feeling sore. Marcus frowned, feeling guilty regardless, until he felt a little tug on his pantleg. Looking down, he saw Lily standing there, looking up at him.
"It's okay, Marcus," she said, giving him a hug, "everyone gets better with practice."
Seeing this made Zach smile and his tail wag, despite the soreness between his eyes.
"That's right, Lily," Vanna said, stepping forward to give Marcus back his ball, having caught it after it had bounced off of her mate's head. "Practice makes perfect, honey."
Marcus took the ball and smiled a little, prompting the tigress to ruffle his headfur.
"D-Do I go again now?" he asked.
"Sure, Son," Zach said, discreetly stepping behind his mate as Marcus set up to take another swing. Marcus took a second to concentrate and gently tapped the ball with his putter. The blue sphere rolled faster now, slipping right between the spinning blades of the windmill and coming out the back. It knocked Zach's ball to the left, still rolling, slowing to a crawl as it came to the hole. It got to the edge and slipped in.
"Hole in one! Great job, Marcus!" Lily cheered, hugging Marcus' legs again. Prompting some chuckles from the adults. They moved from one course to the next, with Marcus displaying a surprising accuracy and ability to navigate through the different obstacles. There were only a few more instances of his ball hitting Zach. Lily, while not as accurate, was just happy getting to play with her cousin, while Zach and Vernon seemed to be getting a little competitive over their own games. More than once, an amused Vanna wondered if she was the only actual adult in their group.
Marcus focused, and hit his ball, sending it up an incline, the final course designed like a green game of pinball. The ball bounced off of different bumpers and circles and squares, making dings and flashes over and over before, amazingly, rolling into the hole at the very top. Lights flashed in different colors, announcing a HOLE IN ONE! Lily went next, taking her six tries before her own ball found the hole. Vernon was a little worried about her getting frustrated, but to his amazement, Lily was excited just to have done it. Zach went after Lily, getting his ball in on his third stroke, which was one under par. He gave his brother a smirk, to which Vernon snorted. Going up, he tapped his ball, sending it on a path of bouncing bumpers and flashing lights, to also get a hole in one. Zach pouted a little, until he saw Lily sitting on a smiling Marcus' shoulders, both giggling. That brought a smile to his muzzle. Soon after that, Dawn and the remaining pups met back up with the group, and they went to different game booths.
Vanna participated in a game of Whack-a-Goose... accidentally breaking the game itself, much to her embarrassment. Lily, excitedly, proved to be quite the marksmammal at a Wild West sheriff shooting gallery, hitting most of the targets with the BB pistol, everyone wearing goggles of course. The fact that she scored higher than Zach, an actual sheriff's deputy, led to some good-natured ribbing from Vernon. Trevor and Vernon both seemed to enjoy a game where the players had to throw bean bags at clown faces, that Dawn and Zach both agreed were creepy, that would pop up at different spots around a creepy-looking circus backdrop, together setting a new high score. Alice and Vanna both did well at a game of throwing basketballs through hoops in a netted area with a time limit. As that was happening, Lily was amazed at Dawn's accuracy while playing skeeball. All the while, Zach was showing Marcus how to play real pinball, easily getting the high score. It was after a lunch in the food court that Zach spotted something that had his tail wagging.
"Hey, how about we try the batting cages next?" he said, looking to Marcus.
"Goofball, that might be a little too dangerous," Vanna said, whispering in his ear.
"Don't worry, Kitten," he said, giving her paw a squeeze, "the batting cages are 100% safe, they even give the pups helmets," he said before turning back to Marcus.
"What do you say, Champ?" Zach asked. He had been trying new pet names for Marcus, trying to find one that would stick. Marcus, looked a little nervous, gave a small smile and a nod.
"O-okay, Papa," he said.
Dawn, having been taking pictures all day, elected to not try the batting cages, despite Zach's prompting, unconsciously rubbing her stomach. Alice was excited to give them a try however, while Trevor and Lily wanted to finish the large ice cream sundae the three pups had been sharing, Alice already having finished her part. With Dawn taking Lily's leash, which had proven necessary three times so far during their time at the Phun Zone, Vernon, with Alice on his shoulder, joined his brother and sister-in-law and nephew at the batting cages.
Macus watched, fascinated, by the pitching machines firing out balls to be hit. Zach explained to him the importance of wearing the helmet, and he and Vanna and Vern stood back to watch their kids. Alice, enthusiastic, missed a few balls at the start, but managed a few good hits. Every time Marcus swung, he hit the ball, and they all seemed to travel in the direction of Zach, before being stopped by the fence. Zach actually tested this, by moving to different spots and, sure enough, no matter how odd the angle, the balls seemed to be heading in his direction. Seeing a look of worry on his pup's face, Zach smiled and wagged his tail.
