Chapter 05 - Double Entendre
A rustic, white and brown mansion was perched halfway up a steep hill on the edge of the savanna. The large estate home was not as grand as the others in the neighborhood. It didn't have any of the majestic marble columns holding up the roof like it's neighbors, nor did a pair of noble stone lions guard the cobbled steps. Simple wood and stone gave the large home a rough and almost agrarian feel. It would not have looked out of place in the middle of a country village instead of being surrounded by the modern and classic style estates of the city.
Crushed quartz was carefully drawn across the yard to create a long, curvy path that led from the wide driveway up to the mansion's stacked stone stairs. The path circled a modest, pink marble fountain that had seen better years. It was carved with the shapes of several cute, mythical, winged piglets fighting over a large water jug. Circling the statue, was a pool of still water that had acquired a few fallen leaves floating quietly across its glassy surface. With the chill in the early morning air, the pump had been turned off and the water no longer flowed from the mouth of the stone jug.
Along the edge of the white gravel path, was a well trimmed hedge where some of the taller bushes had been shaped into pigs from historic tales. There was a bush that resembled a boar archer with a feathered cap, while another looked like a noble knight standing at attention and a third could have been argued to be the spitting image of an ancient pharaoh with a long, braided beard.
Throughout the rest of the manicured estate, were a mix of fruit and nut trees, their branches hung low with plump produce ready to be picked. Bright, purple cherries could be seen bursting from behind dark, green leaves. Lemons and limes glowed like the morning sun in one corner of the yard. Near the back of the house, the branches of the apple trees strained to hold the heavy weight of their red and green fruit. Each tree sat in perfect little rows while small, wrought iron fences ringed their trunks like pretty, gilded cages.
Standing at attention on top of the river-worn stone steps, was a young tapir. His brown fur was covered in lines of pale spots that ran from his neck to the tips of his toes, while the spots on his muzzle had almost faded completely, showing that he was entering adolescence. He wore a black tuxedo that seemed almost too small for his swiftly growing body. The sleeves were a few inches too short and the collar looked far too tight.
He stuffed a late model cell phone inside his jacket pocket while he watched a large police cruiser slowly turn into the drive. It wasn't strange to see paid security companies patrolling the neighborhood, but a fully fledged ZPD cruiser pulling up to the house was something that Rafael had never seen before. His eyes quickly glanced around for some place to hide, but it would be a long sprint to the nearest bush. Sucking a large gulp of air into his chest, he remembered the lady's words, "Everyone who comes to this door is a guest, so I expect you to treat them as such." This was his first real job, and he wanted to make his family proud, and that is exactly what he would do, cops or not.
His fears were unwarranted as a small, uniformed fox and an even smaller rabbit officer climbed out of the car. He watched as the oddly mixed pair walked cautiously up the sparkling path. The rabbit seemed to even gawk at the fountain and the garden flowers as they passed. On the other hoof, the fox kept his eyes straight ahead and only made a comment as he walked past the fountain. His comment seemed to irritate the rabbit and she swiftly jabbed him in the gut. Even from a distance, Rafael could see that these two diminutive cops were different from most ZPD officers and he let out a small chuckle at their antics.
As the rabbit officer climbed the steps in a few short hops, he stepped back and opened the great oak door, "What can the Hogenshaw Estate do for the police today?"
Judy thanked the doormammal as she stepped through the huge, wooden portal and into the mansion's entryway, "We are here to see Olivia Hogenshaw. Is she at home?"
"Sir," the tapir nodded at the fox officer who followed the rabbit with his paws resting dangerously on his belt. "Please wait here while I let the steward know you are here." He softly closed the door that easily dwarfed the young mammal and gave the small pair a slight, old-fashioned bow.
"Thank you," the rabbit stated as she watched him swiftly disappear through a tall archway on the far side of the entry hall.
Looking around their surroundings, Judy took in every detail of the grand foyer. It was a very large, nearly square room with a rare species of wood that she didn't recognize covering every wall. Almost every inch of the wood was inlaid with intricate carvings and scrollwork. Except for the front door, each wall had a large, arched exit leading to other rooms. To the left, a simple wooden staircase wound its way to the second floor. An elegant balistraud meandered down the edge of the steps and was held up by a handful of uniquely carved soldiers that were crafted from a pale, chocolate colored wood. Judy noticed that one of the lower soldiers had a faint notch scratched across his armored chest.
Electric lamps that had been molded into the shapes of old fashioned candles, hung from various corners of the room, providing a warm glow to the windowless room. A glittering, bronze chandelier was also suspended by a large chain from the distant ceiling. From the rabbit's point of view, the chandelier looked like it had been cut from a single, huge, rectangular crystal and then had been encased by complex swirls of paw-forged bronze. In the intricate brazing, she could make out the shapes of tiny leaves, flower petals and even a delicate butterfly, ready to take flight.
A round, oak table with a rich, mirror-like surface, sat in a corner near the foot of the stairs. A curiously shaped vase of fresh flowers rested in the center of the table alongside a hoof painted portrait of a medieval sow in noble robes. Under the table, was a rectangular rug with simple flower patterns sewn into its pale threads. Various other brass and silver gadgets of a bygone age were carefully strewn across the top of the table to represent the family's long history.
Despite the fancy carvings that seemed to cover every surface of wood in the large room, it felt almost barren with the lack of any other furnishings. Not a single comfy chair greeted weary guests or even a hatrack to hang a heavy coat. Judy's ears rotated to and fro as she heard the echo of her partner's claws as they clacked on the hardwood floor.
"Do you really have to do that?" She asked in irritation, turning on the taller mammal.
"Do what?" Nick asked, feigning a look of innocence.
"Everytime you walk across a wooden floor, you just have to clack and scratch your claws like that," her open paw gestured towards the offensive claws.
"I do not," the fox folded his arms across his chest and lifted his head pretending to be fascinated by the fancy chandelier overhead. The claws on his hind paws continued to drum and scrape across the polished floor.
A small snarl escaped between the rabbit's narrow lips, "Stop that!" She suddenly slammed her paw down on top of his to quash the noise it had been making, "You will scuff the floors."
"Ouch," the fox's mock cry echoed around the nearly empty foyer. He quickly pulled his hind paw away from the irate rabbit but made no other move to avoid her dangerous steps. "Did some bunny not have enough coffee this morning?"
Judy stepped back from her partner and looked up at his overly smug muzzle, "I had more than enough, thanks. What I missed was that carrot muffin with all those almond slivers sprinkled on top." She held one paw over the other and rubbed her fingers together like she was sprinkling something into her palm.
A snicker escaped Nick's long muzzle, "It would have been fun to watch you wrestle that business elk for the last one."
"And get written up for police harassment and abuse of authority, no thanks." The rabbit's ears rose stiffly in the air and she held up both paws in a fighting stance before taking two steps towards the fox, "After we're done here I could really go a few rounds in the ring with a certain snarky fox though."
"Anytime, Thunderbuns," challenged Nick haughtily. "I have been practicing with Lieutenant Spotterson, and that cheetah is way faster than you." He straightened his tie and grinned proudly down at the smaller mammal.
The rabbit snorted, "Spotterson might be able to outrun anyone on the force, but she has two left paws in the ring."
"What are you saying, Carrots?" Nick's smug expression slowly melted from his muzzle as her words set in.
"I am saying that you picked a terrible sparring partner to practice with," she gave his arm a soft pat. "It would have been better to take on Clawhauser."
"You're kidding right?"
"No, actually I am not," Judy shook her head seriously. "Try stealing a donut out of his paws and you're in for a tough fight."
"No way. Relieving that great fluffball of his donuts is super easy. It's all about misdirection." Nick waved his paws in front of the bunny officer's eyes.
At the same moment that her vision was obscured by his paws, Judy jabbed Nick in the gut with a sharp tap that echoed around the fancy room, "Then you might want to consider putting those slick skills to better use in the ring. We're still eleven and oh, so when you're ready to make it twelve, just let me know."
"Sly bunny," he leaned over and nearly planted his large black nose against her tiny pink one.
"Dumb fox," she replied dreamily. Taking a step towards the fox she accidentally stepped on the obnoxious hind paw from earlier.
With a wink the fox began to recite the next line of their private catchphrase, "You know you love ..."
The rabbit's two long ears suddenly stood straight above her head, nearly smacking the fox between his eyes. She grabbed the end of his muzzle in one paw and held a finger to her lips, "Shhhh. I hear someone coming."
"Where?" Nick tried to ask but a firm, gray paw held his lips closed.
Judy pointed her free finger into the air indicating that the noise had come from up stairs. Seconds later she let go of the fox's muzzle as a hoof clomped loudly at the top of the solid wood staircase.
Both cops stood at attention as they watched a pair of hooves slowly descend the stairs one step at a time. The hooves stopped for a few heartbeats on each tread before proceeding sluggishly downwards. Eventually, a shaky hoof grasped the balistraude and appeared to lean heavily on the polished wood each time the lower hooves took a step.
After what felt like slothful time scales, an old, grizzled boar came into view. He wore a long-tailed, black suit complete with a sharp bowtie. Two polished tusks jutted up from his lower jaw and his left arm was held firmly across his chest like it was braced up by a sling. Everything from his slow pace to the well groomed suit, proclaimed that he was nothing less than a proper gentlemammal.
This new mammal's stagnant pace, as he descended the stairs, was causing the impatient rabbit's ears to twitch and her paw began to thump softly on the floor. Unfortunately for the fox, her large, gray paw was striking his black one instead of the more solid wood. She nearly yelled for the boar to hurry up before Nick placed a firm paw on her shoulder.
"Hang in there, Carrots."
As the old boar reached the final step, the two small cops rushed across the large room to greet him. He carefully stepped off the last step and pushed himself away from the staircase before turning to the smaller officers. His entire body seemed to have a twitch that was common in some mammals of increasing years. Seeing the two cops standing directly before him, he tried to straighten and puffed out his chest in a dignified manner.
Holding out her paw in greeting, the rabbit spoke first. Her words flew from her muzzle at a lightning fast pace compared to the boar's languid steps, "Officer Judy Hopps, and this is my partner, Officer Wilde."
Despite his advanced age, the boar's handshake was firm and his voice was steady and proper, "Edmynd, Steward of house Hogenshaw, what can we do for the ZPD today?"
"Well," Judy responded with a hint of authority in her voice. "We came to speak with Olivia Hogenshaw."
"What is the nature of your inquiry, might I ask?" Edmynd asked politely with an authentic, old-fashioned and extremely posh accent.
Nick pulled out a few sheets of paper and flashed them before the snooty butler, "These shipping documents happened across our desk the other day." He pointed to the ink scrawl across the bottom, "As you can see by the signature here, we are curious to know of Lady Olivia's involvement in these shipments."
Snatching the papers from the fox's paws with a loud grumble, the boar looked them over before replying, "I have never seen these before, and I can personally vouch for Lady Hogenshaw. She would not involve herself in shipping recreational vehicles such as these from overseas." He slapped the back of his hoof on the papers in disgust.
The fox subtly retrieved the documents from the black suited boar, "That is her signature isn't it? I can tell that you recognise it. Are you sure that you know about all of the lady's dealings?"
"Of course," the butler said firmly, his broad nose rising higher in the air. "I have been the family steward and accountant for three generations, she trusts me implicitly. Besides, there are already enough toys sitting in the estate's garage. The lady rarely takes any interest in them, preferring to let Henston do the driving." The boar's eyes seemed to moisten slightly, "So most of them have not seen the road in many decades."
Calmly, Judy stepped in front of the fox before he could further harass the old boar, "We would still like to hear Ms. Hogenshaw's side of the story. Would you let us speak with her? Please."
Seeing the softness in the rabbit's eyes, the old boar took a deep breath before replying, "I would if I could, but the lady is indisposed at the moment."
"We would be willing to wait," the rabbit nodded and gestured towards the hint of an antique couch in the other room.
"It could be a very long wait," Edmynd shook his head. "And I am certain that Lady Hogenshaw would not appreciate a pair of uninvited guests staying in her home, even if they are officers of the law."
Judy's nose twitched and she tilted her head slightly, "What do you mean?"
"Carrots," Nick stepped towards the rabbit. "I think he means that she isn't here. In fact I get the impression that the Lady is out of town."
"That is correct, Officer Wilde," the old butler looked down at the uniformed fox. His less than polite stature took on a slightly angry aftertone with a raised eyebrow, "If you won't accept my word that the lady was not involved in whatever it is that the two of you are investigating, then I am not sure what help I can be."
Again Judy pleaded with the ancient boar. She dropped her ears and widened her eyes trying to look as sincere as possible, "Please, sir. We really need to speak with Lady Hogenshaw. Can you tell us anything about her whereabouts or when she is expected to return."
The pleading bunny before him softened his dour demeanor marginally, "As I have already explained. I do not know when she will return, however, she left over a week ago to visit one of the outlying estates that she recently purchased."
"And where exactly is this new estate Mr. Edmynd?" Judy asked, suddenly whipping out her yellow note pad and carrot pen.
"It's in some quaint little burrow many hours drive from here," Edmynd said with one hoof scratching the stubble on his chin. "I believe the name she used was Bunny Burrow or some such place. I can hardly keep straight the names of all of that young lady's holdings anymore."
"Wow, that is amazing!" Judy exclaimed. "Thank you so much for the great info, Mr. Edmynd."
"Just Edmynd," the boar corrected, but the rabbit didn't hear a word he said as she dragged her fox across the large foyer and towards the front door.
"Can you believe this?" the rabbit asked as she practically flew down the cobbled stone steps. "She's in Bunny Burrow."
"I would almost believe anything the way this case has been going so far," Nick uttered while trying not to trip on the rounded steps.
As her paws touched the crushed quartz path, her phone gave off a loud series of musical tones. She came to a sudden stop, sliding in the loose gravel and read the message on the screen. "Hey, Tabby and Jo agreed to join us on a double date this evening."
"That is good news," Nick replied, trying to catch up to his partner without breaking his neck on the smooth stairs. "Can you ask them to join us at the Yaxchilan Central Mall?"
Judy happily skipped down the path as she quickly tapped out her reply. Climbing back into her police cruiser, she turned to Nick with a hint of eagerness in her eyes, "I wonder if Bogo is going to let us make a trip to Bunny Burrow this weekend."