"Practice makes perfect, Sport. Just relax and focus and remember to just have fun," he called out. Marcus looked a little surprised and nodded. He took a breath, and his stance seemed to become much more relaxed. The pitching machine fired a ball. Marcus, focused, hit it and, instead of going in Zach's direction, went straight back to the machine. It sailed right back into the hole it had been fired out of. There was a loud buzzing sound, followed by a series of loud clunks and then a POP! And soon, there was some smoke coming out of the end of the pitching machine with a buzzing.
"Uh-oh," Alice said, quickly exiting her own batting cage and setting her bat and helmet on the proper racks. A few minutes later with Zach and Vern having to speak to a very irate skunk manager, all the while Vanna comforted a very guilty-looking Marcus.
"The nerve of some mammals," Vernon said, approaching. "I've said it before and I'll say it again, some folks just wanna argue fer the sake of arguin'." He looked to the approaching Zach, the skunk having stomped off.
"That guy's got some anger management problems," Zach said, frowning as he looked to his pup.
"Marcus, what's wrong?"
"I-I'm sorry," Marcus said, miserably.
"Fer what? That was just an accident. Y'all didn't do it on purpose," Vernon assured, putting a large paw on his nephew's shoulder.
"I ruined the whole day, Uncle Vernon," he said.
"What? Naw. That was just a little hiccup, Marcus," Vernon said, waving a paw at the notion the day was ruined. Zach noticed that Marcus didn't seem too convinced. He whined a little, having wanted to make today a great memory for Marcus... until an idea popped into his head. While the family discussed that maybe it was time to start heading back, Zach slipped away. He didn't reappear until they were back in the parking lot. By the time he had returned, everyone, including his cousins, had reaffirmed that today was a lot of fun and that Marcus hadn't ruined anything. It seemed to have worked quite a bit, as he was smiling again by the time they made it to the cars.
"Hey, Buddy," Zach said, approaching, carrying something behind his back, a couple of bags hanging on his arms. "I gotcha a surprise!" He then pulled what he had been carrying from behind his back to reveal a small pet carrying case. Holding it up, Marcus could see the same woodpecker from earlier, that gave a happy chirp. Marcus was staring openmouthed, and gently took the case from Zach's paws. His surprise gave way to joy and, without thinking, he hugged Zach.
"Th-thank you, Papa!" he said, Zach happily reciprocating. While Marcus excitedly showed his new pet to his aunt and uncle and cousins, Vanna took Zach aside... via tugging his ear, making her mate wince. Once out of earshot, she frowned at him.
"Goofball, you bought our son a pet without discussing it with me first?" she asked while Zach rubbed the back of his head nervously.
"W-well, Kitten, I just wanted to make sure that Marcus had a great memory of today, that's all, plus now he's got a little friend," he said.
Vanna pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a sigh. "Zach, a pet is a big responsibility, and we're still trying to help Marcus get settled and comfortable."
"I know, but I got everything needed to care for a bird, including a leash, a collar, food, a perch, and he's already had all of his shots!" Zach defended.
Vanna sighed again, before leaning down and kissing her mate between his eyes, making him smile and his tail wag. They joined the group in time to hear Dawn ask Marcus if he had a name in mind for his new pet.
"Uhm... Bruno?" It was more of a question as he looked to Vanna. The tigress smiled and hugged her son.
"Bruno sounds like a great name," she said, rubbing his back. A happy chirp came from the pet carrier, making everyone laugh, with the pups fawning over the cuteness of the little bird.
Meanwhile, back in the North Meadowlands...
"C'mon, Ruddy," Dorian said to the older ram, who was wearing his green suit and tie, his cane thumping lightly on the floor of his office as he walked about to the nearest file cabinet. "There's gotta be somethin' I can use... a local fedora ordinance or something!"
"I'm sorry, Dorian," Ruddy, the North Meadowlands representative said, shrugging helplessly, "but I've got nothing. All of the paperwork and the sale of the land was perfectly legal, and as far as I know, there's no ordinances or any such thing that he's in violation of. I'm not sure why you've got a fixation on Mr. Dice, but I'm afraid that so far, I can't help."
The older law wolf sighed and took a seat. "I just don't like the mammal. Every time I've met him, my instincts are just screamin' at me that he's dangerous."
"Hmm... well, that is troubling. But I guess all we can do is wait and keep an eye on his comings and goings," Ruddy offered.
"That's what I've been doin'... and aside from all the construction crews renovatin' the manor, nothin's been happening." It was at that moment that Dorian's radio squawked to life.
"Sheriff, there's been a report of a break-in up at the Bellwether Manor, that fella that works for Mr. Dice called it in," came the tinny voice. Dorian, hopping to his feet, grabbed his radio and confirmed what he had just heard. Looking to Ruddy and giving a nod, he made his exit.
"A break-in," Ruddy wondered aloud, taking a seat at his desk.
There we have it, folks! That chapter was such slow going! GAH! But I was able to work it out, finally! I hope that you enjoyed it!
And please, any help at all can go a long way to helping WastedTimeEE.