"I don't see why not," the fox said while clicking his seatbelt into place. "We are chasing down a lead on a case after all."
"No, silly," she chuckled, putting the car into gear. "I mean for the whole weekend.
"Why, Carrots? Are you eager to spend some time with the fam?"
"Sort of," she admitted shyly as she carefully pulled onto the main street. "Bunny Burrow is having its annual Harvest Festival this weekend."
Four mammals stepped out of a small movie theater into an open-air mall. The theater was built into the first giant fork of an enormous tree in the center of the Rainforest District. An entire multi story mall was lovingly wrapped around and between the branches of the tree. Rickety, wooden walkways and bridges twisted gently around the trunk and led between the many quaint shops and restaurants. Needing the most space, the theater was placed roughly in the center of the tree-spanning mall.
Hundreds of twisting branches and vines held up the boardwalks while moss and unpotted flowers covered nearly everything else, giving the mall a vibrant and thick, plush feel. Large ferns lined the treeward side of the walkway while a rustic, wooden fence kept medium sized mammals from the thousand foot fall to the marshy forest floor. Water constantly dripped from every surface, cooling some of the sweltering heat and making the wood wet and slippery.
Anything a mammal could want was for sale in the Yaxchilan Central Mall. Small shops were squeezed together anywhere the twisted branches could hold them in place, and large amounts of scaffolding took over where the branches ended. Shops that exclusively catered paw and hoof coverings were common as well as claw trimming salons, one store even sold nothing but hats for mice and other tiny mammals. Many vendors also had colorful stalls parked in open plazas or along the wider walkways.
The first mammal to step through the steel exit door at the back of the theater was a tall, red fox. His burnt orange fur faded to black at the tips of his ears and near his paws. He wore a light green shirt that was covered in leafy patterns that matched some of the vines that climbed up the side of the central part of the tree. Loosely hanging around his neck, was a dark blue tie with a single white stripe that spiraled around the thin cloth. When the fox cleared the door, he turned and held it open for the three smaller mammals that followed closely behind him.
Directly behind the fox, was a gray rabbit with black tipped ears and vibrant purple eyes. She wore a pale purple top with long sleeves that stopped several inches short of her wrists. Covering her legs, was a tight-fitting pair of blue jeans that showed off her feminine curves in all the right places. The cuffs of the jeans flared out from her legs as they neared her ankles. The rabbit strutted through the door with a fierce glare and let out a predatory snarl as she ran her fingers through the fox's large bushy tail.
Behind the rabbit, walked a skinny, kit fox whose gray and brown fur shimmered in the late afternoon light. Draped across her shoulders, was a loose, brown cardigan with long, beaded fringes along its lower hem. Under the cardigan, was a tight, white tank top that barely covered her pale chest. She also wore a pair of jeans, but her pair was black with worn and faded patches in the knees. Unlike the other mammals in the group, her hind paws were covered in plush, gray boots that seemed to be made from a dozen belts and the silver belt loops jingled with each step. Dangling from one of this fox's ears, were three large, golden hoops. Each hoop was progressively smaller than the last as they climbed up the side of her triangular ears.
Last in line, came a large, muscular rabbit whose fur was an odd mix of white, black and brown. Her primary color was white but she had large splotches of black and brown all over her body. One large, black splotch over her eye made it look like she had recently been in a brutal bar fight. She wore a sleeveless, blue hoodie that did little to cover the huge muscles on her arms and chest. Tight, stretchy, gray leggings made her firm, rabbit's rump look much larger than it actually was next to the tiny, black tail. A dark scowl covered her multi-colored muzzle as she walked through the door with a force and determination that made most mammals step aside. However, the kit fox's smile widened the more the muscular rabbit scowled.
Once the three females had strolled through the door, Nick let go of the heavy steel and addressed the smaller mammals, "So how did you ladies enjoy the movie?"
The kit fox replied first, "I thought it was a bit creepy, I mean can you imagine living everyday with cameras pointed at you all the time?"
Judy hopped over to the vine-choked railing and ran her paws through the wet leaves, "Nick and I carry cameras on us every time we go out on patrol."
"It's true," the taller fox admitted. "Even after watching all those so-called 'Live' cops shows, most mammals don't realize that any time you get pulled over, you're on camera. Even the cop walking by on the sidewalk is recording everything."
"I don't need cameras to keep me honest," Jo added in a deep gravelly voice. It was obvious that she was trying too hard to sound tougher by lowering her voice.
"Yeah," Judy agreed. "It was not at all what I expected from Anna Catson." She shook her head and leaned her back against the wet railing as she scanned her eyes across the group.
Tabby stepped beside her and looked out at the constant, artificial rain, "Like the scene where the bobcat's boyfriend kills himself because those camera freaks wouldn't leave him alone seemed too unreal for me."
"Deer and many other mammals lose their horns every year," the buff rabbit said to no one in particular.
"Right," Nick agreed.
"I don't believe that millions of viewers would think that he killed all those mammals just to make furniture and sculptures, even though they all looked pretty creepy to me."
Judy nodded at Tabby's explanation, "I also thought it was out of character for Catson to just start trespassing and those other misdemeanors once she thought she was no longer on camera. Mammals just don't do that."
"Well I thought it was an interesting take on our modern mammal society and the pitfalls that come from being so interconnected and reliant on technology," the red fox explained thoughtfully.
"Ok, Slick," the gray rabbit pushed off from the vine wrapped railing and punched him in the arm while the other two mammals chuckled. "Did you just read that off one of those cheap movie reviews on your phone?"
"Um, no," he said with a hint of pain and patted the cell phone that was still sitting in his shirt pocket.
The fashionable kit fox shook out her rain soaked tail and looked at Nick and Judy bashfully, "Jo and I have never really been on a double date before, so what do we do next?"
"We hardly go out together anymore," the butch rabbit noted.
"What?" Judy asked, slightly shocked. "Why not?"
Exasperated, Tabby gave a heavy sigh, "There always seems to be some self righteous prey around to butt in and thinks that pred and prey can't be friends, let alone romantically involved."
"The Velvet Orca is one of the few places where we can be ourselves without ridicule," Jo nearly spat the words onto the slippery wet floor.
"Even at home," the vixen shook her head. "My parents definitely don't approve of our relationship. And hers, I honestly don't know what her parents think."
"Most of the time they hardly know I am alive," Jo snorted, then sneezed as a raindrop got into her nose.
"When you invited us to hang out with you and your foxy boyfriend," Tabby shook with excitement and nearly squealed the word 'boyfriend.' "Then we just had to jump at the opportunity."
"Few mammals would harass a group, even as small as ours," Jo commented. "You're both inters like us so we can go out without having to keep our fur up all the time."
The small fox gasped and shook her head when her date used the word 'inters.' She flattened her ears and tried to change the subject, "So where do we go next?"
With another jab to the taller fox, Judy confidently answered the question, "This Dumb Fox here was supposed to feed us first."
"Sorry Sweetheart," Nick rubbed the sore spot where Judy had struck. "The later showing was filled up so we had to take this one instead."
"It's ok," Tabby forgave the taller fox. "So where do we get dinner in this huge place?"
"I was thinking we could try Colel Cena. I hear they have some interesting, jungle themed dishes," he said, pointing up the inclined walkway. "It's on the other side of the tree and three flights up."
"Well then, what are we waiting for?" the gray rabbit asked. She grabbed both foxes' paws and began dragging them up the path, leaving Jo to quickly sprint to catch her date's free paw.
After about one circuit around the trunk of the great tree, both foxes let go of Judy's paw and gasped for breath while the pair of rabbits seemed unphased by the long, uphill run. Judy continued to almost jog and hop in place why the two predators gasped for air.
Tabby recovered first and her heavy breathing was slowly replaced with soft giggles. Nick was trying to control his breathing by taking long, slow, deep breaths and holding them for several seconds, but when the other fox started giggling he gave her a curious look.
Puzzled, Judy stopped bouncing on her paws and asked the small fox, "What? What is so funny?"
"The way you run," Tabby said with quick gasps between chuckles.
"What is wrong with the way that I run?"
"Nothing," the kit fox stated, brushing her paws across the front of her cardigan. "It's just that you remind me of a predator chasing after it's prey. Like from those old black and white movies."
"Interesting comparison." Judy said with a flip of her ears.
The vixen's smile warmed, "I have never seen a rabbit run like that before."
"I was trained to be a cop by a large predator," Judy noted. "So it's only logical that I picked up a few of their habits."
"It's really kind of cu, cu ..." Tabby stuttered when she saw Judy's ears fall and her brows furrowed.
Folding her paws across her chest, Judy waited for the fox to finish her sentence, "What?"
"The way you run is kind of attractive."
Judy's paws fell, her ears stood straight up and her purple eyes widened, "You, you think I'm attractive?"
Tabby almost covered her muzzle with both paws before her quick fox-like wits covered for the slip, "Of course, don't you agree, Nick?"
"What," the todd said slowly, like waking from a dream as his eyes drifted away from Judy's lower half. "No, I never noticed."
Up until that point, Jo had remained mostly silent as the two females discussed running styles, but she suddenly sputtered and laughed at Nick's heartless comment, "You never noticed the doe you're dating is attractive?"
Waving his paws frantically in the air, Nick stumbled over his own words, "No, no, that's not what I meant."
"Well you have about ten seconds to explain, Dumb Fox," Judy declared, folding her arms under her breasts with a dark glare. Her paw thumped on the slick, wooden walkway as she counted out the time.
Nick took a deep breath before he opened his mouth again, "What I meant to say was that I never noticed anything different about the way that you run. Now, the way you drive is positively ferocious."
"Oh really?" Judy's arms remained folded and her paw continued to thump. "And do you think I'm attractive?"
His eyes widened as his gaze drifted from the tips of her ears to the end of her toes. It paused for several seconds on her hips and tail before continuing to take in the rabbit's shapely form. He stared hungrily into her eyes and took a deep breath. She saw a spark of desire fill his muzzle for long moments before it was replaced with his foxy snark. Opening his muzzle, he gave her a sly wink and spoke in a charming tone, "Totally drool worthy, Sweetheart."
She rolled her eyes and relaxed her paws, "You really are a dumb fox."
Leaning over, the todd placed both paws on his knees and looked the rabbit straight into her eyes, "You know you love me."
Judy shook her head and took a step forward bumping into her fox's long muzzle. She placed both paws on his cheeks and pulled him in for a warm kiss. Once she came up for air, the only words that escaped her lips were, "Yes I do."
Thick leaves nearly obscured the entrance to the small diner that hung precariously from the end of a thin branch. A narrow rope bridge swayed in the breeze, providing guests with limited access to the suspended restaurant. Above the entrance, hung a wooden sign with blocky letters forming the words Colel Cena. On each end of the sign, were carved two blocky figures, one held something that looked like a bowl and the other carried a striking viper.
Nick pushed aside the giant leaves allowing the vixen and the two does access to the diner's interior. Inside, the floating restaurant looked like a large, thatch hut with enough space to feed a small herd of large mammals. Like everything else in the Rainforest District, the roof constantly dripped from the ever-present moisture.
At this time of day, the diner was busy and nearly every table was filled with hungry mammals. Despite the crowd, the group did not wait long before a white-nose coati in a flowery shirt led them to a booth with a large, open window. It wasn't so much a glass paned window as a large, open section in the wall, giving the four mammals an unobstructed view of the forest outside.
As they approached the table, they spotted a very large, wood and bamboo chair that had been pulled up beside it. The chair was built for a large mammal and blocked the smaller mammals from reaching the seats of the booth. With a short apology, the waiter left to find a larger mammal who could move the chair back to its original table.
Before the coati could run off, Judy shook her paw and declared, "Don't worry about it. We got this." She stepped up to the huge piece of furniture, bent her knees and with a loud grunt, lifted it over her head.
Nick smirked at the small rabbit's show of strength, but Tabby's eyes nearly popped out of her skull. The tri-colored bunny only snorted and mumbled, "Show off."
Judy took a few steps with the great chair above her head before she plopped it down next to a nearby table. Once the chair was set on the floor, she pushed it the rest of the way into place.
Clapping, the small vixen cheered on the super strong bunny, "Wow, Judy! You are really strong."
"I could have done that," Jo added matter of factly as she climbed into the booth and took her seat near the window.
"Of course you could, Hun," Tabby replied. She reached out a paw to pat Judy's biceps, "But Judy doesn't even look like she works out."
Nick clicked his tongue against the inside of his cheek and shook his head at the gray rabbit, "I thought we agreed to not reveal our super powers when we're not in uniform, Carrots." He then climbed into the booth and sat across the table from Jo.
With a slight squeal in her voice, Tabby tenderly squeezed Judy's arm, "I bet your muscles are hard as rocks. Where do you work out? Do you go to the gym, or do you just toss bad guys around all day?"
Judy giggled warmly at the last question and waved her paw at the todd, "Our job requires that we stay in top physical shape, so it's mandatory for us to attend the precinct's gym for at least an hour every week."
Fascinated, the vixen continued her line of questions, "The police station has its own, private gym?"
"Yes," the gray doe nodded, sitting next to Nick and on the outside of the booth. "We have a gym, a boxing ring and even a pool. We have to go through lots of different kinds of training in self defense and the use of a variety of different weapons."
"I never knew that being a cop was so amazing," Tabby nearly shouted before she realized that the group in the next table had been watching their conversation. She quickly lowered her voice, "You must have so much fun on your job."
"Weekly training isn't all fun and games," Nick commented.
"That's right," Judy replied. "Last month we got the chance to participate in an inter-departmental exercise with the ZFD. We learned to work with the fire department on how to deal with a multi car accident." Her cheerful tone darkened and she began to sniffle, "We, we lost one of the drivers on our, our first try." Tears flowed freely down the emotional rabbit's cheeks and she started to choke on her words.
"It was just a training dummy, Carrots," Nick said reassuringly.
"But, but," her tears caused her to stutter and choke. "But it could have been a real live mammal, and we failed to save them."
A small, brown paw fell across the rabbit's gray and white one, "It's ok, Judy. I am sure you did your best." The vixen squeezed her paw, and Judy returned the squeeze and pulled hard on her arm while the tears started to soak into the hardwood table.
Nick also scooted closer to his bunny and wrapped his tail around her. Under the table he placed his paw on her leg and gave her knee a gentle squeeze. After several tender moments, he looked across the table and asked, "So what do you two do for a living?"
"Well I work at Petite's," Tabby replied cheerfully. She gave Judy's paw another squeeze and tried to pull away, but the rabbit refused to let go. When Nick gave her a blank look she explained, "Petite's is a mall clothing store for rabbit's and other small mammals. It's inside the mall in Savannah Central."
"So I am guessing I have you to thank for helping Judy find that amazing blue dress she wore on our first date."
"Aww," the vixen sighed and her eyes seemed to sparkle. "Yes. If it's the dress I think you mean, then yes I helped her order it through the store."
Tilting his head to one side, the todd asked thoughtfully, "How did you come to work in a small mammal's clothing store?"
Tabby leaned over and gave her date a squeeze, "Well, Jo's uncle owns the store and she convinced him to give me a job."
"It was an obvious choice. You're so friendly with everyone and know all the latest fashions," Jo added like it was obvious to everyone at the table.
"I just like making mammals feel happy, whether they buy something from the store or not."
The mixed rabbit seemed to mull something over in her head before she spoke again, "I think it goes far beyond just making mammals happy."
At that moment the coati returned with liquid refreshments and took their dinner orders. Most of the items on the menu were unpronounceable so he had to help each guest as they pointed to the pictures printed next to the foriegn names. Once the four had all of their questions answered and placed their orders, he scooped up the laminated sheets and returned to the back of the restaurant.
Watching the masked predator haul their menus away, Nick turned to the muscular bunny, "And, Jo, what is it that you do for a living?"
Cheerfully Tabby patted her date on the shoulder and proudly answered the question, "She is a gardener."
"I am not," was Jo's gruff reply in her deep voice.
"You work with plants all day," the small, brown vixen chided. "How is that not gardening?"
Jo placed her paws on the table, palms facing up and shrugged her shoulders, "I wear a hard hat and drive a backhoe."
"Mmhmm," Tabby sipped at her strong drink before giggling warmly. "But you take care of all the trees and plant those pretty bushes and flowers downtown. You keep the city so cheery, bright and beautiful."
"I also plumb sprinklers and climb through the sewers with beavers," the tri-colored bunny pushed her ice cold drink around with a blunt claw.
"Aww come on, don't be so bashful," Tabby grabbed the doe's paw. "Just admit it. You are the best gardener in the city. And I've seen how well you take care of those plants around your parents' house."
"My job title is Urban Beautification Technician and I do a lot more than take care of the trees and flowers that line the streets."
Tabby let go of her date's paw with a huff, "Honestly, I don't know what it's going to take to convince you that gardening really is an important profession, even if it isn't so glamorous or well paid."
Jo shrugged and took a slow sip of her drink, "It's just a job. One that barely pays the bills, and is still not enough for us to get a place of our own."
"Yeah, I know," Tabby took a big gulp of her own drink, nearly choking on one of the small ice cubes.
The conversation returned to more mundane subjects while the rain continued to pour outside their window. Neither couple seemed overly bothered by the slow drip of water from the leaky roof. What drops managed to get through the thinly thatched roof fell to roll off their well groomed fur. The waiter claimed the leaks were part of the cafe's unique charm, stating that jungle tribes lived their entire lives in the perpetual downpour. Jo claimed that the owner was simply too cheap to fix the roof.
Words all but vanished once the food arrived and both couples dug into their dishes. On Judy's plate, were three avocado and onion stuffed tomatoes, drizzled with a curious sauce made from pumpkin seeds. Nick had three crunchy tacos stuffed with scrambled eggs and creamy cheese slivers. His tacos were also topped with the same pumpkin seed sauce. Tabby had tamales wrapped in green and purple corn husks. A single lettuce leaf sat on Jo's plate. Pilled in the center of the large leaf, was an assortment of pickled vegetables that smelled strongly of oranges. Liberally sprinkled over her salad, were heavily seasoned pumpkin seeds.
"Did anyone else notice how every item on the menu had something covered in pumpkin seeds?" Jo asked the group as she picked through the huge, pale seeds on her plate.
"I wondered about that too," Judy replied, slicing into one of her stuffed tomatoes.
"Maybe the chef likes pumpkins," the vixen added. Her voice had a slight slur while she attempted to untie the twine holding her tamales together.
"They have a seasonal menu," Nick explained. "It almost makes sense for the fall, but the use of seeds does seem a bit overdone."
"I can agree with that," the buff rabbit declared while she pushed most of the seeds to one side of her plate.
Silence blanketed the table while the four mammals stabbed and chewed their food. Judy finished her plate first and started looking around the table for more. She snatched the garnish off of Nick's plate and slowly started chewing on the bitter, purple leaf.
While nibbling she noticed that Tabby had yet to unwrap the last of her tamales. Her eyes were unfocused and she seemed to be staring off into the distance almost directly behind Judy's head. A dreamy smile was planted across the vixen's muzzle while she stared at the rabbit.
"What is it?" Judy asked. "Do I have something in my teeth?" She ran a sharp claw over her large bucked tooth.
Tabby blinked as if coming out of a daze and mumbled so that only the rabbit in front of her could hear, "Wish I had such pretty eyes."
Judy's ears turned a bright pink, "What's that about my eyes?"
"With eyes like yours I could wear purple whenever I wanted," Tabby explained with a giggle.
"Why?" The gray rabbit asked. "You should be able to wear purple whenever you want."
The fashionable vixen's eyes widened in shock and her jaw dropped, "Are all rabbit's color blind? A mammal with my complexion can not wear blue or purple. But with eyes as pretty as yours I could wear whatever I wanted."
Judy was struck speechless for several heartbeats at the vixen's description of her eyes. Growing up, she had always been the tombunny who spent more time on adventures to save the world than she did playing dolls with her sisters. Nobody called her pretty except her mom and Judy never went out of her way to dress up. Now that she was dating Nick, she had tried acting more girly around him, but hearing another female say that she was pretty was a shock.
"Um, thanks, ah, thank you," Judy stumbled over the simple gratitude.
"With those lovely eyes and the colors in your fur I bet you would look amazing in anything," Tabby continued to flatter the already blushing bunny. "Or nothing at all," she slurred softly into her plate as she untied the last tamale.
"What?" the gray rabbit asked.
"It's true. I know that summer is over but we still have several pieces of swimwear left in stock that would look absolutely gorgeous on you," the vixen stumbled over her words while she tried to swiftly cover her slip.
"Oh, I see," Judy nodded and returned to lazily nibbling on the garnish leaf. "You're just trying to flatter me into buying some out of season clothes."
"Not at all," Tabby explained while she sank her claws into the last of her food. "I really think you have great coloring and could use a sexy new outfit."
Nick choked on his last taco while Tabby continued to flatter the gray rabbit. Had he heard things right? Was it his imagination or was this vixen actually hitting on Judy? No, it couldn't be. He glanced at the other rabbit across the table who seemed to be oblivious to what was going on, or maybe she was ok with the idea of her date flirting with other rabbits. This kit fox was a clothier after all, and a fashionista. It was her job to compliment other women and make them feel good about the clothes she was selling. Still, she was obviously interested in does, so maybe ... No! He shook his head to rid it of the ridiculous thought. There was really nothing going on here and maybe he was only being overly jealous.
"So," he swallowed the last of his meal and turned to the couple across the table. "How did the two of you meet?"
"What?" The vixen asked, swallowing a few bits of her last tamale. She tried to not speak with her mouth full but the question seemed to come out of nowhere. Lifting her glass she washed down the bits of food with the last of her drink. A loud hiccup followed as she placed the empty glass on the table and her paw sluggishly covered her muzzle, "scuze me."
"There isn't much to tell," Jo said flatly with a curious look at her date. "We met at a high school tuskball game."
"Come on, give us the juicy details," Judy urged, her paws quickly drumming on the table and her nose twitched in anticipation.
With a loud sigh Tabby started describing her side of the story, "A few years ago my cousin dragged me out to his school's homecoming game. He was a member of the band and he wanted me to come see him play. Eventually, he convinced me to come along."
Jo leaned back in the booth and watched the vixen tell her story, "I didn't know your cousin forced you to come, I thought you were a regular fan."
"I was never a student there. My parents sent me to Acacia Prep instead of public schools," the small, brown fox said to the doe on her left. "When I arrived, the bleachers were nearly full, except for one spot next to a pawsome buck in a lettermamals jacket. Almost half that row of bleachers was filled with rabbits."
"Wait," Judy held up her paw. "I thought this story was about you and Jo."
Nodding to Judy, she explained, "I am getting to that part." Leaning against Jo she asked, "Remind me again how you got that jacket."
"I was on the varsity track team," Jo explained.
"Isn't this a coincidence, so was I," Nick interjected. "My buddy, Flash and I used to ... ouch," he cried as an elbow jabbed him hard in the gut.
"Let them tell their own story, Slick," Judy said with a firm glare.
With the red fox silenced, Jo continued, "I competed in three events, Shot Put, Hundred Meter Dash and the Long Jump. I only placed bronze in the Long Jump because a wallaby beat me by a tail."
"I am sure you did your best, Hun," Tabby added with a pat on the doe's arm. "So back at the tuskball game, I sat down next to this buck and proceeded to watch the game. I wasn't very interested in the game at all and only cheered when the band played."
Judy nodded, "To be honest, I was never really into our school ball games either, nor the bucks who played them. I would have rather been a referee instead. Even tried to get myself a real referee's whistle too."
Tabby giggled at the image of a young rabbit running around the burrow blowing a whistle every time someone stole a cookie. "Well, the game lasted for several hours and once the sun went down it got very cold on those stone bleachers. It was late fall after all and I didn't realize how long the game was going to last." She wrapped her cardigan around her body as if someone had suddenly turned on the air conditioner.
Both Nick and Judy nodded in unison as they watched the vixen tell her tale. They pushed their plates away and Judy reached for the todd's paw while he laid his tail in her lap.
The vixen scooted closer to the tri-colored rabbit while she continued, "After about three more rounds of the game passed and I was shivering so badly my teeth were chattering. I was seriously considering getting up and heading back home when suddenly the lettermammals jacket was draped across my shoulders and the rabbit put his arms around me."
"Oh, how sweet," Judy said with a heavy sigh.
"It was such a sweet gesture that without thinking I leaned over and lay my head on his shoulder." She placed her head on the doe's shoulder and grasped her arm. "I rested there for several minutes filled with a sense of peace and comfort even while sitting on those cold, hard benches. When the home team scored a goal everyone around us stood and cheered, and in the distraction the buck lifted my chin and kissed me. It was that moment that I suddenly realised that he wasn't a buck at all but a doe."
Judy's jaw dropped in shock, "You're saying that you didn't know the rabbit sitting next to you was a doe the whole time?"
A blush crossed the vixen's muzzle and she replied almost ashamed, "Not at all. You see I had never spent much time around rabbits, and I had certainly never met one like Jo before."
Turning to the other rabbit, Judy asked, "And did you know she was a vixen?"
"Of course," was Jo's flat reply. Seeing Judy's disbelief she added, "The clothes she wore and the way she walked made it quite obvious."
Curiosity overcame the rabbit and she hoped the next question wasn't too offensive, "When did you first learn that you had a thing for vixens?"
Jo seemed to back off slightly at the question, but Tabby leaned over and planted a warm kiss on her lips, "Yes, when did you know?"
With a sigh, the tough rabbit kissed the vixen back and the words began to flow like soft tears, "I knew I was different when I was born. You see, my mother is a pure white rabbit, and my father is all black. All of my siblings are either black or white. I was the odd one in the litter so I grew up being told I was different."
"I kind of know what it's like being the oddball in the family," Judy added softly.
"At least you had a choice," Jo gritted her teeth angrily. "I was an outcast because of my spots, so I decided to show all my snooty siblings that I could be better than them. I worked harder and pushed myself to become faster and stronger than any of them. In school I began to admire predators for their speed and strength. When I eventually expressed my feelings to a margay that I liked, she laughed at me, and before the week was out I was branded an Inter. School became a literal nightmare after that. You can imagine how I felt when this hot looking vixen sits down and suddenly cuddles up to me. It's been paws over ears since then."
"What about you, Tabby?" Judy inquired, leaning her head against her own date. "Did you always know that you liked rabbit does?"
Tabby shook her head bashfully, "No. As I said before, I had never really met a rabbit before. They always seemed to shy away from foxes, even the small ones. There weren't a lot of foxes at the prep school where I went, and none of the boys seemed all that interested in me."
"Oh, that's really strange," the gray rabbit declared with a slight tilt of her head. "You seem like such a pretty fox. I don't know why the boys wouldn't be all over you."
Chuckling, the vixen shook her head and plucked at her fancy clothes, "Oh this. I really didn't get into fashion until I started college. Back in high school I was the total nerd, a bookworm with good grades. Nobody looked at me twice. Once I started buying my own clothes and everyone started complimenting my outfits, did I realize that I had an eye for fashion. That's when I switched my major and now I love working in her uncle's store."
"What about you two?" Jo asked curiously.
Nick and Judy looked briefly into each other's eyes before snickering and blurting out, "It's called a hustle, Sweetheart."
Both Tabby and Jo turned their heads in confusion and the vixen asked, "What the heck does that mean?"
"Well, you see," Judy began to explain as she jabbed her fox in the gut again. "During my first day on the job, this little stinker here, tricked me into buying his son a jumbo pop."
"You have a son?!" Tabby exclaimed in shock.
"No," Nick shook his head. "It was just my partner Finnick wearing a diaper and a onesie that made him look like a baby if you didn't get too close. But it sure fooled this rookie cop." He ruffled Judy's long ears affectionately.
Sitting up, Jo's ears raised above her head and her nose began to twitch, "Now this I am curious about. How did you go from hustling a cop to dating her?"
"Because the very next day I hustled him right back."
"Oh, and the plot thickens," Tabby chortled.
"Indeed," the todd added.
"I hoodwinked Nick into helping me with a case that I had taken only to prove to my boss that I could be more than a meter maid," the rabbit explained while poking him with her fingers. "At first, this fox was such a frustrating nuisance and went out of his way to waste my time. Later, when he stood up to my boss and saved my job, that was when I realized that he was more than just a sly and shifty fox. After that, he proved that he could be a pretty good detective and I eventually put in a request for him to be my partner on the force."
"Ok, but there is more to this story," Jo said, her nose still twitching curiously. "How is it that the two of you started dating?"
Judy shrugged, "I don't really know."
"Aww come on, Judy," Tabby badgered. "You asked us for juicy details, remember?"
She looked up into Nick's green eyes in wonder, "We just grew on each other I guess. He is my best friend, and we spend all our free time together. Then one day I woke up and realized that I wanted more, but I was also afraid to lose what we had. It wasn't until he was almost taken from me by a crazy goat that I knew if I didn't tell him how I felt, I might never get the chance."
Tabby wiped a few tears from her eyes as Judy finished her story and Nick looked out the window at the sun peeking below the canopy. "Well ladies, dinner is finished and we still have one more stop on this double date, but we have to hurry if we want to make it in time. It's a long walk so I suggest we take the elevator instead."
With a loud ding, the elevator door opened and four small mammals stepped out onto a well-worn path. A large park had been built into the very crown of a giant tree and the path wound around the edge giving strollers an excellent view of the entire forest district. Quaint, iron benches lined the path at regular intervals where visitors could enjoy the view.
The park meandered around the edges of the tree and the center was filled with a mass of huge leaves and thick branches creating a wall of green and brown. Since the park sat on top of the canopy, it was above the Rainforest District's main sprinkler system, leaving everything comfortably dry.
Dry bark chips crunched under the mammals' paws as they stepped out into the open air high above the city. Once they were clear, the door swished shut and the car descended back into the depths of the tree. The three smallest mammals held their paws over their muzzles as they took in the view, while the taller one stood proudly with his paws behind his back like he had created the whole scene with his bare paws.
Tabby was the first to speak, "This is so amazing, Nick. I have lived in this city my whole life and I never knew a place like this even existed."
The tall, red fox looked down at the short, brown vixen, "Yes, it is a well kept secret in the Rainforest District. You rarely hear anyone speak of the roof on top of the Yaxchilan Mall."
"This mall doesn't have a great reputation to begin with," the tri-colored rabbit added.
Nodding, Nick explained, "Most mammals prefer the bigger malls downtown or in the savanna."
"They are also much drier," Judy said, squeezing the remaining rainwater from her long, fluffy ears.
Nick looked out over the huge expanse of green canopy that covered the entire district, "It is almost time. We should hurry and find a bench that is clear."
"What's the rush?" Jo asked, sounding almost bored.
Walking along the mulch covered path, the first bench they found was occupied by a pair of white-tailed deer sitting dangerously close together. The next had two wolves, one gray and the other brown who were paying more attention to each other's eyes than looking at the view. Every bench they passed seemed to have exactly two mammals sitting on a seat that could easily hold a pawfull. They even spotted a pair of elderly hippos sitting together hoof in hoof as they stared at the horizon.
When they finally found a free bench, Nick held out his paw, "This looks like a great spot to watch the sun as it sets over the trees."
Jo sat at one end of the bench next to her fox while Judy sat between the two foxes. "This has been such a great date," the gray rabbit said. "Dinner, a movie and getting to watch the sunset with my favorite fox." She squeezed Nick's knee and watched the sky slowly turn from bright orange to blazing red.
As the last sliver of the giant, yellow disk disappeared behind the green horizon, Nick yawned and stretched his arms over his head. He then laid one across Judy's shoulder comfortably.
Seconds passed before the gray rabbit's purple eyes blinked and she turned to the fox. Smirking, she asked, "Are you trying to make a 'Move,' Slick?"
Coughing, Nick pulled the rabbit closer, "I would never consider anything so crass."
A serious expression covered her short muzzle and she looked into his eyes, "No one has ever made a 'Move' on me before."
"Well then we should make the most of the moment."
Judy ran her paws through her long ears and folded them behind her head, "So what happens next?" Lifting her nose directly at the fox, she bit down on her lower lip with the large, bucked teeth.
The expectant look on the rabbit's muzzle was so cute that Nick could not help but giggle. Before she could complain he pulled her closer with the arm that was still wrapped around her shoulder and planted the tip of his orange muzzle on her soft, pink lips. Melting into the foxy kisses, she grabbed his cheeks with both her paws and pulled him closer.
While Nick and Judy were busy snogging on one end of the park bench, the other rabbit let out a huff and slid off the tall, wooden seat. Her paws barely made a sound as she landed on the crushed bark path and turned to head back the direction the group had come.
Seeing the muscular rabbit leave, Tabby looked back and forth between the two rabbit's she cared about. One was obviously occupied with her own fox, but the other was clearly not happy. She jumped off the bench and proceeded to chase after the tri-colored doe, "Jo, where are you going?"
Jo continued walking away for several steps before she spoke, "I knew this was a bad idea and I should not have bothered to come."
Confused by the doe's hint of anger, the vixen asked, "Why? Aren't you having fun?"
Taking a few more steps, Jo threw her paws in the air, "Oh yes, loads of fun. The movie was good and dinner was great." She stopped on the edge of the path near a thick cluster of leafy underbrush. "This was supposed to be a date, but why do I feel like you spent more time with your new friend than you have with me. I wonder who you're actually going out with here."
"Jo," Tabby sighed as she stepped in front of the distraught doe. "How many times do I have to tell you that you're the only bunny for me. You are all I could ever want."
Shyly the muscle bound rabbit stepped back until her tail touched one of the giant leaves lining the path, "Maybe one more time."
Back on the bench, Judy's long ears twitched as she heard giggles and the mumble of puckered lips followed by the heavy rustle of leaves before she returned her attention back to her own fox and how good his lips tasted. Minutes passed as she pecked and nibbled at his muzzle while the sky slowly darkened from a radiant red and orange to a warm pink and eventually, a cool purple.
As she was about to begin a heated wrestling match with the fox's tongue, she suddenly pulled back with a gasp. Her ears stood firmly erect and her brows narrowed, giving the bunny a fierce, evil expression.
"You sly fox!" she exclaimed as she crossed her arms in a scowl. "Why didn't you tell me this was a make out spot?"
Puzzled, Nick's eyes widened as his mind raced to come up with a quick defense, but all that crossed his lips was, "A what?"
"You know, a place where the kids go to watch the stars and make out. It's pretty obvious with all the mammal pairs we saw up here," she pointed a paw back towards the old hippo couple that still sat barely out of sight. "I had heard about them all through school, but I have never been to one before."
Nick sighed and recovered from his earlier shock, "I do remember a certain bunny wanted to see all this city has to offer."
Slapping her knees and kicking her legs in excitement, Judy planted a gentle peck on the end of his big, black nose, "I actually did go to a make out spot once, but it wasn't on a date or anything. In fact it was in the middle of the day. I went there after school and everything because I wanted to know what everyone was talking about."
"So what did you find?" the fox asked curiously.
"It was just an old log in the woods behind our school. There was a small stream nearby where the water rushing over the rocks hid the sound of voices, and there was an opening in the trees where you could have easily seen the stars at night. I wasn't really impressed."
Nick nipped at the side of her cheek while he listened to her talk, "Oh, and why is that?"
A sparkle brightened her eyes and her nose began to twitch furiously, "I guess a make out spot really has to be enjoyed in the company of someone you love."
The red fox with the green, flowery shirt opened his jaws to reply but two gray paws firmly grasped his muzzle and a pair of hot, pink rabbit lips were pressed into his. His words came out in an unintelligible mumble and he eventually stopped trying to speak and enjoyed the rabbit's affections.
Pulling away from her fox to catch her breath, the passionate rabbit tried to speak as she planted one kiss after another around his muzzle, "I." She kissed the spot directly under his nose, "Really." Her lips strayed to the left, "Like." Under his chin was the next victim of her hungry lips, "This." Down the length of his muzzle, she kissed the corner of his mouth, "Make out." Returning to where his lips came together she finished with one long, deep kiss, "Spot."
"Me. Too," he replied between her hungry bunny kisses.
Judy continued to kiss him all over his black and orange head as he giggled, "And this spot, and this spot, and this spot."
The sky swiftly darkened to a deep purple and the stars slowly swept across the great dome while the fox and rabbit struggled to devour each other, one passionate kiss at a time. It was fully dark, with warm lamp light littering the forest below, when a chill breeze swept across the canopy to ruffle the rabbit's fur.
Shivering, Judy pushed away from her lover, but his lips continued to pursue her. She giggled as he planted kiss after kiss across the white circle that covered her muzzle. "Stop it, Nick," wiping her paw across her mouth she backed away from his romantic attentions.
Leaning onto all four, the fox crawled after the escaping bunny with puckered lips. He continued to kiss the air as he hunted the fluffy prey.
Judy's paw slipped on the end of the bench as the fox's long muzzle reached her. She pushed against his snout trying to divert the ever-smooching lips, "It's getting cold out here, maybe we should continue this someplace warmer."
A cold wind ruffled his tail and the fur on his ears. He sat back and looked around the dark sky, "I think you're right." Another look around and he realized the other couple was missing, "Where did your friends go?"
"I don't know. They wandered off about the time you started kissing me."
"Who was kissing who, Hot Fluff?"
Pushing the fox off of her, Judy sat up and looked around the park, "We should go looking for them."
"All right," he sat up and brushed imagined dirt off the front of his shirt. "Where do we start?"
"I think I heard them talking off in this direction," she pointed back down the trail. "But it was a while ago so they could be anywhere."
Jumping off the bench, Judy strolled over to the giant bush where she had last heard the other fox and rabbit couple. In the nearly total darkness, Nick had to guide her along the path until her ears perked up and rotated back and forth.
Judy raised her paw and placed it against his chest, "I hear something beyond this bush."
"What does it sound like?" he whispered.
She tilted her head for a second before whispering her own response, "Like a lot of heavy breathing and muffled cries."
"Do you think someone is in trouble?"
"I can't see a thing, Dumb Fox," she nudged him in his hip. "Whatever it is, it's right behind this bush."
With his night vision, Nick was able to clearly see where Judy was pointing. It wasn't so much of a bush as it was a clump of giant leaves from the main tree that held up the park. He pushed aside one of the leaves and stepped off the path.
Laying in a pile of smaller leaves and ferns was a pair of small mammals, one laying on top of the other. "Tabby?" Nick gasped and the small vixen sat straight up at the sound.
When the little fox spotted Nick peering through the leaves she gasped and grabbed for her shirt. The white shirt she had been wearing earlier along with her frilly brown cardigan were both hanging from a large leaf where they had been carelessly thrown. She quickly yanked the shirt off the leaf and tried to cover her bare chest with the skimpy white cloth.
"Sorry," the todd apologized as he suddenly turned around and headed back to the path, pushing Judy as he went.
With her sharp ears, Judy could barely hear a husky voice whisper, "Why did you stop?"
When the gray rabbit's paws once again touched the ground up bark that covered the path, she turned on the tall fox, "What was it? What did you see?"
Attempting to hide the shock in his voice, Nick sharply replied, "Nothing. You don't want to know. There is nothing to see here!" He then turned his head back towards the bushes and called out like the other couple was not merely a few steps away, "Tabby, Jo, if you can hear me, we are leaving now so meet us by the elevator."
Nick and Judy casually walked back to the start of the path while the fox calmly evaded all of the furious rabbit's insistent questions. They sat down on the grass and short ferns next to the elevator and waited.
"I hope they are still here," Judy said with a great deal of concern in her soft voice. "We should not have ignored them like that."
Confidently, Nick reassured her, "I am sure they enjoyed the sunset as much as we did."
"I hope you're right," her concern had not lessened. "I really had a lot of fun tonight, Slick."
"Me too," was the fox's only reply.
When the other fox and rabbit couple returned, the vixen's muzzle had a brilliant red glow under her brown fur and she tried to look everywhere but in Nick and Judy's direction. Jo on the other paw had a smitten grin drawn across her muzzle like it had been painted there by a famous artist, and a perk in her steps that had been absent during the entire date.
"So did you two have fun tonight?" Judy asked innocently.
"What?" Tabby squeaked, causing both rabbits to wince in pain.
"Yes," Jo replied, once she pulled her paws away from her ears. "We did indeed have fun."
"Good," with a sigh, Judy stood up and brushed off her tail. "I am so glad you could enjoy yourselves."
"Mmhmm," the vixen nodded and mumbled skittishly, still avoiding the other mammals' gaze.
Nick pressed the button to call the elevator, "That is good to hear."
"The movie was interesting," Jo continued. "And the food was, um, exotic to say the least."
Hopping, Judy clapped her paws together, "Yes, we really have to try that place again."
The muscular rabbit continued to describe how she felt about the shared date, "And to top it all off, watching the sunset over the whole Rainforest District was, well." She glanced over at her overly nervous girlfriend with a warm smile. A tender look filled her eyes and she pulled the vixen's muzzle into a soft kiss. "I believe we will just leave the rest unsaid for now."
Tabby only nodded and mumbled, "Yeah."
A loud ding, and the swish of the open elevator door cut their conversation short. Nick bowed slightly and held out his paw as the ladies entered the lift. Once they were situated inside the stainless steel box he pressed the down button and the doors closed around them. Before the doors sealed shut, two rabbits turned and passionately kissed their foxes.
[A/N] I have been looking forward to writing this chapter for over a year when I came up with the idea for Jo's job. While out for a jog one morning I spotted some city workers pulling weeds on the side of the street. At the time I seemed like a cool idea for a rabbit living in Zootopia.
This summer has been pretty rough and I havent been able to focus on writing for several weeks now. I am not sure when the next chapter will be out but I will try to get something written soon. There will be some interesting developments coming up in the next few chapters and I think I might be trying to hard to make everything perfect. Or maybe I just need a break from work and get out of the summer heat for awhile. The next chapter has been started but I am not going to make any promises on an upload date yet. It usually takes two weeks to write and fully edit a chapter so the end of July is still a possibility.
I hope that everyone has enjoyed the art drawn by RandomChibiGirl over on DeviantArt. Along with the cover art for this story she has drawn one of my OC's from part one, Cotton Candy the limo driver.
Thanks for all the wonderful comments on the last chapter. They really keep me going and help encourage me to work at finishing this story.